I Feel Like Everyone is Holding their Breath

[IthacaMatt]

until Binghamton on Monday.

I have seen some signs that we could do what we're supposed to do, which is win by 20+.

Playing these teams with their Q4 rankings, we have to win blow outs, or else we lose points in the computer rankings.

Part of the reason the ACC has been getting 4 instead of 7 or 8 bids to the NCAAs these past few years is because we are not running up the score in pre-season tomato can games, and the SEC and B1G most certainly do.

That's the difference, and how many bids conferences are going to get will be pretty much determined by Christmas.

I hate that about the NCAA, these past few years. Computer rankings have become too powerful. They distort reality, according to your choices in the algorithm.

But there is no doubt. The season begins now, and they can't sleepwalk their way into the game. They have to come out with purpose, and get up by 10 points early, to set the tone.

They have to play Big Boy Ball and stuff it down their throats until their front line players are all in foul trouble. That's how we get back to the Tournament, folks.

I am holding my breath, hoping for the best.

 

[RedtheGOB]

Dude you nailed it. I’m right there with you. I’ve been posting way too much here cuz I really want to talk myself into a tourney team but right now have no idea what this team is capable of.

In the offseason I was feeling 60/40 we would make it and now I’m 40/60 cuz the guards have just been terrible. You can’t blow teams out when the guards can’t make 3’s and we don’t defend and we can’t make free throws.

I really feel like we have the talent and depth but damn what have we seen so far. Mediocrity.

All I can say is that we’ve seen youth lead the way before in CNY. We may need to have Freeman and Sadiq play 40 mins a game balls to the wall. And do gods sake George for real is killing me, he needs to floor general this team and hasn’t shown it yet. I swear the guys hasn’t broke a sweat yet in these exhibitions.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Dude you nailed it. I’m right there with you. I’ve been posting way too much here cuz I really want to talk myself into a tourney team but right now have no idea what this team is capable of.

In the offseason I was feeling 60/40 we would make it and now I’m 40/60 cuz the guards have just been terrible. You can’t blow teams out when the guards can’t make 3’s and we don’t defend and we can’t make free throws.

I really feel like we have the talent and depth but damn what have we seen so far. Mediocrity.

All I can say is that we’ve seen youth lead the way before in CNY. We may need to have Freeman and Sadiq play 40 mins a game balls to the wall. And do gods sake George for real is killing me, he needs to floor general this team and hasn’t shown it yet. I swear the guys hasn’t broke a sweat yet in these exhibitions.

I totally agree that the guards have to step up.
It may take awhile, but that's a luxury we don't have.

I also agree that it will be Saddiq and Donnie leading this team.
They seem like they have the biggest personalities so far.

 

[CbusCuse]

until Binghamton on Monday.

I have seen some signs that we could do what we're supposed to do, which is win by 20+.

Playing these teams with their Q4 rankings, we have to win blow outs, or else we lose points in the computer rankings.

Part of the reason the ACC has been getting 4 instead of 7 or 8 bids to the NCAAs these past few years is because we are not running up the score in pre-season tomato can games, and the SEC and B1G most certainly do.

That's the difference, and how many bids conferences are going to get will be pretty much determined by Christmas.

I hate that about the NCAA, these past few years. Computer rankings have become too powerful. They distort reality, according to your choices in the algorithm.

But there is no doubt. The season begins now, and they can't sleepwalk their way into the game. They have to come out with purpose, and get up by 10 points early, to set the tone.

They have to play Big Boy Ball and stuff it down their throats until their front line players are all in foul trouble. That's how we get back to the Tournament, folks.

I am holding my breath, hoping for the best.

While I agree we need to blow out Q4 teams, that is not the only reason the ACC is not getting more bids. The conference W/L against the BIG and SEC has been rather horrendous as of late. So it’s not exactly some conspiracy plot against us recently.

 

[Ottoman]

We were way more impressive last preseason. Let's hope that's a good sign?

