This is really true. I brought in a top 20 recruiting class this past year. My team currently has loads of talent. Our record sure does not reflect that. What I do have though, is tennis players that have succeeded at every point in their young adult life, and now that they are playing players with equal or better talent, they just quite haven’t grasped how to compete against them. Am I optimistic about our future, yes. But I have learned this year that patience with freshman is truly needed. And I do believe that applies to every sport. Young athletes aren’t wired the same way. Some will perform better and enjoy facing increased competition. Some, it takes much longer.
JB disagrees. He called our last Final 4 “one of the 5 best seasons in SU history”. Why? Because, Final Four.I would much prefer to have Michigan States season last year than ours if that gives you an indication. Winning a conference title and being in the top 5 all year is a lot more enjoyable to me over a long period of time then winning 1 extra tourney game.
JB disagrees. He called our last Final 4 “one of the 5 best seasons in SU history”. Why? Because, Final Four.
Jack, where do you coach? I coached HS for 25 years and had a ball with it. Had a son that is a 5.0 in his mid 30s and played at U. of Rochester. I am an older 4.0 guy who still tries to hang with the youngsters.Sounds like their coach stinks.
And Sweet 16/Elite 8 or an ACCT title isn’t?Final Four is an achievement.
Final Four is an achievement.
Jack, where do you coach? I coached HS for 25 years and had a ball with it. Had a son that is a 5.0 in his mid 30s and played at U. of Rochester. I am an older 4.0 guy who still tries to hang with the youngsters.
Sounds like their coach stinks.
And Sweet 16/Elite 8 or an ACCT title isn’t?
Point being, JB emphasized that the goal of any year is to constantly get better. How we fare in the postseason is a reflection of that fact.
So, it can be concluded that sucking from Nov-Feb is part of that process. No miracles involved if a team is playing better and winning in March, when it counts the most! JMHO
Agree to disagree.Anything other than the final 4 is fairly irrelevant to me if the team was mediocre all year. No ones putting up sweet 16 banners. A win or 2 in the tourney against teams unfamiliar with the zone with barely any time to prepare isn't that satisfyiang after getting beat up by all our peer programs and getting pushed clearly into the 2nd tier of the ACC.
Don't get me wrong, we're all out of our mind excited when we advance to weekend #2 but the folks who consider 17-18 a success are really odd to me. That was an absolutely miserable season of Syracuse hoops. 10 days in March didn't clean off the stench of finishing 10th in the conference for me after the adrenaline wore off and I took a look at the full picture.
Very nice! I coach the women at RPI. We are scheduled to play U of R next year. I am
Only in my second year but excited about our direction. I’ve had some D1 and D3 coaching stops thus far. I am enjoying the gig at RPI so far.
I am rated by the USTA as a 5.5, but feel more comfortable at the 5.0 level. I was always a defensive counter-puncher and my lack of power hurt me against heavy hitters. Unfortunately, now that I coach full time, I am unable to play as competively as I want. I hit in a couple times a week during practices, which helps scratch the itch. Luckily my wife’s family has a tennis court at their summer so I get to play against her family a lot. They are mostly 3.5 and 4.0 players, so doubles is fun natured and usually surrounded by drinks, haha.
Agree to disagree.
Ask Auburn, Texas Tech, heck...Virginia, how hard it is to win games during March Madness.
I just think getting to the 2nd weekend should not be so easily discounted. And just because we lost 12 games during the season?
What earthly difference does it make, except as bragging rights? JMHO
I respect your opinion but i get a lot of joy at seeing the team play good basketball. Sometimes if we play well and lose, im not as upset about it. While i can see the argument that what matters most is march, i dont see how you can just discount the regular season completely. I watch every game and want them to win every time.
Fair enough, and maybe it’s a product of age+experience, etc. that gives me that perspective. I’ve seen many teams, from many seasons, ours included, that spit the bit in March. A 30-4 record with a loss in the 2nd round, is a bigger failure than 19-10 and an Elite 8. Again, agree to disagree- just a matter of one’s own perspective.I respect your opinion but i get a lot of joy at seeing the team play good basketball. Sometimes if we play well and lose, im not as upset about it. While i can see the argument that what matters most is march, i dont see how you can just discount the regular season completely. I watch every game and want them to win every time.
Hindsight is always 20/20. Not knowing who I will draw or how many games I'll win in the NCAAs I will always take the 30-4 team because that means we have a really good team and know we will make the tournament and our likelihood of going to the final four and winning it goes up significantly. A 19-10 team has a small chance of not even making the tournament and has a lower likelihood of going further in the tournament. I know this is stating the obvious but not everyone has common sense but a good team has a better chance of going further than a poorer team and that is reflective by having a better record over 30+ games. A 30-4 team is better, higher ranked and will be able to recruit better players to keep the cycle of winning and going further in the tournament alive for longer. How many double loss teams have made the final four and won it?Fair enough, and maybe it’s a product of age+experience, etc. that gives me that perspective. I’ve seen many teams, from many seasons, ours included, that spit the bit in March. A 30-4 record with a loss in the 2nd round, is a bigger failure than 19-10 and an Elite 8. Again, agree to disagree- just a matter of one’s own perspective.
