Roster set...expectations?

[SoBeCuse]

Howard needed to be really working on his game to contribute more this coming season. It is not all mental. His handle is shaky, picks up his dribble in bad spots under the slightest pressure, doesn't change speeds at all, shooting, etc. Thorpe I just think has better tools to work with, swagger, etc. But we have a poster who recently has been all over here claiming he or she has inside knowledge in regards to Frank being locked in as the starter. We'll see, ha.

Should be a fun team to watch. I think they will be grinders more and crash the glass with fury. Last year's team I felt never was a threat to grab offensive boards and/or play volleyball in the paint. Even if the interior D is marginally better then that will help tremendously. If TT improves a little there and Sidibe adjusts quickly to being a serviceable player then we should be ok. The help D on the wing I bet will be much better. Not counting on anything from Chukwu. If one of Marek/Oshae/Moyer show some ability to play the 3 and make some shots and put the ball on the floor then this could be a dangerous squad.

 

[gmacfor3]

Next year will be exciting for me because no one knows what to expect. So many new parts, including a player who has never played against America competition before, and two guys who played in Canada. We as fans fall in love with recruiting rankings, but in the case of foreign players they really mean nothing.

The biggest unknown and source of optimism (although it may be foolish) for me is the impact the returning players could have. Syracuse wasn't the only school to recruit guys like Frank Howard and chukwu. They were coveted by many p5 schools, and were top 100 recruits if I'm not mistaken, so they obviously aren't stiffs. There is ability there, and like so many college players in the past, they may just need a combination of confidence and comfort for their talent to take over. I'm not expecting anything huge from them, but think about guys like fab Melo as a soph, Christmas as a senior, Cooney as a soph...there were limited expectations for these players and they exceeded what anyone could have imagined. Will that happen with Howard or chukwu...who knows?!

Battle is ready to take the next step (didn't he avg over 17 ppg over the final stretch of season?), and thompson was the most offensive ready big man we've had since...Derrick Coleman?? Obviously he was a train wreck defensively. And I've heard from a reliable source that he is not taking part in summer sessions as a big middle finger to JB, can't stand JB or the zone, would have transferred but didn't want to sit out a year, and will be gone after this year no matter what (much like Lydon). Which leads to my biggest worry, not that there isn't enough talent on the roster, but that JB is struggling to maintain some institutional control and that chemistry will again be this team's downfall. Regardless, we can only hope everything comes together and we can breathe easy again on selection Sunday.

 

[realorange]

The biggest unknown and source of optimism (although it may be foolish) for me is the impact the returning players could have. Syracuse wasn't the only school to recruit guys like Frank Howard and chukwu. They were coveted by many p5 schools, and were top 100 recruits if I'm not mistaken, so they obviously aren't stiffs. There is ability there, and like so many college players in the past, they may just need a combination of confidence and comfort for their talent to take over. I'm not expecting anything huge from them, but think about guys like fab Melo as a soph, Christmas as a senior, Cooney as a soph...there were limited expectations for these players and they exceeded what anyone could have imagined. Will that happen with Howard or chukwu...who knows?!

Battle is ready to take the next step (didn't he avg over 17 ppg over the final stretch of season?), and thompson was the most offensive ready big man we've had since...Derrick Coleman?? Obviously he was a train wreck defensively. And I've heard from a reliable source that he is not taking part in summer sessions as a big middle finger to JB, can't stand JB or the zone, would have transferred but didn't want to sit out a year, and will be gone after this year no matter what (much like Lydon). Which leads to my biggest worry, not that there isn't enough talent on the roster, but that JB is struggling to maintain some institutional control and that chemistry will again be this team's downfall. Regardless, we can only hope everything comes together and we can breathe easy again on selection Sunday.[/QUOTE]

If what you say about TT is true, I hope he understands he isn't going to win any wars with JB.
He needs to learn and perform if he wants to look good for the NBA, let alone play the minutes he thinks he deserves.
Maybe he needs to give Dion a call.