 

[IthacaMatt]

While I agree we need to blow out Q4 teams, that is not the only reason the ACC is not getting more bids. The conference W/L against the BIG and SEC has been rather horrendous as of late. So it’s not exactly some conspiracy plot against us recently.

Yes, I agree that the direct head-to-heads have not been great, but the blowouts carry too much weight IMO.

 

[Surfan06001]

 

[AngryOtto]

I come here for anything positive after that horrendous coaching, playing performance I sat through last night.
I thought Red was the biggest coaching question at SU until what I watched last night.
Listening to Reds press conference he see the issues with the team. My concern is that he will not be able to get the players to change or step up. He will also play players more minutes than they should get or at the wrong time.
I’m hoping for a positive season because after football, a poor basketball performance would be depressing.
On a positive note I know the women’s team does not have as much talent as the men but Coach Jack gets her players to play hard 40 minutes on both sides of the ball. I’m not sure how many games they win because of less talent but they are the only team at SU that is showing DART and CCT.
Maybe both men’s team should go watch players that play hard for the team and the S instead of the nil.

 

[AZOrange]

This team will get better as the season moves forward…give it time

 

[storange]

Watching the exhibition games I was left with 2 thoughts
- We have the talent
- We can’t coast for 25-30 minutes of a game like Wednesday. You could see the intensity difference in the last 10 minutes , it was palpable. Float for 20 minutes in Vegas and we’re down by 25 .

 

[CbusCuse]

Watching the exhibition games I was left with 2 thoughts
- We have the talent
- We can’t coast for 25-30 minutes of a game like Wednesday. You could see the intensity difference in the last 10 minutes , it was palpable. Float for 20 minutes in Vegas and we’re down by 25 .

Agreed. Defense starts with attitude. I think Red and the staff has to change their coaching style to be more intense and get the players playing with more effort and energy. And they also need to pick some designated leaders and make them responsible to to motivate the team and push their energy while on the floor.

We do that on defense, the offense will play more confident and much more efficient on that side as well.

I think we are deeper than most seasons and our bigs are mobile and athletic. If we play at a faster pace with intensity, and at a faster place, it will be very good for us.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

This team will get better as the season moves forward…give it time

11 new players in the program and everyone expects them to click from the start in two preseason scrimmages where Red is playing with 15+ rotations. The sooner Red finds his top 8-9 guys and solidifies the rotations the sooner this team will gel.

 

[Blanko97]

This team will get better as the season moves forward…give it time

Do they have time? You need to be ready to perform from the get go to make the tournament. There are going to be too few quality win opportunities in the ACC this year so I don’t think you can rely on conference play to carry you.

 

[Blanko97]

11 new players in the program and everyone expects them to click from the start in two preseason scrimmages where Red is playing with 15+ rotations. The sooner Red finds his top 8-9 guys and solidifies the rotations the sooner this team will gel.

Every team deals with that though... what’s so special about Syracuse that other teams can seem to do it but Syracuse needs all this extra time?

 

[OrlandoCuse]

Every team deals with that though... what’s so special about Syracuse that other teams can seem to do it but Syracuse needs all this extra time?

Zero teams have played a real game.

 

[Blanko97]

Zero teams have played a real game.

That’s fine but he said later in the season they will jell and I question why it takes that long. A bunch of teams have huge turnover and don’t seem to take as long to come together as Syracuse does. It just seems like a convenient early season excuse to give Autry a pass.

 

[pearl31]

And playing passable defense-
i.e., moving your feet to stay in front of your man, switching adequately when necessary, and sliding over to provide secondary/help defense -- all basic fundamentals of basketball at any level-
shouldn't take weeks/months into a season to occur

 

[DomeHolmes]

I think the keys to making the tournament seem fairly clear to me.

Rim protection and free throws hopefully can get marginally better. But they are what they are, anything better is a bonus.

