Devo is still awesome...

[44cuse]

...in all the ways he was awesome when he was here:

“I just love to play,” he said. “I love to play. I love the competition. I love being together with these guys. I love the Syracuse community, how they come and support. And I feed off that energy in the game. But I just love to play, man. I love to compete.”

Underrated as an SU All Time player and one of the best competitors we have ever had. Absolutely love this guy. And the fact that he’s polarizing for our fan base just adds to it.

He’s tough as nails.

44cuse

 

[Townie72]

...in all the ways he was awesome when he was here:

“I just love to play,” he said. “I love to play. I love the competition. I love being together with these guys. I love the Syracuse community, how they come and support. And I feed off that energy in the game. But I just love to play, man. I love to compete.”

Underrated as an SU All Time player and one of the best competitors we have ever had. Absolutely love this guy. And the fact that he’s polarizing for our fan base just adds to it.

He’s tough as nails.

44cuse

All of that true, of course.

Especially the added benefit of driving the opponent fan base a little crazy with his persona and his antics.

The nickname "8 Mile" was the funniest thing I ever read on this forum.

 

[realorange]

Devo could be the captain of the Syracuse All Time "never quit" team. His will and determination to succeed are just over the top.

 

[AZOrange]

...in all the ways he was awesome when he was here:

“I just love to play,” he said. “I love to play. I love the competition. I love being together with these guys. I love the Syracuse community, how they come and support. And I feed off that energy in the game. But I just love to play, man. I love to compete.”

Underrated as an SU All Time player and one of the best competitors we have ever had. Absolutely love this guy. And the fact that he’s polarizing for our fan base just adds to it.

He’s tough as nails.

44cuse

I agree although the rubbing the fans the wrong way thing has subsided as he’s grown as a coach. Watch his reaction yesterday vs earlier in his career.

 

[Townie72]

What always separated Devo out from a lot of good SU basketball players has been his basketball IQ. In crunch time, he always seems to have a plan and the innate aggressiveness to implement that plan.

He knows what to do. Yesterday was as close to "taking over a game" as you will see.

One announcer yesterday said he was like having a "coach on the floor". Several times I saw him talking to other SU players out there seemingly giving them instructions.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Reminds me of a guy I played pickup with in my teens and twenties who was about 50 that found ways to score with below zero athleticism. Classic old man game.

 

[dasher]

...in all the ways he was awesome when he was here:

“I just love to play,” he said. “I love to play. I love the competition. I love being together with these guys. I love the Syracuse community, how they come and support. And I feed off that energy in the game. But I just love to play, man. I love to compete.”

Underrated as an SU All Time player and one of the best competitors we have ever had. Absolutely love this guy. And the fact that he’s polarizing for our fan base just adds to it.

He’s tough as nails.

44cuse

He played and plays now, no defense. It wasn't a coincidence that we went down and beat Memphis without him his jr year and had a fantastic team the next year when he "left" early. Love his offense. But there are two sides to the game.

 

[HOFCeluck]

“Coach on the floor.”

Classic.

 

[Ryand877]

He also was on the floor with like 25 minutes before the game taking pictures with fans and giving autographs to kids. Pretty cool. My son and I got a pic with him.

 

[721Comstock]

Devo is an absolute magician at finishing at the rim, with either hand.

For a righty, his left is amazing, he makes some really tough shots look easy.

I agree that his defense is, uh, lacking.
It's not even like he doesn't try (o hai Donte!), he's just not good at it.
Seems to put forth a reasonable effort.

He did have a nice block today, but of course the other team got the ball and scored anyway.

 

[hoopsupstate]

He played and plays now, no defense. It wasn't a coincidence that we went down and beat Memphis without him his jr year and had a fantastic team the next year when he "left" early. Love his offense. But there are two sides to the game.

I love Devo, but not for his defense. He’s a great reason why JB played zone.

 

[tbonezone]

i've spoken to quite a few teachers who hated the dude. but i will say he seems to have matured and mellowed. seems like a productive member of society who's interested in helping others now. age will do that. go devo.

 

[44cuse]

He played and plays now, no defense. It wasn't a coincidence that we went down and beat Memphis without him his jr year and had a fantastic team the next year when he "left" early. Love his offense. But there are two sides to the game.

I'll have to go back and watch that game again sometime to really be able to comment on what you are talking about. I don't remember it right off the top of the my head (of course I remember the game, but how/why we won I couldn't tell you the specifics).

IMO, there are three sides to the game. The intangibles he brought around passion and energy and fight had a lot of value. I'm talking about his attitude more than his defense or lack of defense. He was tough in a way that isn't common in a lot of players (SU or non-SU). He brought heart and fire and, IMO, that matters.

