Loving this team

[Flacusian]

Going into this season I expected that this years incarnation of Orange Basketball would have some bumps in the road as they maneuvered through the season schedule and we certainly have seen our bumps and lumps. I also expected that one of the differentiating aspects of this years team would be that they would have a trajectory of continual improvement throughout the season. We would not see the 25-0 start and a #1 ranking but we would be rewarded by having a squad that is playing it's best basketball in March rather than the front end of the season.

Thus far, it seems like this years team is fulfilling my expectations. Admittedly things looked pretty bleak in the early going but the loss to Villanova, as disappointing as it was, seemed to be the turning point for this team. By all measures they could have and perhaps should have won that game. More importantly it seems that the game provided some type of catalyst for the team whereby they realized they could play with the top teams and win.

Since that game there has been much to be encouraged about. Sure there has been some of the spotty play, mixed in with some poor shooting and some What turnovers but you could see that the team and it's players where beginning to find their identities and roles and becoming comfortable playing.

If it continues on the current trajectory I think we have reason to be very excited moving forward. Rak has become an absolute monster and his offensive development from as recently as last year has been nothing short of miraculous. Everyone who covers the games mentions him as being the most improved player in the nation and he has become a presence down low the likes of which we have not seen in a long, long time.

Cooney, in spite of all the criticism and being the delegated team whipping boy has been absolutely fantastic as of late. Not only has his 3 point shooting reappeared, he has also been demonstrating a great put the ball on the floor and drive to the hoop schtick that is really paying dividends.

Silent G... geeze, what can you say? The kid has suddenly blossomed into a dynamic multi purpose player who is hitting 3's, helping with handling the ball, has been grabbing rebounds and simply put, is playing at a high level and emerging as a great player.

Roberson is shedding that deer in the headlights persona and we can now see what all the hoopla was about this kid when he was being recruited. There can be no doubt that he is going to be a big time contributor and player for this program and it appears that it may be sooner rather than later if things keep developing at the pace we are seeing.

Kaleb the bookworm assassin has been reeled in somewhat by JB thereby providing a little less under the bright lights playing time tempered with coaching moments each time he is called to the bench and it is helping him to sort things out. Certainly he will continue to make freshman mistakes but we've also been provided with increasingly frequent signs of his enormous potential and talent. I really think that the kid is going to be special before his Syracuse career is over and those critical of him have to realize that the difficulties he has had are part and parcel with having a kid start as a freshman while being the type of player we are going to have around the program for more than ONE year.

Buss has been the guy who has made it possible to cut back somewhat on Kaleb's playing time and take some of the pressure off of him. He has proven to be a reliable back up at point and although it's become obvious that his shooting can be "streaky" ( a euphemism for bad or ill advised) he does represent another player who can hit the occasional 3 and there can be no doubt that defensively he for the most part is awesome at the top of the zone. I watched him during the Cornell game and his defensive play is frenetic and disruptive for the opposition. He is a valuable commodity to have on the team and will continue to improve and become more valuable.

And finally, Chris MacCullough, perhaps we need to have more patience with Chris than anyone else on the team. After all, it's a pretty widely accepted axiom that big men take the longest to develop. For sure Chris is not going to gain the 20 or so pounds which it's been said he needs to gain to be more effective. There's also been talk of the perhaps not so mythical "freshman wall" that he may have hit. In the past couple of games I've seen some evidence that Chris is getting back on track and finding ways that he can contribute and learning to play within himself. There can be no doubt that as the season progresses he will become an ever increasingly valuable component in the teams success. If there is any remote chance of him returning to play for the Orange next season, certainly some of his shortcomings with respect to physical development and knowledge of the game will have come into play. JB's vitriolic commentary about Chris's high draft status certainly indicates that he will staunchly advise Chris to stay Orange should he feel that it would benefit him in the long term scheme of things. But we all know that we have no control of outcomes of that nature.

As a whole this team has become very, very fun to watch and I think they have an incredible amount of growing room as a team which will not go unfulfilled. Recently, with each passing game it's possible to see vast leaps and improvement in play both by players individually and collectively as a team. Coupled with the fact that our Conference schedule is favorable with respect to the fact we will face our stiffest adversaries after the easier games I think we have the opportunity to continue to improve to a point where we can play with and even beat some of the better teams in the conference. It's certainly a different dynamic than we have become accustomed to in recent campaigns... continuing to improve in significant jumps throughout the season and watching players do the same. It's not out of the question that this team provides us with some surprising outcomes moving into 2015 and I'm primed and ready to watch it happen with this team that has become so promising and exciting.

LGO!

 

[Dave85]

Nice thoughtful post.

 

[CousCuse]

Syracuse needs more fans like you. SUball:E

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

I feel much the same way you do. I came into this season with low expectations, but was hopeful the team would show improvement over the course of the season. Improvement is often a nebulous thing to chart, as it often happens in fits and starts.

This team is on the whole, trending upward. They look more like a basketball team now, and are starting to show a little more consistency overall. They are still going to have some really bad games, but they may have a couple of shockers that we didn't expect as well.

