So here’s where I’m at..

[two3zone]

Autrey’s stubborn support of Carlos might just cost him his job.

His support for anyone who couldn't check a high school player is nuts and it's the entire starting 5. It's insane this team was even put together.

 

[richmondcuse03]

That press conference was frustrating to watch. Hopefully, it was just to avoid throwing his player under the bus. He gave some coach-speak about how Carlos is there to pass and if the other players made their shots he would look better. I didn't see that at all the last two nights. He just looked scared. Eddie was the point guard directing traffic.

Maybe Red will watch some film and someone will get in his ear about what is really happening out there.

I think it’s just avoiding throwing him under the bus. They know he’s not getting it done. I just think they have to cut bait now rather than wait longer.

 

[SUfanNC]

And at the very end there were one or two with no hitch at all.

It seemed like a confidence thing. Those ones he missed in the later part of the game were just ugly to watch. Then when he was at the line towards the very end , after scoring a few buckets he stepped right up and nailed both of them with no hitch. I have never seen anything like it.

 

[littlereg]

That press conference was frustrating to watch. Hopefully, it was just to avoid throwing his player under the bus. He gave some coach-speak about how Carlos is there to pass and if the other players made their shots he would look better. I didn't see that at all the last two nights. He just looked scared. Eddie was the point guard directing traffic.

Maybe Red will watch some film and someone will get in his ear about what is really happening out there.

Is it not throwing the rest of the team under the bus by saying “if other players made their shots he would look better”?? Yeah let’s prop up one player to put down the rest of the team makes sense.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Regarding Bell, he scored 22 points on 11 made free throws and 3/8 three point shooting. He only took 9 shots.

I think that isn't one dimensional, unless scoring is the dimension.

His offense didn't hurt us yesterday, although he did have a couple tentative feeds into the post that would up being turnovers.

If they are going to double team the feed to Lampkin in the high post, I'd rather Bell just fire up a three in that position.

Agree.

Chris has also shown more hustle than he is being given credit for by many fans. Yet again, he was able to get back on D and block a shot, the third such instance in two days.

On the season, he has as many blocks as Eddie, Freeman, and Davis combined. Or Eddie, Freeman, and McLeod combined. At 6'7", he is way shorter than the latter three as well.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

The last he had success on the court he was playing in high school 2 and a half years ago.

It's a pipe dream he means anything to this team this year.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Next year we will have talent. My biggest fear is that we waste that talent with bad coaching.

We had talent last year but it was difficult to get that talent to perform. Last year was more about managing those egos and not Xs & Os. So while Red did a decent job with the managing of players, we really did not see his BBall chops. This year we are, and it is scary.

I think it was a huge mistake only brining in 2 HS kids in this class. We need talent. Was the strategy to prioritize the portal instead? If it was, the portal talent evaluation was a failure. The talent evaluation is a major concern.

We have brought in 8 portal guys under Red and only 3 are productive. Missing 5 of 8 for HS kids is bad. Portal kids you should have a better idea of what you are getting, so it is really really bad. On top of that he cannot figure out who to play within the lineup.

Now to be fair needing 8 portal kids is on JB and not Red. Had we only needed 1-2 kids a year via the portal things look a lot better. I am sure that there isn't enough talent in the portal to fill those 8 spots. But that brings me back to why in the heck do you not take another 1-2 HS kids this past class? It makes no sense.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

Red and JB”s flaws were they stick with players on the floor for far too long. Red’s problem is worse because he’s putting the wrong players on the floor to start.

 

[Red Holzman]

That press conference was frustrating to watch. Hopefully, it was just to avoid throwing his player under the bus. He gave some coach-speak about how Carlos is there to pass and if the other players made their shots he would look better. I didn't see that at all the last two nights. He just looked scared. Eddie was the point guard directing traffic.

Maybe Red will watch some film and someone will get in his ear about what is really happening out there.

The look on Carlo's face after he stepped to the line at the end of the Texas game -wow.
Scared to death -starting PG lacking confidence is concerning.
Knew what was coming -would have been shocked if Carlos made both FT's.

 

[rrlbees]

Agree.

Chris has also shown more hustle than he is being given credit for by many fans. Yet again, he was able to get back on D and block a shot, the third such instance in two days.

On the season, he has as many blocks as Eddie, Freeman, and Davis combined. Or Eddie, Freeman, and McLeod combined. At 6'7", he is way shorter than the latter three as well.

I’m not a fan of some of the metrics put out but I know some are. But Chris had the best +/- and was one of only three on the plus side. He was +7, Petar was + 6 and JJ + 1. Bell also had the highest infamous BPM for the game.

 

[rocklloyd]

We might not want to admit this, but were the 20 wins last year more because of Mintz?

 

[Sbucketball]

We might not want to admit this, but were the 20 wins last year more because of Mintz?

Yeah I've been saying that for months. We would have won 12-14 games without him, not 19 plus D2 chaminade to make 20 (which the ncaa doesn't recognize as a win). It doesn't take much for a coach to tell the team to clear out and Judah goes iso and draws a foul. The good news about this year is that we'll learn exactly what kind of coach Red is -- if they improve a ton that's his doing, and if they don't, that's also on him.

