We better not take MTSU lightly

[two3zone]

We are better than our record?

Parcells says, accurately I think, that you are what your record says you are.

Welcome to the new world of college basketball parity. Maybe that parity hasn't spread to the top 2 seeds, but once you get to 3 and 4 and 5, the differences between teams is a lot less than it used to be.

Meanwhile the unwashed masses are still tied to the structured hierarchy of past years. They go through their brackets picking the higher seeds mindlessly, and by the Round of 32, their brackets are hopeless broken.

Any SU fan that sits down to watch that game tomorrow with an air of smug confidence, better have some Roll Aids handy just in case.

If your record explains who you are then what are the chances mtsu wins another top 100 game?

 

[durhamcuse]

We are better than our record?

Parcells says, accurately I think, that you are what your record says you are.

Welcome to the new world of college basketball parity. Maybe that parity hasn't spread to the top 2 seeds, but once you get to 3 and 4 and 5, the differences between teams is a lot less than it used to be.

Meanwhile the unwashed masses are still tied to the structured hierarchy of past years. They go through their brackets picking the higher seeds mindlessly, and by the Round of 32, their brackets are hopeless broken.

Any SU fan that sits down to watch that game tomorrow with an air of smug confidence, better have some Roll Aids handy just in case.

Every fan has their way of rooting for a team. Some like to look at this March Madness as a clean slate where the team gets to start fresh and play to their potential. If this team plays to their potential, they can beat anyone in the field. I can be a curmudgeon in other areas of my life. When we get in to the field, I'm all in for Syracuse. Nothing will come easy, but I believe we can and will beat anyone on the way to the Final Four. There is no better time to peak than now.

 

[Orangemen]

Welcome to sports. Nothing to do with amnesia. It is always "what have you done for me lately."

Most recently they won their opening game of the tourney, getting ready a taste of revenge if you believe in that stuff. And the 15 beat the 2, a 2 that was a matchup nightmare for us. I don't see anyone here looking for Sweet 16 tix yet. But every Syracuse fan would have signed up for it this morning. And twice on Sunday.

Frankly, I would have signed up for this at the beginning of this season, or any season really.

It's a tournament game, any team can lose any game. We could have lost our opener as a 1 seed a few years back.

But honestly, we're playing a 15 seed for the chance at the sweet 16. There is not a team in the field that wouldn't gladly switch places with us.

MTSU can play, they proved that clearly. But I like this draw, and I like our chances.

 

[Townie72]

If your record explains who you are then what are the chances mtsu wins another top 100 game?

Exactly my point. Two flawed teams going against one another.

Your confidence in this and Cusefan0307's from above are uncalled for.

Parity has arrived, apparently, with all these "upsets".

Since the beginning of this thread you and Cusefan0307 have literally scoffed at the idea that MTSU could beat us.

If they can beat MSU, they sure as Hell can beat SU. And most SU fans know that MSU is a better team than SU this year as measured by all the relief that we aren't going to have to play MSU on Sunday.

After a season like we just had, a little humbleness is in order.

 

[Townie72]

Frankly, I would have signed up for this at the beginning of this season, or any season really.

It's a tournament game, any team can lose any game. We could have lost our opener as a 1 seed a few years back.

But honestly, we're playing a 15 seed for the chance at the sweet 16. There is not a team in the field that wouldn't gladly switch places with us.

MTSU can play, they proved that clearly. But I like this draw, and I like our chances.

Of course.

This is the absolute best we could have hoped for. Especially after somehow even getting into the Tournament based on logic that escapes me.

But scoffing at MTSU as an opponent seems to me to be inviting bad karma.

 

[two3zone]

Exactly my point. Two flawed teams going against one another.

Your confidence in this and Cusefan0307's from above are uncalled for.

Parity has arrived, apparently, with all these "upsets".

Since the beginning of this thread you and Cusefan0307 have literally scoffed at the idea that MTSU could beat us.

