What’s most disheartening to me...

[CU44SE]

Is not necessarily the losses. But the way we have lost. 5 of our 8 losses haven’t even been competitive, double digit losses. The first Pitt loss was only by 3 but that game should have been a win. A total and complete implosion. 3 of our wins against non-P5 teams in Bryant, northeastern, and Buffalo were a 1 point win, a 6 point win, and an 11 point win in overtime (that if not for an amazing AG game saving block we would have lost after a big comeback in the second half).

IMO there is no dominant team in the ACC this year. All the games have been relatively close. Yet it seems like we continue to just get pummeled and not even compete. And that is where most of my frustration comes from. We continue to do the same stuff over and over and we have not been remotely competitive. Something has to change, and Jimmy refuses to change things up.

my ultimate point is, what could possibly be worse then what is happening now. By playing other players; changing who plays what positions. Would it really affect our ability to compete that much more? Would trying to press earlier in the game really be that much worse? I just feel like there has been 0 adjustments all year long. And we continue to do the same thing over and over, and continue to get the same results over and over.

 

[Briancuse]

We're getting run out of the building by bad to mediocre teams. We haven't even played Fsu or Lville yet.

 

[CU44SE]

We're getting run out of the building by bad to mediocre teams. We haven't even played Fsu or Lville yet.

To your point, we have pretty much had the easiest ACC schedule possible. We played BC, NC St (without leading scorer) and Pitt twice. All of which are in the bottom of the ACC. We haven’t played Louisville or FSU. That has been a huge reason why our record is slightly inflated. If you look at all our opponents winning percentage it would be really bad compared to previous years. That is the only reason our record is what it currently is.

 

[miamicuse]

hey we beat UNC last game last year!

 

[MikeSU02]

Is not necessarily the losses. But the way we have lost. 5 of our 8 losses haven’t even been competitive, double digit losses. The first Pitt loss was only by 3 but that game should have been a win. A total and complete implosion. 3 of our wins against non-P5 teams in Bryant, northeastern, and Buffalo were a 1 point win, a 6 point win, and an 11 point win in overtime (that if not for an amazing AG game saving block we would have lost after a big comeback in the second half).

IMO there is no dominant team in the ACC this year. All the games have been relatively close. Yet it seems like we continue to just get pummeled and not even compete. And that is where most of my frustration comes from. We continue to do the same stuff over and over and we have not been remotely competitive. Something has to change, and Jimmy refuses to change things up.

my ultimate point is, what could possibly be worse then what is happening now. By playing other players; changing who plays what positions. Would it really affect our ability to compete that much more? Would trying to press earlier in the game really be that much worse? I just feel like there has been 0 adjustments all year long. And we continue to do the same thing over and over, and continue to get the same results over and over.

OOC we have beat an NEC team, two MAAC teams, one MAC team, one CAA team and the 8th (out of 11) best Big East team based on the standings right now.

Besides VT, which is a good win, in conference we have beat the 10th, 12th, 14th and 15th teams in the ACC standings. BC is basically fielding a JV team, NC State being lame both games and against ND, us needing a 20 point comeback.

We were very close to this year being VERY bad with those close wins that you mention.

Whatever has to be the catalyst for it, something has to change dramatically between this year and next. Unless we are scheduling guarantee wins early on next year, which maybe we'll do, we could be in real trouble for the .500 streak to continue, let alone any hope of being in the hunt for a top four seed.

 

[CU44SE]

So to make everyone feel worse. I went and looked at strength of schedule all the way back to 2007-2008 (went by ESPN and they didn’t go back further). This year we have the worst SOS since that time period. The sadder news, last year was roughly the same, only 4 spots lower than this years. So these schedules the past two years have been the two easiest schedules Syracuse has played since 2007-2008.

 

[samspann1]

People on this board say that the team plays hard. When I watch, I don't see a group of tough competitors - I see guys who take dumb shots, and are more concerned with counting their numbers than getting dirty and winning games.

I think that I read yesterday that we don't have a single Q1 win so far this year, which is pretty sad and embarrassing. Part of that is undoubtedly due to how poor the ACC is, but as the OP says, there are games in which we haven't even shown up, and that is inexcusable.

