Another let down and disappointing season

[JoeCollege]

Aw, relax. IB has been around long enough that most of us know his immediate/first reaction is usually the most extreme hyperbole possible, then, after he gets a chance to step back, he tempers that with some acceptance and reality. He won't be all sunshine and lollipops, but he'll realize he went overboard, generally he'll admit it, and he'll move on.

He does perform a valuable service, though. His over-the-top reactions and rants give many here someplace to focus their incredulity after a loss and someone to beat up on when they're feeling angst too.

I like IB as a rule. I am fairly certain he's either just a classic over-reactor or one of the biggest masochists in the state.

 

[lincolncuse]

terrible post, great year

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

 

[rosconey]

this was a great year

to say otherwise is asinine at best-

the melo crap did this team in-its that simple

these kids fought tooth and nail thru a season that would make any of us crumble

my hats off to the team and the staff

 

[Chip]

Losing in the Sweet 16 often feels like disappointment to me. Losing in the Elite 8 to a Top 5 team when we lost our center at the start of the tourney is not disappointing to me. Especially in a game that was called much differently than any other game this year. Not even close. 3 loss season, Top 5 wire to wire (if Kentucky wins today) there's a lot to not be unhappy about. Kind of a miracle season given the off court stuff.

 

[netman99]

All I will remember is the loss in the elite 8 as I have said 100 times this season thus game is all I will remember

Great season! Great PLayers! Great Kids! Great job by coaches with all the madness!

Get a grip!!!!!!!!

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

All I will remember is the loss in the elite 8 as I have said 100 times this season thus game is all I will remember

That sucks for you. This season was epic, in good and bad ways. Most interesting season in years.

IB, you have the emotional stability of my 20-month-old.

 

[orangenirvana]

Love ya IB, but this is batshit nuts.

Anyone who considers this season a "disappointment" is spoiled beyond belief.

Cherish these seasons, it's doubtful they last forever. No program is entitled to Sweet 16's and Elite 8's...or even annual trips to the NCAA Tourney. We have it pretty damn good, all things considered.

 

[Cuseman78]

So when we getting a dislike button? Horrendous post. Im sure scoop is thrilled that fans like you actually exist.

 

[4evaOrange]

IB, This is all bullsh!t, those regular season wins is what got us to this point in the tourney. Maybe all you that do not care about this regular season you can just pass your season tickets on over to me...

As Jimmy B would say, "Thats the most Bullsh!t thing I 've seen in 30 years!"

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Again, the ONLY thing that matters in college hoops is the tournament, especially if you are an elite program.. You need to make final fours and do it consistently, not 3 times in 25 years, that is right 3 times in 25 years..
Regular season is nothing more than playing for an NCAA tournament birth and seeding, Conference tournament is meaningless. Say what you want but 3 final fours in 25 years is bad really bad for a program like ours and yes I would call the 96 season more succesful than this or 2010. Is what it is.

Sure the regular season was great as far as wins and losses, but it's the tournament that gets remembered

 

[Marsh01]

Again, the ONLY thing that matters in college hoops is the tournament, especially if you are an elite program.. You need to make final fours and do it consistently, not 3 times in 25 years, that is right 3 times in 25 years..
Regular season is nothing more than playing for an NCAA tournament birth and seeding, Conference tournament is meaningless. Say what you want but 3 final fours in 25 years is bad really bad for a program like ours and yes I would call the 96 season more succesful than this or 2010. Is what it is

I understand your frustration and will read your posts always but you are dead wrong in this. We won a big east championship, broke a school record for wins and won 3 games in the tournament and lost to a BETTER team. There I said it. Ohio St, given Fab's absence was the better team. The committee did us no favors whatsoever in putting them as the 2 seed in our region. Sometimes you just get beat. Making it to a regional final was something this program has only done 4 prior times and while I wanted to bad for this team won win this game it just wasnt meant to be.

I will never forget this season with all of the crap that the university was put through and how these guys simply put it behind them and went out and won 34 games.

 

[chakka3421]

IB strikes again! How come comrade your not calling for JB's head like you call for Marrone's head all the time?

