Watching these games lately...

[Briancuse]

It doesn't? UNC dominated. Oregon survived a 7 seed. Will get smoked.

But GO PAC 12!

I still think Unc cuts the nets down, but they needed some bad ref calls to get by Arkansas.

 

[OttoMets]

You aren't really counting Kevin King and Ross Kindel as quality guards are you? And Todd Burgan played as much guard as I did on that '96 team. But the point that you need qulaity guard play in the tournament (or the regular season for that matter) is without question true.

Burgan brought the ball up court and handled it exponentially more than Cipolla or Janulis that year.

Which is one reason why I think that common denominator of good Syracuse guards in Final Fours is forced, at best. The 1996 team really had one good guard, and we saw that when he got hurt in the Kentucky game.

Guard play is really important, but Boeheim's brought all kinds of teams to the Final Four.

 

[Cusefan0307]

You need veteran/seasoned guards me thinks.

 

[dasher]

Burgan brought the ball up court and handled it exponentially more than Cipolla or Janulis that year.

Which is one reason why I think that common denominator of good Syracuse guards in Final Fours is forced, at best. The 1996 team really had one good guard, and we saw that when he got hurt in the Kentucky game.

Guard play is really important, but Boeheim's brought all kinds of teams to the Final Four.

Jb has used his forwards to bring the ball up on many occasions over the years. the reason is because they are being guarded by forwards, not guards. When we played G-town that year and jb didn't want Sims bringing the ball up against Iverson, Cipolla brought the ball up court.

 

[Newhouser]

our guys don't look as cut up as a lot of these guys too. I am questioning our S&C program

 

[Lucid]

ACC might win it all. Again. Let me know when a PAC 12 team makes a Final Four.

OK, I'm letting you know.

 

[hungrychuck]

Didn't hurt Dion's, MCW's or Ennis' draft stock if that was the case.

Our system is a lot more free flowing and gives guards more freedom than most other teams - however when you're lacking in talent it really hurts you.

Battle looked very good throughout the ACC games except the 3 he was sick. He could/will excel in a system like this.

That's certainly one way to describe it, lol.

 

[Jasoncuse]

This is one of the major reasons why many have been critical of our recruiting lately. Not only are we not bringing in a high level PG or two, we aren't even bringing in combo or shooting guards often enough. In this day and age, and especially in the ACC, you need quality guards, guys who can handle, create and finish and guys who can shoot. There's no reason a program of our stature shouldn't be able to bring in stud guards every year.

 

[Cusefan0307]

our guys don't look as cut up as a lot of these guys too. I am questioning our S&C program

I said this a month ago.

 

[CorduroyG]

oregon will beat unc if berry is hurt

 

[SoBeCuse]

This is one of the major reasons why many have been critical of our recruiting lately. Not only are we not bringing in a high level PG or two, we aren't even bringing in combo or shooting guards often enough. In this day and age, and especially in the ACC, you need quality guards, guys who can handle, create and finish and guys who can shoot. There's no reason a program of our stature shouldn't be able to bring in stud guards every year.

Not even studs! Just watching Xavier and Kansas St; even they had two or three guards minimum who could handle/shoot/pass. That JP Macura guy would smoke anybody on our team except for Battle. Depressing.

 

[Briancuse]

Not even studs! Just watching Xavier and Kansas St; even they had two or three guards minimum who could handle/shoot/pass. That JP Macura guy would smoke anybody on our team except for Battle. Depressing.

It really is depressing thinking about our guard situation next year other than Battle, lets hope we can add a couple in the offseason.

 

[sufandu]

Burgan brought the ball up court and handled it exponentially more than Cipolla or Janulis that year.

Which is one reason why I think that common denominator of good Syracuse guards in Final Fours is forced, at best. The 1996 team really had one good guard, and we saw that when he got hurt in the Kentucky game.

Guard play is really important, but Boeheim's brought all kinds of teams to the Final Four.

Really? I remember Cipolla playing point whenever Sims was out of the game. I always thought of Burgan as playing the 3 more than anything. I agree that Janulis was a guard only with regard to height and outside shooting. Man that was a small team.

