Do you take...

[imdevo]

this year's team or next year's team?

With everything we know this far..

 

[Ptzburghcuse]

This year's team without a doubt - too many unknowns regarding eligibility, attitude issues, and most importantly production IMO

We will feel the loss next year without two 5yr seniors in the game making good decisions.

Not many teams can excel relying on a majority of underclassmen - if you have your pick of recruits a la Kentucky you have a chance but without a steady stream of top 20 (not top 100 - top 20) recruits you are rolling the dice.

 

[Jack Hall]

this year's team or next year's team?

With everything we know this far..

I am a big believer that the more nba players you have , the better chance you have at a national championship. I guess that is a duh type statement but i think if theres any predictor for getting to a FF, thats the best one. Altho far from foolproof as i guess you could say that uk had more nba guys last yr over duk but duk won it all. But still the mere fact both those two made the FF and you get my gist.

So based on that i had assumed next years team would have more nba guys than this years team so i liked next years teams chances more of winning a title, acc or NC. But after battle of atlantis i have no clue. Should be interesting...Go Cuse

 

[Jack Hall]

This year's team without a doubt - too many unknowns regarding eligibility, attitude issues, and most importantly production IMO

We will feel the loss next year without two 5yr seniors in the game making good decisions.

Not many teams can excel relying on a majority of underclassmen - if you have your pick of recruits a la Kentucky you have a chance but without a steady stream of top 20 (not top 100 - top 20) recruits you are rolling the dice.

Agree w you however werent Mal and Lydon BOTH outside consensus top 20 this year BUT how freakin lucky are we to have those 2!? every day i pray both of them come back next year, i think they will but no confidence in that

 

[orangefan13]

At this point this years.

We have 4 shooters.
Who knows Lydon and Malachis status next year let alone cooney and Gbinije. The ncaa could try to screw dajuan and take away the medical redshirt they already gave him.

And our two guards have alot to prove that they will be ready next year.

That being said I am super excited for next year its just on the back burner for now. Battle Chuckwu and Moyer are going to be special.

 

[SC Orange]

This year's team. Let's let this year play out before we start thinking about how great Battle will be. These conversations remind me of the quote from Ferris Bueller's Day off, "Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Enjoy NOW

 

[Jack Hall]

At this point this years.

We have 4 shooters.
Who knows Lydon and Malachis status next year let alone cooney and Gbinije. The ncaa could try to screw dajuan and take away the medical redshirt they already gave him.

And our two guards have alot to prove that they will be ready next year.

That being said I am super excited for next year its just on the back burner for now. Battle Chuckwu and Moyer are going to be special.

Its scary how good Mal, Lydon, Battle, Paschal and TRob could be next year. Yes losing TC and G will hurt bigtime but those 5 could be really scary. I mean look at how good Mal and Lydon are right now, then picture how much better they could be 40-50 games later...

 

[doc05]

Next year's team was always set up to be "the team". But let's enjoy what's happening right now. However, if things go according to plan, next year's team is a legit NC contender.

 

[dasher]

Next year.

 

[orangefan13]

There are players that get the job done and there are players that make the whole team better.

I left off Roberson. Roberson makes the whole team better, as does gbinije, cooney, malachi and Lydon.

Colemans defense was huge against a+m it made a difference and made the whole team better.

This team is different then many of our other teams in that reguard. There is something special brewing and win or lose its going to keep brewing with this particular team.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

I got next.

 

[Dave85]

Its scary how good Mal, Lydon, Battle, Paschal and TRob could be next year. Yes losing TC and G will hurt bigtime but those 5 could be really scary. I mean look at how good Mal and Lydon are right now, then picture how much better they could be 40-50 games later...

Every year the teams are slightly different. I think this year's team with G and TC at the top of the zone will have a better defense than next year. But next year with Paschal, TR, and TL on the back line will be better on back line defense.

It's a good question and great thread topic. However, this year's team has so far exceeded all my expectations its hard not to love this years team! As Jay Bilas said, "This team is fun to watch".

 

[WalkON]

I think we are too concerned about next year's team. For all we know...lydon, malachi, Kaleb and coleman could be gone. Kaleb transferring and coleman playing overseas. We just don't know. I really think we just need to focus on what we have right now. Next year could be very different. We thought cm was a definite to come back after his injury and he didn't. We never thought ennis and grant would declare a few games into that year but they did. You just don't know...some guys declare and just want to get drafted even if they know they could go late second round. Some players like kriss dunn stay so they know they are at their best going into the nba. It all depends on the player. Right now I'm focused on this season.

 

[cusetown1]

When you're a Syracuse fan it's always next year, Ill take this year. So sick of hearing what we can do next year, it gets old.

 

[SkanSU]

2 different teams ... 2 different expectations. This year's team, to be honest, have had few expectations. Next year's team will have too many expectations (if almost everyone stays).
This year's team is fun to watch ... I really enjoy watching them play their hearts out and it won't matter what happens down the line. When they play and I enjoy watching them play they have already exceeded my expectations.

Next year's team? Who knows. Who cares. It is what it is and only time will tell (Wow all those cliches in one sentence!!).

Enjoy what we have this year.

 

[Sgt Cuse]

I like both, this years team and the idea of next years.

This year has brought a change out of JB with the Lydon at 5 experiment. This keeps up and Lydon may be used situationally at the 5 next year, it is just so offensively explosive.

I hope next years change is throwing on a press with a second unit type - KJ2 at point and 7'2" at the back end (because the usual foul concerns at center may be non-existant if we have also have DC2 and TL). Would love to see that.

 

[FrancoPizza]

this year's team or next year's team?

With everything we know this far..

Next year's defense will be improved but we won't have a 4 shooter lineup like this year. If either Lydon or mal go pro then there will be some gaping holes next year... just at different positions.

It gets friggin tiresome that the second one of our players show flashes they most likely won't be around for the next season. JB and co need to start recruiting with the assumption that there will always be 1 or 2 unplsnned departures.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

The question in the OP includes: "with everything we KNOW so far"

It's obviously just a hypothetical game, so why is everyone trying to 'outsmart' the game by projecting 90% of the team declaring for the draft? And it's almost like you're gonna hurt this team's feelings if you don't pick it... The heck? Isn't t simpler than that? You've seen what this team is capable of. On paper, next year's team is more balanced, with the expectation of better D. Which has better chances?

Here's a supplemental. Head to head, video game-style. Which wins?