Everybody Settle Down

[HOFCeluck]

we have a solid top 20 team next year.

Yeah I’m sort of done believing this until it happens.

 

[GooseMutt]

Two years in a row we are lured into believing we are entering the season as contenders.

I feel like Charlie Brown as Lucy pulls the football away again and again.

 

[justgold315]

At least there is room for improvement.

Everyone watch out when we can string two halves together.

 

[Janner]

I think its pretty safe to say that, all-in-all, the year has been a bit of a disappointment up to this point. That said, if we can beat Clemson and win an ACC tournament game I think we have a great shot at the 7 seed in the NCAAs this year which is a pretty big difference than being in that 8-9 game.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Top20 was supposed to be this year. What happened?

None of the things that everyone was optimistic about happened. Now, that doesn't mean don't be optimistic, but a healthy dose of skepticism is okay when looking at next year's class. Relying on freshman in the back-half of the top-150 isn't a great strategy.

 

[Chip]

I don't think this will happen, but if we're 19-13 heading into Selection Sunday, bless the hearts of all of you that will sit there confidently awaiting our name and seed.

I'm going to go for a bike ride during the selection show time and hope for the best when I get back.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Did you really think we were going to beat #2 (should be #1) UVA? Vegas had us as only 5.5 point underdogs. 5 and a half points worse, at home, to the best team in the nation. People who follow this stuff closer than we do, and have a lot more money riding on this than we do, think we're 6 points away from the best team in the nation. Think about that.

The 2015-2016 Syracuse basketball team lost to St. John's, UNC twice, Pittsburgh three times. They won @ Duke.

They had a great upper classman combo guard (Gbinije), a guy who could shoot it and spread the scoring (Malachi, sometimes Cooney), role players to rebound and play defense (Roberson), and a streaky, clutch utility guy (Lydon). Sound familiar?

This current team has 2 guys who can light it up (Battle, Hughes), and Battle can get his own shot. We have role players to rebound and play defense (Chukwu, Dolezaj), and a streaky guy who can take over games in Brissett (see last year's NCAAT).

This team has potential. Yes, we can lose to terrible, just awful teams like UConn, GTech, and ODU. But we can play possession for possession with the best teams in the country. See @ Duke, first 35 minutes of UNC, and the first 30 minutes of UVA.

We have players that have won HUGE games before. Less than 12 months ago, this same exact team, in fact a worse version of it, won 3 big games in 5 days. We can do that again. Is anybody really scared of any 6-7-8 seeds in the first round? We'd be looking at a team like Mississippi State, Utah State, Wofford, Kansas State, Maryland, UCF, Baylor, Belmont, etc. in the first round. Then a team like TTech, MSU, Houston, Marquette, in the second round.

If you're legitimitely upset since last night at 8:30, maybe turn off sports for a few months and re-evaluate your life. I have a lot of confidence in this team. Just get in the tournament, and the boys will show up.

No, i won't "settle down." In fact, i insist that you get more upset.
I mean, it's almost as if you don't care.

 

[orangecuse]

I agree. I have only been on this board a short time and the amount of negativity is amazing. You would think we are in UConn's situation based on many of the posts.

Well, in all fairness to them, they got 4 natties whereas we only have one. So, they have much larger expectations than us, can't really blame them for all their apparent negativity.

 

[Ghost]

Eh, we were winning at the end of the first half. I suppose that's a victory of sorts.

I hate that it feels like we all just sit around hoping to justify our faults based upon favorable match-ups in the NCAA tourney - and then maybe a couple upsets if we get some teams that have bad shooting nights. It's a strange transition from being a great team year in and out, to a team that can't have a PG, and just hopes to be plucky and tall enough come March to get a good draw and upset some squads that don't prepare well for the zone.

We used to be the team that would get upset by the plucky underdogs...I prefer that excitement over the excited feeling I get when we draw the worst 2 seed in the second round. Assuming we make the tourney, which some years is questionable.

 

[orangecuse]

Did you really think we were going to beat #2 (should be #1) UVA? Vegas had us as only 5.5 point underdogs. 5 and a half points worse, at home, to the best team in the nation. People who follow this stuff closer than we do, and have a lot more money riding on this than we do, think we're 6 points away from the best team in the nation. Think about that.

The 2015-2016 Syracuse basketball team lost to St. John's, UNC twice, Pittsburgh three times. They won @ Duke.

They had a great upper classman combo guard (Gbinije), a guy who could shoot it and spread the scoring (Malachi, sometimes Cooney), role players to rebound and play defense (Roberson), and a streaky, clutch utility guy (Lydon). Sound familiar?

This current team has 2 guys who can light it up (Battle, Hughes), and Battle can get his own shot. We have role players to rebound and play defense (Chukwu, Dolezaj), and a streaky guy who can take over games in Brissett (see last year's NCAAT).

This team has potential. Yes, we can lose to terrible, just awful teams like UConn, GTech, and ODU. But we can play possession for possession with the best teams in the country. See @ Duke, first 35 minutes of UNC, and the first 30 minutes of UVA.

