If you were king for a day, what would you change about our program?

[HOFCeluck]

That would be fun, but that's ancient history in college hoops.

With 18-game conference schedules, and soon to be 20 in the ACC, this will definitely not be an option.

If it were an option, give me Georgetown on a mid-February Saturday/Sunday afternoon.

Damn it I thought I was king.

 

[AlaskaSU]

You throw out this idea time after time after time. It's so much easier when you also don't have to figure out how to finance it. Kansas and Kentucky dorms were financed by donors. Are you paying for ours?

Lighten up and read the title of the thread.

 

[Jasoncuse]

Damn it I thought I was king.

Can you get a fellow king from another school to cosign this? If so, I'm on board.

 

[MGP]

Blue Curtain the poster, or Blue Curtain the curtain?

I would say yes to both. The board needs to be educated on professional arena court sizes. And the blue curtain was cool looking.

blue curtain - not capitalized. But the poster did add some color to the board. Thank you, I'll be here all week..

 

[sufandu]

I'd like that also but think that's in the past, especially after we expand to 20 conference games.

Of course it's in the past. It's about as likely as any of us being king for a day.

 

[sufandu]

I know I use Vermont in my discussions alot, but this feeds in perfectly with what was said during the pre-game to the UVM game the other day. Vermont prides itself on defense, but Coach Becker explicitly stated "we look for guys who are good offensively, knowing that we can teach them to play defense." They are the best in their league, and right up there with many of the big boys at 66 on this list.

NCAA Basketball Stats - NCAA BB Team Defensive Efficiency on TeamRankings.com

I think there is more to it, in terms of identifying guys who are willing to buy into the commitment to play hard on defense, but the point remains.

Agreed. If a guy is willing to buy in, I would think defense is easier to teach than offensive skills. I think defense is less about ability and more about want to than offense is.

 

[benjams77]

i'm convinced there is a tradeoff between offense and defense here and I don't know what to do about it

we need bigger guards for the zone that can shoot. it's really hard to find them

we need to teach big guards how to shoot better. don't know if it's possible

I have been analyzing this season in my mind for the last week. I could go many different ways...As a HS head coach the last couple years I understand the challenges coaches at any level have, especially today with not only instant expectations from fans and admin but also players who want immediate returns (i.e. NBA or tourney)...I believe JB has done amazing things with such a limited team this year...We have only 3 scorers, and no shot makers just scorers, little playing experience, zero offensive post presence, no PG, low basketball IQ's (FH), little speed, lack of physical strength in post, major changes to staff, coaching questions before year, scholarship reductions, playing in most dominate league. among other things. To be honest this was probably hardest Cuse team for me to watch and I've watched many at 42 yrs old. They're just so limited.

That said to answer the question. Ive always understood teams have identities and areas of weakness...Just part of the game and what you recruit to, but also what hurts you in the wrong matchup... Duke has struggled for years on defense and cannot keep guys in front of them, but they score. Those Dixon Pitt teams were very physical but lacked play makers in tight spots...Roys NC and even Kansas teams always got up and down really well, but struggle when slowed down hence 1996 vs Cuse...These DUKE, and NC teams are able to get past their weaknesses at times because of the high end talent but they do get caught like Duke vs Lehigh...

JBs' teams have seemed to always struggle against physicality, hence Pitt and Marquette, Cinci. In High school we have that big issue where players think they'll out athlete everyone and the physical teams push you around...I think this is an issue Cuse has at times, especially when we are not as athletic like this season. I love how JB recruits but would like to see him get a bruiser each year ...Like hockey has enforcer types...We need a guy like that...I think both our PF's have that mindset, but MD is to thin and MM is to hyper...I looked back at the teams we lost to in the tourneys since 2001 and the teams we lose too are almost always the tough physical teams who out work you like PITT always did. I picked 2001 cause that was the biggest memory I have of a Cuse team being manhandled by Kansas losing 87-59...We were out-rebounded 55-29 with a team I see comparable to this years with a soft Jeremy McNeil and no bench, although we did have 4 guys who could score.
Other tourney losses since then and their physical guy inside and on boards
2016 - N. Carolina - Meeks and Hicks
2014 - Dayton - Very Physical with Oliver
2013 - Michigan - Mitch McGary
2012 - Ohio St. - Jarred Sullinger
2011 - Marquette - Buzz's team - always physical
2010 - Butler - very physical - i think this year we had our physical guy in AO and lost him or would have won
2009 - OKlahoma - Griffin brothers
2007 - Vermont - Physical - Coppenwrath - outworked Cuse
2003 - Melo - was the talent to compensate for us - plus I though Kueth played the workers role and when he did we won

