Class of 2023 PF Ibrahim Souare (Guinea / AZ) TRANSFERRING TO SYRACUSE (4/6/25)

[Orangezoo]

they can be good defenders generally

but how many 66 or 69 are shutting down a decently offensive 7 footer? very few

If a 6-9 guy has the wingspan and athleticism to block the shot of a less athletic 7 footer and is also physically strong enough to boot he may not shut him down but he should certainly be able to defend well enough.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

If a 6-9 guy has the wingspan and athleticism to block the shot of a less athletic 7 footer and is also physically strong enough to boot he may not shut him down but he should certainly be able to defend well enough.

Wasn't there a thing in the Tech press conference about how Souare was tasked with playing against Stanford's center, the 7'1" Maxim Raynaud, and he shut him down? Raynaud had 8 points in that game. Raynaud had 22 against Syracuse.

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

they can be good defenders generally

but how many 66 or 69 are shutting down a decently offensive 7 footer? very few

How many 7 foot skilled bigs do you think SU will face next season. Please name names.

 

[sutomcat]

Wasn't there a thing in the Tech press conference about how Souare was tasked with playing against Stanford's center, the 7'1" Maxim Raynaud, and he shut him down? Raynaud had 8 points in that game. Raynaud had 22 against Syracuse.

Correct.

Tech Stymies Stanford at McCamish

Jackets hold ACC Player of the Year candidate Raynaud to eight points in 60-52 win

ramblinwreck.com

 

[RedtheGOB]

How many 7 foot skilled bigs do you think SU will face next season. Please name names.

I agree. Asked this before. Got no answer. Just what ifs. ACC is filled with a bunch of 6’9 centers.

For all we know Maliq could play center his senior year and be the best one in the ACC.

 

[CardiacCuse]

I agree. Asked this before. Got no answer. Just what ifs. ACC is filled with a bunch of 6’9 centers.

For all we know Maliq could play center his senior year and be the best one in the ACC.

i dont see the acc as the be all and end all...i know the program has fallen on hard times...but my preference is to build a team that can compete nationally not merely within-conference..and thats how i wil evaluate any roster

How many 7 foot skilled bigs do you think SU will face next season. Please name names.

thats not the point...winning national championships should be the goal...not beating up on bottom half conference foes

i cant beleive i even have to say this

If a 6-9 guy has the wingspan and athleticism to block the shot of a less athletic 7 footer and is also physically strong enough to boot he may not shut him down but he should certainly be able to defend well enough.

whats with all the qualifiers? "less athletic" 7 footer? what about just an athletic tall center? thats really all that matters...why are we lowering the standards so much?

since when did syracuse become a mid-major???

Wasn't there a thing in the Tech press conference about how Souare was tasked with playing against Stanford's center, the 7'1" Maxim Raynaud, and he shut him down? Raynaud had 8 points in that game. Raynaud had 22 against Syracuse.

watch the condensed game and tell me youre excited about suare as a center

it was almost entirely ndongo...with 15 pts and 16 rebounds in that game NEWSFLASH we aint getting ndongo too!

raynuad blocked saure at the hoop to start the game FWIW and suare wasnt covering raynaud for long stetches of the game...he barely did anything...got 2 dunks and 4 rebs in 27! minutes...just a warm body out there honestly


and i am NOT a hater

i just seriously dont understand why everyone is being so defensive and all-in on this acquisition like its some kind of lead pipe lock...when it clearly isnt

this is a stretch and a reach by the staff if they think suare will be an asset at the center position...and we dont have to co-sign, guys

 

[Orangezoo]

i dont see the acc as the be all and end all...i know the program has fallen on hard times...but my preference is to build a team that can compete nationally not merely within-conference..and thats how i wil evaluate any roster

thats not the point...winning national championships should be the goal...not beating up on bottom half conference foes

i cant beleive i even have to say this

whats with all the qualifiers? "less athletic" 7 footer? what about just an athletic tall center? thats really all that matters...why are we lowering the standards so much?

since when did syracuse become a mid-major???



watch the condensed game and tell me youre excited about suare as a center

it was almost entirely ndongo...with 15 pts and 16 rebounds in that game NEWSFLASH we aint getting ndongo too!

raynuad blocked saure at the hoop to start the game FWIW and suare wasnt covering raynaud for long stetches of the game...he barely did anything...got 2 dunks and 4 rebs in 27! minutes...just a warm body out there honestly


and i am NOT a hater

i just seriously dont understand why everyone is being so defensive and all-in on this acquisition like its some kind of lead pipe lock...when it clearly isnt

this is a stretch and a reach by the staff if they think suare will be an asset at the center position...and we dont have to co-sign, guys

Since when did the majority of teams have a legit 7 footer who is skilled enough to meet everything you want to ensure we are able to defend? Also you haven’t countered the other points; instead you keep adding more generalizations despite people point out examples even with Souare going up against Reynaud and more than holding his own and yet you oddly dismiss it.
With all due respect your dismissal of his efforts that game are inaccurate.

