The board bashing of Coach

[CNY in Miami]

As a kid, I played all kinds of sports: baseball, basketball, football, golf, and even shot a lot of pool. By my junior year in high school, I had pretty much quit playing team sports—too slow for baseball, didn’t enjoy getting hit in football, and, honestly, I wasn’t very good at basketball. However, I did become a decent golfer. In my mid-20s, up until my daughter was born in my late 30s, I carried a single-digit handicap, which put me ahead of most golfers. Even though I stopped playing team sports, I’ve always enjoyed watching them, especially Syracuse basketball and football.
Now in my early 70s, after decades of watching sports, I’ve come to realize that; I don't know anything about coaching and teams with a mix of good players and one or two great players tend to win a lot of games—even if the coach isn’t the best.
Coach Autry inherited the SU program without many good players and no great players. Winning 20 games last year with that roster was, in my opinion, a testament to pretty good coaching. Last year started much like this one, but the team improved over the season and became respectable by the end.

I doubt Carmelo would want his son playing for a lousy coach. he may know a little more about basketball than most of us on this board, If he didn’t believe Red could make his son a better player and build a championship-caliber team, his son wouldn’t have signed with SU. Next year’s recruiting class is top ten in the nation, so let’s stop bashing the coach.
Every great program has its ups and downs. UCLA, Kentucky, Indiana, and North Carolina have all had stretches of mediocrity, and now it’s Syracuse’s turn. Building a winning team takes time, and it’s not always a smooth process. Coach Autry sat next to one of the top five college coaches for years. He’s passionate about SU, he’s a good man, and will be successful.

Chill out and enjoy the journey.

 

[grepal]

As a kid, I played all kinds of sports: baseball, basketball, football, golf, and even shot a lot of pool. By my junior year in high school, I had pretty much quit playing team sports—too slow for baseball, didn’t enjoy getting hit in football, and, honestly, I wasn’t very good at basketball. However, I did become a decent golfer. In my mid-20s, up until my daughter was born in my late 30s, I carried a single-digit handicap, which put me ahead of most golfers. Even though I stopped playing team sports, I’ve always enjoyed watching them, especially Syracuse basketball and football.
Now in my early 70s, after decades of watching sports, I’ve come to realize that; I don't know anything about coaching and teams with a mix of good players and one or two great players tend to win a lot of games—even if the coach isn’t the best.
Coach Autry inherited the SU program without many good players and no great players. Winning 20 games last year with that roster was, in my opinion, a testament to pretty good coaching. Last year started much like this one, but the team improved over the season and became respectable by the end.

I doubt Carmelo would want his son playing for a lousy coach. he may know a little more about basketball than most of us on this board, If he didn’t believe Red could make his son a better player and build a championship-caliber team, his son wouldn’t have signed with SU. Next year’s recruiting class is top ten in the nation, so let’s stop bashing the coach.
Every great program has its ups and downs. UCLA, Kentucky, Indiana, and North Carolina have all had stretches of mediocrity, and now it’s Syracuse’s turn. Building a winning team takes time, and it’s not always a smooth process. Coach Autry sat next to one of the top five college coaches for years. He’s passionate about SU, he’s a good man, and will be successful.

Chill out and enjoy the journey.

The board bashing of coach is uncalled for. Same with denigrating our players. If you are so unhappy cheer for UCONN or something.

 

[Ottoman]

I appreciate the sentiment - bashing of anyone associated with the program is ridiculous. They are all working very hard to try and succeed.

Disagreements on strategy, however, is a different matter. Any time a program with our pedigree puts a defense on the floor like we did the last few weeks will take some well-deserved heat. There are certain expectations for play at this level, and one is a competent defense against lower-level competition. Orange standard, right?

While I agree that Red did have some success last year and that this season is young, there are some red flags worth mentioning.

That being said, I love that Red seems to understand where he is not strong. He hired a GM with analytics and player analysis skills. He hired an assistant with some success coaching defense. Right now, those are areas where we are struggling mightily. We recruited several players that are not a good fit at this level and our defense has been very sloppy.

