New assistant coach: Allen Griffin

[HOFCeluck]

Everyone probably knows Griffin's story but no harm in repeating. He lost his starting job and spent the next year buried deep on the bottom of the bench. He reappeared as a starter in a crucial NCAA game against Michigan in Michigan and played a good game. He started as a senior and was quite good. Never complained, never transferred, never stopped working to improve. One of the factors that makes us unique is our coaching stability. Welcome back home to A Griffin.

Michigan State in Auburn Hills.

 

[721Comstock]

The problem isn't that Gmac went up against U.K. & Calipari and lost, but the it was Gmac and not Boeheim going up against Cal and U.K.

Everybody keeps forgetting the other guy we went up against -
WorldWide We$.

Quade "met" him at MSG, and flipped to UK the very next day. :bang:

What a coincidence!

 

[Townie72]

The problem isn't that Gmac went up against U.K. & Calipari and lost, but the it was Gmac and not Boeheim going up against Cal and U.K.

And you know that how?

Do you have the phone logs?

Copies of travel receipts?

Anything?

 

[Toga]

When I see people knock GMac because Green chose UK over SU it makes me chuckle. If we go head to head against UK for a top 20 type recruit we are going to lose 98 out of 100 times regardless of who is recruiting for SU. That is a really unfair knock.

That is unfair to GMac. Having our top two coaches out doing non-SU stuff for months and leaving GMac on an island, still pisses me off.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

The problem isn't that Gmac went up against U.K. & Calipari and lost, but the it was Gmac and not Boeheim going up against Cal and U.K.

The problem is that we were up against UK. Period.

Syracuse doesn't win that battle. Neither do 350 other schools.

 

[tbonezone]

"He will end up being the head man here someday whether you like it or not so get used to that fact."

where have i heard this before...? hmmmmm .

 

[Ward]

When I see people knock GMac because Green chose UK over SU it makes me chuckle. If we go head to head against UK for a top 20 type recruit we are going to lose 98 out of 100 times regardless of who is recruiting for SU. That is a really unfair knock.

I would agree with you if Quade was the only guy GMac lost out on, but that isn't the case. He swung and missed as the lead on a few main targets. One of whom was a McDonald's AA from PA who grew up an SU fan, plays a serious position of need, had us in his top final group and a few weeks before his predetermined commitment date said he didn't know if Syracuse was recruiting him still because he hadn't hear from us in awhile.

I don't think GMac has proven much at all as a recruiter but what I get annoyed about is that we keep sending him to take the lead over more experienced and proven people on the staff.

It's not an "agenda" when people state facts and I know you weren't the poster who called it an agenda.

 

[Toga]

The problem is that we were up against UK. Period.

Syracuse doesn't win that battle. Neither do 350 other schools.

The problem is we put all eggs in one basket while HC and HCIW were out not doing their job.

 

[realorange]

What has JB said about AGs recruiting ability?

Point is that JB is making the hire so he must feel it's the right move.

 

[orangenirvana]

When I see people knock GMac because Green chose UK over SU it makes me chuckle. If we go head to head against UK for a top 20 type recruit we are going to lose 98 out of 100 times regardless of who is recruiting for SU. That is a really unfair knock.

It wasn't just GMac striking out on Green. I think people have a bigger problem with the backup plan. "What backup plan?" Exactly.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Point is that JB is making the hire so he must feel it's the right move.

But Jdubs was replying to me when I specifically asked how people know AG is a good recruiter.

And FTR I'm not knocking AG or the hire. I loved him as a player here and he's obviously a good coach.

 

[Townie72]

I would agree with you if Quade was the only guy GMac lost out on, but that isn't the case. He swung and missed as the lead on a few main targets. One of whom was a McDonald's AA from PA who grew up an SU fan, plays a serious position of need, had us in his top final group and a few weeks before his predetermined commitment date said he didn't know if Syracuse was recruiting him still because he hadn't hear from us in awhile.

I don't think GMac has proven much at all as a recruiter but what I get annoyed about is that we keep sending him to take the lead over more experienced and proven people on the staff.

It's not an "agenda" when people state facts and I know you weren't the poster who called it an agenda.

Sounds to me that SU (JB and the ACs) cooled on that prospect. That's how it's done. They rarely call the guy and tell him they aren't recruiting him anymore.

That's nobody's fault. That's a conscious decision.

 

[jordoo]

I'm convinced that Green would have been signed early fall if we had moved on and went after another PG. He'd have come running back to SU to commit and sign. We let him keep us as a backup plan till he got an offer he couldn't turn down. That is 100% on the SU coaching staff.

 

[kuethstheman]

Who did people think we could realistically get? I'm skeptical that a top notch recruiter outside the family would really be interested in what could turn out to be a one-year gig. To assume more than two years is wishful thinking. I'd assume any top assistant would want to hitch their wagon to someone on the way up.

 

[HOFCeluck]

The problem is we put all eggs in one basket while HC and HCIW were out not doing their job.

We're hamstrung as it is with sanctions. But we send out the most junior guy to recruit our most important (and only) recruit at the most important position.

