20 Under the Radar Breakout Players

[Brooky03]

No, no…the program is not at all on a downward trajectory, recruiting overall is fantastic and Boeheim is hitting the recruiting trail hard.

No, no… the zone doesn’t work in the ACC magically, and and Joe Girard isn’t a D1 player, and this team will do well to win 12 games.

 

[Niastri]

You had a great post until that very last sentence. We literally have no idea if the defense will be any good at all with the new guys. Everyone here knows it takes a minute to learn the zone. And we’ve heard the promise of some man. What if JB has been correct all along when he says you have to practice the zone all the time to be good at it? Instead of slow guys not being able to get to the right position, we’ll have fast guys who don’t even know where the right position is.

I’ll buy into this team being better when I see this team playing better.

Last year we ran out Swider, Jimmy, Buddy and Girard with Edwards. No matter who wins starting roles this season, our athleticism will be increased. The new guys are all athletic and long for their positions. Most of them are wirey and not beefy, with long arms.

These guys, physically, are the prototype for effective defender in the zone. They'll probably suck for a while, as you and I know the rotations better than they do at this point. But they'll get better. Last year's team could practice for years, and they were still never going to get quicker or longer limbed. The new kids will learn the system and their defensive abilities will be coming together right around the time we do or do not make the NCAA tournament.

I'm far more worried about our offense than the defense. The tools are there and JB is a master at coaching the zone.

 

[rrlbees]

Last year we ran out Swider, Jimmy, Buddy and Girard with Edwards. No matter who wins starting roles this season, our athleticism will be increased. The new guys are all athletic and long for their positions. Most of them are wirey and not beefy, with long arms.

These guys, physically, are the prototype for effective defender in the zone. They'll probably suck for a while, as you and I know the rotations better than they do at this point. But they'll get better. Last year's team could practice for years, and they were never going to get quicker or longer limbed. The new kids will learn the system and their defensive abilities will be coming together right around the time we do our do not make the NCAA tournament.

I'm far more worried about our offense than the defense. The tools are there and JB is a master at coaching the zone.

I remember when half the board would flip out about the rock fights and say we had to stop recruiting for the zone and start recruiting shooters instead of the long athletes built for the zone.

 

[Niastri]

I remember when half the board would flip out about the rock fights and say we had to stop recruiting for the zone and start recruiting shooters instead of the long athletes built for the zone.

Why not both, bees?

This year we can put Edwards, Williams, Bunch, Mintz and Copeland out there, which would be our longest and most athletic lineup in years. They also have at least a couple guys that can hit a three, dribble penetrate or finish at the rim. Sub in Carey, Torrence, Brown or Taylor and we don't get much shorter or less athletic, and maybe add we some shooting while we're at it.

The freshmen won't be ready right away, but why not by the end of the year?

 

[Dcuse]

So you and Brooky03 don't see any reason to be the least bit skeptical after a losing season, being on the bubble at best annually the past several seasons and two very big questions at the forward position?

I have no idea what this team will be.
You have no idea what this team will be.
I choose to look at what they can be.
You choose to look at what they can’t be.

It’s that simple between the enthusiastic and the doom and gloomers .

 

[djcon57]

I think the ceiling is undefeated champion and the floor is 0 wins.

prove me wrong.

 

[OrangeDW]

I remember when half the board would flip out about the rock fights and say we had to stop recruiting for the zone and start recruiting shooters instead of the long athletes built for the zone.

I hated the rock fights and I hated having a team where nobody could dunk.

How about recruit guys that are good at more than one thing? Then we’ll probably be good again.

 

[kcsu]

Please just beat all of the NY teams on the schedule.

 

[Tony DeFranco]

Most depressing sentence I've ever seen.

What's really depressing is we can't argue with the statement - we all know it's completely valid

 

[Tony DeFranco]

I'm not sure what people expect, we lost 3 starters from a team that wasn't so good and we have 7 new players. If we are middle of the pack ACC, that is most likely a tourney team.

Most people expect a legitimate top 20 team - we don't expect 7-8 of being on the bubble

 

[OrangeDW]

No, no… the zone doesn’t work in the ACC magically, and and Joe Girard isn’t a D1 player, and this team will do well to win 12 games.

The zone doesn’t work…..when Joe Girard is playing 35 minutes a game and the opponent has 4 3 point shooters in the game - which a lot of teams do.

