Chad Ford draft updates...

[Orange2389]

This whole thread is crazy. If you ask my two cents I will sign up for having any recruit to be a key cog in getting us to a FF & then leaving. If anybody stays that is just bonus house money.

nope nope nope. need to give us a championship

 

[raf4488]

Kinda weird to have a minor meltdown thread when we're in the final four and nobody has decided anything yet regarding the NBA. Especially since it's more likely that not that these 2 will come back. Have either even been on any 2016 mocks?

 

[Orange2389]

Kinda weird to have a minor meltdown thread when we're in the final four and nobody has decided anything yet regarding the NBA. Especially since it's more likely that not that these 2 will come back. Have either even been on any 2016 mocks?

we have a history of getting screwed by guys leaving early. the concern and frustration is warranted.

 

[Melancer46]

Buddy Hield wasn't "Buddy Hield" until this year.

True, but what he did as a sophomore and junior blows Malachi out of the water right now too, and he isn't even much older than Malachi.

 

[Ajflood12]

Generally, college players turn out to be so-so pros or worse.

I think you know what I mean. There is a perception that Syracuse players suck in the NBA.

 

[Dave85]

Kinda weird to have a minor meltdown thread when we're in the final four and nobody has decided anything yet regarding the NBA. Especially since it's more likely that not that these 2 will come back. Have either even been on any 2016 mocks?

We fans are sensitive because our love is so deep.

 

[Knicks411]

True, but what he did as a sophomore and junior blows Malachi out of the water right now too, and he isn't even much older than Malachi.

Its kind of amazing how many of these guys take an extra year in high school or whatever; Malachi is a freshmen, but he turned 20 in january. I turned 19 about a week before my freshmen year ended, for instance.

 

[Jasoncuse]

Buddy Hield wasn't "Buddy Hield" until this year.

His sophomore year numbers were better than Malachi's this year...

 

[FrancoPizza]

nope nope nope. need to give us a championship

It's all-or-nothing at this point.

Making the FF is awesome because we get to celebrate for a whole week. If we somehow got past NC in the semifinal but lose in the title game... that only gives us about 24 hours of additional partying. At this point, either they better win the whole thing and they can all enter the draft... or we should hope they get pounded in spectacular fashion by North Carolina so that Lydon and Mali's draft stock gets taken down a peg or three. At this point, we're approaching the virtual ceiling on our payoff for this year. I don't know about you, but I want to be able to party all season long next year... enter the season as FF contenders from the opening gate... partake in huge Dome crowds... bask in wire-to-wire AP and SC Top 10 highlight reels. Having great things to look forward to is often far more important than experiencing things in the present. I would loathe the prospect of another rebuilding year. If we thought we were undermanned now, a couple early departures would put us right back into that depressing conversation again.

 

[Cusefan0307]

The Joe Lunardi of draft projections...

 

[Dave85]

I think you know what I mean. There is a perception that Syracuse players suck in the NBA.

Many players who get drafted end up in the D-League. And most the D-League-ers don't make it to the big show. If the purpose of the draft is to get potential gems and develop them my intuition tells me the college experience will have a much better success rate than the D-League. The college experience makes these kids much stronger both physically and with better character to development and discipline. Just my opinion I guess.

 

[Melancer46]

Its kind of amazing how many of these guys take an extra year in high school or whatever; Malachi is a freshmen, but he turned 20 in january. I turned 19 about a week before my freshmen year ended, for instance.

Drives me nuts...Malachi is exactly 4 years younger than me and I graduated from SU 2 years ago now.

 

[Dave85]

It's all-or-nothing at this point.

Making the FF is awesome because we get to celebrate for a whole week. If we somehow got past NC in the semifinal but lose in the title game... that only gives us about 24 hours of additional partying.

Yeah, I agree. If we win the whole thing we can celebrate the all the way until November. That's a lot of beer to drink!

 

[721Comstock]

His sophomore year numbers were better than Malachi's this year...

They weren't enough to make him a household name, clearly.

That's why I used the quotes around his name - he is a brand now. A celebrity.
He's the college Steph Curry - hitting ridiculous shots, getting insanely hot, winning games.

 

[newmexicuse]

I think you know what I mean. There is a perception that Syracuse players suck in the NBA.

Huge misconception - in Bing and Melo we have arguably two of the top 25 or so all-time players. Coleman, Seikaly, Schayes, and Douglas all had above average NBA careers. Several other had solid NBA careers. I think we have a record of sending players to the NBA that we can be proud of and that would be better than that of almost any other school that is not in the absolute elite of college royalty.

