They’ve stopped playing for him.

[STEVEHOLT]

It's the zone!! ...look at the record made threes and record assists every team puts up against us ...he is so damn stubborn!!! Get him out before we cannot recover this program landslide!

The zone is the root cause of all our problems. they score against it or get an offensive rebound (or 4) and then score against it. It also leads to this mysterious blame game as the coach randomly picks who he’s going to chew out for it not working, because it can’t work. Not anymore.

Mind you, I’m not calling for them to play man. Because I know it will never happen in a meaningful game. The architect needs to take his plans elsewhere

 

[STEVEHOLT]

Scheme sucks on both ends agreed. But, it’s the players. Again, acknowledging the sucky schemes, but we haven’t had the horses for YEARS. In fact, there’s been several years recently where any other coach with our roster wouldn’t have won 10 damn games, not 10. But, the talent is so underwhelming now, we’re just a bad team. Period. Game, set, match. No magic formula here. WE DO NOT HAVE GOOD ENOUGH PLAYERS. Pure and simple. (obviously save for Judah on this team).

We are as soft as a wet roll of Charmin. Please god, please send me another DC, please!!! I beg you!!!!

Have you seen how bad some of these other ACC teams are ? We certainly should be good enough once in a decade. This is a system issue. The roster changes every year yet the same problems persist . What are the odds it’s the players ?

 

[Scooch]

5 top 125 players shouldn’t be viewed as “lacking talent” there are clearly other issues. Syracuses talent pool is not different to better than Clemson and yet they’re in two completely places

I don’t think we have five top 125 kids. Regardless, It’s “lacking talent” compared to prior SU editions. And that’s important when you run the offensive and defensive schemes we do. So we kind of agree. But we also shouldn’t be settling for the ceiling Clemson has right now.

 

[Newhouser]

I genuinely do not see how Wildhack can bring Boeheim back next year. Boeheim has lost the fan base ALOT this year. You lose to Colgate back to back years. You miss the NCAA AND NIT a few years in a row. The team has been mediocre to bad the last 5+ years. The talent has not been there. We are not competing at the top of the conference and the things Boeheim have said this season have to put this over the top. Wildhack has to prove why he gets paid the big bucks and not only let Boeheim go this off season but he NEEDS to go outside the current staff for the head coach next season. I think Wildhack needs to make the move pretty quick after the season is over. Gives him the full pool coaching candidates to get after and hire before a bunch of other schools and gives the new coach every player available in the portal to recruit. As well as gives the kids currently on the team to portal early if they want too and find a new home. Needs to be a clean break from Boeheim at this point. Sad but it’s what we come too. If he retired in 2017 like he said he was going too this would have been a lot prettier and he hurt his legacy ALOT since then.

I think the off season is going to be fascinating and tell us a lot about Wildhack and SU athletics in general.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

would anybody be happy with Red as HC?

And over on the football board, if Dino gets canned there are a number of people who would be happy promoting a career position coach who has been an OC for about 7 seconds.

 

[Scooch]

And over on the football board, if Dino gets canned there are a number of people who would be happy promoting a career position coach who has been an OC for about 7 seconds.

People get enamored with familiarity.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Not all recruits ranked in the top 100 are ranked there for the same reasons. It’s a handy metric for “talent” but physical abilities, basketball skill, potential, shooting, and other skills are weighted differently.

 

[IthacaMatt]

We don’t have upper tier ACC talent.

We’ve recruited three top 100 players in the last 6 years. That’s abysmal.

Wow.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Benny Williams Recruit Interests

247sports.com

Not that impressive to be honest.

That's a 4 star offer list, barely. It says he was a 5 star recruit at some sites, but that offer list doesn't back up that ranking.

 

[Scooch]

Wow.

The wow is that in the six years prior to Hop leaving we recruited FIFTEEN top 100 guys.

I posted that little factoid last week but maybe it deserves it’s own thread.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I don’t think we have five top 125 kids. Regardless, It’s “lacking talent” compared to prior SU editions. And that’s important when you run the offensive and defensive schemes we do. So we kind of agree. But we also shouldn’t be settling for the ceiling Clemson has right now.

I know you keep hammering home this point, but there's larger systemic issues that have been problems for years.

We cannot screen, we cannot rebound, and we give up wayyy to many 3 point shots.

We had some teams with talent a few years ago that had the same issues this team does. Talent wouldn't fix everything with us. JB is running a 90's/2000's offense based on isolation where everyone else has moved to PnR and ball movement.

 

[Scooch]

I know you keep hammering home this point, but there's larger systemic issues that have been problems for years.

We cannot screen, we cannot rebound, and we give up wayyy to many 3 point shots.

We had some teams with talent a few years ago that had the same issues this team does. Talent wouldn't fix everything with us. JB is running a 90's/2000's offense based on isolation where everyone else has moved to PnR and ball movement.