All this said I think we need to find these guys and right now are missing on them a bit like Roberson and maybe Moyer, time will tell

With this I think we match-up well with ASU cause of their heavy guard play but may struggle with Dixon identity team in TCU...

Just glad we made the tourney...Go Orange!!!

 

[Tom W.]

Please note, this is not a thread intending / designed to bash Jim Boeheim. But if your preferences would be taken into account, what systemic changes would you like to see made for Syracuse University basketball?

Here's my list:

• Recruit more basketball PLAYERS -- we've had a lot of success recruiting a certain profile of athlete to maximize their fit for the zone defense. But this strategy [while it can certainly optimize the defense] is directly responsible for some of the offensive struggles we've had in recent years. Especially with respect to the backcourt / wing positions. My opinion only, but I believe that there is a direct correlation to the poor offense we've seen some seasons, and having a deficiency of guys who can pass, dribble, and shoot. Guys like James Southerland are great defensively in the zone, but being limited with respect to perimeter versatility hamstrings the offense, especially when we face good defensive teams. By no means am I advocating going back to a situation where we have a 6-3 guy like Josh Pace manning the back line of the zone. But I'd much rather have wings who can shoot, put the ball on the floor, set up teammates, etc. -- a 6-6 or 6-7 guy who can do those things [like Theo Pinson or the guys Villanova seems to have manning the 3 seemingly every year] would offer adequate size on the back line [a la Kris Joseph]. We have lots of athletes, we need more guys who have high levels of basketball skill -- especially on the perimeter positions.

• Expanded use of the bench -- Jim Boeheim isn't the only coach who uses a 7 player rotation, but this is one area where I philosophically differ, and would prefer to see a more expanded use of the bench. I'm not suggesting that we have to run platoons of 10-12 players like some teams. But given my druthers, I'd like to see our players NOT leading the nation in minutes played. Beyond getting a bit more rest, playing more guys would help develop the bench and also enable us to get after it defensively more aggressively. Which segues into my next point...

• Defensive diversification -- I have no problem whatsoever being a heavy base zone team. In fact, I wouldn't care if we play zone 95+ percent of the time. But there are times when teams either get into a groove playing against the zone, or we allow them to dictate game tempo. Being able to switch out of zone to force the opposition to adjust would be disruptive and force the other team to react instead of just settling into a comfort zone [pun intended]. We use a press as a situational option, but generally only when we're trailing by a substantial amount. My strong preference would be to see us switch it up more often, while still employing the zone as a differentiating base package that is challenging for most teams to prepare for / simulate in practice. Mixing things up would also facilitate the two previous bullets above, without having any square peg / round hole situations.

• Recruit true lead guards -- this correlates with my first bullet above, but takes it a step further. College basketball is a heavily guard-driven game, and if there is one position where you shouldn't sacrifice skill for size, it's at point guard. Combo guards might provide bigger targets for the opposition to shoot over up top, but what we sacrifice in terms of running the team isn't worth the trade off. And please note that JB has shown a willingness to recruit smaller point guards [examples--Flynn, GMac, Green last year], so it isn't unprecedented. But we shouldn't make trade offs with respect to the most important position on the floor.