 

[CardiacCuse]

i think everyone loves red as a person, i know i do ...i think hes a great guy and amabassador for the program

but based on whats happening on the fllor its hard not question things, imo

some of the problems and issues seem to clearly stem from the coaching, unfortunately

and a lot of those are also easily fixable things, apparently, as well

 

[dasher]

Being critical of a coach goes with the territory when you are a coach. You know that going in. No one other than one board ??? has called Red any names. And I thought he had a terrific season last year. Terrific Dash? Really? No NCAA tournament? Yes. With that team and it's limitations, getting 20 wins with some of the wins we did get, terrific. But the 3 games so far have been just about as bad as they could have been. except we didn't lose any of them and to lose them would or should have been hard to do for a Syracuse team against those three teams and quite frankly, it wasn't. I still think (hope) the season can be saved. I wish we had a couple of more "easy" games before we had to start playing real teams. But that isn't what happened.

 

[SoBristol]

Red is terrific - but the current team has issues that are not “easily fixable”. I wish they were. Better coaching in practices or in-game is not going to fix this team. It is going to take a lot of development of our first year guys (Autry recruits) who will certainly get better. And then next year, a top 10 recruiting class will move SU in the direction we want.

For now, I believe we have to enjoy the excitement of close wins against bad teams. Maybe there are enough bad teams out there?

 

[MamesJungro]

I appreciate the sentiment - bashing of anyone associated with the program is ridiculous. They are all working very hard to try and succeed.

Disagreements on strategy, however, is a different matter. Any time a program with our pedigree puts a defense on the floor like we did the last few weeks will take some well-deserved heat. There are certain expectations for play at this level, and one is a competent defense against lower-level competition. Orange standard, right?

While I agree that Red did have some success last year and that this season is young, there are some red flags worth mentioning.

That being said, I love that Red seems to understand where he is not strong. He hired a GM with analytics and player analysis skills. He hired an assistant with some success coaching defense. Right now, those are areas where we are struggling mightily. We recruited several players that are not a good fit at this level and our defense has been very sloppy.

lol i love that idea that Red and the GM sat down, broke out the analytics software, and were like "Look, what we really need this year is an undersized center who can barely move and a starting point guard who would be the seventh pick at the after-work pickup game at an LA Fitness"

 

[djcon57]

As a kid, I played all kinds of sports: baseball, basketball, football, golf, and even shot a lot of pool. By my junior year in high school, I had pretty much quit playing team sports—too slow for baseball, didn’t enjoy getting hit in football, and, honestly, I wasn’t very good at basketball. However, I did become a decent golfer. In my mid-20s, up until my daughter was born in my late 30s, I carried a single-digit handicap, which put me ahead of most golfers. Even though I stopped playing team sports, I’ve always enjoyed watching them, especially Syracuse basketball and football.
Now in my early 70s, after decades of watching sports, I’ve come to realize that; I don't know anything about coaching and teams with a mix of good players and one or two great players tend to win a lot of games—even if the coach isn’t the best.
Coach Autry inherited the SU program without many good players and no great players. Winning 20 games last year with that roster was, in my opinion, a testament to pretty good coaching. Last year started much like this one, but the team improved over the season and became respectable by the end.

I doubt Carmelo would want his son playing for a lousy coach. he may know a little more about basketball than most of us on this board, If he didn’t believe Red could make his son a better player and build a championship-caliber team, his son wouldn’t have signed with SU. Next year’s recruiting class is top ten in the nation, so let’s stop bashing the coach.
Every great program has its ups and downs. UCLA, Kentucky, Indiana, and North Carolina have all had stretches of mediocrity, and now it’s Syracuse’s turn. Building a winning team takes time, and it’s not always a smooth process. Coach Autry sat next to one of the top five college coaches for years. He’s passionate about SU, he’s a good man, and will be successful.

Chill out and enjoy the journey.

I don't understand the bashing of JB and Wildhack

Like everyone on this board I am really disappointed in this season. But I really have a tough time understanding how this board has become nothing but a place to complain about JB and JW. Since JW has been there SU has turned a tired looking facility into one of the best college stadium's in...

syracusefan.com

You made this same post 3 years ago and were incorrect. With all due respect, you were wrong then and it's possible you are wrong now when you say "he will be successful". We all hope he will be, there is no guarantees at all.

 

[cusefan88]

Going over screens instead of under and an improvement in help defense rotations (not impossible) would significantly help this team.

