Credit to Mike Waters…

[Oakland]

Do they actually coach it though? Emphasize things? Correct things?

Or do they just “play it” while all of the coaching focus is on the offense?

Given how our O has looked in recent years, you raise a good point.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I just want to hear Mike (or anyone, really) ask what Boeheim's plan is to improve the defense heading into next season. I'm sure JB would deflect in some way but I think his answer would be telling.

I wish he would ask why he and his staff don’t recruit better athletes so they could play man-to-man and if he doesn’t retire, will he be making staff changes to upgrade recruiting?

 

[hoopsupstate]

I’d like to see JB’s response when he is asked why we have the only 10 players in America who can’t play man defense? Ask him how hard it must be to find the only ten recruits in the country who can’t plan man defense?

 

[dollarbill44]

I went to a friend’s sons highs school game last week. Both teams played man. Apparently those kids are all far more talented than our team.

I also went to a Fairfield-Manhattan MAAC game last week. Both teams played man. Apparently those low D1 players are all far more talented than our team.

Or maybe… and just hear me out here… maybe JB is full of crap?

That's kind of weird logic. But, your last point checks out.

 

[MSOrange]

I think we all know that our players are capable of playing man to man. However JB didn't get much credit early in his career. A lot of people said he just threw out the ball, fairly or not.

It wasn't really until the 1996 run with the zone that people started giving him credit as a coach locally and nationwide. Because of that, the zone has become his baby and he's sticking to it until the very end, because that's what he's known for and what he got the most credit for.

 

[OrangeDW]

Given how our O has looked in recent years, you raise a good point.

I can’t imagine they really work on man. Why would they? They know they’re not pkaying it in the game so why would they waste any time on it? Would bet the players aren’t exactly playing their hearts out in it either, knowing it’s not what we do. Basically the defensive equivalent of just rolling the balls out. Just my guess.

 

[Scooch]

That's kind of weird logic. But, your last point checks out.

The logic is just as sound as the head coach saying the players who played man prior to SU can’t play man. Apparently our players suck so much that they can’t play man at Syracuse. I don’t know why JB recruited players who can’t play the most basic defense on earth.

 

[bpo57]

The right personnel given today's game basically means you have 5 guys with the right size and tools to play elite zone defense for 40 minutes... while being below average to bad at most over things. There is no longer anything left to support it as a sole defense or over 75 pct of your defense a game. Pressing into it with a mix of man, or switching into it situationally after playing mostly man etc etc works. There are many articles out there now that have gone deeper. The real fact is fewer than 7 teams play it at 75 pct or more of a game and only 1 plays it exclusively- that's us.

3pt shooting numbers, our def numbers, the reduced def numbers in studies that have been done ... it all makes it clear it's a less effective defense today and puts you at a disadvantage if that's you entire toolkit on D.

Don't get me wrong, I'd def prefer man over zone. Just saying that u need a specific personnel set to play zone effectively. The dudes we have recruited lately don't fit that skillset at all.

 

[bpo57]

“Hey coach. First time long time. You like vanilla, chocolate or twist chipwiches?”

You sound like a political reporter.

 

[hoopsupstate]

If JB was as patient developing the man defense as he is with this zone, it might have turned out ok.

 

[SUGIANT]

He said they tried to install a man-to-man defense in the summer and the fall.

And, the players couldn't play it.

Seems like a reasonable answer to me.

I’m not a fan of much of the BS on here, but I saw this answer and thought of all the teams that play MTM out there with less talent. Maybe he thinks they play zone better, but say that. I have no doubt these players are talented enough to play MTM, there has to be another reason. Earlier in JBs career they played MTM and I think they were successful. I have to question why they don’t switch it up when they get down and the opposing team is bombing 3s from Green Lakes State park. He’s always said this btw, so it’s nothing shocking. Ihave no problem with the zone when it works, maybe 2 defenses is to much to install or learn. Just say that….

 

[HOFCeluck]

Ihave no problem with the zone when it works, maybe 2 defenses is to much to install or learn. Just say that….

It’s not unheard of for teams to play more than one defense though. Duke would mix in some zone in Ka last years.

 

[brian williams]

NCAA College Men's Basketball DI current team Stats | NCAA.com

Discover the current NCAA Division I Men's Basketball leaders in every stats category, as well as historic leaders.

www.ncaa.com

we’re currently 266 in rebounding margin

Jims point was “actually it’s not that bad because we get turnovers”

lets pretend that’s the case... but we all know it‘s not when 265 teams have better rebounding margins.

our turnover margin?

NCAA College Men's Basketball DI current team Stats | NCAA.com

Discover the current NCAA Division I Men's Basketball leaders in every stats category, as well as historic leaders.

www.ncaa.com

99th. not like top 10 to counter the 265, 99th

you want to have more shots and possessions. Not the same. The idea Jim would suggest that as smugly as he did was absurd

And dead last in opponent’s assists per game. Work the ball around the zone for open shots.

 

[RF2044]

I’m not a fan of much of the BS on here, but I saw this answer and thought of all the teams that play MTM out there with less talent. Maybe he thinks they play zone better, but say that. I have no doubt these players are talented enough to play MTM, there has to be another reason. Earlier in JBs career they played MTM and I think they were successful. I have to question why they don’t switch it up when they get down and the opposing team is bombing 3s from Green Lakes State park. He’s always said this btw, so it’s nothing shocking. Ihave no problem with the zone when it works, maybe 2 defenses is to much to install or learn. Just say that….

