gmacfor3
Walk On
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2014
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Long time lurker, first time posting. First off, I just want to say that this is an outstanding board for insightful cuse hoops discussion, and I enjoy checking it out every day.
Before I discuss my thoughts on next season, I think it's important to reflect on a change in recruiting philosophy that has been made more apparent the last several years. JB and staff have always looked for long/athletic players to play their zone, but typical they recruited these type of players to man the 4 and 5 positions, and sometimes the 3. Years ago it was common for JB to play 3 players with guard like skills, which in turn required a smaller player to play the back line of the zone. Although it was frustrating to watch players like Josh Pace, Kueth Duany, Andy Rautins, etc. give up weakside rebounds, the trade off was a more fluid offense that had 3 players that could shoot and/or attack the basket. However, it was hard to say that the zone was ever truly a successful defense. Sometimes it would confuse a team enough that they would struggle to score, but more times than not it seemed to give up too many wide open threes and could be spread out too easily. Games were won on the offensive end.
That is until the last couple seasons. It seems like JB has made it a recruiting priority for all positions on the floor to be manned by a long athlete, including the guard spots. You can't argue that the fact that this shift has resulted in better defense...during last years postseason run and this entire season, the zone was a legitimate shut down defense...the advanced metrics back it up. The downfall has been on the offensive end. There is usually 3 players on the court at the same time who are 6'8 or taller, and while this is great for coverage in the zone and offensive rebounding, the problem has been spacing on the offensive end. Unless their name is Carmelo, most 6'8+ guys are not very comfortable or effective on the perimeter. Add in the fact that these same players have not provided a post presence lately, and you have crowded, ineffective floor spacing. The guards, who have not shot the ball very well from the perimeter the past few seasons, have also found it difficult to penetrate because the lane is crowded due to the lack of perimeter threats.
The game of basketball has changed. There are very few true post players in the game today. Many teams play with four guards on the floor at the same time. "Stretch 4" is a term that is so commonly used today, where as years ago that player was just known as a small forward. To be an elite offensive team in today's game, you need to have 3-4 players on the floor that can shoot it and/or handle it. While I do like what the 2015 class seems to be bringing in (tall/long players who are said to be good shooters), I feel like Syracuse is going to continue to struggle on the offense end due to the types of players they are recruiting and putting on the floor at the same time. With all that said, the Cuse is WINNING an unprecedented number of games over the last 5 or so years, so I feel like an entitled fan to complain. Yes, the offense has struggled and likely will continue to due so, especially if teams force us into a half-court game. However, I believe the defense will continue to be a nightmare for opposing teams and therefore JB and company will remain among the elite teams in college basketball for years to come!
Now my thoughts on next season...while I definitely would have loved to see Ennis and Grant return for what would be a LOADED team, we need to understand the nature of the beast. If we as fans want successful seasons, we have to realize we are going to lose our young, talented players to the NBA. Hopefully the age limit will be raised in the near future, but that is for a whole different discussion. Regardless, I'm extremely excited about the potential of next years team.
Guards: Kaleb Joseph will not be Tyler Ennis. He will make a bunch of mistakes, especially early in the season, and maybe that is a good thing. The best thing about Ennis might have also been a negative for last years team in that he was always under control and rarely took chances pushing tempo. I think that's what makes him attractive to NBA scouts, but during the 2nd half of last season when the team struggled to score, Ennis was not able to create easy baskets for his teammates in transition. I think Joseph will push the ball more, which will lead to frustrating turnovers, but also exciting plays. Should be fun to watch him progress!
Trevor Cooney needs to diversify his game, no doubt about it. However, lets not forget that how good he was for half the season, and he still has two years of eligibility left. I think Cooney will be on an all-ACC team before he graduates. Ron Patterson is the wild card here. He could be a great energy guy off the bench who brings some length, athleticism and shooting ability. Or he could be someone who enters JB's doghouse early in the season and never leaves. We will see!
