Most significant player in Syracuse history

[Edfromsodus]

Uh Pearl

 

[SWC75]

Without Pearl there is no Melo. Without Bing there is no Pearl. (Boeheim is a coach. he was a decent but not very significant player.)

 

[DoctorBombay]

Pearl Washington was the single greatest factor in the transformation of Syracuse basketball. His first BE Tournament, when he single-handedly took on the big bad JTII/Ewing Hoyas, was the apogee moment when SU's bball program came of age.
Bing, JB, Louie&Bouie, Rautins/Santifer/Bruin, were all preludes to the Pearl. He, and the perfect timing of the Dome and BE Conference, made SU a legit player overnight. No other player comes close to the impact that Pearl had. Not even close.

 

[cuseattle]

^^^^

 

[CaptainJ]

^^^^

I agree, Pearl was like our Messiah. He even got mentioned in pop culture: (it's forwarded to the proper spot)

 

[br801]

How anyone could put someone besides Melo as #1 is insane. Sports are about titles. Nothing more. Without Melo we would have zero. We wouldn't be able to look at our coach or program the same way. Pearl is a good choice but he didn't win a ship.

Melo also donated tons and helped give us a great recruiting tool in the Melo Center.

Post #1. Off and running !

I can't argue with your choice of Melo, but if sports are only about titles and nothing more, being a sports fan will be a miserable pursuit most of the time.

 

[CuseLifer11]

I can't argue with your choice of Melo, but if sports are only about titles and nothing more, being a sports fan will be a miserable pursuit most of the time.

Sadly that's what it's about and I'm sure u would agree the title is your best SU hoops memory.

 

[realorange]

The last two posts made we wonder.

Would you give up all the Syracuse games you ever saw for that one championship run?

Or the other way around?

Just wondering. Personally, as much as I loved the 'Ship, I'd give it up for all the rest.

 

[br801]

Sadly that's what it's about and I'm sure u would agree the title is your best SU hoops memory.

I have many great memories of 40+ years as a fan of the SU program. I savor the journey each season and all the people involved. The title was great and softens the blow when they fall short of a championship now.

I agree with what realorange wrote just above.

 

[Halfmooncuse]

After 26 years of marriage my wife walked. I made her an Orange fan and I won't agree to the divorce until she admits per the settlement she is no longer allowed to be a fan of the Syracuse Orange. When it comes til death do us part there are more important loyalties than marriage and the sanctity of being an Orange fan is one. If any one sees her at an SU event or watching on TV please report it to the Orange club. Thanks.

 

[CaptainJ]

After 26 years of marriage my wife walked. I made her an Orange fan and I won't agree to the divorce until she admits per the settlement she is no longer allowed to be a fan of the Syracuse Orange. When it comes til death do us part there are more important loyalties than marriage and the sanctity of being an Orange fan is one. If any one sees her at an SU event or watching on TV please report it to the Orange club. Thanks.

I want to offer condolences on the divorce, but have to say that this is the first time I've heard of someone being banned from their favorite team as part of the settlement. That's worthy of being written into a sitcom or something!

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Maybe. Maybe not. But those are unknowns. Melo brought us our crown achievement as a program. That is a fact.

So did Josh Pace. I switch my vote from Bing to Josh Pace.

 

[IthacaMatt]

And we need an extra statue or two for Sherm, Moten, and Wallace.

Don't forget Coleman. He was great.

 

[tbonezone]

Don't forget Coleman. He was great.

#1 NBA draft pick overall. DC got dat !!!! not bing. not pearl .not melo.

 

[SWC75]

So did Josh Pace. I switch my vote from Bing to Josh Pace.

Without Dave Bing, we are Niagara.

 

[CaptainJ]

Actually, I'm not so sure about Bing anymore. I was a Pearl lean anyhow, but Boeheim as a player, led to Boeheim being a coach. After that, I am not sure how much weight Bing's having played here carried in relation to whatever magic JB used to have in him. Are folks asserting that JB couldnt have built the program he did, if Bing hadn't played here earlier? I'm not arguing, just trying to see if that is what folks who voted for Bing are asserting.

I didnt have a horse in the race when the thread started, and am not sure that I do now. I think reaching enlightment is helped by not being attached to outcome. It also seems that there is a shelf life on each of these names mentioned, as the program has bottomed out after each of them. I think the exceptions to that may be Melo and the MUP(most underrated player ever, according to Boeheim) Josh Pace(and the rest of that team), and Boeheim himself. Those are my observations.

Also, if we wanted to get very scientific, it may help our perspectives to ask the same question of various other teams to better understand the dynamic.

Maybe Mike and Donna will discover this thread and make a note on google calendar to write a piece about it in 6 months or so. Just kidding, didnt they already do that?

 

[br801]

Without Dave Bing, we are Niagara.

Calvin Murphy was Niagara's Dave Bing. What they didn't have was a Jim Boeheim.

 

[SWC75]

Actually, I'm not so sure about Bing anymore. I was a Pearl lean anyhow, but Boeheim as a player, led to Boeheim being a coach. After that, I am not sure how much weight Bing's having played here carried in relation to whatever magic JB used to have in him. Are folks asserting that JB couldnt have built the program he did, if Bing hadn't played here earlier? I'm not arguing, just trying to see if that is what folks who voted for Bing are asserting.