Also I’ve yet to see a list of players that meet your criteria that would be far better options. I think the counter points folks are presenting are fair and all I see is you just dismissing them coming back to this flock of good all around productive and athletic 7 footers we aren’t tapping into.

 

[Orangezoo]

I’ll just add that the points around our efforts with bigs this portal season are completely separate from trying to say the team now meets expectations on paper to be a national powerhouse again. The scheme on both ends, guard play and shooting, especially with two of the shooters being freshmen off the bench, weighs heavily on the list of concerns for having any kind of success that meets this program’s standards.

What they’ve done at the 5 is clearly defensive minded and if the rest of the roster steps up and the coaching levels up then what we are doing at the 5 should be just fine if these guys do their jobs and play to their physical capabilities and measurements.

 

[Cusefan69]

Some topics in this thread:

 

[baggerbob]

i dont see the acc as the be all and end all...i know the program has fallen on hard times...but my preference is to build a team that can compete nationally not merely within-conference..and thats how i wil evaluate any roster

thats not the point...winning national championships should be the goal...not beating up on bottom half conference foes

i cant beleive i even have to say this

whats with all the qualifiers? "less athletic" 7 footer? what about just an athletic tall center? thats really all that matters...why are we lowering the standards so much?

since when did syracuse become a mid-major???



watch the condensed game and tell me youre excited about suare as a center

it was almost entirely ndongo...with 15 pts and 16 rebounds in that game NEWSFLASH we aint getting ndongo too!

raynuad blocked saure at the hoop to start the game FWIW and suare wasnt covering raynaud for long stetches of the game...he barely did anything...got 2 dunks and 4 rebs in 27! minutes...just a warm body out there honestly


and i am NOT a hater

i just seriously dont understand why everyone is being so defensive and all-in on this acquisition like its some kind of lead pipe lock...when it clearly isnt

this is a stretch and a reach by the staff if they think suare will be an asset at the center position...and we dont have to co-sign, guys

Enough we have heard enough from you, come back next year after the season starts.
This is my only comment to you, don't bother to reply.
At 79 don't have time to argue with people like you.
Will skip all your posts .

 

[Cusesky8214]

Ibrahim Khalil Akir Souare on Instagram: "Monkey D. Luffy, I’m in my duffy off of One Piece @trynadoright"

akir_ski on April 11, 2025: "Monkey D. Luffy, I’m in my duffy off of One Piece @trynadoright".

www.instagram.com

 

[CardiacCuse]

Since when did the majority of teams have a legit 7 footer who is skilled enough to meet everything you want to ensure we are able to defend? Also you haven’t countered the other points; instead you keep adding more generalizations despite people point out examples even with Souare going up against Reynaud and more than holding his own and yet you oddly dismiss it.
With all due respect your dismissal of his efforts that game are inaccurate.

Also I’ve yet to see a list of players that meet your criteria that would be far better options. I think the counter points folks are presenting are fair and all I see is you just dismissing them coming back to this flock of good all around productive and athletic 7 footers we aren’t tapping into.

ok its getting to dead horse territory apparently

lets just see how it plays out

apparently most of you think it will work fine (which really surprises me tbh)...im very spektical but i guess theres no room for skepticism around here...

with the track record of the program the last 5 years, apparently I should be giving more benefit of the doubt to a 6'9 center/PF combo manning the middle

 

[CardiacCuse]

I’ll just add that the points around our efforts with bigs this portal season are completely separate from trying to say the team now meets expectations on paper to be a national powerhouse again. The scheme on both ends, guard play and shooting, especially with two of the shooters being freshmen off the bench, weighs heavily on the list of concerns for having any kind of success that meets this program’s standards.

What they’ve done at the 5 is clearly defensive minded and if the rest of the roster steps up and the coaching levels up then what we are doing at the 5 should be just fine if these guys do their jobs and play to their physical capabilities and measurements.

wow...thats a lot of ifs

its crazy to me that you have correctly identified so many contingencies in terms of having success next year but dont think the center play is near the top of the list lol...the very long list...while also so casually poo-pooing my reservations as if I am in la-la land or something by doubting "the plan"

and i will just say that IF they wanted to be "defensive minded" with the bigs in the portal (which would be a fine goal)...I dont think they have accomplished that...but we'll just have to wait and see

 

[CardiacCuse]

Since when did the majority of teams have a legit 7 footer who is skilled enough to meet everything you want to ensure we are able to defend? Also you haven’t countered the other points; instead you keep adding more generalizations despite people point out examples even with Souare going up against Reynaud and more than holding his own and yet you oddly dismiss it.
With all due respect your dismissal of his efforts that game are inaccurate.