But we have to play more inspired defense for 40 minutes, and we need George getting into the paint to dish to athletic bigs and find wing shooters. Those things we are “capable of” and will be the key IMO.

(And killer instinct to beat cupcakes by 20 not 10)

 

[tptcuse]

11 new players in the program and everyone expects them to click from the start in two preseason scrimmages where Red is playing with 15+ rotations. The sooner Red finds his top 8-9 guys and solidifies the rotations the sooner this team will gel.

I never thought I would say this after the years of only six guys playing an entire game, but I hope Red has figured out that he needs to shorten his bench. The players can't gel if it is always a different lineup.

 

[Niastri]

11 new players in the program and everyone expects them to click from the start in two preseason scrimmages where Red is playing with 15+ rotations. The sooner Red finds his top 8-9 guys and solidifies the rotations the sooner this team will gel.

It's a good thing we have four easy games against lower level teams before our first real game.

 

[Starman]

I'm surprised that nobody has said it yet, but it's interesting that we shot well from 3 on the road and poorly in the dome. While there's a lot of other things we want/need fixed, it's possible that our 3s will be much better in vegas or after enough games in the dome to adjust

 

[Bulldog04]

Those who are taking anything away from the exhibitions in a negative way is psychotic. They are exhibitions. They care about getting better and playing well but some of these takes about the team and blah blah are literally insane. In the golf world, you play practice rounds before the tournaments begin. Guess how much I cared about how well I played in practice rounds- IT DID NOT MATTER. I waited until the tournament began to actually care. Let’s wait to see how these games play out before everyone loses their mind again

 

[Newhouser]

Those who are taking anything away from the exhibitions in a negative way is psychotic. They are exhibitions. They care about getting better and playing well but some of these takes about the team and blah blah are literally insane. In the golf world, you play practice rounds before the tournaments begin. Guess how much I cared about how well I played in practice rounds- IT DID NOT MATTER. I waited until the tournament began to actually care. Let’s wait to see how these games play out before everyone loses their mind again

I hear that. That said, if it was me and my future depended on how the team performed this year, and that I've learned my previous methods didn't work, any time my team took the court this year, I would be damned sure that the new strategy and emphasis were rocking from day 1. Red has lost the long leash for fans to have blind faith.

 

[50YRsofCuse]

It is kind of a consensus If Red fails in his coaching, he will be gone after this season. If he coaches well and the team does well, he will be back next season.

Just seems like a number of you want to bury him before he starts the season. Reminds of the those posters who wanted Boeheim to retire the last 4-5 years of his career.

Right now, support Autry and enjoy what you can do through the season with the idea he may be successful instead of cutting him off at the knees.

He is going to win some games and lose some games. May win some games that he should lose and May lose some games that he should win.

If he fails, then you are right. Why be a critic for an entire season? What good does it do?

 

[pearl31]

Those who are taking anything away from the exhibitions in a negative way is psychotic. They are exhibitions. They care about getting better and playing well but some of these takes about the team and blah blah are literally insane. In the golf world, you play practice rounds before the tournaments begin. Guess how much I cared about how well I played in practice rounds- IT DID NOT MATTER. I waited until the tournament began to actually care. Let’s wait to see how these games play out before everyone loses their mind again

hey I'm a card carrying member of club Wait-and-See, and was ridiculing the overreactions after the Buffalo game. But I honestly don't think it possible to have watched the Pace exhibition and not be at least mildly disturbed by what transpired during the first 30 minutes -- regardleess of lineup combo or significance of the game. Just shockingly inept defense, for one. Sure, many of us are extra on edge after how last season quickly unfolded, and that's just the thing- there has been stuff on display with this new (and improved?) group that mirrors what was on display last year. Different groups, (some of the) same flaws. As I said, I hope like crazy they can produce the needed results starting Monday. I hope the pathetic slop that was exhibited vs Pace ends up being not indicative of anything at all.