 

[OttoMets]

Really? I remember Cipolla playing point whenever Sims was out of the game. I always thought of Burgan as playing the 3 more than anything. I agree that Janulis was a guard only with regard to height and outside shooting. Man that was a small team.

Always worth another look! (Except for the last two minutes.)
It's funny to watch our pre-2010 zone. Everyone talks about what a mismatch it created, but that was more due to its unfamiliarity than its quality. It was closer to tavern league defense than what we played this past season, so loose.

Great coaching job by Boeheim given the talent level. Great. His system fit those guys perfectly and maximized their strengths. Guys like Janulis (not fully developed in '96 anyway) and Cipolla (remembered as a great shooter, was a mediocre .310 as a junior) were undertalented to say the least.

A quick review confirms my memory - Burgan inbounding and taking pressure off Sims with Wallace as a safety valve, our two-guard playing get-the-hell-out-of-the-way and dragging a defender into the frontcourt.

 

[OttoMets]

Always worth another look! (Except for the last two minutes.)
It's funny to watch our pre-2010 zone. Everyone talks about what a mismatch it created, but that was more due to its unfamiliarity than its quality. It was closer to tavern league defense than what we played this past season, so loose.

Great coaching job by Boeheim given the talent level. Great. His system fit those guys perfectly and maximized their strengths. Guys like Janulis (not fully developed in '96 anyway) and Cipolla (remembered as a great shooter, was a mediocre .310 as a junior) were undertalented to say the least.

A quick review confirms my memory - Burgan inbounding and taking pressure off Sims with Wallace as a safety valve, our two-guard playing get-the-hell-out-of-the-way and dragging a defender into the frontcourt.

Also, if Boeheim can sub out Wallace at 8:30 to take advantage of the TV timeout in a national championship, he can afford to rest any player he ever has on both ends of a media timeout.

Because we had no backup power forward. Wallace needed a rest, so Boehiem put J.B. Reafsnyder in to play the wing of the zone. In a national championship game. To get his star some rest.

Someone should remember this next time there's an excuse for Boeheim not to sit a tired player for a minute.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Also, if Boeheim can sub out Wallace at 8:30 to take advantage of the TV timeout in a national championship, he can afford to rest any player he ever has on both ends of a media timeout.

Because we had no backup power forward. Wallace needed a rest, so Boehiem put J.B. Reafsnyder in to play the wing of the zone. In a national championship game. To get his star some rest.

Someone should remember this next time there's an excuse for Boeheim not to sit a tired player for a minute.

Reafsnyder had been a 23 game starter his junior year and came off the bench in this his senior year in 1996 backing up mainly Otis Hill and at times Wallace.
We sure miss having a good 6th man or bench depth like SU did with the Reafsnyders, Paces, Josephs, Waiters, Southerlands, Scoops, Rick Jacksons etc.

 

[OttoMets]

Reafsnyder had been a 23 game starter his junior year and came off the bench in this his senior year in 1996 backing up mainly Otis Hill and at times Wallace.
We sure miss having a good 6th man or bench depth like SU did with the Reafsnyders, Paces, Josephs, Waiters, Southerlands, Scoops, Rick Jacksons etc.

He was underrated by our fans, I think. But playing on the wing? He'd had a couple minutes there, but that's a bold move to throw a 6'11" center with that lateral quickness out there against Kentucky in a national championship game.

To me, it shows the value of briefly resting a star, no matter the quality of the backup.

If Reafsnyder's trusted to chase Kentucky's perimeter players from baseline to elbow while Wallace gets a breather, surely Andrew White or Tyler Lydon can sit for a minute.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

OK, I'm letting you know.

Haha! And ACC won it all again.

 

[Ringostar57]

You would think JB playing with the great Dave Bing and saying college ball is a guard oriented game would suffice it to say recruit some very good guards. How about putting together a balanced team bigs forwards and guards...seems like we go from too many guards to too many bigs to too many forwards and not enough of the others... When staffed appropriately we have gone to the final 4. When not we live on the bubble.