Inside Syracuse’s rough off-season: How portal misses and a lack of NIL money led to a lost year

[Cuse12]

Where to start….

I don’t even know, I’ll spout random thoughts.

All I know is, it feels like we are 2-3 years behind the current landscape of CBB reality. Like our current NIL probably was in line for a solid class in the 21-22 time frame. This NIL thing is evolving so fast, if we keep playing catch up we will be consistently “a day late and a dollar short” as a poster already alluded to.

On paper our roster is probably quite better and NIL wise 10x greater than Colgate, lemoyne and Youngstown state. We all know how nail biter those games were. If we only had the NIL to beat them soundly…. Oh wait…


Yup NIL is the culprit, poor red what do you expect? He was doomed by our horrible NIL. I mean jeez all you need is money, why not just hire the local best HS coach then, right? Pay him $200k and save a lot of money for the program because it’s all NIL when it comes to winning, right?


edit: I want to add, obviously NIL is important and the university as it sits today couldn’t pay the players directly. So I can’t blame SU for that necessarily. But, I think it’s a SUPER important aspect of hiring a coach here - how will you engage donors to bolster the NIL for YOUR program Mr. Potential HC.

 

[Irishsecra1]

Just reading the comments here.

Red was unprepared, didnt have a GM in place. Did any of the assistants including GMAC do any player scouting, developing a database for potential transfers during last season?

I don't know why they and Corisanti couldn't have shared the responsibility to do what Kline is doing now to at least have some infrastructure in place and be prepared? I feel like this should have been going on going back to 2020!!! I realize the money part is beyond the assistants scope but c'mon.

I think it is fair to assume that as head coach Red was the one who told the assistants the sort of players he wanted.
None of us will ever know if some players that the assistants were following/recruiting were a hard no from Red. And if those players would have done well here.
The only evidence is Doty, the City Rocks alum from Fulton. 6-5 guard. The kid who Gerry made his number one priority once he got the Siena job.
This kid will probably be the MAAC rookie of the year.
Obviously, Red had no interest even with a scholarship available.

 

[rrlbees]

I understand Bees, but providing resources is also finding donors to support NIL. They absolutely should provide two more coaches. If they don’t that says a lot.

JW spent countless hours meeting with businesses and donors. He talked nil in almost every written or verbal interview he gave.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Read the post I responded too.

There's nothing in that post saying that the university should pay more money into NIL.

I agree, but you have to admit Red has been severely strapped with having the necessary tools to compete. He needed to be better prepared and SU needed to provide the resources to compete in the new world of college athletics. I have no doubt that Kadary Richmond would have come back to SU if we could have matched St. John’s $1.2 million offer. If we matched Duke’s offer to Maliq, he may have come back. Relationships mean nothing any more. It’s only the $$$. I’m worried that we think Kline is going to be our savior.

The first part of the paragraph doesn't say anything about NIL, but tools or resources. The second half are two hypotheticals about being able to match NIL offers.

 

[hoopsupstate]

JW spent countless hours meeting with businesses and donors. He talked nil in almost every written or verbal interview he gave.

That’s great, so the University is part of the NIL, just not writing the check. We all know that, but to keep saying that Syracuse has nothing to do with paying athletes is a little misleading.

 

[sufan59]

Soo many contradictions here.

If it was always in house, why even bother with evaluating external candidates?

feedback from media? curious who those members were. Gotta be careful, most don't have a good pulse on the CBB world. Jeff Goodman is one whose opinion I do value.

Feedback from coaching fraternity? hope those coaches outside of SU, had SUs best interests and aren't direct competitors. Its funny, schools weren't knocking down Reds door with job offers.

Only at Syracuse do you force out the Head coach and replace him with an assistant on staff and think that's best candidate.

Like if Alabama had to force out Nick Saban they aint hiring his Offensive Coordinator, lol. Those fans would riot in that scenario.

The only comparable instance I can think of, was Bobby Bowden to Jimbo Fischer. But Fischer was in demand and if not for HCIW status could have left for other jobs. Red didnt have anywhere to go, no market for him except at SU.

