Who honestly has confidence in Mike Hopkins as the next HC

[Alsacs]

I love the concept in theory, but how would that account for all of the turnover on college teams (graduation, early departures to NBA, etc.)? So if Syracuse wins the ACC this year, they get an automatic bid to the tournament next year... but half the team might not be here. And if they didn't win the league last year and got left out of this year's tournament, that would suck for the players who busted their butts this year to win the league.

It helps elevate the programs. If your in the Champions League it would help recruiting. Kids would listen to that stuff and the smaller conferences rep would have a leg up on their conference mates in recruiting.

 

[pearl31]

of course the sanctions are part of it, but that is no reason to pretend that we haven't fallen off the very high level of 2009-2013. and the sanctions were largely self-inflicted; the NCAA wouldn't have been hunting if we hadn't self-reported. and they wouldn't have been so severe if Daryl Gross hadn't blatantly interfered in Fab Melo's academic situation. Can't blame anyone else for that stupidity.

but by all means, go ahead and "don't worry be happy" if that's what gets you through the day

good lord, you appear to have trouble understanding things

 

[Melancer46]

We have done well but we have left a NC on the table.
Francis has been saying we have given up nationally recruiting for just the I-95 corridor. We don't recruit top 10 players.

Our team has been competitive but I can be objective to see the House of Cards we have been on since 2014. I don't think we develop players well SINCE 2012. We have run a lot of players out and since the 25-0 start we are under .600 winning percentage. That isn't elite.

The I-95 thing is a huge concern to me. Even beyond just the I-95 is stuff like how we seem to have given up on recruiting guys like Reddish who should theoretically be in our wheelhouse.

Some guys that I would say developed pretty nicely since 2012:

Rakeem Christmas - This one is indisputable IMO. He made tremendous strides during his time at Syracuse.
Jerami Grant - I think he developed quite a bit between his freshman and sophomore years.
Michael Gbinije - I think this one goes without saying too; he improved a lot during his time at Syracuse.

And still TBD would be Howard. It's super early in the year still, but as of this moment, he's made gigantic strides as a shooter. The addition of a mid-range jumpshot for Coleman has been pretty huge too.

I would guess Syracuse's track record in regards to player development compares pretty well to most schools even despite guys like Roberson and Cooney not really showing any improvement during their time here.

 

[two3zone]

The I-95 thing is a huge concern to me. Even beyond just the I-95 is stuff like how we seem to have given up on recruiting guys like Reddish who should theoretically be in our wheelhouse.

Some guys that I would say developed pretty nicely since 2012:

Rakeem Christmas - This one is indisputable IMO. He made tremendous strides during his time at Syracuse.
Jerami Grant - I think he developed quite a bit between his freshman and sophomore years.
Michael Gbinije - I think this one goes without saying too; he improved a lot during his time at Syracuse.

And still TBD would be Howard. It's super early in the year still, but as of this moment, he's made gigantic strides as a shooter. The addition of a mid-range jumpshot for Coleman has been pretty huge too.

I would guess Syracuse's track record in regards to player development compares pretty well to most schools even despite guys like Roberson and Cooney not really showing any improvement during their time here.

Playing devils advocate it'd be easy to say that Rak was the 20th rated recruit who was a McDonalds All American. While he had an amazing senior year it could be said his overall body of work was disappointing.

G was a top recruit who went to Duke, we didn't sprinkle some magic fairy dust on a JUCO to make G.

 

[l'orange]

We won't know until we give Hopkins the keys but I will be routing for him to succeed. I like his loyalty and the fact he is an alum, I am proud to see a coaching staff that is made up of SU players that love Syracuse. With that said and to somewhat contradict myself, I do think it would have been an advantage for Hopkins to have coached elsewhere to gain perspective, grow some fresh roots and then come back to the Cuse upon Boeheim's retirement.

What I would hate to see are coaches coming and going like they have in our football program.
Whoever takes the reins of the Basketball program better be good and better plan on sticking around.

 

[realorange]

At the end of the day, Gmac played high school ball, college ball at SU and a handful of games as a pro.

I have no problem when he became a grad assistant and it may have been unfair to him to throw him in Bernie's spot so fast, but his position now as lead recruiter is kind of crazy considering 5 years ago his career was being a pitchman for car commercials with no prior coaching history.

