I've been a little bit surprised at the absolute antipathy and hostility towards Howard on this board. While I get some of it and I have some doubts as well, how can you ignore what Boeheim says about Howard, both on camera and off? (do we not trust his opinion and player analysis anymore?)
1.) When JB decided to abandon the PG platoon system and go with Gillon full time, he said Gillon was playing "a little better--"just a little better" than Howard at the time. He went with one guy because he thought we needed consistency at the PG spot. He obviously chose Gillon because he was shooting the ball better from 3 and was a near 90 percent free throw shooter and was getting into the lane a little better. (He acknowledged that Frank was prob the better defender.) But he didn't see a HUGE difference between them. Now Howard will be a junior with a year of off season work and experience. How can we not expect improvement?
2.) In February when Battle was sick and Howard got more playing time and looked decent, several announcers mentioned during the broadcasts how JB told them Howard will be fine next year. He's only a sophomore and these things take time, he said. (I always listen to the announcers because they often share stuff JB says to them, and he's sometimes more honest and open when he's not at a podium).
3.) In JB's end of season presser, he went to great lengths to defend Frank and admonished everyone for not having faith that players can improve. He cited Scoop as an example of a player who everyone had the pitchforks out for before he had a great sophomore-senior run where he improved every year. He seems to think Howard can make similar leaps.
4.) In November and December, Jay Bilas commented several times in games how Howard was playing very well against the lesser teams on the schedule and struggling against better competition. He argued that it's just a matter of adjusting to the competition, and he seemed to believe Howard has the athletic ability and skills to be able to adjust. It's a mental thing and a lack of experience. Hopefully another year of off season work and playing with the other guys and knowing that he's our PG will help his confidence. There's something to be said for knowing a team needs you and you have to produce. It can lead to a player stepping up and Improving.
Look, would I like to have a backup plan like Ayala or a 5th year grad transfer in case Howard proves to be unable to meet the challenge? Yes. But unless something happens and we sign a 5th year, JB seems comfortable with Howard running the show next year. Of course you can express concerns or acknowledge it's an unknown, but we should try to get behind it and support Howard.
