Who do regret leaving early?

[SBU72]

After rewatching the Marquette game, I began to wonder who people most regretted seeing leave early for the pros. Lets not include Carmelo considering the youth on the NC team could very well have been at least 1 more if he stayed 4 yesrs.

After reading a couple of replies, I thought I'd clarify a little. By regret I mean wish he had stayed longer despite wether the decision was ultimately right or wrong for the player.

 

[Eric15]

Tyler Ennis. I'm not saying he made the wrong decision, I'm just saying that period in the mid-2010s could have been so much different if we had 2-3 years of him. And G could play his natural position.

 

[Trueblue25]

Depends what you mean by regret.

I was most bummed when Elijah declared. It was absolutely the right move on his part. I was only bummed because his game was beautiful and I’d have loved to see another year of him raining buckets on UNC and others.

If there’s one player I would make the argument may have benefitted from another year it’s between Chris McCullough and Malachi Richardson. Id still say they both made the right decisions. My only caveat is I think they showed flashes of ceilings during their college games that they never got a good shot to achieve for whatever reason in the pros. Doesn’t upset me though. Each got a cup of coffee in the NBA and are good representations of the University.

 

[karhre2003]

Pearl!!!

 

[Eric15]

Pearl!!!

No disrespect to Pearl, but that 1987 team was an eyelash from a national title. I'm wondering if Pearl coming back would have prevented Sherm from ascending into his role and the team not being quite as good.

 

[Gotothehole]

Hop

 

[Fat tire 13]

If you define regret as a situation where both the player and Cuse could have benefitted, I would throw Jerami Grant out there. Sure, he blossomed into a great NBA player, but it took him 4-5 years to get there. If he stayed, he could have been a top 15 pick, and maybe moved up the NBA ladder more quickly too.

For lots of the other guys who left early, I can't imagine them improving their draft position by that much...

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

Troy Weaver.

 

[Bball44]

If you define regret as a situation where both the player and Cuse could have benefitted, I would throw Jerami Grant out there. Sure, he blossomed into a great NBA player, but it took him 4-5 years to get there. If he stayed, he could have been a top 15 pick, and maybe moved up the NBA ladder more quickly too.

For lots of the other guys who left early, I can't imagine them improving their draft position by that much...

Donte Green. Maybe his draft position would not have improved but his Syracuse legacy likely would have.

 

[Eric15]

Donte Green. Maybe his draft position would not have improved but his Syracuse legacy likely would have.

That guy took so much unnecessary slack from our fanbase. He had one of the best freshman years in SU history. 17.7 ppg and 7.2 rpg. It wasn't his fault that we lost both Devo and Andy that year and we were essentially playing our guys 40 minutes per game. And based on everything I've read he left school because he had to support his family financially.

 

[MDCuse]

Tyler Ennis. I'm not saying he made the wrong decision, I'm just saying that period in the mid-2010s could have been so much different if we had 2-3 years of him. And G could play his natural position.

This right here! I don't think Jim planned on that and hasn't had an answer since. He's been playing guys out of position at PG since Tyler left.

 

[jdubs30]

Tyler Ennis. I'm not saying he made the wrong decision, I'm just saying that period in the mid-2010s could have been so much different if we had 2-3 years of him. And G could play his natural position.

Here’s the devils advocate Ennis situation

The year after Ennis left, we took our postseason ban because we weren’t very good. If Ennis is there, we don’t take our ban and most likely make the tournament.

The year after that, we get Richardson and Lydon and make the F4. Would the ban been given this year if we didn’t voluntarily take it in 2015? If it does, do we still keep everyone in tact or does one of those freshman and maybe Cooney look to leave?

 

[General20]

I don't like the word regret. We should be happy when a college kid goes on to use his talents to make money, there is always another player in the pipeline. For instance, when Billy Owens went pro, it opened the door for Lawrence Moten to come in and average 18ppg as a freshman (which never happened back then). But had Billy Ownes come back for his senior year we would have had a really interesting team that included Autry Moten Johnson Owens McRae

Here is the list of top single season scorers under Jim Boeheim.
1) Owens - 23.2
2) Wallace & Anthony (tie) 22.2)
3) Moten - 21.5
4) Warrick - 21.4
5) Shumpert - 20.7
6) Johnson - 19.8

That team would have had #1, #3, and #6 all playing at the same time, plus Autry who is fifth all time in assists.

 

[Eric15]

Here’s the devils advocate Ennis situation

The year after Ennis left, we took our postseason ban because we weren’t very good. If Ennis is there, we don’t take our ban and most likely make the tournament.

The year after that, we get Richardson and Lydon and make the F4. Would the ban been given this year if we didn’t voluntarily take it in 2015? If it does, do we still keep everyone in tact or does one of those freshman and maybe Cooney look to leave?

Fair question and good point.

 

[Munster]

I was most bummed when Elijah declared. It was absolutely the right move on his part. I was only bummed because his game was beautiful and I’d have loved to see another year of him raining buckets on UNC and others.

It also stung because the tournament was cancelled that year. I was hoping he'd go off in the ACCT and help sneak us into the NCAAs

 

[Chip]

Billy Owens.

Only because his senior year would have been my freshman year, so that sucked.

 

[chugg21]

Here’s the devils advocate Ennis situation

The year after Ennis left, we took our postseason ban because we weren’t very good. If Ennis is there, we don’t take our ban and most likely make the tournament.

The year after that, we get Richardson and Lydon and make the F4. Would the ban been given this year if we didn’t voluntarily take it in 2015? If it does, do we still keep everyone in tact or does one of those freshman and maybe Cooney look to leave?

Give me Ennis with the SR year Rak + Gbinije/Cooney and butterfly effect of Ennis keeps McCullough healthy all year and we are in serious business.

 

[Eric15]

Billy Owens.

Only because his senior year would have been my freshman year, so that sucked.

Maybe that’s why he left.

 

[dan7800]

Mookie Jones

 

[OttoinGrotto]

 

[Chip]

Maybe that’s why he left.

Dislike.

Yet like.

 

[Eric15]

Dislike.

Yet like.

Sorry you set me up perfectly there.

 

[miamicuse]

No disrespect to Pearl, but that 1987 team was an eyelash from a national title. I'm wondering if Pearl coming back would have prevented Sherm from ascending into his role and the team not being quite as good.

Pearl himself has said he regretted leaving the cuse early.

I agree with you though, if Pearl had stayed on, how would Sherman have fitted into the line up, and whether that 87 team could have gone as far as they did with that team possibly still be a Pearl show. Monroe and Triche were entrenched as seniors at the 2 there may not be room for Sherman to become Sherman.

 

[miamicuse]

On the flip side, who left and you were glad to see him go?

 

[Eric15]

On the flip side, who left and you were glad to see him go?

Deshaun Williams. I don’t think there is a close second in my lifetime.