Class of 2023 PF Joseph "JP" Estrella (ME / Brewster) Offered

[Cuse'91]

Does JB even coach practice? Has he, since even the Hop days?

 

[rrlbees]

Does JB even coach practice? Has he, since even the Hop days?

Lol

 

[OttoinGrotto]

What effort wasn’t put into JP?

It wouldn't help anything to write out the specifics here.

But my understanding from a trusted source that I will not reveal is that JB's effort on this recruitment wasn't ideal, and was a factor.

 

[rrlbees]

It wouldn't help anything to write out the specifics here.

But my understanding from a trusted source that I will not reveal is that JB's effort on this recruitment wasn't ideal, and was a factor.

Don’t believe it at all. According to my sources.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Don’t believe it at all. According to my sources.

Ok.

We're all going down with the ship anyway.

 

[Orangezoo]

Don’t believe it at all. According to my sources.

So I guess the question is - sidestepping the lightning rod that is finger pointing- why the continuous strikeouts with top options on the recruiting trail? It's pairing with subpar results over numerous seasons to boot.

Something isn't working. I don't think there is much of a debate about that.

 

[cali315phan]

Does JB even coach practice? Has he, since even the Hop days?

I was at a couple handfuls of practices from '02 to '04. Hop ran the practices then. JB would sit on a recliner workout bike thing and snarl once in a while, and then call one of the assistants over. As far as coaching he would spend maybe 15 minutes engaged with the players. I can't imagine his coaching has become more hands on in the last 20 years...

 

[anomander]

Like how Duke handled the transition especially if you are keeping in house.

I mean if we were winning 30+ games a year, always ranked in the top 15, and raking in 5 stars at the snap of your fingers then absolutely lets make a continuity hire and keep it in house

 

[rrlbees]

I was at a couple handfuls of practices from '02 to '04. Hop ran the practices then. JB would sit on a recliner workout bike thing and snarl once in a while, and then call one of the assistants over. As far as coaching he would spend maybe 15 minutes engaged with the players. I can't imagine his coaching has become more hands on in the last 20 years...

The whole practice or the beginning? I’ve gone to dozens of practices although none the past several years. It was always the same. In the beginning when they were warming up, stretching, doing some drills like 3 man weave etc, JB wasn’t engaged. He’s be in his office or off to the side engaged in conversation with someone etc and the assistants and trainers ran things. Then JB would go on the court and call everyone over, players and coaches. They’d then start the meat of practice of implementing something, running plays, practicing fast breaks, 5v5 etc. It was basically the same thing every year.

 

[Cuse'91]

Regardless of the details; it's fairly obvious that no assistant coaching staff does as much "heavy lifting" as ours does. And, it's probably been that way for quite a while now.

 

[kcsu]

Jims old and past his prime. Last years team was terrible. Those are facts.
Another fact is he landed six good players last year.
Hopefully we have a good year which leads to adding a few more talented kids.
Jim isn't going to change and will most likely retire soon. Lets hope for a good year for all involved.

 

[SUFan44]

Jims old and past his prime. Last years team was terrible. Those are facts.
Another fact is he landed six good players last year.
Hopefully we have a good year which leads to adding a few more talented kids.
Jim isn't going to change and will most likely retire soon. Lets hope for a good year for all involved.

We can hope, but we’ve been hoping the last 8 and nothing has come of it. I’m not holding my breathe.

 

[SUFan44]

Don’t believe it at all. According to my sources.

JB says things.

 

[Orangefan1]

Thanks for the info, AZ.

I will say—and this is not directed to you at all AZ—but when recruiting handlers and hangers-on talk about the uncertainty of whether JB will be the head coach, he’s stated over and over again that he’s going to keep on coaching. A ton of head coaches have been hired and fired since he first announced his retirement timeline back in 2015, and he’s outlasted them all. So our assistant coaches do have ammo to push back on that chatter with. (And I’m someone who believes it’s time for JB to retire.)

As for recruiting rivals saying Syracuse didn’t make the tourney last year, our past decade tourney performance is one of the strongest parts of our pitches for our coaches to highlight. We were in the Sweet 16 two years ago and again in 2018. We made the Final Four in 2016, plus a tourney appearance in 2019. (Not too mention the 2009-2014 high water mark.) That’s a heck of a lot better recent results than Iowa, Tennessee and Marquette. Again, our coaches have the receipts to push back on these narratives.