So he is lead recruiter?? I would think Red was ahead of him.

 

[two3zone]

So he is lead recruiter?? I would think Red was ahead of him.

From what I've read in the recruiting forums I believe he is. If I'm wrong I'm wrong but I believe I've read that a few times.

 

[Melancer46]

Playing devils advocate it'd be easy to say that Rak was the 20th rated recruit who was a McDonalds All American. While he had an amazing senior year it could be said his overall body of work was disappointing.

G was a top recruit who went to Duke, we didn't sprinkle some magic fairy dust on a JUCO to make G.

Sure, but just because they were highly rated in high school doesn't mean they were complete players. Rak came to SU with the following description from DraftExpress:

"he clearly has a ways to go, as he has a very low skill-level offensively and has never really tried to exert himself in the half dozen or so times we've seen him play. His hands are somewhat questionable, his footwork in the post is poor, and his fundamentals on defense leave a lot to be desired."

By the time he finished up at Syracuse, he was a tremendous defender and a very good scorer in the post.

 

[realorange]

At the end of the day, Gmac played high school ball, college ball at SU and a handful of games as a pro.

I have no problem when he became a grad assistant and it may have been unfair to him to throw him in Bernie's spot so fast, but his position now as lead recruiter is kind of crazy considering 5 years ago his career was being a pitchman for car commercials with no prior coaching history.

So he is lead recruiter?? I would think Red was ahead of him.

Ideally, I think it should be a tournament of the conference champs in a double elimination or 3-games series over the course of a month. But that would also penalize conference with lots of good teams (e.g. UK and KU would always be in the tourney and the ACC would be a revolving door of Duke, Duke, UNC, SU/Louisville/VA/Miami every four years).

And that is one of the best reasons for the type of tournament we have now.

 

[realorange]

Just for the heck of it, how many coaches in the ACC would be better than Hop?

I know this is a bit of a guessing game, but maybe look at it from the standpoint of how many of them you'd hire before Hop.

 

[OrangeDW]

I am not so sure these kids care about the Dome much anymore. There are a lot of teams with great facilities and tradition. Playing in the Tobacco Road centric ACC, it is very plausible to me that we could be looking on the outside in.

Maybe. It's still the place you go to to play in front of the most people.

 

[two3zone]

Maybe. It's still the place you go to to play in front of the most people.

Problem is that's probably 10th or further back on the list of things that are important to these kids.

 

[baggerbob]

So true. I posed this point awhile back, how many Top10 recruits in SU basketball history? Melo and Billy, and ? Greene and Waiters are Top20 in my book, not Top10 or Top5...

DC was a top 10 recruit, in the top 3.

 

[cuseinseattle]

At the end of the day, Gmac played high school ball, college ball at SU and a handful of games as a pro.

I have no problem when he became a grad assistant and it may have been unfair to him to throw him in Bernie's spot so fast, but his position now as lead recruiter is kind of crazy considering 5 years ago his career was being a pitchman for car commercials with no prior coaching history.

I think the idea was to have Hop not be lead recruiter since he will be the head coach. That leaves Red and Gmac. I would think that they believe Red will get a head coaching job soon so it makes more sense for Gmac to be the lead recruiter so we don't have that changing at the same time our head coach and top assistant are changing. I'm not saying I agree with that but I get the logic of it. I like Gmac but to be honest he is the 3rd assistant and I refuse to believe that he is what is standing between us and greatness.

 

[Alsacs]

The I-95 thing is a huge concern to me. Even beyond just the I-95 is stuff like how we seem to have given up on recruiting guys like Reddish who should theoretically be in our wheelhouse.

Some guys that I would say developed pretty nicely since 2012:

Rakeem Christmas - This one is indisputable IMO. He made tremendous strides during his time at Syracuse.
Jerami Grant - I think he developed quite a bit between his freshman and sophomore years.
Michael Gbinije - I think this one goes without saying too; he improved a lot during his time at Syracuse.

And still TBD would be Howard. It's super early in the year still, but as of this moment, he's made gigantic strides as a shooter. The addition of a mid-range jumpshot for Coleman has been pretty huge too.

I would guess Syracuse's track record in regards to player development compares pretty well to most schools even despite guys like Roberson and Cooney not really showing any improvement during their time here.

