I know it’s early

[Shrmdougluvr]

A decade of garbage basketball, poor recruiting and bad roster management isn’t going to be solved in the first two weeks of playing under a new coach. This team will have growing pains. Our ceiling is figuring out a way to make the Dance. We always knew Maui was going to be a major challenge this early in the season.

If we’re 5 games below .500 in mid February fans can be critical all they want. It will take time for Red to turn this team around. He’s going to have at least 2 to 3 years to get it turned around unless he puts up a disastrous record. You might as well give him and the team support.

This guy gets it.

 

[Cusefan0307]

think the currently product is an indictment on how far Boeheim let the program fall recently. What Red has done so far has the program heading back in the right direction. Even if Red turns out to be a good coach, it's going to take him a couple year to get us back to where we used to be given how far we've fallen.

Two of our best players from last years flawed team are gone. Maybe we should have kept them or tried to keep them to give Red some buffer this year. The replacements are worse.

 

[goofnoff]

Can't shoot, can't finish, can't rebound, can't stay in front of their man on D, can't shoot fouls. can't guard the 3, but it's Red's fault after 5 games.

At least we've got the same fans.

 

[Lukeyloo]

Two of our best players from last years flawed team are gone. Maybe we should have kept them or tried to keep them to give Red some buffer this year. The replacements are worse.

We could have kept Jesse.. if we forked over $700k..

 

[Melancer46]

As you mentioned in the OP, it's very early.

The roster simply isn't good. We have 1 or 2 players that are properly slotted in their roles; everyone else is playing a bigger role than they should be. The team will continue to be bad if it continues to be made up of relatively bad players.

The recruiting will likely have to rebound before the team's performance does.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

But officially put me on the not sold on RED train. Obviously it’s very early but extremely concerning what I’ve seen so far.

Since game 1, the team has looked ill prepared, lethargic, no resemblance or rhythm on offense and defense our guys have zero clue what they are doing half the time. Missed switches, open guys, not getting back on defense. Our offense looks rushed, so much one on one and non disciplined shot taking. Honestly horrendous.

Missed free throws, excessive turnovers and the team can’t rebound for their life. The rotation has been a mess. Red should have had a pretty good idea of a tight rotation going into yesterday. That he did not. Been a pretty rough start for Red and consider me less than impressed. Just horrible basketball

I don’t agree that everyone looks “lethargic.” I’ve seen that a few times. The guys are scrambling. They look like they intend to be engaged on defense. They just don’t do it well.

We get fooled by a few blocks and a bunch of strip-from-behinds, especially by McLeod and Brown respectively. But they are also getting abused and blown by, and Brown also gambles way too much, putting him out of position, forcing teammates out of position to compensate, and defensive possessions degrade.

The offense is without a scheme or plan. If you’re going to let (make) Bell shoot that much, how about getting him some real space with screens? Seems like every time he shoots, it’s a catch on the perimeter, he looks at the defender, sees no room, sees no way to make a play for someone else, and he just shoots anyway. We were worried about a low release out of high school, but he gets his shots off even when contested. But many of those shots shouldn’t be taken. But he goes off for 20 in a game and saves us, so he’s our ‘savior.’ Not.

Undisciplined shot taking—yeppers. Much of that is due to the lack of playmaking. Desperation. Knowing there aren’t going to be better shots later in the clock. Judah gets his 20ppg and he’s definitely on an audition tour. Sadly, we need those 20. Just wish he could mix in 6-7 assists.

Not sure about the rotation, depth-wise. We were always going to play a lot of guys. We need to fix things from the inside-out. McLeod needs massive improvement. I have zero confidence in Griffin getting that done. We have no power forward. Brown is the closest we have yet he’s playing the 5. And we are out-toughed at every position.

 

[sugrad68]

He is not a good defender on the ball or off.

I was watching a Clemson game last week and Joe was pulled at the end for defensive reasons. Can you imagine Joe trying to guard Mintz or Starling one-on-one? 30+ points for either one.

 

[TinyManInside]

Starting backcourt is basically Mintz and a crummier version of Mintz. Total redundancy.

 

[Sbucketball]

We could have kept Jesse.. if we forked over $700k..

Half of which was sunk cost they already intended to give him. Would have changed the season.

 

[FrancoPizza]

think the current product is an indictment on how far Boeheim let the program fall recently. What Red has done so far has the program heading back in the right direction. Even if Red turns out to be a good coach, it's going to take him a couple year to get us back to where we used to be given how far we've fallen.

