Rothstein is in town…

[supp]

He’s also now 7’5”

Hahaha...Rothstein is the Baghdad Bob of the college basketball world.

 

[OrangeinDC]

You really can’t go wrong with either a five star freshman or a 23 year old senior as your sixth man.

Depends... True 5 Stars rarely go to a program to sit (except for Duke/Kent) or come off the bench these days. This is another potential win the battle lose the war things to me. As a Senior he can have a really good season, but I think Benny we would be gone at end of season. The following season you wouldn't have either and where does that leave you? How do you counter the negative recruiting by other programs and the perception of potential recruits?

The hot recruiting teams right now are not selling top recruits on year two and three potential even if it ends up being that, and 9 out of 10 5- star recruits are looking at one year even if they don't say it.

You don't start a good transfer senior over a 5 star freshmen unless you're built for a Ship run IMO. The intangibles with a head coach and two of his boys playing is something I can truly say I have never seen before, so I have no idea how that works out or even a reference point to consider if from.

I would be surprised if Benny doesn't start.

 

[OrangeinDC]

I’d really rather see Benny start at the 3 and Cole at the 4 with Jimmy as the 6th man.

Agree... and I think Jimmy will probably get more of Cole's minutes vice Benny's.

 

[supp]

Depends... True 5 Stars rarely go to a program to sit (except for Duke/Kent) or come off the bench these days. This is another potential win the battle lose the war things to me. As a Senior he can have a really good season, but I think Benny we would be gone at end of season. The following season you wouldn't have either and where does that leave you? How do you counter the negative recruiting by other programs and the perception of potential recruits?

The hot recruiting teams right now are not selling top recruits on year two and three potential even if it ends up being that, and 9 out of 10 5- star recruits are looking at one year even if they don't say it.

You don't start a good transfer senior over a 5 star freshmen unless you're built for a Ship run IMO. The intangibles with a head coach and two of his boys playing is something I can truly say I have never seen before, so I have no idea how that works out or even a reference point to consider if from.

I would be surprised if Benny doesn't start.

I've been told by people who would know that they expect about 10 ppg out of Benny. You can take that as a sign that he's starting or he's 6th man. But he's not going to be Melo for this team. Not enough shots to be had even if he was Melo's equal on the court.

 

[realorange]

We are talking about the first game of the season. I think some of you need to ease up a little.

What is the one thing that first year players underestimate? The speed of the college game. Benny will get a good feel just watching to begin with. He'll certainly get his floor time and if he is as good as everyone believes, it will be solid minutes.

 

[Cusefan69]

Games aren’t won or lost on a twitter handle….can we wait and …..crazy concept here…..actually see how things go before we say the sky is falling and people are transferring?

 

[OrangeinDC]

I've been told by people who would know that they expect about 10 ppg out of Benny. You can take that as a sign that he's starting or he's 6th man. But he's not going to be Melo for this team. Not enough shots to be had even if he was Melo's equal on the court.

I don't think he needs to be Melo, plus we've had 2/3 stars average 10 ppg. Benny's from the DC area and I've seen him enough to say that if he only gets 10 ppg, I would be shocked. I think he will be more of a stat sheet stuffer than people realize. He will have good scoring games, but I think the norm is going to be 12-15 points, 5-7 Boards, with a few assists/blocks/steals. If he get's the time, he's a perfect balance to Buddy because of his game and skill set.

 

[pearl31]

As others have said, I’ll be surprised if BW isn’t starting - and as still others have said, if he is coming off the bench it’d likely only be to start the season… and-

keep in mind this is Jon 7-foot-1 Rothstein’s projection

 

[syrBossHogg]

Does Benny play the high post and distribute? Because that is likely to be Jimmy’s role, and something we need to supplement Girard’s ball handling. Something Dolezaj gave us last season.

That's where I'm at, Jimmy B can prolly help fill the Marek role and help Joe in some situations as a passing big. Benny will get plenty of minutes, whether as a starter or coming off the bench.

Our ceiling as a team is based on how improved Joe and Jesse are IMO

 

[FireballPhil]

I don't see Jimmy starting, although I believe he is good enough too. I see him as the 6th man, capable of filling a couple different roles. The idea he didn't come here to sit is absurd, I don't believe he is necessarily even looking at pro ball right now. He had the chance to come to a school that would help him aside his Ivy league diploma. He knows he can and will contribute, but also knows his role. I would even be willing to bet he would tell his dad not to start him, that he is more than content to come off the bench and help where he is needed. I fully expect Benny to start, but his minutes may be limited if he struggles.

