Where do we go from here?

[Cuse'91]

Recruiting is the life's blood of a program - Syracuse has been a clear example of this truth for the entire Boeheim era.
Recruiting now is the best it will ever be with JB as HC, and it ain't so good...
Just imagine the fodder other programs will have to negatively recruit against us...
40 year old venue
74 year old coach
I am starting to seriously lowering my expectations for SU basketball because we simply cannot be the SU of old with our present reality...

 

[cuseguy]

IF it happens (an all freshman backcourt which I highly doubt) I would switch them. To me Girard is the kid who'll run the point.

Buddy will start at the 2 guard before we have freshman backcourt though. This team next year completely hinges on who the PG is.

I didn’t say Buddy wouldn’t start the year at the 2. But after watching him lately, I think Girard surpasses him because he’s more talented and can score in a variety of ways. I see the switch as a rotation at first, but Girard will make JB realize that Buddy is more suited to coming off the bench. Did Girard play a lot of PG this year? If so, him at the point and Goodine at the 2 would also work. Carey’s development in the offseason is going to be crucial and say a lot about our success next year. Someone needs to take the PG role and play well.

 

[tbonezone]

i don't see us moving forward or backwards next season.

clowns to the left of me jokers to the right ...

 

[FloridaFan]

Recruiting is the life's blood of a program - Syracuse has been a clear example of this truth for the entire Boeheim era.
Recruiting now is the best it will ever be with JB as HC, and it ain't so good...
Just imagine the fodder other programs will have to negatively recruit against us...
40 year old venue
74 year old coach
I am starting to seriously lowering my expectations for SU basketball because we simply cannot be the SU of old with our present reality...

I can’t take you seriously if you think the carrier dome is a negative against us. The largest basketball arena and the largest crowds possible is a negative sell? Get outta here with that. Multiple recruits have said it’s the loudest they have never heard a game that loud.

 

[Jack Hall]

This might be a long rant, but hear me out.

The title of this thread sums up my thoughts about last night’s game. Where do we go from here? What are we as a program? I don’t mean to sound over the top, as if 1 game is somehow indicative of something larger. But that’s where I’m at. Been a Syracuse fan for a long time. Lived through the good years, the bad years, and everything in between. And I just can’t pinpoint who exactly we are right now.

Like it or not, the Dukes, the Carolinas, the UK’s of the world….they know what they are. High talent, high turnover.

I also look at a team like Michigan. They know what they are. They don’t recruit top talent (aside from a random 4-5 star here and there). Beilein’s system is designed to maximize talent + develop players. Virginia is a lot like that too (just without the March success). It's not like they are some blue blood and we are not. It's the opposite. So how did Michigan make the turn? While we've stalled?

This needs to be an inflection point. At some point, JB, the staff, ADJW, whoever…needs to take a long look at what we’re trying to be. I’m not sure JB is the right coach to do that. And that’s what I struggle with. I love JB, he’s done wonders for the program and the community, and deserves fair treatment on the way out, but at a certain point, with him as a coach, is there light at the end of the tunnel? Is he all of a sudden going to reinvent who we are at age 74? Fascinating dilemma for Wildhack. I'm afraid we'll have more of this until JB hangs it up, and then we'll see a reboot.

I watched last night mostly apathetic. It sucks feeling that way, because I’ve lived and died by every game for years. But these March runs recently have masked the fact that this is really what we are. A middling P5 program.

I wonder how we got here, and if it was bound to happen, or recruiting/sanctions/early defections have been the cumulative cause.

I know this post probably doesn’t add up to much, but that’s basically what I was thinking all 40 minutes last night. What are we? And where do we go from here?

Anyone else feeling similarly?

You guys list a lot of decent points but I am surprised how more folk don’t list SU’s choice to take the ACC $ as a highly flawed decision (if you don’t just focus on the greed factor). It’s a bell I’m not sure how you unring- very unfortunate. Of course coupled with the whole Hop/JB thing; recruiting...very very tough situation compared to where we were last 5 years of BE. Villanova was probably very blessed that could not go after the ACC $

 

[cuseguy]

You guys list a lot of decent points but I am surprised how more folk don’t list SU’s choice to take the ACC $ as a highly flawed decision (if you don’t just focus on the greed factor). It’s a bell I’m not sure how you unring- very unfortunate. Of course coupled with the whole Hop/JB thing; recruiting...very very tough situation compared to where we were last 5 years of BE. Villanova was probably very blessed that could not go after the ACC $

This argument is often raised, but it was either the ACC or the AAC. We’ weren’t staying in the Big East. As much as I dislike the ACC, it was the right choice for basketball and football.

 

[Cowtown]

Recruiting is the life's blood of a program - Syracuse has been a clear example of this truth for the entire Boeheim era.
Recruiting now is the best it will ever be with JB as HC, and it ain't so good...
Just imagine the fodder other programs will have to negatively recruit against us...
40 year old venue
74 year old coach
I am starting to seriously lowering my expectations for SU basketball because we simply cannot be the SU of old with our present reality...

I think that's not unrealistic. Someone in another thread made the case for a series of 20-14 records, 9-9 ACC, The Neverending Story on defense, some good kids and some head cases and early departures/transfers. It's like Flip Wilson's Geraldine said, "What you see is what you get." For a second Carmelo Anthony isn't walking through the door in the foreseeable future, anyway.

 

[Briancuse]

I think it's naive to not consider the possibility. I've watched dozens of kids just like Carey transfer out of Syracuse.

Why would he transfer?

 

[PhatOrange]

Why would he transfer?

