Is anyone confident we can have a winning team under Red next year?

[bballbeadle]

I haven’t read through this thread but I saw Mike Waters’ column today and was interested in what he said. I copied and pasted because I wasn’t sure the link would work. Does this answer seem like rainbows and lollipops? I thought he made some good points.

Q: Do you think Syracuse officials are talking about a basketball head coaching change yet?



Jim L.



Mike: I thought long and hard before answering this question because I didn’t want to give oxygen to a conversation that I don’t believe is going to be, or should be, had.



But I decided to answer the question because I’ve received similar questions regarding Syracuse’s struggles this season under second-year head coach Adrian Autry, and I’ve heard the chatter on social media.



I think it would be very short-sighted for Syracuse officials to consider a coaching change.



Autry has already shown that he can coach. I think some fans forget that he won 20 games last year. That was the most regular season wins for Syracuse since 2014.



And it’s not like Autry took over the Syracuse program at the height of success.



Let’s remember that just three years ago, Syracuse went through a losing season, going 16-17 in 2021-22 under former head coach Jim Boeheim.



This is a transition year. The roster was almost completely overhauled after last season.



In my opinion, Syracuse wasn’t ready to approach such an overhaul in the age of the transfer portal.



Autry, to his credit, realized this. Last June, he hired Alex Kline, a Syracuse alum who had spent the previous eight years as a scout in the NBA, as the Orange’s general manager.

Syracuse general manager Alex Kline (second row, wearing glasses) watches a play during the Orange's game against Albany earlier this season. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.cumdennis nett | dnett@syracuse.com


Kline’s duties include preparing for the transfer portal during the season. They also include managing SU’s NIL budget, player retention and evaluating high school recruits in addition to the potential transfers.



Kline came on too late to have any input on this year’s roster.



I think Kline’s GM position is incredibly important because Syracuse does not have the NIL resources available at a lot of other programs in the SEC, Big Ten and even the ACC. So the Syracuse staff, including Autry, Kline and the assistant coaches, have to be smarter in how they approach the transfer portal and recruiting.



Kline is also trying to close that NIL gap, working with alumni groups and potential donors to get more support.



If Syracuse officials moved on from Autry after this year, they would be denying Autry and his staff the opportunity to put together a roster in conjunction with Kline.



I also think things would look a lot better this season if SUguard JJ Starling, the Orange’s leading scorer at 19.8 points per game, had not injured his left hand.



I’m not saying Starling would make Syracuse a great team, but he could’ve made a difference in losses to Notre Dame, Georgetown and Wake Forest. The Orange’s 8-9 record could be 11-6.



Another factor that would favor Autry and his staff is the promise of current Syracuse freshmen Donnie Freeman, Elijah Moore and Petar Majstorovic. Those three players are the first class brought in post-Boeheim.



And next year’s class includes a five-star forward in Sadiq White, a four-star guard in Kiyan Anthony, plus an international prospect in Australian guard Luke Fennell and an under-the-radar recruit in Aaron Womack of Milwaukee.



There’s an old saying among coaches, “It’s the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s; not the X’s and the O’s.’’



Retain the freshmen, bring in the 2025 recruits, target the right players in the portal and things could look a lot different next year for Syracuse.

 

[cuseattle]

The thing with Naheem not playing is irksome. Maybe he can't physically contribute. Maybe the team is incapable of playing 3 minutes of decent zone where he might be able to contribute more.
I can't remember a pat explanation from Red or Naheem. Ever

 

[IthacaMatt]

I haven’t read through this thread but I saw Mike Waters’ column today and was interested in what he said. I copied and pasted because I wasn’t sure the link would work. Does this answer seem like rainbows and lollipops? I thought he made some good points.

Q: Do you think Syracuse officials are talking about a basketball head coaching change yet?



Jim L.



Mike: I thought long and hard before answering this question because I didn’t want to give oxygen to a conversation that I don’t believe is going to be, or should be, had.



