Class of 2019 CG Joe Girard III (NY) SIGNED WITH SYRACUSE

[RF2044]

No, it's not even that. I've seen some good players in Section 2 that were never given the time of day because they didn't "fit" or weren't "good" enough to play at Syracuse but became very good college players and got a sniff at the NBA or have had solid careers overseas. Guys like Jimmer and Jason McKreith, James Thomas, Lionel Chalmers, Willie Deane, Mark Lyons. Then of course we missed out on Kevin Huerter and how good he could have looked in Orange.

We now have 13 scholarships to use. Why wouldn't we make it a priority to get a kid who lives nearby whose one big talent is scoring the basketball.

I wish we could have landed Jason McKrieth. Tough to blame him for going to Rice for academic [primarily] reasons, but he would have been terrific here.

I thought we went after James Thomas hard?

 

[cliftonparksufan]

A coach should not bring in players they don't think can play for them. It's okay if a kid is not a fit. John Thompson didn't think Sherm could play for him.

While in principle I agree with you, I do feel with 13 scholarships that it does afford us some luxury. We've had guys before, like a Sean Williams, who had one talent, his height, that attracted JAB to him and was offered a spot at Syracuse.

Wasn't Syracuse the only school to offer Sherm. If that is true, then lot's of coaches didn't feel he was a good fit. Girard is a little different in that he does have some great offers. Just not a lot of message board fans.

 

[hoopsupstate]

Sometimes the lack of understanding is staggering. Last years team was characterized by lack of depth. Were they dynamic offensively? No. However, they slowed tempo to compress scores and conserve energy. If they are not starting the offense with 12 on the shot clock it would look very different. We had to play that way and had success. This year we will have depth.

You’re kidding yourself. JB even said they couldn’t shoot or score on a consistent basis. It took them forever to find a shot someone might make. It usually came down to Battle being forced to put up shot. Early in the year they had two centers, three forwards and 4 guards and they still couldn’t score. What was the excuse then?

 

[albanycuse]

While in principle I agree with you, I do feel with 13 scholarships that it does afford us some luxury. We've had guys before, like a Sean Williams, who had one talent, his height, that attracted JAB to him and was offered a spot at Syracuse.

Wasn't Syracuse the only school to offer Sherm. If that is true, then lot's of coaches didn't feel he was a good fit. Girard is a little different in that he does have some great offers. Just not a lot of message board fans.

You wouldn’t give 2 sh!tss about him if he wasn’t a hop, skip and jump away from you. He can shoot lights out, but so can a lot of other players. He has the grades based on the offers.

 

[Dave]

You wouldn’t give 2 sh!tss about him if he wasn’t a hop, skip and jump away from you. He can shoot lights out, but so can a lot of other players. He has the grades based on the offers.

...and he has the offers based on.....?

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I wish we could have landed Jason McKrieth. Tough to blame him for going to Rice for academic [primarily] reasons, but he would have been terrific here.

I thought we went after James Thomas hard?

I'm not sure how hard we went after Thomas, but those 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 recruiting cycles were among our worst ever.

 

[chugg21]

Last year's team almost beat Duke in the Sweet 16. if Dolezaj hadn't gotten some cheap fouls called on him, we might have been in the elite 8. That's what he meant by a "Final Four Contender". Final Four contenders are more than just the ones that actually made it.

So you think the 2 week run in March was more indicative of the team last year than the 4 months of watching miserable basketball? Maybe my brain works differently than those that think we were actually one of the 16 best teams in college basketball during the '17-'18 season. I thought last year was a complete miserable season of Syracuse basketball and 2 weeks doesn't make up for 4 months of sluggish terrible games. Saying our team was a final four contender last year is the most ridiculous thing in the world. We were the very last team in to the tournament and it's arguable if we deserved to be there. I think after getting waxed by UNC that the high majority of folks here didn't think we deserved to be in.

 

[jordoo]

So you think the 2 week run in March was more indicative of the team last year than the 4 months of watching miserable basketball?

Absolutely Yes! The team was as inexperienced as any we have had since I’ve been a fan. Thorpe left, Moyer, Sidibe, Chukwu played hurt. Washing got hurt and was out. Inexperienced with no depth and a lot of young talent trying to figure it out. Of course the end of the season if a more accurate barometer to judge them by IMO.

 

[chugg21]

Absolutely Yes! The team was as inexperienced as any we have had since I’ve been a fan. Thorpe left, Moyer, Sidibe, Chukwu played hurt. Washing got hurt and was out. Inexperienced with no depth and a lot of young talent trying to figure it out. Of course the end of the season if a more accurate barometer to judge them by IMO.

I don't buy it too much because some rich old white guys in a room could have just as easily put them as the 69th team instead of the 68th and it would have been justified based on the body of work that they presented over the course of a 30+ game season. That's not to say I wasn't jumping up and down and going bonkers watching the Mich St game. Just that I still don't look back at last season and feel that it was a success, because for the majority of the season everyone was absolutely miserable and it was not enjoyable to watch in any way.

 

[SWC75]

So you think the 2 week run in March was more indicative of the team last year than the 4 months of watching miserable basketball? Maybe my brain works differently than those that think we were actually one of the 16 best teams in college basketball during the '17-'18 season. I thought last year was a complete miserable season of Syracuse basketball and 2 weeks doesn't make up for 4 months of sluggish terrible games. Saying our team was a final four contender last year is the most ridiculous thing in the world. We were the very last team in to the tournament and it's arguable if we deserved to be there. I think after getting waxed by UNC that the high majority of folks here didn't think we deserved to be in.

