Perspective

[jdubs30]

2o12 starting lineup vs. OSU - Elite 8:

Kris Joseph
CJ Fair
Scoop Jardine
Brandon Triche
Rakeem Christmas
-----------------------
Dion Waiters
James Southerland
Baye Moussa Keita

Joseph and Jardine are seniors. Waiters goes to the NBA. Fab Melo, Defensive Player of the Year in the Big East, also leaves. Cuse loses arguably their 4 best players.


2013 staring lineup vs. Michigan - Final 4:
James Southerland
CJ Fair
Brandon Triche
Michal Carter-Williams
Rakeem Christmas
---------------------------
Baye Moussa Keita
Trevor Cooney
Jerami Grant

Southerland and Triche are seniors. MCW leaves early for the NBA and will most likely win ROY. Those 3 along with CJ Fair have the best year for 'Cuse.

There you have it; in the past 2 years we went to the Elite 8, proceeded to lose our best 4 players; then go to the Final 4, lose our 3 best players, and still start 25-0.


The turnaround in this program has been unbelievable. Not sure what else you could ask for; we were due for a "clunker" type year. And with the recruiting class coming in next year and the chance that Ennis/Grant stay, it was obvious this year would be the "down" year. Take it in stride; this is an elite program.

 

[anomander]

This is what elite programs deal with every year. If we want to be elite this is what you deal with.

 

[creatorsgam]

2o12 starting lineup vs. OSU - Elite 8:

Kris Joseph
CJ Fair
Scoop Jardine
Brandon Triche
Rakeem Christmas
-----------------------
Dion Waiters
James Southerland
Baye Moussa Keita

Joseph and Jardine are seniors. Waiters goes to the NBA. Fab Melo, Defensive Player of the Year in the Big East, also leaves. Cuse loses arguably their 4 best players.


2013 staring lineup vs. Michigan - Final 4:
James Southerland
CJ Fair
Brandon Triche
Michal Carter-Williams
Rakeem Christmas
---------------------------
Baye Moussa Keita
Trevor Cooney
Jerami Grant

Southerland and Triche are seniors. MCW leaves early for the NBA and will most likely win ROY. Those 3 along with CJ Fair have the best year for 'Cuse.

There you have it; in the past 2 years we went to the Elite 8, proceeded to lose our best 4 players; then go to the Final 4, lose our 3 best players, and still start 25-0.


The turnaround in this program has been unbelievable. Not sure what else you could ask for; we were due for a "clunker" type year. And with the recruiting class coming in next year and the chance that Ennis/Grant stay, it was obvious this year would be the "down" year. Take it in stride; this is an elite program.

Well said. Now prepared to be flamed because optimism and level-headed posts aren't allowed after a loss, and especially after a season-ending loss.

 

[perdurabo]

All I know is that this was a rotten, forlorn winter. Watching and rooting for Cuse got me through to Spring. I would have loved to see a few more games.

But warm weather is around the corner. Life goes on. Can't wait for the new recruits and the new season. Thanks to all the players and coaches who helped me thru Seasonal Affective Disorder.

 

[jdubs30]

This is what elite programs deal with every year. If we want to be elite this is what you deal with.

Is the Elite 8 and Final 4 in the past 2 years not dealing with it?

 

[orangehomer]

This is what elite programs deal with every year. If we want to be elite this is what you deal with.

I'm not sure how we can be described as "elite". we've been good but we havent really won anything that mattered

 

[cuseguy]

Is the Elite 8 and Final 4 in the past 2 years not dealing with it?

One Final 4 in the last 11 years.

We lead the nation in attendance. We're supposedly a selector school.

We should be better than that.

 

[anomander]

Is the Elite 8 and Final 4 in the past 2 years not dealing with it?

sandwiched in between 2 round of 32 exits.

i'm not saying anything is wrong with it, but i'm not saying we should feel excited about it. it should be expected.

 

[sufandu]

Is the Elite 8 and Final 4 in the past 2 years not dealing with it?

I don't know. Maybe. I would rather look a little more like Louisville. Since our national championship in '03 we've had one Elite Eight and one Final Four. In that same time period they've had two Elite Eights, two Final Fours, and one National Championship.

I would've hoped that momentum from the national championship and building the Melo Center would've generated more tournament success for us.

 

[SBU72]

I don't know. Maybe. I would rather look a little more like Louisville. Since our national championship in '03 we've had one Elite Eight and one Final Four. In that same time period they've had two Elite Eights, two Final Fours, and one National Championship.

I would've hoped that momentum from the national championship and building the Melo Center would've generated more tournament success for us.

And Duke, one of the elite of the elite has gone out at the first round 3 of the last 4 years (or so I have read). Isn't SU's record over the same time period better than that? The title is perspective. Choose how ever you want to look at!
edit: 2 out of3

 

[cuseguy]

And Duke, one of the elite of the elite has gone out at the first round 3 of the last 4 years (or so I have read). Isn't SU's record over the same time period better than that? The title is perspective. Choose how ever you want to look at!

