Just one comment | Syracusefan.com

Just one comment

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but how are we better than last year? Sure, I'm assuming guys like Melo, Fair, Triche and Waiters are all better, but replacing Jackson is going to be tough. Without a consistent interior game, nor a top outside shooting team, how are we any less flawed than last year??
 
Replacing Rick is going to be huge. I'll admit, I was never the biggest Rick fan ever, because while he was a great rebounder and shot blocker, he brought next to nothing offensively. If we CAN replace him, though, we have a legitimate shot at a national championship.

But how will we be better? Well, players improve, which means that hopefully all of our returners will have taken another step forward. BMK has apparently added muscle, Fab and Dion lost weight, etc...if Kris can develop a consistent short pull up, and Scoop can just be consistent in general...we're off to a good start.

PG - Scoop/MCW
SG - Brandon/Cooney/Mookie
SF - Joseph/Fair or Southerland
PF - Fair or Southerland or X-Mas
C - Fab/BMK

That is a legit 11 players who could all contribute in some way. Mookie Jones would average 20 a game in the America East, and he's probably going to be our 11th man.
 
The rest of college basketball simply doesn't have a better collection of talent as Syracuse right now. Some may have an equal degree, but not better.

Last season, Syracuse was better than UCONN, but their guard Kemba got hot at the right time & changed everything.

It's pointless to say at this point whether they are worthy, but they have just as good a shot as anyone in the top 4 or 5 Nationally, & that should be good enough for now...
 
They lost one HUGE player and gained three blue chip freshman. Everyone else is a year better. I agree - loaded.
 
Replacing Rick is going to be huge. I'll admit, I was never the biggest Rick fan ever, because while he was a great rebounder and shot blocker, he brought next to nothing offensively. If we CAN replace him, though, we have a legitimate shot at a national championship.

But how will we be better? Well, players improve, which means that hopefully all of our returners will have taken another step forward. BMK has apparently added muscle, Fab and Dion lost weight, etc...if Kris can develop a consistent short pull up, and Scoop can just be consistent in general...we're off to a good start.

PG - Scoop/MCW
SG - Brandon/Cooney/Mookie
SF - Joseph/Fair or Southerland
PF - Fair or Southerland or X-Mas
C - Fab/BMK

That is a legit 11 players who could all contribute in some way. Mookie Jones would average 20 a game in the America East, and he's probably going to be our 11th man.
UMMM, ALTHOUGH not a Waiters fan...I would not leave him off the team altogether or as a contributor...if he plays team ball we not only loaded...but reloaded...JB goes 11 deep!
 
The rest of college basketball simply doesn't have a better collection of talent as Syracuse right now. Some may have an equal degree, but not better.

Last season, Syracuse was better than UCONN, but their guard Kemba got hot at the right time & changed everything.

It's pointless to say at this point whether they are worthy, but they have just as good a shot as anyone in the top 4 or 5 Nationally, & that should be good enough for now...

I think the only two teams that have better talent than Syracuse here is Kentucky and UNC. I don't think Duke will hold together like they normally would. They don't have that "rock" (or two) like they always seem to have. UNC returns all of their starters, and add 3 really really good freshmen. Kentucky returns Lamb, Terrance Jones and bring in one of the best recruiting classes ever. They, on paper have more talent than Syracuse does. I'm not sold on UConn. If they had a Senior leader, I'd say they'd have a good shot, but I don't think they're as deep as they're going to need to be, and they lack leadership.

I do, however, think we are going to see fantastic basketball this season...I don't think I've seen so much talent (even NBA talent) on the top 10 teams.
 
UMMM, ALTHOUGH not a Waiters fan...I would not leave him off the team altogether or as a contributor...if he plays team ball we not only loaded...but reloaded...JB goes 11 deep!
I knew I was forgetting someone. For some reason I always forget about Waiters...
 
I think the only two teams that have better talent than Syracuse here is Kentucky and UNC. I don't think Duke will hold together like they normally would. They don't have that "rock" (or two) like they always seem to have. UNC returns all of their starters, and add 3 really really good freshmen. Kentucky returns Lamb, Terrance Jones and bring in one of the best recruiting classes ever. They, on paper have more talent than Syracuse does. I'm not sold on UConn. If they had a Senior leader, I'd say they'd have a good shot, but I don't think they're as deep as they're going to need to be, and they lack leadership.

I do, however, think we are going to see fantastic basketball this season...I don't think I've seen so much talent (even NBA talent) on the top 10 teams.

Agreed. UK and UNC are really stacked. More than us which is scary. As of now I'm not sold on UConn either but if Drummond comes in and dominates and if Napier and Lamb take another step forward then they will be very tough. Can't forget about Louisville. Lots of guys returning and a VERY good class coming in.
 
I'm starting to just write Louisville games off as a loss at this point. What have they beat us now - like 6 straight? Pitino owns Jimmy B. And the 2-3.
 
Is Drummond playing for UConn this year? I thought he decided to stay at prep school
 
Is Drummond playing for UConn this year? I thought he decided to stay at prep school

I saw a clip of him on Sportscenter from their MM. Dude looked like a monster. Get ready Fab...
 
Is Drummond playing for UConn this year? I thought he decided to stay at prep school
No that was Noel ... he was pondering coming out for 2012 but decided tohang in there for the following year at Tilton. Drummond came in this year ... remember, Bradley gave up his schollie so that Drummond could come on board.
 
We are phlucking loaded.

Geezis.

