most bad news in a 60 day period

[AZOrange]

2 things: 1. Hopkins stayed, so it wasn't that bad. 2. The weeks and months following Bernie-gate were horrible.

 

[jvbj01]

I love the comment. Makes me laugh. But nothing feels worse than the wound you're currently hurting from.

You are a slow healer. In fact, you stated yourself that your knees never healed properly after surgery

 

[AZOrange]

You are a slow healer. In fact, you stated yourself that your knees never healed properly after surgery

Lol...

 

[HOFCeluck]

They way things are going in college hoops and with the draft you also can't totally eliminate Joseph and Roberson from the possible one & done list as they will both will have minutes and opportunity.

If it's any consolation I have it on good authority Roberson will not be one and done.

 

[MSOrange]

Yeah I guess I've moved on from the season and when I think about it now, I focus on the 25 game winning streak, Tyler's shot against Pitt, CJ's steal against the Wolfpack, Trevor going off against Notre Dame. Lots of good memories even though it ended on a sour note.

 

[MSOrange]

2 things: 1. Hopkins stayed, so it wasn't that bad. 2. The weeks and months following Bernie-gate were horrible.

I was just going to mention the time around Bernie. To be compared to freaking Penn State and worry we might have something like that on our hands was just nauseating.

 

[jdubs30]

Yeah I guess I've moved on from the season and when I think about it now, I focus on the 25 game winning streak, Tyler's shot against Pitt, CJ's steal against the Wolfpack, Trevor going off against Notre Dame. Lots of good memories even though it ended on a sour note.

Maui was great. Too bad it was in November.

 

[br801]

It's been worse.

Yeah, I vaguely recall some pretty stormy times way back in late 2011, but the details are escaping me.

 

[br801]

I'm tired of the guys with the Orange colored glasses. .

Your definition of "guys with Orange colored glasses" seems to be anyone who has not thrown themselves over a ledge since SU lost to Boston College.

 

[AlaskaSU]

The slump ended with the Howard commitment, an important get, now as long as we also get a commit from one of the desired bigs we will be back on track in a solid way.

Next year's team may not be better overall than was this year's team, but they almost certainly will be better come March when it really matters.

The Squid - UCon finals. It happened, and next year will not erase that.

 

[JoeSU]

Personally, I took the 2007 NCAA snub pretty hard.

 

[Cuse1055]

If Jones wants to come here, I think we will find some room. It is possible that McC is a one & done. In fact, he is likely to be a one & done unless he disappoints. They way things are going in college hoops and with the draft you also can't totally eliminate Joseph and Roberson from the possible one & done list as they will both will have minutes and opportunity. Finally, you never know if somebody might transfer if they get stuck at the end of Jimmy's bench and get impatient.

As to the bigs - I am concerned about Diagne, it seems that all the ducks were in a row last fall for him to commit if he really wanted to come here. My guess is it's either Bryant or Silva with Bryant getting first dibs.

Do not worry about Diagne, he is still ours to lose and it could be official very soon.

 

[AZOrange]

Do not worry about Diagne, he is still ours to lose and it could be official very soon.

Love it!

 

[General20]

OK, I've only followed the Orange for 38 years, but I cannot recall a 2 month period that has been filled with more bad news than what we have just lived through. To recap;

> loss to Boston College in the dome. This is the 1st time in NCAA history that a 19 loss team has beaten a team ranked #1.

> loss to Duke / bad call / JB tossed. No explanation needed - just frustrating.

> Loss to Georgia Tech...UGLY. Starting to realize this team is not as good as advertised.

> 1st round loss in ACC tourney to NC State. We miss approximately 150 shots in the final 25 seconds.

> loss to Dayton. OK they were a hot team and we weren't going to the Final 4 anyway but this is still a crap way to end the season. 3-6 in the final 9 games and no major injury to blame.

> The U CONs win the title by defeating Kentucky. Are there two worse examples of college athletics than these programs? ARGGH!

> Ennis declares for the draft even though he obviously tired when forced to play more than 30 games in a season. (and we obviously could use better depth next year)

> Grant declares for the draft. I guess 4 points and 5 fouls vs Dayton shows that you're ready to move on.

