Our crying need. A true center!

[Sherman20]

scuttlebutt on the payside is that Freeman comes off the bench. Which is surprising to me, but if that what it takes to get a starting C, that's great by the kid to be OK with it.

Exactly. Donovan Clingan, who will be a top 10 pick in the draft this year, only played 13 mpg as a freshman at UConn because Sanogo was ahead of him. Coaches gotta get guys to buy into roles but it can be done. Freeman will still play ALOT.

 

[Cusesky8214]

 

[Cusesky8214]

I'd like to see us bring in a bigger bodied guy that can play around the basket to go along with Maliq and Donnie. At this point idc who it is... just bring in a little more beef and let's see how it works.

 

[IthacaMatt]

If the assumption is Bell/Freeman/Brown start that means the transfer center is coming off the bench. Top top center portal guys are not coming to Syracuse to start the game on the bench.

Well, if the C is good enough, Freeman can probably come off the bench as a frosh, as long as he gets his 25 minutes. Neither he nor Maliq want to guard the post for more than a few minutes a game. Guys are going to have to rotate.

 

[Jasoncuse]

because McD AAs generally don't commit to schools like Syracuse to come off the bench. Duke, UK, sure. it might happen ... but I don't remember very many at SU.

Iowa State kid has played in 19 games, less than 8mpg
Arkansas had a kid play 45 minutes this year
Michigan State kid started 2 of 29.

 

[pwong]

Iowa State kid has played in 19 games, less than 8mpg
Arkansas had a kid play 45 minutes this year
Michigan State kid started 2 of 29.

And most if not all of them will hit the portal this off season

 

[baggerbob]

If we put him in the NBA it does not matter one bit if he started or not his freshman year. Wouldn't be a good idea to get rid of your best shooter when nobody else shoot's above 32%.

Also you don't start a highly ranked Freshman just to make it look good for future recruits. You know what attracts recruits? Winning games. Our biggest struggle this year was on the defensive end. Would make sense to start your best defensive player.

Bell was not our best defensive player, Brown will start as should Freeman.

 

[Cuse2023]

Bell was not our best defensive player, Brown will start as should Freeman.

I was referring to Brown being our best defensive player. Thought that was pretty clear.

 

[baggerbob]

I was referring to Brown being our best defensive player. Thought that was pretty clear.

Then you shouldn't have quoted my post, never mentioned Brown not starting.
Unless Bell suddenly starts rebounding, and playing defense he shouldn't be a starter.

 

[Cuse2023]

Then you shouldn't have quoted my post, never mentioned Brown not starting.
Unless Bell suddenly starts rebounding, and playing defense he shouldn't be a starter.

I quoted your post because you said that Freeman needs to start so we don't scare away other recruits. And I can tell you right now that if Bell is back he will be starting.

 

[Sherman20]

And most if not all of them will hit the portal this off season

But Donnie will play more than all of them and be the sixth man and a starter as a sophomore or off to the NBA.

 

[shu 49]

I may be wrong but if Bell stays, Red promised him he would still start and play a lot. I have been knocked herebye saying this, but Bell will play at 2 a bit. He is a 2 in and if he makes NBA. Yes everyone, he needs better defense and betterball handling but he is only a soph so give him time. He does need to work on shots of of picks and to dribble down to 10 ft to be ready for the big show.

 

[721Comstock]

I may be wrong but if Bell stays, Red promised him he would still start and play a lot. I have been knocked herebye saying this, but Bell will play at 2 a bit. He is a 2 in and if he makes NBA. Yes everyone, he needs better defense and betterball handling but he is only a soph so give him time. He does need to work on shots of of picks and to dribble down to 10 ft to be ready for the big show.

LOL.

So the only things that Bell needs to work on, in order to play minutes at the 2, is:

literally everything ,
except hitting set shots.

 

[orangefog]

LOL.

So the only things that Bell needs to work on, in order to play minutes at the 2, is:

literally everything ,
except hitting set shots.

He should probably get started on that soon.