 

[jdubs30]

OK roster is set. Similar to last season, the staff did an outstanding job of scrambling, and compared to last season saved us a summer of agita in terms of wondering who would actually be balling for the Cuse in the fall. I guess practice makes perfect in terms of picking up the pieces, but i hope this will not be the modus operandi in the future.

Anyways, the team that is assembled looks to be mid-pack ACC. The talent just doesn't seem to be there to finish top three in the conference. maybe, we could get to the 4 or 5 slot if some questions are answered positively, so here are my biggest concerns:

1. Lack of a superstar who can take over games. Probably Battle is the guy we have who might come closest to filling this role. I love Ty as a player - he can drive, he can shoot, and he has good size. he always puts forth solid effort. I think he is a next level player, but I just don't see him as a superstar - he has good, but not truly elite athleticism, and I also have concerns that his three point shooting may have peaked as his form looks a bit awkward and not smooth ala Andrew White. Though I have somewhat high expectations for Tyus, I am hoping he can exceed them and become truly elite.

2. D - two issues with the D - the first is just that we will have a lot of new guys on the roster - as a group they are long enough and athletic enough to play good D, but how long will it take them to jell ? The second issue goes specifically to the center position. TT will need to get minutes there & he will have to play better D than he did last season. i doubt he has the instincts to become a defensive stalwart, but that doesn't mean he can't improve enough to at least make proper rotations and become adequate. Sidibe is a first year player & will definitely need to go through a learning curve - maybe in the second half of the season he can be a little bit of a d force. That leaves Chukwu. Injuries undercut him last season, but pre-injury he just didn't show a lot to keep himself on the court. Of course, as they say, you can't teach size, which he has in abundance. Can he harness that length enough to become a factor & earn some minutes ?

3 Outside shooting - this is simply a giant question mark. Newly committed Thorpe is the closest thing we will have to a proven three point shooter followed fairly closely by Battle. Marek supposedly has potential. I see Frank Howard's three point shooting upside as minimally adequate. Howard Washington should help when he is ready to get on the court. Bottom line, in the modern game we will need to have at least three reasonably reliable three point threats on the court most of the time, will this happen with who we have ?

Bottom line for me - here are my goals for the team:

1. Play over .500 in conference
2. Beat Duke at least once.
3. Win at least one ACC playoff game
4. Get off the freakin bubble & get into the tournament with at least some breathing room to spare.
5. Make at least a little bit of post-season noise.

Good post. I agree with #2 and #3. I disagree with #1 though, I think Battle will be 1st team All-ACC. He's a stud.

 

[iommi]

And I've heard from a reliable source that he is not taking part in summer sessions as a big middle finger to JB, can't stand JB or the zone, would have transferred but didn't want to sit out a year, and will be gone after this year no matter what (much like Lydon). Which leads to my biggest worry, not that there isn't enough talent on the roster, but that JB is struggling to maintain some institutional control and that chemistry will again be this team's downfall. Regardless, we can only hope everything comes together and we can breathe easy again on selection Sunday.

A lot of disturbing stuff that rings true here.

 

[iommi]

Good post. I agree with #2 and #3. I disagree with #1 though, I think Battle will be 1st team All-ACC. He's a stud.

I posted elsewhere that I think 2nd or 3rd team All-ACC is a realistic expectation.

 

[longislandcuse]

I'm just glad that if we're going to play zone exclusively, we have a team that is almost designed in a lab to play it.

I love the potential of Thorpe and Battle up top and, while unknowns, our wings are Syracuse prototypes.

Only player I'm worried about defensively is Thompson, but if he stays at the 5, with this being his second year in the system, he can hopefully be solid.

