Benny Williams to return | Page 4 | Syracusefan.com

Benny Williams to return

Not playing Debbie Downer but if Jesse and Judah return you essentially have the same team as last year, with the addition of the trade of Joe for JJ.
Which is completely understandable. With more or less the same talent last season, SU's offense wasn't horrid. It was mediocre while still using an antiquated system that had too many ISO dribble drives and pull-up jumpers. The defense was just terrible and has outlived its usefulness.

What tempers my pessimism is that re: talent & skill, coaching matters. Neither the offensive or defensive systems will return as they were. Unless Colgate & Bryant can just run roughshod on any P5 team because SU is definitely more talented than those two teams, but were beat on Xs & Os.
 
Great news. I don't know if Benny will ever be the superstar we hoped for. But he can be a productive player, and we need those.

No downside here. If he develops into a 30+ MPG starter, fantastic. If not, he can still likely provide valuable depth.
 
Which is completely understandable. With more or less the same talent last season, SU's offense wasn't horrid. It was mediocre while still using an antiquated system that had too many ISO dribble drives and pull-up jumpers. The defense was just terrible and has outlived its usefulness.

What tempers my pessimism is that re: talent & skill, coaching matters. Neither the offensive or defensive systems will return as they were. Unless Colgate & Bryant can just run roughshod on any P5 team because SU is definitely more talented than those two teams, but were beat on Xs & Os.
It's a good observation. Our opponents just had our system figured out. With freshmen in key positions, the slides were always late; and if the guards had to hang back to cover the lanes any team with decent shooters was going to hit them. With man, this team WILL be better.
 
Wow. A really good, positive and informative thread. And we haven't even gone off topic. lol
Glad to see that everyone is as excited about Benny, as I am. I was expecting to read something different. Lots of good comments on here. This team has some serious potential. Most of all, I think it will be a positive attitude team, and if you look across the board at the Final Four teams, this is what you see.
 
Glad he is staying. He’s going to break out eventually. It might just as well be here at SU. That said, no one this season had more opportunity to prove himself than BW.
 
I do think there's some hope for Benny but can somebody on the staff tell this kid to attack the basket? I mean what the hell is going on. That should be the foundation of his offensive game -- bizarre
 
I'm gonna need a cross-check on this thread for all of the Benny can go kick rocks posters after he took his mental health day earlier this year. ;)

So glad he's back. I think he will absolutely thrive next year.

Awkward The Simpsons GIF
 
Every player should be able to plan man and zone. Benny was absent defensively and on the boards most of the season. Towards the end he showed his capabilities
Every bathroom in my house should be made of solid gold, but reality doesn't work that way. The very best coaches fit their players to a system, not the other way around.
 
I'm gonna need a cross-check on this thread for all of the Benny can go kick rocks posters after he took his mental health day earlier this year. ;)

So glad he's back. I think he will absolutely thrive next year.

Big difference between being frustrated with Benny on the previous teams with JB at the helm and giving him some runway under the new coach.

My guess is that if JB was still HC, Benny would be gone.
 
I'm a little late to realizing this but we're going to get an article like this for every guy on the roster at some point.
 
Big difference between being frustrated with Benny on the previous teams with JB at the helm and giving him some runway under the new coach.

My guess is that if JB was still HC, Benny would be gone.

A fan being frustrated with Benny or any player for their on-court performance is much different than what I was referencing. One particular thread contained direct personal attacks on his character/person earlier this year. I'm not going to drag it all up again due to its negativity but it was a bad look for more than a few on this board.

Giving him a pat on the back now for staying seems a little hypocritical now to me but to each their own.
 
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Every bathroom in my house should be made of solid gold, but reality doesn't work that way. The very best coaches fit their players to a system, not the other way around.
No. Every player should be able to play defense. If a kid can play man, he can play zone. Benny played the zone fine toward the end of the year. What about Benny makes you think he doesn't have the tools so play zone? Zone is aways a go-to if your team is overmatched in size and speed. Is Benny too small or fast for zone?
 
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Benny will have a longer leash and looser collar this upcoming season.
I hope we play uptempo and look to run as often as possible.
Coach Autry...'RELEASE THE HOUNDS!!!"
 
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With him confirming on staying, there's definitely going to be a forward or possibly two (I still haven't heard a lick on the forwards) leaving. Fully expect to hear it soon (surprised we haven't already)
Don’t want any of them to leave. But if I was a betting man it’s going to be Bell. If that means keeping Brown and Taylor. I’m okay with it
 
No. Every player should be able to play defense. If a kid can play man, he can play zone. Benny played the zone fine toward the end of the year. What about Benny makes you think he doesn't have the tools so play zone? Zone is aways a go-to if your team is overmatched in size and speed. Is Benny too small or fast for zone?
I didn't say he didn't have the tools. My point was that zone was a waste of his strengths.

In either case, zone has no place in the modern game as anything other than a change of pace to buy a few minutes to get your offense back into a game.
 
Hot take: I’d rather keep Copeland than Taylor.

Recency bias? Proabably.
I don't think it's a hot take.

Diversity of skill matters. Copeland does some stuff other guys just can't and don't.

Taylor's best attribute is his shooting. Great attribute. But also easier to find than Copeland's playmaking potential.

We also have a few guys that can make a three.

We don't always have a guy that can drive and create like Copeland can.
 

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