This years team

[jdubs30]

It's way easier to get a masters degree at 30 than get paid for playing basketball at 30.

What's Hughes have to gain by staying as a graduate? Average 45 mpg? Take 30 FGA per game? He's already the best player on the team. Staying another year doesn't change that, he doesn't get bigger faster or appreciably better.

He has to sacrifice a year of his future so our program doesn’t “look bad”

 

[Alsacs]

I can’t say this enough. I am as pro players leaving as anyone on this board.
When it comes to getting the money while you can.
Why should any player stay then.

Hughes leaving if he is going in the second round make senses.
Players leave early everywhere. Players don’t leave as 4th year Juniors to go pro overseas.
Please with that argument.

 

[Cowtown]

It’s easy to look at us in a vacuum. We see it with everything: early entries, our resume for selection Sunday, the refs hate us, etc

We do have a certain bunker mindset. I think some of that comes from the peculiar situation that a lot of people with no connection to Syracuse - never lived or went to school there - somehow dislike the team and program. Like that wag who said "Syracuse never leaves New York until after Christmas" or whatever it was. It wasn't true, just a stupid sound byte but it stuck. Why? I think a lot of basketball purists consider zone D to be somehow underhanded, or at least "tricked up," and they resent having to play against it.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I can’t say this enough. I am as pro players leaving as anyone on this board.
When it comes to getting the money while you can.
Why should any player stay then.

Hughes leaving if he is going in the second round make senses.
Players leave early everywhere. Players don’t leave as 4th year Juniors to go pro overseas.
Please with that argument.

Having a black and white world view will certainly make you miss possibilities which exist.

Can't help you there.

 

[Cowtown]

But his age matters in the sense that a human being has a fixed window of time where their body will allow them play professional basketball. If he comes back to SU, that's a year of earnings lost. Even if he doesn't make the NBA, the world is his oyster in terms of European leagues he could play in and make a comfortable living.

Agree, for "there are only so many miles on a set of tires."

 

[Alsacs]

He has to sacrifice a year of his future so our program doesn’t “look bad”

That isn’t the argument. My god. This is such a bullchit statement.
If he isnt getting drafted then he is going to either scramble to play for peanuts in the G League or try to find a good spot in europe. Players don’t make good money in Europe without a good agent or production elsewhere.

Players don’t leave as 4th year Juniors just because of their age. Such crap. Nobody has a bleeping clue other than JB and Hughes.

 

[jdubs30]

That isn’t the argument. My god. This is such a bullchit statement.
If he is getting drafted then he is going to either scramble to play for peanuts in the G League or try to find a good spot in europe. Players don’t make good money in Europe without a good agent or production elsewhere.

Players don’t leave as 4th year Juniors just because of their age. Such crap. Nobody has a bleeping clue other than JB and Hughes.

So your main argument is that no one leaves because of age?

 

[Alsacs]

Hughes longevity is an argument now.
Lol.
Demetris Nichols is 35 now and still playing professional basketball in Europe.


Gotta keep the trend on those tires Elijah.

My god it’s a wonder any player stays in school these days.
Brandon Triche you were a moron.
Syracuse basketball declare early just to go Europe.

My god.
Every underclassmen that left I supported. It makes sense when you can get guaranteed NBA money.

 

[Alsacs]

So your main argument is that no one leaves because of age?

You can’t be this obtuse. Where do I claim that.

Of course Freshman/Sophomore think about that. Because they are getting drafted on potential. A 19 year old first round pick or production vs. 22 year old the NBA drafts the 19 year old.

If Hughes is getting drafted he should go obviously because of age.

 

[jdubs30]

How does it benefit ELI to stay? Not Syracuse...Eli

 

[Bayside44]

Hughes longevity is an argument now.
Lol.
Demetris Nichols is 35 now and still playing professional basketball in Europe.


Gotta keep the trend on those tires Elijah.

My god it’s a wonder any player stays in school these days.
Brandon Triche you were a moron.
Syracuse basketball declare early just to go Europe.

My god.
Every underclassmen that left I supported. It makes sense when you can get guaranteed NBA money.

I'll quibble here - it makes sense if you can get to that second contract and not be a flyer. Granted a lot of that is luck but there is something to be said about maturity.

Personally I am past the point of caring. So much of what I loved about college hoops is long gone.

 

[SU94]

The Elijah Hughes is automatically gone takes just make no sense.
i mean they are just complete speculation.
Why?
Does he have to go and if I go look at all other teams rosters I can probably find a lot of guys who have stayed 5 years in college basketball and gotten a chance in pro basketball.

Wes Johnson left because he was going to be a lottery pick. Players don’t just leave to leave.

I almost totally agree with this message above, Alsacs, but with one unfortunate caveat: I think that players and agents (esp. of the predatory nature) believe that there is some stigma about players that play four seasons of CBB, let along in Hughes' instance, five due to the transfer from ECU.

