33 1/3%...

[LeMoyneCuse]

Syracuse made the NCAA tournament last season with two healthy guards. Why are people so worried about having a third string center?

 

[supp]

We lost out on a potential 3rd string center. Why would he want to come here when he is going to start at St. Bona next year? Their tallest player on the roster is 6'6 and his old teammate plays there. Relax

I don't disagree with this analysis of his choice but someone still needs to explain how other programs of our caliber routinely overcome the challenge of recruiting end of the bench kids...and with seemingly much higher level recruits too.

 

[rrlbees]

Bazely's not Orange, no one [here] wanted Washington during his recruitment, and where the heck was Buddy going?

The others are legit though.

It’s a legit list of the players we signed over the last 2 years. Nothing more nothing less.

 

[two3zone]

Brissett, Sidibe, Dolezaj, Washington, Bazley*, Hughes, Carey, Boeheim.

One guy has proven something, and even that one guy has a lot of work to do.

 

[Funk Doc]

I have never said that we didn't land good recruits. This is strictly about the misses. When we miss there is always an excuse.

Just as an outside observer and not part of your constant debate with everyone...I think the issue here, is that people are not using excuses, they are suggesting there might be reasons for each recruit not picking Cuse that are beyond our control, and your stance, seems to be that it is all on us.

I'm pretty sure if we look at the numbers, we send out sometimes twice as many offers than potential open spots. That means we ARE going to miss more often than land a commitment.

I think our bigger issue, which twothree has said several times, is why are we simply unable to KEEP these borderline talents from leaving.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Syracuse made the NCAA tournament last season with two healthy guards. Why are people so worried about having a third string center?

The worry, at least for me, is to get out of middle of the pack/Bubble land. Remains to be seen even with the returning players/newcomers if that will be possible.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

The worry, at least for me, is to get out of middle of the pack/Bubble land. Remains to be seen even with the returning players/newcomers if that will be possible.

I mean, I agree. But the pieces are there for 18-19, even if the depth still isn't ideal.

 

[SoBeCuse]

I mean, I agree. But the pieces are there for 18-19, even if the depth still isn't ideal.

Hopefully so. If we can’t score again the margin of error is so thin. You’re going to lose a BUNCH of games like last year even if the defense is good. I’ll have to see some evidence of some systemic changes in offense to start believing. Otherwise, more grinders, IMO.

 

[RF2044]

Hopefully so. If we can’t score again the margin of error is so thin. You’re going to lose a BUNCH of games like last year even if the defense is good. I’ll have to see some evidence of some systemic changes in offense to start believing. Otherwise, more grinders, IMO.

Scoring pop next year is the last thing I'm worried about. Even without Battle.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Hopefully so. If we can’t score again the margin of error is so thin. You’re going to lose a BUNCH of games like last year even if the defense is good. I’ll have to see some evidence of some systemic changes in offense to start believing. Otherwise, more grinders, IMO.

It's far more critical for Carey / Buddy / Hughes to add something to the offense than Braswell or the two guys we missed out on.

 

[SUOrangeSU]

Ya I don't think this team is going to struggle to score next year. We'll do our normal 4 on 5 on offense but we'll have shooters. OB will lead us in points (guessing around 16-17) followed behind with Frank at 15-16 and Marek, Hughes and Carey will be around 9-10 a game

 

[Cusefan0307]

Ya I don't think this team is going to struggle to score next year. We'll do our normal 4 on 5 on offense but we'll have shooters. OB will lead us in points (guessing around 16-17) followed behind with Frank at 15-16 and Marek, Hughes and Carey will be around 9-10 a game

That’s still only 31 points per game. We need to average 75 to get out of bubble land. If we are anything worse than a 6 seed next year I am worried for the future. It’s time to get back in the top 25. I’m done being patient.

 

[JazzNC]

Just as an outside observer and not part of your constant debate with everyone...I think the issue here, is that people are not using excuses, they are suggesting there might be reasons for each recruit not picking Cuse that are beyond our control, and your stance, seems to be that it is all on us.

I'm pretty sure if we look at the numbers, we send out sometimes twice as many offers than potential open spots. That means we ARE going to miss more often than land a commitment.

I think our bigger issue, which twothree has said several times, is why are we simply unable to KEEP these borderline talents from leaving.

This is a thoughtful response, and appreciated. Of course, even Duke and Kentucky do not field a 100% success rate recruiting. The bigger concern is multifaceted. Part of it is exactly what you and two3 have said, we lose talents early. I think there are other reasons too (that have have already been discussed on the boards in previous threads). In regards to OO, I would not have had the reaction I did to losing OO if SU had someone else that was his equivalent or better in mind, or there was someone left to recruit. Therefore, I took a hard line stance that clearly was not well received on this board. I hope the staff will be inspired to work even harder. JB and staff are fighters, and it would not surprise me to see him pull a rabbit of a hat in 2019. You don't win as many games as JB and not be resilient, tough as nails and a damn good coach. As much as I'd love to see JB go out on top with another title, I'm sure not half as much as the man himself.

