Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="pfister1, post: 59401, member: 285"] But we didn't make the Final Four. Even without our injured starter, we got upset by an inferior team. And we did so in a game that was a.) an offensive crapfest, and b.) essentially a no-show by our two best players and our best uninjured post player. Unfortunately, we were outcoached and outhustled. We also showed off one of our classic NCAA scoring droughts that so often occur in our big upset losses, falling behind about 10-0? Onuaku or no Onuaku, Butler falls right into the theme of us underperforming once we reach the Sweet Sixteen. I won't stoop to Boeheim-bashing, but there are certain trends with this program over the last 35 years. It's highly likely that we'll have a terrific start to the season. It's highly likely that we'll have a losing streak in January or February that is the consequence of hideous execution in our half-court offense. And it's pretty likely that we won't advance past the second weekend in the tournament (and that our loss will involve both a stagnant half-court offense and a very short bench). (You're right that UConn's run was one in a million. That was weird. I'd like to pretend it didn't happen. 9-9 Big East team wins its last 11. Awful.)[/quote] I am not making a statement on the main point, but why do you say "even without our injured starter, we got upset by an inferior team"? I assume your point is that you believe Butler was inferior to SU even without AO playing. I disagree. I think history has shown otherwise. While it is fashionable not to give Butler any credit for their accomplishments, they did make the championship game two years in a row. It is not as though they beat us and then turned around and lost in the next round...they came within 2 points of winning the whole thing. They then managed to do it again the following year, so maybe people don't always recognize a "great" team when they see it, but just because they didn't receive the press accolades that others did they sure as hell proved their mettle in the tournament. The fact is that we were a team that was very clearly a sum of the parts type of club. We were as good as we were because of how well all of the individuals played together and complimented each other, there was no take over guy on the club. When you remove a part it changes the entire dynamic of the team and how well it functions and when that club plays another great team the outcome is anything but certain. [/QUOTE]

Verification: What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?