Guard/Forward: Silent G should be the perfect jack of all trades next season. I really wish the cuse had a back up point guard because I feel that having to play the point holds G back and makes him somewhat tentative. He is definitely at his best playing the 2 or the 3. Especially if he plays the three, because although somewhat short for the backside of the zone, he gives us a third player who can dribble/shoot. We saw flashes of what he could do in the first half of the game at Duke and the Dayton game. If he becomes confident and aggressive...look out! We are talking about a former top 30 recruit. BJ Johnson is another player who has a world of potential. I see him having a Southerland type career in which he gets better every year, and becomes a real weapon by the time he is a senior. Although I think he will be a better ball handler/creator than Southerland, they have similar athleticism and shooting ability.
Forwards: Tyler Roberson should be the next in line to make the sophomore leap at the Cuse! This kid can play, he was just too afraid of making a mistake this past year. If you've played the game, you know what it is like when that leash is lengthened...the tentativeness goes away and the talent shines. Roberson could be the next talented youngster to jump early to the NBA. Chris McCollough is potentially the most talented recruit since Melo. He is perfect for the 2-3 zone. He can shoot from the outside, run like a pg, and jump out of the gym. If he consistently plays determined, he should be on the ACC all-rookie team. If he doesn't, we could be looking at the next Rakeem Christmas.
Centers: Speaking of Rakeem Christmas, at this point we've realized what he is and what he isn't. He is not going to be a double-double machine, and will commit silly fouls way too often. But he has developed a jump hook with both hands, and has improved (although slightly) each year, so it is not out of the question to expect 7-8 points, 7-8 rebounds, and 2-3 blocks a game from him next year. Sign me up for that. Dajuan Coleman's health, as scary as this may sound, is probably the most important off-season development for this team. He's already dropped 25 lbs. without being able to workout. Obviously the SU staff feels if he can get lighter it will help keep him healthy, and should make him a better player. He struggled getting off the ground and moving laterally when healthy (if he ever truly was) the last two seasons...the loss of weight should help improve that. Imagine if he and Christmas can both put up the afore mentioned numbers...what a great center combo that will be. I don't feel Obokoh is going to be ready to play significant minutes next season (hopefully he gets that 4th year back), so it is imperative for Coleman to regain his health.
Sorry this was long and rambling and possibly somewhat repetitive of what may have already been stated on this board. I am just very excited for the potential on next years team. There are so many unknowns, and while they may not contend for a national championship, they should improve as the season goes on. Nevertheless it will be another exciting winter in CNY!
Before I discuss my thoughts on next season, I think it's important to reflect on a change in recruiting philosophy that has been made more apparent the last several years. JB and staff have always looked for long/athletic players to play their zone, but typical they recruited these type of players to man the 4 and 5 positions, and sometimes the 3. Years ago it was common for JB to play 3 players with guard like skills, which in turn required a smaller player to play the back line of the zone. Although it was frustrating to watch players like Josh Pace, Kueth Duany, Andy Rautins, etc. give up weakside rebounds, the trade off was a more fluid offense that had 3 players that could shoot and/or attack the basket. However, it was hard to say that the zone was ever truly a successful defense. Sometimes it would confuse a team enough that they would struggle to score, but more times than not it seemed to give up too many wide open threes and could be spread out too easily. Games were won on the offensive end.
That is until the last couple seasons. It seems like JB has made it a recruiting priority for all positions on the floor to be manned by a long athlete, including the guard spots. You can't argue that the fact that this shift has resulted in better defense...during last years postseason run and this entire season, the zone was a legitimate shut down defense...the advanced metrics back it up. The downfall has been on the offensive end. There is usually 3 players on the court at the same time who are 6'8 or taller, and while this is great for coverage in the zone and offensive rebounding, the problem has been spacing on the offensive end. Unless their name is Carmelo, most 6'8+ guys are not very comfortable or effective on the perimeter. Add in the fact that these same players have not provided a post presence lately, and you have crowded, ineffective floor spacing. The guards, who have not shot the ball very well from the perimeter the past few seasons, have also found it difficult to penetrate because the lane is crowded due to the lack of perimeter threats.
