Our crying need. A true center!

[hoopsupstate]

We need to get use to it. Rosters are going to change after every season. The portal is ruining college athletics. NIL is fine, but the portal has to be addressed.

 

[Niastri]

We forgot Hima

The fact that Red didnt put either him or Carey in against Clemson for a hail mary attempt on Defense to stop getting abused inside, tells me they cant seriously be in next years plans.

The general consensus is that Hima is done at Syracuse. The question is if he'll transfer or stay at the school and not play.

We don't know if Carey is healthy... He was under the concussion protocol and also has had various nagging injuries this year. I see him as more of a 4-5 than a true center. He's listed at 6'11" and 205lbs. That's too skinny to spend whole games at center. If he can get healthy, he's still got potential, but it's getting late for him to take the big leap he needs to become a rotation player.

Patterson probably wouldn't have been recruited by the current coaching staff. Allen Griffin said he's got tremendous potential, more than Edwards did at the same point... But I don't have a sense if Griffin is the sort that's prone to hyperbole. Patterson is listed at 7'2" but only 220lbs, that's closer to a playable weight than Carey.

If we get a portal center to be our starter, expect McLeod to leave. Our rotation would be:

5 McLeod/Portal, Patterson
4-5 Brown, Carey
4 Freeman
3-4 Taylor
3 Bell
1-3 Westry, Copeland
2 Starling, Moore, Cuffe
1-2 Mintz/Portal

There will be roster movement, that seems sure.

If we can't have Mintz back, as he leaves either to the portal or the NBA, it would be nice to get a pass first PG who can sometimes penetrate, defend and reliably hit an open three.

If we get incremental improvement from a bunch of guys, Freeman is really good and the portal center is better than McLeod and company, the team could be a lot better.

Given injury luck, of course. We had bad injury luck this season. Hima, Westry, McLeod and Carey all had their seasons greatly affected by injury. Add in Williams and his problems, and this slender rotation is what we were left with.

 

[Mcs1977]

Remember Peter Carey is a Red shirt Freshman and because of Covid and a knee injury played very little his last 2 years of High School. He has made some good strides this year and a good summer of workouts and hopefully adding 10 to 15 pounds of muscle he will continue to develop not everyone is Star out of high school.

 

[kcsu]

The general consensus is that Hima is done at Syracuse. The question is if he'll transfer or stay at the school and not play.

We don't know if Carey is healthy... He was under the concussion protocol and also has had various nagging injuries this year. I see him as more of a 4-5 than a true center. He's listed at 6'11" and 205lbs. That's too skinny to spend whole games at center. If he can get healthy, he's still got potential, but it's getting late for him to take the big leap he needs to become a rotation player.

Patterson probably wouldn't have been recruited by the current coaching staff. Allen Griffin said he's got tremendous potential, more than Edwards did at the same point... But I don't have a sense if Griffin is the sort that's prone to hyperbole. Patterson is listed at 7'2" but only 220lbs, that's closer to a playable weight than Carey.

If we get a portal center to be our starter, expect McLeod to leave. Our rotation would be:

5 McLeod/Portal, Patterson
4-5 Brown, Carey
4 Freeman
3-4 Taylor
3 Bell
1-3 Westry, Copeland
2 Starling, Moore, Cuffe
1-2 Mintz/Portal

There will be roster movement, that seems sure.

If we can't have Mintz back, as he leaves either to the portal or the NBA, it would be nice to get a pass first PG who can sometimes penetrate, defend and reliably hit an open three.

If we get incremental improvement from a bunch of guys, Freeman is really good and the portal center is better than McLeod and company, the team could be a lot better.

Given injury luck, of course. We had bad injury luck this season. Hima, Westry, McLeod and Carey all had their seasons greatly affected by injury. Add in Williams and his problems, and this slender rotation is what we were left with.

Wouldn't McCloud have to sit if he transferred

 

[pwong]

Wouldn't McCloud have to sit if he transferred

No, there are no more sit out rules anymore because of all the NCAA lawsuits

 

[Cuse2023]

Remember Peter Carey is a Red shirt Freshman and because of Covid and a knee injury played very little his last 2 years of High School. He has made some good strides this year and a good summer of workouts and hopefully adding 10 to 15 pounds of muscle he will continue to develop not everyone is Star out of high school.

What good strides has Carey made? He has 9 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 18 fouls on the year.

 

[721Comstock]

What good strides has Carey made? He has 9 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 18 fouls on the year.

Strides! You know, strides!!

Like, when he’s walking on campus, and taking good strides.
(Because he’s very tall).

 

[Niastri]

What good strides has Carey made? He has 9 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 18 fouls on the year.