NC and Final 4s count for something. No one gets medals for making the Sweet 16 and Elite 8.

 

[HoustonCuse]

I guess the best option is to shutter the program. That's what I'm reading here, right? Good god.

I liked your post and your point jdubs.

 

[EnnisEnvy]

"Elite" programs win more than one championship since the NCAA started. Just sayin'. We're good but we're second tier.

 

[sufandu]

And Duke, one of the elite of the elite has gone out at the first round 3 of the last 4 years (or so I have read). Isn't SU's record over the same time period better than that? The title is perspective. Choose how ever you want to look at!

And even with those recent flame outs, they still have 1 NC, 1 final four, and one elite since our NC, which is more than us. And when your HOF coach has 11 final fours and 4 NC's to his credit, you get a little more grace. Digest that for a minute. K has as many NC's as JB has final fours. Comparing our tradition resume to Duke's is silly.

 

[pfister1]

I would feel a lot better about the season if our exit had come in the next round against Kansas rather than this round against a 13 seed who happened to be the 6th A-10 to get in.

 

[Ghost]

If we're going to go out in the Round of 32 could we at least play an entertaining brand of basketball?

I suffered through half these games - when I left the Midwest I thought I was done with the Big 10!!! And here we are morphing into them...

 

[Flacusian]

2o12 starting lineup vs. OSU - Elite 8:

Kris Joseph
CJ Fair
Scoop Jardine
Brandon Triche
Rakeem Christmas
-----------------------
Dion Waiters
James Southerland
Baye Moussa Keita

Joseph and Jardine are seniors. Waiters goes to the NBA. Fab Melo, Defensive Player of the Year in the Big East, also leaves. Cuse loses arguably their 4 best players.


2013 staring lineup vs. Michigan - Final 4:
James Southerland
CJ Fair
Brandon Triche
Michal Carter-Williams
Rakeem Christmas
---------------------------
Baye Moussa Keita
Trevor Cooney
Jerami Grant

Southerland and Triche are seniors. MCW leaves early for the NBA and will most likely win ROY. Those 3 along with CJ Fair have the best year for 'Cuse.

There you have it; in the past 2 years we went to the Elite 8, proceeded to lose our best 4 players; then go to the Final 4, lose our 3 best players, and still start 25-0.


The turnaround in this program has been unbelievable. Not sure what else you could ask for; we were due for a "clunker" type year. And with the recruiting class coming in next year and the chance that Ennis/Grant stay, it was obvious this year would be the "down" year. Take it in stride; this is an elite program.

Waahhhhhh!!!! I want MORE!!!!

 

[NKR1978]

And even with those recent flame outs, they still have 1 NC, 1 final four, and one elite since our NC, which is more than us. And when your HOF coach has 11 final fours and 4 NC's to his credit, you get a little more grace. Digest that for a minute. K has as many NC's as JB has final fours. Comparing our tradition resume to Duke's is silly.

You're right, Jim Boeheim isn't as successful as Rick Pitino and K or Calhoun. Those might be three of the top five coaches in college basketball history.

I would love to go to more Final Fours, but even Genk Auriemma with his eight titles and countless final fours says it's a b**** to rely on 18-22 year olds for your livelihood.

We are in the same league as Arizona. If they're "second tier," I can live with that because they're a great program as are we.

 

[kuethstheman]

I think we'd be right up there, if not for the Melo and Arinze fiascos. As far as what happened with 2004 through 2010, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[two3zone]

I think we'd be right up there, if not for the Melo and Arinze fiascos. As far as what happened with 2004 through 2010, I don't know what to tell you.

I think we have two titles if we had those two guys. Up until today I held onto those teams and it was "good enough" to me that we would have or should have won with those teams. Unfortunately I think it's wearing off really quick.

 

[HoustonCuse]

The program is recruiting at a high level and an already high profile is rising with the ACC move. We are going to be in the mix for the next few years at least.

 

[thebigeast44]

I would feel a lot better about the season if our exit had come in the next round against Kansas rather than this round against a 13 seed who happened to be the 6th A-10 to get in.

11 seed. I think we beat Dayton, 8 out of 10 times. The miserable 3 point shooting doomed us.

 

[orangefan13]

No such thing as elite school only elite teams.

No doubt our recruiting is great as of late. Maybe no surefire nba player yet in the next two classes, but joseph and malachi are pretty close and we are knocking on the door for some more. Recruiting is all you need to know about elite schools. JB has been around long enough times 3, to understand chemistry.

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

"Elite" programs win more than one championship since the NCAA started. Just sayin'. We're good but we're second tier.

Speak for yourself. You are wrong though

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

11 seed. I think we beat Dayton, 8 out of 10 times. The miserable 3 point shooting doomed us.

Miserable shooting, period, doomed us. We saw it all year. We went as far as CJ, Tyler, Jerami and Trevor could take us...