• Recruit a full roster -- JB generally eschews recruiting a full roster -- in all likelihood, due to the fact that he doesn't play a ton of guys. Keeping an open scholarship [or two] also enables him to elevate walk ons to scholarship status, which has a beneficial effect on boosting our team's APR rating. But the sanctions dug deep, and provided us with an extreme glimpse of what happens when we don't have a full compliment of scholarship players, and have unanticipated attrition and / or injuries [or both]. If we used the bench more, then it wouldn't be difficult to have 11 or 12 guys on scholarship, and keep the majority of them happy. Having 6 or 7 guys playing due to injuries and other factors these past two seasons has been absurd, putting it mildly.

• Pick a recruiting style and COMMIT to it -- our program's success has long been tied to getting quality system fits who end up being "better" than their rankings most of the team. And true to form, some of our best teams have blended high quality four-year program types with a sprinkling of higher rated players. But it seems as though we've deviated from that strategy a bit since 2012. The type of athletes we recruit are attractive to the NBA, which is why we've had guys jump to the league -- even those that don't seem "ready." Further complicating the situation is that we rarely land blue chippers -- so the guys we bring in that jump early generally aren't dynamic enough to put the team on their backs and take us to the next level. So we get the worst of both worlds -- decent but not transcendent play for the most part, and then many of them bail before actualizing their potential. I believe that we're suffering from our in-between recruiting approach. We're never going to recruit like the UK,'s Duke's, Arizona's, or Kansas's of the world that land classes full of blue chip prospects every year. And our younger guys often appear perpetually disadvantaged playing against teams that recruit four year players and retain those guys for the full duration of their careers [examples of teams successfully deploying that strategy are Virginia, Villanova, and Notre Dame]. This ties to the previous bullet -- we need more four year program guys to balance out the ebbs-and-flows of attrition, to enhance depth, and to step into bigger, more important roles when they become upperclassmen. We've lacked that stability for several seasons [with the exception of the 2016 backcourt], to the detriment of team performance. We need to decide whether we're going all in on blue chippers, or all in on guys who stick around for a few seasons. Because being in the middle and failing to accomplish either of those things isn't getting the job done.

• Lighten the mood -- college basketball is serious business, and these coaches face a lot of stress. One of JB's strengths as a coach is to not wear his emotions on his sleeves, and to avoid ranting and raving on the sidelines like many coaches do. This calm demeanor rubs off on the team, even when things are going poorly. But JB can also be acerbic, with a sharp tongue. And his lack of filter can wear on the team -- especially without a "good cop" to balance him out. Seeing the video clip of our team reacting to making the tournament was incredible -- and a marked contrast to seeing a positive kid like Matt Moyer sitting on the bench sullen these past 10 games, while JB rips into him on the sidelines. Sometimes the people who are the best in their field make it to that level because they are relentless -- and JB is clearly no exception. But I wish that he would lighten up a bit on the players. I think it is costing him the close relational tie that he clearly has with guys from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s teams -- that's why those players return in droves and follow the team around the nation during tournament time. I hate to see him lose touch with an entire generation of players from our program who've had a different experience than their predecessors. Let the kids have fun out there.

• Dictate tempo to the opposition, not the other way around -- too often, we settle into games and let the opponent dictate tempo while we sit back in zone. This is especially problematic when we face strong rebounding teams, who might miss a shot or two or three, but retain possessions by hitting the offensive boards hard. We used to run teams off of the floor -- I hate letting inferior teams hang around and shorten the game, which mitigates the talent difference. Even against teams that are better [on paper], I'd like to see us take it to them more, look to force turnovers that lead to run-out opportunities and easy scores in transition. ESPECIALLY given that we've been offensively challenged. At one point late in the conference tournament game against UNC, they showed a graphic that indicated that late in the game, we had ZERO fast break points. Zero. That's unacceptable.

Curious to hear what other ideas some of you might have.

I don't necessarily agree with each thing you said, but this was a fantastic post.

 

[MSOrange]

Lighten up and read the title of the thread.

