This year is JBs best chance at NC

[Delmar]

I agree with most of this. But ‘87 was absolutely not an improbable run. We were a #2 seed in the tourney, finished 1st or 2nd in the Big East (arguably the best conference), and the team had a great mix of experienced guys (Monroe and (Triche) and high level young talent (DC, Sherm, Rony, Stevie).

No argument here. The surprise was that after losing Pearl we could be that good. Given that you are Sherman20, you have every reason to make this argument. All the same, going into '87, very few had any idea that our point guard would be as spectacular as the General proved to be.

 

[Delmar]

I agree with most of this. But ‘87 was absolutely not an improbable run. We were a #2 seed in the tourney, finished 1st or 2nd in the Big East (arguably the best conference), and the team had a great mix of experienced guys (Monroe and (Triche) and high level young talent (DC, Sherm, Rony, Stevie).

'87 was the year that changed how people regarded JB (except in Syracuse). '87 was the first year of the 3 point shot and look who made the final four: Knight, Tark, Pitino, and JB. That was no mistake. The game changed radically and who were the ones who were able to adjust? Knight wasn't just saying something nice to JB when he said to him that he would win some day. It was a nod of respect. He knew that the guy he was coaching against was the real deal.

 

[Flacusian]

All I can say is Tyus didn't come back to just get back to a sweet sixteen. He came back to try to win it all. Regardless of whether anyone would dare to say it... SU is going to try to win it all this year... and I believe that they believe...Let the season begin!

 

[CA Monk]

While I love b-ball excitement, the game is so maddeningly mercurial. Virginia can run through the entire season and the ACC tournament with barely a scratch and then flame out in the NCAA‘s. And then Syracuse can be a fairly undeserving team to get in the NCAA‘s last year and they make it to the Sweet 16. It’s so hard to figure.
All I can say is we’ve got the team to do it. The potential is there and that’s so exciting. Whether it happens is dependent on so many factors: skill, luck, playing a hot team, playing a cold team, crowd, emotions etc.
The point is that this year especially, the pieces are in place and I’m gonna enjoy the hell out of it until I can’t or they win it all.
So glad JB is the coach and I’m able to witness his passion at 73 (his age not mine). Also very anxious to see how recruiting finishes up this year. Could be a stellar class. I’m very high on Buddy and OB this year.
Meanwhile going to Orange Out at the UNC game today.

 

[Shawn91111]

In the history of college basketball, 15/10/3 (your minimums) has been done a total of 28 times, only 10 times in a power 5 conference, 3 times by Tim Duncan.

The high end, 17/12/4, has been done twice in the history of college basketball, both by Adonal Foyle.

I'm willing to bet Sid doesn't pull this off.

Shaq would like a word

 

[orangefog]

Shaq would like a word

He also did it twice.

 

[Ceerqqq]

All I can say is Tyus didn't come back to just get back to a sweet sixteen. He came back to try to win it all. Regardless of whether anyone would dare to say it... SU is going to try to win it all this year... and I believe that they believe...Let the season begin!

I believe you're right about this, but I also believe there are at least a dozen other teams out there who feel the same way about their chances of winning the National Championship this season.

What makes it significant to me is that it is the kind of mindset/belief that will motivate this particular collection of young men---our guys---to push themselves to perfect their performances on the court from day one.

As good as their defense was last year, they are going to want to make it the focus of their domination of other good teams this year. Not taking any defensive plays off. Finally getting to that point of experience with the zone where they are no longer thinking about what they are supposed to do but are able to rely on pure 'reflexive' instinct.

Howard agreed, noting that what many experts regard as instinct is really just the product of experience..."When you get reps, you get those instincts,
" he added. "That's ultimately to me what it is.''

When the Boeheim Pressure Zone reaches this level of execution, the players start to look forward to the next defensive possession with shared anticipation and amped up energy, cuz they know it will give them another opportunity to experience a moment of domination over their opponents.

I'm expecting this year to see the best overall performance of a Boeheim defensive unit ever...a classical presentation of his genius as a defensive strategist/tactician. A career statement, of sorts. And along with that, I expect to see an equally impressive improvement in his team's offensive performance due to experience, as well.

So yeah, I think another National Championship is a very real possibility for this year's team. Of course anything could happen to derail it, but I'm not going to assume that such is the fate of this team in advance.

It's a good feeling that I have about this team's ultimate potential right now and I'm not going to give it up to some open-ended inchoate fears that various good-meaning but unnecessarily tense pearl-clutchers might give voice to...

 

[realorange]

The Illinois game in '89 shouldn't be classified as the worst loss in SU history. It hurt to lose that game but both teams had great players and it would be a shame for either to have lost .
The game could (should?) have been the final game of the tournament.