 

[Knicks411]

Drives me nuts...Malachi is exactly 4 years younger than me and I graduated from SU 2 years ago now.

Was curious; Lydon is the same way, born April 96. Howard is April 97, so he's the more "correct" age for his year.

I'm fascinated by this now; if Chukwu spends 3 years here, he'll be a month short of 24 by the end of his career. (granted he redshirted)

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Just saw these pop up, guess its the downside that comes with going on this kind of run.

Lydon comes off the bench for Syracuse, but don't let that fool you. He has all the tools of a good stretch 4 at the next level. He's a 6-foot-9. athletic forward who has shot 40 percent from 3 this season and has proven to be an effective shot blocker.

He has been up and down in the tournament, but his strong play against Virginia -- hitting three big 3s and blocking five shots -- caught scouts attention.

He's the prototypical stretch 4 that the NBA is looking for right now and has the numbers as a freshman to back up being a mid- to late-first-round pick if he declares. The fact that he gets to play in the Final Four only helps his chances of improving his stock.
*********

Richardson has been on the NBA radar all season, but really as a wait-and-see prospect. He's a long, athletic and versatile offensive player who can shoot the 3 and slither to the basket -- but he has been wildly inconsistent all season.

That inconsistency has largely carried over into the tournament. After a strong start against Dayton, he shot just 4-for-21 from the field against Middle Tennessee and Gonzaga. But then the Virginia game happened.

After starting 0-for-7, he exploded in the second half with 21 points, three huge 3s and a couple of big steals, helping carry Syracuse to the Final Four. He now has a chance to prove himself on the biggest stage in college basketball.

If he can help Syracuse pull off an upset against North Carolina on Saturday, you'll start hearing about him as a potential first-round pick. He looks the part and in a draft devoid of elite 2-guard prospects, he'll get some interest.

Hold on just a second now. I've been told all season that the two guard position is loaded for this year's draft. Whose correct?

 

[Alsacs]

Both players will submit their names. Likely both players will be invited to combine.

Lydon is more likely to return to play on the wing next year and develop his game more.

Malachi will need a first round guarantee or I think he will come back as well.

If we win it all they both can go.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

in a draft devoid of elite 2-guard prospects, he'll get some interest.

Well, that runs counter to just about everything people have been saying on here all season.

 

[TheCusian]

I love Bill Simmon's take on the problem of leaving early. Basically your rookie contract is dependent on how old you are (or years since graduation). So the younger you are the longer you wait for your 2nd deal. It removes some of the "need to get into the NBA so I can chase the second contract" thing. It tips the scales ever so slightly back towards staying. For example, G might be on a 2 year rookie deal as a guy who played all 4 years (+1 redshirt).

Younger players would have to be more sure coming out - as they'd have longer to prove their worth.

 

[Deano]

Wish the NBA and NCAA would come to some kind of agreement and either make them stay 3 years or they go straight out of hs to the pro's. This 1 and done crap has killed the NCAA and made the NBA yucky. I loved it when guys like Jordan, DC, Seikly, D. Wilkins, etc were playing college ball. It was so much better and they made the NBA so much better.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Wish the NBA and NCAA would come to some kind of agreement and either make them stay 3 years or they go straight out of hs to the pro's. This 1 and done crap has killed the NCAA and made the NBA yucky. I loved it when guys like Jordan, DC, Seikly, D. Wilkins, etc were playing college ball. It was so much better and they made the NBA so much better.

The NBA is pretty great, now.:noidea:

 

[Knicks411]

I love Bill Simmon's take on the problem of leaving early. Basically your rookie contract is dependent on how old you are (or years since graduation). So the younger you are the longer you wait for your 2nd deal. It removes some of the "need to get into the NBA so I can chase the second contract" thing. It tips the scales ever so slightly back towards staying. For example, G might be on a 2 year rookie deal as a guy who played all 4 years (+1 redshirt).

Younger players would have to be more sure coming out - as they'd have longer to prove their worth.

I wonder if this would work to hurt the draft stock for older players even more, since a team would control him for fewer years.

 

[Newhouser]

compare Mali to Wesley..

smaller, less of a shooter, less athletic, not as good at actually getting to the basket.

does he have more upside than a fringe NBA guy career and get drafted high on that?

Wes better off the dribble than Mal?

 

[FrancoPizza]

Younger players would have to be more sure coming out - as they'd have longer to prove their worth.

Uh... since Lydon and Mali are both quite old for 1st-year players, this is not reassuring in the slightest.

Could buzzkill Ford at least wait until after the FF? I feel like we're staring down the barrel of a lose-lose situation.