All-time all athletic team for Syracuse each positions

[OrangeinDC]

I love Conrad McRae. But Rony was an incredible athlete and should get the definitive nod here. Don’t shove him aside. He started in the rough and tumble Big East as a true freshman walkon at a time when most offenses ran through the blocks and he competed with the likes of Ewing, Pinkney, Cliff Robinson, Mark Bryant, Bill Wennington, and got better every year. He started as a true frosh walkon not because he could shoot or score. Rather, it was that he was in the same athletic realm as the players listed above, all of whom played in the NBA. I mean, remember, Rony was the 9th overall pick in they draft and averaged (almost) 15 and 10 for his career. Not bad.

I would never shove Rony to the side. He was a great player, one of the best and very athletic no doubt. I lived his resume. I think Rony was athletic for a 6/10 guy, physical and very strong.

I just thinking on pure athleticism, Conrad has him, even though he was no where near the overall player as Rony.

 

[OrangeinDC]

Seems like everybody here is defining athletic as having hops, I would say it should be overall coordination, thus my team is:

Bing
Melo
Owens
tie between Rony and Rosy
tie between Sherm and Pearl

maybe my ties are cop outs, but I can’t choose between the two in both cases.

All of these guys are athletic. Pretty much anyone playing college hoops is athletic, some just more then others. While coordination is a key part of being athletic, I don't think it's the main thing.

I think the difference for me is that hops, speed, quickness, strength and coordination are physical traits for "athletic" basketball players vice "skills" that can be taught and developed. Now all can be enhanced with training.

 

[MSOrange]

This is a lot harder than I thought. Is athletic jumping ability? Strength? Dexterity? Or a combination of them all.

I’ll go top three in each position…but no order because I think people define athleticism differently.

PG Flynn, Sherman, Richmond (ouch)
SG Dion, Dave Johnson, Bruin
SF Wes, Stevie, Southerland
PF Hak, Jerami, DC
C Rony, Etan, Rosie

Cant just rank them on success on the court. But these were players I saw that made physical plays that made me say, wow. - I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that before.”

the one guy not on this list that needs to be there is Billy. His athleticism is underrated. He’d probably replace Bruin, and then I’d slide Stevie to SG. Stevie wasn’t a guard, he was a utility player who happened to play with a PG, two forwards and a center. He didn’t play the game like a guard, he played like a forward. The fact that he couldn’t shoot, had a really weak handle, and was only 6’2” 1/2 and still scored nearly 2,000 points is insane.

I have trouble narrowing it down to 1 at each postion also, so I'd have to go top 3 also. I can't really argue with much of your list either.

Bruin was a few years before my time, but I agree with Dion and Dave. Dave is the one guy in SU history who has made JB end practice because he made a dunk that was so amazing.

Hak and Jerami is another tough call for me.

 

[Briancuse]

I have trouble narrowing it down to 1 at each postion also, so I'd have to go top 3 also. I can't really argue with much of your list either.

Bruin was a few years before my time, but I agree with Dion and Dave. Dave is the one guy in SU history who has made JB end practice because he made a dunk that was so amazing.

Hak and Jerami is another tough call for me.

If your judging only by what they did at su it's Hak. If you take their NBA careers into it id go Jerami.

 

[MSOrange]

If your judging only by what they did at su it's Hak. If you take their NBA careers into it id go Jerami.

Agree. Hak was the king of the "WTH did I just see?" moments at SU, while Jerami had his moments, but really only fully developed after his 2 years at SU.

 

[Alsacs]

Paul Harris couldn’t shoot well but pound for pound he was the best athlete outside of Donovan McNabb to put on a Syracuse basketball jersey the last 40 years.

Harris would have been excellent on a team that played ball pressure man to man defense.

 

[Jake]

Agree. Hak was the king of the "WTH did I just see?" moments at SU, while Jerami had his moments, but really only fully developed after his 2 years at SU.

Hak was a cheat code. I mean…he’s the only player I watched play and would feel sorry for the other coach cause theydid their best. Beilin trotted out his 1-3-1 and Hak just obliterated it every year.

What he did at Mizzou and ND was insane. He’s the one inarguable guy on my list.

 

[Briancuse]

Paul Harris couldn’t shoot well but pound for pound he was the best athlete outside of Donovan McNabb to put on a Syracuse basketball jersey the last 40 years.

Harris would have been excellent on a team that played ball pressure man to man defense.

He probably should have went to Pitt.

 

[721Comstock]

Seems like everybody here is defining athletic as having hops, I would say it should be overall coordination, thus my team is:

Bing
Melo
Owens
tie between Rony and Rosy
tie between Sherm and Pearl

maybe my ties are cop outs, but I can’t choose between the two in both cases.

Pearl was incredibly skilled.

He was NOT incredibly athletic.
Which is why he flamed out in the NBA.

Pearl couldn’t dunk.
Sherm could. Reverse 2-handed.
At 6’0” (on a good day).

 

[Eric15]

I don’t think anyone has mentioned Trevor Cooney yet. He was a very athletic guy who at 6’3/6’4 got way up for two handed dunks. I remember one game at BC where he stole the ball and had breakaway dunks on like three straight possessions.

 

[721Comstock]

I don’t think anyone has mentioned Trevor Cooney yet. He was a very athletic guy who at 6’3/6’4 got way up for two handed dunks. I remember one game at BC where he stole the ball and had breakaway dunks on like three straight possessions.

We’re not listing the Cuse Hall of Pretty Good athletic guys.

This is the GOAT’s.
Coon dog ain’t a GOAT.

Stevie
Dave Johnson
.
.
Dion
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Cooney.

