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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 4434597, member: 289"] The rest of the story: Jim, (as happened a few times late last year), was late, (I assume working on that man for man defense), so Matt had to fill, playing radio highlights of the Lehigh game. When Jim arrived, they talked about how some of the freshmen struggled in the exhibition games: “It’s part of being a freshman” but “they did well in the first ‘real’ game. We need Judah to be good and the others to find a role. Quadir has to avoid making turnovers. Benny had the worst game he’s going to have.” JB talked about Jake Crouthamel: “Media people said that he was appreciated but there’s no statue of him and nothing named after him. He didn’t want anything for himself. He didn’t want to be recognized. He always took the worst spot in the parking lot.” [maybe they could name that after Jake.] He brought in Dick and Paul for football. He was a football guy but cared about every sport. He gave us what we needed in basketball and got us into the Big East. If you were in a fight, you wanted him standing next to you. He always said that the pain of losing was bigger than the joy of winning. He had his own copy of the football game film that he’d look at in his office. He wasn’t a basketball guy, but he got into the NCAA committee and helped organize that. And he was our financial guy. They talked briefly, (but much more politely than in the press conference), about the fact that might get his 1,100th actual win vs. Colgate. “It means I’ve been around a long time.” Colgate is “as good as last year” they lost a couple of guys but replaced them. They are a good passing and shooting team, a confident team that’s bene the NCAAs and beat us last year. They lost to Buffalo but scored 87 points. They have two big, physical guys inside, (6-11 270 Jeff Woodward and 6-10 Keegan Records), and their freshman guard, (Braeden Smith), is really good.” Lehigh is similar except, while “their guards are really good, Evan Taylor is the conference pre-season player of the year, their big men need some work.” Colgate has the big men they need already. Jesse Edwards was good against a team “with no beef. Big guys bother him…he got two dunks on fast breaks. He’s much better around the basket…The whole team was not making defensive adjustments. The zone has been better. We went from up 6 to up 18 at halftime with the zone. We’re working on the man. These kids played mad in high school but most of it was fake. We spend most of our practice trying to get the defense right. It’s harder to play two defenses. There’s not enough time for each. People think the zone is complicated. It’s easier than learning a man-to-man. There are 100 different plays you can run against a man-for-man. Against zones there are a couple of things people can do. Practicing against man-to-man has made our man offense better.” Gomez asked Jim about the practice schedule. They did an hour practice four days a week for 6 weeks. Now they’ve had 5 weeks of ‘regular’ practice. [11 weeks would take us back to August 24th] “Sy, Joe and Jesse have to be solid for us. Judah is playing a new position. Benny couldn’t play any worse. Mounir can block a shot. He didn’t play his last two years in high school because he was hurt and didn’t play much in his first year at Duquesne. Many guys are changing in the right direction. Jesse is making big strides. Joe is learning to get in the lane and make plays which you don’t do as a point guard.” [I thought that’s what point guards did. And Joe had problems when he got into the lane.] “If Benny can stay around the basket, rebound, and run the court he can be very effective. Sy is a good defender and leader. He got 6 rebounds for us and pushed the ball downcourt. He’s very consistent.” “Last year we had a terrible start but were on the verge of becoming really good when Jesse went down. It’s hardest on the young players. They’ve never had any adversity.” [On the court.] Syracuse can’t host the Final Four. “There’s not enough hotel rooms. They’d need 40-50,000. They never mention the weather, but it’s a factor. The Dome is actually smaller than the places they are using now. They’d have to put the court in the middle of the Dome and it would cost $2 million to do that because they’d have to change all the wiring and they’d lose all the good seats.” Matt pointed out that we’d played in the last Final Four held in a ‘real arena’ – in 1996 when we lost to Kentucky in the final at East Rutherford. JB: “It was better but that’s the way it is.” Jim was asked what was the best team he’s had that didn’t make the Final Four. He picked the ‘1990’ team that “lost to Illinois. We were a little better, but we lost by a point.” [Which means it was actually the 1989 team that lost to Illinois by 3 points.] Matt noted that we play the Illini – probably grandsons of that 1989 team- the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. A reunion is being planned for the 2003 championship team. They are still ironing out the details. Someone asked about the aircraft carrier game. “It was a beautiful day. Plenty of sunshine and you could see for miles. The problem was you couldn’t shoot because of the wind. We got off to a good start and held on to the lead by going to the basket.” What if the weather wasn’t great. What was plan B? “I don’t think there was one.” Donovan McNabb “was a ferocious rebounder. His guard skills had eroded.” The Twitch screen froze up for a time and I didn’t get the rest of this discussion. What Big East team does he miss playing the most? “Villanova, St. John’s, Connecticut – of course we still play Georgetown. We had come great rivalries. But we have to be in the ACC for football. You have to be in one of the Big Five leagues.” What does JB think of the plan for a 12-team college football playoff? “Football is becoming more balanced. They’re going to wish they already had a 12-team playoff this year. The contracts for the 4 team playoff run through 2025.” In the NBA: Jerami Grant “played great. He’s signed a $50 million dollar contract. The next one might be for $100 million. He was a 2nd round draft pick. Utah traded their two best players and they are a better team. Cole Swider “is hurt pretty bad. It’s too bad. They needed a shooter.” Jimmy Boeheim “likes it in Greece, although it’s tough being away for 8 months. I stream the games from Greece. Buddy will play mostly in the G league this year but maybe he’ll get a shot towards the end of the year.” Carmelo “is in great shape and I’m shocked he hasn’t been picked up by anyone. The really good teams don’t want to change things.” [And they don’t seem to want Syracuse players.] Who had the best basketball mind of all the players JB has coached? “Lebron James. He understands both ends of the court – offense and defense. He and Steph Curry. You don’t ever have to tell them anything. Just give them a position and let them play.” Golf: John in Liverpool asked if Jim has ever shot his age. JB: “I never have, although I’m getting close. I need to find an easy course. I’ve done 9 holes in 39 shots.” Matt Park said that Jimmy Satalin had done it a couple of times. [And he’s younger at age 75] Gerry McNamara had “play Augusta” on his bucket list. What’s on Jim’s bucket list? JB: “I’m old enough that I’ve got my bucket list. I haven’t really missed anything.” Tiger Woods will play with Rory McIlroy against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas at Augusta in a December event. JB: “Tiger has to get stronger. Augusta is all hills. People who haven’t played there have no idea. It’s a tough walking course.” “The PGA is still the best tour. LIV runs shotgun starts and plays 54 holes. The majors will pressure the PGA to allow LIV players into their tournaments. [/QUOTE]

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