2014-15

[Lil Rick]

With no shooters coming in next year, losing CJ & either Grant or Ennis, and opponents only having to lock down on Shaky Potatoes... who is gonna score? Scary thought...

Hate to say it, but even though we're playing like an NIT team right now... we'll likely be there next year, unless someone on this roster can make some serious leaps n bounds in the off-season to their game.

 

[pearl31]

I'd be interested to know how you obtained those 23 "likes" you have.
Did you get bored on the syracuse.com forum?

 

[SUintheVille]

Be still. This year is not lost yet. Next year who knows. No way NIT. Cuse will be very good. Shooters will emerge.

 

[Lil Rick]

I'd be interested to know how you obtained those 23 "likes" you have.
Did you get bored on the syracuse.com forum?

I'd be interested in you answering my question.

 

[Eagles20]

This is clown talk bro...why even bring next year up. Yes this team is struggling but I didn't hear no bell yet.

 

[djcon57]

With no shooters coming in next year, losing CJ & either Grant or Ennis, and opponents only having to lock down on Shaky Potatoes... who is gonna score? Scary thought...

Coleman.
Rak.
Grant.
Roberson.


Man's game. What.

 

[HakAttack]

I'd be interested in you answering my question.

 

[Lil Rick]

Coleman.
Rak.
Grant.
Roberson.


Man's game. What.

Grant is most likely gone.

Roberson is the only one who might give some potential. If DC2/Rak are the best scoring options we have... that isn't sayin much about this team.

 

[Eagles20]

Grant is most likely gone.

Roberson is the only one who might give some potential. If DC2/Rak are the best scoring options we have... that isn't sayin much about this team.

So you see no chance at guys like Patterson, BJ, or Mike G developing more over the summer?

 

[Lil Rick]

So you see no chance at guys like Patterson, BJ, or Mike G developing more over the summer?

With Jimmy's limited 6-7 man rotation, I don't see Buss or BJ seeing the court until their junior/senior years. I thought MG shows signs of potential, but would've thought he'd be further advanced offensively at this stage, but he should be a solid role player.

Backcourt: Ennis, MG (50%), Joseph, Cooney
Frontcourt: Roberson, MG (50%), McCullough, Rak, DC2

And that's an 8-man rotation (if Ennis returns)... BJ/Buss will have the same role as this year

 

[OrangeDW]

With Jimmy's limited 6-7 man rotation, I don't see Buss or BJ seeing the court until their junior/senior years. I thought MG shows signs of potential, but would've thought he'd be further advanced offensively at this stage, but he should be a solid role player.

Backcourt: Ennis, MG (50%), Joseph, Cooney
Frontcourt: Roberson, MG (50%), McCullough, Rak, DC2

And that's an 8-man rotation (if Ennis returns)... BJ/Buss will have the same role as this year

Nichols, Joseph, Jackson, Rautins, Shumpert, Dave Johnson, ...at what point did you give up on those guys?

The list of Syracuse players who didn't do squat as freshmen, but made huge leaps as sophomore or Juniors is very, very long.

I'm confident that out of Roberson, Johnson, and Patterson...at least 1, if not 2 will step up and look like different players next year. You'd have to be in your first year watching college hoops, or the most negative fan on the planet to think otherwise.

 

[Lil Rick]

Nichols, Joseph, Jackson, Rautins, Shumpert, Dave Johnson, ...at what point did you give up on those guys?

The list of Syracuse players who didn't do squat as freshmen, but made huge leaps as sophomore or Juniors is very, very long.

I'm confident that out of Roberson, Johnson, and Patterson...at least 1, if not 2 will step up and look like different players next year. You'd have to be in your first year watching college hoops, or the most negative fan on the planet to think otherwise.

Did you not read my post? Jimmy only plays 7.

Dave Johnson, Preston Shumpert, Rick, and KJo were already the 6th/7th man their freshman year, so by default they were already in the rotation from the get-go, and had a much easier path to getting minutes down the road.

Who will BJ or Buss steal minutes from next year? Unless they improve tremendously, the minutes aren't there -- given the lineup I mentioned... It would be great if they could blossom and become part of the rotation, but I don't see it.

 

[We Are Syracuse]

With no shooters coming in next year, losing CJ & either Grant or Ennis, and opponents only having to lock down on Shaky Potatoes... who is gonna score? Scary thought...

Hate to say it, but even though we're playing like an NIT team right now... we'll likely be there next year, unless someone on this roster can make some serious leaps n bounds in the off-season to their game.

I stopped reading your post when I saw Grant and ennis leaving... Not happening... If so, when has Syracuse not had players who have stepped up to score and have big years when they virtually had no role the previous year.. Syracuse is a NEXT one up program

 

[DBCooper]

With Jimmy's limited 6-7 man rotation, I don't see Buss or BJ seeing the court until their junior/senior years. I thought MG shows signs of potential, but would've thought he'd be further advanced offensively at this stage, but he should be a solid role player.

