Guys you wish had panned out

[OttoinGrotto]

This seems like a good topic for the off season - which Syracuse players were you really excited about when we signed, that never really panned out?

Here's my list -

Rock Lloyd was totally different from typical Syracuse guards. I really think he could have been an interesting player for us, but supposedly he got in the dog house and didn't fight his way out and ended up transferring.

Lasean Howard had some great moments including an out of left field monster performance in over time late in his sophomore season (can't remember the opponent, but he was forced into playing time and responded in a huge way). As I recall, he ended up doing pretty well at the school he transferred to.

Eric Williams looked like a guy that was so close to being pretty good, but just never put it together. He could have been a really intriguing power forward.

Winfred Walton could have been an all-time great. Him not being able to suit up really hurt.

Any others you have a soft spot for?

 

[Bortukal]

Mike Jones
Anthony Harris
Mark Konecny
Glenn Sekunda

 

[RF2044]

This seems like a good topic for the off season - which Syracuse players were you really excited about when we signed, that never really panned out?

Here's my list -

Rock Lloyd was totally different from typical Syracuse guards. I really think he could have been an interesting player for us, but supposedly he got in the dog house and didn't fight his way out and ended up transferring.

Lasean Howard had some great moments including an out of left field monster performance in over time late in his sophomore season (can't remember the opponent, but he was forced into playing time and responded in a huge way). As I recall, he ended up doing pretty well at the school he transferred to.

Eric Williams looked like a guy that was so close to being pretty good, but just never put it together. He could have been a really intriguing power forward.

Winfred Walton could have been an all-time great. Him not being able to suit up really hurt.

Any others you have a soft spot for?

Winfred Walton is one of the biggest disappointments to me. He would have been an impact player at a key position of need [post-Wallace], and would have improved not just that team when he would have been a frosh, which went to the NIT, but also for the next couple of years as the focal point of our attack. Kid would have had a much better career at SU than he did at Fresno State.

Bobby Lazor is another one. Same general timeframe. Kid wasn't a great fit for our system, but could have helped us the year after Wallace. And he went on to have a great career at ASU--no doubt, he could have played and been a nice contributor to us the rest of his career had he stayed.

Earl Duncan is another one that really bothers me--maybe more than anybody else. Huge recruit, who just couldn't co-exist with Sherman. He bailed and went to Rutgers. Meanwhile, our 1990 team was freaking LOADED, but lacked a true point guard. If Duncan had stuck it out at SU, we would have on paper been so much better that year--maybe even national championship good.

 

[Eric15]

Terrence Roberts would be at the top of my list. I remember after I saw Roberts in his first ever exhibition game I thought he was going to be our next Derrick Coleman. He was extremely smooth that game, hit a couple foul line jumpers, was freakishly athletic and played with fire. I left the Dome so excited about him.

Don't get me wrong, he had a nice career at SU, but he didn't pan out the way I thought he would.

 

[CaptainJ]

Matt Roe's unexpected transfer hurt us with 3 point shooting. I guess that would be more of a pan and then unpan.

 

[ImperialOrange]

I had Dayshawn Wright penciled in as the next Ron Artest. Not sure the specifics on his departure but was sorry to never really get to see him play.

 

[cuseinseattle]

Walton tops my list. I also would have liked Tony Bland to stay. We could have used him in the coming years and we wouldn't have had to rely on Williams so much.

 

[Lawrinson14]

I'm not really sure, but i'm hoping that in a couple years Rak Christmas is not talked about in the manner of others discussed in this thread.

 

[Sgt Cuse]

Most recent on my mind is I wish Mookie had just held out a little while longer. I think he would have had a shot this year. And I think he may have been able to cash in. If he had been eligible and made a real effort to get in shape over last summer and came off the bench hitting the 3s that we needed, he could have been a real success story.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Most recent on my mind is I wish Mookie had just held out a little while longer. I think he would have had a shot this year. And I think he may have been able to cash in. If he had been eligible and made a real effort to get in shape over last summer and came off the bench hitting the 3s that we needed, he could have been a real success story.

I think you might be right.

It never seems to work out well for guys that forego eligibility without a clear opportunity to play for pay.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Tony Scott.

Earl Duncan.

 

[Sgt Cuse]

I think you might be right.

It never seems to work out well for guys that forego eligibility without a clear opportunity to play for pay.

It would have been interesting to see who would have won the 3rd guard spot. Mookie would have needed to have attended to getting in better shape. And put more effort into playing D. But he would have had a chance.

