Time is Ticking w Fab...

[Shenexon]

Not sure how you derived your response from my post. My initial response to the OP was basically in agreement the longer Fab was out the more difficult it would be for him personally to be effective as no matter how much you practice, exercise, etc., it does not come close to simulating the real thing...so I was implying the mental aspect...

Clearly agree we are not the same team without him as you've eluded to, I actually posted the same sentiment (albeit w/out detail) in a subsequent earlier post in this same thread.

Well...I guess I just liked your post, got thinking about it, and responded to the post that got me thinking about it. I definitely wasn't responding in conflict with your initial post.

 

[orangecuse]

Well...I guess I just liked your post, got thinking about it, and responded to the post that got me thinking about it. I definitely wasn't responding in conflict with your initial post.

Well then hit me up with a like...I could use a few. By the way, I didn't feel you were responding in conflict, just was unclear how you posted what you did from my post...that's all.

 

[orangecuse]

Thanks...back at you!

 

[Shenexon]

Well then hit me up with a like...I could use a few. By the way, I didn't feel you were responding in conflict, just was unclear how you posted what you did from my post...that's all.

Sorry...my thought tends to wander so sometimes my posts have little to do with what got me thinking. It's an affliction I don't mind but annoys/amuses the hell out my detractors/admirers.

 

[lincolncuse]

Sure there is, but people remember what happens in March not November.

what a mediocre coach...20 sweet 16s is awful

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

 

[moqui]

I'm going to repeat what I posted yesterday:

per Jake's latest post (deep in the 22 page - and counting - Melo thread), Fab will not be back until next week at the earliest, perhaps later.

The good news is that means he is not done for the year; not yet, anyway.

The bad news is that he will certainly miss the WVU game.

The other good news is that over the next two weeks, there are only 2 games - WVU and SJU. Should be able to beat the Jonnies without Fab, and WVU is like a house money game at this point- great if the Orange pull it out, but losses without Fab (assuming he later returns) almost will not be counted against SU.

That puts the big target for return as Feb. 8 - Georgetown at the Dome. After this long break, the Hoya game marks the beginning of the hardest part of the schedule, and it starts in a burst - 3 games in 6 days against major opponents (GTown, UConn, Louisville), two of which have had SU's number in recent years and the last of which is road game on the back end of the dreaded Saturday/Monday turnaround.

For the next two weeks, Fab has to do everything in his power to resolve the issues before him. That being said, he has to also continue going to practice and giving it his all. Even if he can't play, he can work hard every practice to prepare Keita and Rak for Henry Sims, Andre Drummond and Giorgu Dieng.

 

[kirbivore]

yeah, that doesn't happen in a week or two, you're at panic level 9 ... we need you at about a 3.

dude lives at panic level 9. he's already worried about recruits who haven't started shaving yet.

 

[kirbivore]

Losing the starting center doesn't explain away 4-16 in the past 35 years. (I didn't look up the numbers but that seems about right)

It's 4-11. I was born the same season JB started so I can't speak much about the 1977, 1979, and 1980 sweet 16 losses. 1979 was also the first year teams were seeded. Perhaps some of our more senior members of the board can add some color about those games.

1977 lost to Charlotte (no idea if that was an upset or not, Charlotte ended up in the Final Four)
1979 #4 seed lost to #9 seed Penn. In the previous round Penn took out #1 UNC. They eventually made the Final Four. A missed opportunity there
1980 #1 seed lost to #4 seed Iowa, who like Penn also eventually made the Final Four
1984 #3 seed lost to #7 seed UVA, which also eventually made the Final Four
1987 #2 seed defeated #3 seed Florida on the way to the title game
1989 #2 seed defeated #3 seed Missouri for the second time that season after winning the first meeting in the preseason NIT champ game
1990 #2 seed lost to #6 seed Minnesota.
1994 #4 seed lost to #1 seed Missouri. That Autry shot should have been an "and 1"
1996 #4 seed defeated #8 Georgia. This time Syracuse takes advantage of a busted bracket
1998 #5 seed lost to #1 Duke. At about the 10 minute mark Duke put SU away.
2000 #4 seed lost to #1 Michigan St. in the Spartans backyard. MSU couldn't miss in the 2nd half and JB didn't adjust.
2003 #3 seed defeated #10 seed Auburn in the Orangemen's back yard. That game lasts a minute longer Auburn might have won.
2004 #5 seed Syracuse lost to #8 seed Alabama. Once again failing to take advantage of a busted bracket, but even if SU won this game storz had SU's number then and probably beats them in the elite 8 anyway.
2009 #3 seed lost to #2 seed Oklahoma. SU was ice cold this game.
2010 #1 seed lost to #5 seed Butler. After the bad start and the bad calls we still had this one until JB called for the stall at the 4 minute mark. Another team that followed up this win with a final four trip.