Obviously the first step in all of this is that the team is good enough to at least make the Dance. But even with that being said, if you’re basing your definition of a “ good” team only by its record earned during the regular season, then i disagree. The 19-10 record of your so-called “poorer” team, could’ve come about due to various factors like injuries, inexperience, etc. so, yes...maybe from November to February they were a bad team, but so what? Quintessential March Madness is based on “make the Dance, you’ll have a shot”...whether that’s at 19-10 or 31-4.Hindsight is always 20/20. Not knowing who I will draw or how many games I'll win in the NCAAs I will always take the 30-4 team because that means we have a really good team and know we will make the tournament and our likelihood of going to the final four and winning it goes up significantly. A 19-10 team has a small chance of not even making the tournament and has a lower likelihood of going further in the tournament. I know this is stating the obvious but not everyone has common sense but a good team has a better chance of going further than a poorer team and that is reflective by having a better record over 30+ games. A 30-4 team is better, higher ranked and will be able to recruit better players to keep the cycle of winning and going further in the tournament alive for longer. How many double loss teams have made the final four and won it?
Anything other than the final 4 is fairly irrelevant to me if the team was mediocre all year. No ones putting up sweet 16 banners. A win or 2 in the tourney against teams unfamiliar with the zone with barely any time to prepare isn't that satisfyiang after getting beat up by all our peer programs and getting pushed clearly into the 2nd tier of the ACC.
Don't get me wrong, we're all out of our mind excited when we advance to weekend #2 but the folks who consider 17-18 a success are really odd to me. That was an absolutely miserable season of Syracuse hoops. 10 days in March didn't clean off the stench of finishing 10th in the conference for me after the adrenaline wore off and I took a look at the full picture.
Now we have injuries on the 19-10...Again hindsight is 20/20. Give me the better team each and every time entering the tournament.Obviously the first step in all of this is that the team is good enough to at least make the Dance. But even with that being said, if you’re basing your definition of a “ good” team only by its record earned during the regular season, then i disagree. The 19-10 record of your so-called “poorer” team, could’ve come about due to various factors like injuries, inexperience, etc. so, yes...maybe from November to February they were a bad team, but so what? Quintessential March Madness is based on “make the Dance, you’ll have a shot”...whether that’s at 19-10 or 31-4.
Again, if the argument is that a 19-10 team cannot get better, gel, get healthy, and start playing it’s best b-ball at season’s end, then yes, your point holds more water.
I take the opposite view of, whoever’s playing their best basketball in March, is what truly matters.
Give me a 7th place team that gets to the 2nd weekend, over a 1st place team that peaked in February any day. And we’ve seen plenty of SU teams that did just that...25-0 being one! The Cooney/Silent G squad that made the F4, or even the Battle/Howard Sweet 16 team, were lots more enjoyable than the Tyler Ennis team that faded late and did NOTHING when it mattered. JMHO
No need for the rather obtuse take on the matter, since it was stated that injuries and the like could’ve been a factor in making a team “poorer”. Unless you’re of the mind that none of that matters, or you’re a Kansas fan...in which case you love being Conference Champions...and failing early each year?Now we have injuries on the 19-10...Again hindsight is 20/20. Give me the better team each and every time entering the tournament.
And injuries and suspensions can impact 30-4 teams too. Onuaku and Melo come to mind, so you don't get to pick individual factors to change the discussion. All things being equal better teams go further in tournaments...Teams with better records are better teams and are higher seeds. Higher seeds go further in tournaments. Facts don't lie. Of course exceptions to rules happen too but that doesn't change the rule.No need for the rather obtuse take on the matter, since it was stated that injuries and the like could’ve been a factor in making a team “poorer”. Unless you’re of the mind that none of that matters, or you’re a Kansas fan...in which case you love being Conference Champions...and failing early each year?
Give me the “poorer” record and longer Tourney run, rather than the stellar 30 win “better” team, getting bounced early! JMHO
Not totally fair, since that’s a yes or no question. If the 30-4 record came from the Patriot League, and the 19-10 from the ACC, I’m likely going w/ the P5 team. In that scenario, records don’t tell the whole story, no?And injuries and suspensions can impact 30-4 teams too. Onuaku and Melo come to mind, so you don't get to pick individual factors to change the discussion. All things being equal better teams go further in tournaments...Teams with better records are better teams and are higher seeds. Higher seeds go further in tournaments. Facts don't lie. Of course exceptions to rules happen too but that doesn't change the rule.
I live my life by Math and Statistics, not by hindsight. Anyone can wait and see who goes further and compare those 2 teams. Before seeing who goes further in a tournament who would you pick the 30-4 team or the 19-10 team. No cheating.
He also said:JB disagrees. He called our last Final 4 “one of the 5 best seasons in SU history”. Why? Because, Final Four.