 

[MikeSU02]

Without positions, Johnny, Stevie, Paul Harris, Dave Johnson, and Hak.

HM for Dion, Jerami, Wes.

 

[Eric15]

We’re not listing the Cuse Hall of Pretty Good athletic guys.

This is the GOAT’s.
Coon dog ain’t a GOAT.

Stevie
Dave Johnson
.
.
Dion
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Cooney.

I know. I would put him in the “also receiving votes” category. But I saw some other guys like Rautins and Lydon mentioned and thought Cooney had to get a shout before them.

 

[kcsu]

Dion
Hak
Dave
Flynn
DC
Bug Williams
Sease
Roney
Red
Stevie

Out of this group pure athletic talent had to be Stevie and Red.
Why because that is all those two had. They were such athletic freaks that they excelled while lacking true basketball skills. Neither could shoot or dribble very well. Heck Stevie couldn't hit the backboard and Reds shot was a knuckle ball that rivaled Phil Nikro.
They had terrible basketball skills yet destroyed teams with sheer atleticsm.

 

[OttoMets]

Pg- Johnny Flynn can’t think of anybody else close. Michael Lloyd was pretty athletic!

Sg- Stevie Thompson or Tony Red Bruin can’t think of anybody else close either. Tyus but Tyus wasn’t Stevie or Bruin!

Sf- there’s a ton of Small Forwards that I can think of that are super athletic. Paul Harris, Wes Johnson, I think Jeremy Grant played both three and four

pf- I think I’m gonna go with Hak here over Jeremy Grant.

Centers - we actually had at least 3 very athletic centers Jeremy McNeil, Conrad McRae, Ronnie Seikaly!

My final squads- Flynn, Thompson, Grant, Hak, McRae

Seikaly was special, McNeil had the crazy vertical, but I'm not sure if any SU center was more athletic than Mookie Watkins.

 

[orangefog]

Wow, the memories that this thread is pulling up from the depths of my mind is amazing. As athletic as all of these guys mentioned are/were...the one guy that pops into my head is Dave Johnson. He was built like a tank and he jumped out of the gym.

 

[20plus]

Paul Harris couldn’t shoot well but pound for pound he was the best athlete outside of Donovan McNabb to put on a Syracuse basketball jersey the last 40 years.

Harris would have been excellent on a team that played ball pressure man to man defense.

Somehow forgot about Harris he literally could be considered a 2 or 3

 

[20plus]

Wow, the memories that this thread is pulling up from the depths of my mind is amazing. As athletic as all of these guys mentioned are/were...the one guy that pops into my head is Dave Johnson. He was built like a tank and he jumped out of the gym.

Tony Scott I forgot and mcNeil has serious hops and pretty good speed but he couldn’t catch that I think hand I coordination is part of athleticism

 

[20plus]

Without positions, Johnny, Stevie, Paul Harris, Dave Johnson, and Hak.

HM for Dion, Jerami, Wes.

If you don’t have Conrad McRae in this list it’s not correct the dude was 610 strong and could do a 360 windmill with a 40 inch vertical

are you absolutely kidding me

 

[OttoMets]

I don’t think anyone has mentioned Trevor Cooney yet. He was a very athletic guy who at 6’3/6’4 got way up for two handed dunks. I remember one game at BC where he stole the ball and had breakaway dunks on like three straight possessions.

Don't want to get too sour on Cooney here, but Billy Edelin and Andy Rautins could throw it down in the open court as well.

In a basketball context, he wasn't really that athletic...probably in the bottom quartile of Boeheim-era guards. His one really athletic trait was kind of a limited thing - serious vertical leap from two feet with no defenders nearby - that he flashed pretty rarely.

 

[Eric15]

Don't want to get too sour on Cooney here, but Billy Edelin and Andy Rautins could throw it down in the open court as well.

I love Billy but I literally don't recall him ever having a breakaway layup/dunk at his time at SU. He always walked the ball up the court at the speed of a person walking through an art museum.

 

[orangefog]

Don't want to get too sour on Cooney here, but Billy Edelin and Andy Rautins could throw it down in the open court as well.

In a basketball context, he wasn't really that athletic...probably in the bottom quartile of Boeheim-era guards. His one really athletic trait was kind of a limited thing - serious vertical leap from two feet with no defenders nearby - that he flashed pretty rarely.

Yeah, Cooney was two foot/two hand open court dunking athletic. Which is nice, but the rest of the dudes on this list were dunking on guys 6 inches taller than them. Stevie was open court dunking, but also taking it baseline dunking on dudes. Dave Johnson was climbing on guys and hurting them with the dunk.

 

[OttoMets]

I love Billy but I literally don't recall him ever having a breakaway layup/dunk at his time at SU. He always walked the ball up the court at the speed of a person walking through an art museum.

Whaaaaaat!

Hopefully the national semifinal from 2003 is on Youtube...scroll ahead to the last minute. You'll thank me later!

 

[Eric15]

Whaaaaaat!

Hopefully the national semifinal from 2003 is on Youtube...scroll ahead to the last minute. You'll thank me later!

Haha as soon as I posted this I thought to myself "I'm probably going to end up looking stupid."

 

[OttoMets]

Haha as soon as I posted this I thought to myself "I'm probably going to end up looking stupid."

TBF I've got an uncanny knack for remembering when non-dunkers dunked in a game. I think that was Billy's only one. McNamara had a fake dunk against Towson in Wilkes-Barre his senior year. Autry dunked against Seton Hall at the Dome his senior year. Scoop had one quasi-fake dunk against maybe William and Mary his junior year at the Dome. And Andy's came at Providence, also as a senior I think.