 

[pearl31]

thompson was the most offensive ready big man we've had since...Derrick Coleman?? Obviously he was a train wreck defensively. And I've heard from a reliable source that he is not taking part in summer sessions as a big middle finger to JB, can't stand JB or the zone, would have transferred but didn't want to sit out a year, and will be gone after this year no matter what (much like Lydon). Which leads to my biggest worry, not that there isn't enough talent on the roster, but that JB is struggling to maintain some institutional control and that chemistry will again be this team's downfall. Regardless, we can only hope everything comes together and we can breathe easy again on selection Sunday.

um, not to necessarily doubt you, but...
anyone else been hearing this? because last year, at least in interviews, TT sure was saying the right things - about getting better in the zone, etc...

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

Sounds strange to say but JB gave that roster way too much rope trying to highlight guys for the next level ending up with multiple guys out of position, reward longevity, etc.

First month of the season was wasted with White at the 2 and Lydon at the three. Not kidding after the first half of the first game I said this lineup can't work. Also who ever thought Coleman and Robertson could play together.

 

[JazzNC]

Anyone have access to the rest of this article?

Does Syracuse basketball have a recruiting problem? - ACCSports.com

 

[orange79]

Anyone have access to the rest of this article?

Does Syracuse basketball have a recruiting problem? - ACCSports.com

Posting premium content is not allowed.

 

[JazzNC]

Posting premium content is not allowed.

I'm not asking anyone to post it, just to give an opinion or summary. Is that not allowed?

 

[orange79]

I'm not asking anyone to post it, just to give an opinion or summary. Is that not allowed?

A brief summary is ok, as long as it is not too detailed.

 

[CuseLifer11]

Best case, 10 ACC wins and a tournament team slightly on the good side of the bubble.

Worst case, bottom quarter of the ACC and .500 or slightly below.

10 wins is far from best case. What a silly post. Not unexpected though given the source.

Ceiling is 12 or 13. Home schedule is pretty easy this year.

 

[RF2044]

Won't have a great sense of this team's upside / potential until a few more things are known. Namely:

• Howard -- is his attitude straightened out? Will he provide consistent shooting / scoring, or not? Can he be counted upon to run the team? Can he be a top-flight starter?

• Battle -- can he be a dominant force? We basically need him to be the collegiate version of Michael Jordan next year. The potential is there -- will he actualize it?

• Thompson -- will he rebound better? Can he show improved defense? Can he man the pivot defensively in our system? Can he be a dominant inside scorer?

• Chukwu -- is he better than what he showed last season? Or is he little more than a bit player... if that?

And now for the newcomers:

• Thorpe -- he was part of a lousy USF squad -- is he an impact player? Will the double figure scoring translate from the AAC? Can he be an adequate 1 if Howard falters?

• Brissett -- sleeper of the class. Is he a dominant force? Can he start at 4 if TT starts in the middle? Is he a 3? How well will he shoot the rock?

• Dolezaj -- how good is this guy? Will his scrawny physique hold up against ACC competition? How well will he shoot?

• Moyer -- how much better will he be after a redshirt season? Is he a 4 or a 3? Can he rebound well enough? How well will he shoot the ball?

• Washington -- is he better than "just" a 3-star? How well will he run our halfcourt offense? Is he ready as a function of playing at Monteverde, or will he need a year?

• Sidibe -- kid played big time competition, and held his own. Will his physique hold him back in year one, or will he be able to battle ACC level bigs from the jump?

We're a very young, inexperienced squad. I'd guess that we need at least three and probably four of the incoming class to emerge as contributors. That's a dangerous spot to be in. My biggest fear is that while frosh like Brissett / Dolezaj might have NBA potential, that their physical development at this stage of their developmental curves will make it tough for them to be consistent contributors, especially in conference play. BUT if a couple of things break positively, this team might be a lot better than most of us dared to hope even just a month ago.

Do we have any consistent scorers besides Battle / Thompson? Can Moyer / Brissett / Dolezaj be an effective forward tandem? Can the team defense be better than last year's sieve? Will we have enough outside shooting -- Battle / Thompson are proven commodities in that regard, but how will Thorpe's game translate? Will Howard redeem himself and show improvement? Does a 5 like Sidibe beat out the incumbents, and give us the flexibility to shift TT to the 4?