 

[two3zone]

That’s still only 31 points per game. We need to average 75 to get out of bubble land. If we are anything worse than a 6 seed next year I am worried for the future. It’s time to get back in the top 25. I’m done being patient.

I’m willing to be patient as long as the outlook is good. Bazley took a lot of wind out of the sails and set us back.

I understand all the guys we bring in aren’t stiffs but we need impact guys, and more than one. I hope Brissett and Carey are those guys, and while we need role players and guys who will be here 4 years, were not going to win with strictly with 4 year program guys who are atheletes with low offensive skill.

Our recruiting frustrates me because we seem to walk away from guys who can help on offense and our one and done guys while they get to the first round in the draft aren’t even our best players from the year.

There is a reason we’re on the bubble year after year after year but according to most, it’s not coaching, it’s not recruiting, it’s not skill level of the players and it’s not anything that is in any sort of control by our staff. That’s BS, there are solutions, if Nova can do what they do, why not us?

 

[SoBeCuse]

It's far more critical for Carey / Buddy / Hughes to add something to the offense than Braswell or the two guys we missed out on.

Well yeah that goes without saying.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Scoring pop next year is the last thing I'm worried about. Even without Battle.

That’s a bold prediction. I hope you’re right. Boy, I hope you’re right.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Ya I don't think this team is going to struggle to score next year. We'll do our normal 4 on 5 on offense but we'll have shooters. OB will lead us in points (guessing around 16-17) followed behind with Frank at 15-16 and Marek, Hughes and Carey will be around 9-10 a game

Still a plodding team and not very quick all around unless Carey does most of the ballhandling, IMO.

 

[RF2044]

Still a plodding team and not very quick all around unless Carey does most of the ballhandling, IMO.

Additional ball handlers, less reliance on three primary scorers to provide 90% of the scoring, more shooters, better personnel to attack off of the bounce, improved inside scoring, and improved depth all = not a plodding team or one that will struggle to score as much as last year's team did.

I know that seems counter-intuitive, with Battle likely not being on next year's team, but I think we're going to see a much more potent, effective scoring team next year.

 

[Antiprodigy]

I have never said that we didn't land good recruits. This is strictly about the misses. When we miss there is always an excuse.

That is your view of the other side of the discussion.

Conversely, my view of your side of the discussion is that when there is a miss, the situation is dire. If you recruited them, you needed them, so losing them is a sign that the bottom has fallen out. And since you ignore the discussion of the hits (signed players) Your posts seem to indicate that you discount the hits as a counterweight to the bottom falling out.

See how things look remarkably similar when you actually look at both sides of the discussion. I guess it just depends on whether you choose to be a "glass half full" or "glass half empty" sort of person.

The reality is that with the combination of sanctions allowing fewer coaches out recruiting (ie. developing relationships with recruits), along with the loss of the top recruiting assistant, the program was bound to be working from behind the curve with respect to a number of years worth of recruiting. But, if you are a "glass half empty" person, you don't worry about or consider these events as mitigating factors. The natural proclivity is to ignore them as factors. (In fact, I would hazard a guess that some people who post in this forum never even thought of these or understood the ramifications of these events)

 

[SoBeCuse]

Additional ball handlers, less reliance on three primary scorers to provide 90% of the scoring, more shooters, better personnel to attack off of the bounce, improved inside scoring, and improved depth all = not a plodding team or one that will struggle to score as much as last year's team did.

I know that seems counter-intuitive, with Battle likely not being on next year's team, but I think we're going to see a much more potent, effective scoring team next year.

Hopefully! I’ll have to see it to believe it. Blind faith (at least for me) won’t cut it.

 

[RF2044]

Hopefully! I’ll have to see it to believe it. Blind faith (at least for me) won’t cut it.

Practice informed [versus blind faith] -- but admittedly, I'm projecting a bit with Carey.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Practice informed [versus blind faith] -- but admittedly, I'm projecting a bit with Carey.

I’m pretty high on him, regardless. For better or worse, he’s the key to a lot of potential improvements, IMO. There will be some potential good shooting but you need ball movement and some constant good-dynamic attacking off the bounce to make plays for the shooters in this offense.

IMO, the offense was still bad with Lydon/Gillon/White. I don’t give a damn what the numbers said. We were constantly buried in games and doing nothing in first halves of games. We’d get buried, forced to pick up the pace and make furious rallies when other teams stopped playing. Otherwise it was pass around the perimeter, hot potato, and/or settle for a White/Lydon/Gillon jack make or miss.

 

[bornagainOrange]

Just wanted to chim in since the Osun thread was closed and this was discussed

 

[two3zone]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">St. Bonaventure&#39;s Mark Schmidt will hire Sean Neal as an assistant coach, per a source. Neal was at La Salle last season.</p>&mdash; Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) <a href="">May 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Just wanted to chim in since the Osun thread was closed and this was discussed

Mighty kind of him to bag them a recruit while he was unemployed.

 

[bornagainOrange]

Mighty kind of him to bag them a recruit while he was unemployed.

So you do not believe this was discussed while Osun was on his visit, or even mentioned?