Therein lies the hypocrisy.

If the zone was "better," then use it. But when you are ranked near the bottom in several defensive statistical categories, the zone ain't functioning. And that's with an elite caliber shot blocker anchoring things if all else fails.

How could man have been any worse?

 

[Nicknack]

He said they tried to install a man-to-man defense in the summer and the fall.

And, the players couldn't play it.

Seems like a reasonable answer to me.

I thought you were being sarcastic until I read more of your posts. Oh my.

 

[SUGIANT]

Well, sure.

Thats what you have coaching for right?

They recruit poorly, coach poorly, interview poorly

Its just a big joke

Recruit poorly? I don’t see the issue with who is playing on the team. Mintz, Taylor, B. Williams, Girard, even Jesse were and are good to great recruiting gets. Except for Williams the play good day in and day out. theres a couple guys on the bench that are pretty good also. I just don’t see the crap about recruiting being bad.

coaching, yeah seems JB is less Flexible. Though he never has been. He’s also always been criticized for all these things, fair or not.

I don’t care about interviews beyond hearing what he has to say. The bit about him being mean to a reporter was pretty much crap to me, I listened to it and didn’t think anything until that website said something. The comments on the teams buying platers is pretty much true, SU included. He apologized and said he was wrong multiple times, I think he’s earned that pass.

 

[anomander]

Of course it’s the players’ fault.

Overall all these years he will go down the roster and name every specific player and what they did wrong that cost them to lose but not once has he ever taken the blame and said something like I didn't have my team ready to play tonight. That's always irritated me and it's only got worst the last handful of years

 

[SUGIANT]

Therein lies the hypocrisy.

If the zone was "better," then use it. But when you are ranked near the bottom in several defensive statistical categories, the zone ain't functioning. And that's with an elite caliber shot blocker anchoring things if all else fails.

How could man have been any worse?

hypocrisy? I don’t know what he’s think but being mistaken isn’t necessarily hypocritical. I think he believes what he says. We’ve had the Zone vs Man argument since AOL days. I think it’s all about execution. Not saying I wouldn’t like to see MTM when Zone ain’t working.

 

[Nicknack]

I just want to hear Mike (or anyone, really) ask what Boeheim's plan is to improve the defense heading into next season. I'm sure JB would deflect in some way but I think his answer would be telling.

Unfortunately, I don't think it would be telling. Jim would just say some bs like "we will work on our defense like we do every year". It's not like he has an answer. He would also find the question insulting to his thin skinned self, which would lead to his bs answer.

 

[hoopsupstate]

If we gave up 16 layups against Pitt instead of 16 threes, the game might have been different.

 

[bpo57]

Overall all these years he will go down the roster and name every specific player and what they did wrong that cost them to lose but not once has he ever taken the blame and said something like I didn't have my team ready to play tonight. That's always irritated me and it's only got worst the last handful of years

Excellent point although there have been a few players over the last five years that have rarely ever been singled out for criticism.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I wish he would ask why he and his staff don’t recruit better athletes so they could play man-to-man and if he doesn’t retire, will he be making staff changes to upgrade recruiting?

Follow up : who on the staff decided to recruit forwards who refuse to rebound, and why is that a recruiting strategy?

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I think we all know that our players are capable of playing man to man. However JB didn't get much credit early in his career. A lot of people said he just threw out the ball, fairly or not.

It wasn't really until the 1996 run with the zone that people started giving him credit as a coach locally and nationwide. Because of that, the zone has become his baby and he's sticking to it until the very end, because that's what he's known for and what he got the most credit for.

 

[RF2044]

hypocrisy? I don’t know what he’s think but being mistaken isn’t necessarily hypocritical. I think he believes what he says. We’ve had the Zone vs Man argument since AOL days. I think it’s all about execution. Not saying I wouldn’t like to see MTM when Zone ain’t working.

The hypocrisy is that we had to abandon M2M because they couldn't play it, when they clearly can't play zone effectively, either. We're historically bad this year in some respects.

It would be one thing if the primary defense was substantially more effective than M2M, but it isn't. So the explanation rings hollow, and seems insincere.

But as we all know, JB says stuff sometimes. I learned long ago not to parse his comments too much.

 

[Scooch]

The hypocrisy is that we had to abandon M2M because they couldn't play it, when they clearly can't play zone effectively, either. We're historically bad this year in some respects.

It would be one thing if the primary defense was substantially more effective than M2M, but it isn't. So the explanation rings hollow, and seems insincere.

But as we all know, JB says stuff sometimes. I learned long ago not to parse his comments too much.

Your last paragraph is ultimately it.

JB says all sorts of self-serving stuff.

For example, in recent years he talked about how the “only” thing that matters is the tourney. Which is not an invalid take. However, I don’t recall him saying that when we had a string of post season disappointments.

Somehow I have a feeling that had we been recently landing too 4 seeds in the tourney and flaming out in the sweet 16 or earlier, we’d be hearing about how the tourney is a crapshoot and the regular season tells us how good a program is. Just a hunch.