Fab and Dion...

[AZOrange]

I love the fact that both players had to swallow pride and become better players. I dont think (like someone on here mentioned) that the conditioning aspect can be understated. The thing that strikes me most about Melo (even more than Dion) is how intuitive he is for a guy that has played so little. His hands are great, he doesnt rush, he rarely gets stripped, he passes great.

 

[Shenexon]

I don't think it will be gone.

Guards - Triche, MCW, Cooney
Forwards - Fair, Southerland, Christmas, Grant
Centers - Coleman, Keita

That may very well be a Top 10 team.

We're going to miss KJ, Scoop, Fab, & Dion, if they all leave. We may be top 10 without them, but not as strong as we'd be WITH them. Coleman needs to get in much better condition, we'll have 3 freshmen including Cooney & Grant, and in general next year would look to me like a transitional year. We probably wouldn't have enough playing time for all of them if Melo & Dion stay, but that would be a nice problem to have.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

I love the fact that both players had to swallow pride and become better players. I dont think (like someone on here mentioned) that the conditioning aspect can be understated. The thing that strikes me most about Melo (even more than Dion) is how intuitive he is for a guy that has played so little. His hands are great, he doesnt rush, he rarely gets stripped, he passes great.

I may be off on this a bit, but I think Melo was a Goalie when he played soccer in Brazil. He's taken that goalie mentality developed on the soccer field and applied it to defending the hoop. He's got quick reflexes and can adjust to someone driving on him to block/adjust their shot. Melo's youth playing soccer definitely helped him develop into a dominant defensive force.

 

[Shenexon]

I may be off on this a bit, but I think Melo was a Goalie when he played soccer in Brazil. He's taken that goalie mentality developed on the soccer field and applied it to defending the hoop. He's got quick reflexes and can adjust to someone driving on him to block/adjust their shot. Melo's youth playing soccer definitely helped him develop into a dominant defensive force.

Nice point. I hadn't thought about it that way...

 

[OttoinGrotto]

We're going to miss KJ, Scoop, Fab, & Dion, if they all leave. We may be top 10 without them, but not as strong as we'd be WITH them.

Nobody will argue that with you. I'm hoping they stay, I'm just feeling fairly certain they will be on to bigger and better (re: $$$) things next season.

 

[Knicks411]

If both guys go, I think top 10 might be tough. Not impossible though.

I said this before, but you're basically looking at Rak and MCW to be the Fab and Dion of this year. Probably not to the same degree, but general idea. You never know what you are getting from freshmen. But you'll have Brandon, CJ, Keita, MCW, Rak, and James all coming back. Plus Cooney as a RS frosh won't be a typical frosh.

Yeah, the more I think about it, top 10 is doable.

 

[Shenexon]

Nobody will argue that with you. I'm hoping they stay, I'm just feeling fairly certain they will be on to bigger and better (re: $$$) things next season.

If they do well enough that they'd go high enough in the draft to make it reasonable to leave, then that probably means we will go far in the NCAA's, perhaps even winning the NC. If we win, I guess I'd forgive them for leaving. Sometime in my lifetime I'd just like for SU to be in a position to play for a back-to-back championship. Now THAT would be the way for Boeheim to finish out his career.

 

[longislandcuse]

If both guys go, I think top 10 might be tough. Not impossible though.

I said this before, but you're basically looking at Rak and MCW to be the Fab and Dion of this year. Probably not to the same degree, but general idea. You never know what you are getting from freshmen. But you'll have Brandon, CJ, Keita, MCW, Rak, and James all coming back. Plus Cooney as a RS frosh won't be a typical frosh.

Yeah, the more I think about it, top 10 is doable.

Absolutely a Nat'l Title contender even if we lose Scoop/KJo obviously plus Melo/Waiters. I think Rak could make a monster jump next year, dude has talent.

Fab is replaced by Dajuan Coleman who looks to be just as physically imposing with Keita backing up.
Rak/CJ/South is still in place with both guys being a year more experienced.
KJo is replaced by CJ/Southerland/Grant.
Triche stays at the two as a senior and is backed up by possibly the best shooter since Andy in TC.
MCW, who could be nasty runs the pg backed up by Triche, which slides TC/Mookie to sg.

MCW/Triche/Fair or South/Rak/DC ---TC/South or CJ/Keita/Grant/Mookie. Could be one of our best shooting teams ever, with a true point guard and dominating bigs....could be.

 

[Knicks411]

I'm just a little iffy on the freshmen; you never know what you're going to get with them. Is Coleman supposed to be as imposing as Fab? He's closer to 6-9 from what I have read, I'm not sure he'll be able to contribute like Fab has this year.

But I do expect much bigger things from Rak and MCW.

 

[OttoMets]

I'm just a little iffy on the freshmen; you never know what you're going to get with them. Is Coleman supposed to be as imposing as Fab? He's closer to 6-9 from what I have read, I'm not sure he'll be able to contribute like Fab has this year.

I'm not sure he'll be able to contribute like Fab did last year.

It's strange that people go crazy for these young bigs. We've seen enough to know that it's unlikely that a freshman center - especially an undersized (height-wise) and oversized (girth-wise) one - is going to come in and be an asset to a college team right away.

It's only January and we're setting ourselves up for disappointment next fall. Let's enjoy this season; we might not see one like it for a long time.

 

[Knicks411]

I've never seen the kid play; based on reports I'm at least hoping he can contribute some scoring.