He hasn't been good this year.

But Carey isn't a lost cause yet. He's been injured so long that he looks incredibly goofy when he actually takes to the court.

But he's very long and athletic. Sometimes players grow out of goofy and become good.

He's got some time to make that change.

 

[Cuse2023]

He hasn't been good this year.

But Carey isn't a lost cause yet. He's been injured so long that he looks incredibly goofy when he actually takes to the court.

But he's very long and athletic. Sometimes players grow out of goofy and become good.

He's got some time to make that change.

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. He is long and athletic yet has blocked 2 shots in 70 minutes of game action at 6'11. I haven't seen anything out of him that shows he's an ACC caliber player. Nothing offensively or defensively. He's also been with the program 2 years now and he's still 205. There is no need to have two projects at our biggest position of need. I would be ecstatic to replace him with a transfer from a lower level that has shown they can at least rebound effectively rather than hope Carey can grow out of a "goofy" phase.

 

[Sherman20]

You seem to be missing the time Maliq will still be playing at the 5.
Call it 15 at the 4, 20 at the 5.
There’s your 35 mins for him.

Donnie gets 25 mins at the 4.

Some non-Maliq big(s) get the other 20 mins at the 5.

IF we land a competent C from the portal, then maybe Maliq “only” plays 15 there too, for 30 total.

This makes sense to me. Maliq for 15-20 at PF and 10-15 at center would be ideal. And then get a big bully boy skilled post player from the portal to play the majority of minutes at center. I will say that Dean suggested on his podcast that Maliq doesn’t want to play the 5 next season. I would assume he’d be fine playing spot minutes there when we want to go small ball but it sounds like he doesn’t want to be the center next season. So I don’t envy Red and what he’s going to be dealing with this off season. How do you handle pitching the PF playing time and portal threat with a fan favorite/steady guy like Maliq and then having a McDonalds All American top 20 recruit in Donnie also playing PF?

 

[hoopsupstate]

This makes sense to me. Maliq for 15-20 at PF and 10-15 at center would be ideal. And then get a big bully boy skilled post player from the portal to play the majority of minutes at center. I will say that Dean suggested on his podcast that Maliq doesn’t want to play the 5 next season. I would assume he’d be fine playing spot minutes there when we want to go small ball but it sounds like he doesn’t want to be the center next season. So I don’t envy Red and what he’s going to be dealing with this off season. How do you handle pitching the PF playing time and portal threat with a fan favorite/steady guy like Maliq and then having a McDonalds All American top 20 recruit in Donnie also playing PF?

I wonder what Maliq is thinking? He wants to play the four, but a McDonald All American is coming in as a four. You connect the dots!

 

[baggerbob]

I wonder what Maliq is thinking? He wants to play the four, but a McDonald All American is coming in as a four. You connect the dots!

Freeman is closer to a Leo Rautins, Billy Owens or Dave Johnson, then a DC or John Wallace.

 

[BludOrange]

With Duke signing two centers, will seven footer Christian Reeves be looking to portal?

 

[cusefan88]

With Duke signing two centers, will seven footer Christian Reeves be looking to portal?

maybe Aaron Bradshaw too from UK.

 

[JustPherU]

With Duke signing two centers, will seven footer Christian Reeves be looking to portal?

Probably depends on how big the bag is elsewhere.

 

[kcsu]

Lets stop the tears and land a center

 

[IDOC]

I wonder what Maliq is thinking? He wants to play the four, but a McDonald All American is coming in as a four. You connect the dots!

The ……… tell me that while he seldom shoots a jump shot his form looks pretty good. He is a ok foul shooter and I still remember the two 3s in a row. A freshman is a freshman and a junior is more
college battle tested. Too soon to usher him out of SU.
PS I’m amazed how long this thread has survived!

 

[DilemaCuse]

I watched some of the Missouri Valley Conference final yesterday.

Both Drake and Indiana St had Cs that Syracuse is in need of. If they can get them why cant Syracuse? The coaches need to troll the portal for guys like this, not 200 lbs soaking wet, dont have to be 7 ft 2, have production in college so far. Both of these guys avg over double figures in the Horizon league. Guys like this may not avg as much in the ACC but Id bet its more than the McCloud, Hima, Carey, Patterson committee will produce.

Darnell Brodie - Drake Bulldogs Forward - ESPN

Robbie Avila - Indiana State Sycamores Center - ESPN

Somebody mentioned Christain Reeves at Duke, I'd pass, he has no production. Same thing is happening to Stewart and Powers, they are essentially being recruited over and will likely look elsewhere but the strategy needs to be getting guys with production, not a guy from a blue blood who couldn't get off the bench.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I watched some of the Horizon league final yesterday.