 

[Ceerqqq]

I don't see Jimmy starting, although I believe he is good enough too. I see him as the 6th man, capable of filling a couple different roles. The idea he didn't come here to sit is absurd, I don't believe he is necessarily even looking at pro ball right now. He had the chance to come to a school that would help him aside his Ivy league diploma. He knows he can and will contribute, but also knows his role. I would even be willing to bet he would tell his dad not to start him, that he is more than content to come off the bench and help where he is needed. I fully expect Benny to start, but his minutes may be limited if he struggles.

At this point I think it could go either way...

(Like it really matters?)

If Jimmy starts, it's cuz JB wants his starting five out of the gate to be the most experienced players he's got.

The one thing we can know with certainty right now is if Benny doesn't start, he'll be playing heavy minutes (unless the starting five is really struggling in early games).

Only if things start to really click with Benny in practice, to where he's outplaying Jimmy on the regular, will JB feel its safe to start him for the season.

No worries...

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Games aren’t won or lost on a twitter handle….can we wait and …..crazy concept here…..actually see how things go before we say the sky is falling and people are transferring?

No. No we can’t.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

At this point I think it could go either way...

(Like it really matters?)

If Jimmy starts, it's cuz JB wants his starting five out of the gate to be the most experienced players he's got.

The one thing we can know with certainty right now is if Bennie doesn't start, he'll be playing heavy minutes (unless the starting five is really struggling in early games).

Only if things start to really click with Bennie in practice, to where he's outplaying Jimmy on the regular, will JB feel its safe to start him for the season.

No worries...

No worries? No worries?

Have you even met us? All we do is worry.

 

[SUOrangeSU]

I do have a general question though…
Why are people convinced that JB will play a fresh heavy minutes, when he completely went the other way this past year with a fresh player that was hand and shoulders better than his counterpart……..

 

[Orangezoo]

I do have a general question though…
Why are people convinced that JB will play a fresh heavy minutes, when he completely went the other way this past year with a fresh player that was hand and shoulders better than his counterpart……..

 

[Orangezoo]

I do have a general question though…
Why are people convinced that JB will play a fresh heavy minutes, when he completely went the other way this past year with a fresh player that was hand and shoulders better than his counterpart……..

I'm no psychologist but when Jalen, Brycen and Joe were the PG trio Joe was the guy who stepped up and produced. If you look back, when a guy has come in as a freshman and produced and earned the opportunity for major minutes it's most definitely resulted in earning JBs trust and that carried.

Looking back at last year, even with the talent disparity we saw on the floor, it seemed to me that JB was waiting for Joe to find his game again much sooner than it happened to be the player he saw unexpectedly jump out from the pack his freshman year. Not to mention whatever was going on all year with Kadary being on the bike. I'm sure we wouldn't hear it directly but you have to think the bball junkie that JB is that he can look back and see he may have played Joe will be back card for too long. The tourney run and play vindicated him a little but there is no question based on hindsight that he should have shifted direction from a fan perspective.

On to Benny- different situation ( I think but I'm not wagering yet) Jimmy may be a senior and a Boeheim but he also would be in front of the most athletic player with the highest ceiling hands down. I just don't see how Benny is not getting major minutes especially if he is able to help as a weakside rim protector and efficient offensive player.

My hope is that with a clear cut core of players you aren't dealing with a couple of freshmen teaming up to be their own little posse in the corner as it appeared we somewhat had going on last year.

 

[Sherman20]

That would be an unbelievably unathletic starting 5, outside of Jesse.

I think “unathletic” is fairly hyperbolic. Yes, this team will be less athletic than many of the Syracuse teams of the past 40 years, in which athleticism was prized. But it’s not like these guys are unathletic at all. Cole was a top 40 recruit out of high school. You don’t get there being unathletic. Yes, he’s not super quick laterally, which is why he struggled in Nova’s switching man defense. I agree, though, that Benny needs to play a lot because he’s probably the best athlete on the team, and we’ll need him to make up for some of the defensive deficiencies along the back line with Cole and Jr., especially on close outs at the rim. I’m hoping Jesse can help there as well. We may be aiming for a high powered offense to make up for our defensive deficiencies.

 

[orange79]

Hahaha...Rothstein is the Baghdad Bob of the college basketball world.

 

[PhatOrange]

If Benny is that good, his talent will speak for itself and he’ll just take over. Melo was so good it was evident day 1. He didn’t have any warts. If Benny has any he’s probably 6th man. If not the cream rises to the top and it’ll be hard to ignore in practice if he’s as dominate as Melo was.

 

[RF2044]

I think “unathletic” is fairly hyperbolic. Yes, this team will be less athletic than many of the Syracuse teams of the past 40 years, in which athleticism was prized. But it’s not like these guys are unathletic at all. Cole was a top 40 recruit out of high school. You don’t get there being unathletic. Yes, he’s not super quick laterally, which is why he struggled in Nova’s switching man defense. I agree, though, that Benny needs to play a lot because he’s probably the best athlete on the team, and we’ll need him to make up for some of the defensive deficiencies along the back line with Cole and Jr., especially on close outs at the rim. I’m hoping Jesse can help there as well. We may be aiming for a high powered offense to make up for our defensive deficiencies.