Tons of question marks. I could see Brissett / Dolezaj -- or both -- proving to be studs, and the team being dangerous offensively. I could also see a few things not developing positively in terms of the question markes listed above, and the team struggling.

 

[two3zone]

10 wins is far from best case. What a silly post. Not unexpected though given the source.

Ceiling is 12 or 13. Home schedule is pretty easy this year.

Can you tell me more about Keith Van Horn?

9-9 three years ago, 9-9 two years ago, 10-8 last year. Your delusional to believe this team is better than any we've had since joining the ACC.

Your agenda against my posts is quite funny. You're saying the ceiling is 12 or 13 and I say 10. It's two game difference lol.

Keith Van Horn


Keith Van Horn


























Keith Van Horn

 

[two3zone]

Won't have a great sense of this team's upside / potential until a few more things are known. Namely:

• Howard -- is his attitude straightened out? Will he provide consistent shooting / scoring, or not? Can he be counted upon to run the team? Can he be a top-flight starter?

• Battle -- can he be a dominant force? We basically need him to be the collegiate version of Michael Jordan next year. The potential is there -- will he actualize it?

• Thompson -- will he rebound better? Can he show improved defense? Can he man the pivot defensively in our system? Can he be a dominant inside scorer?

• Chukwu -- is he better than what he showed last season? Or is he little more than a bit player... if that?

And now for the newcomers:

• Thorpe -- he was part of a lousy USF squad -- is he an impact player? Will the double figure scoring translate from the AAC? Can he be an adequate 1 if Howard falters?

• Brissett -- sleeper of the class. Is he a dominant force? Can he start at 4 if TT starts in the middle? Is he a 3? How well will he shoot the rock?

• Dolezaj -- how good is this guy? Will his scrawny physique hold up against ACC competition? How well will he shoot?

• Moyer -- how much better will he be after a redshirt season? Is he a 4 or a 3? Can he rebound well enough? How well will he shoot the ball?

• Washington -- is he better than "just" a 3-star? How well will he run our halfcourt offense? Is he ready as a function of playing at Monteverde, or will he need a year?

• Sidibe -- kid played big time competition, and held his own. Will his physique hold him back in year one, or will he be able to battle ACC level bigs from the jump?

We're a very young, inexperienced squad. I'd guess that we need at least three and probably - oour of the incoming class to emerge as contributors. That's a dangerous spot to be in. My biggest fear is that while frosh like Brissett / Dolezaj might have NBA potential, that their physical development at this stage of their developmental curves will make it tough for them to be consistent contributors, especially in conference play. BUT if a couple of things break positively, this team might be a lot better than most of us dared to hope even just a month ago.

Do we have any consistent scorers besides Battle / Thompson? Can Moyer / Brissett / Dolezaj be an effective forward tandem? Can the team defense be better than last year's sieve? Will we have enough outside shooting -- Battle / Thompson are proven commodities in that regard, but how will Thorpe's game translate? Will Howard redeem himself and show improvement? Does a 5 like Sidibe beat out the incumbents, and give us the flexibility to shift TT to the 4?

Tons of question marks. I could see Brissett / Dolezaj -- or both -- proving to be studs, and the team being dangerous offensively. I could also see a few things not developing positively in terms of the question markes listed above, and the team struggling.

Rf, wonderful post, LOVE IT. But this is my entire point. There isn't one guy on the roster who doesn't have question marks, MOST of these guys have major question marks.

Last year we had literally two maybe three question marks. Frank and 72 (maybe Battle).

This year top to bottom it's a question mark. The only guy who might not be is Battle, but he has a massive role this year compared to last.

I think our future is bright but a lot needs to go right for this to be a top half of the ACC team.

 

[SoBeCuse]

10 wins is far from best case. What a silly post. Not unexpected though given the source.

Ceiling is 12 or 13. Home schedule is pretty easy this year.

