(Stating the Obvious) The turning point was Mike Hopkins

[FloridaFan]

Find a nuance in my post and seize on it, ok lol. So we're good w 10-10 here and losing 9 in a row to a team that comes into the dome at 4-13 and crushes us. Got it. What next, it's because they were missing Cole Anthony earlier in the season? Enjoy the warm Florida weather. I'll enjoy the cold nights at the Dome watching us lose to everybody.

Id switch in a heartbeat. I would love the ability to go to so many cuse games win or lose

 

[Caboose]

Id switch in a heartbeat. I would love the ability to go to so many cuse games win or lose

Win or lose I go to all the games here. I also fly to some away games- just returned from Boston last week. I flew by myself to Dallas and drove a rental down to Houston to watch a referee hijack a game by calling a bogus offensive foul call on Brandon Triche. I also flew to Atlanta to watch us in the Final Four there. I just don't like the fact that I'm forced to watch a product which could be much better if we didn't have a selfish coach and a seemingly hamstrung AD.

 

[Fly Rodder]

The turning point was the sanctions and the poor reaction to those sanctions by SU's athletic department and university leaders.

 

[lionf96]

The turning point was the sanctions and the poor reaction to those sanctions by SU's athletic department and university leaders.

Poor reaction? We self imposed a post season ban midway through the season, so that helped keep one of our best recruiting classes from defecting. The athletic department appealed the NCAA's punishment and we got some scholarships back. They did what they can given what happened.

The sanctions didn't really hurt us. Sure we had fewer scholarships, but Boeheim runs a short bench and those 2 yearly lost scholarships would've just been given to someone riding the bench that would eventually transfer, or a senior walk-on.

 

[DBCooper]

Poor reaction? We self imposed a post season ban midway through the season, so that helped keep one of our best recruiting classes from defecting. The athletic department appealed the NCAA's punishment and we got some scholarships back. They did what they can given what happened.

The sanctions didn't really hurt us. Sure we had fewer scholarships, but Boeheim runs a short bench and those 2 yearly lost scholarships would've just been given to someone riding the bench that would eventually transfer, or a senior walk-on.

Obviously the sanctions hurt us. Even if I were to grant you that the reduction in scholarships didn't hurt too bad, the reduction in the number of coaches on the recruiting trail put us at a clear disadvantage.

 

[Arangeman]

Obviously the sanctions hurt us. Even if I were to grant you that the reduction in scholarships didn't hurt too bad, the reduction in the number of coaches on the recruiting trail put us at a clear disadvantage.

meh

SU basketball coaches maneuver around NCAA sanctions

The NCAA has limited Syracuse to just two coaches on the road for recruiting. So how did three SU coaches get to AAU events this past weekend?

www.syracuse.com

 

[ar inj]

Maybe some people should have been recruiting for their team rather than being an assistant on the Olympic team.

 

[lionf96]

I don't buy the fewer coaches excuse. If we are a top program then kids will still want to play for us. The sanctions, which included recruiting restrictions, didn't hurt Louisville's recruiting and they got punished harder than we did. There is a much bigger issue than the sanctions. Let's stop using it as an excuse for us being a bubble team or worse for 6 years.

 

[MadNY3]

I don't buy the fewer coaches excuse. If we are a top program then kids will still want to play for us. The sanctions, which included recruiting restrictions, didn't hurt Louisville's recruiting and they got punished harder than we did. There is a much bigger issue than the sanctions. Let's stop using it as an excuse for us being a bubble team or worse for 6 years.

Sanctions definitely play a role.

Less time out and about to form human relationships and less schollies means when we whiff on a Kaleb Joseph, it hurts much worse.

Agree with you that it’s foolish to lay all the blame there, but definitely needs some.

 

[kcsu]

Its simple. The staff doesn't recruit well.

 

[lionf96]

Sanctions definitely play a role.

Less time out and about to form human relationships and less schollies means when we whiff on a Kaleb Joseph, it hurts much worse.

Agree with you that it’s foolish to lay all the blame there, but definitely needs some.

I agree that there is some blame due to sanctions. I just get tired of people placing the majority of the blame on it.

 

[realorange]

Win or lose I go to all the games here. I also fly to some away games- just returned from Boston last week. I flew by myself to Dallas and drove a rental down to Houston to watch a referee hijack a game by calling a bogus offensive foul call on Brandon Triche. I also flew to Atlanta to watch us in the Final Four there. I just don't like the fact that I'm forced to watch a product which could be much better if we didn't have a selfish coach and a seemingly hamstrung AD.