Hopefully sticking with a consistent 8-9 (Davis, Moore, Taylor, maybe Petar) off the bench will help.

 

[OrangeinBoston]

I liked what I saw against Youngstown State: Far more energy and hustle, real leadership from Lampkin, and desire to win, even Bell made some good defensive plays. Yes, the defense has to improve. Shooting has to improve, but let's see how this plays out. Who knows? Maybe Westry's return, if it does happen, may make a difference.

 

[Marsh01]

Red will be fine. He finally is going to be getting “his” players in hear next season and i for one cant wait.

If we had a massive NIL fund (and i mean top 5) then i am sure the portal selections would have been a little meatier.

Its the same as when people were questioning fran after pitt and bc. The world definitely is different than when i was growing up in terms of patience and it sucks.

 

[Sherman20]

lol i love that idea that Red and the GM sat down, broke out the analytics software, and were like "Look, what we really need this year is an undersized center who can barely move and a starting point guard who would be the seventh pick at the after-work pickup game at an LA Fitness"

Just more pointless nasty snark.

 

[Ottoman]

lol i love that idea that Red and the GM sat down, broke out the analytics software, and were like "Look, what we really need this year is an undersized center who can barely move and a starting point guard who would be the seventh pick at the after-work pickup game at an LA Fitness"

Thankfully, that's not what happened! LOL. I don't think the new GM and assistant were in place and up to speed until after this year's portal players were selected. Kline and his team probably helped select our more recent recruits. Both Petar and Aaron Womack look like under-recruited analytics finds to my eye. I am hopeful for the future!

It's really hard to see what the strategy was for this year's portal players. Despite the big talk, I think most of them were recruited as backup players, and then we struck out on the prospective starters. But even if that's the case, we are beginning to stock-pile unplayable guards like we normally collect unplayable centers. One thing is certain - not one of the portal additions was recruited for their defensive prowess.

 

[Sherman20]

Going over screens instead of under and an improvement in help defense rotations (not impossible) would significantly help this team.

Hopefully sticking with a consistent 8-9 (Davis, Moore, Taylor, maybe Petar) off the bench will help.

Exactly. Red and the coaches should stop practice and make the team run suicides every time a player doesn’t fight over a screen on the perimeter, slide their feet as the defender (looking at you JJ), rotate quick enough on help defense and other fundamental defensive issues. It’s unacceptable. Accountability is needed, and hopefully it’s coming.

 

[djcon57]

The world definitely is different than when i was growing up in terms of patience and it sucks.

As far as patience, you'd agree that with NIL and Transfer Portal that teams can get better quicker though, right?

Like on an extreme level, a team like Indiana football couldn't do what it did this year. And in the opposite direction, a team like Fla State wouldnt go from undefeated to a 1 win team the next year.

I think everyone can agree to the fact that the landscape has changed. I'm not suggesting we don't give Red time, I've been clear I'd like to give him 3 years to make the tourney. I think that should be sufficient at a school of our prior standard.

I just think this idea that he couldn't get "his" team in place by Year 2 is rather bizarre. If you want to place the limitations on NIL budget, then that's fine. I hope he's able to figure it out by Year 3 or 4

 

[HyattsCuse]

Chill out and enjoy the journey.

I think it's important to also point out a different perspective. Yes, fans are offering a lot of [warranted] criticism right now; maybe a little bit of it (none that I've seen) has reached the level of "bashing", but I learned from a young age playing sports that most coaches (and I think this extends to fans), criticize because they care. They want to see Red and the team succeed.

You should be very worried if you ever read this board someday and don't see any criticism or "bashing" as you put it. That means people have given up and don't care anymore.

 

[Ottoman]

As far as patience, you'd agree that with NIL and Transfer Portal that teams can get better quicker though, right?

Like on an extreme level, a team like Indiana football couldn't do what it did this year. And in the opposite direction, a team like Fla State wouldnt go from undefeated to a 1 win team the next year.

I think everyone can agree to the fact that the landscape has changed. I'm not suggesting we don't give Red time, I've been clear I'd like to give him 3 years to make the tourney. I think that should be sufficient at a school of our prior standard.

I just think this idea that he couldn't get "his" team in place by Year 2 is rather bizarre. If you want to place the limitations on NIL budget, then that's fine. I hope he's able to figure it out by Year 3 or 4

It's hard to argue with this.