If I am a GM, I want a good player period. Do similarly-talented players that are 20 have more potential (or a higher ceiling) than those that are 22/23? Yes, in a vacuum. But on the flip side, a player such as Hughes would be closer to him prime years during that initial contract. I think there is distinct value to that too.

 

[Cusefan0307]

How does it benefit ELI to stay? Not Syracuse...Eli

There's a cost benefit analysis here. If he goes to go to Europe and next year could stay and possibly drafted in the NBA then it could make sense to stay.

 

[dasher]

We do have a certain bunker mindset. I think some of that comes from the peculiar situation that a lot of people with no connection to Syracuse - never lived or went to school there - somehow dislike the team and program. Like that wag who said "Syracuse never leaves New York until after Christmas" or whatever it was. It wasn't true, just a stupid sound byte but it stuck. Why? I think a lot of basketball purists consider zone D to be somehow underhanded, or at least "tricked up," and they resent having to play against it.

By the way, Louisville played their first true road game Saturday. For some reason, that wasn't a national media talking point.

 

[patcuse]

By the way, Louisville played their first true road game Saturday. For some reason, that wasn't a national media talking point.

I cost a lot of money to travel with strippers.

 

[SU94]

By the way, Louisville played their first true road game Saturday. For some reason, that wasn't a national media talking point.

They lost at UK on Dec. 28. I'd call that a true road game.

 

[br801]

If he's projected there he should go.

But if he stays in college for a fifth year and SU makes a deep run, he might have a 15 year NBA career.

 

[Alsacs]

How does it benefit ELI to stay? Not Syracuse...Eli

Why doesn’t he quit right now and sign with a pro team.
I am sure whatever he can get now he will get them next year.
With this logic he should quit now.

 

[Alsacs]

But if he stays in college for a fifth year and SU makes a deep run, he might have a 15 year NBA career.

No one is saying this.
Nobody.
I don’t even care if he stayed at Syracuse for a 5th year and wanted to grad transfer.

I should make posts that are the opposite of what I think. So people will take the other side just because...

 

[Cuse House]

I will never understand the age thing from a organization perspective. Hughes is probably the best pro prospect we’ve had in awhile. As others have mentioned, there are players who are productive long into their 30s. Maybe Hughes wants to start towards a graduate degree? We truly do not know what he wants at this point. He can always go back to school, but he can also make money for a decade whether in the NBA or overseas. Maybe he feels next years team will have a shot to compete in March. We really have no clue and I won’t be surprised either way.

 

[rrlbees]

Not sure why it’s so hard to understand that maybe Eli is willing to take a gamble on getting drafted and if he doesn’t he’ll play in the G league or Europe and he’s OK with that. He may not see himself getting appreciably better staying another year as a 5th year senior. His decision.

 

[Alsacs]

I will never understand the age thing from a organization perspective. Hughes is probably the best pro prospect we’ve had in awhile. As others have mentioned, there are players who are productive long into their 30s. Maybe Hughes wants to start towards a graduate degree? We truly do not know what he wants at this point. He can always go back to school, but he can also make money for a decade whether in the NBA or overseas. Maybe he feels next years team will have a shot to compete in March. We really have no clue and I won’t be surprised either way.

Age matters for drafting at the top of the draft.
As the thought process is a 22 year old should dominate a lot more than an 18 or 19 year old.
As the 19 will develop in professional basketball.
However we all know Hughes isn’t going in the top of the draft.

It makes sense Wes Johnson left. He was 21 years old and was going to go high in the draft. He had to go.
Hell if Hughes is going to get drafted in the 2nd round he should go.

Just leaving because of his age or what benefit does he get is just a Syracuse thing. Players around the country don’t leave in those situations because of age or what benefit.

 

[Cuse House]

Age matters for drafting at the top of the draft.
As the thought process is a 22 year old should dominate a lot more than an 18 or 19 year old.
As the 19 will develop in professional basketball.
However we all know Hughes isn’t going in the top of the draft.

It makes sense Wes Johnson left. He was 21 years old and was going to go high in the draft. He had to go.
Hell if Hughes is going to get drafted in the 2nd round he should go.

Just leaving because of his age or what benefit does he get is just a Syracuse thing. Players around the country don’t leave in those situations because of age or what benefit.

My post was agreeing with you. I don’t see the age thing as an argument unless we’re talking about a freshman possibly going in the first round. In recent memory a guy who comes to mind that was drafted early in the first round as a senior, is Buddy Hield. He also averaged like 30 a game as is a lights out shooter.

 

[br801]

No one is saying this.
Nobody.
I don’t even care if he stayed at Syracuse for a 5th year and wanted to grad transfer.

I should make posts that are the opposite of what I think. So people will take the other side just because...

It's over the top sarcasm, reflective of what I've seen posted on this board many times regarding SU's pro prospects. You know that, too.

 

[jdubs30]

Why doesn’t he quit right now and sign with a pro team.
I am sure whatever he can get now he will get them next year.
With this logic he should quit now.

Way to answer the question