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Message: [QUOTE="Ceerqqq, post: 3264797, member: 6702"] I find it astounding sometimes when certain outspoken Syracuse fans seem oblivious to the one [I]special [/I]coaching ability that Jim Boeheim has displayed consistently over the decades and that is his ability to create/nurture/develop a [I]winning team[/I] out of whatever he has to work with at the beginning of the season. It's not just that he is a teacher of basketball skills. Yes, he does know how to help individual players develop their games, over time, but it's more than just that 'specialized' advice. Even more important is that he knows [I]how to get all those individual players to learn how to play together[/I], to know what to focus on in order to turn weaknesses into strengths and how to [I]believe in their ability to improve enough over a few short months to where they can win games against the toughest of competition[/I]. Team psychology is a huge thing. Confidence is a huge thing. Notice that when the team was 8-7 and heading out to Virginia, how the players felt confident in their ability to beat Virginia, in spite of all their previous failures as a team. Jim Boeheim + the coaching staff he has inspired knew how to communicate to the key players in a way that gave them confidence in their ability to excel on the court. What have we witnessed? The team has gotten better [I]in just about every way they [U]can[/U] get better[/I]. Their defense is much improved, their offensive rhythm has improved. And wonder of wonders, their team rebounding has actually become a strength. Out-rebounding Notre Dame was beyond miraculous to me. With skinny Bourama and Marek leading the effort, and the guards doing their part, we are now doing the one thing I never thought I'd see from this team. The improvement in the performance of our front line players has been amazing. And it all comes down to Jim Boeheim doing his thing: which is coach a new cast of characters into a competitive unit that can once again shock the ACC basketball world. You can see there's a time when he knows which players he is going to have to rely on, whom he will have to develop over the course of a few short months. Yes, that means less PT for those deeper on the bench, but everyone seems to forget how much PT the [I]first seven [/I]need to be able to learn how to play well enough together to win games, to develop as a well-oiled unit. I took note of the player interviews of the past couple of weeks and you can tell the players [I]believe in what they are hearing[/I] from their coaches, from JB himself. They listen to the advice they're getting, they work on it, and they are not surprised in the least that they are now winning, again. While the arm-chair experts wail about the flaws they see in the Head Coach's grasp of the challenges he faces, the players are true believers in the Jim Boeheim Religion. That's what we are seeing...[I]once again[/I]. [/QUOTE]

Verification: What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?