NCAA National Championship: Mon April 8

[OrlandoCuse]

Cuse hasn’t even been ranked in what like 7 years? It pains me to say that but we have been so far away from consistent success it’s not even funny compared to some other programs.

Other than a miracle run to the FF in 2016, we’ve been completely irrelevant over the past decade. Like really irrelevant. Program needs a full rebuild. It’s stuck in a rut and can’t seem to figure out how to get out of it. Standard has completely shifted to where fans have accepted mediocrity. Program is at a critical inflection point.

 

[Icebreaker]

You know, looking back at it, this ACC move sucked. I feel like we haven’t been relevant since joining and UConn wins 3 damn titles.

 

[SWC75]

OK Red, get home now and get a few players and a new assistant coach. Go Orange!

We already have four newcomers: Westry, (since he has yet to play for us), Lampkin and the two HS guys, Freeman and Moore. That's a pretty good start. Now we need a point guard and maybe another forward option.

 

[senorpalmer]

Big 10 and sec are at the forefront of ruining college athletics. I used to hate UConn as much as any SU fan but I take great satisfaction in seeing a Big East team take a giant dump on these conferences. At this point you have to tip your cap at what they’ve accomplished in the current environment. Ditto for Nova when they won two titles in three years not all that long ago.

 

[SWC75]

Cuse hasn’t even been ranked in what like 7 years? It pains me to say that but we have been so far away from consistent success it’s not even funny compared to some other programs.

For ten years in a row, there have been NO votes for SU to be in the top 25 in the last poll before the tournament. The 2016 team made a miracle run to the Final Four and wound up ranked #10. The 2018 team reached the Sweet 16 and wound up ranked #25. The 2021 team reached the Sweet 16 and got the most votes of any team not in the Top 25. From 1977-2014 we wound up in the Top 25 thirty times. 16 of those teams were in the Top10. That's where we are. Meanwhile, Connecticut, who was tied with us for national championships after we won it in 2003, now has 6, one more than Duke. That's where they are.

 

[AZOrange]

Cuse didn’t adapt for nearly a decade. Watch what Yukon ran tonight and what we ran in 2010/2012 or even 2003. Looks similar. The ball pounding iso garbage is dead. I still contend that JBs time with team USA at the end was a disaster. All iso all the time.

 

[SWC75]

I felt so dirty rooting for UCONN. Brackets, trophies and money talk. Apparently my integrity has a price.

I found myself rooting for UCONN and Purdue to meet in the final because I wanted to see Clingan vs. Edey. I thought maybe Purdue could match up with them. But I wasn't really surprised when they couldn't. Edey scored 37 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked two shots, (on the same possession, as I recall). Clingan didn't come close to matching that with 11/5/1 but made Edey work for his points. And Clingan's teammates outscored Edey's 64-23.

 

[djcon57]

JB held on way too long. He built the program and felt he was entitled to tear it down. It’s a shame. Red has a big job ahead of him. I hope he figures it out. Needs to land two or three more quality players asap or the natives will start getting restless. He doesn’t seem to have the transfer portal momentum he had last year at this time.

Calhoun had ncaa issues and health problems, he stepped away but clearly still wanted to coach. Still they moved on

Ollie had ncaa issues among other things, they canned him

JB had all the above and he stuck around 10 years plus to coach his kids.

Is what it is.

 

[OrangeCrush22]

Other than a miracle run to the FF in 2016, we’ve been completely irrelevant over the past decade. Like really irrelevant. Program needs a full rebuild. It’s stuck in a rut and can’t seem to figure out how to get out of it. Standard has completely shifted to where fans have accepted mediocrity. Program is at a critical inflection point.

We are the equivalent of Nebraska football. Formerly elite with a large and devoted fan base that continues to show up anyway.

 

[djcon57]

We are the equivalent of Nebraska football. Formerly elite with a large and devoted fan base that continues to show up anyway.

As we just saw with Louisville attendance being cut in half the last 3 years. You can’t count on it forever

 

[OrlandoCuse]

Calhoun had ncaa issues and health problems, he stepped away but clearly still wanted to coach. Still they moved on

Ollie had ncaa issues among other things, they canned him

JB had all the above and he stuck around 10 years plus to coach his kids.

Is what it is.

Ego can get you places but it usually ends up being a detriment and leads to a downfall. Too many were willing to anoint JB as the Syracuse basketball god. I guess the program gets what it deserves.

 

[pokercuse08]

JB held on way too long. He built the program and felt he was entitled to tear it down. It’s a shame.

Cuse hasn’t even been ranked in what like 7 years? It pains me to say that but we have been so far away from consistent success it’s not even funny compared to some other programs.

The combination of these two factors makes it less painful seeing UConn win again. I think the stakes were fairly obvious when JB stayed too long, and those who managed to separate their emotions as fans knew. So the current situation is less frustrating to me than the situation of knowing we were headed for this.

Meanwhile, I don't think it's a coincidence that our drop off was followed by two titles for Nova and three for UConn. There's always going to be basketball talent in the Northeast, so one program's decline is a rival's opportunity. There's been a Northeast team in the title game in 17 of the last 35, so having one in five of the last 10 is about right.

There's so much luck involved in all this too. It's not that hard to imagine a world where we have four titles: Smart misses, Arinze doesn't get hurt, Fab doesn't get busted on that paper.

Maybe then we don't drop off because it helps recruiting, or maybe Boeheim retires earlier after winning another title, who knows?

Unfortunately it didn't play out that way and we've got a long climb to get back there, with UConn poised to dominate the region until we do.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Big Ten title drought continues

In the last 10 years, the Big East has won five and the ACC has won three. The other two were Kansas and Baylor.

