How do you explain this new golden era?

[RealSUFan]

JB's career winning % is currently .749.

And here are our final winning percentages from the previous four seasons:

09-10: .857
10-11: .771
11-12: .919
12-13: .750

So, for four straight years JB has exceeded his lifetime average. When was the last time he did that for four straight years? Believe it or not, during his first four years, between 1976 and 1980!

Obviously, the program is enjoying a resurgence. My question is, why is it happening? There's not just one reason, of course.

Here are some possible factors:

1. Improved coaching. JB joined the Olympic team coaching staff in 2006. He has recently admitted that this experience has helped him improve as a coach.

2. Melo center opened in 2009. Reserved, always-available access to world-class facilities has allowed our players and our teams to gain strength and improve more rapidly than before.

3. Dropping man-to-man. Infamously, Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris tried to force JB to switch to a man-t0-man defense. The next year, we lost an exhibition to LeMoyne playing man-to-man the entire time. JB responded to these two events by spending 100% of practice time since then on zone and giving up man-to-man completely. The increased focus on the zone in practice has improved the efficacy of the team's defense, and this improved defense has translated to improved winning percentage.

4. Improved recruiting (whether due to smarter targeting of players or the added attraction of the Melo center). We have improved recruiting for our system, replacing small guys like Jonny Flynn with taller guards like MCW, and one-on-one players like Donte Green with team-oriented players like CJ Fair.

5. Luck.

6. Other factors

How would you divvy up these factors in assessing the resurgence of our program?

For me, I'm going to say

1. Improved coaching 25%
2. Melo center 25%
3. Focusing exclusively on zone in practice. 25 %
4. Improved recruiting. 10 %
5. Luck 10 %
6. Other factors 5%

Let's hear your take.

 

[jekelish]

Improved coaching, 30+ years into a career?
Or are you talking about assistants? I can't imagine you mean JB. Let's not be ridiculous. Zero chance that any of JB's coaching is more than 5% tops.

 

[Libero2]

I think your breakdown is pretty solid. I think that the title sparked it, then boeheim became a better coach with the olympic team, then the Melo center came to be ratcheting everything up a notch each time. Now we are consistently winning 28+ games a season and the last 4 years are seemingly in the thick of a title run every year give or take an issue each time.

when you have, the largest crowds in history on your home floor year in and year out, elite facilities, elite coaches, elite history, consistent high end winning success, combined with putting at least one guy in the league each year for 5 straight years, it's unsurprising to see our recruiting as awesome as it is.

To top it off with the fact we have something going for us that very few teams in the country have, we have a mystique. The zone has become that, its nationally known, and we are recognized as much for our zone as any team in the country. Kids are excited about playing in it, and its just one additional boon to recruiting.

Gotta love JB, hope he stays until he drops dead on the court.

 

[RealSUFan]

Improved coaching, 30+ years into a career?
Or are you talking about assistants? I can't imagine you mean JB. Let's not be ridiculous. Zero chance that any of JB's coaching is more than 5% tops.

"I think I’ve really learned a lot over these last five years working with the Olympic team and as a result I believe I’ve improved as a coach." - Jim Boeheim 8/16/2012

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...m-coaching-in-the-olympics-is-good-for-orange

 

[Marsh01]

Recruiting. We dont have to settle anymore. We select who comes here. We have always had that mix of upper classmen and younger players.

Plus jb is a stud coach. Anyone who says differently can go themselves especially those who winter in florida and any fan.

 

[PoppyHart]

The enormous drop in turnovers plays a significant role.

 

[jncuse]

Recruiting is better. Look at some of the top 100 rankings prior to our NC year. It was pretty empty.

I also think we have fully committed to finding the right players to our system, more so than anytime in our history. We have always had the 2-3, but not always been able to find the same fits as we have had the last 5 years.

Its not only been about getting top 40 players, but getting the good recruits outside of the top 40 that fit what we want to do. Fair and Grant are examples of that.

 

[jgeorge322]

I think it's being able to recruit to our system but selectively

 

[Cuse'91]

Melo Center=Uptick in recruiting...
Melo Center: 85%

 

[rocklloyd]

Recruiting. We dont have to settle anymore. We select who comes here. We have always had that mix of upper classmen and younger players.

Plus jb is a stud coach. Anyone who says differently can go themselves especially those who winter in florida and any fan.

