Perception Change for this Program

[Janner]

This was an incredible year from start to finish in which any outcome seemed possible. First, congratulations to the team for the heart and fight they showed willing their way into the Final Four! It was the most heart and fight I've seen out of our squad in recent memory.

What I find most interesting about this season as I reflect back on it, is if for whatever reason we had missed the Tourney (VTech game, committee doesn't let us dance, ect.)we would have been looking at the last 3 years of outcomes:

2013-14: Second Round Loss to Dayton and year end collapse after starting 25-0 (?)
2014-15: 18-13, Missed NCAAs due to ban
2015-16: 19-13 Missed NCAAs

The press would be saying what is wrong with this program? Does JAB need to retire? Probation has killed the Syracuse program! Is Syracuse no longer a regional basketball power, etc., etc. Fast forward to today, now we are the program that has made 2 runs to the Final Four in the last 4 years. We were the Cinderella darlings of the tournament and showed some real swag while making our comebacks and our epic run. We have a great core coming back and should be a top 20 team next year with a lot to look forward to. Man, what a monumental difference in perception. I just want to make sure to appreciate it and enjoy what we were given because its going to pay serious dividends in the future.

 

[Scotch]

Agreed. It's a fickle sport, where perception is heavily weighted based on the results of a single elimination tournament. Feels good to get some positive karma going in our direction. 2013 and 2016 have almost made up for the disappointments of 2010 and 2012. Almost.

 

[OrangeDW]

This was an incredible year from start to finish in which any outcome seemed possible. First, congratulations to the team for the heart and fight they showed willing their way into the Final Four! It was the most heart and fight I've seen out of our squad in recent memory.

What I find most interesting about this season as I reflect back on it, is if for whatever reason we had missed the Tourney (VTech game, committee doesn't let us dance, ect.)we would have been looking at the last 3 years of outcomes:

2013-14: Second Round Loss to Dayton and year end collapse after starting 25-0 (?)
2014-15: 18-13, Missed NCAAs due to ban
2015-16: 19-13 Missed NCAAs

The press would be saying what is wrong with this program? Does JAB need to retire? Probation has killed the Syracuse program! Is Syracuse no longer a regional basketball power, etc., etc. Fast forward to today, now we are the program that has made 2 runs to the Final Four in the last 4 years. We were the Cinderella darlings of the tournament and showed some real swag while making our comebacks and our epic run. We have a great core coming back and should be a top 20 team next year with a lot to look forward to. Man, what a monumental difference in perception. I just want to make sure to appreciate it and enjoy what we were given because its going to pay serious dividends in the future.

Agreed, good post. After the previous season and a half which was just bummer after bummer, this run was much needed.

Now the end of 2014 and the 2015 seasons look like aberrations and are just a blip on the radar. 2 final 4's in 4 years. 3 elite 8's in 5 years. We're back on track for the 10's to be our best overall decade ever!

 

[SUintheVille]

We are the program that has made 2 runs to the Final Four in the last 4 years. We were the Cinderella darlings of the tournament and showed some real swag while making our comebacks and our epic run. We have a great core coming back and should be a top 20 team next year with a lot to look forward to. Man, what a monumental difference in perception. I just want to make sure to appreciate it and enjoy what we were given because its going to pay serious dividends in the future.

Tell this to all the media naysayers out there. I agree with you.

 

[Dave85]

This was an incredible year from start to finish in which any outcome seemed possible. First, congratulations to the team for the heart and fight they showed willing their way into the Final Four! It was the most heart and fight I've seen out of our squad in recent memory.

What I find most interesting about this season as I reflect back on it, is if for whatever reason we had missed the Tourney (VTech game, committee doesn't let us dance, ect.)we would have been looking at the last 3 years of outcomes:

2013-14: Second Round Loss to Dayton and year end collapse after starting 25-0 (?)
2014-15: 18-13, Missed NCAAs due to ban
2015-16: 19-13 Missed NCAAs

The press would be saying what is wrong with this program? Does JAB need to retire? Probation has killed the Syracuse program! Is Syracuse no longer a regional basketball power, etc., etc. Fast forward to today, now we are the program that has made 2 runs to the Final Four in the last 4 years. We were the Cinderella darlings of the tournament and showed some real swag while making our comebacks and our epic run. We have a great core coming back and should be a top 20 team next year with a lot to look forward to. Man, what a monumental difference in perception. I just want to make sure to appreciate it and enjoy what we were given because its going to pay serious dividends in the future.

Making the final four was clearly the highlight of the last three years. As a side note, I do find it that Pitino laced in scandal with under-aged hookers during recruiting combine with Jamie Dixon leaving the ACC is somehow a strangely satisfying addendum to the 2015-16 season.

 

[HughWotmate]

The press would be saying what is wrong with this program? Does JAB need to retire? Probation has killed the Syracuse program! Is Syracuse no longer a regional basketball power, etc., etc.

They'll never stop overreacting to this type of stuff. It was funny watching them craft their narratives last April when Ron and BJ transferred and CMac declared. "SU is imploding before our eyes!!" 2015 was the best year of Pat Forde's life. Dude got-off everyday from Feb to Dec.

 

[Brian Orange]

Your're right and that's sports for you. Such a small margin of error. Look at Jay Wright. If he doesn't make it to the at least the Elite Eight this year he's probably on the warm seat at Nova. One Final Four for us and all is well. To take it a step further, we could be also shedding our perennial "tournament underacheiver" label we've probably had since Richmond.