 

[jordoo]

lol, I don’t believe Bell will ever play guard at Syracuse. I don’t believe that that’s his ticket to the NBA either. He needs to work on lateral quickness and commit to the defensive scheme. He needs to get a bit stronger and commit to Rebuounding. More than any of that, he needs to work on being a well rounded dynamic shooter not primarily a catch n shoot. I think his ticket to the NBA is based on being a player that has to be defended 100% of the time when on the court..

 

[Sbucketball]

But Donnie will play more than all of them and be the sixth man and a starter as a sophomore or off to the NBA.

Not to get ahead of myself because we need to focus on this season, but during Donnie's sophomore year (assuming he's not one and done, which I think two years is reasonable) Maliq will be a senior, and we can't lose either guy (especially not a guy who's probably a first rounder because we need guys in the nba), so at that point Red will need to figure something out. I'm not surprised Donnie would buy in to 6th man freshman year, but probably not sophomore year.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I can name multiple from just last years teams. Guys who didn't even get 10 minutes a game.

Yeah? Great. But we don't want that from this one. If he's not getting more than 10 minutes a game, we won't be in the NCAAs for a 4th year. But that's great that you know McD AAs who sucked as freshmen and didn't impact their team.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Iowa State kid has played in 19 games, less than 8mpg
Arkansas had a kid play 45 minutes this year
Michigan State kid started 2 of 29.

Super. hopefully Donnie doesn't suck like those guys. Maybe the rest of the board should pump the brakes on him.

 

[Cuse2023]

Yeah? Great. But we don't want that from this one. If he's not getting more than 10 minutes a game, we won't be in the NCAAs for a 4th year. But that's great that you know McD AAs who sucked as freshmen and didn't impact their team.

Point was not all McDonalds All Americans are penciled in as staters playing 30 minutes a game just because of their high school ranking. You still need to come into summer ball and earn it.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Not to get ahead of myself because we need to focus on this season, but during Donnie's sophomore year (assuming he's not one and done, which I think two years is reasonable) Maliq will be a senior, and we can't lose either guy (especially not a guy who's probably a first rounder because we need guys in the nba), so at that point Red will need to figure something out. I'm not surprised Donnie would buy in to 6th man freshman year, but probably not sophomore year.

If Donnie's here as a sophomore, he's likely starting at SF.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Wes Johnson (best transfer we ever got?)

Rautins is up there

 

[Scotch]

I may be wrong but if Bell stays, Red promised him he would still start and play a lot. I have been knocked herebye saying this, but Bell will play at 2 a bit. He is a 2 in and if he makes NBA. Yes everyone, he needs better defense and betterball handling but he is only a soph so give him time. He does need to work on shots of of picks and to dribble down to 10 ft to be ready for the big show.

Guards need to be able to dribble.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Guards need to be able to dribble.

Friendly reminder - guys like Rafael Addison, Dave Johnson, Jason Cipolla, Marius Janulis and Stevie Thompson all played time as shooting guard for us. We even tried Stevie at point. I don't think any of those guys had a decent handle at all, certainly not good enough for a guard.

But if you had an excellent PG who could beat a press by himself (Pearl, Sherm, Jonny Flynn), and if you had a forward or two with a handle (like Owens, Coleman, Wallace, etc.), then you can get away with playing guys a bit out of position, in order to get the benefit of a particular skill that guy provides.

 

[Scotch]

Friendly reminder - guys like Rafael Addison, Dave Johnson, Jason Cipolla, Marius Janulis and Stevie Thompson all played time as shooting guard for us. We even tried Stevie at point. I don't think any of those guys had a decent handle at all, certainly not good enough for a guard.

But if you had an excellent PG who could beat a press by himself (Pearl, Sherm, Jonny Flynn), and if you had a forward or two with a handle (like Owens, Coleman, Wallace, etc.), then you can get away with playing guys a bit out of position, in order to get the benefit of a particular skill that guy provides.

I don’t disagree, but it’s far from ideal, especially when we aren’t even close to that type of lead guard.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Listen up everyone because I'm only gonna write this once -

Maliq Brown is you're starting center next season and you're going take it, and you're going to like it.