I'm looking for the little things with this group. Loved Ron's entry pass into Rak in the first half. Led his left hand perfectly so Rak could start his spin as the pass was coming in. It was wonderfully done, and is a part of the game we often take for granted. But it's those type of plays that separate the good teams from the bad. It's not a flashy, highlight play, but it's what keeps an offense going, and helps them gain confidence.

This team was lost in that respect at the beginning of the season. When they play some elite defenses this year I think it could be very ugly. But I do think they'll improve throughout the season, and could potentially make some noise in the ACC's, and whatever postseason tourney they make it into. I can say one thing for sure, there is not one #1 or #2 seed in the NCAA's that would want to be facing this team in the second round of the tourney. If they hit on all cylinders, they will be able to give any team a run for their money. Conversely, when they play poorly (as young teams are apt to do) any team can beat them.

No expectations, and an interesting conference season in front of us. Go Orange!

 

[rrlbees]

Great post. A young team with growing pains that is slowly growing up and growing together. And they will continue to get better.

 

[Flacusian]

Great post. A young team with growing pains that is slowly growing up and growing together. And they will continue to get better.

It's a really great story line to watch unfold.

 

[dasher]

Going into this season I expected that this years incarnation of Orange Basketball would have some bumps in the road as they maneuvered through the season schedule and we certainly have seen our bumps and lumps. I also expected that one of the differentiating aspects of this years team would be that they would have a trajectory of continual improvement throughout the season. We would not see the 25-0 start and a #1 ranking but we would be rewarded by having a squad that is playing it's best basketball in March rather than the front end of the season.

Thus far, it seems like this years team is fulfilling my expectations. Admittedly things looked pretty bleak in the early going but the loss to Villanova, as disappointing as it was, seemed to be the turning point for this team. By all measures they could have and perhaps should have won that game. More importantly it seems that the game provided some type of catalyst for the team whereby they realized they could play with the top teams and win.

Since that game there has been much to be encouraged about. Sure there has been some of the spotty play, mixed in with some poor shooting and some What turnovers but you could see that the team and it's players where beginning to find their identities and roles and becoming comfortable playing.

If it continues on the current trajectory I think we have reason to be very excited moving forward. Rak has become an absolute monster and his offensive development from as recently as last year has been nothing short of miraculous. Everyone who covers the games mentions him as being the most improved player in the nation and he has become a presence down low the likes of which we have not seen in a long, long time.

Cooney, in spite of all the criticism and being the delegated team whipping boy has been absolutely fantastic as of late. Not only has his 3 point shooting reappeared, he has also been demonstrating a great put the ball on the floor and drive to the hoop schtick that is really paying dividends.

Silent G... geeze, what can you say? The kid has suddenly blossomed into a dynamic multi purpose player who is hitting 3's, helping with handling the ball, has been grabbing rebounds and simply put, is playing at a high level and emerging as a great player.

Roberson is shedding that deer in the headlights persona and we can now see what all the hoopla was about this kid when he was being recruited. There can be no doubt that he is going to be a big time contributor and player for this program and it appears that it may be sooner rather than later if things keep developing at the pace we are seeing.

Kaleb the bookworm assassin has been reeled in somewhat by JB thereby providing a little less under the bright lights playing time tempered with coaching moments each time he is called to the bench and it is helping him to sort things out. Certainly he will continue to make freshman mistakes but we've also been provided with increasingly frequent signs of his enormous potential and talent. I really think that the kid is going to be special before his Syracuse career is over and those critical of him have to realize that the difficulties he has had are part and parcel with having a kid start as a freshman while being the type of player we are going to have around the program for more than ONE year.

Buss has been the guy who has made it possible to cut back somewhat on Kaleb's playing time and take some of the pressure off of him. He has proven to be a reliable back up at point and although it's become obvious that his shooting can be "streaky" ( a euphemism for bad or ill advised) he does represent another player who can hit the occasional 3 and there can be no doubt that defensively he for the most part is awesome at the top of the zone. I watched him during the Cornell game and his defensive play is frenetic and disruptive for the opposition. He is a valuable commodity to have on the team and will continue to improve and become more valuable.

And finally, Chris MacCullough, perhaps we need to have more patience with Chris than anyone else on the team. After all, it's a pretty widely accepted axiom that big men take the longest to develop. For sure Chris is not going to gain the 20 or so pounds which it's been said he needs to gain to be more effective. There's also been talk of the perhaps not so mythical "freshman wall" that he may have hit. In the past couple of games I've seen some evidence that Chris is getting back on track and finding ways that he can contribute and learning to play within himself. There can be no doubt that as the season progresses he will become an ever increasingly valuable component in the teams success. If there is any remote chance of him returning to play for the Orange next season, certainly some of his shortcomings with respect to physical development and knowledge of the game will have come into play. JB's vitriolic commentary about Chris's high draft status certainly indicates that he will staunchly advise Chris to stay Orange should he feel that it would benefit him in the long term scheme of things. But we all know that we have no control of outcomes of that nature.