And I agree with you, most of the transfers don't seem to make out much better. But, in Mookies case, I think he kind of got kicked out, wasn't allowed to be reinstated.

 

[PhillyOrange]

How about Billy Edelin?

 

[SUFan44]

Charles Gelatt was a kid from Binghamton that had a ton of offensive potential (similar to John Wallace), but I don't think helped himself much defensively or in the classroom. Lazor was another one that came to mind.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Charles Gelatt was a kid from Binghamton that had a ton of offensive potential (similar to John Wallace), but I don't think helped himself much defensively or in the classroom. Lazor was another one that came to mind.

Chuck Gelatt. Good one. Wasn't he a pretty good long range shooter for a big? Or at least believed he was?

 

[jordoo]

Kenny Andersen well if you mean pan-out like as in getting here. We needed a PG hurt losing him that team had everything else.

Recently I'd say Terrance Roberts. He wasn't bad but when I first saw him play I thought he was going to be really good down the line, injuries did hurt quite a bit with his development but it also seemed like he never quite got it. That whole class was pretty hyped and really other than Watkins D and Nichols last season and a half we didn't get a whole lot.

 

[Francis03]

The whole 2003 class minus D-Nich. They all had their moments but I expected much more or consistency I should say.

 

[jordoo]

The whole 2003 class minus D-Nich. They all had their moments but I expected much more or consistency I should say.

Agreed that class coming off a NC really set us back a bit unfortunitally.

 

[Cadillac]

Matt Gorman, who I swear buried five or six 3s in Haks face at a scrimmage and just had his number. Liked his shot too much and became a nervous chucker.

Mark Konecny, who always asked me if I wanted to "blaze." He smoked a lot of weed on my floor in Law. Still regret not taking him up on that.

 

[SoBeCuse]

I'm not really sure, but i'm hoping that in a couple years Rak Christmas is not talked about in the manner of others discussed in this thread.

Good point. Right now, Rak is nowhere even close to Watkins or Roberts production/ability. That being said, how a guy with those pedestrian H.S. stats was chosen a McD AA player is beyond me.

LeSean Howard (came from an excellent H.S. program in Toledo)
Walton (obviously)
Dayshawn Wright

 

[baggerbob]

How about Billy Edelin?

Would have loved 4 solid years from Billy, Gmac would have had a better career, had he been allowed to be the shooting guard. We wouldn't have lost to Vermont, Billy would have abused that 3 point shooting guard, just as he did Thomas from Notre Dame. The game would have been a 15 to 20 point win, he was old school, knew when to score, and when to pass.

 

[CuseCPT]

Disagree about Lazor, was on the Hill during that timeframe and heard several stories about him from close friends that suggested he was a douche. Hearsay to be sure, but was actually happy about him transferring.

 

[RICuse44]

Would have loved 4 solid years from Billy, Gmac would have had a better career, had he been allowed to be the shooting guard. We wouldn't have lost to Vermont, Billy would have abused that 3 point shooting guard, just as he did Thomas from Notre Dame. The game would have been a 15 to 20 point win, he was old school, knew when to score, and when to pass.

I still don't think we win the 2003 NC without Billy. Great feeling for the game. No outside shot though. He and Josh Pace had a similar game of getting to the foul line and finding ways to score. Next up would be Mookie Watkins then TRob. Mookie can in with tons of hype then didn't get any PT until Junior year. Would have been nice to see him develop a low post game.

 

[All4SU]

Walton tops my list. I also would have liked Tony Bland to stay. We could have used him in the coming years and we wouldn't have had to rely on Williams so much.

Yup. Bland is a good on in this topic. I'll echo Sekunda as well. It's difficult for me to say Walton because the kid never even made it to campus.

 

[Fairlylegal]

Would have loved 4 solid years from Billy, Gmac would have had a better career, had he been allowed to be the shooting guard. We wouldn't have lost to Vermont, Billy would have abused that 3 point shooting guard, just as he did Thomas from Notre Dame. The game would have been a 15 to 20 point win, he was old school, knew when to score, and when to pass.

Billy left the team high and dry during two promising seasons. We could've beat Alabama in '04 and Vermont in '05. Having his contributions all year could have led to better seeds those two years too. With him we probably could have had 3-4 additional tournament wins those two years. I think the guy gets off a little easy on this board.

I also agree about the whole '03 class. There was a ton of hype about that class and the teams of 06 & 07, when they were at their peak, were highly disappointing.