There's no hyperbole involved at all. Objectively, that would be one of the least athletic starting 5's we've fielded [the lone exception being Jesse]. I'm not talking about recruiting rankings, I'm talking about their athleticism relative to the rest of the ACC and beyond.

 

[Fly Rodder]

There's no hyperbole involved at all. Objectively, that would be one of the least athletic starting 5's we've fielded. I'm not talking about recruiting rankings, I'm talking about their athleticism relative to the rest of the ACC and beyond.

Yeah there's a difference when comparing apples to apples ... as far as ACC teams go, that starting five will be slow and reliant on bombing three's all game. I remain skeptical until I see a game.

 

[Orangezoo]

We have had plenty of teams who were extremely athletic and elite defensively and couldn't shoot worth a damn, moderately athletic teams who could shoot but not defend or rebound all that great and the list goes on. What matters is that whatever any version of team we have is able to maximize on their strengths and translate that to wins. Last year we failed to maximize on what we were good at until later in the year. Honestly if we can't win enough games it's gonna be either we weren't very good at what we were supposed to be or we simply just don't have the talent to do so. Our flaws need to be improved upon but they won't magically disappear either.

 

[two3zone]

It’s amazing that people ever thought he was going to start. Boeheim rarely does that. Jimmy didn’t come here to sit the bench

 

[Windyfly]

I don’t think anyone would argue that Benny is going to be a good one for us, potentially great by the time he’s ready to jump to the league...but I think Jimmy is being overlooked on this team. He’s a 5th year guy, who didn’t play last year so he had a whole year and half to train and get better, but still averaged almost 17ppg two years ago, which is a lot even for the Ivy League level. Also as JB alluded to in the Goodman interview, Jimmy has one of the best abilities to create his own shot on this years team. You gotta think with JG3, Buddy and Cole already in the fold that’s 3/5 of the lineup, Jimmy is probably the better option to compliment those players, as he’s going to be better at creating for his own, dribble penetration and *working out of the high and low post*.

I think it’s possible that as the year goes on, Benny starts to find his groove and becomes such an impact that maybe coach feels he’s the better option to start, but you gotta think that right now Jimmy can do a little more, especially being able to compliment the shooters we’ll have on the floor together.

Nothing against Benny, but I don’t think he will ever be Melo good, Melo is one of a kind player and was the top high school recruit in 2002, so we shouldn’t think that Benny is going to be that kind of super freshmen for us...I think like someone said above, 20-25 minutes for Benny this year, considering the experience with the other two forwards, is pretty reasonable.

Also let’s wait and see what these guys can do together first, but I think Jimmy is going to be pretty damn good this year and will surprise a lot of people. He didn’t get signed to Roc Nation as a consolation for being Buddy’s brother, but because he’s actually a really good basketball player!

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I don’t think anyone would argue that Benny is going to be a good one for us, potentially great by the time he’s ready to jump to the league...but I think Jimmy is being overlooked on this team. He’s a 5th year guy, who didn’t play last year so he had a whole year and half to train and get better, but still averaged almost 17ppg two years ago, which is a lot even for the Ivy League level. Also as JB alluded to in the Goodman interview, Jimmy has one of the best abilities to create his own shot on this years team. You gotta think with JG3, Buddy and Cole already in the fold that’s 3/5 of the lineup, Jimmy is probably the better option to compliment those players, as he’s going to be better at creating for his own, dribble penetration and *working out of the high post*.

I think it’s possible that as the year goes on, Benny starts to find his groove and becomes such an impact that maybe coach feels he’s the better option to start, but you gotta think that right now Jimmy can do a little more, especially being able to compliment the shooters we’ll have on the floor together.

Nothing against Benny, but I don’t think he will ever be Melo good, Melo is one of a kind player and was the top high school recruit in 2002, so we shouldn’t think that Benny is going to be that kind of super freshmen for us...I think like someone said above, 20-25 minutes for Benny this year, considering the experience with the other two forwards, is pretty reasonable.

Also let’s wait and see what these guys can do together first, but I think Jimmy is going to be pretty damn good this year and will surprise a lot of people. He didn’t get signed to Roc Nation as a consolation for being Buddy’s brother, but because he’s actually a really good basketball player!

I’m sorry, but good lord is there a bunch of assumptions in there presented as fact. Taking a year and a half off NEVER improves a player’s game. Strength and conditioning maybe, but you get better by playing against high level talent. So before we anoint Jimmy as ‘a really good basketball player’ let’s see if that’s true at the acc level as well as the Ivy League.