 

[Brian Orange]

Agreed. It's a fickle sport, where perception is heavily weighted based on the results of a single elimination tournament. Feels good to get some positive karma going in our direction. 2013 and 2016 have almost made up for the disappointments of 2010 and 2012. Almost.

Agree, it's nice in light of '10 and '12 but the only problem is that '13 and '16 we went as pretty significant underdogs. '10 and '12 we could have won it all.

 

[cuseinseattle]

This was an incredible year from start to finish in which any outcome seemed possible. First, congratulations to the team for the heart and fight they showed willing their way into the Final Four! It was the most heart and fight I've seen out of our squad in recent memory.

What I find most interesting about this season as I reflect back on it, is if for whatever reason we had missed the Tourney (VTech game, committee doesn't let us dance, ect.)we would have been looking at the last 3 years of outcomes:

2013-14: Second Round Loss to Dayton and year end collapse after starting 25-0 (?)
2014-15: 18-13, Missed NCAAs due to ban
2015-16: 19-13 Missed NCAAs

The press would be saying what is wrong with this program? Does JAB need to retire? Probation has killed the Syracuse program! Is Syracuse no longer a regional basketball power, etc., etc. Fast forward to today, now we are the program that has made 2 runs to the Final Four in the last 4 years. We were the Cinderella darlings of the tournament and showed some real swag while making our comebacks and our epic run. We have a great core coming back and should be a top 20 team next year with a lot to look forward to. Man, what a monumental difference in perception. I just want to make sure to appreciate it and enjoy what we were given because its going to pay serious dividends in the future.

Not just the press. People on this board would have been saying that. In fact people were in the now famous "Mack Brown/Frank Beamer Thread". It is amazing how quickly there can be a complete change in perception. I'm wondering what is our record since starting 25-0?

 

[NYCorange]

Making the final four was clearly the highlight of the last three years. As a side note, I do find it that Pitino laced in scandal with under-aged hookers during recruiting combine with Jamie Dixon leaving the ACC is somehow a strangely satisfying addendum to the 2015-16 season.

Yes to the Dixon, no to the Pitino. I've always admired how he coached--he's a great rival to have in the ACC and hope the program thrives even as it gets justified punishment.

 

[longtimefan]

Making the final four was clearly the highlight of the last three years. As a side note, I do find it that Pitino laced in scandal with under-aged hookers during recruiting combine with Jamie Dixon leaving the ACC is somehow a strangely satisfying addendum to the 2015-16 season.

The (potential) irony has been noted--

ACC football has shown a marked improvement, at least on paper, in the quality of its head coaches. ACC basketball leadership may be heading in the opposite direction.

 

[gilardino]

This final 4 was like 96. Both came after NCAA investigations. Both at the right time. Both final fours proved that our beloved program would be just fine! Go orange. And yes what a a a run it was. Lastly, don't close the book cause there are still more chapters to write.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Agree, it's nice in light of '10 and '12 but the only problem is that '13 and '16 we went as pretty significant underdogs. '10 and '12 we could have won it all.

Exactly. It's nice to play Cinderella but it's a whole different vibe if you actually feel like you were supposed to be in the final four from the get go. I'm still pissed we never got to see Fab match up vs the Buckeyes and take on UK in a title fight. That would've been epic.

 

[gilardino]

Exactly. It's nice to play Cinderella but it's a whole different vibe if you actually feel like you were supposed to be in the final four from the get go. I'm still pissed we never got to see Fab match up vs the Buckeyes and take on UK in a title fight. That would've been epic.

Almost did it without fab. The refs screwed us

 

[two3zone]

Exactly. It's nice to play Cinderella but it's a whole different vibe if you actually feel like you were supposed to be in the final four from the get go. I'm still pissed we never got to see Fab match up vs the Buckeyes and take on UK in a title fight. That would've been epic.

I think we beat UK. Our defense was crazy special and our offense was just so solid from every position. Fab screwed up royally or he was failed by the staff, whatever the situation was it doesn't matter at this point but he was one of the best if not the best center we've had in the zone. Etan is another guy that comes to mind but it was difficult to get a shot up against either one of them.

 

[creatorsgam]

Almost did it without fab. The refs screwed us

This. Wouldn't have mattered. Like WWE refs, Sullinger could have hit Fab with a steel chair and it wouldn't have been called. 1... 2... 3. Ding ding ding.

 

[FrancoPizza]

This. Wouldn't have mattered. Like WWE refs, Sullinger could have hit Fab with a steel chair and it wouldn't have been called. 1... 2... 3. Ding ding ding.

Wrong. Sullinger got the calls because he was facing relative nobodies in the post in keita/xmas. Fab was also a star that year and the refs would've called it more objectively had it been star vs star matchup. If anything the calls might have skewed our way because all season long we were considered the one team that could be a problem for UK. We were 1a and 1b in no particular order followed by a huge dropoff. It wouldve been a ratings bonanza... and conspiracy theories always imply that those types of intangibles influence officiating.

 

[Briancuse]

Wrong. Sullinger got the calls because he was facing relative nobodies in the post in keita/xmas. Fab was also a star that year and the refs would've called it more objectively had it been star vs star matchup. If anything the calls might have skewed our way because all season long we were considered the one team that could be a problem for UK. We were 1a and 1b in no particular order followed by a huge dropoff. It wouldve been a ratings bonanza... and conspiracy theories always imply that those types of intangibles influence officiating.

If you going with the conspiracy aspect, the Big Ten gets big ratings in the final four, especially Ohio St.