Resetting expectations?

[Nicknack]

Coaching issues aside, we still need MUCH better point guard play more than anything else

That's for sure. I think that's our biggest issue (aside from coaching). However, sometimes you just miss on a player or I think in George's case, we didn't get all that we were hoping.

 

[RF2044]

A point was brought up on the Cuse Nation radio show today that if NIL was a thing back in 2014 we probably wouldn’t have been able to afford to assemble that team. It would seem there’s truth to that based on our NIL funding to date.

Realistically, what level of success does everyone think is possible for this program in the NIL era? Can we aspire to be a final four contender, let alone have national championship aspirations sans a flukey run? Maybe we’re destined to be one of the many middling ACC teams that just hope to sneak into the tournament at best.. idk.

A new coach, while almost guaranteed to be better at coaching than Autry, will still by limited by the quality of talent that they can acquire (read: buy). While there are outliers, a vast majority of the best teams seem to have the largest NIL budgets.

I think it is 100% possible to succeed, without having to break the bank with respect to NIL spend.

Our example should be Purdue. They have a system, they are well coached, they don't necessarily go out and try to compete for 5-star talent, they target system fits, and they coach them up, to the tune of being a consistent top 10-ish team every year.

What I don't see working for us is trying to be the type of program that attempts to compete by trying to outspend teams from the B1G and SEC. Seems like a losing battle, before we even begin.

I just think we need to pick a lane. The lane we picked with Red, a subpar coach, was to try to overcome his limitations by spending a lot of $$$ in the portal, we just picked the wrong players two years in a row.

A better lane for us is to get a great coach [like Shertz or Skinn, just for example -- not saying they are the only ones] who has a proven track record / quality offensive system. And then recruit to that system. Not suggesting it won't take some moderate level of NIL, maybe even trending higher than average, but that feels more sustainable than trying to get into the arms race.

 

[Consigliere]

Almost no one actually posting here is giving Red a pass. There are some folks who have largely stopped posting on the board who are still clinging to the why is everyone so mean/macro funding excuse. I can tell from who likes certain posts.

Regardless, you’re right about where we need to rank nation wide in regards to player compensation. And it’s why I keep saying that if we can’t scrounge up the money to do that then let’s consider reevaluating just what level Syracuse athletics should be competing at.

Absolutely not giving him a pass even though I was one of the last few to accept the inevitability of a change coming.
On the other hand I am genuinely curious what productive outcome anyone thinks continuous negativity brings. Booing and chanting fire the coach won’t impact the change or its timing. Expectations of meaningful games in March has been publicly stated. Reading Donna’s article yesterday confirmed that the players are affected and feel the added pressure. And prospective replacements and roster additions may or may not notice, but if they do it is certainly not in a positive light.
I’ll be at every remaining home game cheering for the program and, when the time comes, will give the same support to the next guy up.

 

[orangecuse]

Unfortunately this seems to resemble the MLB way of doing things the way the current NIL rules are. So it’s simple to me, either spend money to make money or play money ball. If your expectations are spend money to make money, our expectations should mirror what they always have and that’s being a perennial power consistently in the top 25 and we are arguing which seed we should be. If we play moneyball then expectations are to just make the tourney. It’s that simple to me.

I have a bigger question, I would consider cuse to be a top 10 historical program. Of the other 9 teams in that list, where do we rank in regards to NIL? How are the others doing it and we can’t? Why is it constantly this feeling like we are in the “have nots” although we have historically been a great program? Why are we the odd program out?

When including the 101 W's that were taken away from, most importantly, the school due to JB's 2nd probation, etc. Syracuse University is the 5th winningest program in the history of D1 college hoops. Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Duke, Syracuse.

Well, 'the answer my friend is blowing in the wind.' Look no further, for the most part, than the failed leadership through the years. Lack of foresight, action, etc. I mean, SU was given an ultimatum years ago to build a new football stadium to replace Archbold, or get booted from D1. Look at the IPF. Marrone begged and pleaded for an IPF and was told "someday," when "someday" was already a day late and a dollar short...etc., etc.

SU's track record from leadership has always been reactive vs. proactive. SU was fortunate enough to survive and in some instances even thrive with leadership being as such, but with the landscape of collegiate revenue sports changing on a dime, well...good luck. Moreover, and perhaps most critical, is the fact that SU is a small private, therefore, making it a continued uphill battle just to stay generally relative, let alone win at the level accustomed to.

In the end, you reap what you sow.

 

[CuseTG2003]

Yep. And as much as it pains me to say this, but if we can’t compete with the Kentucky’s and Indiana’s of the world, and we have to make a choice, then I’m for funding hoops to be a national power and letting football wallow. The latter is more likely a pipe dream anyway. Let’s be really good at something instead of mediocre everywhere.

Couldn't agree more

 

[NKR1978]

I think you bring up an interesting point. I've previously been a very small donor, but I try to be part of the solution instead of the problem when I can. But at the same time, I don't like flushing my money down the toilet. That's one difference between NIL and donating for a facility/infrastructure. At least you know the facility is going to be built.

Imagine they brought Red back. He has such a good roster, how on earth could anyone justify throwing money away on more players that this staff will do nothing with because they're not capable of doing anything with them?

 

[Scooch]

As you know, football drives the revenue boat. I don't see the university abandoning that ship anytime soon.

For sure, I do get that. It’s just frustrating to have the one program where we have been historically a national power be reduced to… whatever *this* has been the past few years.

 

[Scooch]

Absolutely not giving him a pass even though I was one of the last few to accept the inevitability of a change coming.
On the other hand I am genuinely curious what productive outcome anyone thinks continuous negativity brings. Booing and chanting fire the coach won’t impact the change or its timing. Expectations of meaningful games in March has been publicly stated. Reading Donna’s article yesterday confirmed that the players are affected and feel the added pressure. And prospective replacements and roster additions may or may not notice, but if they do it is certainly not in a positive light.
I’ll be at every remaining home game cheering for the program and, when the time comes, will give the same support to the next guy up.

This is what I said to Cardiac Cuse yesterday when he asked the exact same question…

They're being fans. And they're acting like literally every other fan base on Earth when the team they follow is in the midst of a multi-year run of very poor play.

The "they're just kicking Red when he's down/no need to be so mean" sentiment that some folks are endorsing is silly. It's the usual refrain of those who think they're above the cretins who follow SU sports.

This is how sports work. This is especially how pro sports work, and, like it or not, men's college basketball is a pro sport now.

Meanwhile, Syracuse is such a soft touch community compared to most. People are upset that 20 students chanted "fire Autry". And that a few dozen internet posters keep posting that they want him fired.

Hell, the Dome crowd hasn't even really booed yet. Just a couple instances of a smattering of grumbles.

I've seen full blown toxic situations surrounding a franchise and/or coach. Right now at SU we're at like a 3 or 4 on a 10 point scale. And this fanbase simply isn't capable of hitting a 10.

 

[Consigliere]

This is what I said to Cardiac Cuse yesterday when he asked the exact same question…

Understand completely though the boos have been very prevalent the last couple of games. And I know that it’s not uncommon in college sports. I am just trying to understand what productive purpose anyone could expect it to achieve.