Elijah Hughes

[jordoo]

I don't think it's homerism to be optimistic, anymore than I think it's negative to point out that this class is not as strong as what we usually land, and that there have been blunders made.



Why oh why is that such a hard concept to understand? We are fans of the same team and we treat each other like crap. It's sad really.

The class isn't finished but we have missed on a lot of big fish. Thing is backend as in year 2,3,4 people will realize how much good COLLEGE talent this class encompassed. We will add a guard and a forward to make an impact this season. We will be left with the framework of a very good team for 18 and beyond.

 

[cusetown1]

I agree with the the gamble idea. If we had full scholarships available and were looking to fill our final spot with someone we think might make a big jump this wouldn't be really be much news. But we keep missing out on our main targets.

This is a very talented player. Somebody that is willing to come in and work hard for a year with absolutely 0 chance at playing time . Hughes will be very good for us when he finally gets to play . This isn't some roster filler frosh who will transfer out the following year. This was a calculated decision by him and I feel a brilliant move . 6'6" guards don't come around that often .

 

[JazzNC]

The class isn't finished but we have missed on a lot of big fish. Thing is backend as in year 2,3,4 people will realize how much good COLLEGE talent this class encompassed. We will add a guard and a forward to make an impact this season. We will be left with the framework of a very good team for 18 and beyond.

I certainly hope you are right. That would make me happy. I just hate seeing people called out for voicing opinion. I understand that overly negative views are draining. I myself get equally drained and frustrated by views that I think paint an overly favorable or unrealistic picture.

But at the end of the night we're all just 'Cuse fans......

 

[cuseinseattle]

I'm willing to trust the staffs opinion of him, and assume he will be a help down the road.

The reason I don't like the signing is I feel like we still need big help next season and offering a ship to Hughes means we're down to a max of two more guys that can come in and be a help next year.

I'm less concerned about that. If we get Thorpe we should be ok. We would have Thorpe with Battle and FH and Washington as the 4th. That is an upgrade over this year guard wise.

 

[Cuse9292]

Also one thing to consider, is it even known that he didn't have other interest from teams all over the country and immediately told them no because he seems to be quite sure he wanted to be closer to home? Nobody should be questioning dasher and his sources, if he says he's heard from sources that he's a great shooter then that's what I will believe, he was obviously disgruntled at ECU and for a freshman that mental toll is tough so until I see it with my own eyes he's going to shoot like AW3 in my mind.

 

[jordoo]

I certainly hope you are right. That would make me happy. I just hate seeing people called out for voicing opinion. I understand that overly negative views are draining. I myself get equally drained and frustrated by views that I think paint an overly favorable or unrealistic picture.

But at the end of the night we're all just 'Cuse fans...

We all have our opinions and point of view. Nothing wrong with that. I hope I'm right too

 

[Digger]

FWIW, one random ECU fan's hottake on Hughes :noidea:

...

This just proves you cant see talent when it stares you in the face.

I proclaimed Hughes to be a great talent after his first game here.

Hughes a spot up shooter, huh, man you don't notice anything during a game, do you? Hughes was our best driver, no one could stop him from driving. Plus, he does have a nice outside shot.

I have said it many, many times. Hughes' percentage were a victim to him having to heave a last second shot attempt because our senior wouldn't take an open look or some of the others. A rushed shot is just that, a rushed shot that normally is a bad shot. So, that doesn't fall on his shoulders, it falls on Caleb not taking an open shot with adequate time left on shot clock. Hughes also was a victim to charges that were called blocking on defense, Hughes had to lead the team in drawn charges and many were called blocking, so he got into foul trouble many of the games early and had to ride the pine. It is obvious many on here didn't attend the games so they really have no clue what type of player Hughes could be here.

Hughes should have been more of a focal point and CW should have played much less. Our coaching staff dropped the ball with him and playing time, he did hit a slump but he bounced back.

