Akok Akok in the portal

[grepal]

Seems like an about face turn from grabbing guys like AW3, Gillon, Thorpe.

Doesn't Akok have two years left.

 

[pwong]

Thorpe was definitely a strange one. Didnt he make it to campus and suit up for a few games then just bolted? Wonder what he's up to. Seems like an outlier as far as our grad transfers/portal rentals. Not an outlier though Seems to be every guy we get from the portal wouldn't be mistaken for a defensive menace even withstanding maybe not fully understanding intricacies of the 2-3. If all we need is a gunner/scorer and can surround them with some defensive talent on paper it seems like it would work okay. The cocktail isn't perfected yet there on the staffs end it would seem. We either get too many shooters and no athletes or all athletes with no shooters lol.

Geno had issues with his ankle and he had some blood disorder or something where the injury wouldn’t heal. He wanted to play but saw his PT diminish so he bolted.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Geno had issues with his ankle and he had some blood disorder or something where the injury wouldn’t heal. He wanted to play but saw his PT diminish so he bolted.

Where did he bolt to? I could never see where he played again anywhere after leaving from SU after only a few games. It was like he disappeared. He went to 3 colleges never finishing his last year here - sad if he at least didn’t get a degree.

 

[DoctorBombay]

What took you so long to catch up?

Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.

 

[50YRsofCuse]

Not even the same. Whether it was Jimmy or someone else, we had to take someone.

I have no problem with the Jimmy Boeheim commitment.

The problem is the statement made or attributed to Coach Boeheim about taking one year transfers.

Jimmy Boeheim did an admirable job but he did not have to start. JAB felt comfortable with playing him. JAB could have had played Ben Williams early on and give him more playing time thus providing him needed experience. He made the choice to play the player with more experience.

it was a strategy but it did limit his number 1 recruit who he had complained was not improving and not producing as fast as expected.

 

[rrlbees]

I have no problem with the Jimmy Boeheim commitment.

The problem is the statement made or attributed to Coach Boeheim about taking one year transfers.

Jimmy Boeheim did an admirable job but he did not have to start. JAB felt comfortable with playing him. JAB could have had played Ben Williams early on and give him more playing time thus providing him needed experience. He made the choice to play the player with more experience.

it was a strategy but it did limit his number 1 recruit who he had complained was not improving and not producing as fast as expected.

Where I disagreed is that last year we needed to take someone, anybody. This year we have 3 freshman forwards. Whether you like them or not, we don’t “need” to take someone.

 

[pwong]

Where did he bolt to? I could never see where he played again anywhere after leaving from SU after only a few games. It was like he disappeared. He went to 3 colleges never finishing his last year here - sad if he at least didn’t get a degree.

He got his undergrad degree from USF. He bolted off to the real world.

 

[Cheriehoop]

He got his undergrad degree from USF. He bolted off to the real world.

Good for him then.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

So I assume your near UConn’s campus?

You’re

 

[jordville]

Good for him then.

Last I heard he (Geno Thorpe) was a realtor in Philly.

 

[50YRsofCuse]

Where I disagreed is that last year we needed to take someone, anybody. This year we have 3 freshman forwards. Whether you like them or not, we don’t “need” to take someone.

I agree with you for last year but instead of giving Benny Williams some sink or swim time, the decision was to run with Jimmy Boeheim. it was better for the team at that moment but bad for player development.


BTW, I am a armchair quarterback with lower than low level coaching experience and a student of the game. I believe that allowing prospects to play significant minutes in early games to see if they will rise.

I would not lasted 47 minutes coaching vice 47+ years that JAB has.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

BTW, I am a armchair quarterback with lower than low level coaching experience and a student of the game. I believe that allowing prospects to play significant minutes in early games to see if they will rise.

I would not lasted 47 minutes coaching vice 47+ years that JAB has.

Most people don't understand how hard it is to be a high major level college coach and do it for an extended period of time. Recruiting is a huge crapshoot where you are at the mercy of 17- and 18-year-old kids trying to figure out where they want to go away to college and then once they get there do they want to leave. It's gotten so much worse than ever.

