Crazy idea

[Henny & Coke]

Ok, so the CMac news really hit me hard, haha. Especially in light of everything else (seemingly) going against SU recently (Ennis & Grant, BJ & Patterson, DC2...) I'm a guy that needs to brainstorm possible solutions to things that make me miserable...and the recent roster transactions are making me miserable. So here comes a crazy idea that probably isn't even allowed under NCAA laws but whatever...and please, keep an open mind, I'm just trying to brainstorm ideas. If you think it won't work, then fine, but please add something constructive instead of "You're crazy, never happen."

How about if SU takes in some lowly D1 school as a sort of unofficial "minor league team"? Let's take the San Fransico "Dons" as our example.

Our pitch to the San Francisco Dons: Hi, Syracuse University here. So, we really love your history of 2 National Championships & numerous winning seasons...but lets get real, it's not the 1950's & 1960's anymore...and Bill Russell & KC Jones ain't walking through that door anytime soon. You've made the NCAA Tournament exactly 1 time in the last 30 years. You guys need some help.

And we can provide that. Agree to be our unofficial "sister school" (sounds much better than "minor league team" haha). Basically, we will use your team as a farm team of sorts - a place to stash our "B level" recruits while they are able to play D1 basketball right away with your team & accumulate experience...but if they exceed expectations & progress to a certain point, we can then "call them up to the majors"...we can have them transfer to Syracuse at any time. (Plus, if we pick a school like San Fransico, there's a good chance that the recruit/player will have family closer to SU than San Francisco, so you could technically tell NCAA player is transferring to be closer to home, and possibly become eligible immediately.)

So, the positives for you is that your recruiting should become much better. In fact, you won't even have to be much involved in it. We (Syracuse) will go to guys like:

Jared Terrell (2014 SG recruit, ESPN #79th best overall, who went to Rhode Island since we didn't really recruit him)

Chinanu Onuaku (2014 C recruit, ESPN #75th best overall, brother of Arinze, who went to Louisville but may have come to SU if we were interested.)

Monte Morris (2013 PG recruit, ESPN #84th best overall, who Francis mentioned had interest in SU but ended up at Iowa St since interest was not reciprocated.)

OR guys like Isaiah Whitehead (had interest in SU), Brandon Austin (had interest in SU), London Perrantes (SU once noted as his "dream school"), Tony Wroten (also listed SU as his "dream school"), Duane Notice (where'd he ever end up at?), etc.

Basically we'd be sending you talented players and yes, a few headcases possibly, to see how they all develop - and maybe we end up taking 1-2 per year? But you get to keep the rest! And being known as the "unofficial feeder school to mighty Syracuse University Basketball team" would generate it's own advantages too, right?

I don't know, I realize it's a crazy thought, but how else do you deal with such roster turnover (and especially the unexpected type...that's the type that can kill an upcoming season before it even gets on the ground)?? I'm very much welcome to any ideas.

And in the meantime, I will dream about sending our "B List" kids off to a nice college in a nice city (like San Francisco) where they will play immediately in the hopes of being "called up to the big squad" & transferring into Syracuse to replenish our ranks & reload to compete for National Championships each & every year like we should be!

 

[iommi]

It's out of the box thinking...but it would be a bright Orange neon "red" flag to the NCAA.

 

[orangefan13]

Didn't want to see BJ leave to McCullough officially came back. I believe he would have played over freshmen lydon for 12-15mpg. Rough times. I understand a year off will help him out though.

 

[rrlbees]

You're crazy, never happen.

 

[two3zone]

So Onuaku would rather go to San Francisco to play for a couple of years just in case he has a chance to play for Syracuse rather than go straight to Louisville?

It is outside the box thinking but this is borderline crazy.

 

[jordoo]

Of course its crazy guys our man Henny & Coke spelled that out for you in the name of the thread. :noidea:

 

[HoustonCuse]

The only thing this is missing is a Dr. Mengele type guy that we'd keep on staff who could inject players family members with horrific diseases when we need to call a guy up to the big club so that the players can transfer back and play right away due to "family emergency." I mean sure, their family member dies a horrible and painful death after lingering a few months into the season, but they get to hang out in San Francisco for a couple years and then play a year or two at Syracuse: totally worth it!

 

[OttoinGrotto]

This is friggin' genius.

 

[Henny & Coke]

So Onuaku would rather go to San Francisco to play for a couple of years just in case he has a chance to play for Syracuse rather than go straight to Louisville?

It is outside the box thinking but this is borderline crazy.

Haha, yep. Glad you agree with me!

Ok, so maybe the convincing the players that this is in their best interest may be challenging...

On side note, a sweetener to San Francisco to comply could also be:

"And we will even lend you Coach Hopkins too. He can come in & be head coach for your program while JB desperately hangs on who knows how many more years.

Oh, and we can also help you out sometimes too. Say, for instance, that we already have great forwards, but you have a kid blowing up too. Well we could let you keep him till we really need him.

And/or, we could influence guys already set on transferring out of SU to look at your school. Don't you think a player like BJ would be very much welcomed at San Francisco? (Sorry OBJ, you don't get a say in this haha!!)"

Ahh...I know I'm dreaming here. But you never know. Sometimes brainstorming sessions lead to someone taking a crazy idea, modifying it to make it a little less crazy somehow, and WHAMMY, you've got a gamechanger.

 

[HoustonCuse]

This idea goes beyond crazy, past insane, all the way to awesome!!

We can combine it with my fool-proof "NCAA Violations Gambit" which entails employing agents to embroil opposing stars in NCAA violations (real or potential) on the eve of NCAA tournament games against Syracuse so they must sit out or the team risks vacating the win and or a 10 year investigation. A side benefit of this is that by involving big time gambling cartels, we can make huge money by also using athletic department funds to bet on the games since we'll know (before anybody can react to change the line) that the other teams will be missing key players.

Honestly, even if we got caught for all this, the penalties would normally be expected to be about what we got for a couple dudes toking a joint and an office worker adding two citations to a paper. Why not go for it?

 

[Alsacs]

It would never happen but good outside the box idea. Albany/Siena as feeders schools for Syracuse. I mean could work if these kids weren't student athletes, but alas it wouldn't work.

 

[pfister1]

One problem - wouldn't all the players have to sit out a year before they could be "called up".

If you really wanted to do this there is an easier way, form a relationship with a respectable JUCO.

 

[HoustonCuse]

One problem - wouldn't all the players have to sit out a year before they could be "called up".

If you really wanted to do this there is an easier way, form a relationship with a respectable JUCO.

No we solved that with our Dr Mengele stand in. You want to make an omelette you gotta break a few eggs.

 

[BlackSquirrels]

One problem - wouldn't all the players have to sit out a year before they could be "called up".

If you really wanted to do this there is an easier way, form a relationship with a respectable JUCO.

I'm thinking SU should try to hook up with a Canadian university or prep school. Players wouldn't have to sit out a year and they might not even burn any eligibility.

Plus, Syracuse winters won't be as big of a shock to players who eventually make it to SU.