 

[hoopsupstate]

We already have four newcomers: Westry, (since he has yet to play for us), Lampkin and the two HS guys, Freeman and Moore. That's a pretty good start. Now we need a point guard and maybe another forward option.

That’s good, but not nearly enough!

 

[Newhouser]

Hurley’s coaching circles around Painter

He's coached circles around the tournament the last two years. I get the hate but the guy is tremendous. Also interesting how he adapted from D and rebounding to recognizing his O had to be better. Stubborn is not good.

 

[zilo]

Well, the best team won this year that's for sure. Uconn, Duke, NC, gtown, Kentucky, Kansas are the last teams I want to see win a national championship, but no denying that uconn was the best team all year.

 

[swish7]

UConn always had our number. Hate watching them win.

Need to identify & hire amazing up & coming coaches.

If JB 'left' at the 'right time', I assume that means promoting Hop. Where does he lead us?

Anyhow, need to move forward from where we are, not where we were.

Red's 1st year is a wash. Accumulated a fairly meaningless 20 wins. Did get an upset of UNC, which should help more than anything else. Lost a forever assistant, which is a great chance for new direction. Flushed a team of malcontents (let's be honest). Remaining kids have flaws, but could play a role. New kids are promising. However, only 1 is UConn level. But, with a few more adds & the right coaching & chemistry, can we be a tournament team, a sweet 16 team? Need to be top 4-6 in the ACC, with good OOC wins.

 

[Jeremy L.]

Living in Connecticut and watching last night with UConn fans, it made me sick to my stomach. They are so far ahead of us it makes me wonder if we'll ever get to an elite level again, let alone win a national title.

 

[Eric15]

You know, looking back at it, this ACC move sucked. I feel like we haven’t been relevant since joining and UConn wins 3 damn titles.

Not being in the ACC would suck much, much more. We would probably be in the American playing Tulsa and East Carolina.

 

[orange79]

Not being in the ACC would suck much, much more. We would probably be in the American playing Tulsa and East Carolina.

I get people long for the good old days, but there really was no choice.

If we hadn't jumped, we'd be where you say above.

Or worse.

 

[DoctahLexus]

With JB "sticking around" people seem to leave out that the period before things turned sour was one of our biggest runs of sustained success in program history. We were on a serious heater late 2000s to mid 2010s. It was a 180 crash that went on in the years after that. Not something where there were a lot of clear signs it was going to happen before it happened. People look at years like 2016 and 17 in the context of the years that followed where things got worse, while forgetting how much we were killing it in the years before. We were supposed to kick JB out right then? Would have looked insane at the time. We were a dominant program up to that point.

 

[djcon57]

With JB "sticking around" people seem to leave out that the period before things turned sour was one of our biggest runs of sustained success in program history. We were on a serious heater late 2000s to mid 2010s. It was a 180 crash that went on in the years after that. Not something where there were a lot of clear signs it was going to happen before it happened. People look at years like 2016 and 17 in the context of the years that followed where things got worse, while forgetting how much we were killing it in the years before. We were supposed to kick JB out right then? Would have looked insane at the time. We were a dominant program up to that point.

Yes, it was literally the plan

"Mike Hopkins will succeed Coach Jim Boeheim following the 2017-18 men’s basketball season." was written on the Syracuse website in 2015

Mike Hopkins Formally Named Men’s Basketball Head Coach-Designate

Hopkins will succeed Coach Jim Boeheim following the 2017-18 men’s basketball season. In March, Boeheim announced that he will retire in three years.

news.syr.edu

 

[DoctahLexus]

Yes, it was literally the plan

"Mike Hopkins will succeed Coach Jim Boeheim following the 2017-18 men’s basketball season." was written on the Syracuse website in 2015

Mike Hopkins Formally Named Men’s Basketball Head Coach-Designate

Hopkins will succeed Coach Jim Boeheim following the 2017-18 men’s basketball season. In March, Boeheim announced that he will retire in three years.

news.syr.edu

I know it was the plan, but after that period of sustained success how many people actually wanted JB gone at that stage? You would have been laughed out of here if you said you wanted a new coach in 2015. 2017 things started to look rough, but again it was after a sustained period of success with JB. At the time that type of season was an outlier. Not the norm.

 

[CuseTG2003]

Yes, it was literally the plan

"Mike Hopkins will succeed Coach Jim Boeheim following the 2017-18 men’s basketball season." was written on the Syracuse website in 2015

Mike Hopkins Formally Named Men’s Basketball Head Coach-Designate

Hopkins will succeed Coach Jim Boeheim following the 2017-18 men’s basketball season. In March, Boeheim announced that he will retire in three years.

news.syr.edu

Bingo. I know Hop didn't succeed at UW and not saying he would've here if he succeeded JB as planned, but I'm of the opinion that Hop was just as responsible for our last great run from 2009 to 2014 as JB. He brought the juice (i.e., talent). He also ran practices if I recall correctly.

 

[djcon57]

I know it was the plan, but after that period of sustained success how many people actually wanted JB gone at that stage? You would have been laughed out of here if you said you wanted a new coach in 2015. 2017 things started to look rough, but again it was after a sustained period of success with JB. At the time that type of season was an outlier. Not the norm.

We just went on probation for a second time under JB and wouldn't have made the tourney even if we weren't in 2015.

There's a search function on the site that can show you posters that wanted him to step down. Calhoun stepped down a year after he won the title. It wouldn't have been that odd.

Edit:

Here's a thread with many posts happy about the transition

Boeheim retiring in 3 years, reportedly

Daily Orange Sports retweeted Brett Samuels ‏@Brett_Samuels27 36s36 seconds ago Jim Boeheim intends to retire as head coach of men's basketball in three years, per email from Syverud.

syracusefan.com