Go on record; are we back?

[Surfan06001]

Let’s hear it

 

[orangefog]

For me, the jury is still out. But, I'm more optimistic after game one than I have been since Red took over.

 

[tee1222]

Is that second option more of a yes than the first one? Asking for old people.

 

[OrangeinBoston]

Absolutely.

 

[Eric15]

Absolutely impossible to know after one game against Binghamton. But it does seem like it's trending that way.

 

[CardiacCuse]

i think this team should not be blown out by anyone this year...they should have a chance to win vs anyone they play.

but will they actually be a top team? jury is still out

love how they played vs bingo but they are still a pretty poor team

at the very least this squad should be fun to watch

 

[Starman]

Are we back to being a top 10 program? No. Are we back to being nationally relevant? I think/hope so!

 

[Ottoman]

Not yet. We are going to have to do more than dunk to beat top teams (the dunks are fun, though). Last night was a good start.

 

[cusefan88]

Let's check back after the Vegas games.

 

[Surfan06001]

Let's check back after the Vegas games.

No fence sitting! Take a stand!

 

[pearl31]

I WILL NOT BE PROVOKED

 

[RF2044]

Let's check back after the Vegas games.

Agreed.

Last night was encouraging, after both exhibition games were DIScouraging.

Our measuring stick won't be these creampuffs we play early, none of which are projected to finish atop their conferences -- it will be when we play some peer programs. After last night, I'm more hopeful than I was before that we might [emphasis on "might"] be able to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Houston and Kansas, and Tennessee in the ACC/SEC tournament, than I was heading into last night's game.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Show me something in Vegas.

 

[dwilmont44]

I would say we're at least closer to the bubble than previous years

 

[OCESIP]

Until yesterday, we have never been a "harassing" defense either under JB or Red. I'm impressed with the sustained effort to pull that off, but as everyone has said, it was Binghamton. Creating pressure defensively might not always work against more mature and poised
teams. The athleticism is there to make it work, and it certainly is a lot more entertaining. If the players believe in it and make it a priority, it could be an interesting season.

 

[orangefog]

Until yesterday, we have never been a "harassing" defense either under JB or Red. I'm impressed with the sustained effort to pull that off, but as everyone has said, it was Binghamton. Creating pressure defensively might not always work against more mature and poised
teams. The athleticism is there to make it work, and it certainly is a lot more entertaining. If the players believe in it and make it a priority, it could be an interesting season.

I have to disagree. Some of our zone teams were menacing. If a ball went to the sideline and even better the corner, players were absolutely swallowed up. And, the other players knew how to rotate and get steals off of that.

 

[Nicknack]

Well, what exactly does "back" mean? If that means the floor is getting into the ncaa tournament, I'd say yes if I had to take a stand today. We certainly have the talent. If it doesn't pan out, at least we look more like syracuse basketball from the past.

 

[CuseMan4]

We will know ALOT more after Vegas. If we can win one or two at Vegas. I would say yes. With the schedule before Vegas, we should be 4-0. We SHOULD win the next 5 games after Vegas pretty easily. Heading into conference play. If we win 1 or 2 out of the 3 in Vegas and head into conference play at 10-2 or 11-1. Then yes I say we are back. I think the conference schedule is REALLY good for us too. I don’t see any GLARING games the first 8-9 games of the conference where I feel it is a shoe in loss. So the schedule is honestly there for us to get off to a really damn good start. Like there’s a legit chance we could be 17-4, 16-5 or something like that after 9 games of conference play. Could be ever better than that depending on how we do in Vegas. My point is, the schedule is REALLLLLY in our favor the first 21 games of the season

 

[CusefanATL]

we have a really tough schedule - but i like this team a lot. hopefully the 3's start dropping and i think we pretty darn good.

and the athleticism is the best i have ever seen in my 40 years on this planet wearing orange.

 

[CusefanATL]

did anyone count the dunks? had to be 15 right?

annnnndd we win 87-47 if betsey doesnt have an anxiety attack at the end of the half on this easiest 2 points of his entire life.

 

[cusefan88]

My only prediction is the third Vegas game will be Maryland or Rutgers.

 

[sufandu]

No, we're not back. Let's hang out in the top 25 for a few weeks before we even suggest that. We have tests/opportunities ahead. Those will give us an idea of where we are.

 

[23Zone]

Not after throttling Binghamton.

But optimism running feverishly high

 

[M2MPrinciples]

I won’t begrudge anyone for getting excited but let’s see them be within a point or 2 of the 3 Vegas plus Tennessee spreads and evaluate then.

Does seem like the team’s on-court chemistry and body language was better than at any point in the Autry era, and maybe even a couple years before when it was the Joe-Judah-Jesse show.

 

[Eric15]

we have a really tough schedule - but i like this team a lot. hopefully the 3's start dropping and i think we pretty darn good.

and the athleticism is the best i have ever seen in my 40 years on this planet wearing orange.

That stretch between Vegas and the Tennessee game is obviously brutal. But from December 2nd until February 2nd, we don't play a single currently ranked team. December and January is just kind of a hodge-podge of mediocre opponents.