Mike's Mailbox: Who are the greatest leapers in Syracuse basketball history?

[mountaincuse]

Other than the usuals mentioned. Damone Brown always gets passed over in this dept

Yes, Damone Brown needs to be here.

I've been trying to search youtube for his alley oop from half court, but no luck. Anyone?

 

[BludOrange]

A couple of names getting no love...

Rudy Hackett
Conrad McRae
Herman Harried, though injuries cut his flight time down before we ever really got to see him fly.
Tony Scott, legend had it, that he could pick a quarter off the top of the backboard.

 

[GreekFreak]

Red Bruin and it's not even close. Remember him dunking over the top of Olajuwan in 82 and it was soectacular!

 

[SevenZero4]

And for you old-timers:

• Chris Sease
• Reggie Powell
• Sam Penceal (only a vague recollection of his jumping)
• Jim Boeheim

Vaughn Harper.

"Up the invisible ladder!" - Joel Mareiniss

 

[dollarbill44]

Red Bruin gets my vote followed by Stevie and Hak.

Ditto.

 

[HakAttack]

Hak was tall and insanely long but nowhere near the best leaper.

According to Waters he is.

“In my opinion, Hakim Warrick is the unequivocal king of all leapers in Syracuse history.”

Boom. Mic Drop.

 

[Orangtiz]

Rakeem Christmas getting no love. Definitely not top 5 but he had some serious leaping ability.

Also Tyler Roberson had similar leaping ability to Grant. Very quick off the ground on his second or third consecutive jump.

 

[OrangeOnions]

Stevie Thompson and Tony Scott.

 

[kuethstheman]

Bruin left armpit hairs in the net hooks in a dunk about .1 seconds after the buzzer, at DePaul (in a loss). If it had been a little earlier, they would have replayed it about a dozen times. Instead? On to the next game.

 

[cuseincincy]

We have had some outstanding leapers over the years.
Dave Johnson - The most explosive powerful leaper we ever had, Adios my way cuz here I come.
Wes Johnson - Wes had the quickest hops. From stand still to head above rim in a flash it seemed.
Hakim Warrick - I don't know what is more memorable to me. Hak's one handed tomahawks from 10 feet away or the way he tea bagged that Texas player in the F4.
Stevie Thompson - Dude was 6'2" and literally owned the baseline. Never ever has a 6'2" player been on the receiving end of more alley oops. Receiving the long range snap from Sherm against Indiana was a classic.
Tony "Red" Bruin - First off Red played 4 seasons at SU from 80-83, not 79-80 as the article states. The 79/80 season was his freshman year. Bruin was a NYC high school legend when he came to SU and the greatest leaper I ever saw. I will swear to my dying days that I once saw him rise for an alley oop from Rautins, hang in mid air then after catching the ball he rose another 4 inches before slamming the ball through the rim bouncing it off the head of the opponent who despite leaping after Red had already fell back to earth! It was one of those Dome moments where the place was silent as we all tried to grasp what we had just witnessed and then just exploded in a frenzy.

 

[rrlbees]

I have no idea if it is correct, but I remember when Red was here it was claimed his vertical was 45”. I have doubts about the number, but who knows.

 

[OttoMets]

I think Red played before Mike was in Syracuse, so he really did his homework and must have talked to those who saw him play.

Um...he didn't do his homework. He just wrote down some names of SU players who are regarded as great leapers. Anyone around the program would be familiar with that. Red Bruin? Big hops.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

 

[OttoMets]

According to Waters he is.

“In my opinion, Hakim Warrick is the unequivocal king of all leapers in Syracuse history.”

Boom. Mic Drop.

Yeah, but for some reason Mike slapped together a stream of consciousness article instead of making an objective list. Hak's great. But he wasn't in the top ten vertical leaps at the 2005 combine. Lowest in the ten was 38.5". So Hak's at the very least below Flynn and Carter-Williams if that's the metric we're comfortable with.

This is a funny thread. Waters answered a different question than the one he was asked and now everyone's just talking about their favorite leapers. I'd love to see a more complete list with numbers if anybody's got some insight or old media guides or something.