 

[OrangeDW]

I'm not sure what people expect, we lost 3 starters from a team that wasn't so good and we have 7 new players. If we are middle of the pack ACC, that is most likely a tourney team.

Hoping for addition by subtraction in terms of how the pieces fit together. Can’t have 4 slow guys in the game together.

Need Mintz to be big time, and Williams to make a leap and at least one other freshman to be solid.

 

[Tony DeFranco]

The zone doesn’t work…..when Joe Girard is playing 35 minutes a game and the opponent has 4 3 point shooters in the game - which a lot of teams do.

You forgot to add that we get zero TO's resulting in quick points the other way - and he gets blown past defensively causing all kinds of problems

 

[OrangeDW]

You forgot to add that we get zero TO's resulting in quick points the other way - and he gets blown past defensively causing all kinds of problems

Yeah, i worded that poorly…I meant those as two separate variables.

Girard in the game for 35….you’re giving some things up defensively.

And if the other team has 4 shooters - you’re going to struggle to cover them all.

 

[rrlbees]

I hated the rock fights and I hated having a team where nobody could dunk.

How about recruit guys that are good at more than one thing? Then we’ll probably be good again.

Again, people cried about recruiting for the zone and demanded we recruit shooters.

 

[OrangeDW]

Again, people cried about recruiting for the zone and demanded we recruit shooters.

Cried about recruiting guards that couldn’t shoot, pass, or dribble.

And now cry about guys that can’t do anything but shoot.

Everybody just wants to be good again….which means we need more guys that can shoot, pass, dribble, and defend.

 

[Brooky03]

The zone doesn’t work…..when Joe Girard is playing 35 minutes a game and the opponent has 4 3 point shooters in the game - which a lot of teams do.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'd consider getting to the NIT to be a reasonable expectation for this squad.

 

[Orangezoo]

I'd consider getting to the NIT to be a reasonable expectation for this squad.

Yeah I was thinking same and that Ceiling is a 6 seed, above average is making the NCAAs, median NIT/above. 500

 

[MSOrange]

I have no idea what this team will be.
You have no idea what this team will be.
I choose to look at what they can be.
You choose to look at what they can’t be.

It’s that simple between the enthusiastic and the doom and gloomers .

This absolutely can be an NCAA team if Judah is what we hope and Benny takes a sophomore jump and one of the other freshman forwards is ready. I hope like heck that is the case.

But I think it's also fair to say not all of our question marks have been answered positively in recent seasons and it's something to take notice of.

But go ahead and ignore that...

 

[OrangeDW]

This absolutely can be an NCAA team if Judah is what we hope and Benny takes a sophomore jump and one of the other freshman forwards is ready. I hope like heck that is the case.

But I think it's also fair to say not all of our question marks have been answered positively in recent seasons and it's something to take notice of.

But go ahead and ignore that...

I’m laughing at MSOrange being called a “doom and gloomer” now.

More and more people are being considered “doom and gloomers” now. Funny how that works.

 

[MSOrange]

I’m laughing at MSOrange being called a “doom and gloomer” now.

More and more people are being considered “doom and gloomers” now. Funny how that works.

I guess I never thought of myself as the board Buzz Killington, so learn something new every day! I would characterize myself as pretty realistic and hey, sometimes I'm wrong when I am not optimistic enough and I love when that happens.

 

[pearl31]

Our team is going to play some basketball games this season. Book it.

 

[Ghost]

Cried about recruiting guards that couldn’t shoot, pass, or dribble.

And now cry about guys that can’t do anything but shoot.

Everybody just wants to be good again….which means we need more guys that can shoot, pass, dribble, and defend.

Yeah, I recall people clamoring for additional shooting, but I never really recall anyone clamoring for a team full of shooters at the expense of having any/many athletes. I'm just not sure that was ever a campaign anyone engaged in. Getting a more traditional point guard was a campaign many people engaged in - but, along the same lines, I never took that to mean, let's stack PGs at the 1-4 spots!

I like the mix of players we have, just not sure it's a good mix of experience - so I imagine we struggle, but we have some upside so let's see how it goes.

 

[Day2]

I have no idea what this team will be.
You have no idea what this team will be.
I choose to look at what they can be.
You choose to look at what they can’t be.

It’s that simple between the enthusiastic and the doom and gloomers .

And here’s the thing: No one will remember if someone is right or wrong, nor will they care. It’s just a personal choice that has no effect on the outcome. So why not be enthusiastic?