Question for all you naysayers...

[RF2044]

We beat one of the worst Duke teams in the last 40 years

True. They were only ranked #20, which is probably their nadir in the last 40 years.

 

[sugrad68]

We beat one of the worst Duke teams in the last 40 years

We were 11 point underdogs and won. Nuff said.

 

[CusefanATL]

There were at least a few on this board who said or somewhat implied that this Cuse team was the worst in some 40 years (laughable), plus other naysayers.

What say you now?

Don't give up on the team you love so easily!

We have 1 enormous weakness. Our 5. Tyler Lydon is literally like a leaf in the wind defensively vs mason plumlee! Outsdie of that, this team is not nearly as bad as the 10-7 record indicated (losses to wisconsin, st johns, gtown, clemson). BUT we were 10-7 (which is among the worst of the last 40 yrs) with losses to wisonsin, st johns, grown, and clemson.

Keep in mind that teams aren't static. Some get on a roll (like clemson may or may not have this year) or they fall apart (like we did in 2014). It is what it is and you have to call it as it is sometimes.

I don't think I saw anyone giving up on the team.

 

[EnnisEnvy]

If this team can shoot consistently, they will be in most games. Problem will be against teams with inside scoring threats. JB was absolutely correct, if they don't hit shots they won't do well. Tonight, they hit shots.

 

[AlaskaSU]

I don't think anyone thought they were the worst team in 40 years but that under Hopkins for stretches they just looked useless on both sides of the ball. What today's win shows is how good Jim Boehiem is, honestly Coyle should be trying to figure out how to get JB to stay until hes 80.

As long as we can't get Igor, I want to stick with JB.

 

[RF2044]

If this team can shoot consistently, they will be in most games. Problem will be against teams with inside scoring threats. JB was absolutely correct, if they don't hit shots they won't do well. Tonight, they hit shots.

Plumdumm really killed us inside tonight. If he didn't go nuts inside, then we would have handled Duke tonight.

This was Coleman's first poor game in awhile. Hopefully he will bounce back and show more as a rebounder / defender, because as you point out we're going to need more from him.

 

[pearl31]

I don't think I saw anyone giving up on the team.

:rolling:

 

[SUintheVille]

I don't think I saw anyone giving up on the team.

While I generally agree with your post, I just quoted your above sentence since this is not the way I took it based on some of the dire verbiage from at least a few folks just a few games ago. Some people (philosophically) are so quick to label something (anything, not just SU bball). I'm not saying this team is by any means a really good team, and they could go right back down the hopper again. The kids are really hustling and trying hard, esp. now. I just like to keep a more optimistic approach and perspective.

 

[Delmar]

No. K quits when his teams stink.

See 94-95 season.

Didn't he have back surgery that year?

Duke is in trouble now because they won the championship last year and so their two star freshmen left. I'd take that problem in a heart beat.

 

[Cusefan0307]

If this team can shoot consistently, they will be in most games. Problem will be against teams with inside scoring threats. JB was absolutely correct, if they don't hit shots they won't do well. Tonight, they hit shots.

We hit threes, not layups. We were 25-71. Duke was 23-62 and 10-37 from 3.

 

[SUintheVille]

You're quoting me when you say this is one of our worst teams in the past 40 years.

At the time I said it, it was accurate. They're starting to turn a corner. Still a long, uphill battle to go. However, a game like tonight gives them a pulse.

Still have to find a way to win 6 or 7 more games. Let's hope they can continue to improve.

My point was not to call anyone out (sorry). I just feel it's too easy to kick someone when they are down vs. letting it all play out, then decide.
Also, when you say "at the time, it was accurate." How does one decide the worst in 40 yrs (or any time period)? Mid-season performance (how can we compare that vs. many other years), or end of season record/performance? I think you wait before labeling, then fairly label good or bad at the end. And, if this team was THAT bad, then they wouldn't be turning a corner, right? (which we hope they will continue turning).

Anyway, we're all happy they won. Let's hope it continues. Thanks.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

My point was not to call anyone out (sorry). I just feel it's too easy to kick someone when they are down vs. letting it all play out, then decide.
Also, when you say "at the time, it was accurate." How does one decide the worst in 40 yrs (or any time period)? Mid-season performance (how can we compare that vs. many other years), or end of season record/performance? I think you wait before labeling, then fairly label good or bad at the end. And, if this team was THAT bad, then they wouldn't be turning a corner, right? (which we hope they will continue turning).

Anyway, we're all happy they won. Let's hope it continues. Thanks.

What's the ceiling for this team, creeping into the NCAA's? That alone puts them in the lowest 25% of our teams in the past 40 years.

I'm proud of them for winning at Cameron though. Great accomplishment.

I'm a die hard fan with Final Four expectations as the standard every year. It's the standard for the UK's, Dukes, UNC's and KU's of the world so it should be ours as well.

 

[Cusefan0307]

What's the ceiling for this team, creeping into the NCAA's? That alone puts them in the lowest 25% of our teams in the past 40 years.

I'm proud of them for winning at Cameron though. Great accomplishment.

I'm a die hard fan with Final Four expectations as the standard every year. It's the standard for the UK's, Dukes, UNC's and KU's of the world so it should be ours as well.

The ceiling? Who knows!? Anything could happen this year. Lots of parity in CBB. This would be the type of year a 2014ish UCONN will win.