But I decided to answer the question because I’ve received similar questions regarding Syracuse’s struggles this season under second-year head coach Adrian Autry, and I’ve heard the chatter on social media.



I think it would be very short-sighted for Syracuse officials to consider a coaching change.



Autry has already shown that he can coach. I think some fans forget that he won 20 games last year. That was the most regular season wins for Syracuse since 2014.



And it’s not like Autry took over the Syracuse program at the height of success.



Let’s remember that just three years ago, Syracuse went through a losing season, going 16-17 in 2021-22 under former head coach Jim Boeheim.



This is a transition year. The roster was almost completely overhauled after last season.



In my opinion, Syracuse wasn’t ready to approach such an overhaul in the age of the transfer portal.



Autry, to his credit, realized this. Last June, he hired Alex Kline, a Syracuse alum who had spent the previous eight years as a scout in the NBA, as the Orange’s general manager.

Syracuse general manager Alex Kline (second row, wearing glasses) watches a play during the Orange's game against Albany earlier this season. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.cumdennis nett | dnett@syracuse.com


Kline’s duties include preparing for the transfer portal during the season. They also include managing SU’s NIL budget, player retention and evaluating high school recruits in addition to the potential transfers.



Kline came on too late to have any input on this year’s roster.



I think Kline’s GM position is incredibly important because Syracuse does not have the NIL resources available at a lot of other programs in the SEC, Big Ten and even the ACC. So the Syracuse staff, including Autry, Kline and the assistant coaches, have to be smarter in how they approach the transfer portal and recruiting.



Kline is also trying to close that NIL gap, working with alumni groups and potential donors to get more support.



If Syracuse officials moved on from Autry after this year, they would be denying Autry and his staff the opportunity to put together a roster in conjunction with Kline.



I also think things would look a lot better this season if SUguard JJ Starling, the Orange’s leading scorer at 19.8 points per game, had not injured his left hand.



I’m not saying Starling would make Syracuse a great team, but he could’ve made a difference in losses to Notre Dame, Georgetown and Wake Forest. The Orange’s 8-9 record could be 11-6.



Another factor that would favor Autry and his staff is the promise of current Syracuse freshmen Donnie Freeman, Elijah Moore and Petar Majstorovic. Those three players are the first class brought in post-Boeheim.



And next year’s class includes a five-star forward in Sadiq White, a four-star guard in Kiyan Anthony, plus an international prospect in Australian guard Luke Fennell and an under-the-radar recruit in Aaron Womack of Milwaukee.



There’s an old saying among coaches, “It’s the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s; not the X’s and the O’s.’’



Retain the freshmen, bring in the 2025 recruits, target the right players in the portal and things could look a lot different next year for Syracuse.

Well, I feel so much better now that I know that the stats nerd wears glasses. Phew!

 

[cardiac]

You’re joking correct? JB‘s zone needed an active, shot blocking player in the middle who could also get out to the corner. That’s not Lampkin. He liked big , long rangy guards. We don’t have them. Donnie and Chris are kind of made for the zone. To think JB would make this a top 25 team is laughable. They started the season in most rankings outside the top 100. There’s only one ACC team currently in the top 25.

We started the season 63rd in KenPom and are currently 124th. That’s coaching.

 

[Dave85]

I miss the Big East. Games were just better then.

 

[Newhouser]

Mike is a nice guy and a good reporter but let's be clear here - he is swapping some credibility for access.

Nothing wrong with it but defenses from Mike and Matt Park don't make a difference in calming the sea of discontent that is forming over the hoop program.

The AD is going to have to walk a fine line here as I'm not sure they fully understand the level of discontent or frankly how savvy our fan base is.

 

[gmoney44]

Absolutely agree. I think red truly did have a plan somewhat with a decent vision, but he just just can’t execute the plan. He can’t get the plan into the players mindsets on the court. It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is right now.

Talk is cheap. Most people have that part down. The ones that actually get shyt done are in high demand in all professions. Red has never and will never be a coveted head coach. He’s just not good. He was a horrible hire by an incompetent athletic department.

