Seth Davis's article about his visit to Syracuse last week

[RF2044]

Good write-up:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...se.postcard/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_wr_a3

OE, I didn't notice you linking this in your daily posts--if so, apologies [didn't see it].

 

[OrangeMuskyFish]

What decade is Seth Davis living in? Syracuse is going to beat a lot of teams and it is capable of getting to a Final Four, but right now its most talented players are the younger guys, and that's usually not a championship formula.
Really? seems to me this day in age elite talent doesn't stick around very long.

 

[DomeStranger]

Very good write up, thanks.

Odd that he didn't give his thoughts on Waiters other than when mentioned getting teased by JB. Hope he just forgot and there's not a reason for that.

I was surprised JB said that Kris was going to have a "Wesley Johnson" type year. I think we've all been waiting for that and I haven't been sold on seeing Kris make that kind of jump. For JB to say that makes me think that he really has his jump shot dialed in and has been draining the three's in practice.

I also liked Scoop's quote:

"Coach always says at the start, 'Oh, you guys aren't any good,' but he's not saying that this time. You can tell he really feels like we have something special."​

<

LOL ... sounds like JB ... kinda ... heh.

 

[DomeStranger]

What decade is Seth Davis living in? Syracuse is going to beat a lot of teams and it is capable of getting to a Final Four, but right now its most talented players are the younger guys, and that's usually not a championship formula.
Really? seems to me this day in age elite talent doesn't stick around very long.

That's funny ... I was questioning the same thing as that was exactly our "Formula 2003".

 

[EastCoast2]

That's funny ... I was questioning the same thing as that was exactly our "Formula 2003".

Yeah and I guess Wall Cousins and Bledsoe were seasoned veterans for UK in 2010

 

[senorpalmer]

What decade is Seth Davis living in? Syracuse is going to beat a lot of teams and it is capable of getting to a Final Four, but right now its most talented players are the younger guys, and that's usually not a championship formula.
Really? seems to me this day in age elite talent doesn't stick around very long.

His thoughts are flawed, but I think he meant that the guys who will be the featured players on this team are't the most talented, and vice versa. When all of these guys have come and gone, guys like MCW, Rak and CJ may end having been the best of the bunch, however on this team the won't be taking the reigns from the veterans (CJ being the possible exception this year). It's not the same as the 03 edition, or 2010 UK.

Or, maybe he just said something stupid, I don't know.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

He said "usually not a championship formula." Which is probably true. Especially if you agree that none of our youngest players are so talented that they will have a Carmelo/GMac (or even a Wall/Cousins)-type of impact.

 

[fanfanclubclub]

Yeah and I guess Wall Cousins and Bledsoe were seasoned veterans for UK in 2010

But Wall/Cousins/Bledsoe didn't win a championship.

So far as I can remember, all of the recent champions other than us were led by upperclassmen.

 

[EastCoast2]

But Wall/Cousins/Bledsoe didn't win a championship.

So far as I can remember, all of the recent champions other than us were led by upperclassmen.

UConn - Kemba and a freshman Lamb
Duke - upperclassmen Singler, Smith, Scheyer, Zoubek
UNC - upperclassmen Lawson, Hansbrough, Green, Ellington
Kansas - upperclassmen Chalmers, Arthur, Rush
Florida - upperclassmen Noah, Horford, Brewer,
UConn - Gordon, Okafor, Villanueva

you're right fanclub

 

[stuckinbig11]

Get over the weather thing, Seth.

 

[NKR1978]

What decade is Seth Davis living in? Syracuse is going to beat a lot of teams and it is capable of getting to a Final Four, but right now its most talented players are the younger guys, and that's usually not a championship formula.
Really? seems to me this day in age elite talent doesn't stick around very long.

The last five national champions had upper class leadership. I think we were the exception and we had Duany.

Just off hand

1999 - Junior Rip Hamilton along with other juniors/seniors with big roles.
2000 - Cleves was a true senior and MSU's leader.
2001 - Duke - off hand mostly sophomores.
2002 - Maryland - they had Blake and mostly soph-seniors getting their minutes.
04 - Okafor and Gordon were juniors.
05 - UNC was lead by its sophomores (i think)
06 Florida sophomores/juniors who became juniors seniors in 07.
08 - no recollection of Kansas.
09 - UNC - those guys came back for a chance to win.
10 - Duke - upperclassmen.
11 - Kemba was a junior.

 

[Gabjon]

His thoughts are flawed, but I think he meant that the guys who will be the featured players on this team are't the most talented, and vice versa. When all of these guys have come and gone, guys like MCW, Rak and CJ may end having been the best of the bunch, however on this team the won't be taking the reigns from the veterans (CJ being the possible exception this year). It's not the same as the 03 edition, or 2010 UK.

