So, Does he start day one?

[RF2044]

What a great problem to have.

 

[Flacusian]

Don't you mean does he start from Dajuan?

Touche! Very good

 

[MikeSU02]

It will be interesting to see how it all fleshes out with DC on the team. Does he strictly play center or does he play Forward? What does this mean for Melo and Xmas? Will Xmas strictly be a forward or will he split time at center? We certainly have no shortage of bigs now and it would seem that the attention would be turned toward getting a true point guard.

My guess:

Fab leaves after this year (totally speculative)
Rak moves to the 5.
DJC starts at the 4.
Baye is in the big man rotation.

We need offense down low.

 

[armory]

We need offense down low.

Exactly. I don't think people realize just how important this is. Once everyone sees the void now that Rick is gone they will agree.

 

[stew2310]

Don't know if he'll start but the back line of our zone will have the combined wingspan of a 747!

 

[Madbiker]

Does this mean Fab gets pushed out the door after this season? Xmas was recruited to play the 4, JB and Hop have both said that. He has explosive quickness to cover the wing in the zone. DC2 has to purely be a 5. He may have to share PT with Fab if he returns next year. BMK is a 4 year guy but it looks like his PT takes a hit.

 

[rrlbees]

People sure are getting ahead of themselves. This could go very badly if he isn't a star. People seem to be putting a lot of expectations on him. I won't say he will never play the 4, but he is not a 4 unless he completely changes his body. Ricky did it and yet he still wasn't a very good 4 on the defensive end. A lot will also depend upon Melo as to what DC does next year.

 

[rrlbees]

My guess:

Fab leaves after this year (totally speculative)
Rak moves to the 5.
DJC starts at the 4.
Baye is in the big man rotation.

We need offense down low.

If Rak and DC2 are the frontline, I would think Rak is the 4 and DC2 the 5.

 

[MikeSU02]

If Rak and DC2 are the frontline, I would think Rak is the 4 and DC2 the 5.

That works for me. Either way, I think it will be those two.

 

[OttoMets]

Agree, he doesn't strike me as a guy who is a great fit at the 4 in the SU 2-3. Seems much more cut out to play center in this system.

The thought of a 280-pounder defending the wing in the zone is...well...interesting.

(I know, I know, players improve, they lose weight, I get it. I still don't think there's any way he's a Syracuse 4.)

 

[OttoMets]

Lighten up! It' great to have entered the era of an embarrasment of riches for Syracuse Basketball. I't wonderful to entertain the possibilities with so much talent whereas many years we had to depend on one or two players to carry the team game after game. It's great that as JB nears the twilight of his coaching career at SU that we have an influx of talented and capable players and a myriad of possibilities as to how to structure the team due to having such depth.

I'm very excited to have another highly-rated recruit, and I agree with you that improved competition is going to be a great benefit of having another big on the team.

But talk of "Coleman would have started for last year's team as a high school junior" and "Coleman will definitely start at the 4" sounds like a bunch of 12-year-old boys completely divorced from reality. And we've seen the consequence of this before: Coleman comes in, doesn't put up a 15-10, and is out of shape. Then the same people who are making wild predictions will be the first ones to call him a bust and actively hope that Boeheim runs him off.

 

[Upstate]

He needs to get down to 230 if he wants to play on the wing, realistically.

 

[arbitragegls]

He would have started as a HS Junior on last years team. It will be up to Melo,Christmas and BMK to determine if he starts next year. If they move forward and develop well over the next year, Coleman may not start. Although, if I had to pick a starting lineup right now for next year, I'd have Melo at Center and Coleman at PF. I'm just glad we have the opportunity now to discuss it!

whoa here...Christmas is rumored to start ahead of CJ...I think what will happen is that the 6'11 to 7' play center and Christmas and DC2 play PF...who starts will be determined by what happens this year and how good DC2 is next year...I am pleased he is with us...but I do not believe he is a point of blowing our other bigs out of the way

 

[cuseincincy]

Wow the insanity of a few on this board amazes me. The correct answer is who knows? People who say he would start today need to take off their Jimi Hendrix style head band. What would Fab and Rak think? "Hmm, they just signed a player that was ranked lower than me, I better run and hide." Right now, today, there is no reason to think we will lose any of our current bigs. Hopefully over the next 5 months we will realize that someone is so good that he can't possibly stick around another year. That would be a nice problem to have. Everything I hear about DC makes me think of Sean May from UNC, big wide body with a developed offensive game. If so, he will play no matter who returns. Right now we have 3 unproven players in line in front of him and at least 2 of them came in with very high expectations. Next year DC joins the mix and things will play out as they do.