 

[kcsu]

We might not want to admit this, but were the 20 wins last year more because of Mintz?

and we have a winner

 

[djcon57]

I’m not a fan of some of the metrics put out but I know some are. But Chris had the best +/- and was one of only three on the plus side. He was +7, Petar was + 6 and JJ + 1. Bell also had the highest infamous BPM for the game.

If Bell scores 20 pts like he did, he’s playable. I don’t think that should be an argument

 

[tptcuse]

Is it not throwing the rest of the team under the bus by saying “if other players made their shots he would look better”?? Yeah let’s prop up one player to put down the rest of the team makes sense.

He didn't really say it like that but I get what you're saying. I just hope we don't drag out the Carlos experiment much longer.

 

[jdubs30]

We might not want to admit this, but were the 20 wins last year more because of Mintz?

And Maliq. The amount that was on him defensively last year was insane - starting Bell at the 3 and Taylor at the 4 most of the year

Red did a good job of turning the front court into a strength this year.

But we’ve all said it - Carlos was a massive whiff - and he didn’t bother adding another one.

Bell will find his footing. Freeman will improve every game. JJ seems like a legitimate all conference player. Eddie and Jyare have shown a lot and are both veterans. Taylor is a nice defensive piece. But without a PG, it feels like this team will struggle. The backcourt scoring is entirely on JJ unless Choppa starts making shots.

 

[tptcuse]

And Maliq. The amount that was on him defensively last year was insane - starting Bell at the 3 and Taylor at the 4 most of the year

Red did a good job of turning the front court into a strength this year.

But we’ve all said it - Carlos was a massive whiff - and he didn’t bother adding another one.

Bell will find his footing. Freeman will improve every game. JJ seems like a legitimate all conference player. Eddie and Jyare have shown a lot and are both veterans. Taylor is a nice defensive piece. But without a PG, it feels like this team will struggle. The backcourt scoring is entirely on JJ unless Choppa starts making shots.

He certainly tried but he did not succeed. From all reports we basically had Leffew signed.

Sorry to get all Fran Brown on here, but Red needs to either pull a rabbit out of a hat from a coaching standpoint or he needs a Kyle McCord/Fadil Diggs type haul in the portal at point guard and center next year.

 

[Orangezoo]

If you want to be a tournament team and play 4 on 5 you need to have loads of talent at the other 4 spots on the court who can do everything else to make up for the deficiency. Issue is you typically do that because that flawed player excels on one side of the court and is more like a .25 on the flawed side.

Carlos is a .25 on both ends right now and you simply can’t win that way. We just as easily could lose playing someone else in his spot for the same reasons but Red has to try even if it’s the same outcome at this point.

Bell is certainly doing some good things on the court but as a key piece (not just a starter) for a P4 team it’s not close to enough.

Red does really seem to lack that ability to build cohesion on the floor and the ability to rotate the right guys and put guys in a position to be successful at this point in his career and in year 2 that’s a major concern. When you look at the successful coaches out there today they have an “it factor” somewhere on their resume. At a minimum there is an intensity that comes with them if the X’s and O’s aren’t there. Recruiting alone can’t be the it factor as there has to be an ability to do other things to establish and sustain that success. Right now nothing stands out with what we’ve seen so far, besides the recruiting we see for ‘25.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Regarding Jaquan Carlos:

Early last month, I was in Syracuse for the day and in the afternoon I headed out to the Melo Center. Instead of going through the reception desk in the main lobby, I tried going through the side door.

As I approached, a young skinny guy the same height as me was on the inside. He saw me coming and held the door open for me. I grinned and said “I don’t suppose an old alum can slip in through this entrance?” He said “No sir. It’s not open to the public. You have to go through the reception desk in front. “ Which I did.

The young guy was Jaquan.

Now I know you are saying “Gee Dick, just because a player held the door for you and seemed like a nice, polite kid, it doesn’t mean he should be starting.”

Well, I don’t see why not...

 

[Bayside44]

Regarding Jaquan Carlos:

Early last month, I was in Syracuse for the day and in the afternoon I headed out to the Melo Center. Instead of going through the reception desk in the main lobby, I tried going through the side door.

As I approached, a young skinny guy the same height as me was on the inside. He saw me coming and held the door open for me. I grinned and said “I don’t suppose an old alum can slip in through this entrance?” He said “No sir. It’s not open to the public. You have to go through the reception desk in front. “ Which I did.

The young guy was Jaquan.

Now I know you are saying “Gee Dick, just because a player held the door for you and seemed like a nice, polite kid, it doesn’t mean he should be starting.”

Well, I don’t see why not...

You realize if you just took the kid under your wing for five minutes none of this would be happening …

 

[Forza Azzurri]

You realize if you just took the kid under your wing for five minutes none of this would be happening …

My vote is for a weekend with CuseTroop in Vegas...

He'd come back like Charlie SImms in Scent of a Woman...

In fact, the entire team might benefit from that bondage, er, bonding experience...