You are missing the point. Anyone who reaches the Sweet Sixteen is, by definition contending for the Final Four, especially if they almost made the Elite Eight. It's not about an evaluation of their roster or their regular season.

 

[ebucklewis]

I don't buy it too much because some rich old white guys in a room could have just as easily put them as the 69th team instead of the 68th and it would have been justified based on the body of work that they presented over the course of a 30+ game season. That's not to say I wasn't jumping up and down and going bonkers watching the Mich St game. Just that I still don't look back at last season and feel that it was a success, because for the majority of the season everyone was absolutely miserable and it was not enjoyable to watch in any way.

you may want to inform Bernard Muir of his recent race changing event..

 

[cliftonparksufan]

You are missing the point. Anyone who reaches the Sweet Sixteen is, by definition contending for the Final Four, especially if they almost made the Elite Eight. It's not about an evaluation of their roster or their regular season.

I agree. It was a successful post season and you have to call the regular season successful as well since we danced. Thw issues of the team have been well documented. Not sure why some tend to denigrate those who battled out there knowing it was them or no one. I enjoyed watching this short handed team play. Thwy could have easily mailed it in. One of JAB's greatest coaching seasons.

 

[chugg21]

you may want to inform Bernard Muir of his recent race changing event..

There's a woman on it too if you really want to be a .

 

[ebucklewis]

There's a woman on it too if you really want to be a .

I believe you are the person that said "rich old white guys" - entirely inappropriate, but call me whatever you want..

 

[chugg21]

I believe you are the person that said "rich old white guys" - entirely inappropriate, but call me whatever you want..

Sorry, the high majority are rich old white guys or would you like to disagree with that as well? Forgot this is the internet so there's always 1 person that will nitpick things.

 

[Dave]

Sorry, the high majority are rich old white guys or would you like to disagree with that as well? Forgot this is the internet so there's always 1 person that will nitpick things.

So what? Why is that a factor? A new cliche. Poor young asians would be more credible?

 

[chugg21]

So what? Why is that a factor? A new cliche. Poor young asians would be more credible?

It literally had nothing to do with the point I was making besides being a descriptive of how easily the team could've been #69 instead of #68. Ridiculous that a reply about that part was warranted. Seems people just need something to grab a hold of to complain about. ugghhh.

 

[ebucklewis]

It literally had nothing to do with the point I was making besides being a descriptive of how easily the team could've been #69 instead of #68. Ridiculous that a reply about that part was warranted. Seems people just need something to grab a hold of to complain about. ugghhh.

Ugghhh is right!

 

[newmexicuse]

So you think the 2 week run in March was more indicative of the team last year than the 4 months of watching miserable basketball? Maybe my brain works differently than those that think we were actually one of the 16 best teams in college basketball during the '17-'18 season. I thought last year was a complete miserable season of Syracuse basketball and 2 weeks doesn't make up for 4 months of sluggish terrible games. Saying our team was a final four contender last year is the most ridiculous thing in the world. We were the very last team in to the tournament and it's arguable if we deserved to be there. I think after getting waxed by UNC that the high majority of folks here didn't think we deserved to be in.

I hear what you are saying and in some respects I agree with you.

However, the team showed very nice post-season progression and really jelled to almost the greatest extent possible given the roster limitations.

However, it is pretty clear that we were just too undermanned to be a legit FF team. People cry about marek fouls, but that is exactly the sort of thing that will inevitably happen sooner or later in a deep tournament run with a short roster. You can't get to a FF if one bad foul call puts you out of business.

Give me a healthier Sid and a decent swing man ala Hughes and then we would have truly belonged.

 

[orangefog]

So what? Why is that a factor? A new cliche. Poor young asians would be more credible?

What about fine young cannibals?

 

[jordoo]

Syracuse made the NCAA tournament where they played well. You can buy it or not but that is actually what happened.

 

[721Comstock]

Syracuse BARELY made the NCAA tournament, where it then played surprisingly well.

FIFY.

That nice, unexpected S-16 run put a whole heckuva lotta lipstick on what was otherwise a 'pig' of a season.

I have no idea what any of this has to do with JGIII.
Most if not all the teams he has offers from, make the NCAA's every year, or nearly every year.

 

[two3zone]

I'm not sure how hard we went after Thomas, but those 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 recruiting cycles were among our worst ever.

That was the end of Bernie recruiting right?

 

[orangefog]

FIFY.

That nice, unexpected S-16 run put a whole heckuva lotta lipstick on what was otherwise a 'pig' of a season.

I have no idea what any of this has to do with JGIII.
Most if not all the teams he has offers from, make the NCAA's every year, or nearly every year.

That sweet 16 run was due to player growth.

 

[jordoo]

FIFY.

That nice, unexpected S-16 run put a whole heckuva lotta lipstick on what was otherwise a 'pig' of a season.

I have no idea what any of this has to do with JGIII.
Most if not all the teams he has offers from, make the NCAA's every year, or nearly every year.

Obviously we're all entitled to our own opinion. But hey you can put any adjectives you want in there it doesn't erase the fact that Syracuse made the tournament and then made the sweet 16. I guess for me when I look at the big picture I see A story of growth. And all those guys are coming back this year.