I don’t give red a pass for inheriting this mess. He chose to keep this mess instead of a reset. We’re basically losing a season of a rebuild right out of the gate.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I'm sorry, but JJ is not better than Girard. Just because someone is faster and in better shape does not make them a better basketball player. I realize that will piss people off here, but those are the facts right now.

I think whatever player JJ was in high school it’s not who he is now, and it’s obvious. But I didn’t want Joe back either. I don’t think he would help this season. Mainly due to offensive game planning. It’s interesting to see how some of his numbers have changed at Clemson so far - mainly turnovers.

 

[UpstateSM]

The guys shredding us from Gonzaga are a grad student (5th year), a redshirt junior (4th year) and a junior (3rd year).

Our collective roster has played barely over 1 full year of college basketball. We have zero seniors. Benny is our most experienced guy (says a lot).

I’ll accept your apology at a later date of your choosing.

Red wasn't allowed to use the transfer portal to get experienced depth?

 

[23Zone]

Hoping Red has no more than 2 year initial term in his contract because damn he is way over his head

 

[dan7800]

I think that this year's team beats last year's team at this time by 10+

 

[pearl31]

Grand proclamations 5 games into a tenure... Yikes

 

[mark79]

LOL at this hot take a mere 4.5 games into the season for a brand new coach with a young basketball team.

Agreed!! Coach K, the winningest basketball coach of all time was 9-17 in his last season at Army and in his first year at Duke he was 17-13 and was 6-8 in the ACC.

Maybe we should let Red have a few more games or God forbid a season before we run him off? I’m all for constructive criticism but already wanting to fire him is just plain silly.

 

[dasher]

Red wasn't allowed to use the transfer portal to get experienced depth?

we got 4 players in the portal. I think we did as well as we could have in that dept. 2 guys were top 40 recruits just a year earlier.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

I don’t give red a pass for inheriting this mess. He chose to keep this mess instead of a reset. We’re basically losing a season of a rebuild right out of the gate.

I don’t understand. Suggesting Red should have cleaned house and recruited an entire team out of the portal? Not all, though, right? So, who should have been axed and then who might we have acquired? That seems like a lot to ask for/expect, and would just have added even more uncertainty. I can forgive an assistant coach for believing in the potential of people with whom he has a relationship and saw every day. And then recruiting transfers to a program with an unknown/untested coach who likely would have favored whoever he did retain… that‘s a tough ask.

 

[wiCuse]

This team is lacking discipline. Unnecessary gambling on defense, no communication or switching. I like Red a lot and will give him this season, but these examples are a reflection of the head coach regardless if they're new or experienced. The only positive I can find with Red right now is with recruiting. I always admired how JB tightened the reins after the first few games and everyone knew their role. It's difficult watching a team where everyone has the green light. Copeland and Brown should never shoot a three.

I was watching the Gonzaga game at a bar and several people commented "I thought Syracuse was good or competitive". It's sad...

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Red wasn't allowed to use the transfer portal to get experienced depth?

It's a transfer portal. It's not the NBA Draft.

You can only get players who want to play for you.

If everyone "swipes left", what can you do?

 

[CuseBlood44]

I think our personnel doesn’t fit what he wants to do at all. I agree with all your points though

He recruited them… and the “unathletic” guy transferred out

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Agreed!! Coach K, the winningest basketball coach of all time was 9-17 in his last season at Army and in his first year at Duke he was 17-13 and was 6-8 in the ACC.

Maybe we should let Red have a few more games or God forbid a season before we run him off? I’m all for constructive criticism but already wanting to fire him is just plain silly.

Who said we should fire him?

 

[sufan59]

Agreed!! Coach K, the winningest basketball coach of all time was 9-17 in his last season at Army and in his first year at Duke he was 17-13 and was 6-8 in the ACC.

Maybe we should let Red have a few more games or God forbid a season before we run him off? I’m all for constructive criticism but already wanting to fire him is just plain silly.

It’s absurd. We lose to two teams that are on the path to be 4 seeds and higher in the tourney in week 3 of a new coach and system. Actually looked competitive and left a lot of points in both games on the floor. The team now knows what the top competition has to offer and they know it before thanksgiving. We have a lot of games coming up that are better competition than the first 3 games, but not as good as the competition we just faced. Let’s see what happens and see where we are at New Years. I’m more excited and engaged with College Basketball in general than I have in a while.

 

[CardiacCuse]

John made an easy and lazy hire. All there is to it.

optics

 

[Cuse Action]

Its funny how much better Joe gets on this board with every half JJ plays. 99% of this board couldn't wait to send Joe packing.

I'm pretty sure there were posts when Starling transferred that he would leave for the NBA after one year.