Pti

[Cuse12]

The tip-ball-drill/break at 1:41...

What we've seen on the Dome court for the last five seasons doesn't even look like the same sport.

Unreal, look how fun that team was to watch. Truly sad what we have been watching lately in terms of offense.

 

[RF2044]

They were but i thought the 2012 team was even better - comparing both at full strength.

2010 team was much better offensively.

2012 wasn't as much of a well-oiled machine in terms of half-court offense, but were brilliant defensively, forced a ton of turnovers, and got a lot of easy scoring opportunities in transition.

Would be a hell of a match up.

 

[heresjohnny88]

Nice post.

The 2012 team WAS more talented and deeper, but that 2010 squad had perfect balance and chemistry. It was a perfect rotation, as you described, that got thrown out of whack when AO got injured.

GD it...

Yep. In the post-'03 era, I'll always think of Syracuse-Nova 2010 as the absolute peak of everything Syracuse basketball could be. I wish I could find that game on youtube. 95 points, with 6 different guys in double figures. Beautiful basketball.

 

[721Comstock]

Agreed. Losing to Navy by 20 after we had beaten them on the same floor by 20 earlier in the season was soul-crushing.

Yeah, I remember shuffling out of the Dome after that game, wondering what the flock had just happened??
We crushed them earlier that same season, easily.

But in the interim, Midshipman Robinson was promoted to Admiral, and that was all she wrote...

 

[bpo57]

The 2010/2012 debate is an interesting discussion. First off it was easier to win a title in 2010 vs 2012 because that 2012 UK team was one of the better teams of the last decade. But the key to me was, if I'm not mistaken, SU lost one game the entire year with Fab Melo in the lineup. Orinze was not the dominating presence on the defensive end that Melo was and I would also say the 2012 team had more quality depth. Close call.

 

[jimb]

Yeah, this is the only Vermont tourney game that should be discussed. Scoop crossover at 35 seconds.

The steal at 1:40 seconds followed by one-touch passes, no dribbles and ending with a dunk has to be one one of SU's prettiest plays ever.

 

[OrangeDW]

The 2010/2012 debate is an interesting discussion. First off it was easier to win a title in 2010 vs 2012 because that 2012 UK team was one of the better teams of the last decade. But the key to me was, if I'm not mistaken, SU lost one game the entire year with Fab Melo in the lineup. Orinze was not the dominating presence on the defensive end that Melo was and I would also say the 2012 team had more quality depth. Close call.

Arinze wasn’t as good defensively as Melo, but 2012 had no low post scorers. 2010 had 2 of them.

 

[Jake]

Agreed. Losing to Navy by 20 after we had beaten them on the same floor by 20 earlier in the season was soul-crushing.

The Navy loss is very underrated on the pain scale. I seriously was crushed, thought we had a team to make a run..and it was at the Dome.

Then Pearl declares...I was blindsided and crushed.

Then 87 happens the following year. Those two years made SU fans think it was just never going to be...

 

[djorange1989]

I give the edge to 2012 over 2010, more depth, better defensively. Maybe I am a bit biased, the only games I saw in person those two years were the two games out here against crappy DePaul, we barely barely escaped in 2010 and we yawned through a 20 pt win in 2012. splitting hairs between those two teams, but the best SU team I have seen in 35 years of following the program was the 1988-89 team. DC, Sherm, Billy, Stevie. Sherm getting injured is the only reason that team didn't have an overwhelming regular season, and we missed the Final 4 because Illinois had a roster even sicker than ours and because DC hurt his back in the Big East Tourney.

 

[bpo57]

Arinze wasn’t as good defensively as Melo, but 2012 had no low post scorers. 2010 had 2 of them.

Yeah Melo was the BE defensive POY in 2012, with 3 blocks a game. He had flaws for sure but his presence in the lane was a major factor in why that team only lost one game with him in the lineup. No way Sullinger has that kind of game if Melo was in there.

 

[OrangeDW]

We disagree on that. Melo was the BE defensive POY in 2012, with 3 blocks a game. He had flaws for sure but his presence in the lane was a major factor in why that team only lost one game with him in the lineup. No way Sullinger has that kind of game if Melo was in there.

Not sure what it is you’re disagreeing with. I’m agreeing with you on defense.

Just pointing out that 2012 didn’t have anybody that we could dump the ball to on the block and get a bucket. We rarely did that with Melo. AO and Jackson were both good low post scorers. One of the reasons 2010 was a better half court offensive team IMO.

 

[bpo57]

Arinze wasn’t as good defensively as Melo, but 2012 had no low post scorers. 2010 had 2 of them.

true but 2010 had nobody coming off the bench like Waiters.

 

[OttoMets]

We disagree on that. Melo was the BE defensive POY in 2012, with 3 blocks a game. He had flaws for sure but his presence in the lane was a major factor in why that team only lost one game with him in the lineup. No way Sullinger has that kind of game if Melo was in there.

If I recall correctly, Sullinger had a quiet game from the floor and sat for a lot of the first half with two fouls. He probably took a million free throws, but I don't remember him presenting a mismatch. The officiating, some Joseph/Waiters misses, and Lenzelle Smith pulling the typical "role player who has a career game against Syracuse" game out of his hat.

 

[bpo57]

Not sure what it is you’re disagreeing with. I’m agreeing with you on defense.

