JB

[All4SU]

At this point, who cares? The regular season has become a macrocosm of a JB-coached game. Half of us criticize him because the results are closer than we’d like, while the other half enjoys the roller coaster and eventual outcome.

Between the talent level, slate of legendary coaches, and biased officiating, I don’t know if JB is willing to put in the effort to be a top-4 team in the ACC. But he can do enough to get us into the tournament, with some exciting upset wins over top ten teams along the way. And as we all know, anything is possible once we’re in the tournament.

In the 90s, I didn’t think he cared much about conference tournament results. If we were already going to be in the NCAA tournament, why have the players expend too much additional energy? Save it for when it matters. 1996 was the ideal conference tournament appearance. Win a couple of games to stay fresh and help with seeding, then bow out against one of the elite.

Now I think JB is that way with the regular season. He’s doing just enough to get us dancing. That’s all he needs.

Has he been lazy with recruiting post-sanctions? Absolutely. Obviously we would benefit from having more talent. But look at what he can do with what he has. Yeah, we keep missing out on big men...only to find a diamond in the rough like Dolezaj, Edwards, and (wait for it) Anselem. At his age, JB isn’t going to have the same sense of urgency as the fan base when he can consistently bail himself out in this manner.

And yeah, he coached his son into Jimmy Chitwood. After all these years, he deserved the opportunity and he pulled it off.

He is not going to change his ways, folks. Might as well enjoy the ride.

I think JB is so damn competitive by nature that he would race his players to the locker room if someone told him he couldn’t win. There is no way he backs off trying to win games during the season.

 

[Ozone!]

 

[Ceerqqq]

At this point, who cares? The regular season has become a macrocosm of a JB-coached game. Half of us criticize him because the results are closer than we’d like, while the other half enjoys the roller coaster and eventual outcome.

Between the talent level, slate of legendary coaches, and biased officiating, I don’t know if JB is willing to put in the effort to be a top-4 team in the ACC. But he can do enough to get us into the tournament, with some exciting upset wins over top ten teams along the way. And as we all know, anything is possible once we’re in the tournament.

In the 90s, I didn’t think he cared much about conference tournament results. If we were already going to be in the NCAA tournament, why have the players expend too much additional energy? Save it for when it matters. 1996 was the ideal conference tournament appearance. Win a couple of games to stay fresh and help with seeding, then bow out against one of the elite.

Now I think JB is that way with the regular season. He’s doing just enough to get us dancing. That’s all he needs.

Has he been lazy with recruiting post-sanctions? Absolutely. Obviously we would benefit from having more talent. But look at what he can do with what he has. Yeah, we keep missing out on big men...only to find a diamond in the rough like Dolezaj, Edwards, and (wait for it) Anselem. At his age, JB isn’t going to have the same sense of urgency as the fan base when he can consistently bail himself out in this manner.

And yeah, he coached his son into Jimmy Chitwood. After all these years, he deserved the opportunity and he pulled it off.

He is not going to change his ways, folks. Might as well enjoy the ride.

I've been following the Jim Boeheim story since Louie & Bouie. I remember the early knock on him was that he "couldn't win the big one."
Then he started to.
After that it was, well, he can't win in the NCAA Tournament...too many early losses and upsets.
Then he change that perception.
Then they said he couldn't coach defense.
Then he shut that nonsense up by becoming a Defensive Mastermind Innovator...saw potential in the zone that almost none of his peers did.
Now just about everyone acknowledges that Jim Boeheim knows how to coach a team to success in the NCAAT no matter what level of talent he has to work with.

Jim Boeheim is truly an Innovator Coach for the ages. Be thankful, Syracuse fans...

 

[Eric15]

1. JB is one of the greatest coaches of all-time.
2. Last night was incredible and JB did an excellent job.
3. One data point last night doesn't replace 7 years worth of data points.

 

[samspann1]

What are you even talking about? We ended last season with a huge win and right now we’re peaking.

"huge" win over a team that was 6-14 in the conference and 14-19 overall. Sure...

I was referring to the last 2 completed seasons (as the post made reference to waiting until the end of the season) - we lost to Baylor in the first round in '18-'19.

 

[Day2]

I think JB is so damn competitive by nature that he would race his players to the locker room if someone told him he couldn’t win. There is no way he backs off trying to win games during the season.

Agreed. He tries to win the actual games, sure. Winning the ACC takes work beyond that. Work I don’t think he’s willing to do at his age.

 

[Day2]

1. JB is one of the greatest coaches of all-time.
2. Last night was incredible and JB did an excellent job.
3. One data point last night doesn't replace 7 years worth of data points.

7 years of data points which include excellent results in the NCAA tournament.

 

[Day2]

"huge" win over a team that was 6-14 in the conference and 14-19 overall. Sure...

I was referring to the last 2 completed seasons (as the post made reference to waiting until the end of the season) - we lost to Baylor in the first round in '18-'19.

How often do seasons end with a win? A lot of people expected UNC to pull a Georgia in that ACC tourney.

