Players Returning Next Year

[Dcuse]

Judah is a better outside shooter than JJ.

Copeland will be a unicorn next year get to the hoop at will tons of steals rebound like a forward and shoot better.

Starling isn’t awful but he’s someone who leaves you wanting more. Just like Girard he’s ideally suited to 6th man.

WHAT? Judah isn’t a fraction of the outside shooter JJ is. Wait….you’re playing,right? As questionable as most all of your posts are, even you don’t believe this.

 

[General20]

I think you are correct and that is what surprises me about Brown coming back. For Brown to come back, he would have been told that we are going after a real 5 in the portal. I believe that to be true. Okay. But Freeman is playing the 4. Where does that leave Brown? We don't get a quality 5 to come here and not start. I have to say I am going to be really curious on what the actual plan is.

This is such an interesting situation.

As much as Brown brings to the table, he has a weird skillset to build a team around. Essentially he can only score close to the basket and only defend away from the basket.

Ideally we'd bring in a center who is a great rim protector, and also a 3 point shooter, but since there are only a handful of those guys on earth, I'll assume this isn't an option.

That really only leaves one option, which is having 3 guys you mix and match depending on the opposition. If a team is killing us down low, bring in the shot blocker, and deal with the lack of spacing on O. If Brown can handle the center position, put him and Freeman in and reap the offensive rewards.

I think Red can sell all 3 getting 'starters minutes'

I'd be surprised if the plan is to play a center, Brown and Freeman all at the same time. That doesn't seem like it would work.

 

[orangepassion]

I’m not ruling it out from some things I’ve heard. I know a few others say no way, but I have not heard that. I know there’s some serious support to run it back with the same team with a change or two from the portal. But I’ll leave it at that for now. This is going to be a VERY interesting couple of weeks

Would love to have Judah back. You bring this team back, bring in the new guys, and add a legit C, we are top 20.

 

[Sherman20]

I think you are correct and that is what surprises me about Brown coming back. For Brown to come back, he would have been told that we are going after a real 5 in the portal. I believe that to be true. Okay. But Freeman is playing the 4. Where does that leave Brown? We don't get a quality 5 to come here and not start. I have to say I am going to be really curious on what the actual plan is.

The more depth we have the better chance we have to be a top 10 team and compete for conference and national titles. No one on UConn’s national title team last season averaged more than 30 minutes a game. They had both Sanogo and Clingan playing the center spot. Clingan was a top 50 and freshman recruit and only averaged like 10-15 mpg. Their depth was crazy. That’s what we need to work towards. Maybe Maliq is ok playing like 10 mpg at center and 20-25 at PF, then a skilled portal center gets 20-25 mpg at center, and then Freeman can play 20 mpg at PF and maybe a few at center as needed?

 

[Sherman20]

I’m not ruling it out from some things I’ve heard. I know a few others say no way, but I have not heard that. I know there’s some serious support to run it back with the same team with a change or two from the portal. But I’ll leave it at that for now. This is going to be a VERY interesting couple of weeks

I hope it’s an interesting couple of weeks with us making a run as the ACC tourney champs and then landing in the Big Dance!

 

[grepal]

Maliq and Freeman will give us the building blocks for a dominant front court next season. If we add a skilled big boy center who’s a voracious rebounder and has post moves and skill, look out.

If we had that this year we would have been terrific. Hope Jesse's bag was big enough to make his year of crap worth it. If he stayed. And SU went far he could have a good job for life after hoops in central NY if he desired.

 

[Niastri]

I’d love to see 20 each at PF for them both they split 15 mins at C and then you bring a big portal C in for 20-25 mins a game. Whoever returns for depth of McLeod, Patterson and Carey make up the remaining minutes at the 5 if any.

Donnie Freeman's game is more of a 3-4 than a 4-5. We are in big trouble next season of Freeman plays minutes at center. It would mean at least three guys are injured or fouled out.

He's tall, and has room to get stronger, but his build reminds me more of Marek Dolezaj, Damone Brown or Hakeem Warrick than Rak Christmas or Rick Jackson.

Freeman has also developed a true jump shot out to three point range, a small forward (sometimes guard-like) handle in addition to his post game. Freeman is an acceptable blocker, but nothing special so far. He'll get weak side blocks as the double team in the post, and occasionally on the Chris Bell coming from behind special, but he'll be little help in the middle as a rim protector.

With his game, Freeman might be able to play some SF next to Brown and whatever center we have. I'd like him to get most of his minutes next to Bell and Brown.

But if he needs to shift anywhere to make space, it should be as a big small forward, not a completely undersized center.

 

[phil77]

Run it back is the craziest thing I have seen. Like we didn't just sit through an entire season where outside of one game anyone ranked just overwhelmed us with talent.