IDK the same reason Ramel Lloyd transferred? Isn't it obvious or do you just want me to state the obvious?

 

[Zepharus]

You would think we'd be going hard at the one-and-done guys at this point, as it would make the most sense for Boeheim and for our recruiting strategy given that they aren't worried about whether he retires after the next season. And yet...

High level one and dones don't wan to play zone. Its frowned upon by NBA types and kids coming out of Syracuse have a bad, well earned rap. not hard to connect the dots.

 

[MikeSU02]

If JB is sticking around, which I assume is the case, he needs to bring in an offensive coordinator.

I have no thoughts of us changing out of the zone, but we need to evolve our offense.

That coach should also be a dynamic recruiter and if we need to overpay for him, so be it.

 

[Briancuse]

High level one and dones don't wan to play zone. Its frowned upon by NBA types and kids coming out of Syracuse have a bad, well earned rap. not hard to connect the dots.

Carey is a high level one and done?

 

[Zepharus]

Recruiting is the life's blood of a program - Syracuse has been a clear example of this truth for the entire Boeheim era.
Recruiting now is the best it will ever be with JB as HC, and it ain't so good...
Just imagine the fodder other programs will have to negatively recruit against us...
40 year old venue
74 year old coach
I am starting to seriously lowering my expectations for SU basketball because we simply cannot be the SU of old with our present reality...

Our recruiting for the last 6 or 7 years, and particularly right now...

 

[Zepharus]

You guys list a lot of decent points but I am surprised how more folk don’t list SU’s choice to take the ACC $ as a highly flawed decision (if you don’t just focus on the greed factor). It’s a bell I’m not sure how you unring- very unfortunate. Of course coupled with the whole Hop/JB thing; recruiting...very very tough situation compared to where we were last 5 years of BE. Villanova was probably very blessed that could not go after the ACC $

We had no choice but to take the ACC. NONE . Like it or not it was a blessing and secured the programs future. Just need the right leader now

 

[Zepharus]

Carey is a high level one and done?

um, no.

 

[Ghost]

If JB is sticking around, which I assume is the case, he needs to bring in an offensive coordinator.

I have no thoughts of us changing out of the zone, but we need to evolve our offense.

That coach should also be a dynamic recruiter and if we need to overpay for him, so be it.

If we're not going to recruit elite kids, than I really hope we adopt the strategy we used for Buddy on all Frosh. Do everything imaginable to put them in a position to succeed. That's it. Develop them. Develop the talent - be patient, focus on their strengths, get a bench...

 

[MSOrange]

You guys list a lot of decent points but I am surprised how more folk don’t list SU’s choice to take the ACC $ as a highly flawed decision (if you don’t just focus on the greed factor). It’s a bell I’m not sure how you unring- very unfortunate. Of course coupled with the whole Hop/JB thing; recruiting...very very tough situation compared to where we were last 5 years of BE. Villanova was probably very blessed that could not go after the ACC $

I can only assume you are a basketball only?

 

[OrangeDW]

Our recruiting for the last 6 or 7 years, and particularly right now...

I like our freshmen and sophomore classes quite a bit, and I’m optimistic about our incoming freshmen.

The problem in recruiting was with our junior and senior classes. 1 quality player in 2 years.

That’s pretty much a problem of the past though, as we’ll have 3 solid classes making up the team next year. Should be our deepest team in years.

 

[kingtidge]

We’re in the late stages of JB’s career. Not much will change in terms of structure and strategy, but I’m sure JB will do everything in his power to make one more good run. Recruiting, however, is going to become more difficult as kids realize JB won’t be around for their entire career. That will become more noticeable rather soon. This incoming class and next year’s group will determine whether JB goes out with a whimper or a bang. After that, Wildhack has a huge decision.

I think we are already in that spiral.

The inability to land a competent center is proof of that.

The decision could come down faster than you think.

A losing season in the ACC and straight to the NIT next season would quicken things I bet.

Hoping some of the new blood next year will be good enough to prevent that, but it's certainly not out of the realm of possibilities.

 

[cuseguy]

High level one and dones don't wan to play zone. Its frowned upon by NBA types and kids coming out of Syracuse have a bad, well earned rap. not hard to connect the dots.

JB said he tells high profile recruits, any recruit for that matter, that the NBA recruits for offense, not defenseZ

 

[JeremyCuse]

IDK the same reason Ramel Lloyd transferred? Isn't it obvious or do you just want me to state the obvious?

Seems likely at least one player is going to move on and that's all I am going to say. Staff needs to key in on getting a big guy for next year, keep pounding the pavement, grad transfer, regular transfer who can eligible immediately, Euro guy, new recruit whatever it takes.

 

[kingtidge]

JB said he tells high profile recruits, any recruit for that matter, that the NBA recruits for offense, not defenseZ

Does he cap off that sell with "...So if you want to play playground pick-n'roll offense, come to syracuse" ??

 

[kingtidge]

Seems likely at least one player is going to move on and that's all I am going to say. Staff needs to key in on getting a big guy for next year, keep pounding the pavement, grad transfer, regular transfer who can eligible immediately, Euro guy, new recruit whatever it takes.

Carey??

 

[cuseguy]

Does he cap off that sell with "...So if you want to play playground pick-n'roll offense, come to syracuse" ??

You said it, not me. Ha. But that’s a good one.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Carey??

I am on record as noting he was unhappy and seriously considering leaving. I hope he doesn't but if he or someone else leaves I won't be surprised. I like next years recruiting class though and there a few guys who were on the bench this year that could surprise.