We have players that have won HUGE games before. Less than 12 months ago, this same exact team, in fact a worse version of it, won 3 big games in 5 days. We can do that again. Is anybody really scared of any 6-7-8 seeds in the first round? We'd be looking at a team like Mississippi State, Utah State, Wofford, Kansas State, Maryland, UCF, Baylor, Belmont, etc. in the first round. Then a team like TTech, MSU, Houston, Marquette, in the second round.

I you're legitimitely upset since last night at 8:30, maybe turn off sports for a few months and re-evaluate your life. I have a lot of confidence in this team. Just get in the tournament, and the boys will show up.

Buzz, is that you? Hey, it has been a while. Thanks for placing things in such perspective on a fan hoops sports forum nonetheless. I would've never guessed to have visited here and obtain such wise advice. Much obliged.

 

[djcon57]

Imagine being happy with an 8-9 seed.

I remember the one year we were 8-9 and lost to OK state first round. The year was looked at as a total bust.

Now we’re thrilled, I guess?

 

[Eric15]

The idea that we can lose to Clemson and on Wednesday in the ACCT and still be a lock (a "lock" means there is literally no circumstance where we wouldn't get in) feels like one of those classic Syracusefan.com groupthink/echo chamber moments.

 

[orangecuse]

Imagine being happy with an 8-9 seed.

I remember the one year we were 8-9 and lost to OK state first round. The year was looked at as a total bust.

Now we’re thrilled, I guess?

Well, once one has ample time to "re-evaluate" their life and place things in proper perspective in the whole realm of things...dang right I'm thrilled!

 

[pearl31]

The idea that we can lose to Clemson and on Wednesday in the ACCT and still be a lock (a "lock" means there is literally no circumstance where we wouldn't get in) feels like one of those classic Syracusefan.com groupthink/echo chamber moments.

Don't get hung up on semantics - i.e. lock.
Just look at (like, seriously look at) all of the teams vying for those last at-large bids.
You'll feel better

 

[djcon57]

Well, once we all have re-evaluated our lives and place things in perspective, dang right I'm thrilled!

I mean I’m happy I’m not dead like Luke Perry when I wake up but i can still be mad at traffic this morning.

Yeah I’m happy Syracuse isnt like UConn but I don’t think being ok with getting smoked at home on a regular basis is good or normal with a high level program

 

[orangecuse]

Don't get hung up on semantics - i.e. lock.
Just look at (like, seriously look at) all of the teams vying for those last at-large bids.
You'll feel better[/QUOTE]

Yes...and no.

 

[Cuse1055]

The idea that we can lose to Clemson and on Wednesday in the ACCT and still be a lock (a "lock" means there is literally no circumstance where we wouldn't get in) feels like one of those classic Syracusefan.com groupthink/echo chamber moments.

Just like the negative program bashing groupthink posts.

 

[HOFCeluck]

I was reading another teams message board and someone said Syracuse was a “bullsht” team that goes on a tournament run every year.

I mean, I guess that’s better than being known as the 3 seed that’s loses in the first weekend every year?

 

[orangecuse]

I mean I’m happy I’m not dead like Luke Perry when I wake up but i can still be mad at traffic this morning.

Yeah I’m happy Syracuse isnt like UConn but I don’t think being ok with getting smoked at home on a regular basis is good or normal with a high level program

Stop with that regular basis garb. We only lost in double digits at home this year to Duke, UVA, FSU, GT and UB. 5 games is hardly a regular basis.

 

[Eric15]

Don't get hung up on semantics - i.e. lock.
Just look at (like, seriously look at) all of the teams vying for those last at-large bids.
You'll feel better

I will feel better if we win one more game and/or I see our name called on Selection Sunday.

I like all you guys a lot, but none of you (nor any of the guys on Bracketmatrix) are on the committee.

 

[djcon57]

Stop with that regular basis garb. We only lost in double digits at home this year to Duke, UVA, FSU, GT and UB. 5 games is hardly a regular basis.

Not sure if serious...compare it to our past seasons

I did the work a couple weeks back. The rate we are getting blown out is alarming.

 

[orangecuse]

Not sure if serious...compare it to our past seasons

I did the work a couple weeks back. The rate we are getting blown out is alarming.

Sarcasm my friend, hence the emoticons.

 

[Cuse1055]

I’ll say this: I feel good about winning at least one more game before I don’t see Clemson beating us literally two games in a row.

 

[Dinkyspond]

Agreed. Obviously nobody expected or wanted to see a wrong sided blowout. I was expecting the first team to 50 to win a 50-49 contest if we played well. Nobody expected UVA to shoot 72% from 3. UVA is one of the absolute worst match ups for SU.

It seems like every team that blows us out is considered a bad matchup. This excuse is old and tired. Seems we run into a bad matchup because the other teams are much better than than us and that includes coaching.

 

[Chip]

I will feel better if we win one more game and/or I see our name called on Selection Sunday.

I like all you guys a lot, but none of you (nor any of the guys on Bracketmatrix) are on the committee.

Yep, just one win and I’d worry a lot less.

Limping into the tourney is never good. And we’d be losing to 2 teams behind us in the ACC standings.