 

[SanDiegoCuse]

They have to upgrade the three point shooting in the starting lineup. A true PG who’s a good outside shooter and a leader on the court would be a godsend.

 

[Cstate]

Judah is a better outside shooter than JJ.

Copeland will be a unicorn next year get to the hoop at will tons of steals rebound like a forward and shoot better.

Starling isn’t awful but he’s someone who leaves you wanting more. Just like Girard he’s ideally suited to 6th man.

I mean not to pile on, but what?!?! After going 5/7 from 3 against Cornell’s juggernaut of a defense, Judah finished the last 22 games of the season going 10/52 (19%). JJ on the other hand, shot 41/108 (38%) from deep while also showing off a smooth mid-range jumper.

If Judah was a better outside shooter than JJ he would be a 1st round pick, and we all have seen what his draft stock has been this last year.

 

[Orangezoo]

Donnie Freeman's game is more of a 3-4 than a 4-5. We are in big trouble next season of Freeman plays minutes at center. It would mean at least three guys are injured or fouled out.

He's tall, and has room to get stronger, but his build reminds me more of Marek Dolezaj, Damone Brown or Hakeem Warrick than Rak Christmas or Rick Jackson.

Freeman has also developed a true jump shot out to three point range, a small forward (sometimes guard-like) handle in addition to his post game. Freeman is an acceptable blocker, but nothing special so far. He'll get weak side blocks as the double team in the post, and occasionally on the Chris Bell coming from behind special, but he'll be little help in the middle as a room protector.

With his game, Freeman might be able to play some SF next to Brown and whatever center we have. I'd like him to get most of his minutes next to Bell and Brown.

But if he needs to shift anywhere to make space, it should be as a big small forward, not a completely undersized center.

Matchups on both ends should dictate this more than anything else. Since he can operate in the post and you can have more versatility with him , Maliq and 3 guards or with Bell and 2 guards that lineup may be pretty lethal at times against a smaller team. It just depends. We played this past year with a true 4 playing the 5 and having a spot up 3 and hybrid 2/3 playing with him on the front line. Having two actual big forwards that play those positions as intended on the floor makes a big difference too.

I would much rather see a portal C and McLeod and his two amigos be end of the bench depth behind minutes for Maliq and Freeman (limited to matchups) instead or a couple of those guys move on. 7-4 is nice and all but with a foot injury? That’s a serious issue for a guy his size and he’s probably still going to be limited.

 

[Sbucketball]

Run it back is the craziest thing I have seen. Like we didn't just sit through an entire season where outside of one game anyone ranked just overwhelmed us with talent.

I mostly agree, but I think there's a solid core here and after adding the two freshmen and hopefully having a healthy Westry we could be good if we add the right two or maybe three portal guys. I'm just not confident they add the right couple portal guys to take this core and turn it into a top team. Portal opens in 6 days so we'll see soon enough.

 

[Bayside44]

Would love to have Judah back. You bring this team back, bring in the new guys, and add a legit C, we are top 20.

It would be a huge surprise if he came back.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Would love to have Judah back. You bring this team back, bring in the new guys, and add a legit C, we are top 20.

Still leaves us without a starting forward who can do more than 1 thing well.

 

[Cuse181]

Copeland isn’t coming back here to come off the bench again..

Then he probably wont be in the P5, he is far too erratic to be lead guard.

 

[Niastri]

Run it back is the craziest thing I have seen. Like we didn't just sit through an entire season where outside of one game anyone ranked just overwhelmed us with talent.

The second half of the season was completely different. We did manage to beat UNC in spite of our size deficit.

I think we could run it back with almost all of our existing team and be really good, with one big exception:

5: Portal Center, McLeod, Patterson
4-5: Brown, Carey
3-4: Freeman
3: Bell
1-3: Westry, Copeland
2: Starling, Cuffe, Moore
1: Mintz

Essentially we would be trading Taylor for Freeman, Hima for a portal center, and a healthy Westry, Carey and McLeod for their injured versions. Every player would be a year older and a year more acclimated to the system.

Red would be one year more experienced as a coach.

Our biggest problems after Williams left the program and McLeod was injured was lack of rebounding and interior presence. Brown is a good rebounder, but can't do it himself, and he is an ok rim protector for a forward, but not good for a center.

Having Brown play most of his minutes at power forward next to a true center will solve that biggest problem. Having a power forward like Freeman instead of Taylor will also help. Bell still needs to be more committed to rebounding than he was most of the season.

I think we could run back most of the same roster and be really good.

This is highly unlikely to end up this way. Maybe McLeod transfers after we get another center, maybe Taylor stays and Carey doesn't, etc. So many variables can come into play.

 

[Sbucketball]

Then he probably wont be in the P5, he is far too erratic to be lead guard.

