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All time starting 5
- Thread starter albanycuse
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OHIORANGES
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So I guess you wouldn’t have Jim Brown or Ernie Davis on your list of greatest Syracuse running backs?
That’s just nuts
MikeSU02
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Pearl or Sherm
Bing
Melo
Billy
DC
It’s cheating, kind of, with DC at center. But if you bump him to center and get Melo and Billy, I think you get the best five.
For an actual team that is this high powered, I think Sherm would be a better fit. But it’s tough to argue against anyone putting Pearl in that spot.
Bing
Melo
Billy
DC
It’s cheating, kind of, with DC at center. But if you bump him to center and get Melo and Billy, I think you get the best five.
For an actual team that is this high powered, I think Sherm would be a better fit. But it’s tough to argue against anyone putting Pearl in that spot.
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That is the correct answer.
sufandu
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I'd be comfortable swapping Wallace for Carmelo. He had just as much, if not more, post game on offense and was a better rebounder numbers wise. As a senior, Wallace was a better 3 point shooter though.
You can’t have Flynn over the General.
OrangeCrush22
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I dig it but you gotta go Andy Rautins over Buddy. Better shooter, better defense, better team player, better drive. Rautins averaged more steals, more blocks, more assists.
Imagine the Buddy backdown while Carmelo stands in the corner… shudders. You could say Buddy is a marginally better free throw shooter.
Zelda Zonk
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The PG role is especially difficult for me. I was a freshman for Pearl's last year, and he left me with such a significant impression. He was a magician. But, neither he nor Sherm were defensive stalwarts. If we're talking about 'favorite' starting five, i'd certainly put Pearl there. But, if this is about constructing the best team, i don't know.
Favorite:
PG Pearl
SG Bing, though he preceded me by a lot and i only saw him play in person as a pro.
SF Carmelo
PF Derrick
C Fab
Best?
PG So difficult. I guess i have to stick with Pearl, because he was The star and a dominant player, but a Pearl/GMac backcourt isn't going to stop anyone.
SG GMac
SF Wallace
PF Carmelo
C DC1
Favorite:
PG Pearl
SG Bing, though he preceded me by a lot and i only saw him play in person as a pro.
SF Carmelo
PF Derrick
C Fab
Best?
PG So difficult. I guess i have to stick with Pearl, because he was The star and a dominant player, but a Pearl/GMac backcourt isn't going to stop anyone.
SG GMac
SF Wallace
PF Carmelo
C DC1
Melancer46
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I'm obviously on the younger side, but amongst the players I grew up watching, I'd probably roll with something like:
PG - MCW or Gerry (obviously very different types of players here)
SG - Andy Rautins
SF - Wes
PF - Carmelo
C - Fab Melo
PG - MCW or Gerry (obviously very different types of players here)
SG - Andy Rautins
SF - Wes
PF - Carmelo
C - Fab Melo
Not very difficult being that Carmelo is responsible for our only championship. And as a freshman.
That one I like having seen them all.
Umm, Seikaly?
pfister1
2023-24 Iggy Winner ACC & OOC Record
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C - Danny Schayes / Roosevelt Bouie/ Rony Seikaly
Forward - Derrick Coleman
Forward - Billy Owens
G - Dave Bing
G - Dwayne Washington / Sherman Douglas
*** Interesting, the website won't accept the letter "" standing alone, even as an abbreviation for Forward. This is a basketball forum isn't it?
Forward - Derrick Coleman
Forward - Billy Owens
G - Dave Bing
G - Dwayne Washington / Sherman Douglas
*** Interesting, the website won't accept the letter "" standing alone, even as an abbreviation for Forward. This is a basketball forum isn't it?
pfister1
2023-24 Iggy Winner ACC & OOC Record
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And not in quotes either apparently. Well ************ You!
sufandu
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I agree with Rautins over Buddy but not because of shooting. Imagine his shooting numbers with the room he would've had on that 2010 team with all of the balance we had then.
Marroniac
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Yeah my My Time starting 5 would be similar. The first year I remember really, really following was the Donte Green/Flynn year.
Flynn, Waiters, Wes Johnson, Jerami, Onuaku. Or something.
Andy Rautins, Rick Jackson, Triche, MCW off the bench? Maybe squeeze Battle in there.
The last couple years has been rough
Without Gerry McNamara, that team doesn’t win 10 %@$#&@*@ games.
The only problem with Pearl is too ball dominate for that lineup. Bing was a much better point guard and scorer. Sherm fits well with that lineup, 4 great scorers with a tremendous feeder.
