Zelda Zonk
2022 Iggy Winner: ACC Tourney Record
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2011
- Messages
- 10,318
- Like
- 24,810
Every team is “one player away.”This team is 1 player away from being a top 10 team and your making it sound like the program is a wreck. I stand by my analysis that if Sidibe played they could very well be 10-0 or 9-1. That's not some crazy idea, they had the lead late in all three loses and mainly lost because they couldn't counter those teams bigs. How was the coaching staff to know that Sidibe who finally got healthy at the end of last season was going to get injured again? When Sid comes back, this team will make a move up.
Sidibe played last year. Where did we finish?
”A wreck?” Your words. The overall perspective here is somewhat different, but whatever. Syracuse basketball has been irrelevant for a good number of years. When was the last time we were ranked? When was the last time you could find our game listing on ESPN without having to drill down on the menus to search for ACC-specific games?
Following a team of message boards gives you a warped perception of status. We remind ourselves of our ‘potential,’ our hopes, who we remember ourselves as. The real rest of the world doesn’t see any of that. They barely see us at all. No tv highlights—unless we happen to be playing a ‘significant’ team. No ranking. The only publicity we might get is ‘bubble talk’ and none of that is attractive to the most impactful recruits. A solid program can sustain that for a few years, maybe, but at some point, it becomes who you are and the past glory becomes only that.
“How was the coaching staff to know...” that Sid would be injured again? “Know” and expect/predict are two different things. The staff should have expected it enough that this is not a surprise. Likewise, Braswell. If you don’t suspect he might have health issues again at some point, you aren’t doing your job. Either way, the ability to recruit/develop a Center shouldn’t be hinging on whether or not Sidibe is healthy.