Grant I would give you. He developed and was a stud his 2nd year.
Christmas was a McD AA he had talent the whole time the staff should have gotten that Senior year earlier. I give that kid the credit but the staff wasn't good to him.
Gbinije developed but again I give him the credit. I don't think JB gave him the same leash he gave Cooney until G's Senior year.

I think player development has been subpar with the program we think we are which is elite. Elite teams don't go 4 years with chit offenses.

 

[SoBeCuse]

I'm not happy about the way things are going this year, but this is very hyperbolic.

Just go ask Seth Greenberg about the bubble. Heck UK was in the NIT themselves the year they had Nerlens.

I think Greenberg was getting NIT talent. Syracuse is not. Not on paper. Aside from some early defections what gives lately? Are the recruitniks just plain wrong on so many signees here? Do their skills offensively just erode when they arrive here? Or the ones who need instruction aren't getting it here?

UK had a weird year where those guys were hard to coach, Noel injury and Noel as well as others just being overrated in general. Some dudes just can't be coached.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I think Greenberg was getting NIT talent. Syracuse is not. Not on paper. Aside from some early defections what gives lately? Are the recruitniks just plain wrong on so many signees here? Do their skills offensively just erode when they arrive here? Or the ones who need instruction aren't getting it here?

UK had a weird year where those guys were hard to coach, Noel injury and Noel as well as others just being overrated in general. Some dudes just can't be coached.

Villanova also went 13-19 in 2012. I don't think they are getting NIT talent.

 

[Ish88888]

It's the ultimate Catch 22 of the NCAA Tournament. Its ridiculously entertaining, but it's also a ridiculously awful way to determine a champion.

Right? just get in the tournament and roll the dice. teams basically have 3 months to go from confused to mediocre, go .500 in conference, grab a few key wins along the way and then its chaos and streaks that prevail . Waters down the regular season immensely .

 

[br801]

And that is one of the best reasons for the type of tournament we have now.

Some of these posters are too young to remember when only one team per conference went to the NCAAT. Imagine how well that would go over today.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Right? just get in the tournament and roll the dice. teams basically have 3 months to go from confused to mediocre, go .500 in conference, grab a few key wins along the way and then its chaos and streaks that prevail . Waters down the regular season immensely .

Contrarian POV:

Even the most casual college football fan could have predicted that OSU, Bama, and Clemson would have been in gen College Football Playoff back in August. Washington was the only surprise. Not sure the regular season is worth much if you automatically start the season without 5 teams who can win it all.

 

[realorange]

Some of these posters are too young to remember when only one team per conference went to the NCAAT. Imagine how well that would go over today.

Yeah. Imagine how that would have gone over in the old Big East!

 

[sutomcat]

If you do please calm me down and tell me why you do?
The player development hasn't been great. The recruiting has been good but all our guys leave right away.
I need to hear some optimism for Hopkins as he is getting the job next.

I believe in Mike. He is the best recruiter Syracuse has ever had. He is smart, immensely likable, knows the college game extremely well and has everything needed to be a great head coach.

 

[kirbivore]

If you do please calm me down and tell me why you do?
The player development hasn't been great. The recruiting has been good but all our guys leave right away.
I need to hear some optimism for Hopkins as he is getting the job next.

I fear Hopkins will be another Escherick, Guthridge, or the guy that succeeded Knight.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I fear Hopkins will be another Escherick, Guthridge, or the guy that succeeded Knight.

Escherick and Guthridge were dinosaurs with no charisma who could not relate to 18-22 year olds.

Mike is a charismatic man who's been on the circuit for 20 years and knows how to relate to players.

 

[OttoMets]

Escherick and Guthridge were dinosaurs with no charisma who could not relate to 18-22 year olds.

Mike is a charismatic man who's been on the circuit for 20 years and knows how to relate to players.

Mike might be 50 before he's handed the reins. Don't disagree with anything you said, but I imagine that's close to Esherick's age in 1997.

Everything Tom said is true, and I'd add that Mike's a very hard worker. Add all that up and he'll still need more to be a very successful coach.

Is he lucky?

What kind of institutional support will he get? Long leash after a 18-13 season?

Is he bold? Will he listen to voices around the periphery of the program? Does he recognize areas that need to be improved, and is he willing to make those changes? And does he know how?

I hope so. He's a good guy, would hate to see him flame out here.