I actually felt… intrigued?!

[JDubbin]

I will always watch Syracuse basketball & support the team, always. I don’t care if we have a zero win season, I’m still here for it.

However, JB has been coaching longer than I’ve been alive, I’ve never seen Syracuse basketball have a losing season or replace its head coach.

With about 2:00-3:00 minutes left in the 2nd half, after watching the team with just another poor performance & just clear/extreme limitations like none I’ve seen with Syracuse BBall, I had a thought/feeling I never thought I would after an Orange loss.

Instead of being frustrated, angry, salty, defensive, etc. like I usually am after an L… I was INTRIGUED by how this loss would fit into the unfolding story of the upcoming coaching transition, whenever it would be. Intrigued?! Intrigued. I never in a million years thought that would be the emotion felt after a loss. But, here we are. New territory in number of categories… but man, I do not like that’s where I’m at right now. Kinda sad, kinda sucks.

 

[Geode]

We definitely have had the luxury of coaching consistency over the last several decades that few programs will ever know and there is definitely something to be said about that. However, I agree with you and I find this whole situation to be extremely fascinating as well.

JAB has proven he can pull rabbits out of his hat. That's my way of saying that it ain't over until the fat lady sings but this sure is starting to look like a show none of us have seen before.

It's disappointing that the season isn't going the way we had hoped and it's hard to argue that the general trend, minus a few phenomenal turnarounds, since joining the ACC has not been what any of us expected. Not sure that coach will get the fairytale ending with his sons, unless said rabbit appears. I'm as homer as they come for Syracuse sports and always will be. Complaining about if/how/when coaching changes will occur is not one of the things any of us fans can control and it's not worth getting worked up over. That being said, watching this team the past few years feels an awfully lot like watching the end of the Bobbie Knight era at Indiana with a coach who has a very unique personality and program that is struggling to meet the very high expectations that same coach established. I just hope the ending is much different.

Orange always!

 

[orangefog]

I am intrigued how our supposedly "high IQ" team could look so clueless and do so many dumb things. They have no clue what to do out there, that is on the coach. And yet, our coach criticizes almost all of the players. He takes zero responsibility. I think it is dumb to consistently call for a high screen, when the only result is that player getting double teamed and then not hitting the open guy rolling to the basket. The whole reason for calling the screen is to create a mismatch or a better opportunity for one of the two players involved in the screen. To keep calling for it just to create a more difficult scoring opportunity is freaking stupid. But, we do it over and over and over. I don't see the coach talking to the player that calls for the high screen to hit the open roller. No yelling, no coaching. But, the player setting the pick and then rolling and getting open gets called out for not doing more. How about if Jimmy set the pick and then popped? Surely we trust Jimmy to make a shot. Buddy may actually pass it to Jimmy. Just a thought.

 

[Newhouser]

I will always watch Syracuse basketball & support the team, always. I don’t care if we have a zero win season, I’m still here for it.

However, JB has been coaching longer than I’ve been alive, I’ve never seen Syracuse basketball have a losing season or replace its head coach.

With about 2:00-3:00 minutes left in the 2nd half, after watching the team with just another poor performance & just clear/extreme limitations like none I’ve seen with Syracuse BBall, I had a thought/feeling I never thought I would after an Orange loss.

Instead of being frustrated, angry, salty, defensive, etc. like I usually am after an L… I was INTRIGUED by how this loss would fit into the unfolding story of the upcoming coaching transition, whenever it would be. Intrigued?! Intrigued. I never in a million years thought that would be the emotion felt after a loss. But, here we are. New territory in number of categories… but man, I do not like that’s where I’m at right now. Kinda sad, kinda sucks.

This is really well done and an excellent word - intrigued. Sadly the word for me is "resigned" as in - I am resigned to the fact that the program will continue to be run into the ground until an 80 year old man decides to give us the program back.

It is what it is and isn't a surprise to anyone but watching it happen in real time is jolting.

 

[DilemaCuse]

Yes, its like watching an 18 car pileup slowly happen

I was intrigued if he would get creative with the backcourt or mixing in Benny but I should have known Jims reaction to the idea of trying to play Joe and Buddy 40 mins would be something like this

 

[Corpi33]

I was really intrigued by the way our HOF coach yelled at Cole for not catching a terrible pass from Buddy...but maybe that is me!