AS has been noted by people who know what happened, there is no 'selfish coach" situation. That is not how what we have today happened.

 

[Red Holzman]

Sure, better recruiting = more wins, normally .
Programs stocked with 1-Dones are normally the tournament locks and Final 4 favorites.
Regardless, fans of 1-Done "top programs" lose a Main Ingredient that makes college hoops special.
They lose opportunities to watch young players develop, expand their game and grow team chemistry.
I LOVE it in March when a gritty senior team schools a team of young 1-Dones lacking chemistry/resiliency!

Following guys who improve over 3-4 years has been a big key to my fun following SU hoops.
Now Jesse, Quincy, and Robert Braswell have potential IMO, so look forward to their progress.
Also look forward to watching Marek put it all together to have a "Christmas" senior season.
And to Bourama's building on his improvement over the past 4 games.
And, of course, to pleasant surprises from others!

During their NBA auditions, more 1-Dones would probably = more SU wins.
But the guys that stick around 3-4yr and grow their game become more familiar, and fan favorites.
They are the Glue of the program, and for me often more fun to follow than revolving-door studs.
Give me some promising projects and pleasant surprises -not a team stocked with 5-Star 1-Dones.
Just 1-2 of them will be fine. That's worked for SU before.
I'd rather watch players improve and develop team chemistry over 3-4 years, than a team that loses 4-5 players to the NBA every season then restocks!
More satisfying when your 3-4 year guys that worked hard and improved together are rewarded with a trip to the Final 4, vs programs that seem to go to nearly every year with a different cast of characters.
Probably not a shared perspective for many, but how I roll...

 

[Sherman20]

This post is hilarious. It starts by naming the numerous problems currently facing the team/program, and then says we don't need to get rid of the "problem" (JB) we just need the "problem" to recruit better lol. That's like saying my car's engine sucks, but I just need it to do better, let's see how it performs tomorrow.

Face it, JB was only selfishly looking out for himself through this entire fiasco. He had an exit plan which is the critical factor here in terms of maintaining program-stability. Recruits need to know where a 75 year old coach stands in terms of retirement, and more importantly, who the next coach is going to be. Without that, they don't know what to expect by coming here. We had all of that, until someone decided his needs were more important than the program's. It doesn't help that nine times out of ten, the guy throws his players under the bus publicly.

So now is it any surprise why we strike out on just about every plan A target? It shouldn't be. Someone here is simply content with Dior coming here two years from now lol. What about the two years between now and then? They don't matter? Do you realize what a train wreck we have coming with Hughes leaving? I have news for you, the ACC is going to be better, and we're going to be worse. We're looking at possibly a 5-15 or at best 8-12 in-conference record. This is all because we have a selfish coach making all the decisions for his own good and not the good of the program, and an athletic director with his hands seemingly tied because he probably feels he can't get rid of a legend.. Meanwhile, I and everyone else here who lives in this town will keep paying money and make the long walks up to the Dome on blistering cold weeknights to watch us lose to inferior programs.

I can agree with some of this, but some of it is hyperbolic. Serious question: Why do you think JB is fine damaging the program that he built and tarnishing his legacy? What excuses do you think he tells himself or his staff or Wildhack? It’s been something I’ve wanted to ask for a while. The downturn of the program is clear. So how do people think JB justifies it?

 

[STEVEHOLT]

The turning point was the sanctions and the poor reaction to those sanctions by SU's athletic department and university leaders.

Those dang sanctions .. who was the coach during two separate devastating sanction penalties ? Oh yeah .. how many coaches survive two at one place ?

 

[721Comstock]

I can agree with some of this, but some of it is hyperbolic. Serious question: Why do you think JB is fine damaging the program that he built and tarnishing his legacy? What excuses do you think he tells himself or his staff or Wildhack? It’s been something I’ve wanted to ask for a while. The downturn of the program is clear. So how do people think JB justifies it?

Do you even read this drivel you post?

Syracuse Basketball hasn't had a losing season in FIFTY YEARS.
And counting.

The "downturn of the program" was clear -
from '80-'82, with 2 straight NIT's, and a losing conference record 1 year, and .500 for the other.