I wish him the best, I think he could have become the best ever at ECU, had he stayed. I even stated that after the first game or two. Hughes is not a hotdog and will fit in any role that Syracuse wants him to play. I think the kid was homesick and had rather play in front of true fans that support the team. Something, we lack on this board.




And to be fair, here is the rebuttal from poster "cant see talent when it stares him in the face"

...

Dude you are the most clueless joke on this board. Most of what you say blows up in your face

 

[Jeremy L.]

He said he wanted to move closer to home. That's why he was looking at SU, Iona, and SH.

Definitely makes sense now.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I'm less concerned about that. If we get Thorpe we should be ok. We would have Thorpe with Battle and FH and Washington as the 4th. That is an upgrade over this year guard wise.

If FH plays more, it's an automatic down grade.

 

[RF2044]

I'm less concerned about that. If we get Thorpe we should be ok. We would have Thorpe with Battle and FH and Washington as the 4th. That is an upgrade over this year guard wise.

PLUS, Thorpe would come off the books and free up another scholarship for the class of 2018. There is no downside to bringing him in whatsoever.

 

[Funk Doc]

For any of the posters claiming this was a bad move. If you are worried about using up a scholly this year with a guy that can't help us right away, I get it. But if you are saying it's not worth the gamble because he's not good enough, that is just crazy to think. This kid, has an entire year to work on his game, in what sounds like, a much better place for him. That is only going to help him get better. It is so hard to judge future potential, but I would say JB has done a pretty good job at finding some undervalued players and making them better(yes there are some duds in there too, I know, so don't reply back with the Kalebs, and Bus's please).

Let's say for example that Myles Turner was transferring from Texas instead of going to the draft. His numbers and playing time there were pitiful. Do you not take a flyer on him if you think he has potential? I think he did alright as a rookie in the NBA. Now I'm not saying Hughes is going to turn out like Turner(especially since he was a highly rated recruit coming into Texas), but if the coaches see something, let's give it a shot before we say it's a bad move.

 

[MSOrange]

Why Syracuse is using a scholarship to get a freshman transfer from East Carolina

 

[Fly Rodder]

Why Syracuse is using a scholarship to get a freshman transfer from East Carolina

That headline should be "Why is Syracuse ..." instead of "Why Syracuse is..." because the article doesn't answer the question.

 

[jordoo]

That headline should be "Why is Syracuse ..." instead of "Why Syracuse is..." because the article doesn't answer the question.

So true but that is what you get these days.

 

[RF2044]

The class isn't finished but we have missed on a lot of big fish. Thing is backend as in year 2,3,4 people will realize how much good COLLEGE talent this class encompassed. We will add a guard and a forward to make an impact this season. We will be left with the framework of a very good team for 18 and beyond.

That might prove to be true. Tucker -- while it seems like a lost cause -- is still in play. Perhaps a guy like Dolezaj ends up here instead, and ends up being an incredibly solid, multi-talented forward in our system over the course of his four year career. Maybe a guy like Thorpe puts us over the top NEXT year and helps improve the team. Maybe a guy like Hughes ends up being a stud, or maybe even a nifty role player in the mold of a Kueth Duany.

This team DEFINITELY needed an infusion of talent on the program guy side. I think this class accomplishes that, with Sidibe, Moyer, Washington, and whoever else might be coming next.

And guys like Brissett might be a difference making NBA prospect. Maybe Tucker [and possibly Sidibe / Dolezaj] end up being NBA prospects as well.

Class might not be spectacular, but it could frame up as being more than solid. MUCH more than solid.

 

[kcsu]

Here are some points to consider.
* Cuse is not giving up a scholarship for 18. It is awarding one
*JB and the staff Love this kid.
*He is a natural replacement for Battle.
*He will have a full year in the system and be game ready
*Natural friendship and Chemistry with Moyer.

I could go on but how anyone can question signing this kid is beyond me.