 

[MadNY3]

I am intrigued how our supposedly "high IQ" team could look so clueless and do so many dumb things. They have no clue what to do out there, that is on the coach. And yet, our coach criticizes almost all of the players. He takes zero responsibility. I think it is dumb to consistently call for a high screen, when the only result is that player getting double teamed and then not hitting the open guy rolling to the basket. The whole reason for calling the screen is to create a mismatch or a better opportunity for one of the two players involved in the screen. To keep calling for it just to create a more difficult scoring opportunity is freaking stupid. But, we do it over and over and over. I don't see the coach talking to the player that calls for the high screen to hit the open roller. No yelling, no coaching. But, the player setting the pick and then rolling and getting open gets called out for not doing more. How about if Jimmy set the pick and then popped? Surely we trust Jimmy to make a shot. Buddy may actually pass it to Jimmy. Just a thought.

I am *this close* to intriguing my fist through a wall.

 

[SBU72]

Yes, its like watching an 18 car pileup slowly happen

I was intrigued if he would get creative with the backcourt or mixing in Benny but I should have known Jims reaction to the idea of trying to play Joe and Buddy 40 mins would be something like this

Ixve been thinking that maybe, just maybe it's not JB's fault. As the picture points out, maybe Julie is behind the whole "brothers playing together" situation.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I will always watch Syracuse basketball & support the team, always. I don’t care if we have a zero win season, I’m still here for it.

However, JB has been coaching longer than I’ve been alive, I’ve never seen Syracuse basketball have a losing season or replace its head coach.

With about 2:00-3:00 minutes left in the 2nd half, after watching the team with just another poor performance & just clear/extreme limitations like none I’ve seen with Syracuse BBall, I had a thought/feeling I never thought I would after an Orange loss.

Instead of being frustrated, angry, salty, defensive, etc. like I usually am after an L… I was INTRIGUED by how this loss would fit into the unfolding story of the upcoming coaching transition, whenever it would be. Intrigued?! Intrigued. I never in a million years thought that would be the emotion felt after a loss. But, here we are. New territory in number of categories… but man, I do not like that’s where I’m at right now. Kinda sad, kinda sucks.

I'm still going to go to the game Saturday night and support the program. But watching that Pitt game really opens eyes that the end of JAB could be nearer than farther away. It will be interesting to see how our guys do Saturday.

 

[sufandu]

Yes, its like watching an 18 car pileup slowly happen

like those videos of cars sliding down an icy street at only 5 mph, but there's nothing anyone can do to stop them. They just keep sliding and smashing, one after another.

 

[miamicuse]

I wonder if and when JB retires, will it be 100% JB's decision or will it be a "family" decision? How much pull does Jimmy, Buddy and Juli have in helping him make this decision, if any?

What about loyalty to Red, GMac and Griff? He has to know the further the program experiences decline to less likely there will be a continuity hire as the noise to clean out gets louder and louder. At some point he has to think about handing over the steering wheel to those he groomed. Unless he thinks they are "not ready" or "not capable of it".

Next year with 5 freshmen one at every position is a good time to start over so someone other than him can begin to develop them.

 

[85SUAlum]

I am *this close* to intriguing my fist through a wall.

That's why I stopped watching the games live. I'm afraid one of these times I'm going to through the remote or something at my expensive 65" OLED TV screen. I follow the score on ESPN and then watch the replay if they win. It's helping to keep my blood pressure in check as well.

 

[Trueblue25]

The fan base is becoming apathetic. Makes me think ADJW came here to fix football and try to capitalize on the move to the ACC, and not a ton else.

The brand’s depreciated and what Boeheim built that made Syracuse special, the dome atmosphere and diehard fanbase, is certainly inviting resentment.

 

[sufandu]

I wonder if and when JB retires, will it be 100% JB's decision or will it be a "family" decision? How much pull does Jimmy, Buddy and Juli have in helping him make this decision, if any?

What about loyalty to Red, GMac and Griff? He has to know the further the program experiences decline to less likely there will be a continuity hire as the noise to clean out gets louder and louder. At some point he has to think about handing over the steering wheel to those he groomed. Unless he thinks they are "not ready" or "not capable of it".

Next year with 5 freshmen one at every position is a good time to start over so someone other than him can begin to develop them.

I would guess that JB thinks he is more equipped than anyone to right the ship and that he's only a move or two away from a tourney run. Unless he is just tired of coaching, I imagine it would be hard to convince someone like that that it's time to hang them up.

Fwiw, I think we're just a couple players away too. How likely are we to nab a Jonny Flynn pg and John Wallace forward for next year?

 

[Col. Bleep]

This season is like watching a building implode.