Good point. My apologies for taking things a little too seriously, Alaskan compadre

 

[HOFCeluck]

I have been analyzing this season in my mind for the last week. I could go many different ways...As a HS head coach the last couple years I understand the challenges coaches at any level have, especially today with not only instant expectations from fans and admin but also players who want immediate returns (i.e. NBA or tourney)...I believe JB has done amazing things with such a limited team this year...We have only 3 scorers, and no shot makers just scorers, little playing experience, zero offensive post presence, no PG, low basketball IQ's (FH), little speed, lack of physical strength in post, major changes to staff, coaching questions before year, scholarship reductions, playing in most dominate league. among other things. To be honest this was probably hardest Cuse team for me to watch and I've watched many at 42 yrs old. They're just so limited.

That said to answer the question. Ive always understood teams have identities and areas of weakness...Just part of the game and what you recruit to, but also what hurts you in the wrong matchup... Duke has struggled for years on defense and cannot keep guys in front of them, but they score. Those Dixon Pitt teams were very physical but lacked play makers in tight spots...Roys NC and even Kansas teams always got up and down really well, but struggle when slowed down hence 1996 vs Cuse...These DUKE, and NC teams are able to get past their weaknesses at times because of the high end talent but they do get caught like Duke vs Lehigh...

JBs' teams have seemed to always struggle against physicality, hence Pitt and Marquette, Cinci. In High school we have that big issue where players think they'll out athlete everyone and the physical teams push you around...I think this is an issue Cuse has at times, especially when we are not as athletic like this season. I love how JB recruits but would like to see him get a bruiser each year ...Like hockey has enforcer types...We need a guy like that...I think both our PF's have that mindset, but MD is to thin and MM is to hyper...I looked back at the teams we lost to in the tourneys since 2001 and the teams we lose too are almost always the tough physical teams who out work you like PITT always did. I picked 2001 cause that was the biggest memory I have of a Cuse team being manhandled by Kansas losing 87-59...We were out-rebounded 55-29 with a team I see comparable to this years with a soft Jeremy McNeil and no bench, although we did have 4 guys who could score.
Other tourney losses since then and their physical guy inside and on boards
2016 - N. Carolina - Meeks and Hicks
2014 - Dayton - Very Physical with Oliver
2013 - Michigan - Mitch McGary
2012 - Ohio St. - Jarred Sullinger
2011 - Marquette - Buzz's team - always physical
2010 - Butler - very physical - i think this year we had our physical guy in AO and lost him or would have won
2009 - OKlahoma - Griffin brothers
2007 - Vermont - Physical - Coppenwrath - outworked Cuse
2003 - Melo - was the talent to compensate for us - plus I though Kueth played the workers role and when he did we won

All this said I think we need to find these guys and right now are missing on them a bit like Roberson and maybe Moyer, time will tell

With this I think we match-up well with ASU cause of their heavy guard play but may struggle with Dixon identity team in TCU...

Just glad we made the tourney...Go Orange!!!

I'll give you UNC, Dayton, Marquette, Butler, and (kind of) Ohio State.

But the others I dont think are accurate. We didn't lose to Vermont because of Taylor Coppenwrath. We lost because Gmac had an abysmal shooting night, Warrick had double digit turnovers, most of which were careless, and one of Vermont's role players went nuts. In 2009 Griffin lit us up but that was kind of expected. What was not expected was Tony Crocker going 6-11 from 3. And in 2013 Mitch McGary wasn't so much physical as he was able to exploit the center of the zone He had 10 points, 12 boards but also SIX assists. It also didn't help that our top three point shooter had a horrendous night and our future lottery pick wasn't even close to that level on the biggest stage.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I'll give you UNC, Dayton, Marquette, Butler, and (kind of) Ohio State.

But the others I dont think are accurate. We didn't lose to Vermont because of Taylor Coppenwrath. We lost because Gmac had an abysmal shooting night, Warrick had double digit turnovers, most of which were careless, and one of Vermont's role players went nuts. In 2009 Griffin lit us up but that was kind of expected. What was not expected was Tony Crocker going 6-11 from 3. And in 2013 Mitch McGary wasn't so much physical as he was able to exploit the center of the zone He had 10 points, 12 boards but also SIX assists. It also didn't help that our top three point shooter had a horrendous night and our future lottery pick wasn't even close to that level on the biggest stage.