4-6 as a higher seeded team
0-4 as a lower seeded team (this only adds up to 4-10 which takes away 1977 loss when there were no seeds).

The most damning thing I can say about JB's sweet 16 performances are the amount of times they've lost as a higher seed, which is six. With tourney play it's all about matchups and momentum, and four of those six losses to lower seeds were to teams that eventually made the final four, so there was some bad luck in running into hot and/or under seeded teams.

 

[reedny]

I think the point that most are missing is that FAB is not currently playing at a level that gets us to the Final Four and that is a piece of the reason our half court offense has had some difficulties against better teams. Our best chance to reach the final four this season is not if Fab simply plays, but if Fab continues to develop his offensive game over the course of the remaining games so that he can be a more consistent offensive threat when tournament time rolls around. He has show flashes here and there, but nothing consistent yet. Think Rony Seikaly during the 87 team's run to the championship game. That would make us a much more potent offense and a much harder team to deal with.

Doesn't mean we can't win without him or without consistent offense from him, just means we are a much more pedestrian team in those situations.

I agree with this. He needs to improve, and he's not going to improve if he can't compete in games. That said, if he's out 3-4 games and can still practice, I don't see a big problem. During this period, any rust on Fab's game is compensated by Rak playing with more confidence and staying in the game longer than 3 minutes.

If the suspension lasts well into February or beyond, then I think your point applies. He can practice his low-post moves all he wants at the Melo center. He can stay in shape. But his improvement curve will flatten out and he won't be at the (higher) level we need him to be when the Davis', Zellers' and Plumlee's of college hoops come calling.

 

[otto123]

in 2009 we replaced Arinze with Dash Riley. Great kid but was about as ready to play as I would have been. I love to hear the comments of "JB should have played Riley more because he now would be ready and thats bad coaching, etc". Just pure comedic gold.

We have 2 serviceable players to try and replace Fab in BMK and Rak. The coaching staff is absolutely working with way more than they had to work with in 2009. In no way am I saying that these 2 will come in and do what Fab was able to do however they are much more game ready than Riley was. If we had Dash or BMK in 2009 to replace Arinze we would have been in the FF.

No way would we have made the final four if we had BMK in 2009. Riley didn't really even play in the Butler game can't blame him.

I still can't believe we lost that game Butler played like garbage in that game they were 25% from 3 and shot only 40% from the field

 

[Marsh01]

No way would we have made the final four if we had BMK in 2009. Riley didn't really even play in the Butler game can't blame him.

I still can't believe we lost that game Butler played like garbage in that game they were 25% from 3 and shot only 40% from the field

I disagree. BMK would have helped and he could have gicen us 20 minutes in that game. Riley played 5 minutes and had 1 rebound. The following game vs Kansas State would have been a walkover. I watched a documentary one night (I know I have no life) on that season and every person including Frank Martin admitted they had next to nothing in the tank vs. Butler.

 

[BleedsOrange44]

I actually think the longer it goes without news the better it is for Fab's future. If he was out for the year, I think we would have heard about that earlier. To me, it means things are working behind the scenes and he will be back at some point.

 

[cusetown1]

I actually think the longer it goes without news the better it is for Fab's future. If he was out for the year, I think we would have heard about that earlier. To me, it means things are working behind the scenes and he will be back at some point.

