Devo’s Comments

[Sdot]

Well Kiyan is planning to play 2 years at Cuse and 2 only. So that fits in the 4 year plan. That means you get Melo for 2 as NIL head leading the charge. But I agree next year is the year that there needs to be significant progress of making the tourney and some

Nobody has asked I believe so I’ll ask you, what is considered good enough next year for us? Is it a win in the tourney? Or just making it?

 

[Bulldog04]

Nobody has asked I believe so I’ll ask you, what is considered good enough next year for us? Is it a win in the tourney? Or just making it?

I think given how young the team is going to be it will be making the tourney but if Sadiq plays year 2 (which I don’t think will happen) there will be some real expectations to win

 

[Sdot]

I think given how young the team is going to be it will be making the tourney but if Sadiq plays year 2 (which I don’t think will happen) there will be some real expectations to win

Is there any talks about assistant coach changes at the end of the year?

 

[Bulldog04]

Is there any talks about assistant coach changes at the end of the year?

Considering my info comes from those guys, I don’t think I’ll be asking that question lol

 

[721Comstock]

Considering my info comes from those guys, I don’t think I’ll be asking that question lol

“Hey fellas - which of you do you think should get canned?”

 

[hoopsupstate]

I don‘t see White playing only one year. He needs to add twenty plus pounds and find an offensive game besides dunks.

 

[DilemaCuse]

I don‘t see White playing only one year. He needs to add twenty plus pounds and find an offensive game besides dunks.

I agree, right now he's a raw Jerami Grant, not a finished nba product or even soph level Grant

 

[Newhouser]

I think given how young the team is going to be it will be making the tourney but if Sadiq plays year 2 (which I don’t think will happen) there will be some real expectations to win

You think Sadiq is a one and done?

 

[Cuse4403]

I’m in this boat. I don’t know why anybody would be expecting him to throw Red under the bus. I don’t know why anybody would expect anybody in Devo’s position to throw their program’s coach under the bus. It would serve literally no purpose.

For me it was Devo's insinuation that if you're bashing Red you have no clue about basketball. You don't have to be a high level athlete or have played DI basketball to understand the game. It's quite obvious there have been errors made by this coaching staff in the offseason and so far this season. We have seemingly no system on offense and our defense is horrendous...both as a team and the majority of individual players. A lot of coaches are getting far more out of less raw talent.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I think given how young the team is going to be it will be making the tourney but if Sadiq plays year 2 (which I don’t think will happen) there will be some real expectations to win

We aren’t making the tournament next year without a veteran scorer leading the way. Our approach is the definition of insanity. Ship out half the roster and continuously wonder why the young guys aren’t good enough. If that’s the strategy with Red next year he’s a dead man walking.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Recruiting however, is on the uptick, he will definitely promote vision.

Is it though? Moore committed to Boeheim and has been not good. The portal recruits have resulted in one of the worst teams in P4, Freeman is talented offensively but can’t play defense and by a few accounts wouldn’t be here without Straughn. At least two other transfers were expected due to coaching hires\connections but didn’t materialize.

White is exceptionally athletic but an incomplete basketball player and a Straughn connection recruit. And Kiyan is a legacy recruit who by some accounts was always coming here.

Is any of that indicative of sustainable success? Jury is definitely out.

 

[Sbucketball]

Is it though? Moore committed to Boeheim and has been not good. The portal recruits have resulted in one of the worst teams in P4, Freeman is talented offensively but can’t play defense and by a few accounts wouldn’t be here without Straughn. At least two other transfers were expected due to coaching hires\connections but didn’t materialize.

White is exceptionally athletic but an incomplete basketball player and a Straughn connection recruit. And Kiyan is a legacy recruit who by some accounts was always coming here.

Is any of that indicative of sustainable success? Jury is definitely out.

I've been asking that question for those exact reasons. Hopefully Red's actually an A-level recruiter, but if you think deeply instead of just being happy it's better than late-stage JB, I don't think we can just assume he's an ace yet. We'll probably learn a lot coming off this horrible year -- if Red can get really good portal recruits and good 2026 class despite the trend, then that's a great sign he could be a good long term recruiter.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I have no doubt that Chance and JJ would have committed to Red out of HS had he been head coach then. I'm not sure that would make any difference for this season though.

Like others, I consider Louisville our peer school in the ACC and in the last decade they've been hit with sanctions, multiple investigations, HOF coach fired, AD fired, on their 5th HC since then and had two of the worst seasons in their history after hiring an alum/former player. But then they hired Pat Kelsey, who had demonstrated success at lower D1 schools, and he has them in a complete 180 from where they were last season in less than a year. Their only losses this season have been to top-20 teams. They're a top-5 team in the ACC and went from 185 in KP last season to top-40 this season. That's success. Not a lot of coulda woulda shouldas.

Does he repeat and improve next season? I don't know, but he's already landed a heckuva HS recruit as well.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I've been asking that question for those exact reasons. Hopefully Red's actually an A-level recruiter, but if you think deeply instead of just being happy it's better than late-stage JB, I don't think we can just assume he's an ace yet. We'll probably learn a lot coming off this horrible year -- if Red can get really good portal recruits and good 2026 class despite the trend, then that's a great sign he could be a good long term recruiter.