 

[orangenirvana]

Again, the ONLY thing that matters in college hoops is the tournament, especially if you are an elite program.. You need to make final fours and do it consistently, not 3 times in 25 years, that is right 3 times in 25 years..
Regular season is nothing more than playing for an NCAA tournament birth and seeding, Conference tournament is meaningless. Say what you want but 3 final fours in 25 years is bad really bad for a program like ours and yes I would call the 96 season more succesful than this or 2010. Is what it is

I agree that the Tournament is the ultimate end-all be-all, just the way it is. But I still think it's a stretch to say it's the only thing that matters, and it's very unfortunate that the last game is the only thing you will remember. That means you only remember one win. That's kind of depressing.

But you're correct in that 3 Final Four's in 25 years is not indicative of an "elite" program. That's why I don't consider Syracuse to be elite. Maybe that's why I'm not as pissed as others. I would love SU to be elite and think we have the resources in place to be one of the very few elite programs in the nation, but we just aren't for whatever reason. What we are is a Top 20 program, which is pretty damn good considering there are approx. 350 of them out there.

And SU Basketball has been a legit Top 20 program for 30+ years now, which very very few programs can say. I value consistency over anything, and SU has been nothing if not consistently good since I was born. Every single season, we have a chance to make a run to the national championship.

And while we haven't seen as many regional (or maybe even national) championships as we'd like, there are few if any programs I'd trade places with - even with the growing number of haters desperate to take this program down at seemingly every turn.

 

[ForeverOrange]

I don't agree with the OP on the season, but I do recall quite a few fans saying final four or bust this season. If that was your thinking going into this than, yes it is a little disappointing for those fans and understandable. To me the season was strange, but still enjoyable, we had one of the best seasons in school history, definitely a positive and something to reflect on, but there's always some things we can ponder. I know for myself one thing I find myself wondering is, why we didn't get better as the season progressed, might be just my own point of view, but it just seemed like at some point we just didn't improve, and in some ways regressed, with that said I still feel they played their hearts out, and that's all a fan can ask of his team.

 

[SBU72]

All I will remember is the loss in the elite 8 as I have said 100 times this season thus game is all I will remember

Maybe you should wait and see who wins the NC before you decide who is the team you cheer for for that season. That way, you'll never be disappointed. Or if that is to long, wait until at least one teammakes the FF.

 

[SBU72]

All I will remember is the loss in the elite 8 as I have said 100 times this season thus game is all I will remember

Why you are wrong:
My POV. Preseason goals:
Win 20 games in a row (break old record) done
Break Pitt dominance done
Be ranked #1 done 5 weeks in a row
Beat Georgetown Done
Beat UConn Done, not once, not twice but 3 times!
Break Louisville dominace Done, not once but twice!
Be BE champ, #1 seed BET Done
Win BET failed
Earn #1 NCCA seed, East Reginoal Done
Get to Sweet 16 Done
Get to Elite 8 Done
Get to Final 4
Get to Final 2
NC
Pretty impressive accomplishment, half of which would define a successful season in other years.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Elite program goal should be, make the final four.. It will be 10 years next year... Completely unacceptable for a program like Syracuse.

 

[kcsu]

Elite program goal should be, make the final four.. It will be 10 years next year... Completely unacceptable for a program like Syracuse.

IB the only reason we didnt make the final four two years in a row was because of bad luck. last your AO getting hurt cost us a final four and i believe a NC this year Fab cost us a final four and a shot at the championship. On top of that we were screwed in Boston. Ohio state went to the line 49 times. 24 more foul shots than Cuse. We had a great year actually a fantastic year sure it was a huge disapointment not advancing but still a year to remember with pride.

 

[orangecuse]

I agree that the Tournament is the ultimate end-all be-all, just the way it is. But I still think it's a stretch to say it's the only thing that matters, and it's very unfortunate that the last game is the only thing you will remember. That means you only remember one win. That's kind of depressing.

