Latest Crystal Ball Predictions

[manleyzoo]

We’d all like to know. He did install rick’s 2-2-1 press this offseason so there’s always a chance he’ll snap out of it I suppose. I’d jokingly suggest he watches too many NBA games and forgets what a college offense is supposed to resemble... but that would be an insult to the NBA ball spacing and movement.

I really have no clue.

I know what JB should do. Move into Geno Auriemma's house for a season and learn a modern offense. I watched the UConn women play Notre Dame and absolutely kill it on offense -- they push the ball up court on every opportunity not with the dribble but passes ahead, continuous movement, never going east/west, it was a thing of beauty. The game was quick and fun to watch. We're not and haven't been for a long time. I'd much rather pay to see a 90-88 loss than watch on TV a 58-55 win with walk up ball.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I know what JB should do. Move into Geno Auriemma's house for a season and learn a modern offense. I watched the UConn women play Notre Dame and absolutely kill it on offense -- they push the ball up court on every opportunity not with the dribble but passes ahead, continuous movement, never going east/west, it was a thing of beauty. The game was quick and fun to watch. We're not and haven't been for a long time. I'd much rather pay to see a 90-88 loss than watch on TV a 58-55 win with walk up ball.

The women's game at the college level has been more sophisticated in places than the men's game for a while now IMO.

 

[SoBeCuse]

I know what JB should do. Move into Geno Auriemma's house for a season and learn a modern offense. I watched the UConn women play Notre Dame and absolutely kill it on offense -- they push the ball up court on every opportunity not with the dribble but passes ahead, continuous movement, never going east/west, it was a thing of beauty. The game was quick and fun to watch. We're not and haven't been for a long time. I'd much rather pay to see a 90-88 loss than watch on TV a 58-55 win with walk up ball.

Didn’t you know that you can’t question the coach on here and/or hope for a more aesthically pleasing brand of basketball? Especially offense? Shame on you. Bad fan.

 

[FrancoPizza]

We're not and haven't been for a long time. I'd much rather pay to see a 90-88 loss than watch on TV a 58-55 win with walk up ball.

We're basically the football team pre-Dino.

 

[manleyzoo]

We're basically the football team pre-Dino.

The revered, often-maligned, late, great Iggy had it right years ago when he accused JB of playing dino ball. He just didn't have the right Dino or the right pronunciation.

 

[Cusefan0307]

We're basically the football team pre-Dino.

Oh really. Because we are going 12-20 every year. FFS use facts for once.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Oh really. Because we are going 12-20 every year. FFS use facts for once.

It’s a metaphor FFS. Our offense is putrid and we rely on mucking it up, white knuckling our way to the bubble. Isn’t that basically the football program under shafer and Dougy?

 

[moqui]

It’s a metaphor FFS. Our offense is putrid and we rely on mucking it up, white knuckling our way to the bubble. Isn’t that basically the football program under shafer and Dougy?

jb's offense has been in the top 50 most efficient nationally 9 of the last 11 seasons including this year (currently 38 with a bullet). he has gone 12-4 in the ncaa tournament since 2013 with 2 final fours. if shafer managed even a fraction of that he'd still be coach

 

[manleyzoo]

Oh really. Because we are going 12-20 every year. FFS use facts for once.

So you're saying that if you reverse that and we're 20-12 every year and on the bubble and as boring as , you'd be all happy?

 

[FrancoPizza]

jb's offense has been in the top 50 most efficient nationally 9 of the last 11 seasons including this year (currently 38 with a bullet). he has gone 12-4 in the ncaa tournament since 2013 with 2 final fours. if shafer managed even a fraction of that he'd still be coach

The stats may suggest our offense is "pretty good" but the optics tell a different story. The SU fan base and 18,000 STH weren't built on the backs of 60-56 dogfights and perennial bubble status. The program is getting by right now on the goodwill that has been established over the long haul, but the brand has been slowly eroding the past several years because the offense and tempo are just so unpleasant to watch.

 

[dyedorange]

jb's offense has been in the top 50 most efficient nationally 9 of the last 11 seasons including this year (currently 38 with a bullet). he has gone 12-4 in the ncaa tournament since 2013 with 2 final fours. if shafer managed even a fraction of that he'd still be coach

He's talking offensive philosophy though, not results. A lot of people shoot down these criticisms of how we play by pointing to results, which I suppose is fair. But it's also fair to point out ways in which we could be better. We all want SU to win, but it's ok to want them to win playing a more 'beautiful' version of basketball.

This isn't directed at you, but sometimes I wish this place could be a little more tolerant of constructive criticism of our team. It's like the difference between patriotism and nationalism. You can be patriot and still be critical of the country. Nationalism doesn't leave room for criticism. Why can't we root for our team and be critical when it's warranted?

