" They weren't good enough"

[Guinness]

KJ was definitely overhyped. He was a good small forward an a great kid. He just wasnt as talented as people thought he was but was still a good player.

Exactly. The fans expectations of his talent is hardly his fault. Great kid with a very good SU career.

 

[CusefanATL]

Exactly. The fans expectations of his talent is hardly his fault. Great kid with a very good SU career.

was it not his fault that people placed expectations based on his physical attributes?

 

[Louie&Bouie]

but i know if my brain is implanted in their bodies - we do A LOT better.

You're confused? Over this quote? My god...

 

[kirbivore]

I think his range, combined with his size, will at least give him a look.

Problem he'll have is that an NBA SF needs halfway decent handle, which JS doesn't have.

 

[Louie&Bouie]

Problem he'll have is that an NBA SF needs halfway decent handle, which JS doesn't have.

Agreed.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Why do college fans rate a college player's importance and impact as a player at SU on their NBA career? Why do we care? I'm happy for the player and his family if he's successful after SU but what he accomplishes here at SU is most important. Fan's expectations and realistic expectations are often worlds apart. Many great college players don't even get drafted , how it diminishes their accomplishments in college is beyond me.

 

[JoeCollege]

For much of James Southerland's career, a segment of the fan base labeled him as not good enough. Sure, he could light it up against exhibition foes and early season fodder. However, when conference season came around he couldn't do anything. He would never be a contributor.

For much of Baye's career he has been labeled by a certain segment as scrappy but weak. Not ever likely to contribute, certain to be recruited over, and not really up to the task of playing against Big East foes.

And this year, it was deemed by a certain segment that Trevor Cooney was a wasted scholarship. A kid who will never contribute and in fact not able to compete at Big East level at all.

With all the self-assuredness of fools, a certain segment projected the entire careers of players long before those careers had ended or in one case had even begun to unfold.

This week, James Southerland has so far turned in an historic performance. Trevor Cooney stood toe to toe with our most hated and almost single handedly carried SU in the first half last night. And Baye? He was a warrior on both ends of the floor, was a vocal leader during timeouts, and sunk crucial free throw after crucial free throw with the icy precision of a hired killer. And he did it for 41 minutes while the McDonalds All Americans who were "recruited over" him sat with their butts planted on the bench.

Without any of those three players, the Thompsons would have died a lot happier than they will. Because of each of those three players, JB will someday go to his grave knowing that this long and bitter rivalry was officially closed with a Syracuse win on the big stage.

Regardless of what else James, Trevor, and Baye do for the rest of their careers at SU...and I have a feeling that the best still lies ahead for all of them...they will be Orange heroes for life for what they accomplished last night.

For life.

Well said. I have missed your rational and well thought out posts, while drowning in a sea of negative experts. Please stay around, you have been missed!

 

[alibrat66]

Why do college fans rate a college player's importance and impact as a player at SU on their NBA career? Why do we care? I'm happy for the player and his family if he's successful after SU but what he accomplishes here at SU is most important. Fan's expectations and realistic expectations are often worlds apart. Many great college players don't even get drafted , how it diminishes their accomplishments in college is beyond me.

It's all or nothing thinking, Cherie. A player is either spectacular and a shoo-in for the NBA, or they are a bust. Many on this board like to kill our wounded, instead of realizing that basketball, as is football, etc., is just a game. It's supposed be for fun. These kids represent our school; they deserve our love and respect, win or lose. Certain posters here absolutely vilify players who don't come up to the posters' expectations. In the words of Buzz Shaw, some people need to get a life.

 

[CusefanATL]

You're confused? Over this quote? My god...

You're confused over why I said "nice response"?

My God...

 

[RF2044]

Why do college fans rate a college player's importance and impact as a player at SU on their NBA career? Why do we care? I'm happy for the player and his family if he's successful after SU but what he accomplishes here at SU is most important. Fan's expectations and realistic expectations are often worlds apart. Many great college players don't even get drafted , how it diminishes their accomplishments in college is beyond me.