 

[RF2044]

Here are some points to consider.
* Cuse is not giving up a scholarship for 18. It is awarding one
*JB and the staff Love this kid.
*He is a natural replacement for Battle.
*He will have a full year in the system and be game ready
*Natural friendship and Chemistry with Moyer.

I could go on but how anyone can question signing this kid is beyond me.

I don't have a problem with anyone questioning it, but some of the "analysis" seems to be based heavily on his shooting percentages from freshman year. I think back to Kris Joseph, and how poorly he shot freshman / sophomore year. After his freshman year, where he barely played, we had a prominent poster that I respect a lot question whether he had the athleticism to compete at our level [which seems ridiculous in retrospect]. He then went on to have a terrific sophomore season, and was named 6th man of the year by one publication. Even so, he shot poorly from deep, prompting many posters to assert that he was a transition guy who would never provide a consistent shooting threat. Boom -- comes back junior year and he's a pretty good shooter.

The narrative surrounding CJ Fair early in his career was that he "couldn't score outside of 10 feet." Fair shot 49% from three point range as a junior.

Point being: don't get too hung up on the freshman stats. Freshmen tend not to shoot the ball well. Some do, acknowledged, but many do not as they adjust to the college game. I wouldn't put too much stock in stats from freshman year alone.

The physique on this kid suggests that he has the tools to play at this level. I could see him at minimum providing quality depth at BOTH the 2 / 3, even if he doesn't emerge as a starter. I also like that unlike White / Gillon, he'd have a full year to be immersed in our system, and would hit the ground running understanding his defensive assignments in 2018 instead of having to adjust and learn them on the fly.

Here's another thing to consider, for those who are driven only by stats in a vacuum: 24 - 4.

That's what happened when Hughes went head to head with blue chip prospect Hamidou Diallo, who as we all know ended up at UK. I think that this board would have been overjoyed if we'd landed Diallo. If this kid destroyed him, then he's probably a prospect that we shouldn't be disappointed about.

 

[phil77]

That's what happened when Hughes went head to head with blue chip prospect Hamidou Diallo, who as we all know ended up at UK. I think that this board would have been overjoyed if we'd landed Diallo. If this kid destroyed him, then he's probably a prospect that we shouldn't be disappointed about.

Yet the kid had no P5 offers out of high school and he had no P5 offers when he said he was going to transfer. So that sort of screams red flag to me. He was seen a ton by scouts and nobody offered? Not even low level P5 schools? Seems strange. You are highlighting one game versus Diallo and everyone else is doing the same. Well I can assure you there were at least a dozen scouts at that game and nobody came away impressed enough to offer him? He played with Moyer who had offers from everyone. So this isn't some kid who was under the recruiting radar. He has been seen by a ton of P5 coaches and nobody gave an offer.

Will he pan out? I am a Cuse fan so I hope so. But to say this is a slam dunk no brainer great get is a little extreme the other way.

 

[doc05]

I've stayed off the recruiting boards for the most part recently since a lot of these posts have just been frantic. Obviously there are question marks here and we hope he turns out to be a solid player for us down the road. I know you can't evaluate players just based on star ratings and what's on paper. But this most recent recruiting cycle and this signing in particular raises eyebrows. People can spin all this whatever which way they want. The fact that we were competing with Seton Hall and Iona for his services gives me some pause; after all this is Syracuse -- we are going up against ACC, top 100 level talent almost every game. He was not even ranked top 200 in his class.

 

[Jasoncuse]

Also one thing to consider, is it even known that he didn't have other interest from teams all over the country and immediately told them no because he seems to be quite sure he wanted to be closer to home? Nobody should be questioning dasher and his sources, if he says he's heard from sources that he's a great shooter then that's what I will believe, he was obviously disgruntled at ECU and for a freshman that mental toll is tough so until I see it with my own eyes he's going to shoot like AW3 in my mind.