Yeah and the other thing is, even if a team is getting multiple top-20/30 HS recruits, generally the best teams are a mix of high-end HS recruits and excellent upperclassmen (either developed in house or acquired through the portal). Early indications are that pure portal teams are hit and miss and mostly miss. Still need to recruit, develop and retain HS kids.

All of the best teams are dominated by juniors and seniors. Auburn has 2 freshmen on the roster and neither start. Only one soph gets any run at Iowa St and everyone else is a Jr or Sr. Alabama had a hammer of a 24-25 class and only 2 get any minutes and their best players are all Jrs and Srs. Duke is the exception and I think will remain a program dependent on NBA high schoolers.

 

[pwong]

I think given how young the team is going to be it will be making the tourney but if Sadiq plays year 2 (which I don’t think will happen) there will be some real expectations to win

Feels like for the past 5 years, we’ve consistently been a year away from being a year away

 

[Bulldog04]

Feels like for the past 5 years, we’ve consistently been a year away from being a year away

Don’t disagree at all

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Considering my info comes from those guys, I don’t think I’ll be asking that question lol

I think you should ask each one, privately, which of the other assistants should be replaced. Could make for some good fun.

 

[Cusefan95]

For me it was Devo's insinuation that if you're bashing Red you have no clue about basketball. You don't have to be a high level athlete or have played DI basketball to understand the game. It's quite obvious there have been errors made by this coaching staff in the offseason and so far this season. We have seemingly no system on offense and our defense is horrendous...both as a team and the majority of individual players. A lot of coaches are getting far more out of less raw talent.

I don't really need to know basketball, and I don't really care if where we're at is mostly not Red's fault to know that BRAND MATTERS. And Red's brand after this year is likely to be "guy who has Syracuse circling the drain". We already see that with things like The Onion joking about Otto self-terminating.

It is really, really, really hard - and sometimes impossible - to repair a brand. Look at Bud Light, regardless of how it got there its now a damaged brand and they've basically accepted it cannot be fully repaired. I think the same thing about Red - I don't really care how we got here, but his brand is severely damaged. He might be able to repair it - but this is one where I think the guys closest to the issue are least able to see how bad the situation actual is. Its going to impact his ability to get people to come to Syracuse, AND to get them to follow him. Since Devo is close to Red personally, he's on that list. Maybe Red can repair the damage this year is doing...but I don't see any evidence folks who think he merits year 3 grasp how big a challenge that will be. Or how incredibly unlikely it is that it will be successful.

 

[DilemaCuse]

I don't really need to know basketball, and I don't really care if where we're at is mostly not Red's fault to know that BRAND MATTERS. And Red's brand after this year is likely to be "guy who has Syracuse circling the drain". We already see that with things like The Onion joking about Otto self-terminating.

It is really, really, really hard - and sometimes impossible - to repair a brand. Look at Bud Light, regardless of how it got there its now a damaged brand and they've basically accepted it cannot be fully repaired. I think the same thing about Red - I don't really care how we got here, but his brand is severely damaged. He might be able to repair it - but this is one where I think the guys closest to the issue are least able to see how bad the situation actual is. Its going to impact his ability to get people to come to Syracuse, AND to get them to follow him. Since Devo is close to Red personally, he's on that list. Maybe Red can repair the damage this year is doing...but I don't see any evidence folks who think he merits year 3 grasp how big a challenge that will be. Or how incredibly unlikely it is that it will be successful.

This is a good post. You cant go backwards like this in Year 2 or else you likely lose momentum. Maybe he gets it back in Year 3 but im not confident until I see something this year.

My bball buddy, who is not an SU fan texts me, "whats up w SU? How are they so bad? Red has to be on the hot seat." Thats how SU is perceived outside of the SU bubble. Do the decision makers on the Hill realize this?

How the remainder of the year plays out and how SU is perceived will be interesting. Red needs to show something down the stretch, make the record respectable, win a game or 2 in ACCT, something to build on or were gonna have to outbid in the portal-which will be challenging, recruiting for 26 recruits will be difficult as we will be easy to recruit against when the HC is on the hot seat in his 3rd year, and media starts asking questions.

What I find comical is talk of a 4 year plan. After Boehiems losing season it was a 2 year plan, that resulted in a nothing burger. Just make the tournament. Arizona and Michigan can turn it around in 1 Year.

 

[kingtidge]

What I find comical is talk of a 4 year plan. After Boehiems losing season it was a 2 year plan, that resulted in a nothing burger. Just make the tournament. Arizona and Michigan can turn it around in 1 Year.

It has to be better.

If we're here a year from now and drawing under 5K for home games still, they'll have no choice.

Red not mincing words here, and does ask for patience:

 

[jdubs30]

I think given how young the team is going to be it will be making the tourney but if Sadiq plays year 2 (which I don’t think will happen) there will be some real expectations to win

He won 20 games in year 1. The year 3 expectation has to be more than just “win”. If we have a young team that’s because he chose to be young ……

 

[Cusefan0307]

He won 20 games in year 1. The year 3 expectation has to be more than just “win”. If we have a young team that’s because he chose to be young ……

Year 3 needs to be 22-25 wins IMO or fans are just going to think it's the continuation of the end of JB’s tenure. We can't be relying on just freshmen and sophomores or we are asking for the same results.

 

[CnyTarheel]

He won 20 games in year 1. The year 3 expectation has to be more than just “win”. If we have a young team that’s because he chose to be young ……

20 wins with mostly JB's players.. this year are his boys