Also I’ve yet to see a list of players that meet your criteria that would be far better options. I think the counter points folks are presenting are fair and all I see is you just dismissing them coming back to this flock of good all around productive and athletic 7 footers we aren’t tapping into.

tell me which of: maliq brown, maluach, bacot, jesse edwards, lampkin, ndongo, raynaud, lahkin, schiefflein you would forego and choose suare over...any?

i dont watch college bball...only SU games so the list is short...but those are just the guys I can think off the top of my head...and I would choose all of them over the centers we have...so ...idk...you tell me

 

[Dcuse]

tell me which of: maliq brown, maluach, bacot, jesse edwards, lampkin, ndongo, raynaud, lahkin, schiefflein you would forego and choose suare over...any?

i dont watch college bball...only SU games so the list is short...but those are just the guys I can think off the top of my head...and I would choose all of them over the centers we have...so ...idk...you tell me

Geez…..settle down.

 

[Cusefan0307]

tell me which of: maliq brown, maluach, bacot, jesse edwards, lampkin, ndongo, raynaud, lahkin, schiefflein you would forego and choose suare over...any?

i dont watch college bball...only SU games so the list is short...but those are just the guys I can think off the top of my head...and I would choose all of them over the centers we have...so ...idk...you tell me

He’s a backup that you’re comparing to starters.

 

[hoopsupstate]

I’m not sure what people don’t like about this guy. Long, athletic shot blocker who plays hard and attacks the offensive boards. Going to the offensive boards was not a strength of Donnie’s game last year. You find places for guys like this. He has THREE more years left. He could be a great piece for the next three years. We’re listed with a lot of 2026 guards and wing players, but not a lot of bigs. He’s a big plus.

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

I’m not sure what people don’t like about this guy. Long, athletic shot blocker who plays hard and attacks the offensive boards. Going to the offensive boards was not a strength of Donnie’s game last year. You find places for guys like this. He has THREE more years left. He could be a great piece for the next three years. We’re listed with a lot of 2026 guards and wing players, but not a lot of bigs. He’s a big plus.

Agree. Plus he took zero threes last season. I am so sick of guys who think they are shooters then shoot 26% from three. Seems to know his role and is self aware at the least.

 

[007]

i dont watch college bball...only SU games

Huh, who would have guessed this...

 

[Niastri]

Agree. Plus he took zero threes last season. I am so sick of guys who think they are shooters then shoot 26% from three. Seems to know his role and is self aware at the least.

Taking it one step farther, Souare rarely took any shot that wasn’t a layup or dunk. Knowing what you should and should not do on the court is an underrated skill.

 

[Orangezoo]

tell me which of: maliq brown, maluach, bacot, jesse edwards, lampkin, ndongo, raynaud, lahkin, schiefflein you would forego and choose suare over...any?

i dont watch college bball...only SU games so the list is short...but those are just the guys I can think off the top of my head...and I would choose all of them over the centers we have...so ...idk...you tell me

That is not at all the essence of what I was pointing out or asking. In as nice of a tone as I can convey.. your response doesn’t make any sense here.

 

[Orangezoo]

wow...thats a lot of ifs

its crazy to me that you have correctly identified so many contingencies in terms of having success next year but dont think the center play is near the top of the list lol...the very long list...while also so casually poo-pooing my reservations as if I am in la-la land or something by doubting "the plan"

and i will just say that IF they wanted to be "defensive minded" with the bigs in the portal (which would be a fine goal)...I dont think they have accomplished that...but we'll just have to wait and see

Take a breath man. No animosity here. You are so intent on arguing about what you want to see at one position you are missing the context of what you are responding to.

 

[McCuse]

Taking it one step farther, Souare rarely took any shot that wasn’t a layup or dunk. Knowing what you should and should not do on the court is an underrated skill.

The dunk is a very high percentage shot! Well, maybe not for Cuffe...

 

[newmexicuse]

The dunk is a very high percentage shot! Well, maybe not for Cuffe...

or Eddie or Petar or Jyare.......

 

[DomeHolmes]

If you are going to take a chance on an 9-10 guy in your rotation, guys like this are what you get. Young guy with hopefully a big upside. (Walter Clayton averaged 7 ppg his freshman year for Iona, then blew up). You hope for a diamond in the rough with a guy like this.

Carlos, Davis, Taylor, Lampkin were finished products when they got here. All (except Eddie) should have been 10 mpg guys. I’d rather see where this goes as he may have a higher ceiling.