If he was out for the year they would have said that. The million dollar question is when in the season does he come back?

 

[BleedsOrange44]

If he was out for the year they would have said that. The million dollar question is when in the season does he come back?

I'm only speculating here, but I think he's back by the Georgetown game, Feb 8th, at the latest. Possibly back by the St. John's game Feb 4th. The good thing is, they have a game Saturday, then are off for another week until they play at MSG against St. John's. That would be ideal.

 

[cusetown1]

I'm only speculating here, but I think he's back by the Georgetown game, Feb 8th, at the latest. Possibly back by the St. John's game Feb 4th. The good thing is, they have a game Saturday, then are off for another week until they play at MSG against St. John's. That would be ideal.

I'm all for that scenario.

 

[iommi]

bleeds: I read your last two posts... but I'm not sure why you're being optimistic. If Fab's ineligible, he's ineligible. Do you have any concrete reason to believe this is an issue of making up work or something?

 

[weepeel]

Fab was consistently getting into first half foul trouble this year when big east conference play began, in the tournament even with Fab back he will likely get into foul trouble early in the game, and it will be up to Rak or BMK to pick up the slack.

The silver lining in this whole situation is the fact that Rak will get enough playing time so that down the road our productivity does not completely fall off if Fab gets in foul trouble. When Fab was playing, the opposing coaches were trying to get him into foul trouble early because they knew how raw/smaller Rak and BMK are compared to FAB.

Developing Rak is a necessity

 

[cusetown1]

bleeds: I read your last two posts... but I'm not sure why you're being optimistic. If Fab's ineligible, he's ineligible. Do you have any concrete reason to believe this is an issue of making up work or something?

He won't be ineligible forever, for how long though?

 

[Knicks411]

I disagree. BMK would have helped and he could have gicen us 20 minutes in that game. Riley played 5 minutes and had 1 rebound. The following game vs Kansas State would have been a walkover. I watched a documentary one night (I know I have no life) on that season and every person including Frank Martin admitted they had next to nothing in the tank vs. Butler.

Which is funny, because before the tournament started, I was pretty scared of K-State. I remember they were great on the offensive glass, I was worried they would pound us there. But they won what, like a double OT game vs Xavier or something/

 

[iommi]

There's no reason to believe he will become eligible again. Nobody knows if that will happen. Period. I'm not saying it's NOT going to happen...but no one knows for sure.

 

[cusetown1]

There's no reason to believe he will become eligible again. Nobody knows if that will happen. Period. I'm not saying it's NOT going to happen...but no one knows for sure.

It has been said that they were hoping he'd be back for Saturday, now it's for "could be a while". They must know more about the situation than we do to make those guesses (when I say guesses they have to be somewhat educated guesses). If it were impossible for him to become eligible THIS season they would have said so. Why mix words? This isn't the AO injury, he may play he may not play b.s.

 

[iommi]

Until someone like Jake posts Fab will be back sometime this basketball season, it's all just blind optimism. If I see a post from someone like Jake to the effect of: "Fab will be back this year; we just don't know the timetable," then I'll buy into the belief we'll see #51 in Orange...uh...I mean...grey?...this year.

 

[cusetown1]

Until someone like Jake posts Fab will be back sometime this basketball season, it's all just blind optimism. If I see a post from someone like Jake like: "Fab will be back this year; we just don't know the timetable," then I'll buy into the belief we'll see #51 in Orange...uh...I mean...grey?...this year.

that's fine. Just telling you the information that is known.

 

[iommi]

What info is known: the vague "reporting" from Donna from the Post-Standard that it could be "a while"...I mean...what exactly do you "know" from that? A while could mean anything at all. I'm not trying to be argumentative; I just don't get what is "known."

 

[cusetown1]

What info is known: the vague "reporting" from Donna from the Post-Standard that it could be "a while"...I mean...what exactly do you "know" from that? A while could mean anything at all. I'm not trying to be argumentative; I just don't get what is "known."

Nobody knows right now. Trust me I'm not a blind optimist either. I assess the situation with the information that is known.