If they can beat MSU, they sure as Hell can beat SU. And most SU fans know that MSU is a better team than SU this year as measured by all the relief that we aren't going to have to play MSU on Sunday.

After a season like we just had, a little humbleness is in order.

We've been humbled all season and we finally had a HUGE break go our way and we got a softball thrown our way.

The MSU game was a fluke, say what you want but it was, they beat MSU maybe 1 out of 50 times they play them. As flawed as we are MTSU would've a cellar dweller in the ACC or hell, the AAC. Their schedule sucked and they still lost to nobodies and had some real tight ones with some really bad teams. Flukes happen and they played the perfect game, history has shown over and over and over that it rarely happens, let alone twice.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Of course.

This is the absolute best we could have hoped for. Especially after somehow even getting into the Tournament based on logic that escapes me.

But scoffing at MTSU as an opponent seems to me to be inviting bad karma.

Syracuse...1st team to lose to a 15 seed in rnd 1 in history.

Syracuse...1st team to lose to a 15 seed in rnd 2 in history.

got it.

 

[Townie72]

If SU loses this game, we will be the only school in history to lose to two 15 seeds.

A record that will last forever. And be mentioned in games by commentators in perpetuity. Boeheim's will be changed from "Hall of Fame Coach Jim Boeheim" to "Jim Boeheim, whose teams lost to two 15 seeds in the Tourney".

But just relax. 2-3 Zone has assured us that this could never happen.

Which is exactly the feeling I had when I took my very good seat at Maryland's Cole Field house and watched the the 15th seeded Richmond Spiders warming up.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Parity has arrived, apparently, with all these "upsets".

See, to me, the parity gives me more confidence. Why can't we be the team that goes on an unexpected run? So I choose optimism, and the demolition of our enemies.

 

[bozophobe]

What's the point in worrying about another fan's confidence? I wanted to hang myself after a dozen pages into the SU/Dayton thread it was so miserable. Have fun and enjoy the game. It's March. If they lose, think about baseball.

 

[Townie72]

See, to me, the parity gives me more confidence. Why can't we be the team that goes on an unexpected run? So I choose optimism, and the demolition of our enemies.

I'm all for "optimism".

We probably ought to and will beat MTSU (helped in measure by a unique Zone defense that the opponent has never seen before and has one day to prepare for)

I'm thrilled to see the emergence of Malachi. (and the receding of TC as the #1 offensive option).

But realism keeps tugging at my coat. And the unfounded optimism on here by some rubs me the wrong way (obviously).

Year's ago, I attended a briefing SU AD Crouthamel gave at a club to the assembled SU faithful.

He talked about SU's basketball scheduling philosophy out of conference.

He said the idea was to play teams that the world thinks are good, but that really weren't. That way you get lots of credit for easy wins.

And the schools they had no intention of scheduling were those that were really good, but which the general public didn't see as good. He went on to list schools like Old Dominion and VCU on that list.

These Southern schools from conferences like the Sun Belt are better than people think they are. And part of the perception problem is becuase the name schools aren't going to play them unless they have to based on the risk-reward equation.

 

[orangenirvana]

Syracuse...1st team to lose to a 15 seed in rnd 2 in history.

got it.

Already been done. San Diego State beat us to it.

 

[Townie72]

Already been done. San Diego State beat us to it.

I stand corrected.

Still and all ...

 

[orangenirvana]

A record that will last forever. And be mentioned in games by commentators in perpetuity. Boeheim's will be changed from "Hall of Fame Coach Jim Boeheim" to "Jim Boeheim, whose teams lost to two 15 seeds in the Tourney".

Are you being serious with this crap? If I didn't know you're posting history I would be getting a chuckle out of your use of sarcasm. But I fear you're actually serious.

 

[Townie72]

Are you being serious with this crap? If I didn't know you're posting history I would be getting a chuckle out of your use of sarcasm. But I fear you're actually serious.

I'm never serious about anything in the realm of sports.

Too painful when we lose.