 

[gmoney44]

Fans will be blamed soon. Wait for it.

Some clown already did that in another tread.

 

[gmoney44]

I don't see how they risk having him here for another year, to be honest.

If they bring him back, which I expect them to do, it’s equivalent to program suicide.

 

[bballbeadle]

My Louisville cousin (who is really my step-mother-in-law’s nephew) talked about what it was like to have Payne (the right name?) for those two years, the despair the fans felt, and how thrilled they are with their new coach. He calls this season “a feeling I thought I would never have again.”

 

[kingtidge]

If they bring him back, which I expect them to do, it’s equivalent to program suicide.

If I had to guess, they will bring him back and can a couple assistants and hire a known assistant HC to work with Red like Seth Greenburg or the like, and hope it's enough to get people re-engaged.

If it doesn't work and the product is still sub-bar and attendances and renewals are way down, rock bottom will be in sight, at long last.

 

[Cuse12]

My Louisville cousin (who is really my step-mother-in-law’s nephew) talked about what it was like to have Payne (the right name?) for those two years, the despair the fans felt, and how thrilled they are with their new coach. He calls this season “a feeling I thought I would never have again.”

Mirror image of what we have going on currently.

 

[Fly Rodder]

If I had to guess, they will bring him back and can a couple assistants and hire a tenured assistant HC to work with Red like Seth Greenburg or the like, and hope it's enough to get people re-engaged.

If it doesn't work and the product is still sub-bar and attendances and renewals are way down, rock bottom will be in sight, at long last.

I think there will be no changes to the staff or wholesale changes.

And I don’t think Red is going to be onboard for a babysitter. Especially Greenberg, he wasn’t some great coach either.

 

[kingtidge]

Fans will be blamed soon. Wait for it.

Devo hinted at that a couple games ago and diplomatically said fans are clueless as to what's going on and we all need to have patience and give Red time to get his players, etc.

I thought at the time he sounded scripted (someone coached him what to say.)

Interestingly, he mentioned none of that last game and was just highly critical of the team's performance.

 

[kingtidge]

I think there will be no changes to the staff or wholesale changes.

And I don’t think Red is going to be onboard for a babysitter. Especially Greenberg, he wasn’t some great coach either.

I'm not implying it's the right thing to do... I am just saying that's what I am half expecting.

Truth be told they may have to make a change no matter what if season tix sales crater.

 

[AZOrange]

Talk is cheap. Most people have that part down. The ones that actually get shyt done are in high demand in all professions. Red has never and will never be a coveted head coach. He’s just not good. He was a horrible hire by an incompetent athletic department.

The AD is far from incompetent. You might not like all the results but come on

 

[Cuse4403]

I'm not a Mike Waters fan, oh well, and I can't stand this line of thinking...

"I’m not saying Starling would make Syracuse a great team, but he could’ve made a difference in losses to Notre Dame, Georgetown and Wake Forest. The Orange’s 8-9 record could be 11-6."

Starling played against LeMoyne, Colgate, and Youngstown State. We were a single possession in each one of those games from losing. Is Starling a good player? Sure, but we could just as easily be 5-12 as we could be 11-6.

I am also tired of hearing about the players Autry has. Who assembled this team? Who thought it was a great idea to rely on an insanely streaky shooter/poor defender and an out of shape center as key pieces?

You can also turn on your tv any night of the week and see coaches around the country getting a lot more from less talented players. You could also watch one of the 17 SU games this year and see Autry can't get his team to defend whatsoever and see SU run no semblance of an offense.

I'm sorry, I am just sick of it. I hope I am completely wrong, but I see another season next year like this one. We are then just another year behind fixing the problem.

