Is this week the beginning of the end?

[OrangeFoo]

I just hope we aren't banking on getting an NCAA gift from the Heavens-above on Selection Sunday three times in four years. We need to make the tourney with room to spare.

I think the ship has sailed on making the tourney to spare. Last year we had a pretty crappy season and probably shouldn’t have made the tournament, but we beat the teams we should have OOC, outside of the Bonnies while playing .500 ish in the ACC. The previous year we had a better ACC record but had a lot more OOC losses to teams we had no business losing to and we went to the NIT. Lesson is OOC losses against crappy teams matter.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

I think the ship has sailed on making the tourney to spare. Last year we had a pretty crappy season and probably shouldn’t have made the tournament, but we beat the teams we should have OOC, outside of the Bonnies while playing .500 ish in the ACC. The previous year we had a better ACC record but had a lot more OOC losses to teams we had no business losing to and we went to the NIT. Lesson is OOC losses against crappy teams matter.

Lol. We have at least 22 games left this year. Long way to go. Plenty of chances to build a good resume. Also plenty of chances to lay a bunch of eggs and show the committee we’re not deserving of a bid.

“Ship has sailed” is fairly laughable when we’ve barely departed from port and have a long voyage ahead.

 

[pearl31]

Lesson is OOC losses against crappy teams matter.

yep as do OOC true road wins against top-15 teams

 

[Eric15]

I think the ship has sailed on making the tourney to spare.

I still think it's very possible we could end up as say a 7 or 8 seed.

And I'm sure it's only a matter of time before someone officially announces that the "bubble is weak" this year for like the 15th straight year.

 

[Eric15]

eh I'd say what's bullsht is FH having the mobility of a 70-yr-old out there

But why is he playing in crunch time if he has the mobility of a 70 year old?

 

[OrangeFoo]

Lol. We have at least 22 games left this year. Long way to go. Plenty of chances to build a good resume. Also plenty of chances to lay a bunch of eggs and show the committee we’re not deserving of a bid.

“Ship has sailed” is fairly laughable when we’ve barely departed from port and have a long voyage ahead.

No one said we don’t have time... but our margin of error is very very small. Buffalo is as must win as a OOC game can be.

 

[rrlbees]

But why is he playing in crunch time if he has the mobility of a 70 year old?

Because he doesn’t and he was playing fine.

 

[djcon57]

Because he doesn’t and he was playing fine.

Explain when he had to chase after the ball in the backcourt.
Are you suggesting he's that naturally slow or was the guy on ODU basically Usain Bolt?

 

[pearl31]

he was playing fine.

No, he wasn’t.

 

[Scooch]

Games like yesterday are maddening, take a 13 point lead we need to crush our opponent's soul.

Little is made that ODU had a big league coach out there.

It’s difficult to put the hammer down when you play a style that lets your opponent completely dictate tempo and energy.

All the usual caveats aside, I wish we weren’t so damn passive all the time.

 

[rrlbees]

Explain when he had to chase after the ball in the backcourt.
Are you suggesting he's that naturally slow or was the guy on ODU basically Usain Bolt?

1 play

 

[rrlbees]

No, he wasn’t.

he hit the big 3 and for the game had 6 assts.

 

[djcon57]

1 play

So you can't explain it?

Wow. Want me to link you to the replay on ESPN?

 

[rrlbees]

So you can't explain it?

Wow. Want me to link you to the replay on ESPN?

Already watched it. Looked slow on that.

 

[OrangeAl]

Already watched it. Looked slow on that.

That was a stunning play. Frank looked crippled, not slow.

 

[kirbivore]

Team has given us no reason to believe that we will be better than .500 (if that) in conference play.

The way i see it, a win over buffalo probably leave us just on the right side of the bubble if we go .500 in conference. A loss leaves us back on the bubble.

Of course, being above .500 or below .500 in conference will have a huge impact for good or bad.

One thing is crystal clear at this point, this team will not fulfill pre-season expectations.

ACC play you have to figure an automatic 2 losses to Duke. Can go 10-6 in the other ones?

 

[bevosu]

I listened to WAER after the ODU game. One of the student broadcasters said...

"Syracuse has never made the tourney with 3 early season out of conference losses."

I'm not sure that's true. Too lazy to look it up.

 

[OrangeDW]

I listened to WAER after the ODU game. One of the student broadcasters said...

"Syracuse has never made the tourney with 3 early season out of conference losses."

I'm not sure that's true. Too lazy to look it up.

2015-16. Lost to Wisconsin, Georgetown, and St. John’s. Made the final 4.

 

[HakAttack]

2015-16. Lost to Wisconsin, Georgetown, and St. John’s. Made the final 4.

That's lazy reporting from WAER. They're usually much better than that.

 

[pearl31]

2015-16. Lost to Wisconsin, Georgetown, and St. John’s. Made the final 4.

plus started the acc 0-4 I believe

 

[Halfmooncuse]

No... it began a lot earlier

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I tend to think that every week is the beginning of the end, because we're all still going to die some day.

 

[jncuse]

We are already on the wrong side of the bubble after losing to ODU. A loss to Buffalo and it’s going to take some miracle ACC road wins to get in. I’m not saying it’s going to happen but if I were a betting man I would be saying hello NIT.

If we miss the dance this season, what is the outlook for the program? We lose Chukw, Howard and Battle after this season... i have seen nothing from the roster, outside of Carey and the good version of Brissett, that indicates we have upper level ACC players. Our recruiting is not any great shakes. Basically, this is year was supposed to be JBs great chance to have an elite team and that isn’t going to happen. If this is the peak and the other years aren’t going to be as good talent wise then we need to start asking some honest questions about how long the HOFer gets to turn the ship around. I think JB has earned as long as he wants but I’m not sure the program can withstand more seasons like this one. At some point you are who your record says you are.

I hope Wildhack has a contingency plan in place if this is the beginning of the end . It’s funny, before Belein went to Michigan I wanted him to take over for JB... looking back on the period since Belein went to Michigan... well I’ll leave it as I would love to hear others thoughts on that.

Don't fall into the trap that the board does every season at this point. Overselling what is necessary to get a a a spot in the tourney.

It's not a spot I like to be in, and you run the risk of being burnt, but ir will not take a "miracle run" to get in the NCAA tourney if we lose to Buffalo. Not to say we are locked, or there is no need to be worried, but as I said year we cause much of the worry ourselves because we say the team has to do a lot better the rest of theway then it really has to.


But let's beat Buffalo anyway.

 

[kirbivore]

plus started the acc 0-4 I believe

wasn't that the year SU played a horrendous game at BC and there were posts on the board talking 0-18 ACC?

 

[Alsacs]

Don't fall into the trap that the board does every season at this point. Overselling what is necessary to get a a a spot in the tourney.

It's not a spot I like to be in, and you run the risk of being burnt, but ir will not take a "miracle run" to get in the NCAA tourney if we lose to Buffalo. Not to say we are locked, or there is no need to be worried, but as I said year we cause much of the worry ourselves because we say the team has to do a lot better the rest of theway then it really has to.


But let's beat Buffalo anyway.

I am fairly confident even if we lose to Buffalo and go 10-8 in ACC play we are a 8-9 seed selection Sunday.

The frustration should be we aren’t going to be a protected seed and we aren’t a NC contender.
I feel like we are not complete garbage this team is making the tournament or else we have major problems.
Buffalo needs this game more than we do in case they want to have an argument for an at-large bid if they don’t win their conference tournament.