 

[JarHeadJim]

 

[Day2]

We are better than our record?

Parcells says, accurately I think, that you are what your record says you are.

Welcome to the new world of college basketball parity. Maybe that parity hasn't spread to the top 2 seeds, but once you get to 3 and 4 and 5, the differences between teams is a lot less than it used to be.

Meanwhile the unwashed masses are still tied to the structured hierarchy of past years. They go through their brackets picking the higher seeds mindlessly, and by the Round of 32, their brackets are hopeless broken.

Any SU fan that sits down to watch that game tomorrow with an air of smug confidence, better have some Roll Aids handy just in case.

Yes, we're better than our record, because we don't lose to St. John's and Clemson with JB, and we probably don't lose to Georgetown.

I've made money the last two years in my pools without picking a lot of upsets. You know why? Because the cream tends to rise. Missing a point here or there isn't going to break your bracket, especially when the majority of players miss those same points.

And you're not humble, you're pessimistic. Not one of those realist pessimists, but a pessimist for the sake of being a pessimist. Maybe that's your process. Maybe that's how you overcompensate for a game you went to in 1991. I don't know. What I do know is the outcome of tomorrow's game will have nothing to do with this forum.

 

[Day2]

I agree. Just remember Butler.

Other than Butler, Vermont and Dayton, we've only lost to power schools the last 20 years or so. Butler was inches away from winning it all, Vermont actually had a better RPI and was probably underseeded, and Dayton made the Elite Eight. I guess if we lose to MTSU, it means they're headed to the Final Four.

 

[721Comstock]

Yes, we're better than our record, because we don't lose to St. John's and Clemson with JB, and we probably don't lose to Georgetown.
.

Clemson - yes, we very likely win that game w/ JB on the bench.
We only needed one more play, or Mali to hit a FT, or to foul before they got that tying 3 up, so it's reasonable to assume that could have been a win, in the alternate timeline where JB wasn't suspended.
It SHOULD have been a win for Hop.

SJU and Gtown? Nope.
We were never in the SJU game; they just went to plaid against us, period.
Crappy teams occasionally light up JB's 2-3 zone - see: DePaul, Seton Hall, etc.
That's what happened against SJU.

Against Gtown we trailed pretty significantly until the end, when we made a bit of a comeback, that made it look closer than it really was.

There's zero guarantee that both those games are wins with JB, as they were both multi-possession losses.

We're better than our record, because we play in the toughest conference in America, and should have won 10 games in it.
And didn't get blown out by anybody - we were in every game, even against UNC, Miami, Llvll, UVA, etc.
And IF we'd beaten Clemson, then we don't play Pitt in the first game of the ACC tourney, which means maybe we win another game or 2 there.

Realistically, SU vs Dayton should still have been 7 vs. 10, but with the seedings reversed.
Which means it doesn't matter now anyway, as we're still exactly where we should have been.

 

[TheCusian]

Exactly my point. Two flawed teams going against one another. Your confidence in this and Cusefan0307's from above are uncalled for. Parity has arrived, apparently, with all these "upsets". Since the beginning of this thread you and Cusefan0307 have literally scoffed at the idea that MTSU could beat us. If they can beat MSU, they sure as Hell can beat SU. And most SU fans know that MSU is a better team than SU this year as measured by all the relief that we aren't going to have to play MSU on Sunday. After a season like we just had, a little humbleness is in order.

I love to be told when to be humble.

Let people root for their team. It's right and good to believe you will win every game. That's fandom. We're not professional gamblers. No one gets hurt by runaway belief in your team. Fan arrogance does not boil over onto the actual team or coaching staff.

 

[TheCusian]

Of course. This is the absolute best we could have hoped for. Especially after somehow even getting into the Tournament based on logic that escapes me. But scoffing at MTSU as an opponent seems to me to be inviting bad karma.

I ate a donut for breakfast, does that mean Richardson will be slower to the ball?