 

[manleyzoo]

Looks like Iggy dino shooting runs in the family.
Huskies shake off cold-shooting night to hold off Santa Barbara ahead of showdown with No. 1 Gonzaga

 

[Cusefan0307]

He's talking offensive philosophy though, not results. A lot of people shoot down these criticisms of how we play by pointing to results, which I suppose is fair. But it's also fair to point out ways in which we could be better. We all want SU to win, but it's ok to want them to win playing a more 'beautiful' version of basketball.

This isn't directed at you, but sometimes I wish this place could be a little more tolerant of constructive criticism of our team. It's like the difference between patriotism and nationalism. You can be patriot and still be critical of the country. Nationalism doesn't leave room for criticism. Why can't we root for our team and be critical when it's warranted?

Constructive criticism is fine. Comparing the football program under Shafer to the basketball program is idiotic.

And this stuff works both ways. Certain posters don’t want to hear that we have a chance of winning and I’d you have any other opinion besides assuming we will be on the bubble they become triggered.

 

[moqui]

He's talking offensive philosophy though, not results. A lot of people shoot down these criticisms of how we play by pointing to results, which I suppose is fair. But it's also fair to point out ways in which we could be better. We all want SU to win, but it's ok to want them to win playing a more 'beautiful' version of basketball.

This isn't directed at you, but sometimes I wish this place could be a little more tolerant of constructive criticism of our team. It's like the difference between patriotism and nationalism. You can be patriot and still be critical of the country. Nationalism doesn't leave room for criticism. Why can't we root for our team and be critical when it's warranted?

the notion that people are not free to criticize is bizarre. my post was a response to criticism. seems what you mean by "freedom to criticize" is to have that criticism free from any critical push back.

criticism goes both ways. make your critiques. then defend it when someone pushes back.

 

[moqui]

The stats may suggest our offense is "pretty good" but the optics tell a different story. The SU fan base and 18,000 STH weren't built on the backs of 60-56 dogfights and perennial bubble status. The program is getting by right now on the goodwill that has been established over the long haul, but the brand has been slowly eroding the past several years because the offense and tempo are just so unpleasant to watch.

the tempo is terribly slow, i agree. but it is a cbb wide phenomenon - most games are played at the 63-68 possessions pace. even the vaunted villanova teams play at fairly slow pace - disregard the rankings, look at the actual numbers. since 2010, nova has averaged 66.6 possessions per game. syracuse has averaged 64.6 over the same period. a mere 2 possessions per game difference. i didn't include this year in those calculations, but for this season we are actually 2 possessions per game ahead of nova's pace so far, 67.1 to 65.1

but jb's offensive scheme apart from tempo is solid. multiple cuts and movement on nearly every possession; screen after screen after screen, looking for a mismatch, a drive lane, or an open shot. failure to convert possessions is a most often a matter of execution, not scheme.

 

[dyedorange]

the notion that people are not free to criticize is bizarre. my post was a response to criticism. seems what you mean by "freedom to criticize" is to have that criticism free from any critical push back.

criticism goes both ways. make your critiques. then defend it when someone pushes back.

Sure. But what I'm responding to is when people criticize the team's strategy, the pushback often comes in the form of 'we've been to a bunch of final fours recently, stop complaining', or 'JB is an all-time great, stop complaining'. IMO that sort of thing doesn't really respond to the original criticism, per se, and is basically just a way of trying to invalidate it and shut it down. You, and everyone else is of course free to push back and voice your opinion. This is a fan forum, and I get that. To me though, there should be room for constructive criticism--and debate about that on the merits of the criticism made--not just a knee-jerk 'be quiet and enjoy your wins' response.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Villanova last year averaged almost 6 more possessions than Syracuse. 72.3 (tied with Gonzaga) to 66.9 for Syracuse. There were only 13 teams in D1 who had fewer possessions...Virginia, Holy Cross, SMU, Elon, Northern Iowa, Presbyterian, Santa Clara, Texas State, Saint Louis, Central Florida, Radford, Vermont. You can go year by year and look at it in the link below. GREAT site.

Cutting?! When’s the last time we got a backdoor layup? I think once all year? If that?

NCAA Basketball Stats - NCAA BB Team Possessions per Game on TeamRankings.com

 

[721Comstock]

Villanova last year averaged almost 6 more possessions than Syracuse. 72.3 (tied with Gonzaga) to 66.9 for Syracuse. There were only 13 teams in D1 who had fewer possessions...Virginia, Holy Cross, SMU, Elon, Northern Iowa, Presbyterian, Santa Clara, Texas State, Saint Louis, Central Florida, Radford, Vermont. You can go year by year and look at it in the link below. GREAT site.