Just pointing out that 2012 didn’t have anybody that we could dump the ball to on the block and get a bucket. We rarely did that with Melo. AO and Jackson were both good low post scorers. One of the reasons 2010 was a better half court offensive team IMO.

I initially misread your post. Sorry about that. personally I never thought as highly of Jackson as others here did but that's just me. As stated above, 2010 had nobody who could come in and create offense like Waiters.

 

[bpo57]

If I recall correctly, Sullinger had a quiet game from the floor and sat for a lot of the first half with two fouls. He probably took a million free throws, but I don't remember him presenting a mismatch. The officiating, some Joseph/Waiters misses, and Lenzelle Smith pulling the typical "role player who has a career game against Syracuse" game out of his hat.

He did nothing in the first half cuz he had foul trouble. Then in the 2H he killed us.

 

[OrangeDW]

I initially misread your post. Sorry about that. personally I never thought as highly of Jackson as others here did but that's just me. As stated above, 2010 had nobody who could come in and create offense like Waiters.

Not as good as Waiters but, Scoop was often a nice spark off the bench in 2010.

I think 2012 was deeper and could beat you in more ways, but when it was on its “A game”, I think 2010 was a little better.

 

[Cusefan0307]

true but 2010 had nobody coming off the bench like Waiters.

Scoop and Kris Joseph were both excellent in 2010. Shooting was better too. I think the 2010 team was a lot better to be honest. KenPom agrees and so does SRS.

 

[bpo57]

If I recall correctly, Sullinger had a quiet game from the floor and sat for a lot of the first half with two fouls. He probably took a million free throws, but I don't remember him presenting a mismatch. The officiating, some Joseph/Waiters misses, and Lenzelle Smith pulling the typical "role player who has a career game against Syracuse" game out of his hat.

He also got our frontline (minus Melo) in huge foul trouble. Both Keita and Christmas had four fouls each.

 

[bpo57]

Scoop and Kris Joseph were both excellent in 2010. Shooting was better too. I think the 2010 team was a lot better to be honest. KenPom agrees and so does SRS.

Sorry but neither of those guys were in Waiters league. hell MCW was the 9th or 10th guy on the team. How can u feel 2010 was a lot better when SU didn't lose a game with Melo until the BET and then by three points?

 

[Cusefan0307]

Sorry but neither of those guys were in Waiters league. hell MCW was the 9th or 10th guy on the team. How can u feel 2010 was a lot better when SU didn't lose a game with Melo until the BET and then by three points?

The Big East was weaker in 2012 and I don’t care about NBA ability. I care about college production.

We beat a top 10 Georgetown team twice in 2010. Dominated a top 10 Nova team and beat a top 10 Florida team.

Our best wins in 2012 were against tenth ranked Florida and 2 wins against a top 20 Louisville.

 

[JOC44]

The Navy loss is very underrated on the pain scale. I seriously was crushed, thought we had a team to make a run..and it was at the Dome.

Then Pearl declares...I was blindsided and crushed.

Then 87 happens the following year. Those two years made SU fans think it was just never going to be...

Agreed. I woke up that morning in bucolic Fulton, NY while on Spring Break, saw that the game was blacked out locally and told my parents goodbye because I was driving back to the U of R because the game would be on in Rochester.

 

[Bayside44]

Agreed. I woke up that morning in bucolic Fulton, NY while on Spring Break, saw that the game was blacked out locally and told my parents goodbye because I was driving back to the U of R because the game would be on in Rochester.

Didn't want to drive to the Dome?

 

[supp]

1995 Arkansas, 2005 Vermont and 2010 Butler are my "big 3" in terms of gut-wrenching heartbreak.

Was too young to remember Keith Smart, thankfully. And Richmond is a very vague memory for me as I was 8 and didn't really care yet.

The first tourney games that I felt emotionally invested were the 1994 season with Hawaii, Wisconsin-GB and Missouri.

Arkansas still kills me because of what they did after they got past us and what we did with less talent the next year.

 

[bpo57]

The Big East was weaker in 2012 and I don’t care about NBA ability. I care about college production.

We beat a top 10 Georgetown team twice in 2010. Dominated a top 10 Nova team and beat a top 10 Florida team.

Our best wins in 2012 were against tenth ranked Florida and 2 wins against a top 20 Louisville.

The same G'town squad that lost to Ohio U by 14 in the NCAAT? The same Villanova squad that barely squeaked by Robert Morris by 3 and then lost to St. Mary's by 7? Pitt was a 3 seed and didn't make it out of the first weekend either. The BE was wildly overrated that year and shat the bad in the tourney. And Florida lost in the first round to BYU.

Never mentioned the NBA. In Dion's sophomore year he was an explosive contributor off the bench. The 2010 team had nobody in his league coming off the bench.

 

[Cusefan0307]

The same G'town squad that lost to Ohio U by 14 in the NCAAT? The same Villanova squad that barely squeaked by Robert Morris by 3 and then lost to St. Mary's by 7? Pitt was a 3 seed and didn't make it out of the first weekend either. The BE was wildly overrated that year and shat the bad in the tourney. And Florida lost in the first round to BYU.

Never mentioned the NBA. In Dion's sophomore year he was an explosive contributor off the bench. The 2010 team had nobody in his league coming off the bench.

I thought we weren't supposed to rate teams on how they play in the tourney?

Scoop and Joseph were both more efficient in 2010 than Dion was in 2012. They both one 6th man awards. You might want to look at the stats.