Syracuse vs UConn | Syracusefan.com

Syracuse vs UConn

I don’t remember much at the moment from the 2005 game, but that 2006 win was an all time great Cuse win and game.

That UConn team was loaded. Words can’t even describe how nuts I went when GMac tied it with that 3. You just knew we were winning that game at that point even though it made no sense. I have no idea what the stats where but my memory says that Roberts and Watkins really came through in the paint in that game.
 
2005 was great, because they'd swept us (brutal no-call on Warrick's potential go-ahead basket at the Dome in February, ugly blow-out in Storrs the weekend before the BET) and generally had had their way with us for years, with the exception of senior day in 2004 when Okafor was injured.

So we took it at them in the 2005 semi-final and Watkins and Roberts really had strong games. We might have outrebounded them, which we never did in those days. Boeheim was amped for that one, and the team seemed to be finding another level.

This was one more reason why Worcester was such a nut-punch the next week.
 
OttoMets said:
2005 was great, because they'd swept us (brutal no-call on Warrick's potential go-ahead basket at the Dome in February, ugly blow-out in Storrs the weekend before the BET) and generally had had their way with us for years, with the exception of senior day in 2004 when Okafor was injured.

So we took it at them in the 2005 semi-final and Watkins and Roberts really had strong games. We might have outrebounded them, which we never did in those days. Boeheim was amped for that one, and the team seemed to be finding another level.

This was one more reason why Worcester was such a nut-punch the next week.
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Wow, it was key that the bigs played so well, because look at our starting backcourt: 9-29 with 10 turnovers between the two of them. For McNamara, we call that a typical weeknight, but that was a very un-Pace-like performance. At least Louie McCroskey was available to come in and shoot 1-for-6 to pick those guys up.

https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/boxscore?id=24794
 
One more observation: Boeheim subbed out McNamara (quintessential 40-minute, allegedly irreplaceable player) for Josh Wright (quintessential 'oy vey' freshman) at a dead ball at 7:40 in the first half, in order to get McNamara a little extra rest through the under-8:00 timeout.

God, I miss this strategy from back in the days when college kids got tired.
 
OttoMets said:
One more observation: Boeheim subbed out McNamara (quintessential 40-minute, allegedly irreplaceable player) for Josh Wright (quintessential 'oy vey' freshman) at a dead ball at 7:40 in the first half, in order to get McNamara a little extra rest through the under-8:00 timeout.

God, I miss this strategy from back in the days when college kids got tired.
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Josh Wright was a scholarship player with some ability. In recent years, guys haven't gotten rest because the backup is a 5'9" walk-on, white guy who's just happy to be a part of the team.
 
OttoMets said:
Wow, it was key that the bigs played so well, because look at our starting backcourt: 9-29 with 10 turnovers between the two of them. For McNamara, we call that a typical weeknight, but that was a very un-Pace-like performance. At least Louie McCroskey was available to come in and shoot 1-for-6 to pick those guys up.

https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/boxscore?id=24794
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McCroskey had a way of doing that, and playing terrible defense to boot.
 
OrangeDW said:
I don’t remember much at the moment from the 2005 game, but that 2006 win was an all time great Cuse win and game.

That UConn team was loaded. Words can’t even describe how nuts I went when GMac tied it with that 3. You just knew we were winning that game at that point even though it made no sense. I have no idea what the stats where but my memory says that Roberts and Watkins really came through in the paint in that game.
Expand...

Agree with every word of this. You simply can't overstate how much of a monumental upset that was. That UConn team was the best team in the country that year (got shocked by George Mason in the Elite 8) and blew our doors off twice in the regular season. They had NBA talent all over the place and we had none, but we somehow got it done. Come to think of it, I know UConn has won recent national titles, but I feel like that team is the last one of theirs that was truly intimidating.
 
OttoMets said:
Wow, it was key that the bigs played so well, because look at our starting backcourt: 9-29 with 10 turnovers between the two of them. For McNamara, we call that a typical weeknight, but that was a very un-Pace-like performance. At least Louie McCroskey was available to come in and shoot 1-for-6 to pick those guys up.

https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/boxscore?id=24794
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I'm amazed the same guys that continue to kill Gerry for his inefficiency are the same guys that love Battle when their stats are the same when they played with less talent.
 
Cusefan0307 said:
I'm amazed the same guys that continue to kill Gerry for his inefficiency are the same guys that love Battle when their stats are the same when they played with less talent.
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As I mentioned last time you made this comparison, I think it's an interesting one and the stats are more similar than I would have guessed.

But I think you're overstating things here. Obviously, GMac had more talent around him his first three seasons than Battle had this past year (I mean, Anthony in '03 and Warrick in '05 are probably two of the ten greatest individual seasons in program history). GMac's senior year is pretty close to Battle's soph year, though (1) GMac was a senior and (2) Nichols and Devendorf were both significantly better shooters than anyone on last year's team. Neither guy had much around him. But I do think it's not unreasonable that people were disappointed in (pre-BE) GMac that year, given his experience, and that the same people might be impressed by what sophomore Battle did on an immensely flawed team, and optimistic about what he might do in a better situation this coming year.
 
Eric15 said:
Agree with every word of this. You simply can't overstate how much of a monumental upset that was. That UConn team was the best team in the country that year (got shocked by George Mason in the Elite 8) and blew our doors off twice in the regular season. They had NBA talent all over the place and we had none, but we somehow got it done. Come to think of it, I know UConn has won recent national titles, but I feel like that team is the last one of theirs that was truly intimidating.
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Yes. They won in 2004 and got better the next few years. Then fell off quickly in terms of talent (in relation to middle of the decade) and were a bubble team come 2010. That team had talent but would have missed the dance if they didn't go on a BET run.

That Brad Stevens guy honestly Im a Celtics fan I will never ever forgive him for blowing the National Championship in 2010 Butler was about to demolish them but somehow lost and Game 7 vs Cleveland this year was like watching it again Cleveland was bad we should have won that game by 20 and were close to blowing their doors off. Tatum dunks on LeBron and taunts him then doesn't take another shot while Smart and Rozeir had 3-4 attempted 3s each after that. . I specifically didn't bet on Florida or watch their game vs Florida in 2014 because I had a sickening feeling like a few years prior and figured as long as I didn't get to enjoy them losing by betting or watching they'd have to lose to the best team in the country.
 
Eric15 said:
Agree with every word of this. You simply can't overstate how much of a monumental upset that was. That UConn team was the best team in the country that year (got shocked by George Mason in the Elite 8) and blew our doors off twice in the regular season. They had NBA talent all over the place and we had none, but we somehow got it done. Come to think of it, I know UConn has won recent national titles, but I feel like that team is the last one of theirs that was truly intimidating.
Expand...

2009 with Thabeet. I felt like we could never score inside on them.
 
Brooky03 said:
Josh Wright was a scholarship player with some ability. In recent years, guys haven't gotten rest because the backup is a 5'9" walk-on, white guy who's just happy to be a part of the team.
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So, if he was a 5'9" black guy walk-on, he can ball?
 
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