Benny

[OrlandoCuse]

Rak was sitting behind 1st round pick Fab Melo and All ACC player CJ Fair on Elite 8 and Final 4 teams

Benny was sitting behind Ivy league honorable mention Jimmy Boeheim Jr and freshman Bell and Brown on under 500 teams.

It's not comparable.

I stated the teams Benny was on were worse. My point is we’ve had highly touted recruits that took a while to make an impact (Rak was the #1 center in the nation). I’m not saying Benny even will make an impact. The door of hope is closing on him, but it’s still slightly ajar.

 

[Niastri]

Or maybe he just lacks the Alpha mentality. If u just told him "attack attack attack" the rim, and try to flush EVERYTHING, maybe that gets him going. Who knows at this point?

Williams gets stripped way to often when he tries to dribble penetrate. His best skill is three point shooting, when he's in rhythm with his feet set. Dribbling isn't his strength. Anything more than a couple dribbles and drink type actions are a turnover waiting to happen.

Plays I'd like him to make:

1) Set the pick, Receive the ball on the pick and pop for threes
2) Set the pick, Go to the basket on the pick and roll
3) When off the ball, cutting to the basket and through if he doesn't get the ball
4) Coming around double screens for open threes

3 and 4 are kind of the same thing. Taylor should be doing the same thing. Both seem to have trouble getting open, and more movement and more picks is the answer. If they're running back and forth off each other, one of them is going to slip free from time to time.

My wishful lineup for short periods right now is McLeod, Williams, Bell, Taylor and Mintz. I'd just like to see if Mintz can run an offense designed to get other players open threes.

Mintz can always be the safety valve if we haven't done much until under 10 on the shotclock. Then he can just beat his man and get fouled. Offense is easy

 

[Cusefan0307]

I’d encourage you to go back at look at each players’ stats for the first 2 to 3 years at SU. Rak averaged 2, 5, then 6 ppg before making the jump to 17ppg his senior year.

Benny has comparable stats, even better, than the guys I named, albeit on worse teams.

Rakeem Christmas as a sophomore started 40 games on a 30 win FF team and averaged 5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2 blocks. If you recall that may have been our best defensive team ever. Basically what McLoud is doing for us so far.

Kris Joseph as a sophomore averaged around 11 and 6 while being Big East 6th man of the year.

Demetris Nichols averaged 13 and 6 as a junior on an NCAA tournament team shooting 36% from 3. I think we all can be confident Benny won't get close to that this year.

Even much maligned Roberson averaged 8 and 7 as a sophomore which is considerably better than what Benny did last year.

Damone Brown averaged 9 and 6 as a sophomore.

I agree Sims was not a factor at all until his Senior year. He also was not a top 40 HS player that came in with a lot of hype. All the other guys showed a lot more until this point.

I keep asking why a lot of of fans give this guy such a benefit of doubt with such little production because we've had other guys who've done things to hurt the team and get suspended(cough Frank Howard cough) that have not nearly got the same benefit while producing more. And yes Frank Howard produced more than Benny. It's strange to me.

 

[tbonezone]

benny is a very skilled player.but benny needs to get nasty. he plays too soft. get mad get better.

 

[DoctorBombay]

Rakeem Christmas as a sophomore started 40 games on a 30 win FF team and averaged 5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2 blocks. If you recall that may have been our best defensive team ever. Basically what McLoud is doing for us so far.

Kris Joseph as a sophomore averaged around 11 and 6 while being Big East 6th man of the year.

Demetris Nichols averaged 13 and 6 as a junior on an NCAA tournament team shooting 36% from 3. I think we all can be confident Benny won't get close to that this year.

Even much maligned Roberson averaged 8 and 7 as a sophomore which is considerably better than what Benny did last year.

Damone Brown averaged 9 and 6 as a sophomore.

I agree Sims was not a factor at all until his Senior year. He also was not a top 40 HS player that came in with a lot of hype. All the other guys showed a lot more until this point.

I keep asking why a lot of of fans give this guy such a benefit of doubt with such little production because we've had other guys who've done things to hurt the team and get suspended(cough Frank Howard cough) that have not nearly got the same benefit while producing more. And yes Frank Howard produced more than Benny. It's strange to me.

It's not so much "benefit of the doubt" as it is hope and maybe...wishful thinking.
In JB's last few years, we had a definitive lack of athleticism on the team. Here was this highly recruited kid with bounce, and immediately the best athlete on the team. We saw, and to a certain extent, still see him as a savior. Hope springs eternal, despite all evidence to the contrary.

 

[Niastri]

It's not so much "benefit of the doubt" as it is hope and maybe...wishful thinking.
In JB's last few years, we had a definitive lack of athleticism on the team. Here was this highly recruited kid with bounce, and immediately the best athlete on the team. We saw, and to a certain extent, still see him as a savior. Hope springs eternal, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Even after all that time, Williams still felt like he was this close to putting it all together at the start of the season.

