has anybody

[orangefog]

Besides the 4 state championships Owens had and MVP of the McDonald's game as well as one of the top 2 HS recruits, we can only hope Roberson achieves what Owens did (personal, not team):

Big East rookie team
1st team all BE soph, junior and senior seasons
BE POY in junior or senior year
1st team AA senior season
3rd pick in the draft
NBA all rookie team
10 years in the NBA
Played twice for USA team

If not for knee injuries after his 3rd year in the NBA, he probably would have had a better NBA career. The above isn't fair to compare Roberson to.


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Didn't he leave after his junior season?

 

[rrlbees]

Didn't he leave after his junior season?

Yea he did. Couldn't remember every detail and why I put junior or senior year. But he did leave after his junior year and averaging 23 and 12 for us.


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[orangefog]

Yea he did. Couldn't remember every detail and why I put junior or senior year. But he did leave after his junior year and averaging 23 and 12 for us.


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Ok, thought so. Billy put together one hell of a three year career here. If Roberson has a similar career, we are in for a treat. Billy seamlessly fit in to a team that had big time stars, DC, Sherm and Stevie.

 

[Cuse'91]

I like Roberson a ton, but this comparison is ridiculous...
Billy was the consensus co-top prospect coming out of high school, along with Alonzo Mourning...

Tyler wins in only one category - motor
Billy had so much God given talent, things always came too easily for him, don't think his heart was as big as it could have been...

 

[690West]

Owens was a godamn stud. I literallly shed a tear the day he committed


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Christ marsh, you shed a tear when Chandu Carey graduated. Hahaha

 

[thebigeast44]

Billy was on the cover of Sports Illustrated before he ever played a game. It's unfair to Roberson to even make the comparison.

 

[jekelish]

I think a few here are too young to remember or know just how good Billy was. Except for making a wild ass guess, nobody can seriously say Roberson was better in HS or that he projects to be better in college. Owens was a HS legend.


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This.

The only thing this thread is teaching me is that people are apparently only thinking about the often injured, Rock and Jock Basketball version of Billy Owens.

The dude was a freaking stud. If he hadn't had about a dozen knee surgeries people would remember his pro career much, much differently.

If he had stayed for his senior season he'd be at or near the top of every career stat category in SU history. Hell, he already is in the top 10 in almost every category. Billy Owens is absolutely on the Mount Rushmore of Syracuse hoops, if you ask me (players only, coaches excluded).

 

[IthacaMatt]

seen Roberson play either with his new teammates or a meaningful game. is he as good as billy

No, he doesn't have that kind of outside shooting touch or passing game. Roberson is like a fitter version of Ryan Blackwell, maybe a bit bouncier and bit better shot blocker. He has an OK outside shot, but scores most of his baskets around the rim, where he is crafty. But that's about what his build is like - a freshman/sophomore Blackwell, although he seems to be still growing a bit.

To me, Grant looks like he could turn into another John Wallace. That's whose game his game reminds me of. McCullough looks like Charles Smith (Pitt/Knicks) and Roberson, well, maybe he's better than Ryan Blackwell, but Ryan was a borderline Mickey Dees, top 30 player.

 

[RF2044]

No, he doesn't have that kind of outside shooting touch or passing game. Roberson is like a fitter version of Ryan Blackwell, maybe a bit bouncier and bit better shot blocker. He has an OK outside shot, but scores most of his baskets around the rim, where he is crafty. But that's about what his build is like - a freshman/sophomore Blackwell, although he seems to be still growing a bit.

To me, Grant looks like he could turn into another John Wallace. That's whose game his game reminds me of. McCullough looks like Charles Smith (Pitt/Knicks) and Roberson, well, maybe he's better than Ryan Blackwell, but Ryan was a borderline Mickey Dees, top 30 player.

Watching the Canada games, Grant even LOOKS like he has a young John Wallace build. Very good comparison.