I don't disagree that he wasn't a great defender.

44cuse

 

[dasher]

I'll have to go back and watch that game again sometime to really be able to comment on what you are talking about. I don't remember it right off the top of the my head (of course I remember the game, but how/why we won I couldn't tell you the specifics).

IMO, there are three sides to the game. The intangibles he brought around passion and energy and fight had a lot of value. I'm talking about his attitude more than his defense or lack of defense. He was tough in a way that isn't common in a lot of players (SU or non-SU). He brought heart and fire and, IMO, that matters.

I don't disagree that he wasn't a great defender.

44cuse

Andy brought energy and passion. He also played defense. Once again, there is a reason we took off in 2010
And I loved devo's offense.

 

[FrancoPizza]

I don't disagree that he wasn't a great defender.

Not often I get to read a triple negative.

 

[Shark58]

he chatted with me and the kid for a while after the TBT game on sat, hurt eye and all

good dude

 

[OttoMets]

Devo could be the captain of the Syracuse All Time "never quit" team. ...

*Except if the opponent rotated the ball to his side of the zone, or if the man in his area dropped down to the high post.


Seriously, he's by all accounts a very nice guy, I respect how smooth an offensive talent he was, and his enthusiasm is awesome. "No quit" isn't a phrase I ever associated with his game, though.

 

[Cusefan0307]

That 2008-09 Syracuse team with he, Flynn, Harris, Rautins, and Onuaku/Jackson was one of the most aesthetically pleasing teams we have had the past 15 years, but they could not stop anyone. Flynn/Devo may be our worst top of the zone duo ever and Rautins ended up playing a lot on the back line that year. The team averaged 80 ppg, but they gave up 102 at Nova, 100 at Providence, and 88 at Georgetown. We lost all 3 of those games.

 

[44cuse]

Andy brought energy and passion. He also played defense. Once again, there is a reason we took off in 2010
And I loved devo's offense.

Agreed, and he is one of the other guys I would point to in that category (along with Dion) but it's not on the same level. Sorry, I just don't agree that Devo's lack of defense is why we took off in 2010. We were a better team defensively, but that's not the sole reason.

Like I said: polarizing (for lot's of different reasons).

44cuse

 

[OrangeDW]

That 2008-09 Syracuse team with he, Flynn, Harris, Rautins, and Onuaku/Jackson was one of the most aesthetically pleasing teams we have had the past 15 years, but they could not stop anyone. Flynn/Devo may be our worst top of the zone duo ever and Rautins ended up playing a lot on the back line that year. The team averaged 80 ppg, but they gave up 102 at Nova, 100 at Providence, and 88 at Georgetown. We lost all 3 of those games.

Agreed. Even in the home GTown win, we almost blew it because GTown scored basically every time down the court for the last 7-8 minutes or whatever. It was like we just refused to get a stop no matter what.

That might’ve been the toughest the Big East ever was though. Just a loaded conference that year.

I do miss having 5 guys that could score on the court. Seems like it’s been a long time since we had that.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Agreed. Even in the home GTown win, we almost blew it because GTown scored basically every time down the court for the last 7-8 minutes or whatever. It was like we just refused to get a stop no matter what.

That might’ve been the toughest the Big East ever was though. Just a loaded conference that year.

I do miss having 5 guys that could score on the court. Seems like it’s been a long time since we had that.

Game went to OT and Devo hit some big shots to put us ahead for good. Kristof got ejected for elbowing I believe Dajuan Summers that game. My friend and I saw him after the game at Otro Cinco on Westcott and gave him a high 5.

 

[OrangeDW]

Game went to OT and Devo hit some big shots to put us ahead for good. Kristof got ejected for elbowing I believe Dajuan Summers that game. My friend and I saw him after the game at Otro Cinco on Westcott and gave him a high 5.

I remember the patented inbounds play where we go long to a wide open player(Devo in that case) for a layup in OT too.

GTown students were in the seats right next to the SU students in the upper deck. Predictably, that didn’t work out well. The water bottles (among other things, I’m sure) were flying as the game ended.

 

[dasher]

Agreed, and he is one of the other guys I would point to in that category (along with Dion) but it's not on the same level. Sorry, I just don't agree that Devo's lack of defense is why we took off in 2010. We were a better team defensively, but that's not the sole reason.

Like I said: polarizing (for lot's of different reasons).

44cuse

I never said he was the only reason. Or even the biggest reason. But we were a better team without him.

 

[44cuse]

I never said he was the only reason. Or even the biggest reason. But we were a better team without him.

"Once again, there is a reason we took off in 2010"

Sorry, the "a reason" part led me to believe you were saying that was the reason we took off.

The point of my post was about being a competitor.

44cuse

 

[OrangeXtreme]