Exactly. Recruiting is the reason. Winning NC also contributed

 

[swish7]

I want the new golden era to be defined by another national championship, and not a final 4 loss. AO and Fabrid'oh still sting. They were tailor made for our coronation, but alas. Let's finish it this year.

 

[RF2044]

1] Melo Center

2] JB in the hall of fame makes a big impression on recruits

3] Recruiting in general improved quite a bit after the post-championship denouement [ties heavily to #1 and #2]

4] The culture of the program changed significantly, starting in 2009. We became an elite team, and our players began doing what it takes off the court to sustain that excellence

5] Our players committed to defense like never before in program history. The zone used to be gimmicky, but susceptible to being victimized. Doesn't happen anymore. It is now a formidable weapon

 

[moqui]

Shut It Down

when Rob Murphy challenged the 2009-10 squad to fully buy in to the zone defense as both a weapon and as a program identity. That squad took up his challenge, and the solid-to-spectacular defense has been the one constant ever since.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'm just so happy that instead of zone vs man we're discussing reasons why we're so much more awesome than our usual awesome.

 

[djcon57]

Melo.

 

[djcon57]

5] Our players committed to defense like never before in program history. The zone used to be gimmicky, but susceptible to being victimized. Doesn't happen anymore. It is now a formidable weapon

Also getting players who know they are coming here to play zone.
The Flynn/Harris duo sticks out as guys who we probably shouldn't have gone after. Was clear they didn't want to play zone

 

[dasher]

Recruiting. We dont have to settle anymore. We select who comes here. We have always had that mix of upper classmen and younger players.

Plus jb is a stud coach. Anyone who says differently can go themselves especially those who winter in florida and any fan.

Hold on. I thought you were named 2013 opposing fan of the year by the boneyard.

 

[RF2044]

Also getting players who know they are coming here to play zone.
The Flynn/Harris duo sticks out as guys who we probably shouldn't have gone after. Was clear they didn't want to play zone

Yeah, that "buy in" was a HUGE factor in our defensive turnaround. Also, the personnel just seem better suited to it than ever before. No more smurf guards up front playing ole defense. No miniscule 3 on the back line getting the ball tapped away on the defensive backboards.

 

[jdubs30]

Recruiting. We dont have to settle anymore. We select who comes here. We have always had that mix of upper classmen and younger players.

Plus jb is a stud coach. Anyone who says differently can go themselves especially those who winter in florida and any fan.

This. Believe it or not, I think Donte Greene was a massive get. He may not have panned out like we hoped, but getting him proved we could land studs and we haven't looked back.

 

[SUbear]

I think your breakdown is pretty solid. I think that the title sparked it, then boeheim became a better coach with the olympic team, then the Melo center came to be ratcheting everything up a notch each time. Now we are consistently winning 28+ games a season and the last 4 years are seemingly in the thick of a title run every year give or take an issue each time.

when you have, the largest crowds in history on your home floor year in and year out, elite facilities, elite coaches, elite history, consistent high end winning success, combined with putting at least one guy in the league each year for 5 straight years, it's unsurprising to see our recruiting as awesome as it is.

To top it off with the fact we have something going for us that very few teams in the country have, we have a mystique. The zone has become that, its nationally known, and we are recognized as much for our zone as any team in the country. Kids are excited about playing in it, and its just one additional boon to recruiting.

Gotta love JB, hope he stays until he drops dead on the court.

How about that all his assistants are prior players now who know the Syracuse system as taught to them, and all are instructing in a coordinated manner. The assistants all are Orange thru to the bone in the message they impart to their team.

 

[CusefanATL]

Im sure other schools fans would add something the resembled an S.

 

[CusefanATL]

seriously though... the 2010 team doesnt get enough credit for what they started.

SO much credit to go around. Wes for coming here, Arinze, Andy, Rick Jackson, Scoop, Triche, Kris Jo (cant believe he was the last guy I mentioned.)

 

[victor]

It's obvious to me that we have better athletes and our defense has improved dramatically. I remember when we played Oklahoma and Blake Griffin in the NCCA how over matched we looked. The last four years we have had teams that could play with anybody and the future looks bright.

 

[Crusty]

Everyone knows it takes about 35 years to learn how to properly coach the 2-3. JB has finally got it down.

 

[Marsh01]

Hold on. I thought you were named 2013 opposing fan of the year by the boneyard.

Well if i was i want my trophy