Backcourt: Ennis, MG (50%), Joseph, Cooney
Frontcourt: Roberson, MG (50%), McCullough, Rak, DC2

And that's an 8-man rotation (if Ennis returns)... BJ/Buss will have the same role as this year

Among other issues, you have discounted the possibility of Grant coming back, and in your narrative above you have ignored the impact from McCollough, a potential one-and-done. So your tentative assessment of the possible results of the hypothetical next season might be accurate. Maybe.

Even without Grant, the team you have listed is a top 20 squad.

 

[OttoMets]

Ennis will improve his shooting over the summer.

I'd feel better about things if we could get three shooters onto the floor at the same time, but it doesn't look like that's happening next year. But we'll see how the forwards develop.

 

[spo023]

With no shooters coming in next year, losing CJ & either Grant or Ennis, and opponents only having to lock down on Shaky Potatoes... who is gonna score? Scary thought...

Hate to say it, but even though we're playing like an NIT team right now... we'll likely be there next year, unless someone on this roster can make some serious leaps n bounds in the off-season to their game.

Grant is hurting his stock day by day by not playing. Anyone can see his game has very little polish, he can't shoot outside of 18 feet, and he relies on athleticism. In the NBA, everyone has the same athleticism as him so he needs more than being able to put in a tip dunk. He knows that and the NBA knows that.

And with every loss, Ennis' stock is going down as well. Although his statistics are improving, the one problem everyone has with him becoming a first round pick is his athleticism. I'd say the odds of both staying are actually pretty high now that the flaws of each player and the team are really showing

 

[Jeremy L.]

Lol at the thought of next year's team being an NIT team. I can see us being at WORST a 6 seed. No way we are an NIT team. No way.

 

[two3zone]

I stopped reading your post when I saw Grant and ennis leaving... Not happening... If so, when has Syracuse not had players who have stepped up to score and have big years when they virtually had no role the previous year.. Syracuse is a NEXT one up program

Why is it far fetched that Grant leaves?

 

[br801]

With no shooters coming in next year, losing CJ & either Grant or Ennis, and opponents only having to lock down on Shaky Potatoes... who is gonna score? Scary thought...

Hate to say it, but even though we're playing like an NIT team right now... we'll likely be there next year, unless someone on this roster can make some serious leaps n bounds in the off-season to their game.

You mean I have to write off next season too?

 

[HoustonCuse]

I think there is still a 75% chance we lose both Grant and Ennis, but:

General factors:
Cooney will be much improved next year in his ability to maintain consistency throughout the year and in his ability to dribble for a pull up J. He has all the signs of being a deadly upperclassman next year.

Xmas is showing incremental improvement and will be a factor on offense next year

Mike G will be that much better, including his shot.

DC will be back healthy and able to rebound and get 5 - 8 points per game.

Roberson shows all the tools. He is insanely quick, is a factor in almost every rebound while on the floor, and has the makings of a nice offensive game on the order of Grant. When he is more confident and established next year, there is all reason to expect him to be a solid contributor.

BJ and Patterson - I tend to agree they may not get too many minutes, but with substantial development they could bull their way into minutes.

K Joseph - I'm not sure what to expect at the moment.

McCullough - Who knows, but would be the equivalent of 2013 Roberson at the very bottom of his potential and 2013 Grant at the top (with a small chance that he is 2008 Greene).

Scenarios:
If we have Ennis and no Grant, we'll be a solid Top 10 type team preseason. No reason to think we won't be just fine. Replacing CJ and Grant will not be easy, but the talent is in place.

If we have Grant and no Ennis, we'll be a Top 15-20 type team. Big risk of handing the ball to freshman Joseph but there is enough talent in the frontcourt and backcourt to still put a high caliber team on the floor, including a proven go-to scoring forward which is important to all good SU teams.

If we have neither - we are probably Top 25. Higher risk of a drop off but still lots of options and room for error (maybe Joseph isn't able to do as much as we'd hope, but Patterson makes enough improvement to conribute).

If we have both back - I see this as a Preseason #1 team. Nobody ever will rank us #1 in the preseason so I'd guess we would be ranked Top 5, but that is a team that would have every tool needed to win a championship.

 

[Lil Rick]

You mean I have to write off next season too?

I want this team to go 40-0 every year and blowout every team by 30, but this year's team overachieved early-on and have come back to reality...

If Grant's gone, I'd say we are ranked around #20-25 next season unless McCullough/Joseph turn out to have Carmelo/GMac type talent... After all, before this season started people on the forum were touting Roberson to be the next Billy Owens... and we see how Beast's season has played out. I just hope he can make the soph leap ala Warrick and develop some post game.

It's hard to imagine that McCullough/Roberson > Fair/Grant... little change at center... and our backcourt will be basically the same, unless Joseph is an outside threat (or if he even gets 8-10 minutes) -- assuming Ennis returns. Cooney will have fleeting moments of brilliance, but opponents already know he's the only player to lock down upon and force him to take tough shots, like the ones he's missing of late. We're gonna have the same struggles to crack 60 pts next season unless we change some variables (faster tempo, deeper rotation, better offensive game plan, etc) and find multiple reliable scoring threats which don't exist aside from perhaps Ennis