 

[Alsacs]

Man, will you get off Gerry's back!! We all know you hate him already. His players love him and he has done a good job developing most of them. That is what matters. Not what you perceive to be some secret puppet show coaches put on to get kids to commit. You talk like he is repelling kids. He will get his share. Do you ever hear the kid talk Basketball? He will end up being the head man here someday whether you like it or not so get used to that fact.

I'm done.

I hate GMac because you say so thanks for telling me what I think even if it isn't true.

His players love him? If his players didn't love him that would be major news. Assistant coaches are always good cops and players like them a lot more than the head guy.

Developing players? Kaleb Joseph, Ron Patterson, Trevor Cooney, Frank Howard all didn't develop that much. His coaching development skills haven't been a strength.

Who said he is repelling kids? My god your comment is nothing more than fanboy praise.

He is going to be the head man because you say so? Your comment was delicious though. It is everything you criticize me for 180 degrees apart.

People can have different opinions last time I checked the US constitution.

 

[Alsacs]

I would agree with you if Quade was the only guy GMac lost out on, but that isn't the case. He swung and missed as the lead on a few main targets. One of whom was a McDonald's AA from PA who grew up an SU fan, plays a serious position of need, had us in his top final group and a few weeks before his predetermined commitment date said he didn't know if Syracuse was recruiting him still because he hadn't hear from us in awhile.

I don't think GMac has proven much at all as a recruiter but what I get annoyed about is that we keep sending him to take the lead over more experienced and proven people on the staff.

It's not an "agenda" when people state facts and I know you weren't the poster who called it an agenda.

Why do you hate GMac? Turn in your Syracuse fandom immediately. Get used to him being the HC in the future.
Gerry signed an autograph for me at Destiny
he is the man and will be at SU forever.

 

[bpo57]

It wasn't just GMac striking out on Green. I think people have a bigger problem with the backup plan. "What backup plan?" Exactly.

But I'm specifically talking about people who criticize GMac for losing out on Green and there are no shortage of them here. Once a kid blows up like Green did then his focus (right or wrong) is primarily to choose the school that gives him the best chance to be drafted in the first round after his freshman year. At that point it won't matter if JB camps out on the kid's doorstep. It's all over.

 

[bpo57]

I'm convinced that Green would have been signed early fall if we had moved on and went after another PG. He'd have come running back to SU to commit and sign. We let him keep us as a backup plan till he got an offer he couldn't turn down. That is 100% on the SU coaching staff.

Green could have signed back then and still change his mind and choose UK later on, no?

 

[Alsacs]

But I'm specifically talking about people who criticize GMac for losing out on Green and there are no shortage of them here. Once a kid blows up like Green did then his focus (right or wrong) is primarily to choose the school that gives him the best chance to be drafted in the first round after his freshman year. At that point it won't matter if JB camps out on the kid's doorstep. It's all over.

Him losing Green wasn't a killer. I am not a fan of him as an assistant and realize it was Calipari-GMac isn't a fair fight.
That one loss is fine. The problem was GMac was put in that spot and we put all our eggs in Green's basket without a backup plan.

Not having a plan B was the problem.

 

[bpo57]

Him losing Green wasn't a killer. I am not a fan of him as an assistant and realize it was Calipari-GMac isn't a fair fight.
That one loss is fine. The problem was GMac was put in that spot and we put all our eggs in Green's basket without a backup plan.

Not having a plan B was the problem.

Calipari- any SU assistant is not a fair fight.

 

[HOFCeluck]

But I'm specifically talking about people who criticize GMac for losing out on Green and there are no shortage of them here. Once a kid blows up like Green did then his focus (right or wrong) is primarily to choose the school that gives him the best chance to be drafted in the first round after his freshman year. At that point it won't matter if JB camps out on the kid's doorstep. It's all over.

I think it would be more palatable for some if we put JB or Hop out there and lost.

 

[Alsacs]

Calipari- any SU assistant is not a fair fight.

Nobody disagrees with this. Hence I always say he was up against sharks and lost.
The problem was we put all our eggs with Green and didn't use our best guys in that recruitment.
JB and Hop weren't on Green.
That was the mistake.

What wins has GMac on the trail though? Most
people thought GMac was the guy for Moyer but Francis told us on the recruiting board it was actually Hopkins.

 

[Alsacs]

People go out of their way here to bash GMac. With the flimsiest of reasons. Yes. Agenda.

Again list some wins for the guy as a recruiter since he came aboard?

 

[Trueblue25]

If I'm a recruit and every team is talking to me about "Family", then what better proof that at SU that concept that is real than three AC's who actually are part of the SU family?

If I am a recruit and the AC's are talking to me about the history and traditions of the program, than what could be better than having three AC's who actually lived a lot of it?

Who better to answer questions like:

What's it like to play for Boeheim?
What's it like to be an athlete at SU?
How does the student body or community react to Basketball players?

Can some itinerant AC who played at Xavier or Wake Forest or UMass answer those questions with as much credibility as someone who played at SU?

I'm in full agreement with this.