Copeland would be scooped up very quickly in the portal by P5 teams. Let's hope he doesn't put his name in.

 

[AlaskaSU]

It won't happen. Donnie at the 3 = no spacing. You don't put three guys on the floor together who all want to play in the paint. Red has stressed many times how important spacing is. If Donnie, Maliq, and a center play together there would be no driving lanes. Donnie isn't a good enough shooter right now to play exclusively on the perimeter.

Owens, DC and Seikly say hello.

 

[AlaskaSU]

starting 5

Q
JJ
Bell
Donnie
Maliq

Probably so. Ceiling is a bubble team. Unable to contain a big center, rebounding disadvantage and weak overall 3 pt. shooting. We need a starting caliber big.

 

[5OutFred]

The inherent risk with Judah maybe running it back is that, of course, he doesn't. A repeat of last offseason, in which Red banked on him returning after receiving feedback, but this time he leaves, either to the draft or pulls a Jesse and portals late.

He's assuredly going to test the draft waters, and this staff cannot afford to wait out a potential return-turned-departure in which they haven't brought in a starting-level portal PG and are stuck. There's no easy answer on the situation, but waiting out Judah's decision instead of bringing someone in is a massive risk.

This staff cannot be left in limbo for months again.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

For anyone to come in from the portal, there has to be at least the same number of Syracuse players leaving the team.

With Freeman and Moore coming in from high school, two openings need to happen. One opening is from the Bennie Williams vacancy. The second may come from the graduation of Mounir Hima although he still has college eligibility. I assume that Judah may not be back which will give one open vacancy for an incoming portal. Not sure which other Syracuse player(s) may not return.

My guess for exits based on likelihood:
1. Benny (already done)
2. Hima (medically retired or graduated)
3. Judah (pursuing other things)
4. Carey (don’t think he can play at this level)
5. Taylor (will be told he won’t play significantly with Westry in the fold)
6. Patterson (complete unknown and the staff may not think he’ll develop)
7. Low likelihood of anyone else so I’ll put them all at the same level

I expect we we’ve 3 additional departures beyond Benny.

 

[Mr. M]

My guess for exits based on likelihood:
1. Benny (already done)
2. Hima (medically retired or graduated)
3. Judah (pursuing other things)
4. Carey (don’t think he can play at this level)
5. Taylor (will be told he won’t play significantly with Westry in the fold)
6. Patterson (complete unknown and the staff may not think he’ll develop)
7. Low likelihood of anyone else so I’ll put them all at the same level

I expect we we’ve 3 additional departures beyond Benny.

Bell somewhere in there

 

[Dick_in_MI]

I think you are correct and that is what surprises me about Brown coming back. For Brown to come back, he would have been told that we are going after a real 5 in the portal. I believe that to be true. Okay. But Freeman is playing the 4. Where does that leave Brown? We don't get a quality 5 to come here and not start. I have to say I am going to be really curious on what the actual plan is.

Agree. Maliq has to know that at the next level, he is a 4. He is sacrificing his development in that area in order to play in the middle banging with bigger guys. Just like 6’6” Taylor being forced to guard power forwards in man to man, I can’t imagine that Brown wouldn’t find a home where he would play far less to no 5 to be more attractive. Hence your point about him being told we would get a real 5.

Also, by extension the Brown/Freeman thing. It will indeed be interesting.

 

[DoctahLexus]

Bell can't play the 2 because he is a traffic cone, but JJ can? Why can people only get their heads around Bell being bad at defense and not JJ? I don't want Bell playing the two over JJ, but mainly because he has a limited offensive game. Our defense at the 2 would be the same or (hot take) better with Bell there instead of JJ. His problem guarding forwards was often getting out muscled by his forward match up. Also horrible instincts when it comes to rim protection, which happens a lot more guarding forwards. He is quick for his height. JJ whether it is 1v1 or making decisions with team defense, he was overall just as atrocious as Bell. His IQ on D was Russel Westbrook levels of bad. Getting JJ out of the starting backcourt is crucial if we want to improve next season!

Hilarious that certain people demand one guy gets off the team or out of the starting lineup due to their flaws, but with others it's just "oh don't worry I am sure he will improve massively."

 

[cusefan88]

My guess for exits based on likelihood:
1. Benny (already done)
2. Hima (medically retired or graduated)
3. Judah (pursuing other things)
4. Carey (don’t think he can play at this level)
5. Taylor (will be told he won’t play significantly with Westry in the fold)
6. Patterson (complete unknown and the staff may not think he’ll develop)
7. Low likelihood of anyone else so I’ll put them all at the same level

I expect we we’ve 3 additional departures beyond Benny.

Allen Griffin is on the record as saying he thinks Patterson has big potential and was better than Jesse Edwards at same stage. I don't expect him to go anywhere.