I think patience is a good thing for fans in general. However, if anything, the Cuse fan base was too patient over the past decade or so. We had an amazing coach, who most of us loved. We couldn't stand the thought of him getting criticized or forced out after so many years of success. So we waited and sacrificed watching a good product so he could have the experience of coaching his sons. Personally, I think it was fair. But it was painful.

The standard of Syracuse basketball has slipped because we as fans, administrators, and coaches let it slip. It's time to start reversing the trend!

P.S. Big kudos to us fans who packed the dome and traveled through thick and thin. Onward!

 

[two3zone]

All I'm going to say is, if it was Jim Boeheim on the sidelines with these results, it would be beyond chaos. We were never this bad and Jim dealt with a lot of criticism, which was all fair, and Red is getting less with a worse product. What we've watched is embarrassing.

 

[grepal]

I appreciate the sentiment - bashing of anyone associated with the program is ridiculous. They are all working very hard to try and succeed.

Disagreements on strategy, however, is a different matter. Any time a program with our pedigree puts a defense on the floor like we did the last few weeks will take some well-deserved heat. There are certain expectations for play at this level, and one is a competent defense against lower-level competition. Orange standard, right?

While I agree that Red did have some success last year and that this season is young, there are some red flags worth mentioning.

That being said, I love that Red seems to understand where he is not strong. He hired a GM with analytics and player analysis skills. He hired an assistant with some success coaching defense. Right now, those are areas where we are struggling mightily. We recruited several players that are not a good fit at this level and our defense has been very sloppy.

Armchair quarterbacking is fun. I will support our guys as long as they are solid citizens, represent SU well and put forth their best efforts. Sure I get disapointed but I love the entertainmant value of watching our teams play.

lol i love that idea that Red and the GM sat down, broke out the analytics software, and were like "Look, what we really need this year is an undersized center who can barely move and a starting point guard who would be the seventh pick at the after-work pickup game at an LA Fitness"

Man, if that were the case I could either one of those guys. Where is my NIL.

 

[bballbeadle]

The first two years of Coach K’s tenure at Duke were hell.

 

[Bulldog04]

All I'm going to say is, if it was Jim Boeheim on the sidelines with these results, it would be beyond chaos. We were never this bad and Jim dealt with a lot of criticism, which was all fair, and Red is getting less with a worse product. What we've watched is embarrassing.

Results? Boeheim lost to these teams for a couple of years. Amazing people forget that part. Never this bad? The team is undefeated and they have played terribly. Just got a top 5 recruiting class (something JB didn’t do ever from my research) in the hardest time to get a player ever with NIL. Just signed a legacy recruit of the biggest legacy the program may have.

And it’s so funny that if they win these games by 10-12 everyone is so happy and jolly and praising Red.

How about getting Donnie Freeman for only 150k in NIL? He had offers that were 3x-4x that and chose to PLAY FOR RED.

I bet all the complainers on here too have never met Red, never talked to him or anything like that. Because if you got the opportunity to, you would realize how great of a person he is and how much he knows about the game and how much he loves Syracuse.

Lastlt, I think the team could go undefeated winning games by 2 points all year and some of you would still complain. And no this isn’t directly aimed at you, it’s aimed at everyone that continues to be such a downer 3 games in to the season and acting like little babies that it’s over. Want the team to get better? Stop complaining and donate…

 

[NKR1978]

All I'm going to say is, if it was Jim Boeheim on the sidelines with these results, it would be beyond chaos. We were never this bad and Jim dealt with a lot of criticism, which was all fair, and Red is getting less with a worse product. What we've watched is embarrassing.

AA makes millions a year. The players all make good money. Fans are asked to donate to pay the players. We're entitled to criticize. I'm still not super comfortable going after players, but I'm not going to get upset over others.

 

[twinight]

If you've seen something in the play of the team that reflects great in-game coaching or pre-grame planning or an ability to motivate players, please feel free to let us know.

That would certainly carry much more weight than "Don't criticize a coach!" which is just nonsense.

 

[twinight]

And it’s so funny that if they win these games by 10-12 everyone is so happy and jolly and praising Red.

Yes. Of course. I'm not sure why that strikes you as "funny."

 

[swish7]

LOL