Both Drake and Indiana St had Cs that Syracuse is in need of. If they can get them why cant Syracuse? The coaches need to troll the portal for guys like this, not 200 lbs soaking wet, dont have to be 7 ft 2, have production in college so far. Both of these guys avg over double figures in the Horizon league. Guys like this may not avg as much in the ACC but Id bet its more than the McCloud, Hima, Carey, Patterson committee will produce.

Darnell Brodie - Drake Bulldogs Forward - ESPN

Robbie Avila - Indiana State Sycamores Center - ESPN

Somebody mentioned Christain Reeves at Duke, I'd pass, he has no production. Same thing is happening to Stewart and Powers, they are essentially being recruited over and will likely look elsewhere but the strategy needs to be getting guys with production, not a guy from a blue blood who couldn't get off the bench.

Powers is a guy we should go after if Bell leaves. He's from the Northeast.

 

[0.2 YNdeeR]

So what do we do with Brown then you think? He’s too talented to not play major minutes and yet so is Freeman. Can we attract a high level Center while keeping Brown too?

Brown is a talented player and a humble young man. He's absolutely good enough to play major minutes, some at the 5 but most at forward. It's great to hear that he's planning to return. This year, because of injury he was forced to bang for 35 minutes OOP against low post anchors of premiere ACC programs - UNC, Duke and (more recently) Clemson. Even against V-Tech, without help it was difficult for him to stop the opposing center (Kidd 6-10). So of course the staff is looking for a 5 who can start and give us 25+ minutes of inside scoring, rebounding and rim protection (Naheem and/or Patterson to back up). This will not only solve an obvious weakness in our roster but also allow Maliq to grow as a scorer.

Those arguing he's aok in the middle ala small ball lineups on NBA rosters ... as a Knicks fan I don't see the comparison. Just for one NBA example, the Knicks have Robinson (hurt but 7-0 feet), Hartenstein (7 feet) and Sims (6-10 250). Thibodeau almost always has a big on the floor, as do most of the NBA and college teams I watch. Is there situational "small ball", yes. But that isn't the ONLY lineup successful teams put on the court the majority of the time at any level. We just got stuck this year.

 

[Niastri]

The Celtics have two 7' guys in their rotation, both over 240. Horford also plays, at 6'9 240, he is sometimes playing next to Porzingis as a forward.

The Celtics are largely considered a perimeter oriented team, but they still have beef to hold down the middle.

Brown is a good change of pace center for us, but a healthy and effective McLeod and Hima should have played most of our center minutes, with Carey as the deep bench. Unfortunately, neither of them were healthy or effective, and Carey got hurt too.

Not much you can do when everybody at a position is hurt or not very good.

Maybe this portal season will be better, or the guys we have will emerge from the off season much healthier and much better at basketball.

 

[shu 49]

This makes sense to me. Maliq for 15-20 at PF and 10-15 at center would be ideal. And then get a big bully boy skilled post player from the portal to play the majority of minutes at center. I will say that Dean suggested on his podcast that Maliq doesn’t want to play the 5 next season. I would assume he’d be fine playing spot minutes there when we want to go small ball but it sounds like he doesn’t want to be the center next season. So I don’t envy Red and what he’s going to be dealing with this off season. How do you handle pitching the PF playing time and portal threat with a fan favorite/steady guy like Maliq and then having a McDonalds All American top 20 recruit in Donnie also playing PF?

I think that we couldbe stacked or screwed sadly. If we get center, brown,freeman, bell play forward and lose taylor somehow or bell leaves, center is new guyor mccloud brown, guard is cope, jj, and westry with Moore sprinkled in. it going to be crazy seeing how it will all fit together. If Bell stays taylor may leave or deal with playing less. Big thing is Patterson needs to play a little bit as we said when edwards was a freshmen. Magically he got way better as a sophmore when we HAD to play him.

 

[hoopsupstate]

I want them all to come back. Add to our current nucleus to strengthen the team. If guys leave we’re losing experience, which we don’t have this year. I think Justin could have a huge bounce back year. The unknown to all of us is where does Chance Westry fit in and whose minutes does he replace?

 

[kcsu]

I want them all to come back. Add to our current nucleus to strengthen the team. If guys leave we’re losing experience, which we don’t have this year. I think Justin could have a huge bounce back year. The unknown to all of us is where does Chance Westry fit in and whose minutes does he replace?

agreed. If McCloud, Chance, Carey are 100% add Freeman, Moore, Patterson and play ball.

 

[Sherman20]

I think Brown may leave. Hope not.

The key is doing everything we can to keep Brown. Also need Q and JJ to return.