The Stark Reality...

[orange79]

Is that a new rule? Everything that everyone writes on this board is by definition an opinion...wow...

You want to be clear? Be clear. You want to have to answer posts to clarify your opinion, be my guest.

 

[SUFan44]

I'll play. Mostly because I'm wondering if I should sign up for orange79's "Facts vs. Opinions" class if he so kindly chooses to teach it.

I highlighted in bold below what I view as opinion vs. fact in your OP, is that correct?


There is a strong possibility that this team will not beat a team ranked in the final Top 25 poll during the regular season.

This would mark the first time since the 2001-02 season that a Syracuse team has not defeated a team ranked in the final AP Top 25 poll.

Additionally, there's a strong chance (greater than 90%, according to most) that our leading scorer and best player will be leaving with additional eligibility remaining.

This would mark the seventh time in eight years that a significant member of the team has left with eligibility remaining. Bolded players are ones drafted, and bolded underlined players are those still in the NBA.

2019-20: Elijah Hughes
2018-19: Tyus Battle, Oshae Brissett
2017-18: None
2016-17: Tyler Lydon
2015-16: Malachi Richardson
2014-15: Chris McCullough
2013-14: Tyler Ennis, Jerami Grant
2012-13: Michael Carter-Williams

This is not a commentary about whether anyone should have left or not. Just a simple look at the quality of player we have had leave the program in recent years. It has diminished.

James Arthur Boeheim is a legend and will continue to be a Syracuse icon long after he retires. He has done a ton of good for the program.

But over the last six years, the level have play has deteriorated to the point that the Orange has lost an average of 13.2 games per season.

In no season over the last six has Syracuse been ranked in the Top 10, and the team has had 12 or more losses during the regular season every single year.

In Boeheim's first 38 years, he lost 12 games in a regular season exactly ONE other time (2007-08). And before you start saying "Oh, well, teams play more games now than ever during the regular season," here's a quick look, every five years, of what the number of regular season games played were:

2018-19: 31; 2013-14: 31; 2008-09 - 31; 2003-04 - 27; 1998-99 - 29; 1993-94 - 26; 1988-89 - 30; 1983-84 - 26

So if you were to add one loss to each of the loss totals for teams that played less than 30 games, you'd add two teams to the list: 1981-82 & 1996-97

Two fringe Top 100 players coming in, grad transfers, no Top 30 recruits in the pipeline except one -- and who knows if that will ever come to fruition with the new NBA rules pending.

The team has improved this year, but it's time for a change. The numbers do not lie.

Looks like an acceptable interpretation to me.

Though I think the first bolded piece will be fact at the end of the season. That’s an opinion.

 

[jncuse]

Just a minor nitpick that has nothing to do your post,

Oshae Brissett left and is on an NBA Contract and has played 128 minutes this year. Which is 128 minutes more than I was expecting, but good for him.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

It's a message board. Active/passive is often lost.

Regardless, you didn't state "in my opinion" anywhere.

I add that phrase to every post I read here.

 

[kcsu]

You would think that a guy who all but made the Syracuse basketball what it is...who put the Syracuse basketball program on the map would’ve exercised a little more attention to detail after getting nailed once and having the program set back a few years.

You would think.

Here is a question. How many head college basketball coaches have been caught and had their program sanctioned twice by the NCAA while coaching at the same school and didnt get fired. Hint... Starts with a J..

 

[dollarbill44]

Fal

Is that a new rule? Everything that everyone writes on this board is by definition an opinion...wow...

False. There are numerous facts posted every day on here.
That's two new facts right there!

 

[dollarbill44]

Here is a question. How many head college basketball coaches have been caught and had their program sanctioned twice by the NCAA while coaching at the same school and didnt get fired. Hint... Starts with a J..

What number starts with the letter J?

 

[Todoubled23]

What number starts with the letter J?

that's his opinion

 

[Gotothehole]

There is absolutely no logical reason why we don’t have a true center. The current starter was hurt last year and is over matched this year. The head of this program didn’t see this coming?

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Sure.

But JB righted the ship enough to give himself 2 more years. We can't take the PR risk of canning JB. I'm worried about next year but even if it goes sour I'd assume we'd just have a handshake agreement with JB that he leaves with Buddy and the following year is their swan song.

Replacing Hughes is going to be brutal. IDK how people think hes fully developed and can't make another jump like he has done every year hes been here and enter next year a Wooden contender. That is a lot better than going undrafted and trying to grind it out in the G League. Buddy and JG3 without a three point threat with them scares me teams will mug the hell out of them.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Just a minor nitpick that has nothing to do your post,

Oshae Brissett left and is on an NBA Contract and has played 128 minutes this year. Which is 128 minutes more than I was expecting, but good for him.