Yeah, I think to do this exercise you have to draw a line somewhere around 1995 or so. You're just talking about a different era of basketball. With no line, I think you'd have to put Bing, Melo, and then basically guys from teh mid-to-late 80s -- so sherm/pearl, DC, Billy O, Rony. Maybe Hackett too? Moten?
But with absurd talent sticking around for years and a wild west recruiting scene that greatly favored long-time coaches and big programs, it's just a totally different era. So, for me, I draw a line around the time of that '96 final four team and consider that the more 'modern' era of cuse hoops.
To that end, my starting 5 would probably be:
MCW
Rautins
Melo
Wallace
Fab
I don't know. I can see arguments for Flynn (who was probably the better player than MCW but not quite as good a distributor/defender), Etan, Wes, Gerry, Grant and some others.
I think Rautins is really underrated here. Second-team all Big East in a loaded conference and as good as his numbers were, they really don't tell the whole story of his defensive impact and ability to constantly push the tempo.
I'd argue he and MCW were the two best guards defensively in the zone and Fab at his best as a sophomore was probably the best all-around center defensively (even though Etan was probably the better pure shot-blocker).
Melo and Wallace were walking buckets and big/physical enough to rebound against two opponents (a must on the weak-side in the zone).
Toughest omissions:
Flynn -- The teams weren't overly successful but he was a stud and probably the best player other than Melo in this era at creating his own shot if needed.
Grant -- Just an utterly dominant athlete but he became a much better scorer at the next level. Would have made the list if he played 2 more years. Maybe even one.
Gerry -- His efficiency numbers aren't pretty but the threat of him going off was terrifying for teams and he carried a huge offensive load his last two years here.
Hak -- Incredibly productive and athletic. If he was more of a factor defensively I'd replace wallace with him. Wallace wasn't great defensively either.
Etan -- His shot-blocking changed games and he was quietly a good offensive player despite some limitations.
Honorable mentions: Elijah Hughes and Andrew White (Hughes last season was really, really good ... underrated I think; White got off to a rocky start defensively, but played really well on both ends the second half of his one season), CJ, Waiters, probably several others i'm not thinking of off the top of my head.
RF2044
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VERY difficult, because Billy Owens was unbelievably talented and versatile.
So much so, that many others have him in their top 5.
It was a tough call. Love Carmelo.
That is mine as well. I think you want a true venter on the team. If Fab had Breen able to play 4 years he might have won the job.
CU44SE
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His oldest player is his dad, who he never actually saw play. So let’s say this list starts as of 2003 for this purpose.
PG: Ennis
SG: Rautins (Senior year, he did so much)
SF: Melo
PF: Wesley Johnson (wanted Hak but couldn’t do it over Wesley)
C: Fab Melo Sophmore year
What do you disagree with? I’m picking my team based on offense and 2-3 zone defense.
I think Ennis was most complete PG. MCW was really good at top of zone. Best defender. But Ennis was always in control of the offense.
SG: I think you have Waters, Gerry, and Rautins. Waters had the most upside and could take over. But I loved Rautins defense and offensive package. Really hard to leave Gerry off this team. It could really go either way.
SF: Slam dunk Melo, no competition.
PF: Hak is probably my favorite. But Wesley Johnson was so dynamic. Can’t keep him off the court. He was lights out shooter and great weakside shot blocker.
C: Fab his sophomore year was unbelievable. I have never seen a defensive presence like him that year. Absolutely suffocating. I would probably go Arinze as the second best in this time frame with Rak being third.
PG: Ennis
SG: Rautins (Senior year, he did so much)
SF: Melo
PF: Wesley Johnson (wanted Hak but couldn’t do it over Wesley)
C: Fab Melo Sophmore year
What do you disagree with? I’m picking my team based on offense and 2-3 zone defense.
I think Ennis was most complete PG. MCW was really good at top of zone. Best defender. But Ennis was always in control of the offense.
SG: I think you have Waters, Gerry, and Rautins. Waters had the most upside and could take over. But I loved Rautins defense and offensive package. Really hard to leave Gerry off this team. It could really go either way.
SF: Slam dunk Melo, no competition.
PF: Hak is probably my favorite. But Wesley Johnson was so dynamic. Can’t keep him off the court. He was lights out shooter and great weakside shot blocker.
C: Fab his sophomore year was unbelievable. I have never seen a defensive presence like him that year. Absolutely suffocating. I would probably go Arinze as the second best in this time frame with Rak being third.