The "downturn of the program" was clear -
the first time we got hit with sanctions in the early 90's.
Then J-Dub led us to a Final Four championship game (I still think his 5th foul was pretty ticky-tack), and an eventual resurgence.

The "downturn of the program" was clear -
after GMac graduated, and we went to 2 straight NIT's.
One of those seasons was 'only' a .500 conference record.

I forget who posted it (and kudos to them for doing the research), but for this past decade, Syracuse will go to:
7 NCAA's, 2 NIT's, and 1 ban.
With TWO Final Fours this decade.

vs. the typical average for each of the prior decades - of 8 NCAA's and 2 NIT's.
With 1 Final Four in each decade.

The "downturn of the program" is clear.

 

[Alsacs]

Honestly this obsession with the non losing streak is such a thing we care about for little reason.
I would rather win 3 national championships like North Carolina has done since 2001 while they have had 2 losing season mixed in.

However Syracuse hasn’t had a losing season during that time.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Its simple. The staff doesn't recruit well.

Some just find it easier to make excuses for the staff. Fan complacency is definitely part of the reason Wildhack is in no hurry to make changes.

 

[Alsacs]

Since 2013-2014 season.

2014-2015 record 18-13
2015-2016 record 23-14
2016-2017 record 19-15
2017-2018 record 23-14
2018-2019 record 20-14
2019-2020 record 17-14

People still want to fight what is staring them in the face.
We are now Seton Hall in the old Big East.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Honestly this obsession with the non losing streak is such a thing we care about for little reason.
I would rather win 3 national championships like North Carolina has done since 2001 while they have had 2 losing season mixed in.

However Syracuse hasn’t had a losing season during that time.

UConn has three championships since 2003 and has been ranked in the top-25 during conference play more recently than Syracuse as well.

However, I'm fairly certain that 721 doesn't think that their program is just awesome because they have two championships this decade.

 

[Alsacs]

UConn has three championships since 2003 and has been ranked in the top-25 during conference play more recently than Syracuse as well.

However, I'm fairly certain that 721 doesn't think that their program is just awesome because they have two championships this decade.

If we mixed In a NC this decade then this mediocrity atleast would pay off.

We got screwed by the NCAA in 2012.

If our offense was better in 2013 that team cuts the nets down.

I trust JB as a coach. I think we need to recruit better talent and that is the job of his assistants IMO.

 

[721Comstock]

UConn has three championships since 2003 and has been ranked in the top-25 during conference play more recently than Syracuse as well.

However, I'm fairly certain that 721 doesn't think that their program is just awesome because they have two championships this decade.

OK, now THAT is a situation where the "downturn of the program" is clear.

Can you imagine this place if we had 3 straight losing seasons?
With a .500 conf. record as the "best" of those 3?
In the AACk???

Oh, the H0+ t@3ks would be glorious!

 

[Arangeman]

I can agree with some of this, but some of it is hyperbolic. Serious question: Why do you think JB is fine damaging the program that he built and tarnishing his legacy? What excuses do you think he tells himself or his staff or Wildhack? It’s been something I’ve wanted to ask for a while. The downturn of the program is clear. So how do people think JB justifies it?

I think JB is probably content with his legacy at this point. And who can blame him?

Yes, another title would put him in the Mount Rushmore convo. An ACC title would be a feather In the cap too. But the odds are long on those things happening. He might be fine just riding this out and coaching his son to a great career at SU. At this pace, Buddy will be all over the record books.

 

[Owens guy]

I think JB is probably content with his legacy at this point. And who can blame him?

Yes, another title would put him in the Mount Rushmore convo. An ACC title would be a feather In the cap too. But the odds are long on those things happening. He might be fine just riding this out and coaching his son to a great career at SU. At this pace, Buddy will be all over the record books.

JB content? Seriously? Do you watch him on the bench and watch his press conferences afterwards?
JB wants to win each game more or at least as much as each of us do.

 

[NKR1978]

If we mixed In a NC this decade then this mediocrity atleast would pay off.

We got screwed by the NCAA in 2012.

If our offense was better in 2013 that team cuts the nets down.

I trust JB as a coach. I think we need to recruit better talent and that is the job of his assistants IMO.

Aren't we starting to do that with Johnson? Looks like we have a monster class coming up in the not distant future. This season has been disappointing, but after the way we started I'm ok with the fact that the games are at least entertaining. I'm not ok that I'm ok with that, but I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.