He also made it known he was going to transfer only about 2 weeks ago, so he probably also targeted a few schools near home that he wanted to check out and see if the interest was reciprocated. It quickly took shape from there. I'm guessing there would've been other programs interested, but if he made it known he wanted a NY area school, then why would anyone pursue him further?

 

[CraigForth]

He also made it known he was going to transfer only about 2 weeks ago, so he probably also targeted a few schools near home that he wanted to check out and see if the interest was reciprocated. It quickly took shape from there. I'm guessing there would've been other programs interested, but if he made it known he wanted a NY area school, then why would anyone pursue him further?

...he said, hoping for it to be true

 

[reedny]

That might prove to be true. Tucker -- while it seems like a lost cause -- is still in play. Perhaps a guy like Dolezaj ends up here instead, and ends up being an incredibly solid, multi-talented forward in our system over the course of his four year career. Maybe a guy like Thorpe puts us over the top NEXT year and helps improve the team. Maybe a guy like Hughes ends up being a stud, or maybe even a nifty role player in the mold of a Kueth Duany.

This team DEFINITELY needed an infusion of talent on the program guy side. I think this class accomplishes that, with Sidibe, Moyer, Washington, and whoever else might be coming next.

And guys like Brissett might be a difference making NBA prospect. Maybe Tucker [and possibly Sidibe / Dolezaj] end up being NBA prospects as well.

Class might not be spectacular, but it could frame up as being more than solid. MUCH more than solid.

Many good points in this post. Our bench has been non-existent, and Hughes is exactly the kind of player that could help -- although not soon enough. On the downside, his shooting wasn't impressive at ECU and he'll be facing even more capable defenders in the ACC. On the positive side, those were freshmen numbers (as you point out below). The staff will work with him on form and they obviously think he's got potential or they wouldn't (per Dasher) be so high on him. Even if his shooting doesn't improve, he still has size and athleticism to defend at the top of the zone. He can drive on offense and he's versatile enough to play SF in a small-ball lineup.

I've been out of it the last couple months (knee surgery, son had T/A's out, etc, etc.) and am playing catch-up on recruiting. But Brissett was named all-canada, and I think last year's winner was Thon Maker. So this is a kid that could be a stud for us. Sidibe will add depth and size to the front line but I'm still wondering where the "beef" is. Chukwu's coming off injury and hasn't been the dominant shot-blocker I expected.I know you like Moyer as a 4 ... but this is his first year playing. TT's pretty thin. So I'm worried about going -15 to -20 on the glass again this year against upper-level ACC teams.

 

[Jasoncuse]

...he said, hoping for it to be true

Well, it is true that he wanted to play close to home. If other schools called and he said he wanted a NY area school, what are they going to do? You don't know any more than we do, but we know he wanted to be close to home.

 

[CraigForth]

Well, it is true that he wanted to play close to home. If other schools called and he said he wanted a NY area school, what are they going to do? You don't know any more than we do, but we know he wanted to be close to home.

Correct, I do not know more than you or anyone else. I have a feeling if Michigan and Indiana or Arizona came calling, he would have listened rather than say thanks but I've cut my list to Iona, St Bonaventure, Canisius and Syracuse

 

[RF2044]

Yet the kid had no P5 offers out of high school and he had no P5 offers when he said he was going to transfer. So that sort of screams red flag to me. He was seen a ton by scouts and nobody offered? Not even low level P5 schools? Seems strange. You are highlighting one game versus Diallo and everyone else is doing the same. Well I can assure you there were at least a dozen scouts at that game and nobody came away impressed enough to offer him? He played with Moyer who had offers from everyone. So this isn't some kid who was under the recruiting radar. He has been seen by a ton of P5 coaches and nobody gave an offer.

Will he pan out? I am a Cuse fan so I hope so. But to say this is a slam dunk no brainer great get is a little extreme the other way.

And where did I say anything even close to that straw man conclusion?

What I said was that a lot of the negative sentiment seems to be stemming from an assessment of stats alone.