 

[reedny]

2003 was not the most likely year for SU to win a championship. Melo was the best player in the tourney (JB's usual standard for who should win), but still a freshman on a young team. I don't think JB thought they could win it until the road win at Michigan State.
'87 was an improbable run to the final, and so was '96. IMHO, the 2nd worst loss in SU history was to Illinois in '89, Sherm's last year, and the greatest tragedy was AO going down in the BET in '10. That team was going to win it all.
If senior leadership is as significant as mavens tend to think, we should do well. I echo SWC75's post. Lot's of room for hope, and with more than a little luck when it comes to seeding, opponents, and the referee's whistle in the tourney, who knows what might happen. It will be fun to watch. I'm more excited to see this team than I have been in some time.

That '89 loss was tough, but it wasn't like Illinois was a bunch of upstarts like the Spiders or Catamounts. If I remember correctly, that Ill. team had Kendal Gill and a bunch of 6'6 - 6'8 pogo sticks that could defend and score (sort of like South Carolina 2 years ago).

 

[orange79]

That '89 loss was tough, but it wasn't like Illinois was a bunch of upstarts like the Spiders or Catamounts. If I remember correctly, that Ill. team had Kendal Gill and a bunch of 6'6 - 6'8 pogo sticks that could defend and score (sort of like South Carolina 2 years ago).

Marcus Liberty, Kenny Battle, Nick Anderson. Lowell Hamilton, too.

Definitely a loaded team.

 

[Zepharus]

I’m so sick of this tired trope. There have been numerous years we can point to that prove you wrong. I’ve been going to Syracuse basketball games since 1981. We won a national title playing 8 guys—and all of them were important contributors. Many other years as examples.

Tired? If youre looking at str8 numbers and playing the percentages you would say in his years hes played 8 -9- 10 more than 50% of time? I think if we did historically data its sub 20% Maybe one of the retired gurus that loses data mining can look into it

 

[OrangeDW]

Marcus Liberty, Kenny Battle, Nick Anderson. Lowell Hamilton, too.

Definitely a loaded team.

Right? That might be the best team in Illinois history. Great game between two great teams...could’ve easily been the national title game if the seeding would’ve allowed it to happen. Cuse was better than Seton Hall, and Illinois was better than Michigan that year.

 

[OrangeDW]

There have been examples [2000 and 2012] where he's gone 9 deep. Especially 2012, when he could bring 3 guys off the bench who could net double figures [CJ, Southerland, Waiters]

WHEN he has a loaded roster with players he trusts, he'll use depth. Clearly, that isn't always the case, and it isn't always the best for the team to go 9 deep in many [most?] systems. Not sure what we'll see this year, but I think he goes 8 every game, and 9 most games [with Buddy being the 9th].

Another thing with 2012 - we didn’t have a clear “Star”. Like, our veterans were good players who’d been playing/starting for years, but then our most talented guys were sophomores. So it made sense that the minutes were distributed that way.

Boeheim is one of the best in the country at knowing what he has and establishing roles accordingly, IMO.

 

[Delmar]

That '89 loss was tough, but it wasn't like Illinois was a bunch of upstarts like the Spiders or Catamounts. If I remember correctly, that Ill. team had Kendal Gill and a bunch of 6'6 - 6'8 pogo sticks that could defend and score (sort of like South Carolina 2 years ago).

You're right about Illinois. They won the Big Ten and beat Michigan twice during the year. The pain isn't that we lost to an upstart, but that if we get by them I think we win the title.

 

[Flacusian]

I believe you're right about this, but I also believe there are at least a dozen other teams out there who feel the same way about their chances of winning the National Championship this season.

What makes it significant to me is that it is the kind of mindset/belief that will motivate this particular collection of young men---our guys---to push themselves to perfect their performances on the court from day one.

As good as their defense was last year, they are going to want to make it the focus of their domination of other good teams this year. Not taking any defensive plays off. Finally getting to that point of experience with the zone where they are no longer thinking about what they are supposed to do but are able to rely on pure 'reflexive' instinct.


When the Boeheim Pressure Zone reaches this level of execution, the players start to look forward to the next defensive possession with shared anticipation and amped up energy, cuz they know it will give them another opportunity to experience a moment of domination over their opponents.

I'm expecting this year to see the best overall performance of a Boeheim defensive unit ever...a classical presentation of his genius as a defensive strategist/tactician. A career statement, of sorts. And along with that, I expect to see an equally impressive improvement in his team's offensive performance due to experience, as well.

So yeah, I think another National Championship is a very real possibility for this year's team. Of course anything could happen to derail it, but I'm not going to assume that such is the fate of this team in advance.

It's a good feeling that I have about this team's ultimate potential right now and I'm not going to give it up to some open-ended inchoate fears that various good-meaning but unnecessarily tense pearl-clutchers might give voice to...

Excellent post!