We lost to a Baylor team on the cusp of becoming elite...without Frank Howard.

So again, what are you even talking about?

 

[br801]

7 years of data points which include excellent results in the NCAA tournament.

The recent NCAA runs are aberrations and therefore don't really count.

 

[twinight]

I love JB but c'mon. Some slight march success aside, this program has struggled since 2014.

If you had to guess, what percentage of NCAA teams have had better seasons between 2014 and now?

 

[kuethstheman]

7 years of data points which include excellent results in the NCAA tournament.

Or said another way, 7 years of data points which include lousy or non-existent results in the NCAA tournament.

Stop making people point out the obvious problems with the recent state of the program when we should be raving about the great job JB did down the stretch of this season.

 

[twinight]

10 and 11 seeds make it fun as an underdog for us fans. But that is not where SYracuse should be multiple years in a row.

First, it's not 1985 anymore. There is so much parity in CBB that there's not a huge difference between anyone who gets in the tournament beyond the teams at the very, very top and some automatic bids.

Second, there is no "should be." Our consistency as a program is astounding, but we're not owed that. We're lucky as a fanbase.

 

[Cusefan0307]

If we make the Sweet 16 this year as a double digit seed this year I think it’s time to retire the tournament success is an “aberration” excuse. The way we have typically dominated these mid majors show me that mid major bubble teams don’t really belong in the tournament.

This year specifically we aren’t the same team that we were in January so no use crying over spilled milk from then anyway.

 

[Oakland]

I love JB but c'mon. Some slight march success aside, this program has struggled since 2014.

And a quick look at SU's record in the last 6 or 10 games of the season for the last 5 years or so, shows a picture much different than the OP.

Of course, the boo-birds do the same thing when SU has a bad streak. The truth is likely in between.

 

[Day2]

The recent NCAA runs are aberrations and therefore don't really count.

Like our first 25 games after joining the ACC.

 

[Day2]

Or said another way, 7 years of data points which include lousy or non-existent results in the NCAA tournament.

Stop making people point out the obvious problems with the recent state of the program when we should be raving about the great job JB did down the stretch of this season.

You make some good points but until about a week ago, the "trend" you refer to was pretty crappy.

^ Your first contribution to this thread.

 

[Day2]

First, it's not 1985 anymore. There is so much parity in CBB that there's not a huge difference between anyone who gets in the tournament beyond the teams at the very, very top and some automatic bids.

Second, there is no "should be." Our consistency as a program is astounding, but we're not owed that. We're lucky as a fanbase.

To your point, this was Calipari’s first losing season since his first year at UMass...and that’s still two more than JB.

 

[samspann1]

How often do seasons end with a win? A lot of people expected UNC to pull a Georgia in that ACC tourney.

We lost to a Baylor team on the cusp of becoming elite...without Frank Howard.

So again, what are you even talking about?

You're reaching like a UVa defender.

A lot of teams ended last season with a victory. Who are the people who expected UNC to win the ACCT last year?

That same Baylor team, which was on the "cusp of becoming elite", lost handily to Gonzaga in the Round of 32.

My point is pretty clear - the last 2 season did not end well. What is your point?

 

[kuethstheman]

^ Your first contribution to this thread.

Sorry, until two weeks ago. And I'm talking about a years-long trend.

Enjoy the rest of the tournament. Out.

 

[br801]

Like our first 25 games after joining the ACC.

I can't keep track of the aberrations anymore without a scorecard.

 

[Day2]

You're reaching like a UVa defender.

A lot of teams ended last season with a victory. Who are the people who expected UNC to win the ACCT last year?

That same Baylor team, which was on the "cusp of becoming elite", lost handily to Gonzaga in the Round of 32.

My point is pretty clear - the last 2 season did not end well. What is your point?

My point is you couldn’t be more wrong. Follow another team if you’re gonna be such a sad sack.

 

[Day2]

Sorry, until two weeks ago. And I'm talking about a years-long trend.

Enjoy the rest of the tournament. Out.

Good luck with your attempts at raving.

 

[samspann1]

My point is you couldn’t be more wrong. Follow another team if you’re gonna be such a sad sack.

I'm good.

Still waiting on all those people who expected a 14-19 team to win the ACCT though...

Thanks for your 20 drivel-filled posts in this thread. Invaluable.

 

[shermstheman]

This program will attract quality coaching candidates when Boeheim hangs it up and his success is partly responsible for that. Im not worried about the future.

While there may be good candidates it’s almost a given that whomever comes in won’t be able to develop like JB, in game coach like JB, or take a team further than you think like JB. Maybe they’ll recruit better but very likely the program will take a step back; hopefully it’ll take two steps forward before long.

 

[Day2]

I'm good.

Still waiting on all those people who expected a 14-19 team to win the ACCT though...

Thanks for your 20 drivel-filled posts in this thread. Invaluable.

I just don’t get your mentality as a fan. You spend the entire season whining and complaining. Then when things go well in the postseason, you still whine and complain.

I bet you can’t talk about the 2003 title game without bringing up KU’s offensive rebounds.