 

[br801]

Um...he didn't do his homework. He just wrote down some names of SU players who are regarded as great leapers. Anyone around the program would be familiar with that. Red Bruin? Big hops.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

Well maybe I should have said I'm glad he didn't confine his list to guys who have played most recently or those who have played since he has covered the team. I would suspect that unless you're a longtime fan of the program or someone who reads this board, most people have forgotten about Bruin or know little about him.

 

[HakAttack]

Yeah, but for some reason Mike slapped together a stream of consciousness article instead of making an objective list. Hak's great. But he wasn't in the top ten vertical leaps at the 2005 combine. Lowest in the ten was 38.5". So Hak's at the very least below Flynn and Carter-Williams if that's the metric we're comfortable with.

This is a funny thread. Waters answered a different question than the one he was asked and now everyone's just talking about their favorite leapers. I'd love to see a more complete list with numbers if anybody's got some insight or old media guides or something.

OttoMets I hear you. I wouldn’t use a guy’s vertical as THE measurement though to determine a great leaper. IMO what made Hakim so special as a leaper is that he could literally take off from anywhere, even flat footed, and do stuff like this:


That’s from the box! Who else have we had that could do something like that. Perhaps he’s not the best leaper from a metric, physical standpoint, but I’ll argue all day he’s the best leaper we’ve ever had, if not certainly the best dunker.

 

[tbonezone]

agree here leapers category is different from tall and incredible wingspan. leaping is inches floor to foot.
as far as dunking conrad mcrae is the only cuse guy i ever remember competing in the NCAA dunk contest. did i miss someone ? how in the world did HAkim WarricK not compete ? i'd like someone with some skill and footage and spare time to put together a highlight reel of his best dunks to wayne newton's DUNKA SHINE.

 

[Brooky03]

I would bet money Jerami Grant has the highest max vert (1 step) of any SU player in my lifetime.

Over 40" is rare. I'd peg him at 42" minimum.

 

[tbonezone]

foot to floor maybe red bruin , stevie , jerami and * malik "the freak" campbell .


* think he's still at buffalo state. go bengals.

 

[CaptainJ]

Still dont get the cuck mentality of letting a tarheel grad tell us who OUR best was, even when he doesnt do a horrible job. For my opinion on a guy who made the most of his leaps, Stevie Thompson.

 

[alphaorange]

According to Waters he is.

“In my opinion, Hakim Warrick is the unequivocal king of all leapers in Syracuse history.”

Boom. Mic Drop.

If you believe an opinions are fact, then yes. But it is still unsubstantiated, even if by the esteemed M. Waters.The only specifics I could find says he had a 38" vertical, which puts him pretty far down the list, despite Water's opinion. Boom.

 

[alphaorange]

OttoMets I hear you. I wouldn’t use a guy’s vertical as THE measurement though to determine a great leaper. IMO what made Hakim so special as a leaper is that he could literally take off from anywhere, even flat footed, and do stuff like this:


That’s from the box! Who else have we had that could do something like that. Perhaps he’s not the best leaper from a metric, physical standpoint, but I’ll argue all day he’s the best leaper we’ve ever had, if not certainly the best dunker.

Give it up, man. Perhaps the best dunker (I think so) but for sure not the best leaper. No shame in a 38" vertical, but clearly we have had guys with higher verts. When you show me a mwasurement that says he was over 40", I'll capitulate.

 

[alphaorange]

I would bet money Jerami Grant has the highest max vert (1 step) of any SU player in my lifetime.

Over 40" is rare. I'd peg him at 42" minimum. QUOTE]

This could be true. From Si.com.....

"Grant is 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds with a vertical more than 40 inches. (The combination of Grant’s 7-3 ¾ wingspan and vertical did not allow Syracuse strength coaches to get an accurate measurement, as Grant out-jumped the 12-foot Vertec measuring device.)"

"

 

[OrangePA]

And for you old-timers:

• Chris Sease
• Reggie Powell
• Sam Penceal (only a vague recollection of his jumping)
• Jim Boeheim

Really good!

Chris Sease and Reggie Powell came to mind immediately.

Vaughn Harper was another who flew under the Manley Dome.

 

[OrangePA]

Oh, yeah! Forgot Warwell! Cool dude! Too cool, in fact.

Cliff Warwell should have been a great player.

 

[OrangePA]

Reggie Powell/ Vaughn Harper/Wadach for his size..

Mark Wadach is the greatest rebounder in SU history - inch for inch/pound for pound.