I challenge board members to find a darker 8 week period in our history. I'm sure we'll be OK in the long run, but it sure feels like poop right now.

Interesting post. Since you consider losses "bad news" there is no way this year is the most bad news we have faced. Syracuse only had six losses this year! Things have been much worse.

As for the off season. I have been asking myself whether this has been a good off season or a bad off season. I guess that all comes down to one question, which is worse Ennis and Grant going pro, or Hopkins leaving to coach BC? When I look at the big time recruits Hopkins is involved with right now, I tend to think Ennis and Grant leaving is pretty small potatoes compared to the good news of Hopkins staying. We have had him as an assistant far longer than we should. There is no way he's not good enough to be a head coach.

 

[SUGIANT]

It's been worse.

yeah like probabtion, lol...

 

[SWC75]

March 25, 2008. Syracuse blows a 24 point second half lead to lose to Massachusetts in the Dome for the second time that season. I remember going home determined to avoid my computer for at least a week because I knew the Boeheim bashers would rule this board.

March 26, 2002. Syracuse loses in the NIT semi-finals to South Carolina in their practice uniforms because the regular ones didn't show up.

March 12, 1997. Syracuse loses to Florida State 67-82 before 5,000 fans in the Dome in the first round of the NIT. At least I thin that was the score because the scoreboard stopped working.

March 14, 1991. Syracuse, after blowing a 16 point lead to lose to Villanova in the first round of the BET, loses to 15 seed Richmond, 69-73 in the first round of the NCAA, the first #2 seed to lose in the first round since the tourney went to 64 teams, (and the only one they ever seem to talk about). Billy Owens announces he's skipping his senior year and the NCAA is investigating the program.

March 16, 1986. One of our best teams loses to Navy, a team we'd beaten by 22 points in the Carrier Classic, in the Dome 85-97 in the second round of the NCAAs as Navy goes to line 54 times to our 21. The Pearl announces he's going pro a short time after this, skipping his senior year.

March 20, 1983. All we have to do to get to the Eastern Region in the Dome is to beat Ohio State, whom we'd beaten earlier in the year. But Granville Waiters, a bald-headed center who looks like somebody's grandpa, dunks in a couple of missed shots and we lose 74-79. We'd started out 11-0 and finished 21-10. Leo Rautins, Eric Santifer and Tony Bruin are all seniors.

March 11, 1978. We finished the regular season an impressive 22-4 and ranked #14 We then lost to St. Bonaventure by a point in the ECAC playoffs and to a 15-13 Western Kentucky team 86-87 in the first round of the NCAAs, (which was the round of 32). Marty Byynes had tied the score at 87 with a lay-up and was fouled. He went to the line with a second left to win the game. Bill Packer, who was the color man for the game, started arguing with the refs that it was "continuation" and that there's no continuation in college ball. The refs discussed it for 5 minutes while poor Marty was waiting at the line. Then they took the points off the board and now Marty was facing a one and one and had to hit both ends. He missed the second and we couldn't get the rebound. My memory of the play is that Marty was going up for a lay-up and got hammered across the forearms but managed to flip the ball up as he was forced out of bound and it went in.

March 9, 1974. We lose to Oral Roberts 82-86 in overtime in the first round of the NCAAs. Oral Roberts?!?

January 8th, 1969 A 4-8 Syracuse team loses 94-103 to an 0-10 Connecticut team in Storrs. We were supposed to have a heck of a team but most of it was academically ineligible or in jail.

March 3-5, 1962 We some how upset both Boston College and Connecticut to end a 27 game losing streak. We'd been 0-22 going into those games. Then we hired Fred Lewis and he recruited Dave Bing and left a skinny kid named Boeheim walk on.

We survived all those nadirs and will survive this one.