 

[IthacaMatt]

If you consider winning a NJ State Championship playing center against a 7'1 early Kentucky commit and dominating him a meaningful game, then yes. I think he's as good, might turn out better than Billy Owens. NJ high school player of the year, amazing rebounder and shot blocker. Knocks down perimeter shots, seen him dribble drive, very seasoned low post array, but you be the judge. Tons of full games on the recruiting side, many writeups and play by plays.

I have also seen him live. Stormed his team back from an early deficit to win and he's all over the court, both offense and defense.
His AAU coach thinks more highly of him than another he coached in Kyrie Irving. That speaks a lot, whether the coach is "biased" or not.

Billy Owens won 4 straight state championships, not just 1. That's why he and Alonzo Morning were considered the 2 best players in that class. Roberson has a great motor, but his skills are not at the level of his work ethic yet. Billy Owens was a 6-9 small forward who could pass, hit the 3, was a great teammate and a great defensive rebounder. Let's not burden Roberson like that. Look what it did to Paul Harris.

 

['72 Orange]

He was such a high profile HS bball player that Brent Mussberger during the SU PSUfootball game in 1987 (when we put the whoopin on the Nits) kept gushing over this remarkable HS bball player Billy Owens. The primary reason was it was the first national exposure for his older brother Michael who was wearing the fabled 44 that day. He made a statement that supposedly JB told Coach Mac to make sure he kept feeding the ball to Michael Owens so he could get his brother to come to SU.

Probably typical Mussberger tongue in cheek hyperbole, but it made for a nice story line.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Watching the Canada games, Grant even LOOKS like he has a young John Wallace build. Very good comparison.

And I made that comparison at the beginning of LAST year. ;-)

 

[Marsh01]

Christ marsh, you shed a tear when Chandu Carey graduated. Hahaha

That was supposed to be between us dude

 

[IthacaMatt]

Besides the 4 state championships Owens had and MVP of the McDonald's game as well as one of the top 2 HS recruits, we can only hope Roberson achieves what Owens did (personal, not team):

Big East rookie team
1st team all BE soph, junior and senior seasons
BE POY in junior or senior year
1st team AA senior season
3rd pick in the draft
NBA all rookie team
10 years in the NBA
Played twice for USA team

If not for knee injuries after his 3rd year in the NBA, he probably would have had a better NBA career. The above isn't fair to compare Roberson to.


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Billy didn't play senior year. He went in the draft early because of probation. It was his junior year he put up something like 25 ppg and 10 rebounds a game, alongside Dave Johnson, who also put up about 20 ppg. It's such a shame they flamed out in the post-season that year, or Billy would have a much better legacy. Johnson, of course, made the jumper over Morning to win us the Big East championship, when that was the only trophy we could play for the following year.

 

[RF2044]

And I made that comparison at the beginning of LAST year. ;-)

Yeah, but he was kind of skinny last year.

When I was watching the games this summer [and yes, I know he had mono / lost weight / etc.], I was struck by how much his physique looked like Wallace. And I have a TON of taped games, and have seen tons of Wallace / '96 footage over the years. Kid looks like an exact duplicate of Wallace from his junior or senior year.

Great comparison, I-Matt.

One caveat: as much as he looks like Wallace physically, I'm struck by how much he facially resembles his dad / Horace Grant. Talk about genetics! What a clone--great bloodlines!

 

[HoustonCuse]

I didn't. Came close, but didn't.
I tell you this about Roberson. He's 7'8, arms like tree trunks. Dunks on 14 foot rims. Cold as steel. lol
http://syracusefan.com/threads/has-anybody.57315/#post-739442

So he's basically a poor man's Paul Harris.

 

[tee1222]

So he's basically a poor man's Paul Harris.

Let's just say this. I am very hopeful that he does what both Owens and Harris failed to do. I don't care if he breaks records, gets drafted here, there or anywhere else.

Don't get me wrong. Big fan of both Harris and Owens.
But there's only one thing that concerns me. And it's not individual accolades.

 

[two3zone]

So he's basically a poor man's Paul Harris.

I personally wouldn't complain if he had a Paul Harris like career here. 10+ points a game, 8+ rebounds a game.