I agree and I think it’s a cop out to say Boeheims uncertainty is the sole reason why he won’t come here. We have had the same conversation for ten years so it’s an easy go to excuse each time a recruit picks somewhere else.
I know we aren’t Duke but it would be better if Syracuse just told the public when it’s over? I like Jp and I will believe that weather and a great area is part of it but the bigger issue to me is NIL.
Until the NCAA does anything to control it we will always be next tier. Or we need to figure it out fast and I know they are trying but it’s a serious issue in my opinion.
Maybe it’s time we clean house because if JP knew Autry or GMac were going to be there and still went somewhere else what does that say about our assistant coaches even? Again we aren’t Duke but everyone knew what was happening and we recruits still go there and we should do the same to some degree.
Idk what will happen in five years but I do feel a losing season, no tourney it’s really the worst position we have been in in what thirty five years?
Perhaps this is the even bigger issue.

Syracuse has big problems, but I love the school and will always support them. Another example why worry about paying Dino ten million instead of firing and cleaning house? Dinos a nice guy but he hasn’t shown he knows how to make good decisions in key situations.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Does JB even coach practice? Has he, since even the Hop days?

My observations of practice from the 80's-early 90's. JB is the CEO. The assistants run the drills. JB observes. He directs team items, not necessarily individual or group drills.
If that's the complaint about how he runs practice, it's how he has done it for 40 years.

 

[dan7800]

JP Estrella

 

[orangemass]

“Papa is a rolling stone”, & “Papa don’t take no mess”, so please…”Papa don’t preach” about being Plan B!

I’ll see myself out.

Papa bone us

 

[Hopkins16]

The only bright side of this is, with our recruiting misses of the last several years, losing out on Reid, JP, not landing on the top 5 for Gertrude and Elmarko etc, it is not all for naught if it will get the administration and JB to FINALLY see that it's time to announce a retirement date for JB and reveal the successor plan.

 

[Hopkins16]

It's just really arrogant and unfair to say JB is an institution and is Syracuse basketball so he can do whatever he wants and retire whenever he pleases. He isn't John Wooden, and won one national championship in over 40 years as head coach. If JB was head coach at any of the basketball driven regular top 20 schools he would have been gone a long time ago.

 

[Crv1983]

It's just really arrogant and unfair to say JB is an institution and is Syracuse basketball so he can do whatever he wants and retire whenever he pleases. He isn't John Wooden, and won one national championship in over 40 years as head coach. If JB was head coach at any of the basketball driven regular top 20 schools he would have been gone a long time ago.

I do believe he is an institution and has devoted his entire adult life to the University. No one in the past 30 years has had more of an impact on creating a national brand for a program with the exception of Coach K at Duke. While he is nicely compensated he would have been making twice as much at a minimum if he chose to leave 20 years ago. I agree however, it is time for both JB and the University to move forward and that decision should not be left to him

 

[Orangezoo]

My observations of practice from the 80's-early 90's. JB is the CEO. The assistants run the drills. JB observes. He directs team items, not necessarily individual or group drills.
If that's the complaint about how he runs practice, it's how he has done it for 40 years.

So I guess then still comes the question of what is the issue then? We are a shell of the what we were year in year out for so long. If it's not coaching then how does one explain the sizable drop-off in results and failure on important pieces like JP and Reid?

 

[gmoney44]

The whole practice or the beginning? I’ve gone to dozens of practices although none the past several years. It was always the same. In the beginning when they were warming up, stretching, doing some drills like 3 man weave etc, JB wasn’t engaged. He’s be in his office or off to the side engaged in conversation with someone etc and the assistants and trainers ran things. Then JB would go on the court and call everyone over, players and coaches. They’d then start the meat of practice of implementing something, running plays, practicing fast breaks, 5v5 etc. It was basically the same thing every year.

That’s how I recall practice back in the day when pee ons were allowed to attend. Its been a hot minute though.

 

[cali315phan]

My observations of practice from the 80's-early 90's. JB is the CEO. The assistants run the drills. JB observes. He directs team items, not necessarily individual or group drills.
If that's the complaint about how he runs practice, it's how he has done it for 40 years.

Let's be real, it's not like our assistant coaches are Bernie Fine, Mike Hopkins and Troy Weaver anymore. Bernie was with Boeheim since day 1, and hop and Weaver were all stars on the recruiting trail. We know what happened with Bernie, but Hop is obviously a head coach at a P5 school, and Weaver is an NBA GM. Less engagement and a coaching staff that isn't necessarily murderers row doesn't help. But I agree, Boeheim has always run things (from my understanding and limited years of viewing) as a CEO. Maybe what worked in the 80's just doesn't work anymore.

 

[kcsu]

It's simple hes old doesn't have the juice he used to have. I have no idea why he is hanging around now that his kids are gone.

 

[AZOrange]

My observations of practice from the 80's-early 90's. JB is the CEO. The assistants run the drills. JB observes. He directs team items, not necessarily individual or group drills.
If that's the complaint about how he runs practice, it's how he has done it for 40 years.

It’s also almost exactly how K did things. This critique is one area that I think is misguided on JB