But you're correct in that 3 Final Four's in 25 years is not indicative of an "elite" program. That's why I don't consider Syracuse to be elite. Maybe that's why I'm not as pissed as others. I would love SU to be elite and think we have the resources in place to be one of the very few elite programs in the nation, but we just aren't for whatever reason. What we are is a Top 20 program, which is pretty damn good considering there are approx. 350 of them out there.

And SU Basketball has been a legit Top 20 program for 30+ years now, which very very few programs can say. I value consistency over anything, and SU has been nothing if not consistently good since I was born. Every single season, we have a chance to make a run to the national championship.

And while we haven't seen as many regional (or maybe even national) championships as we'd like, there are few if any programs I'd trade places with - even with the growing number of haters desperate to take this program down at seemingly every turn.

I think your assessment is quite accurate, objective and level headed. Ultimately, like anyone else's, it's just an opinion. However, it's likely why, generally, the national media doesn't group SU into that "elite" category, as there's certainly validity in the argument that being "elite" requires more than 3 final four appearances in 25 years. I really didn't think OSU in terms of elite, but maybe they are...this is their 11th Final Four appearance.

Though I understand the passion, it's astonishing that so many get so personal and/or vicious over one's particular viewpoint.

 

[rosconey]

this was a great year-might have been and could have been arent worth squat in real life-

 

[WT716]

As a Duke fan and a Syracuse hater, I have to congratulate the Cuse team and JB. I have always thought that the Orange were overrated and that they play too many games in the state of NY but for a team that dealt with so much they sure did not let it effect their play. There is always going to be the "what ifs" and I enjoy looking at those situations and trying to come up with solutions. Before the Melo suspension Syracuse had it all. You can hang your head on this season, but honestly I think you guys should be proud of this squad for all that they put up with and to put up a record like they did is pretty remarkable.

Can't wait til they are in the ACC.

 

[orange2win]

Why he is right
My POV. Preseason goals:
Win 20 games in a row (break old record) done
Break Pitt dominance done
Be ranked #1 done 5 weeks in a row
Beat Georgetown Done
Beat UConn Done, not once, not twice but 3 times!
Break Louisville dominace Done, not once but twice!
Be BE champ, #1 seed BET Done
Win BET failed
Earn #1 NCCA seed, East Reginoal Done
Get to Sweet 16 Done
Get to Elite 8 Done
Get to Final 4 failed
Get to Final 2 failed
NC failed
Pretty impressive accomplishment, half of which would define a successful season in other years.

It was a great year. Won the league. Best regular season ever.

However - typical SU end of year. We barely beat Ashville, almost made a new record there. We had one good win against K. State. The reality is, without a DC, a John Wallace or a Carmelo Anthony, SU never gets past the E8. I thought these kids would break that mold, but did not happen.

 

[RF2044]

Elite program goal should be, make the final four.. It will be 10 years next year... Completely unacceptable for a program like Syracuse.

Goal, yes. Barometer of failure--nonsense.

I don't dispute that we haven't had good postseason success post-2003, but I think you're getting carried away letting your frustration with that cloud your perspective. A handful of teams advance to the final four. Only one team wins the NC. Is everyone's season but that one a de facto "failure?"

I'm disappointed as hell that we didn't win on Saturday. I'm also disappointed that Fab's nonsense reared it's head again, likely preventing us from advancing at least one more game. But being disappointed doesn't make something a failure. And before you respond saying that anything short of an NC ultimately equates to "failure" -- skip it. Reread the second paragraph above. If the only way you'll deem a season to be a success is whether or not they win the national championship, then you better just root for the lax team.

 

[Bayside44]

Not to defend Barrell, but I sorta get this point...there are only so many legit chances we get to win the whole thing. We had it with the 2003 team, could've had it in 2010, and this year. The years inbetween even with the Vermont stuff were never going to happen.

So to lose your big man in a set of bizarre circumstances after you think you've crossed that bridge (nevermind the negative stories surrounding the program), then get whistled to death against tOSU in what became a wacked out game it is a pretty big thing to counterbalance when college hoops is so weighted towards March.

 

[jr4750]

Elite program goal should be, make the final four.. It will be 10 years next year... Completely unacceptable for a program like Syracuse.

I agree with this...