I didnt have a horse in the race when the thread started, and am not sure that I do now. I think reaching enlightment is helped by not being attached to outcome. It also seems that there is a shelf life on each of these names mentioned, as the program has bottomed out after each of them. I think the exceptions to that may be Melo and the MUP(most underrated player ever, according to Boeheim) Josh Pace(and the rest of that team), and Boeheim himself. Those are my observations.

Also, if we wanted to get very scientific, it may help our perspectives to ask the same question of various other teams to better understand the dynamic.

Maybe Mike and Donna will discover this thread and make a note on google calendar to write a piece about it in 6 months or so. Just kidding, didnt they already do that?

Jim Boeheim didn't build the program. He built onto a program that was already good. There was a dip in the late 60's due to some academic and legal troubles but we had good players- that actually should have been one of our best best eras. Bing us up off the carpet. We went from 2-22 before he came to 22-6 as a senior and scoring 100PPG. No other recruit has had that impact on the program.

 

[SWC75]

Calvin Murphy was Niagara's Dave Bing. What they didn't have was a Jim Boeheim.

OK, we'd be Canisius.

 

[cuseattle]

Jim Boeheim didn't build the program. He built onto a program that was already good.

His name is on the court, so he is probably a little more than a placeholder.

 

[SWC75]

His name is on the court, so he is probably a little more than a placeholder.

I never said he was a "placeholder". The implication was that Boeheim built the program from nothing so Bing couldn't have been that significant. The rise of the [program started with Boeheim. It started when Fred Lewis recruited Dave Bing and Boeheim will tell you the same thing.

 

[SWC75]

The three years before Bing: 4-19, 2-22, 8-13, (he was on the freshman team).
The three years of Bing: 17-8, 13-10, 22-6
The years after Bing: 20-6, (then the academic/legal problems hit, as well as a rebellion against the coach) 11-14, 9-16, 12-12. Then 47 consecutive winning seasons. If we could have fielded a line-up of Wayne Ward, Bill Smith, Bob McDaniel, Ernie Austin and Tom Green, the streak would probably be 54 winning seasons in a row, which would tie us with UCLA.

The three years before the Pearl: 22-12, 16-13, (Rautins missed 7 games in mid-season with an injury), 21-10
The three years of the Pearl: 23-9, 22-9, 26-6
The years afterwards were our best: 31-7. 26-9, 30-8, 26-7, 26-6. The Pearl contributed to that but so did Boeheim, the Dome,. the Big East and ESPN.

The three years before Melo: 26-6, 25-9, 23-13
The Year of Melo: 30-5 and a national championship. We couldn't have done it without him but we didn't do it alone.
The three years after Melo: 23-8, 27-7, 23-12. I remember thinking that the experience of winning a national championship with such a young team would cause us to perform at a higher level than the talent suggested, even without Melo because of the maturity and confidence the team gained. If GMAC hadn't gone off against BYU, we would have been one and done in the Big Dance three years in a row.

They were all great and highly significant players but none had the impact on the program of Dave Bing.

 

[Dave]

The three years before Bing: 4-19, 2-22, 8-13, (he was on the freshman team).
The three years of Bing: 17-8, 13-10, 22-6
The years after Bing: 20-6, (then the academic/legal problems hit, as well as a rebellion against the coach) 11-14, 9-16, 12-12. The 47 consecutive winning seasons. If we could have fielded a line-up of Wayne Ward, Bill Smith, Bob McDaniel, Ernie Austin and Tom Grene, the streak would probably be 54 winning seasons in a row, which would tie us with UCLA.

The three years before the Pearl: 22-12, 16-13, (Rautins missed 7 games in mid-season with an injury), 21-10
The three years of the Pearl: 23-9, 22-9, 26-6
The years afterwards were our best: 31-7. 26-9, 30-8, 26-7, 26-6. The Pearl contributed to that but so did Boeheim, the Dome,. the Big East and ESPN.

The three years before Melo: 26-6, 25-9, 23-13
The Year of Melo: 30-5 and a national championship. We couldn't have done it without him but we didn't do it alone.
The three years after Melo: 23-8, 27-7, 23-12. I remember thinking that the experience of winning a national championship with such a young team would cause us to perform at a higher level than the talent suggested, even without Melo because of the maturity and confidence the team gained. If GMAC hadn't gone off against BYU, we would have been one and done in the Big Dance three years in a row.

They were all great and highly significant players but none had the impact on the program of Dave Bing.

Much respect, sir. However, it can't be quantified by record, I don't think. Roy Danforth used Syracuses success in the short term, to launch himself into a better job at Tulane. What happened between then and now to make that statement funny and astonishing is attributable to a lot of factors. Why Pearl stands out to me is that he was the first player- at a point in time when recruiting was becoming more visible and was being followed -who everybody wanted. He chose us. That created a kind of intangible breakthrough which arguably could have lead to Owens and Anthony.

 

[cuseattle]

Much respect from me to SWC as well. I was only one year old when Bing was playing, so I appreciate first hand accounts of where we came from.
Sticking with Pearl for all the excitement he galvanized around the program going forward. If the thread was most significant person, I would go with JAB.

 

[SWC75]

Much respect from me to SWC as well. I was only one year old when Bing was playing, so I appreciate first hand accounts of where we came from.
Sticking with Pearl for all the excitement he galvanized around the program going forward. If the thread was most significant person, I would go with JAB.

I certainly agree with you last sentence.