I would love a player like John Mooney on our team

[BlackSquirrels]

6'9", 240 lbs, is not going to get moved around in the paint. You can feed him the ball in the post, and he calmly knows what to do with it. He can create his own shot, can shoot it from outside, and get to the line. He can rebound. And he's a 4 year program player.

He's just a basketball player, at the end of the day. Not just a guy who's tall.

I see what you’re saying, but it’s not difficult to see the reason for this situation.

One coach’s defensive philosophy relies on having a shot blocker at center.

The other coach’s defensive philosophy is essentially, “don’t foul.”

 

[IthacaMatt]

I can’t recall us ever getting a player like him. ND, on the other hand, always seems to produce guys like him every year.

Rick Jackson.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I think Marek could be like him if he can gain some weight.

LOL

 

[capeorange]

Go back even further and you can include Otis Hill.

We’ve been deficient at Center since Rak left, but the narrative that we don’t ever have a capable center is simply false.

Rak was also the last center coached by Bernie. Did Bernie have any input as to which centers were recruited?

 

[IthacaMatt]

That lob to Chukwu was quite literally unbelievable to watch.

Ok, fine, you can’t covert the alley-opp, no worries. You’re over 7 feet tall... basic stuff... come down with the ball, keep it above your head, and go right back up with it. I mean, even if he was skilled, gathering like he did is stuff you teach middle school kids not to do.

Yeah, the pump fakes were lame.
You're 7-2, dude. Just go back and try to dunk it. You'll probably get fouled.

 

[pfister1]

Probably more due to us not recruiting players like that anymore. Unless you have the wingspan of a condor, are over 6’9, have 0% body fat and are willing to ingest a tapeworm upon enrolling, we don’t want you.

That’s false.

We are recruiting Stewart. We recruited the Golden kid. We had Taurean Thompson and Moyer who both could have developed into that type of player as they physically matured.

 

[two3zone]

Go back even further and you can include Otis Hill.

We’ve been deficient at Center since Rak left, but the narrative that we don’t ever have a capable center is simply false.

Otis Hill could be a grand father to some of our current players.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Yeah, but neither of those guys took a shot outside of 5 feet

What's wrong with that? They could consistently get you a bucket or get to the line. They knew how to use their bodies inside, and often produced double-doubles. Arinze shot about 65-70% from the floor for his career. I'll take that any day.

 

[two3zone]

LOL

What’s funny?

 

[two3zone]

That’s false.

We are recruiting Stewart. We recruited the Golden kid. We had Taurean Thompson and Moyer who both could have developed into that type of player as they physically matured.

Moyer wasn’t developing into anything but an A student.

 

[Halfmooncuse]

I ready to take that guy on Fantasy Island who opened every show by running out and saying “Boss, Boss, the plane, the plane!”

 

[IthacaMatt]

What’s funny?

That Marek could ever gain 60 pounds.

 

[two3zone]

That Marek could ever gain 60 pounds.

30 lbs and he could be as effective as Mooney.

He should be able to gain 30 pounds with ease with his frame.

 

[pfister1]

Moyer wasn’t developing into anything but an A student.

Right! You know that from watching his development over his freshman year. I thought this discussion was about how come we don’t have any four/five year types capable of throwing their weight around on the interior and making an offensive contribution. That is exactly what Matt would have become if he played out his eligibility here.

Players that require all four years to “develop” rarely contribute at a high level as frosh or even sophs, if they did they’d be gone.

 

[two3zone]

Right! You know that from watching his development over his freshman year. I thought this discussion was about how come we don’t have any four/five year types capable of throwing their wait around on the interior and making an offensive contribution. That is exactly what Matt would have become if he played out his eligibility here.

Players that require all four years to “develop” rarely contribute at a high level as frosh or even sophs, if they did they’d be gone.

He’s currently in his third year of college basketball and isn’t lighting it up at Vanderbilt.

Kaleb can’t crack the rotation either in his 5th year or college ball.

Chukwu hasn’t improved.

Maybe guys just don’t get better?

 

[Cusefan0307]

Rak was also the last center coached by Bernie. Did Bernie have any input as to which centers were recruited?

Rak wasn’t coached by Bernie. Hopkins coached Rak. Bernie hasn’t been here since 2011.

 

[longtimefan]

He’s currently in his third year of college basketball and isn’t lighting it up at Vanderbilt.

Kaleb can’t crack the rotation either in his 5th year or college ball.

Chukwu hasn’t improved.

Maybe guys just don’t get better?

That's one of the beauties of college basketball--every year you have a new team, and you just don't know who's going to get better and who's just going to spin his wheels.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Man I never would've thought when he committed that Kaleb wouldn't be cracking the rotation at Creighton five years later.

 

[Briancuse]

I think Marek could be like him if he can gain some weight.

Ya if he eats another person.

 

[RF2044]

6'9", 240 lbs, is not going to get moved around in the paint. You can feed him the ball in the post, and he calmly knows what to do with it. He can create his own shot, can shoot it from outside, and get to the line. He can rebound. And he's a 4 year program player.

He's just a basketball player, at the end of the day. Not just a guy who's tall.

We had him--Moustapha Diagne.

Unfortunately, the NCAA screwed him over and he ended up at Western Kentucky.

By the way, how good would our team be with that kid being a senior, at 6 8 240 lbs?

 

[HOFCeluck]

By the way, how good would our team be with that kid being a senior, at 6 8 240 lbs?

Hopefully he'd be way better than what he's putting up this season.

 

[CardiacCuse]

If Mooney was on SU he'd foul out in 5 minutes every game. He elbowed his defender EVERY time he touched the ball...Syracuse players don't get away with that like the "blue bloods" do.

But I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment of this thread - give this team even a B- center - and they are probably still undefeated - and would've likely blown Notre Dame out by 30.

 

[Brooky03]

I was thinking the same thing. We don't need a 5 star athletic 7 ft. tall freak at the 5. A wide body with skill would do.

 

[br801]

Ya if he eats another person.

Just a small adult would do, or maybe even a large child.

 

[br801]

Rak wasn’t coached by Bernie. Hopkins coached Rak. Bernie hasn’t been here since 2011.

We need another non college basketball playing short guy to coach up our bigs.