 

[AZOrange]

March 25, 2008. Syracuse blows a 24 point second half lead to lose to Massachusetts in the Dome for the second time that season. I remember going home determined to avoid my computer for at least a week because I knew the Boeheim bashers would rule this board. March 26, 2002. Syracuse loses in the NIT semi-finals to South Carolina in their practice uniforms because the regular ones didn't show up. March 12, 1997. Syracuse loses to Florida State 67-82 before 5,000 fans in the Dome in the first round of the NIT. At least I thin that was the score because the scoreboard stopped working. March 14, 1991. Syracuse, after blowing a 16 point lead to lose to Villanova in the first round of the BET, loses to 15 seed Richmond, 69-73 in the first round of the NCAA, the first #2 seed to lose in the first round since the tourney went to 64 teams, (and the only one they ever seem to talk about). Billy Owens announces he's skipping his senior year and the NCAA is investigating the program. March 16, 1986. One of our best teams loses to Navy, a team we'd beaten by 22 points in the Carrier Classic, in the Dome 85-97 in the second round of the NCAAs as Navy goes to line 54 times to our 21. The Pearl announces he's going pro a short time after this, skipping his senior year. March 20, 1983. All we have to do to get to the Eastern Region in the Dome is to beat Ohio State, whom we'd beaten earlier in the year. But Granville Waiters, a bald-headed center who looks like somebody's grandpa, dunks in a couple of missed shots and we lose 74-79. We'd started out 11-0 and finished 21-10. Leo Rautins, Eric Santifer and Tony Bruin are all seniors. March 11, 1978. We finished the regular season an impressive 22-4 and ranked #14 We then lost to St. Bonaventure by a point in the ECAC playoffs and to a 15-13 Western Kentucky team 86-87 in the first round of the NCAAs, (which was the round of 32). Marty Byynes had tied the score at 87 with a lay-up and was fouled. He went to the line with a second left to win the game. Bill Packer, who was the color man for the game, started arguing with the refs that it was "continuation" and that there's no continuation in college ball. The refs discussed it for 5 minutes while poor Marty was waiting at the line. Then they took the points off the board and now Marty was facing a one and one and had to hit both ends. He missed the second and we couldn't get the rebound. My memory of the play is that Marty was going up for a lay-up and got hammered across the forearms but managed to flip the ball up as he was forced out of bound and it went in. March 9, 1974. We lose to Oral Roberts 82-86 in overtime in the first round of the NCAAs. Oral Roberts?!? January 8th, 1969 A 4-8 Syracuse team loses 94-103 to an 0-10 Connecticut team in Storrs. We were supposed to have a heck of a team but most of it was academically ineligible or in jail. March 3-5, 1962 We some how upset both Boston College and Connecticut to end a 27 game losing streak. We'd been 0-22 going into those games. Then we hired Fred Lewis and he recruited Dave Bing and left a skinny kid named Boeheim walk on. We survived all those nadirs and will survive this one.

March 26, 2002 was by far te low point.

 

[llandz]

Could this possibly be one of the best years in Syracuse sports?
Our basketball team went to Maui, and swept every team there.
We then compiled a 25-0 record the greatest in the history of Syracuse basketball.
We had en epic win in our first game versus Duke.
One of our players who graduated last year will most likely be rookie of the year in the NBA further promoting the Syracuse basketball brand amongst future recruits.
Our football team won a most exciting game over Boston College to become bowl eligible.
We then ended up in a more prominent bowl then we thought we would.
We sent thousands of kids to that bowl game in an unprecedented effort to buy tickets, snacks and souvenirs for children in inner city Houston programs.
We beat Minnesota in an epic bowl game that everyone else who was not an SU fan expected us to lose.
Our women's basketball team won their first ever NCAA tournament game, and almost their 2nd. And most likely would have if not for the injury to our best player.
Our women's Lacrosse team is #1 in the nation for the first time ever.
Our men's lacrosse team just had an incredible season turn around win over N Carolina to make the ACC tournament.
Several of our women's tennis players achieved national rankings.
I could also go on, and on if I racked my brain.
There are many ways to look at things.

 

[Flacusian]

You know what?
All things considered, We've never had it so good!

People are only as happy as they make their minds up to be. Take as much time and effort to make a gratitude list for all the things we have to be grateful for as it pertains to Syracuse Basketball.

We had some pretty darn thrilling moments last season and for several glorious weeks we were at the top of the world of College Basketball. Nothing ever stays the same. Programs vacillate. They rise up and then decline. The ebb and flow of life.