Pump the brakes a little, man. I think we would all gladly take 10 wins with so many uncertainties. Calling out cautious projections is just as "silly."

 

[two3zone]

Pump the brakes a little, man. I think we would all gladly take 10 wins with so many uncertainties. Calling out cautious projections is just as silly.

If we win 10 games Id be very happy with the results.

We need more talent though, I hope we're able to get some top guys next year.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

I think with this roster we could go anywhere from 11-7 in the ACC to 8-10. As was stated in other posts, I think its important to get Geno and Marek on campus ASAP. If I had to make a guess on stats and lineups it would look like this:

PG- Thorpe (10ppg) Washington (2ppg)
SG- Battle (16ppg) Howard (6ppg)
SF- Marek (8ppg) Bissett (7ppg)
PF- Moyer (6ppg) Sidibe (3ppg)
C- Thompson (13ppg) PC- (3ppg)

That puts us around 74 PPG which I think is reasonable.

If i tried to break down scoring like that, we would be at 127 PPG...

• I want ONE ACC tournament game.
• I think we'll be over .500 in conference. Haven't even looked at what the other teams are bringing in/back, except Duke, but i like that all of our kids will be skilled, without any 'fluff.'
• I worry about strength in some of the kids.
• I really hope Pascal can become something near the force JB predicted last year. If we can be solid defensively in the middle, the rest of the zone will work well. I do not want to see Thompson getting nudged aside for rebounds and picked for oops every time down the floor.

 

[JazzNC]

My take:

F. Howard - the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. I suspect he's still a head case, and will be jealous of the time GT and HW get. Played his worst against the best competition. Not expecting much.

T. Battle- will be the best player on the team, and will receive the focus of the defensive schemes. It will be interesting to see if this frustrates him or elevates his game. Enjoy him this season will be his last in a Syracuse uniform.

H. Washington- I expect him to be a good player but may take another year or two. I see Triche as his ceiling. Triche took us to a Final Four, so that's not a knock. I'm not convinced he's ready this year, but would love it if he proves me wrong.

G Thorpe- I expect him to be serviceable, with a good head on his shoulders. He will be better than Gillon defensively. I expect him to help, but don't think he's going to be a huge difference maker. He will add much needed depth, and be a good character guy, who can hopefully keep defenses honest with his outside shooting (37% from 3 last year). Neither Gillon or AW3 excelled at the 2-3 even as 5th year seniors. Fingers crossed.

M Moyer- I think he may surprise. He's had a year to learn the zone and work on his strength and conditioning. I'm optimistic because I like his energy and passion. Could see him being a fan favorite.

O Brissett - another guy with lots of potential. I can see him edging out Moyer for a starting role, but both will get minutes. Another high character guy who I think will be a star after a year or two, but not right away. The highest ceiling of any of the freshman IMO.

M Dolezaj - biggest unknown of all. There is very little tape on him. He is quite thin, and needs to get stronger. He has to adjust to a new country, new language, new team, new culture, lack of family support etc. Expecting him to be a major contributor is perhaps a bit unfair.

B Sidibe - another big question mark. I expect nothing offensively from him. If he can learn the zone, rebound and hold his own while battling Chukwu for playing time, I'll be pleased. I think he's a year away from being a major contributor.

T Thompson - I expect TT's success this year will be determined by his ability to play defense and stay on the court. He can easily avenge 20ppg if he's on the court for 35 minutes a game. He might be the most talented offensive big guy we've had in a long time. I hope we get to see it.

P Chukwu - another question mark. Was the guy's poor play due to his inability to see out of one eye or will he be better? I truly have no idea what to expect from him. I'd be thrilled if he could give us a BMK type contribution.

Final Summary: I think this team has talent. But I thought last years team did too. We are extremely young. This team's ceiling (IMO) is a trip to the sweet sixteen and it's worse case scenario is an NIT birth. Because of the number of question marks and suspect PG play, I have us on the short side of the bubble this year. Hope like hell im wrong because two consecutive NIT's will hurt recruiting. 2018 actually looks better to me but that is dependent on us bringing in an elite PG, something we've been unable to do the last few years.

