I don't post often...I have bled Orange for 40+ years...

[Ptzburghcuse]

I was a grown man running around like a giddy child when we won the championship in 2003 - I have watched SU basketball since the late 1970's and never have I been so frustrated as to watch SU allow COLGATE to drive continuously down the lane for layups without any help defense - at all - ever.

I can find no other word to describe it but embarrassing...It appears that no one on the team has a defensive mindset. No one seems to have a killer aggressive attitude.

To build a 13pt lead and then almost immediately lose it - Devo put it right - you build a double digit lead, then find out what it takes to move from 13 to 15 then to 20 - not take your foot off the gas and coast!

And the end was also a circus. THREE missed front ends?!?!?!

SU did not deserve to win this game and most teams we face will not miss the opportunities to bury us.

I fear this will be a losing campaign and it could be very, very ugly if they team gives up after the losses start piling up.

I would love nothing more than someone to call me out later this season as to how misguided this post was and that our current team was simply finding itself, but I fear there will be no follow-up.

 

[bballbeadle]

You speak the Truth.

 

[JustPherU]

It’s alarming how bad they looked and the way Red went about his press conference afterwards was a sign he knows it’s could get real ugly around there real soon.

 

[Newhouser]

I don't think we have a chance in the hot spot - but Red and this program need the Texas game badly.

 

[Red Holzman]

It’s alarming how bad they looked and the way Red went about his press conference afterwards was a sign he knows it’s could get real ugly around there real soon.

With the election finally over, looked forward to less spin-
Red's presser sounded like alternative reality -didn't connect with me.
Ready to be shocked and pleased by this "new young team" improving by leaps and bounds.

 

[Orangezoo]

One of my favorite early season things to do is watch the replays and enjoy the growth of our hoops team every year. Last year in Reds year 1 I was still up for it but don’t have it in me this year. More and more being pushed away from a favorite winter season tradition. Cuse football , Cuse hoops and the holiday season. The former still working its way back into the tradition after so much frustration but still not sold but hoops and holidays still always the true star of the season and here we are staring at disappointment. Not to mention the other games aren’t even much to watch. It’s just a crap product let alone our own struggles.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

I was a grown man running around like a giddy child when we won the championship in 2003 - I have watched SU basketball since the late 1970's and never have I been so frustrated as to watch SU allow COLGATE to drive continuously down the lane for layups without any help defense - at all - ever.

I can find no other word to describe it but embarrassing...It appears that no one on the team has a defensive mindset. No one seems to have a killer aggressive attitude.

To build a 13pt lead and then almost immediately lose it - Devo put it right - you build a double digit lead, then find out what it takes to move from 13 to 15 then to 20 - not take your foot off the gas and coast!

And the end was also a circus. THREE missed front ends?!?!?!

SU did not deserve to win this game and most teams we face will not miss the opportunities to bury us.

I fear this will be a losing campaign and it could be very, very ugly if they team gives up after the losses start piling up.

I would love nothing more than someone to call me out later this season as to how misguided this post was and that our current team was simply finding itself, but I fear there will be no follow-up.

So right about the defense. Either I’m usually paying attention to other things or yesterday was the most egregiously obvious demonstration that we are absolutely incompetent as m2m defenders. Everyone got blown by, and on several occasions the guy who got torched looked around with hands in the air in exasperation, wondering where the help was. As much as I despise zone, I actually kinda hoped for a short spell of it yesterday.

As I suspected before Red was chosen, after so many years of JB zone, and a staff from that era—why would we expect they could just switch to a new ethos and way of life? The two new coaching additions don’t seem to have made an impact. We might be worse this year than last.

Not sure about the sagacity of the Devo comment about building leads. The other team has something to do with that and they were definitely the smarter team. Yeah, you ‘put your foot on the gas’ when you’re a better team. On a neutral court, we’re probably even with Colgate.

Post more often, please.

 

[two3zone]

It’s alarming how bad they looked and the way Red went about his press conference afterwards was a sign he knows it’s could get real ugly around there real soon.

I just want to know who thought we'd have a passable defense? I'm a middle aged pothead and could see this a mile away.

 

[Orangezoo]

I just want to know who thought we'd have a passable defense? I'm a middle aged pothead and could see this a mile away.

I felt if we were efficient on offense and limited transition opportunities just by default that our defense wouldn’t be as exposed. Also thought Red would use zone more and have a better approach to the defensive rotations. So far there has been none of that and arguably less than last year. What is going on with the assistants input? Griff spent time at Dayton which was a really solid defensive program while he was there I thought.

I don’t think expecting much was realistic but seeing so many issues on both sides of the ball is more than concerning. Gives little hope for the rest of the year.

 

[bnoro]

I was a grown man running around like a giddy child when we won the championship in 2003 - I have watched SU basketball since the late 1970's and never have I been so frustrated as to watch SU allow COLGATE to drive continuously down the lane for layups without any help defense - at all - ever.

I can find no other word to describe it but embarrassing...It appears that no one on the team has a defensive mindset. No one seems to have a killer aggressive attitude.

To build a 13pt lead and then almost immediately lose it - Devo put it right - you build a double digit lead, then find out what it takes to move from 13 to 15 then to 20 - not take your foot off the gas and coast!

And the end was also a circus. THREE missed front ends?!?!?!

SU did not deserve to win this game and most teams we face will not miss the opportunities to bury us.

I fear this will be a losing campaign and it could be very, very ugly if they team gives up after the losses start piling up.

I would love nothing more than someone to call me out later this season as to how misguided this post was and that our current team was simply finding itself, but I fear there will be no follow-up.

Was it more embarrassing than actually losing to Colgate in JB's last two years?

Like I'm not thrilled either but the hyperbole today has actually been embarrassing.

 

[UpstateSM]

I just want to know who thought we'd have a passable defense? I'm a middle aged pothead and could see this a mile away.

Our starting lineup has 3 historically bad defensive players lmao it's at least a little funny if you let yourself laugh

 

[grepal]

Watching UCONN pound Lemoyne gives one an idea of how far we are from where we once were. Team needs to improve on defense today and not just a little. A lot of high school teams play better team D than Syracuse did the first two games. I would love an honest take by JAB. All this said I will still watch or go to every game.

 

[gmacfor3]

Was it more embarrassing than actually losing to Colgate in JB's last two years?

Like I'm not thrilled either but the hyperbole today has actually been embarrassing.

You make a good point…I don’t know if last night was more embarrassing than getting thrashed in back to back years by Colgate. Those were pretty frustrating and as a fan I know I felt like I was being held hostage by JB and his outdated zone defense and poor recruiting. I think the frustration, disappointment, embarrassment, etc. that is being expressed now is a culmination of a decade plus of mediocre teams (I know, I know, one final four and two sweet 16s by 3 pretty mediocre teams). When Red got hired, I think everyone got excited because he brought in starling, Westry, etc. and things looked headed in the right direction. Then another mediocre season was chalked up to some malcontents and Red not being able to get “his” guys. Fast forward to this year, again there’s some added excitement with Freeman coming in, some upper class transfers who would bring maturity and a winning attitude, optimism that Bell and Starling take a leap, etc…then we watch the product on the floor the first two games and yeah…it was embarrassing. Low major guards getting to the rim AT WILL with no resistance. So yeah, those two losses to Colgate might have been more embarrassing, but I don’t think feeling embarrassed or frustrated is a hyperbole. This is Syracuse University basketball. Maybe not a blue blood but historically we are in the next tier. We haven’t been ranked in the top 25 in January or February since 2013!!! People have a right to be upset.