Playing young guys early is usually a great predictor of things to come but again there are so many factors involved. Look at Jalen Carey. Ranked as the #38 recruit in the ESPN Top 100 for the 2018 recruiting season. Picked Syracuse over schools such as Kansas and Yukon. In his 3rd collegiate game, he made his first start and scored 26 points in 38 minutes. The next game he made his second start and scored 14 points in 36 minutes. Syracuse lost both games and he never started another game his freshman year. Got injured his second year, only played two games and then transferred to Rhode Island where he only started three games in two seasons. Might his Syracuse career been different if he didn't get injured? Probably not since JAB was onboard the JG3 train, but you never know.

Jalen Carey Career Game Log | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Career Game Log for Jalen Carey

www.sports-reference.com

 

[kcsu]

Heard again as of late last week right around when the Akok news came out that JB doesn't want to go after transfers for what he deems as just one year rentals.

I agree with him on this. Akok is coming off a serious injury and we don't know if he is the player that he was in HS. Jim has a class that he feels is his best ever. So lets roll with it see if we can get a true 5 to play backup and call it a day.

 

[RF2044]

Even if that "one year rental" (not implying that is the particular case here) can get us out of our new normal of being nothing more than a middling/mediocre team in our conference?

I was told here 'nobody wants to win more than JB.' So, perhaps someone can explain this to me like I'm a 2 year old.

I'll try:

Orangecuse, the old man is stubborn. Good talk!

 

[cuseguy]

I agree with him on this. Akok is coming off a serious injury and we don't know if he is the player that he was in HS. Jim has a class that he feels is his best ever. So lets roll with it see if we can get a true 5 to play backup and call it a day.

I think that’s what they’ll do, but they’ll regret it. They boxed themselves in with two unserviceable players. I’m sure they never thought it would matter, but now it does. We’ll just need to be patient next season. It’ll be a long one.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I think that’s what they’ll do, but they’ll regret it. They boxed themselves in with two unserviceable players. I’m sure they never thought it would matter, but now it does. We’ll just need to be patient next season. It’ll be a long one.

It’s not they. It’s JB. He thinks the schedule is easier this year so the team can get off to an easier start and I guess he believes by the time the schedule gets more difficult the young guys will be ready.

 

[FrancoPizza]

I think that’s what they’ll do, but they’ll regret it. They boxed themselves in with two unserviceable players. I’m sure they never thought it would matter, but now it does. We’ll just need to be patient next season. It’ll be a long one.

This past season wasn't long enough for you?

 

[FrancoPizza]

Heard again as of late last week right around when the Akok news came out that JB doesn't want to go after transfers for what he deems as just one year rentals.

Can someone on the staff inform him that the portal makes everyone a 1-year rental option at this point? I am at a loss for words here.

 

[cuseguy]

It’s not they. It’s JB. He thinks the schedule is easier this year so the team can get off to an easier start and I guess he believes by the time the schedule gets more difficult the young guys will be ready.

We haven’t seen the schedule yet, and an easier schedule doesn’t help in earning a tourney berth. I suspect he’ll toy early with a deeper bench and eventually declare the young forwards just aren’t ready. I’ll gladly be wrong. I doubt it.

 

[Cusefan0307]

We haven’t seen the schedule yet, and an easier schedule doesn’t help in earning a tourney berth. I suspect he’ll toy early with a deeper bench and eventually declare the young forwards just aren’t ready. I’ll gladly be wrong. I doubt it.

Most of the schedule is out already. It’s only the dates that aren’t set.

 

[cuseguy]

Most of the schedule is out already. It’s only the dates that aren’t set.

I’ll wait until see the entire schedule. And again, an easier schedule doesn’t help in the long run.

 

[kuethstheman]

I’ll wait until see the entire schedule. And again, an easier schedule doesn’t help in the long run.

A win against a really crappy team has to be better than a loss to somewhat crappy team. Doesn't it?

 

[chugg21]

I’ll wait until see the entire schedule. And again, an easier schedule doesn’t help in the long run.

Syracuse basketball in 2022: Let's hope our schedule isn't too difficult!

 

[CousCuse]

A win against a really crappy team has to be better than a loss to somewhat crappy team. Doesn't it?

He's just laying down his usual negative vibe. Like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh.

 

[Sbucketball]

An easier non-conference slate early in the season would give the freshman a chance to adjust to the college game. That would be better than racking up tons of losses before they get the hang of it, and then having to dig out of a hole. They'll get their Q1/2 games in the ACC, and hopefully some good non-conference games sprinkled in the middle of the season. Strength of schedule is important and usually we don't want a cupcake of a schedule, but if there was ever a year to ease into it, this would be the one.