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Message: [QUOTE="IthacaMatt, post: 3598087, member: 405"] Two comments - there is so much available video and recruiting information about kids these days in the top 300 or so among basketball recruits nationally that there is no "fan hype" - the information is right out there for people to see, and then they can make up their own minds. But most of us on here have been watching Syracuse for decades now. When we get 4 star players, looking back over the last 30+ years, they almost always worked out (unlike football, may I add ...). Say what you want about the short bench - yes, some years it's pretty short, particularly during the stretch run. But it seems like he has forgotten that he used to play about 9-10 guys for a couple months at the beginning of each year to find out who the future contributors would be. C.J. Fair didn't start off as a star, but we played enough people in 2010-11 (9 guys who all played that year) so that he got a chance to contribute. When guys are hurt, play the bench. Scoop Jardine is another. He was on that 2011 team, when CJ was a freshman. Scoop was a junior that year. When Scoop was a frosh, back in 2007-08. Devendorf and Andy got hurt, and 7 other guys played, including Scoop, giving him a chance to grow as a player and become an essential contributor on subsequent teams. This whole player development dynamic seems to have been lost. So many guys leave just as they are beginning to become stars, and we see the same level of player decide to come back to other schools. It makes it feel even worse. With 13 players on scholarship this year, we have to play 9 or 10 guys until Christmas, and then at least 8 or 9 after that, depending on matchups and foul trouble this year. To play a deeper bench will allow more moves to address weaknesses tactically during the game. Players offer different skill sets suitable to the situation. I hope to see more of that if we have a season this year. [/QUOTE]

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