 

[two3zone]

Let's just say this. I am very hopeful that he does what both Owens and Harris failed to do. I don't care if he breaks records, gets drafted here, there or anywhere else.

Don't get me wrong. Big fan of both Harris and Owens.
But there's only one thing that concerns me. And it's not individual accolades.

Individual accolades usually means the team did pretty darn well around the guy. We get a player of the year type guy we have enough talent with the other 7 guys in the rotation to win it all.

 

[tee1222]

Individual accolades usually means the team did pretty darn well around the guy. We get a player of the year type guy we have enough talent with the other 7 guys in the rotation to win it all.

I said I didn't care if he earned individual accolades.
Just winning matters. All else is gravy.

And it's nice to have both but in team sports, they don't necessarily have to go hand in hand.

 

[two3zone]

I said I didn't care if he earned individual accolades.
Just winning matters. All else is gravy.

And it's nice to have both but in team sports, they don't necessarily have to go hand in hand.

I wasn't disagreeing with you at all, most team sports you're 100% right, just seems like in college basketball it goes a lot more hand in hand then you would think.

 

[Madbiker]

Billy didn't play senior year. He went in the draft early because of probation. It was his junior year he put up something like 25 ppg and 10 rebounds a game, alongside Dave Johnson, who also put up about 20 ppg. It's such a shame they flamed out in the post-season that year, or Billy would have a much better legacy. Johnson, of course, made the jumper over Morning to win us the Big East championship, when that was the only trophy we could play for the following year.

Billy Owens was a great player and put up some truly impressive stats at SU. But I always thought his legacy suffered because he wasn't particularly good in the NCAAT. In his soph year, 1990 tourney, SU was eliminated in a Sweet 16 game vs. a nothing great Minnesota team when Billy scored only 2 points in the second half. (How an SU team with Derrick Coleman and Billy Owens lost that game I still can't figure out). Billy's last game for Cuse was the infamous loss to #15 seed Richmond in the 1st round...the most embarrassing loss in SU history. While Billy had 22 points in that game, I think he was scoreless the last 6-7 minutes as SU went down. I'm by no means bashing Billy, just saying his image was somewhat diminished by the tourney loses.

 

[OttosBestFriend]

Here's all anyone needs to know about how good Billy Owens was...

His freshman year at 'Cuse, the Orange already had upperclassmen studs at SF and PF in Stevie Thompson and Derrick Coleman respectively.

Owens showed up and was so good, he pushed DC to center and averaged 13 pts and 7 rbs in 32 min per game as a frosh PF.

Let me repeat that: Owens was so good, he pushed Syracuse's best all time power forward to a new position.

As for Roberson, he's got CJ Fair and Grant ahead of him at the 3 & 4 spots and I'll literally be shocked if he gets more than 1o-12 mins a game this season.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Yeah, but he was kind of skinny last year.

When I was watching the games this summer [and yes, I know he had mono / lost weight / etc.], I was struck by how much his physique looked like Wallace. And I have a TON of taped games, and have seen tons of Wallace / '96 footage over the years. Kid looks like an exact duplicate of Wallace from his junior or senior year.

Great comparison, I-Matt.

One caveat: as much as he looks like Wallace physically, I'm struck by how much he facially resembles his dad / Horace Grant. Talk about genetics! What a clone--great bloodlines!

Yes, of course he wasn't "there" yet. The idea is you project what you think the kid will grow into, where you expect reasonable skill development based on what they've shown you so far. Grant had the shoulders that reminded me of Wallace, and the smooth gait, and a nice ability to dribble for a guy his size, and he could hit a three pointer if he was open back in HS.

 

[LennX6]

It's very easy to get excited about HS players these days, unfortunately you NEVER know what you're going to get from them, especially front court players. ie. Freshman Fab Melo, DC2, Rak. All McDonald's AA's, all awful as freshman. I'll take a Rick Jackson career out of him and be ecstatic, and those are high expectations out of somebody who hasn't played a college game yet.

With this group of players, all we need him to be is Rick Jackson and we will be fine. Heck he could be Mookie and we'd be fine.