Jeff Goodman and Field of 68 national reporters I think are so confused on the moves we’ve made and have been making on the men’s basketball program. They simply avoid talking about the decline we’ve been going through. We are either that irrelevant in their eyes despite our consistent success from the 1980s-2010s or they don’t really see any hope to comment on the situation. It’s sad. Even during the GROB era we got a college gameday segment on our decline. Maybe we will get some segments soon. Obviously you don’t want these segments, but programs that do it’s usually that they see hope of a turnaround that people should tune into.

 

[Scooch]

JW spent countless hours meeting with businesses and donors. He talked nil in almost every written or verbal interview he gave.

So what happened between last summer and now? We've been assured by several people that we have the money to compete now. That we'll be able to land all but the most-highly compensated players.

Why did we strike out with NIL fundraising from March 2023 through this fall? What changed?

 

[phil77]

I still challenge someone to tell me one thing outside of maybe Freshman recruiting (which has yet to really translate to the court yet ) what does Red do well as a coach? One thing as an actual coach of basketball does he do well that he can hang his hat on?

 

[djcon57]

The same posters suggesting we’re behind due to NIL are the same posters that suggested our talent was fine during the off-season and we were going to make a tourney run.
….and now this from Mike Waters.

1+1=2

 

[djcon57]

Kadary was never coming back to Syracuse and I said it at the time. St Johns had an unlimited budget

 

[DilemaCuse]

Jeff Goodman and Field of 68 national reporters I think are so confused on the moves we’ve made and have been making on the men’s basketball program. They simply avoid talking about the decline we’ve been going through. We are either that irrelevant in their eyes despite our consistent success from the 1980s-2010s or they don’t really see any hope to comment on the situation. It’s sad. Even during the GROB era we got a college gameday segment on our decline. Maybe we will some segments soon. Obviously you don’t want these segments, but programs that do it’s usually that they see hope of a turnaround that people should tune into.

Id love to know what Jeff thinks these days. He came on Finebaum a couple of weeks ago and mentioned us just saying, the Red hire hasnt worked out to this point and SU and UNC not being as good has hurt ACC perception.

2 years ago he was asked and he thought Pitino would be interested in SU, ship sailed...

 

[kingtidge]

So Wildhack didn't have discussions with members of the media, agents, and other members of the coaching community for the two years leading up to Boeheim's retirement about potential candidates to lead the program and build out a detailed succession plan for when that day arrived? He just went in alphabetical order and stopped at the A's?

Thanks for sharing that.

No, that is not what I said.

I said the decision to hire internally meant we decided to settle for a legacy hire and not the best candidate.

It is what it is.

 

[Irishsecra1]

What stinks the most around this is I wish more investment was put into women’s basketball instead of men’s basketball after last season. The excuses being made for our men’s basketball program this season really fits more to what happened to our women’s basketball program. I feel for FLJ, it’s going to be even tougher when there is a push that we need to step up and fund more to Autry’s men’s program to be competitive. The truth is as of right now, we should be prioritizing supporting FLJ and the women’s program under the current conditions. We can actually be successful in that sport with funds under FLJ. I have doubts on Autry in those same conditions.

Problem is who has more fans - mens basketball or womens basketball.

I have been a mens fan since the early 70s and am now a season ticket holder.
I do not like womens basketball, do not watch it on TV and have not watched it in any way shape or form since I was in college.

And yes I am a woman.
A better mens program brings in signficantly more bucks to the school.
I dont think the average person has more than a - isnt that nice moment - when our womens team does well.
JMO

 

[crv1728]

I still challenge someone to tell me one thing outside of maybe Freshman recruiting (which has yet to really translate to the court yet ) what does Red do well as a coach? One thing as an actual coach of basketball does he do well that he can hang his hat on?

Well SU is 298th in team defense efficiency, so he’s got that going for him.
I’m with you, I don’t see a good coach regardless of NIL, staffing, etc.

 

[orangecuse]

Soo many contradictions here.

If it was always in house, why even bother with evaluating external candidates?

feedback from media? curious who those members were. Gotta be careful, most don't have a good pulse on the CBB world. Jeff Goodman is one whose opinion I do value.

Feedback from coaching fraternity? hope those coaches outside of SU, had SUs best interests and aren't direct competitors. Its funny, schools weren't knocking down Reds door with job offers.

Only at Syracuse do you force out the Head coach and replace him with an assistant on staff and think that's best candidate.

Like if Alabama had to force out Nick Saban they aint hiring his Offensive Coordinator, lol. Those fans would riot in that scenario.