I don't disagree, I really don't. We haven't had a coherent offensive scheme in years. And the D issue has been beaten to death... buried... dug up... beaten some more... blasted into space... returned to Earth... beaten more... buried... dug up... put in museum... broken into and retrieved... and beaten some more.

I believe it's both. We don't have the elite talent that we once had that could flourish in Jim's systems, and the systems themselves don't put our current talent level in the best position to succeed.

I just keep hammering the point because we're not getting back to being a perennial top 25 team by switching defenses. We need a dramatic infusion of talent to go along with new schemes. If the next HC is a killer recruiter I want no part of him.

 

[MSOrange]

People get enamored with familiarity.

Yes I think that's why there are still a few holdouts that want an SU alum who plays mostly or all zone as the next coach. It's just comfortable for them I guess.

 

[Hopkins16]

I've read everything and the bottom line is we need a new coach with a new updated system. Can we promote within (Hop, Autry etc.) and that Coach would be willing to throw out the old offensive and defensive schemes and start fresh? Or, start over fully with an outsider? If JB is back next year, I will no longer watch or support this team until he is gone.

 

[atlanticuse]

And they know it, hence the semi-effort.

I will say - how about Judah draining 3's?!

Impressive for sure, but he was showcasing himself in the shop window tonight with the chatter he's now likely a 1st round draft pick. He gone. Good for him.

which draft?
According to whom?

He won't have the NCAAT to do anything - nor the NIT - so this is his "tournament" to show off. But this isn't high school showboating.
He ain't getting to first round - maybe not second round - without team leadership and team success.

Which this team don't have.

 

[jsshap]

It’s not the zone.

Well maybe not but the zone without big guards and big athletic smart wings is a joke Yes it carries an advantage in March if you have the proper roster but the notion that it’s some patented system that you can plug and play guys into is absurd. What an embarrassing way to end a hall of fame career.

 

[Fanalways]

It's the zone!! ...look at the record made threes and record assists every team puts up against us ...he is so damn stubborn!!! Get him out before we cannot recover this program landslide!

I so agree with you. Wouldn't you think a coach would mix it up and switch between the 2 defenses? Especially when a team starts draining 3's.

 

[OrangePA]

Well maybe not but the zone without big guards and big athletic smart wings is a joke Yes it carries an advantage in March if you have the proper roster but the notion that it’s some patented system that you can plug and play guys into is absurd. What an embarrassing way to end a hall of fame career.

Man to man without big, athletic players is a joke.

 

[Orangezoo]

Man to man without big, athletic players is a joke.

That doesn't change that the zone is a big part of the problem. It's clear as day in the numbers.

Also I'll give you athletes but there are good teams all over college basketball that are smaller playing mtm and a lot better than us. 7-0, 6-8, 6-8, 6-3, 5-11 is not by any means a small team.

Houston goes 6-8, 6-7, 6-5, 6-1, 6-2 as an example of #1 in the current polls and #6 and overall D on KenPom.

 

[jsshap]

Been this way for a while… Really tough to overcome really poor coaching and I truly feel bad for the players more than anything.

Man to man without big, athletic players is a joke.

Serenity now

 

[kcsu]

Man to man without big, athletic players is a joke.

Our team is built for man

 

[CardiacCuse]

People speak of talent not being there. How big of a miss was Benny? Where should he be playing, the MAC?

Benny will play in the NBA...mark it down.

 

[PauliePeppas]

Benny will play in the NBA...mark it down.

Really?

 

[two3zone]

And they know it, hence the semi-effort.

I will say - how about Judah draining 3's?!

Impressive for sure, but he was showcasing himself in the shop window tonight with the chatter he's now likely a 1st round draft pick. He gone. Good for him.

They also see the 2 assists in 72 minutes from a guy who can only play point guard at the next level.

 

[CardiacCuse]

Our team is built for man

agreed

i think maliq, judah and sy are the only plus zone defenders who get regular minutes

jesse - slow footwork makes him a poor anchor for the middle of the one despite potentially being a great defender (he gets a ton of blocks and rebounds)...his height seems to indicate he would be good in zone but he really isn't
benny - slow to rotate and often loses his man in the zone
justin - poor rebounder as a forward ...too small to defend in the paint ( i think he could be a good defender as a guard)
symir - could be a great man to man defender, imo...pretty good in zone though
joe - bad defender in zone,,,barely challenges shots
judah - great at steals...often overrotates and leads to easy buckets given up - could be good in either man or zone...but is a very good defender for zone overall, imo
maliq - fits zone very well...would probably also be good in man as well
bell - would probably do a bit better in man...struggles with some aspects of zone defense and rebounding/defending in the paint
quadir - good defensive activity but still too raw oftentimes to play a lot of minutes...could be good in any defense imo