That is all.

If you think about it, a team of JUST our Sophs & Frosh could possibly make the tournament. Say for a moment you had a team of just those guys:

G: Dion Waiters, Mike-Carter Williams, Trevor Cooney
F: CJ Fair, Rakeem Christmas
C: Fab Melo, Baye Keita

Come the end of the year, I bet that team would be decent. THATs how loaded we are, IMO.
 
If you think about it, a team of JUST our Sophs & Frosh could possibly make the tournament. Say for a moment you had a team of just those guys:

G: Dion Waiters, Mike-Carter Williams, Trevor Cooney
F: CJ Fair, Rakeem Christmas
C: Fab Melo, Baye Keita

Come the end of the year, I bet that team would be decent. THATs how loaded we are, IMO.

I agree. Top to bottom this is the most talented team i can remember in the last 20 years. Such a great mix of talent, youth and experience at just about every postion
 
Replacing Rick is going to be huge. I'll admit, I was never the biggest Rick fan ever, because while he was a great rebounder and shot blocker, he brought next to nothing offensively.

I agree, it's hard to be pessimistic about this team but I do think there are warts here that could undermine what is an excellent collection of talent. I still have questions about whether or not Waiters has truly "changed" into a better person -- and we've all seen what off-the-court antics can do a team's on-court performance.

I also question how well this team fits together. In other words, are there a lot of duplicate parts with some noticeable holes -- the biggest of which is post scoring.

Which brings me to the point of my post: You thought rj brought "next to nothing" offensively? a big body who scored 1200 points and generally shot somewhere in the neighborhood of 60% was next to nothing? I don't know -- i havent seen the MM festivities -- but i have a suspicion you see waaaaaaayyyyyy less production from the big men on the team this season.
 
When I say "next to nothing" I mean he really never developed much of a low post game. Most of his points came more in the way of "garbage points" than anything else. He eventually developed decent footwork, but he really didn't have any go-to moves in the post. It was either a lefty jump hook or a dunk.
 
When I say "next to nothing" I mean he really never developed much of a low post game. Most of his points came more in the way of "garbage points" than anything else. He eventually developed decent footwork, but he really didn't have any go-to moves in the post. It was either a lefty jump hook or a dunk.

I don't disagree but he had good hands and was a pretty reliable catch-and-finish guy down there. Plus he was decent in the high post. I was always a bit bummed out he didn't develop a short jumper of any kind since he appeared to have the potential.
 
And that's one thing I think Christmas could eventually bring to the table. He didn't do much in the McDonald's game, and he's got a reputation as being sort of lazy (or at least, doesn't always work hard), but his one basket in the McD's game was a sweet little 15 footer that looked very smooth, and he swished it and looked good doing it. Another of the many reasons I don't think he'll ever play the 5 except out of necessity. He's just oozing potential, he just needs someone to light a fire under his ass.

Fab also has the potential to add a nice little midrange game, too, and already has good hands and footwork, so I'd be shocked if he doesn't develop into a more potent offensive weapon than Ricky ever was. Not to take anything away from Rick, because I liked him, but if I were his coach I'd never feel comfortable running an offensive play specifically for him.
 
When I say "next to nothing" I mean he really never developed much of a low post game. Most of his points came more in the way of "garbage points" than anything else. He eventually developed decent footwork, but he really didn't have any go-to moves in the post. It was either a lefty jump hook or a dunk.

Tremendous passer, though. Best court vision of any Syracuse big in the last twenty years.
 
I don't disagree but he had good hands and was a pretty reliable catch-and-finish guy down there. Plus he was decent in the high post. I was always a bit bummed out he didn't develop a short jumper of any kind since he appeared to have the potential.

Unless it was the ncaa tournament, where he went from rick the ruler to ricky butterfingers
 
And that's one thing I think Christmas could eventually bring to the table. He didn't do much in the McDonald's game, and he's got a reputation as being sort of lazy (or at least, doesn't always work hard), but his one basket in the McD's game was a sweet little 15 footer that looked very smooth, and he swished it and looked good doing it. Another of the many reasons I don't think he'll ever play the 5 except out of necessity. He's just oozing potential, he just needs someone to light a fire under his ass.

Fab also has the potential to add a nice little midrange game, too, and already has good hands and footwork, so I'd be shocked if he doesn't develop into a more potent offensive weapon than Ricky ever was. Not to take anything away from Rick, because I liked him, but if I were his coach I'd never feel comfortable running an offensive play specifically for him.

I agree on all that I just think we disagree on timeline. I don't think Xmas gives us anything offensively this year and I tend to doubt he'll even get too much of an opportunity in BE play (though I admit this is based on a pretty small sample of what I've seen on film and in the mcd's game).

I'm probably lower on Fab than almost anyone on this board. I don't disagree he has potential, I just think his ceiling for this year is like 7 ppg and 5 rpg in 23-25 mpg. In fact, I think that would represent a BIG step forward. I could certainly be wrong, I just tend to be far less bullish on him than on almost anyone else, including Waiters, whom I have fairly serious concerns about as well just given his past, the transfer rumors, the run-in(s) with JB, etc.
 
I knew I was forgetting someone. For some reason I always forget about Waiters...
What's funny about this is that you forget about Waiters while Thickburger is on your mind.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
167,141
Messages
4,682,903
Members
5,901
Latest member
CarlsbergMD

Online statistics

Members online
133
Guests online
1,073
Total visitors
1,206


Top Bottom