The game of basketball has changed. There are very few true post players in the game today. Many teams play with four guards on the floor at the same time. "Stretch 4" is a term that is so commonly used today, where as years ago that player was just known as a small forward. To be an elite offensive team in today's game, you need to have 3-4 players on the floor that can shoot it and/or handle it. While I do like what the 2015 class seems to be bringing in (tall/long players who are said to be good shooters), I feel like Syracuse is going to continue to struggle on the offense end due to the types of players they are recruiting and putting on the floor at the same time. With all that said, the Cuse is WINNING an unprecedented number of games over the last 5 or so years, so I feel like an entitled fan to complain. Yes, the offense has struggled and likely will continue to due so, especially if teams force us into a half-court game. However, I believe the defense will continue to be a nightmare for opposing teams and therefore JB and company will remain among the elite teams in college basketball for years to come!
Now my thoughts on next season...while I definitely would have loved to see Ennis and Grant return for what would be a LOADED team, we need to understand the nature of the beast. If we as fans want successful seasons, we have to realize we are going to lose our young, talented players to the NBA. Hopefully the age limit will be raised in the near future, but that is for a whole different discussion. Regardless, I'm extremely excited about the potential of next years team.
Guards: Kaleb Joseph will not be Tyler Ennis. He will make a bunch of mistakes, especially early in the season, and maybe that is a good thing. The best thing about Ennis might have also been a negative for last years team in that he was always under control and rarely took chances pushing tempo. I think that's what makes him attractive to NBA scouts, but during the 2nd half of last season when the team struggled to score, Ennis was not able to create easy baskets for his teammates in transition. I think Joseph will push the ball more, which will lead to frustrating turnovers, but also exciting plays. Should be fun to watch him progress!
Trevor Cooney needs to diversify his game, no doubt about it. However, lets not forget that how good he was for half the season, and he still has two years of eligibility left. I think Cooney will be on an all-ACC team before he graduates. Ron Patterson is the wild card here. He could be a great energy guy off the bench who brings some length, athleticism and shooting ability. Or he could be someone who enters JB's doghouse early in the season and never leaves. We will see!
Guard/Forward: Silent G should be the perfect jack of all trades next season. I really wish the cuse had a back up point guard because I feel that having to play the point holds G back and makes him somewhat tentative. He is definitely at his best playing the 2 or the 3. Especially if he plays the three, because although somewhat short for the backside of the zone, he gives us a third player who can dribble/shoot. We saw flashes of what he could do in the first half of the game at Duke and the Dayton game. If he becomes confident and aggressive...look out! We are talking about a former top 30 recruit. BJ Johnson is another player who has a world of potential. I see him having a Southerland type career in which he gets better every year, and becomes a real weapon by the time he is a senior. Although I think he will be a better ball handler/creator than Southerland, they have similar athleticism and shooting ability.
Forwards: Tyler Roberson should be the next in line to make the sophomore leap at the Cuse! This kid can play, he was just too afraid of making a mistake this past year. If you've played the game, you know what it is like when that leash is lengthened...the tentativeness goes away and the talent shines. Roberson could be the next talented youngster to jump early to the NBA. Chris McCollough is potentially the most talented recruit since Melo. He is perfect for the 2-3 zone. He can shoot from the outside, run like a pg, and jump out of the gym. If he consistently plays determined, he should be on the ACC all-rookie team. If he doesn't, we could be looking at the next Rakeem Christmas.
Centers: Speaking of Rakeem Christmas, at this point we've realized what he is and what he isn't. He is not going to be a double-double machine, and will commit silly fouls way too often. But he has developed a jump hook with both hands, and has improved (although slightly) each year, so it is not out of the question to expect 7-8 points, 7-8 rebounds, and 2-3 blocks a game from him next year. Sign me up for that. Dajuan Coleman's health, as scary as this may sound, is probably the most important off-season development for this team. He's already dropped 25 lbs. without being able to workout. Obviously the SU staff feels if he can get lighter it will help keep him healthy, and should make him a better player. He struggled getting off the ground and moving laterally when healthy (if he ever truly was) the last two seasons...the loss of weight should help improve that. Imagine if he and Christmas can both put up the afore mentioned numbers...what a great center combo that will be. I don't feel Obokoh is going to be ready to play significant minutes next season (hopefully he gets that 4th year back), so it is imperative for Coleman to regain his health.
Sorry this was long and rambling and possibly somewhat repetitive of what may have already been stated on this board. I am just very excited for the potential on next years team. There are so many unknowns, and while they may not contend for a national championship, they should improve as the season goes on. Nevertheless it will be another exciting winter in CNY!