 

[thebigeast44]

Otto - if you think the idea that Coleman could not have started at SU last year in place of Melo, you are equally as divorced from reality as those you claim to be. And saying that a top rated recruit may come in and start - since when is that a "wild" prediction?

He was far better as a high school junior than Melo was as a college freshman. He is a force and while the development of Melo, Christmas and BMK may mean he does not start next year, that does not mean he will come in and flop like Melo did last year.

Coleman has been playing hoops for a long time and is far more accomplished than Melo was coming in. I do expect more out of him than Melo as a frosh but certainly will be patient with him as you have to be with most big men.

I hope all our big men continue to develop and reach their potential. I'll be rooting for all of them during the ups and downs each of them will face. Let's Go Orange!

 

[OttoMets]

Otto - if you think the idea that Coleman could not have started at SU last year in place of Melo, you are equally as divorced from reality as those you claim to be. And saying that a top rated recruit may come in and start - since when is that a "wild" prediction?

He was far better as a high school junior than Melo was as a college freshman.

Those are just outlandish claims. I'm sorry, but you're talking about a high school junior coming in from his short games, small gyms, and half-speed style of play and starting over a pair of college freshmen in the Big East? I don't think you have any idea about the difference in speed and quality of opponent in these two levels of play.

 

[sufandu]

He would have started as a HS Junior on last years team. It will be up to Melo,Christmas and BMK to determine if he starts next year. If they move forward and develop well over the next year, Coleman may not start. Although, if I had to pick a starting lineup right now for next year, I'd have Melo at Center and Coleman at PF. I'm just glad we have the opportunity now to discuss it!

I'm intrigued by the idea of him starting next to Melo (if Melo makes a good jump) but I wonder if he'll be mobile enough to defend out on the wing from the forward spot. This will a nice problem to have next year.

 

[thebigeast44]

Otto - are you saying there are no high school juniors that could outperform a college freshman? Particularly last year with what we saw from Melo? I hardly think stating that Coleman would have started over Melo last year is an outlandish claim and many would agree with me. However, we can agree to disagree.

I think your claims of outlandish claims being made are outlandish themselves. I don't see anyone claiming Coleman will come in and be the player of the year in the nation, lead us to a championship and be the #1 NBA draft pick. Those would be grandiose claims. However, speculating that Coleman may start next year hardly qualifies as such.

Regardless, the main thing is it's great he's coming to SU. It will be up to him to build his own legacy. I wish him well.

Let's Go Orange!

 

[orangefan13]

Coleman and Melo will be our best scoring lineup.
Cen-. Keita(JR) Coleman (Freshman)
PF-- Melo (JR) Rak (Soph)
SF-- CJ (Jr) James (Senior)
SG-- Dion(JR) Cooney (Sophmore)
PG- Triche(Senior) MCW (sophmore)

with a taste of Grant and Mookie.
Fab will make a killer weakside shotblocker, enjoy sliding less and grabbing rebounds from the corners. I hope he practices some PF in practice this year.:rolling:
:crazy:"looney tunes :bat:"

 

[Czar]

Whoever said Melo is a role player does not know basketball.

 

[jekelish]

If Rak and DC2 are the frontline, I would think Rak is the 4 and DC2 the 5.

Frankly, the only place this matters is on defense. In most offenses, the 4 and 5 are pretty much interchangeable. In ours, the 4 typically mans the low post while the 5 plays the high post and sets the screens. Given his size, I'd think DaJuan would be ideal for setting the screens, but he's also a much more adept low post scorer at this stage than Christmas, so I would imagine DC2 would play the 4 on offense. Given we play a 2-3, he can still play in the middle with Christmas on the wing (I don't believe Christmas is a 5 anyway, frankly) on defense, and play the role of the 4 on offense.

My issue is if Melo is still here, can we possibly play both he and DaJuan at the same time, considering that would likely create a major deficiency on defense, since DaJuan is just NOT a 2-3 wing?

 

[OttoMets]

Regardless, the main thing is it's great he's coming to SU. It will be up to him to build his own legacy. I wish him well.

Let's Go Orange!

I'm right there with you on all these points.

 

[Garbs]

lol at Melo playing power forward, he is a center at this level and eventually professionally

 

[orangefan13]

lol at Melo playing power forward, he is a center at this level and eventually professionally

Dissagree strongly garbs. My points are in the topic titled
secondary benefit of signing coleman no use repeating.

 

[Garbs]

Dissagree strongly garbs. My points are in the topic titled
secondary benefit of signing coleman no use repeating.

well I cannot take your posts seriously anymore then, because Melo is a big, lumbering 7'0 goof, aka not a PF