Ky Bowman left to go undrafted when people thought he would go 1st round and was a lock for 2nd round. Guess what Steph Curry got hurt so it worked out.

Brissetts situation is just as fortuitous BUT there is one big difference and that is he was expected to not get picked he was an outside shot to go late 2nd. His hometown team signed him for the G league and then lost the best player on the planet who plays the same position so hes gotten a few minutes.

Hughes stock would only go up if he entered the draft stronger and as a better player.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Grad transfers can put you over the top if you are close. And no one is hoping that grad transfers become the life blood of the program. By the way, did you see that Dior Johnson is coming up for the UNC game? Doesn't sound like a guy that won't play a minute of college hoop. Oh, and Chase will be here that weekend.

Last I checked we don’t have any grad transfers signed. Yet. How many times has SU been in a “good” position a few months before a decision only to be the bridesmaid.

I really hope SU gives away free tix to get fans in the seats on Feb 29. Dior and chance might otherwise see a much more subdued crowd with a team that has no postseason aspirations.

 

[dasher]

Last I checked we don’t have any grad transfers signed. Yet. How many times has SU been in a “good” position a few months before a decision only to be the bridesmaid.

I really hope SU gives away free tix to get fans in the seats on Feb 29. Dior and chance might otherwise see a much more subdued crowd with a team that has no postseason aspirations.

It would be tough to have any signed now. With Towns, we don't know what Eli is going to do. And he is busy making sure he graduates from Harvard. With Tape, he has taken just one visit. Us. He has a few more to go.

 

[CU44SE]

I say this in all seriousness and I don’t know his academic standing (if he is on pace to graduate) but do you think Jimmy B is so certain on a grad transfer big because it’s his own son? Granted he is only 6’8” so no that is not a big. But Jimmy is averaging 17 and 5 at Cornell this year and only a junior. This would only be good for coach B in my opinion. This would not solve any problems that we currently have. But I feel like that is the only way he can be so certain of a grad transfer. Otherwise it would have to be tampering. You can’t communicate with someone unless they are in the portal. Does anyone know of any bigs in the portal currently? Usually players don’t hit the portal until after the season.

 

[DilemaCuse]

The staff’s lack of point guard evaluation is a big factor in our poor play. They struck out with everyone after Ennis left. Joe Girard is a pleasant surprise, but I don’t think the staff actually recruited him as a point guard. Hopkins was involved in a couple of the misses.

With a staff of all former guards, you wouldn't think the evaluation of that position would be so bad, yet it is. kaleb Joseph, Frank Howard, Jalen Carey. Thank god for transfers in Gbinjie and Gillon mixed in

 

[orangecuse]

Grad transfers can put you over the top if you are close. And no one is hoping that grad transfers become the life blood of the program. By the way, did you see that Dior Johnson is coming up for the UNC game? Doesn't sound like a guy that won't play a minute of college hoop. Oh, and Chase will be here that weekend.

With all due respect, if my memory serves me correctly, I recall this general sentiment/rationale shortly after being hit with the sanctions when we got GT's White & Gillon . A few years removed now, it still appears we are hoping to land GT's, at least to, if not save, significantly assist with the quality of our blood. Additionally, again if I recall correctly, I believe several here thought highly that those GT's were "putting us over the top" and that we were legit "contenders" with high expectations for that season. JB himself I believe hyped up his team, which of course may as well just have been gospel to some.

I'm for just about anything that's going to help this program getting back to its winning ways that we had been accustomed to for years. So, in that regard, I hope that we land those GT's. However, I'm more wishful that our traditional recruiting ways can render better results, bringing the needed uptick in talent, and paying out better dividends in the future.

Edit: Time will tell...Dior is an excellent start, even though he's still a couple of seasons away from landing on campus...I hope he makes it here and brings along those better recruits he promises as well too.

 

[Alsacs]

Virginia could still make the final top 25 depending on how they do in the NCAAT.

 

[tbonezone]

There is a strong possibility that this team will not beat a team ranked in the final Top 25 poll during the regular season.

didn't that used to get Wichita State a top seed ?

 

[CaptainJ]

I was slightly disappointed with this thread. After reading the title, I thought someone may have found a way to weave Game of Thrones into SU talk.

 

[PhatOrange]

Come on. Battle and Brissett were ALl-ACC players and would Ben on this team. Who cares what they have or havent done in the pros. We’re a college team.