(Psst: Fan Karma affecting the team = a guy wearing lucky never been washed socks = the Easter bunny)

 

[TheCusian]

See, to me, the parity gives me more confidence. Why can't we be the team that goes on an unexpected run? So I choose optimism, and the demolition of our enemies.

Now you're speaking my language

 

[KaiserUEO]

Clemson - yes, we very likely win that game w/ JB on the bench.
We only needed one more play, or Mali to hit a FT, or to foul before they got that tying 3 up, so it's reasonable to assume that could have been a win, in the alternate timeline where JB wasn't suspended.
It SHOULD have been a win for Hop.

SJU and Gtown? Nope.
We were never in the SJU game; they just went to plaid against us, period.
Crappy teams occasionally light up JB's 2-3 zone - see: DePaul, Seton Hall, etc.
That's what happened against SJU.

Against Gtown we trailed pretty significantly until the end, when we made a bit of a comeback, that made it look closer than it really was.

There's zero guarantee that both those games are wins with JB, as they were both multi-possession losses.

We're better than our record, because we play in the toughest conference in America, and should have won 10 games in it.
And didn't get blown out by anybody - we were in every game, even against UNC, Miami, Llvll, UVA, etc.
And IF we'd beaten Clemson, then we don't play Pitt in the first game of the ACC tourney, which means maybe we win another game or 2 there.

Realistically, SU vs Dayton should still have been 7 vs. 10, but with the seedings reversed.
Which means it doesn't matter now anyway, as we're still exactly where we should have been.

st johns doesn't know how to dribble.

and hop never bothered to pressure the ball.

I don't care how hot the shooters are, if they cant get the ball up the court they aren't going to make shots.

st johns was an absolute disgrace, Hop should have his job in waiting title taken away from him because of it.

there is ZERO excuse to lose to st johns...ZERO.

and judging by how scared and crappy he coached the whole 9 games, having gtown at gtown for his 1st game was bad timing...for he was likely doubly scared and crapping his pants. JB would've won that easily.

 

[Day2]

Clemson - yes, we very likely win that game w/ JB on the bench.
We only needed one more play, or Mali to hit a FT, or to foul before they got that tying 3 up, so it's reasonable to assume that could have been a win, in the alternate timeline where JB wasn't suspended.
It SHOULD have been a win for Hop.

SJU and Gtown? Nope.
We were never in the SJU game; they just went to plaid against us, period.
Crappy teams occasionally light up JB's 2-3 zone - see: DePaul, Seton Hall, etc.
That's what happened against SJU.

Against Gtown we trailed pretty significantly until the end, when we made a bit of a comeback, that made it look closer than it really was.

There's zero guarantee that both those games are wins with JB, as they were both multi-possession losses.

We're better than our record, because we play in the toughest conference in America, and should have won 10 games in it.
And didn't get blown out by anybody - we were in every game, even against UNC, Miami, Llvll, UVA, etc.
And IF we'd beaten Clemson, then we don't play Pitt in the first game of the ACC tourney, which means maybe we win another game or 2 there.

Realistically, SU vs Dayton should still have been 7 vs. 10, but with the seedings reversed.
Which means it doesn't matter now anyway, as we're still exactly where we should have been.

JB would have made the necessary adjustments against SJU and that would have been that. Don't forget the circumstances surrounding the Georgetown game. All of a sudden, JB was gone and Hop had 48 hours to prepare for his first game as a head coach.

 

[721Comstock]

JB would have made the necessary adjustments against SJU and that would have been that. Don't forget the circumstances surrounding the Georgetown game. All of a sudden, JB was gone and Hop had 48 hours to prepare for his first game as a head coach.

Please.
Why didn't he make those necessary adjustments against:
DePaul, Seton Hall, all those times we lost to Llvll, Pitt, etc? :noidea:
He's a coach, not a magician.

St Johns was bombing away from beyond NBA range, and hitting.
We couldn't buy a basket.
What's the coaching fix for all of that?