Then he goes and gets himself suspended.

That said, it seems entirely possible that he will work himself back into the starting lineup, and achieve what we hoped he would this year. He just needs to go do it, Red will give him the chances.

 

[44Jack]

If Brown is relegated to split time at the 5 - we REALTY need Benny to give us quality minutes at the 4

 

[Irt4su]

Benny jogs. Benny watches. Benny seems to move in slow motion and plays the game as if he should be dominating against 5 guys like me.

 

[pwong]

Benny jogs. Benny watches. Benny seems to move in slow motion and plays the game as if he should be dominating against 5 guys like me.

The issue is Benny is kind of streaky on both ends, he needs to get going or else he’s going to overthink and force things.

Offensively, Red should get him involved a bit more instead of letting him float around the perimeter. Use him a bit more as a screener/ DHO guy and try to run some set plays for him to get easy baskets early on. Defensively, he needs to be more active rebounding and playing with more effort (things JB harped on him last year)

 

[crv1728]

At this point in Benny's career, I am starting to imagine a Kaleb Joseph comparison. There has to be something that is inhibiting his success, and we might not understand it for years. The physical gifts are obviously there, but something is keeping him from reaching his his full potential (that we all see and imagine if something changed, it would show itself).

 

[GoSU96]

benny is a very skilled player.but benny needs to get nasty. he plays too soft. get mad get better.

He needs Patches O’Houlihan as his personal coach

 

[Day2]

You mistake confidence for arrogance. And to suggest that they are ignorant is mean-spirited on your part. And you’re actually ignorant for making that comment because you don’t personally know either of them. They are actually quite bright and, and Judah has a very engaging personality and a great smile.

Not sure what Mintz has to be confident about, other than getting to the line at this level against subpar opponents.

 

[atlanticuse]

He literally does the same thing every time he touches the ball. Sweeps low first (no one bites) then power shoulder dribbles into his man. Watch…it’s like a tic

I pointed this out to my buddy I watched with yesterday (he, a Virginia fan).
Every.single.time.
It was as if I read it somewhere on the internet.

 

[Sbucketball]

So did anything new happen with Benny behind the scenes? DNP v Cornell and Red said he played the guys who could help.

 

[kingtidge]

Countdown to portal most likely.

 

[pwong]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

So did anything new happen with Benny behind the scenes? DNP v Cornell and Red said he played the guys who could help.

Warmed up with everybody.

Seemed to follow the 1st half, even had his warm-up off at one point.

2nd half sat on the Hima end of the bench.

Marches to the beat of a different drum.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

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Its funny. When I saw this I think, ‘thanks for the effort.’ But when I think about Benny’s career, it’s the lack of real effort that rises to the top for me.

 

[AZOrange]

Its funny. When I saw this I think, ‘thanks for the effort.’ But when I think about Benny’s career, it’s the lack of real effort that rises to the top for me.

It’s really sad. He’s a good kid. What a waste

 

[City of Cuse]

At one point he got to the scorers table but coach thought he was putting in Copeland and pulled Benny back. At least that’s how it appeared.

 

[Sherman20]

It’s really sad. He’s a good kid. What a waste

It is sad. And we desperately need his size and athleticism at forward if we want to be able to compete with bigger ACC teams. He needs to get his head on straight. Tune out the noise and focus and try to play inside-out. Stop worrying about shooting jumpers and 3s and hanging out on the perimter. Just get in there and crash the glass like a madman and get out and run out on every break (beat your man down the floor), set picks for your teammates, and defend like crazy, and then good things will come.

 

[Cuse House]

I think it’s pretty clear that Benny has had his opportunity and blown it. He’s been suspended twice and we all believed he was leaving the team last year after his personal day. I think Benny lost his starting roll due to the suspension this year and things have spiraled. We don’t see practices and I have to imagine he’d be playing if he gave effort and was productive in practice. I don’t think he is a good teammate based on his lack of enthusiasm on the bench. I remember his freshman year I was at the Duke game at the Dome and he had a coming out party in a blowout. Thought then the light bulb came on, but unfortunately looks like it was just a flicker and Benny will never amount to a productive player here.

 

[two3zone]

So did anything new happen with Benny behind the scenes? DNP v Cornell and Red said he played the guys who could help.

Think that says it all.

 

[two3zone]

It’s really sad. He’s a good kid. What a waste

What makes him a good kid? Fighting with his teammates? Leaving the team? Giving ZERO effort? What makes him such a good kid? I’m curious.

 

[two3zone]

It is sad. And we desperately need his size and athleticism at forward if we want to be able to compete with bigger ACC teams. He needs to get his head on straight. Tune out the noise and focus and try to play inside-out. Stop worrying about shooting jumpers and 3s and hanging out on the perimter. Just get in there and crash the glass like a madman and get out and run out on every break (beat your man down the floor), set picks for your teammates, and defend like crazy, and then good things will come.

He hasn’t done any of this since he got here, why would he start now?