As a whole this team has become very, very fun to watch and I think they have an incredible amount of growing room as a team which will not go unfulfilled. Recently, with each passing game it's possible to see vast leaps and improvement in play both by players individually and collectively as a team. Coupled with the fact that our Conference schedule is favorable with respect to the fact we will face our stiffest adversaries after the easier games I think we have the opportunity to continue to improve to a point where we can play with and even beat some of the better teams in the conference. It's certainly a different dynamic than we have become accustomed to in recent campaigns... continuing to improve in significant jumps throughout the season and watching players do the same. It's not out of the question that this team provides us with some surprising outcomes moving into 2015 and I'm primed and ready to watch it happen with this team that has become so promising and exciting.

LGO!View attachment 32761

From your lips to God's ears.

 

[tee1222]

Going into this season I expected that this years incarnation of Orange Basketball would have some bumps in the road as they maneuvered through the season schedule and we certainly have seen our bumps and lumps. I also expected that one of the differentiating aspects of this years team would be that they would have a trajectory of continual improvement throughout the season. We would not see the 25-0 start and a #1 ranking but we would be rewarded by having a squad that is playing it's best basketball in March rather than the front end of the season.

Thus far, it seems like this years team is fulfilling my expectations. Admittedly things looked pretty bleak in the early going but the loss to Villanova, as disappointing as it was, seemed to be the turning point for this team. By all measures they could have and perhaps should have won that game. More importantly it seems that the game provided some type of catalyst for the team whereby they realized they could play with the top teams and win.

Since that game there has been much to be encouraged about. Sure there has been some of the spotty play, mixed in with some poor shooting and some What turnovers but you could see that the team and it's players where beginning to find their identities and roles and becoming comfortable playing.

If it continues on the current trajectory I think we have reason to be very excited moving forward. Rak has become an absolute monster and his offensive development from as recently as last year has been nothing short of miraculous. Everyone who covers the games mentions him as being the most improved player in the nation and he has become a presence down low the likes of which we have not seen in a long, long time.

Cooney, in spite of all the criticism and being the delegated team whipping boy has been absolutely fantastic as of late. Not only has his 3 point shooting reappeared, he has also been demonstrating a great put the ball on the floor and drive to the hoop schtick that is really paying dividends.

Silent G... geeze, what can you say? The kid has suddenly blossomed into a dynamic multi purpose player who is hitting 3's, helping with handling the ball, has been grabbing rebounds and simply put, is playing at a high level and emerging as a great player.

Roberson is shedding that deer in the headlights persona and we can now see what all the hoopla was about this kid when he was being recruited. There can be no doubt that he is going to be a big time contributor and player for this program and it appears that it may be sooner rather than later if things keep developing at the pace we are seeing.

Kaleb the bookworm assassin has been reeled in somewhat by JB thereby providing a little less under the bright lights playing time tempered with coaching moments each time he is called to the bench and it is helping him to sort things out. Certainly he will continue to make freshman mistakes but we've also been provided with increasingly frequent signs of his enormous potential and talent. I really think that the kid is going to be special before his Syracuse career is over and those critical of him have to realize that the difficulties he has had are part and parcel with having a kid start as a freshman while being the type of player we are going to have around the program for more than ONE year.

Buss has been the guy who has made it possible to cut back somewhat on Kaleb's playing time and take some of the pressure off of him. He has proven to be a reliable back up at point and although it's become obvious that his shooting can be "streaky" ( a euphemism for bad or ill advised) he does represent another player who can hit the occasional 3 and there can be no doubt that defensively he for the most part is awesome at the top of the zone. I watched him during the Cornell game and his defensive play is frenetic and disruptive for the opposition. He is a valuable commodity to have on the team and will continue to improve and become more valuable.

And finally, Chris MacCullough, perhaps we need to have more patience with Chris than anyone else on the team. After all, it's a pretty widely accepted axiom that big men take the longest to develop. For sure Chris is not going to gain the 20 or so pounds which it's been said he needs to gain to be more effective. There's also been talk of the perhaps not so mythical "freshman wall" that he may have hit. In the past couple of games I've seen some evidence that Chris is getting back on track and finding ways that he can contribute and learning to play within himself. There can be no doubt that as the season progresses he will become an ever increasingly valuable component in the teams success. If there is any remote chance of him returning to play for the Orange next season, certainly some of his shortcomings with respect to physical development and knowledge of the game will have come into play. JB's vitriolic commentary about Chris's high draft status certainly indicates that he will staunchly advise Chris to stay Orange should he feel that it would benefit him in the long term scheme of things. But we all know that we have no control of outcomes of that nature.

As a whole this team has become very, very fun to watch and I think they have an incredible amount of growing room as a team which will not go unfulfilled. Recently, with each passing game it's possible to see vast leaps and improvement in play both by players individually and collectively as a team. Coupled with the fact that our Conference schedule is favorable with respect to the fact we will face our stiffest adversaries after the easier games I think we have the opportunity to continue to improve to a point where we can play with and even beat some of the better teams in the conference. It's certainly a different dynamic than we have become accustomed to in recent campaigns... continuing to improve in significant jumps throughout the season and watching players do the same. It's not out of the question that this team provides us with some surprising outcomes moving into 2015 and I'm primed and ready to watch it happen with this team that has become so promising and exciting.

LGO!View attachment 32761