Or, maybe he just said something stupid, I don't know.

I think this is the danger of watching just one practice especially an early one. The younger players are trying to show off there games to prove they deserve playing time and show off for the national media, while the vets are working on there games. They know they are going to get PT and are not very concerned national on the third day of practice. The difference is always doing what you do best during practice is not the best way to get better. For example Kris Jo has been working on his mid-range game so although he can take the freshmen to the hole he puts up for the mid-range J anyway because its practice.

 

[orangefan13]

Um we have Scoop, Triche, and Joseph returning. That is upperclassmen.
Duany and Mcneil in 2003. We are the one team with the coach to take freshmen to the promiseland and he is talking more about our sophmores then Freshmen. Not that we don't have some ready freshmen also

Jeremy Lamb Napier and Oriaki helped Uconn win bigtime last year.

Forget the upperclassmen talkings, we are stacked and our chemistry could be through the roof. Maybe some of these writers should consider that. Thats how our 09 team rolled we had the chemistry not just the leadership and were number one going into the tournament.

Kids jump to the NBA early on there is no more good luck for upperclassmen in that reguard.
Final four is childs play everyone wants to win the BIG ONE.

 

[BlackKnight76]

The only time I can remember JB pimping his team like this preseason was 09. I'll take that type of team again, thank you.

 

[cto]

The only time I can remember JB pimping his team like this preseason was 09. I'll take that type of team again, thank you.

Yeah. He (and I) were the only ones saying aloud how special Wes Johnson was going to be that year. I had watched Wes throughout his redshirt year in practice, and (if anyone remembers) I was the only one saying he would lead us in points and boards (when everyone else here was predicting other leaders). I don't see anyone emerging out of nowhere to make such an impact this year.

 

[cusetown1]

It's amazing he can come up with these profound statements after one early season practice. Don't like Seth, never did and never will.

 

[OttoMets]

Get over the weather thing, Seth.

That was gratuitous and inaccurate by Seth. Rainy summers? I wonder if he's ever been upstate during the summer.

 

[OttoMets]

It's amazing he can come up with these profound statements after one early season practice. Don't like Seth, never did and never will.

There's not much to not like about him. He's a tremendous analyst and a strong writer (and someone who's frequently very generous in his praise of SU).

He came to sit through one practice and write briefly about his impressions about one practice. There aren't any "profound statements" involved.

 

[44cuse]

Get over the weather thing, Seth.

Why? I kind of like it. Badge of honor.

44cuse

 

[cusetown1]

There's not much to not like about him. He's a tremendous analyst and a strong writer (and someone who's frequently very generous in his praise of SU).

He came to sit through one practice and write briefly about his impressions about one practice. There aren't any "profound statements" involved.

Profound being used loosely, "no further than the elite 8". He already has the season judged right now.

 

[cusetown1]

There's not much to not like about him. He's a tremendous analyst and a strong writer (and someone who's frequently very generous in his praise of SU).

He came to sit through one practice and write briefly about his impressions about one practice. There aren't any "profound statements" involved.

I'm also not sold on his statment "the younger guys are the most talented". I would really like to see what Southerland does this year. Also, Joseph being healthy could mean big things. Triche could also make a huge step up in his game.

 

[Garbs]

"It won't be easy to sort through all those bodies to come up with a workable rotation, but that's a problem Boeheim is thrilled to have. "Some years we've only had eight or nine players on scholarship. I think we could play nine or 10[this season] without any issues at all," he said. "We've had three days of practice and every day is a little better than the other one. Usually you start strong and step back a little, but right now there's no slippage because we have so much competition. You can't take time off.""

 

[Garbs]

"but right now its most talented players are the younger guys, and that's usually not a championship formula"

except this was our formula in '03

 

[cusetown1]

the one thing this team is lacking is a clear go-to scorer for those critical late-game, end-of-shot-clock situations.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/seth_davis/10/21/Syracuse.postcard/index.html#ixzz1biWOWVeXHow many teams really have a clear cut go to guy right now? The season hasn't even started yet.

 

[OttoMets]

"but right now its most talented players are the younger guys, and that's usually not a championship formula [who are not going to leapfrog our veteran players and see major minutes]"

except this was our formula in '03

We return every contributor but one from last year. Probably the three guys with the most star potential on this team will not be starting (and some will likely see very little court time during the conference season). Quite different from 2003.

I understand exactly what Davis is saying. Even assuming that Christmas starts, three of our five starters will be backed up by players whose pure talent and potential ceiling is higher (Fair > Joseph; Waiters > Triche; Williams > Scoop).

It's a team with solid - not great - veterans backed up by potentially great - but unaccomplished - youngsters. I call that "not a championship formula." Any counterexamples out there?