It's pretty clear now that we very much are that same team that barely scraped by Bryant, Northeastern & Buffalo, no matter what excuses were made on this board for those performances.

 

[Briancuse]

hey we beat UNC last game last year!

UNC really.wanted no part of that game.

 

[samspann1]

UNC really.wanted no part of that game.

...and the 14th (read: last) seed in the ACCT.

 

[CardiacCuse]

UNC really.wanted no part of that game.

disagree. brooks was crying on the sideline after the game...sidibe dominated him.

 

[Alsacs]

UNC really.wanted no part of that game.

Why did UNC win the game before against Wake then?
They could have just lost the Tuesday game.
UNC was thought of as a dark horse before we beat them down.

 

[samspann1]

Why did UNC win the game before against Wake then?
They could have just lost the Tuesday game.
UNC was thought of as a dark horse before we beat them down.

has the lowest seed ever won a P5 conference tournament?

 

[Briancuse]

Why did UNC win the game before against Wake then?
They could have just lost the Tuesday game.
UNC was thought of as a dark horse before we beat them down.

VA tech. VA tech mailed it in too.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Too many of these games are not close. That absolutely matters. How you win and how you lose, matters. On the record it doesn't, but bigger picture? YES.

 

[Alsacs]

has the lowest seed ever won a P5 conference tournament?

In 1999 11 seed Illinois which was last place made the Big Ten tournament final and lost it to Michigan State.

The last place team from a P5 has won a conference tournament.
The 2008 Georgia Bulldogs won the conference tournament.

They were in last place in the SEC East and won the SEC tournament.

 

[Alsacs]

VA tech. VA tech mailed it in too.

UNC didn’t mail it.
How do you know Va. Tech mailed it in?

 

[oTTo113445]

Spot on. Don't forget 2 of our wins took the press, and we were up once 17 with 9 minutes to go and lost.

Small ball is the culprit. Got to be really long and fast to play zone. Not sold that the backline of the zone can stop anyone these days without that.

 

[Briancuse]

UNC didn’t mail it.
How do you know Va. Tech mailed it in?

I watched the game.

 

[Briancuse]

In 1999 11 seed Illinois which was last place made the Big Ten tournament final and lost it to Michigan State.

The last place team from a P5 has won a conference tournament.
The 2008 Georgia Bulldogs won the conference tournament.

They were in last place in the SEC East and won the SEC tournament.

If you believe Hoop Weiss they stole our spot we would have been the last team in.

 

[samspann1]

In 1999 11 seed Illinois which was last place made the Big Ten tournament final and lost it to Michigan State.

The last place team from a P5 has won a conference tournament.
The 2008 Georgia Bulldogs won the conference tournament.

They were in last place in the SEC East and won the SEC tournament.

I remembered Georgia winning the SEC tourney in 2008, but I didn't remember the specifics, so I looked it up. It appears that Auburn was the lowest overall seed in the SEC tourney that season, not Georgia.

 

[Alsacs]

I remembered Georgia winning the SEC tourney in 2008, but I didn't remember the specifics, so I looked it up. It appears that Auburn was the lowest overall seed in the SEC tourney that season, not Georgia.

They were both 4-12 and back then the SEC did their tournament by seed.
Georgia was the E-6 spot and they had the co-worst record that season in the SEC.

 

[Alsacs]

If you believe Hoop Weiss they stole our spot we would have been the last team in.

I have said this numerous times.

 

[dasher]

I watched the game.

Gee , I thought you were joking. No. Va tech didn't mail it in. Christ.

 

[samspann1]

They were both 4-12 and back then the SEC did their tournament by seed.
Georgia was the E-6 spot and they had the co-worst record that season in the SEC.

Tennessee was 14-2, and the E-1 seed. They were the #1 overall seed - they were on the same side of the bracket as the W-6 seed, Auburn

 

[Day2]

UNC really.wanted no part of that game.

It’s amazing how you manage to criticize the program for things that didn’t happen while not giving credit for things that did.