 

[gmoney44]

The AD is far from incompetent. You might not like all the results but come on

Ok. Let me restate my comment. The SU administration is incompetent at managing athletics and has been for 30 years or more. Whether that be decisions made by the BOT, chancellor, AD or some combination of them. I don’t know exactly where the blame lies but the epic falls from grace from the three major programs at SU along with the embarrassing scandals and countless public gaffes point to a poorly run organization.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Is Starling a good player? Sure, but we could just as easily be 5-12 as we could be 11-6.

JJ is excellent at getting past his defender going right. He's not a jump shooter, doesn't shoot from three all that well, and is a negative defender.

Like someone else posted, it's not personal, he seems like a great kid, he tries, and he's here. But in terms of building a tournament team, he just can't be the lead guard/scorer on a weak roster. It's not like we have Wes out there at SF and Elijah as the SG with Rak in the middle.

 

[phil77]

If I had to guess, they will bring him back and can a couple assistants and hire a known assistant HC to work with Red like Seth Greenburg or the like, and hope it's enough to get people re-engaged.

If it doesn't work and the product is still sub-bar and attendances and renewals are way down, rock bottom will be in sight, at long last.

Bringing Red back and hiring new assistants is not going to spark excitement and drive attendance up it has gotten past that point I think (not all on Red it was going down). It is going to take someone like Fran to re-energize the fan base and get everyone excited again and then they will have to produce a fun style of basketball and win games. Fans just won't come back because we hired boring Seth Greenburg to be an assistant it won't move the needle.

 

[kingtidge]

Bringing Red back and hiring new assistants is not going to spark excitement and drive attendance up it has gotten past that point I think (not all on Red it was going down). It is going to take someone like Fran to re-energize the fan base and get everyone excited again and then they will have to produce a fun style of basketball and win games. Fans just won't come back because we hired boring Seth Greenburg to be an assistant it won't move the needle.

You don't have to convince me of that. I am with you on it.

I am worried the administration isn't.

The Water's article seems like a seed-plant to soft-serve what they are planning to do.

I am not sure that will fly tho. If attendances continue flatlined at home games, the next shoe to drop is season tix renewals. If they are are way down prior to deadline, I'm not sure they'll have much of a choice.

 

[phil77]

You don't have to convince me of that. I am with you on it.

I am worried the administration isn't.

The Water's article seems like a seed-plant to soft-serve what they are planning to do.

Of course there is what the administration thinks and then there is what reality is. They don't always match.

 

[kingtidge]

Of course there is what the administration thinks and then there is what reality is. They don't always match.

They can't afford another year of what we're seeing in attendance and if the prepaid season tix renewals crater as well, the math will make the decision.

 

[AZOrange]

Ok. Let me restate my comment. The SU administration is incompetent at managing athletics and has been for 30 years or more. Whether that be decisions made by the BOT, chancellor, AD or some combination of them. I don’t know exactly where the blame lies but the epic falls from grace from the three major programs at SU along with the embarrassing scandals and countless public gaffes point to a poorly run organization.

Fair enough

 

[RF2044]

You don't have to convince me of that. I am with you on it.

I am worried the administration isn't.

The Water's article seems like a seed-plant to soft-serve what they are planning to do.

I am not sure that will fly tho. If attendances continue flatlined at home games, the next shoe to drop is season tix renewals. If they are are way down prior to deadline, I'm not sure they'll have much of a choice.

I don't know about a "seed-plant." Mike Waters doesn't have anything directly to do with the AD.

Despite the results, I DO think that it is reasonable to anticipate that ADJW will give Red a third year, because most coaches aren't let go after two seasons. It's not unprecedented, but not all that common to pull the plug that quickly.

Problem is, the performance doesn't warrant the third year. There's nothing on the horizon to suggest that things will turn around -- not elite recruits coming in, nothing in terms of the coaching / on-court performance to suggest that things are improving, etc. And fanbase apathy is borne out by the sagging attendance.

So, the AD can certainly bring Red back, but at the risk of ticket sales / gate revenue dropping off even more. Might be better just to fail fast, and move on -- this time WITHOUT the self-imposed restriction of having to delimit our options to candidates with former ties to our program.