The only comparable instance I can think of, was Bobby Bowden to Jimbo Fischer. But Fischer was in demand and if not for HCIW status could have left for other jobs. Red didnt have anywhere to go, no market for him except at SU.

Checkmate! You truly nailed it. Your second sentence reiterating that comment of his clearly speaks for itself. I mean, that's game, set & match right there! Any further spewing of rationale, etc. for the hire is purely 100% malarkey and spin.

I don't care who you are, when one has close ties, relationships, access, etc. to anything, human nature makes it practically impossible for that individual to have true objectivity, and will always spin, argue, etc. from that angle...period!

 

[Consigliere]

No, that is not what I said.

I said the decision to hire internally meant we decided to settle for a legacy hire and not the best candidate.

It is what it is.

Thanks for clarifying. In retrospect I agree. Just wanted to stress that hte narrative that the only candidates that got any consideration were the internal one (or two possibly) isn't necessarily the way things transpired.

 

[sufan59]

Problem is who has more fans - mens basketball or womens basketball.

I have been a mens fan since the early 70s and am now a season ticket holder.
I do not like womens basketball, do not watch it on TV and have not watched it in any way shape or form since I was in college.

And yes I am a woman.
A better mens program brings in signficantly more bucks to the school.
I dont think the average person has more than a - isnt that nice moment - when our womens team does well.
JMO

Men’s program 100% has more fans and generates more revenue for the school. I do think though the women’s basketball sport is becoming more mainstream by the year which if you become invested and give support the revenue potential is closer to men’s basketball than ever before in the sport history. Main point there is I have more confidence in our women’s basketball program to deliver with more funds than the men’s basketball program at the present.

 

[JustPherU]

You figure it out.

No need to be all snarky, I literally thought you might have seen something somewhere about the subject and was curious.Hope your day gets better.

 

[orangecuse]

The same posters suggesting we’re behind due to NIL are the same posters that suggested are talent was fine during the off-season and we were going to make a tourney run.
….and now this from Mike Waters.

1+1=2

Of course it's the usual suspects. Just as they were with the sanctions, et al. Additionally, same on the football side spewing SU can't ever be this or can't ever be that due to its geographical location, casually related poor weather, proximity to D1 talent pool, poor HS in the state, etc., etc.. And, the beat goes on...

It's interesting what can be accomplished when the focus is on can, vs. can't.

 

[Irishsecra1]

Men’s program 100% has more fans and generates more revenue for the school. I do think though the women’s basketball sport is becoming more mainstream by the year which if you become invested and give support the revenue potential is closer to men’s basketball than ever before in the sport history. Main point there is I have more confidence in our women’s basketball program to deliver with more funds than the men’s basketball program at the present.

I agree with that.
Issue being the women actually have a good coach.

 

[djcon57]

BTW, if you havent caught on, the narrative is being moved to Kadary because Leffew is not starting and averaging 10 pts and 2 assists for a 16-11 team who prob won't make the tourney.

 

[EnviroSciGuy]

We could win a NC and you still wouldn’t give any credit to Autry. You’re dislike of him is on a large screen

Actually, I've noted that he quieted some of my concerns last year with his management of the former cast of characters. Unfortunately that was probably just a product of the low bar set for that season, and my big concerns quickly came right back to the forefront this year almost immediately.

Autry is one of my favorite all-time players and I want him to succeed, but I can also be honest about his poor performance and what he has done to the program.

 

[jr4750]

No doubt we have added staff and resources to football and that’s proven to make a difference. You got to spend money to make money. Hoops has to do the same, and hopefully they will. Question is whether an addition couple million for NIL will matter if we don’t have the right coach.

 

[Blanko97]

BTW, if you havent caught on, the narrative is being moved to Kadary because Leffew is not starting and averaging 10 pts and 2 assists for a 16-11 team who prob won't make the tourney.

9 of their losses have come in arguably the best top to bottom conference we've seen in 30 years. all 11 losses are Q1 and their worst conference win is better than Syracuse's best win this year. The narrative moved because St. Johns is insanely good, not because Georgia has "struggled"

 

[djcon57]

9 of their losses have come in arguably the best top to bottom conference in we've seen in 30 years. Their worst conference win is better than Syracuse's best win this year.

What's that have to do with my point?

Look at Leffew's stat line the last 5 games