Whatever you choose to put your focus on is the thing you breathe life into and magnify. The wonderful thing about life is we have the ability to choose what it is we focus on, ergo we alone are responsible for the filter by which we allocate our view of things on the outside.

Cheer up... Life's greatest achievements are often born on the heels of adversity. Along with every apparent unfortunate twist of fate is a situation filled with opportunity. Next years team will present many of the kids with a plethora of opportunity to show us what they are capable of . They are jonesing to show us how they can don the Orange and be great.

Sit back and enjoy... it's going to be a marvelous show... Kaleb Joseph is going to play a version of point guard that we haven't seen the likes of since Pearl. He seemingly has the ball on a string and has a double crossover move that is going to have people raving about it. You just wait and see.

I Love me some ORANGE ! And next year is going to be just fine.

 

[Flacusian]

Could this possibly be one of the best years in Syracuse sports?
Our basketball team went to Maui, and swept every team there.
We then compiled a 25-0 record the greatest in the history of Syracuse basketball.
We had en epic win in our first game versus Duke.
One of our players who graduated last year will most likely be rookie of the year in the NBA further promoting the Syracuse basketball brand amongst future recruits.
Our football team won a most exciting game over Boston College to become bowl eligible.
We then ended up in a more prominent bowl then we thought we would.
We sent thousands of kids to that bowl game in an unprecedented effort to buy tickets, snacks and souvenirs for children in inner city Houston programs.
We beat Minnesota in an epic bowl game that everyone else who was not an SU fan expected us to lose.
Our women's basketball team won their first ever NCAA tournament game, and almost their 2nd. And most likely would have if not for the injury to our best player.
Our women's Lacrosse team is #1 in the nation for the first time ever.
Our men's lacrosse team just had an incredible season turn around win over N Carolina to make the ACC tournament.
Several of our women's tennis players achieved national rankings.
I could also go on, and on if I racked my brain.
There are many ways to look at things.

Now that's what I'm talkin' bout!

 

[Nicknack]

Yeah I guess I've moved on from the season and when I think about it now, I focus on the 25 game winning streak, Tyler's shot against Pitt, CJ's steal against the Wolfpack, Trevor going off against Notre Dame. Lots of good memories even though it ended on a sour note.

I applaud you and wish I could do the same. I'm usually a positive guy but I'm just not there. I try my best NOT to think about the 25-0 start because it just brings back pain and disappointment. We went from sitting on the top of the basketball world, being called the miracle team by some, sure 1 seed lock, likely ACC champs, and a final four or bust expectation to playing like an NIT team and laying a giant, smelly egg. We absolutely imploded and that is hard to forget particularly when expectations were so high. This is all why I try to focus on other things, like next year's team (which I think might surprise some folks - in a good way) and in just a few months, watching some good ole college football!

 

[MSOrange]

I applaud you and wish I could do the same. I'm usually a positive guy but I'm just not there. I try my best NOT to think about the 25-0 start because it just brings back pain and disappointment. We went from sitting on the top of the basketball world, being called the miracle team by some, sure 1 seed lock, likely ACC champs, and a final four or bust expectation to playing like an NIT team and laying a giant, smelly egg. We absolutely imploded and that is hard to forget particularly when expectations were so high. This is all why I try to focus on other things, like next year's team (which I think might surprise some folks - in a good way) and in just a few months, watching some good ole college football!

Oh believe me, I was burned up for quite awhile. There is no way we should have lost to Dayton. All we needed was to have just a decent offense game, not necessarily even a good one. But what happened was just tough to watch to say the least - particuarly after it seemed like we might be headed in the right direction against Western Michigan.

 

[two3zone]

Loss to Georgia Tech...UGLY. Starting to realize this team is not as good as advertised. .

It took that long?

 

[swish7]

Good list. It sucked. It really doesn't matter if it was not 1, 2, or 3 on the suckage list. It still sucked. No bueno.

Don't know why we agonize over it not being #1 on the list or not. What does that matter?

 

[Scooch]

Probation was an existential threat to the program.

Worst days ever? Now?!

My freakin' God.