Syracuse hiring Alex Kline as GM

[Cheriehoop]

Do people here realize Wisconsin lost their two best players to Louisville and and Kansas this past offseason and have almost matched last years win total already? We really need to stop crying poverty. It’s not impossible to build a winner here. With Red it could be, who knows.

Funny that you mentioned Kansas. I watched Kansas vs Utah and Kansas didn’t look good in that game at all. I decided to look them up - they were as usual picked #1 preseason for the Big12 but are just 8-6 in conference while Utah was picked to finish last and is 7-8 in conference. KU fans aren’t happy. Weird because they had some very good early wins against very good teams but have lost 8 in their last 18 games mostly in conference. Funny because AJ Storr has bombed for Kansas after transferring from Wisconsin while Wisconsin has done well without both Storr and Chucky Hepburn who is killing it at Louisville.

 

[bnoro]

That article about Kline actually sold part of this board on keeping Red, I truly can't believe it.

A glorified scout being touted as the savior of the SU program. Jesus wept.

 

[Scooch]

I’m sure Kline’s a smart guy. I think people need to realize that most college programs have analytics guys and someone who’s researching player acquisitions. We’re late to this space.

And we should realize that everyone in the sport is looking at the same data and coming to many of the same conclusions about available players. It’s not unlike how things are in the NBA or MLB.

The whole enchilada is if Kline can identify the guys who will say yes to our compensation offers. If we don’t hit on nearly all of our key targets the smartest GM in the world won’t matter.

 

[M2MPrinciples]

Funny that you mentioned Kansas. I watched Kansas vs Utah and Kansas didn’t look good in that game at all. I decided to look them up - they were as usual picked #1 preseason for the Big12 but are just 8-6 in conference while Utah was picked to finish last and is 7-8 in conference. KU fans aren’t happy. Weird because they had some very good early wins against very good teams but have lost 8 in their last 18 games mostly in conference. Funny because AJ Storr has bombed for Kansas after transferring from Wisconsin while Wisconsin has done well without both Storr and Chucky Hepburn who is killing it at Louisville.

Seems like Kansas just threw money at high-performing players without regard for how they would mesh with each other, or the coach. Seems like Self has his pets too because it's been years since I've been impressed with DaJuan Harris and KJ Adams is an athlete who can't get downhill or shoot and yet they both get gobs of playing time. They are getting historically bombed at BYU tonight.

 

[Sherman20]

I’m sure Kline’s a smart guy. I think people need to realize that most college programs have analytics guys and someone who’s researching player acquisitions. We’re late to this space.

And we should realize that everyone in the sport is looking at the same data and coming to many of the same conclusions about available players. It’s not unlike how things are in the NBA or MLB.

The whole enchilada is if Kline can identify the guys who will say yes to our compensation offers. If we don’t hit on nearly all of our key targets the smartest GM in the world won’t matter.

Actually, the article said only around 25 college basketball programs have a GM.

 

[Scooch]

Actually, the article said only around 25 college basketball programs have a GM.

For sure. But I believe most of the power conference teams have analytics and research staff. Maybe I’m wrong.

 

[bnoro]

For sure. But I believe most of the power conference teams have analytics and research staff. Maybe I’m wrong.

This is not a groundbreaking, game changing move by SU, despite their best efforts to paint it that way.

Hell, the Bonnies have Woj as a GM and they're not close to a P4 program

 

[phil77]

This is not a groundbreaking, game changing move by SU, despite their best efforts to paint it that way.

Hell, the Bonnies have Woj as a GM and they're not close to a P4 program

But now that we have Kline people will be lining up to play for Red.

 

[sufan59]

But now that we have Kline people will be lining up to play for Red.

If people are on the Kline train. They should be rooting for Kline to be the actual boss of the program, so he can actually be a General Manager and also have decision making on the coaching staff.

 

[bnoro]

But now that we have Kline people will be lining up to play for Red.

you forgot the /s right?

 

[jr4750]

That article about Kline actually sold part of this board on keeping Red, I truly can't believe it.

A glorified scout being touted as the savior of the SU program. Jesus wept.

I agree with this. Kline evaluated great HS talent for his website and then worked for the Knicks. He hasn't built college rosters as far as I can tell. I think being able to build a team is a skillset we lack, perhaps even with Kline. I guess we will find that out next year for sure.

 

[Red2003]

Do you want people in the program talking next year at this time that if only there was a GM they would've been better? There's alot of people from the old guard that don't want to get tossed out with Autry and his staff, they should be but there's going to be alot of fingerpointing and excuses.

Having someone is better than no one.

Personally I want no excuses next Fall, either Autry starts winning games next November and has our record, Kenpom and Net up to where it needs to be or the coaching search should be going full blast by January.

 

[Cusefan0307]

If people are on the Kline train. They should be rooting for Kline to be the actual boss of the program, so he can actually be a General Manager and also have decision making on the coaching staff.

This is what I’ve been saying all along.

 

[cusefan88]

Do you want people in the program talking next year at this time that if only there was a GM they would've been better? There's alot of people from the old guard that don't want to get tossed out with Autry and his staff, they should be but there's going to be alot of fingerpointing and excuses.

Having someone is better than no one.

Personally I want no excuses next Fall, either Autry starts winning games next November and has our record, Kenpom and Net up to where it needs to be or the coaching search should be going full blast by January.

