Flacusian
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- Aug 26, 2011
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But I'm feeling really blue about our prospects for the upcoming season and in a broader context the current tack of the program. I've been on these boards for as long as they've been around and I've been a huge diehard fan of the program since '73. Since the close of the season and with the couple whiffs we've had recruiting I have not had any semblance of optimism about the direction we're headed and it's the first time EVER that I haven't been able to see some daylight on the horizon.
I've seen that others have posted that we aren't done yet with our '17 class but I think it's pretty safe to say there aren't many, if any PTP'ers out there still available. With Hops departure and the announcement that JB is going to stay on for ... well, who knows how long, I would have thought that there would be a net positive from that development in that we do not have the same level of uncertainty, which arguably plays a role in attracting recruits.
But is it really a net/net positive? Or does it just delay the inevitable and prolong the period before there can be a substantive program reset? It's impossible to say how things would have gone had Hop stayed on and taken over the program after next year but speaking for myself, I thought that would be a good thing for the program in the long run.
It's become apparent that we are not only having difficulty attracting the occasional 5 star player but are also seemingly missing on the kids we identify as "must get" players. Now that we are in the ACC we have lost many of the traditions that were associated with Big East play, the long standing and storied rivalries... the tournament in the Garden and being viewed upon as one of the best teams in our conference. Now... ??? It now seems that we cannot recruit on the same level as more than a couple teams in our conference. And last year's experiment with 5th year transfers unfolded in such fashion that I think most will agree is not the solution.
I'm sure you could make a case that there isn't much significant difference between employing the services of a 5th year transfer and a one and done. But in the end it's really something that is done out of necessity because of a lack of continuity in recruiting philosophy which includes they kids you seek out and the balance you strike between highly rated kids and program type players who will develop over the course of the collegiate career and provide the program with stability. There is a buzz and excitement which is injected into the program when a 5 star player is landed. I can't help but feel that the 5th year transfer, no matter how skilled, is in some way a retread or "sloppy 2nds in comparison with a highly rated freshman.
I feel bad about the fact that I can't bring myself to get excited about our upcoming season. I feel bad about the fact that I don't find myself clicking on the link for these message boards. It's like I just don't want to hear that we've missed out on another coveted player because one of the blue blood programs swoops in at the 11th hour and 59th hour and puts out an offer which is immediately seized upon by the prospective recruit ... after we've been waiting on pins and needles for a year or more. That sucks.
I suppose there is the chance that next years season will coalesce into a feisty team that could make some noise come March. But it seems infinitely more likely that we could be bad in a way that we have never been bad in the entire JB era. To me that's unthinkable... yet here I am having that dance across my brainpan. I feel shame to admit that I think... or rather , feel like that. I also know that if programs like Villanova can emerge as one of the top teams in the Nation that Syracuse should be able to do that as well...no?
But the lingering thought I have is that even though we have gotten the assertion that JB is going to be at the helm of the program for the foreseeable future, perhaps we have missed out on a chance to recharge the program with Hopkins coming in with his boundless enthusiasm and breathing new life into our storied program.
And before anyone wants to rip me for coming on here and sharing my thoughts about the team and program I have loved for all of my adult life... I'm still going to pull myself together once the dog days of summer are upon us and take a few deep breaths and log on to Syracusefan.com and root and cheer with all my being for Syracuse Basketball. It will always be like that for me. I love Syracuse Basketball more than any other team or sport. That will never change. I just want the best for Syracuse Basketball and I want 5 star kids wanting to put that Orange uniform on and step out on the floor of the Dome with pride and intensity and and a chip on their shoulder for Cuse. That's the way it's been and should always continue to be.
I've seen that others have posted that we aren't done yet with our '17 class but I think it's pretty safe to say there aren't many, if any PTP'ers out there still available. With Hops departure and the announcement that JB is going to stay on for ... well, who knows how long, I would have thought that there would be a net positive from that development in that we do not have the same level of uncertainty, which arguably plays a role in attracting recruits.
But is it really a net/net positive? Or does it just delay the inevitable and prolong the period before there can be a substantive program reset? It's impossible to say how things would have gone had Hop stayed on and taken over the program after next year but speaking for myself, I thought that would be a good thing for the program in the long run.
It's become apparent that we are not only having difficulty attracting the occasional 5 star player but are also seemingly missing on the kids we identify as "must get" players. Now that we are in the ACC we have lost many of the traditions that were associated with Big East play, the long standing and storied rivalries... the tournament in the Garden and being viewed upon as one of the best teams in our conference. Now... ??? It now seems that we cannot recruit on the same level as more than a couple teams in our conference. And last year's experiment with 5th year transfers unfolded in such fashion that I think most will agree is not the solution.
I'm sure you could make a case that there isn't much significant difference between employing the services of a 5th year transfer and a one and done. But in the end it's really something that is done out of necessity because of a lack of continuity in recruiting philosophy which includes they kids you seek out and the balance you strike between highly rated kids and program type players who will develop over the course of the collegiate career and provide the program with stability. There is a buzz and excitement which is injected into the program when a 5 star player is landed. I can't help but feel that the 5th year transfer, no matter how skilled, is in some way a retread or "sloppy 2nds in comparison with a highly rated freshman.
I feel bad about the fact that I can't bring myself to get excited about our upcoming season. I feel bad about the fact that I don't find myself clicking on the link for these message boards. It's like I just don't want to hear that we've missed out on another coveted player because one of the blue blood programs swoops in at the 11th hour and 59th hour and puts out an offer which is immediately seized upon by the prospective recruit ... after we've been waiting on pins and needles for a year or more. That sucks.
I suppose there is the chance that next years season will coalesce into a feisty team that could make some noise come March. But it seems infinitely more likely that we could be bad in a way that we have never been bad in the entire JB era. To me that's unthinkable... yet here I am having that dance across my brainpan. I feel shame to admit that I think... or rather , feel like that. I also know that if programs like Villanova can emerge as one of the top teams in the Nation that Syracuse should be able to do that as well...no?
But the lingering thought I have is that even though we have gotten the assertion that JB is going to be at the helm of the program for the foreseeable future, perhaps we have missed out on a chance to recharge the program with Hopkins coming in with his boundless enthusiasm and breathing new life into our storied program.
And before anyone wants to rip me for coming on here and sharing my thoughts about the team and program I have loved for all of my adult life... I'm still going to pull myself together once the dog days of summer are upon us and take a few deep breaths and log on to Syracusefan.com and root and cheer with all my being for Syracuse Basketball. It will always be like that for me. I love Syracuse Basketball more than any other team or sport. That will never change. I just want the best for Syracuse Basketball and I want 5 star kids wanting to put that Orange uniform on and step out on the floor of the Dome with pride and intensity and and a chip on their shoulder for Cuse. That's the way it's been and should always continue to be.
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