Very true, Cherie. Worst of all, most posters don't seem to have a clue about what it takes to play in the NBA / be a legitimate NBA prospect. But it drives me nuts how some posters seem to equate NBA potential with collegiate effectiveness. Apples and Oranges--pun intended.

 

[CusefanATL]

It's all or nothing thinking, Cherie. A player is either spectacular and a shoo-in for the NBA, or they are a bust. Many on this board like to kill our wounded, instead of realizing that basketball, as is football, etc., is just a game. It's supposed be for fun. These kids represent our school; they deserve our love and respect, win or lose. Certain posters here absolutely vilify players who don't come up to the posters' expectations. In the words of Buzz Shaw, some people need to get a life.

That is really off base here. And is the central part of the argument.

It is not all or nothing. The point is, Kris is 1 of my favorite players of all time. But it should be OK to point out his weaknesses. Same with James and Baye and Trevor.

Pointing out the flaws does not equal bust as a Syracuse player. The NBA has little to with how they did as Syracuse players - see Moten, Wallace, Pearl. edit - GMAC!

Pointing out that 1 was a projected lottery after jr year that fell to barely draft after sr yr is different. That simply shows that others saw flaws in their game too.

 

[CusefanATL]

Very true, Cherie. Worst of all, most posters don't seem to have a clue about what it takes to play in the NBA / be a legitimate NBA prospect. But it drives me nuts how some posters seem to equate NBA potential with collegiate effectiveness. Apples and Oranges--pun intended.

i doubt anyone on this board knows what it takes to be a legitimate D1 basketball player.

But we are fans. We can criticize our team. we can make fun of Duke. We can think we are the best team in the country when we are 18-1 and shout it on the forum. We can predict if our favorite player will make it to the next level. We can wonder why he didnt.

Dont take of that away from us (not you per se... but the righteous people on this thread)

 

[RF2044]

i doubt anyone on this board knows what it takes to be a legitimate D1 basketball player.

But we are fans. We can criticize our team. we can make fun of Duke. We can think we are the best team in the country when we are 18-1 and shout it on the forum. We can predict if our favorite player will make it to the next level. We can wonder why he didnt.

Dont take of that away from us (not you per se... but the righteous people on this thread)

It seems like you focused on one half of Cheriehoop's post while ignoring the other half. I don't view it as righteous--and I don't think that your post above in response to Cherie's is accurate. This board DOES invest a lot of wasted time, effort, and attention toward dissecting player "value" as a function of NBA potential.

People can criticize all they want. They can make fun of other teams. And there's no way to prevent the inevitable board temper tantrums after losses. But that doesn't fundamentally change that dozens of times per year, we get a dopey thread that disparages one of our players or downplays their accomplishments due to the assessment that they aren't NBA material.

I just don't get the board's preoccupation with comparing things to the NBA. Totally different game in many respects, and NBA draftability has ZERO to do with how one performs at the collegiate level [you gave several good examples above]. So in that respect, I think Cherie's post was spot on.

 

[CusefanATL]

It seems like you focused on one half of Cheriehoop's post while ignoring the other half. I don't view it as righteous--and I don't think that your post above in response to Cherie's is accurate. This board DOES invest a lot of wasted time, effort, and attention toward dissecting player "value" as a function of NBA potential.

People can criticize all they want. They can make fun of other teams. And there's no way to prevent the inevitable board temper tantrums after losses. But that doesn't fundamentally change that dozens of times per year, we get a dopey thread that disparages one of our players or downplays their accomplishments due to the assessment that they aren't NBA material.

I just don't get the board's preoccupation with comparing things to the NBA. Totally different game in many respects, and NBA draftability has ZERO to do with how one performs at the collegiate level [you gave several good examples above]. So in that respect, I think Cherie's post was spot on.

I wasnt talking about Cherie being righteous, nor about her post. I actually hadnt even read it all the way through until after posting. I was posting to your response and albitraz's.

If you look at my response to albitraz, it agrees with you on the draftability doesnt equal college success.

 

[DoctorBombay]

 

[GardenOrange]

Great post...

Please don't ever move to MA or ME or AZ.

Oh boy...