Since we're resigned to Autry sticking around there need to be changes this off-season with additional assistants and probably some support staff changes.

Doing absolutely nothing to change things to me is giving up.

 

[hoopsupstate]

i think an area for review is our strength and conditioning program. I don’t see our guys getting much bigger or stronger.

 

[Scooch]

This is what I’ve been saying all along.

I don't think a college program can successfully work this way. The AD is the ultimate decision maker. The head coach runs his or her specific program. You need a head coach who you feel confident in to set the vision and strategy for the program. We feel that way about Fran (for now, anyway). We felt that way about JB for several decades.

The "GM" is a misleading title because people think of it like the pros. It seems to me that college GMs are really a "Director of Player Evaluations, Player Compensation and Analytics". The final decision on player acquisitions and compensation allocation needs to be up to the head coach, IMHO.

 

[Chip]

I don't think a college program can successfully work this way. The AD is the ultimate decision maker. The head coach runs his or her specific program. You need a head coach who you feel confident in to set the vision and strategy for the program. We feel that way about Fran (for now, anyway). We felt that way about JB for several decades.

The "GM" is a misleading title because people think of it like the pros. It seems to me that college GMs are really a "Director of Player Evaluations, Player Compensation and Analytics". The final decision on player acquisitions and compensation allocation needs to be up to the head coach, IMHO.

Agree. Using the term GM probably makes those in the role happy because it looks better on their resume. But it's a different job in college. Heavy on input, light on decision making.

Kline might be good at the job you described in your 2nd paragraph, but we may never know. Only one late filler on this roster that arrived after his hire date. People want to throw that baby out with the bathwater, which is what happens when you have your worst season in decades.

 

[wiCuse]

Do people here realize Wisconsin lost their two best players to Louisville and and Kansas this past offseason and have almost matched last years win total already? We really need to stop crying poverty. It’s not impossible to build a winner here. With Red it could be, who knows.

Any they have a very similar NIL budget. Main difference is they avoid the major roster overhaul, have a system, identity, etc. Many Wisconsin fans were not huge fans of Gard coming into this season...

 

[dasher]

That article about Kline actually sold part of this board on keeping Red, I truly can't believe it.

A glorified scout being touted as the savior of the SU program. Jesus wept.

Keeping him after last year???? You think he should have been fired after last year?

 

[Red2003]

Keeping him after last year???? You think he should have been fired after last year?

Things move quickly around here. Some knew Autry should've been fired before he was hired.

 

[Scooch]

Agree. Using the term GM probably makes those in the role happy because it looks better on their resume. But it's a different job in college. Heavy on input, light on decision making.

Kline might be good at the job you described in your 2nd paragraph, but we may never know. Only one late filler on this roster that arrived after his hire date. People want to throw that baby out with the bathwater, which is what happens when you have your worst season in decades.

That's why I'm agnostic on bringing Autry back. There's nothing about the past 11 months that are good, so I get the rationale for moving on. But we've also supposedly changed the program infrastructure a ton in that time as well. It's not indefensible want to see how we do next season given those changes. Assuming the changes aren't actually smoke-and-mirrors and we're hearing the same rationalizations about NIL and missed targets as we have been this season.

As long as the powers that be understand that attendance is going to suuuuuuck next season, unless the team is in the top 10 by January. And that we're prepared to move on if the team doesn't make the tourney. The NCAA tourney, since sadly we need to specify these days.

 

[RyanCuse44]

Since we're resigned to Autry sticking around there need to be changes this off-season with additional assistants and probably some support staff changes.

Doing absolutely nothing to change things to me is giving up.

I agree and would get rid of Griffin and Englestad, but keep Straughn. Hire some good damn assistants (outside SU family), especially someone that knows about X's and O's on offense and teach defense.

 

[hoopsupstate]

I agree and would get rid of Griffin and Englestad, but keep Straughn. Hire some good damn assistants (outside SU family), especially someone that knows about X's and O's on offense and teach defense.

Based on what?

 

[Cusefan0307]

I don't think a college program can successfully work this way. The AD is the ultimate decision maker. The head coach runs his or her specific program. You need a head coach who you feel confident in to set the vision and strategy for the program. We feel that way about Fran (for now, anyway). We felt that way about JB for several decades.

The "GM" is a misleading title because people think of it like the pros. It seems to me that college GMs are really a "Director of Player Evaluations, Player Compensation and Analytics". The final decision on player acquisitions and compensation allocation needs to be up to the head coach, IMHO.

Long term you are going to see GM’s get more power. From an organizational perspective it makes sense separating roster management from coaching. This doesn’t mean the coach wouldn’t have input, but I do think long term you’ll eventually see coaches just have final sign off on players. That’s basically how JB operated with Hop here anyway. Just without NIL. My main point for giving Kline more responsibility now is I kind of trust he knows what it takes to build a cohesive roster more than Red.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I agree and would get rid of Griffin and Englestad, but keep Straughn. Hire some good damn assistants (outside SU family), especially someone that knows about X's and O's on offense and teach defense.

I’m willing to give Engelstad more time as he just got here, but I don’t see what Griffin adds at all. That said we could hire two coaches without firing anyone. Our staff is incredibly small compared to other schools. That’s how JB liked to operate.