Cutting?! When’s the last time we got a backdoor layup? I think once all year? If that?

NCAA Basketball Stats - NCAA BB Team Possessions per Game on TeamRankings.com

Were you not paying attention last year? Like, at all?

We had 5.5 warm bodies by mid-season.
JB purposely slowed the game down - on both ends - to conserve those players, and allow us to play to our strengths (suffocating D) and attempt to reduce our weaknesses (terrible shooting team, lack of players, period).

SPOILER!!! It worked.
About as well as was possible, given the circumstances.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Were you not paying attention last year? Like, at all?

We had 5.5 warm bodies by mid-season.
JB purposely slowed the game down - on both ends - to conserve those players, and allow us to play to our strengths (suffocating D) and attempt to reduce our weaknesses (terrible shooting team, lack of players, period).

SPOILER!!! It worked.
About as well as was possible, given the circumstances.

I do realize this. We’re up four possessions this year and at a ranking of 296 in AdjT. Time to rejoice I guess!

 

[Sgt Cuse]

He's talking offensive philosophy though, not results. A lot of people shoot down these criticisms of how we play by pointing to results, which I suppose is fair. But it's also fair to point out ways in which we could be better. We all want SU to win, but it's ok to want them to win playing a more 'beautiful' version of basketball.

This isn't directed at you, but sometimes I wish this place could be a little more tolerant of constructive criticism of our team. It's like the difference between patriotism and nationalism. You can be patriot and still be critical of the country. Nationalism doesn't leave room for criticism. Why can't we root for our team and be critical when it's warranted?

It's difficult sometimes to talk just offensive philosophy without results when JB is adjusting his offensive philosophy based on team components to achieve positive results. For instance last year, JB clearly subbed less and slowed down the team because of the limited players. JB did this to win.

This isn't directed at you, but sometimes it's hard to take criticism from certain posters as genuine when they jump at the opportunity to criticize anything. From the "It has to be said" Buddy nepotism claims, to the "What's the ceiling of this team" (and don't tell me F4 when I just saw a poor offensive display in game 6 of the season). Some people dislike JB and/or the Zone. and it seems to be an underlying factor in all discussions.

 

[FrancoPizza]

This isn't directed at you, but sometimes it's hard to take criticism from certain posters as genuine when they jump at the opportunity to criticize anything.

If internet banter is that hard to take, there's an ignore button if you get triggered, and yet so many conveniently opt to engage in name-calling and giving each other high 5's like we're back in middle school.

 

[longtimefan]

I do realize this. We’re up four possessions this year and at a ranking of 296 in AdjT. Time to rejoice I guess!

One of the main reasons we have fewer offensive possessions is our defense's ability to flummox the opposition. You can'r play offense when the other team is holding the ball.

 

[KevMonstah]

I don't like the zone because it gives the opponent the opportunity to dictate the pace.

If they're content to hold it for 30 seconds per possession, that's boring. If they're able to
hit the offensive glass hard, that gives them more opportunities to burn clock.

If they are having a decent shooting day, and SU is having a lousy shooting day, it increases
the chances that a less talented team can (or does) defeat the Orange.

And there are plenty of games to see where this occurs.

I get why it works; I'd also prefer a little man D here and there to impose SU's will and to
exploit talent gaps against weaker teams. A team that isn't shooting well can use a more
aggressive defense to generate possessions as well as demoralize opponents. One does
not need 40 mins of zone to beat Cornell 63-55, just as one does not need 40 mins of
zone to win (46-45) or lose (55-51) against GTech. They are above that.

Kev

 

[Cusefan0307]

If internet banter is that hard to take, there's an ignore button if you get triggered, and yet so many conveniently opt to engage in name-calling and giving each other high 5's like we're back in middle school.

When you compare Scott Shafer to Jim Boeheim there’s no way we can have reasonable conversations. None.

 

[FrancoPizza]

When you compare Scott Shafer to Jim Boeheim there’s no way we can have reasonable conversations. None.

It's about the style of play and results. If hoops had a bowl system, we'd have been lucky to be selected for one of the bottom bowls in any of the last 5 years based on the entire body of work. For years Millhouse was clamoring to get away from meathead ball. Wouldn't you say the brand of hoops we've been playing for the last 5+ years is closer to meathead than any other style? Do you like being at the mercy of the selection committe every single year? I forgot what it's like to be able to relax on Selection Sunday. Thank god for the recent Final Fours but it really makes people overlook some really serious flaws with how things are trending.