 

[GooseMutt]

My take:

. Howard - the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. I suspect he's still a head case, and will be jealous of the time GT and HW get. Played his worst against the best competition. Not expecting much.

T. Battle- will be the best player on the team, and will receive the focus of the defensive schemes. It will be interesting to see if this frustrates him or elevates his game. Enjoy him this season will be his last in a Syracuse uniform.

H. Washington- I expect him to be a good player but may take another year or two. I see Triche as his ceiling. Triche took us to a Final Four, so that's not a knock. I'm not convinced he's ready this year, but would love it if he proves me wrong.

G Thorpe- I expect him to be serviceable, with a good head on his shoulders. He will be better than Gillon defensively. I expect him to help, but don't think he's going to be a huge difference maker. He will add much needed depth, and be a good character guy, who can hopefully keep defenses honest with his outside shooting (37% from 3 last year). Neither Gillon or AW3 excelled at the 2-3 even as 5th year seniors. Fingers crossed.

M Moyer- I think he may surprise. He's had a year to learn the zone and work on his strength and conditioning. I'm optimistic because I like his energy and passion. Could see him being a fan favorite.

O Brissett - another guy with lots of potential. I can see him edging out Moyer for a starting role, but both will get minutes. Another high character guy who I think will be a star after a year or two, but not right away. The highest ceiling of any of the freshman IMO.

M Dolezaj - biggest unknown of all. There is very little tape on him. He is quite thin, and needs to get stronger. He has to adjust to a new country, new language, new team, new culture, lack of family support etc. Expecting him to be a major contributor is perhaps a bit unfair.

B Sidibe - another big question mark. I expect nothing offensively from him. If he can learn the zone, rebound and hold his own while battling Chukwu for playing time, I'll be pleased. I think he's a year away from being a major contributor.

T Thompson - I expect TT's success this year will be determined by his ability to play defense and stay on the court. He can easily avenge 20ppg if he's on the court for 35 minutes a game. He might be the most talented offensive big guy we've had in a long time. I hope we get to see it.

P Chukwu - another question mark. Was the guy's poor play due to his inability to see out of one eye or will he be better? I truly have no idea what to expect from him. I'd be thrilled if he could give us a BMK type contribution.

Final Summary: I think this team has talent. But I thought last years team did too. We are extremely young. This team's ceiling (IMO) is a trip to the sweet sixteen and it's worse case scenario is an NIT birth. Because of the number of question marks and suspect PG play, I have us on the short side of the bubble this year. Hope like hell im wrong because two consecutive NIT's will hurt recruiting. 2018 actually looks better to me but that is dependent on us bringing in an elite PG, something we've been unable to do the last few years.

And of course there is Coach Boeheim. I hope he is going to be more supportive of ALL his players publicly and not over criticize players at press conferences. Future recruits and their moms are watching

 

[realorange]

I think because many of us had such high expectations for last year, it's difficult to get too excited this year.

I think we have the makings of a good team. Just how good remains to be seen with so many unknowns as has been expressed again and again.

On a scale of 1-10, we could be anywhere from a 4 to an 8.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'm optimistic about Marek's readiness. He's used to playing against more physically matured players. The adjustment might not be about strength as much as it is a different level of athleticism.

 

[kmart128]

I think people are vastly overrating thompson so far.

I agree we are set with tyus, who will be by far our best weapon.

Thompson showed very gifted offensive ability but he was far from an average defender last year and that's where we really need him to improve. I am hoping he also worked on some back to the basket game this offseason. Majority of his scoring came from face ups.

I disagree. I believe he got way to much hate defensively by both fans an Boehiem. He was not good but there were times that Lydon screwed up and Thompson was on an island against two offensive players and Jim would yell at Thompson. I think Lydon digressed big time defensively after our final 4 run.