 

[djcon57]

My point was not to call anyone out (sorry). I just feel it's too easy to kick someone when they are down vs. letting it all play out, then decide.

Uhhhh...you realize that YOU aren't "letting it all play out" as well, right?

 

[Cowtown]

We beat one of the worst Duke teams in the last 40 years

Well, we have no control over that. You play who shows up, and you play to win regardless. Period. When we showed up with Josh Wright and Louis McCroskey, et al, nobody gave us anything but a licking.

 

[44cuse]

We beat one of the worst Duke teams in the last 40 years

Seriously? Really?

No one is asking you to be pollyanna around here and the last thing anyone here is going to accuse me of is having Orange colored glasses. But are kidding with that post? I'm generally hoping I missed the sarcasm or inside reference, but in case I didn't...that sucks.

BS NCAA actions.
JB over-penalized by every single persons account.
Diagne at NW FL St.
Early leaves messing with recruiting over the last 4 seasons.
Horrible loss to St. John's.

And a generally flawed team (over reliance on the 3, no true PG, limited at best inside DEF presence and no scoring presence) that bets Duke at Cameron and that's your post? Freak n A...what does it take around here? As miserable as ever on Syracusefan.com. It's bad enough we have the Orange colored glasses crowd who think we can do no wrong but now we have posts like this?

Why watch if you can't enjoy winning a game at Duke that we really had very little chance of winning going into the game?

44cuse

 

[creatorsgam]

I'm a die hard fan with Final Four expectations as the standard every year. It's the standard for the UK's, Dukes, UNC's and KU's of the world so it should be ours as well.

Right or wrong, I'm not interested in that debate. But this is exactly how I approach every single season.

 

[orangefan13]

JB said our defense has gotten much better tonight.
rebounding and fg% defense is getting there.

No question G, Malachi, Cooney, Dajuan, Tyler, Tyler Howard have all changed and improved offensively as the season has gone along. As has our chemistry.

Its just a neat fact thinking back to a at miami game a couple of weeks ago. malachi had 7 fg's the rest of the team had 2 2 2 2 and 3 shots made. 18 fg's that night.
Or the 50% shooting we gave up to gtown and st johns. or the 50 to 25 rebounding advantage to wisconsin and pitt killing us on the boards.

Tonight we saw plumlee take only 11 of their 62 attempts. But he also pulled down 11 offensive boards. The rest of the team only had 5. Tough when your best best scorer is also your best offensive rebounder by a mile. That recipe will be quite a obstacle for them to overcome, especially against other bigs who can slow him down a bit. I see why K wanted this one badly as he had his mismatch. imo.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

There were at least a few on this board who said or somewhat implied that this Cuse team was the worst in some 40 years (laughable), plus other naysayers.

What say you now?

Don't give up on the team you love so easily!

I've been around for all forty and, while I don't think it is the worst, I do believe that it is one of his lesser teams. It has some major weaknesses.

Saying that is less of an indictment of the team then it is a testament to how consistently good SU has been over the last 40 years...

When a member your fanbase is calling a 10-5 team the worst in 40 years, your fanbase has led a pretty charmed life...

 

[HOFCeluck]

This is the worst duke team since 2007.

This is a really great win.


Both these statements can be true.

 

[Col. Bleep]

There were at least a few on this board who said or somewhat implied that this Cuse team was the worst in some 40 years (laughable), plus other naysayers.

What say you now?

Don't give up on the team you love so easily!

In terms of talent...this is probably the least Boeheim has ever had to work with.
A lot of inexperienced people and two fifth year seniors...one of whom was really spotty on offense.
And they were playing awfully.
But that doesn't mean an Orange fan ever gives up.

The biggest change is that Tyler Roberson has stepped up to become the monster that he showed he could be in a few games last year. In addition, inexperienced players need some time to "get it." We're seeing that with Malachi, Tyler Lydon and now Frank Howard.
The quality of play has improved a lot.

BUT...even last night the Orange had problems with late free throws and were miserable shooting inside the arc. 3's saved us.

And...one-tenth of a second saved us. Had that shot at the end of the half been out of Grayson Allen's hand that much earlier we may not have won.

 

[pfister1]

And this team, IMO, is better than the '13-14 team we beat in that Dome thriller

With Jefferson maybe, without him not so much.

 

[RandygoCuse]

This is the worst duke team since 2007.

This is a really great win.


Both these statements can be true.

I don't know where this Duke team ranks. However, this was a game that I think most of us (myself very much included) predicted would be a loss. Getting the win makes the road to 9 or 10 wins that much more possible.

 

[pfister1]

Plumdumm really killed us inside tonight. If he didn't go nuts inside, then we would have handled Duke tonight.

This was Coleman's first poor game in awhile. Hopefully he will bounce back and show more as a rebounder / defender, because as you point out we're going to need more from him.

He actually had 5 boards in 14 minutes.

This was the first time that I thought I clearly saw an example of his physical limitations. It seemed like there were a number of instances where he was well positioned for a board, but a Duke player out jumped him to either take the rebound or tap it away from him. I felt like I was seeing him simply not be able to get off of the ground. This may have been clear to others before, but it was the first I saw it so clearly.

 

[Dave85]

There were at least a few on this board who said or somewhat implied that this Cuse team was the worst in some 40 years (laughable), plus other naysayers.

What say you now?

Don't give up on the team you love so easily!

Now I'm really worried when JB steps down. He's clearly an extremely good coach.