Goodbye Benny?

[Newhouser]

It would have been interesting last year if Benny lived up to the hype and was truly good on the court. How many minutes would he have played and over who? As for this year - I am not a JB fan but I think he gave Benny plenty of rope to earn his PT. Personally I think he has always been overrated on the board for his athletic ability and clearly his game. Maliq is a better basketball player.

 

[two3zone]

He has very funky form on his shot, hence his shooting is inconsistent.

His athleticism is off the charts.

The real issue is that he doesnt have a feel for the game and he doesnt know how to consistently use his athleticism to make plays. His handle is so-so. He cant dribble thru traffic, but he does fine if he has an open lane. Feel for the game can improve over time. The really good players have certain instincts that Benny lacks and IMHO will never develop, but he can certainly develop to a serviceable level.

I do not see him as a hopeless project, but clearly he has to improve a lot of he wants to be a D1 caliber starter. Maybe he could get to that point as a senior if he sticks it out and works hard.

I don’t see the off the charts athleticism, maybe average athleticism.

 

[two3zone]

I think he needs to hang out with Dion Waiters for a week.

Dion was talented though.

 

[Willy75]

Ok boo

Sometimes. Maybe most of the time. And maybe it is also attributable to a generational disconnect between JB and today's players.

But we've had plenty of players who responded favorably to JB's burning glare. Jason Hart is a great example -- JB was really hard on him freshman year [trust me, his freshman year he was JB's whipping boy], but Hart used it as motivation and didn't wilt, because that's how he's wired.

Harris, Roberson, Williams -- not so much.

Many folks would agree that Roberson was coached more harshly than perhaps any SU player under JB, yet he has been making a living playing professional basketball ever since he left. Is that because of or in spite of JB? I also can't remember any former SU players complaining about harsh treatment, except maybe Rony Seikaly. Are there others?

 

[MikeSU02]

Clueless people.

Call them clueless, the more traction and visibility this gets, the more this angle is going to become prominent.

Then, guess what, they are going to go back through AW's very prolific and public postings of who he has "hung out" with, both at the games and elsewhere.

Then guess what, the story is now about AW, who he hangs out with and the relationship with Syracuse.

This will all happen. All of it. Because "Jalen Hurts attends Cuse game" isn't a story. WHY he is there is the story.

 

[pwong]

Clueless people.

They’re clueless because Syracuse isn’t nationally relevant.

No one outside of Cuse affiliation cares and nothing else was on the 7pm slot so people nationally realize that the team isn’t good, JB’s attitude, and AW’s guest.

 

[Lukeyloo]

Confidence is tricky. Most people respond better to positive encouragement than negative. I had a mentor tell me that when addressing someone always try to point out two positives for every negative.

Unfortunately it seems JAB only knows how to motivate with tough love. Doesn't work for everyone.

 

[tbonezone]

JB was really hard on him freshman year [trust me, his freshman year he was JB's whipping boy]

jason started every game and averaged 36 mpg as a frosh. first frosh to lead the BE in minutes played.

he was "whipped" if by that you meant tired.

 

[Trueblue25]

treat people like garbage then wonder why they dont say favorable things about you lol

 

[CU44SE]

“We beat them two times we weren’t supposed to beat them.”

Yeesh. That’s one take when you’re 3-12 against them. “Hey, we should be 1-14!”

Inspiring.

Wasn’t it Virginia last year or 2 years ago in the dome when he said we can’t be expected to beat a team like that? I may be messing that quote up but I swear he said something along those lines.

 

[Hopkins16]

That was after a year of being torn down by JB.

Even if coach was a bit tough on him last year, he really should not have felt a lot of pressure with a few guys ahead of him from whom more was expected (Joe, Buddy, Jesse, Cole and possibly even Jimmy).

 

[Dinkyspond]

Speak for yourself. If your fandom is being brought down by this, take a step back.

Fair enough and point well-taken. It seems with all the silver and empty seats in the Dome, a lot of fans are taking a step back.

 

[Dinkyspond]

Wasn’t it Virginia last year or 2 years ago in the dome when he said we can’t be expected to beat a team like that? I may be messing that quote up but I swear he said something along those lines.

I think you're right about that, that we shouldn't expect to beat a team.like that, just illustrates how far we have fallen.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Not completely defending JB but he did say pregame that he would address the Benny situation after the game. So why ask him about it. Did the kid think JB might forget?

Why didn’t JB address it immediately?

 

[DilemaCuse]

Wasn’t it Virginia last year or 2 years ago in the dome when he said we can’t be expected to beat a team like that? I may be messing that quote up but I swear he said something along those lines.

He said last year after a home blowout to Duke, we cant compete with Duke

That quote bothered me, I raised hell on that quote, and said then go home Jim and let another coach try to compete with them

 

[Fly Rodder]

The jalen hurts thing was funny. Grown men were taking their shirts off and throwing them at him for an autograph.

 

[RF2044]

jason started every game and averaged 36 mpg as a frosh. first frosh to lead the BE in minutes played.

he was "whipped" if by that you meant tired.

Not remotely what I meant.

Some players draw the intense scrutiny from Boeheim, and others don't. And said scrutiny is accompanied by JB's acerbic personality, which can rub some players the wrong way.

In practice his freshman year, Hart got that in spades from Boeheim. Him starting / playing a lot of minutes doesn't change that.

 

[CU44SE]

He said last year after a home blowout to Duke, we cant compete with Duke

That quote bothered me, I raised hell on that quote, and said then go home Jim and let another coach try to compete with them

Maybe that is what I am thinking off. And I agree 100%. You should never go into a game expecting not to compete.

 

[elimunelson]

Not completely defending JB but he did say pregame that he would address the Benny situation after the game. So why ask him about it. Did the kid think JB might forget?

It's the first question any reporter of any repute would ask. Boeheim doesn't decide the questions or the timing of them. As soon as he sat down he should have just mentioned it and dealt with the questioning.

Him calling someone else having a bad attitude is outrageous.

THIS is the problem having a senior citizen of limited patience running a top 10 program. Time for Jim to go. I've been a supporter of his for a long time. I had issues with him dragging the program into a second probation (and thought at the time it was a wonderful off ramp for a wonderful career) but he's made chicken salad out of chicken salad for a few years tourney wise but now it's just rudderless, mediocre.

Turn the program over John. Please.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Anyone check Benny’s social media?

 

[NineOneSeven]

Not completely defending JB but he did say pregame that he would address the Benny situation after the game. So why ask him about it. Did the kid think JB might forget?

It was the obvious question. Same one I would have asked as well.

 

[Cuse'91]

Don't think this is even a new thing with Boeheim and the media. Talked to James Brown many years ago, he described his early interactions with him; let's just say it wasn't very positive.

 

[orangefog]

It was the obvious question. Same one I would have asked as well.

But, would you have had that attitude?

 

[Wrinkle]

Benny is Kaleb Joseph. Benny got every opportunity. He just can't play

 

[orangefog]

Don't think this is even a new thing with Boeheim and the media. Talked to James Brown many years ago, he described his early interactions with him; let's just say it wasn't very positive.

So they didn't make him feel good?