Still think GMac was hung over as was rumored.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Still think GMac was hung over as was rumored.

That would be so great.

 

[OttoMets]

Still think GMac was hung over as was rumored.

I dunno, not a lot to do on a Thursday night in downtown Worcester. And it's not like 4-for-18 was such an anomaly for him.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I dunno, not a lot to do on a Thursday night in downtown Worcester. And it's not like 4-for-18 was such an anomaly for him.

Let me see now. What was the date of that game originally? If I recall correctly, it was some time in March of 2005. Oh yeah, the game was on the 18th. What does a guy with a last name like MacNamara have going on the day before the 18th... Huh. What could he have been doing...

 

[OttoMets]

Let me see now. What was the date of that game originally? If I recall correctly, it was some time in March of 2005. Oh yeah, the game was on the 18th. What does a guy with a last name like MacNamara have going on the day before the 18th... Huh. What could he have been doing...

View attachment 124657

Well this is an unexpected turn...

Anything's possible. Thinking back to my multiple experiences at the Patriot League tournament in Worcester (including two weeks before the NCAAs in 2005), it seems like a dull place where teams are stuck in the Crowne Plaza. Not exactly a James Harden in Miami scenario. But you never know.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Well this is an unexpected turn...

Anything's possible. Thinking back to my multiple experiences at the Patriot League tournament in Worcester (including two weeks before the NCAAs in 2005), it seems like a dull place where teams are stuck in the Crowne Plaza. Not exactly a James Harden in Miami scenario. But you never know.

Listen. My people are MacNamara's people, and we don't need no fancy Miami to have a good time. All we need are some of our boys, a few shots, a mess of pints, and talk of the old country, and we are good to go.

 

[Shenexon]

I already sold my sold to get into the Tournament so I can't help much.

Mine is pretty well leveraged as well so don't know if what's left in my soul equity account would be enough...

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Jesus, you know what's hilarious? I've played hoops with Germain Mopa Njila a bunch of times and I never asked him. I should see if he could smell it on Gerry that day. Next time I see him. Coppenrath doesn't play around here anymore.

 

[moqui]

This is an interesting take on Andy. I don't necessarily agree that he was a lead guard, playing alongside Scoop / Triche -- but I definitely think he is a great example of my first bullet -- recruiting guys who are just basketball players. He had a tremendously high hoops IQ, he was versatile, saw the floor well, could handle / pass / shoot, and was an above average zone defender due to his anticipation of where the ball was going to go. He might not have been as dynamic an athlete as some players we've had, but he made up for it with skill.

it was certainly a unique squad, having 3 guys who could lead the offense. but andy led that team in assists even though he did not dominate in usage (though i will acknowledge that scoop led in assist rate)

 

[kirbivore]

 

[SoBeCuse]

it was certainly a unique squad, having 3 guys who could lead the offense. but andy led that team in assists even though he did not dominate in usage (though i will acknowledge that scoop led in assist rate)

Yeah just show you how good teams can be when you have multiple ballhandlers and passers. With the injury to HW we have literally only two guards and we can’t take them off the floor. One is a decent ballhandler and a questionable passer. One is a questionable ballhandler and a good passer. But we really only have two. Love Marek’s passing ability though.

 

[tbonezone]

"Each rabbit would show respect to me. The chipmunks genuflect to me..."

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Jesus, you know what's hilarious? I've played hoops with Germain Mopa Njila a bunch of times.

Sweep the leg.

Do you have a problem with that?

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Sweep the leg.

Do you have a problem with that?

He's pretty fat and slow now. Not brcesnece. Or necessary. What the what?

 

[CaptainJ]

anyone want to argue with me about the Toadies being a decent band?

I love that song, posted it on here last year. I dont think I got any likes like you, so maybe youre better at spreading the word of the Toadies. I dont remember how I used it though, havent been able to find it from searches.

I think you may have inspired me to come out of a long karaoke retirement to sing this song. I remember learning it on bass...the song makes me happy for some reason. Behind the boathouse, I'll show you my dark secret!