Wildhack is on the Clock

[Bulldog04]

Gerry is 3-0 out of the gate with some decent wins at his program level. Love Red and hope he gets it done. Am watching how things shake out for him closely though.

He won 2 games by a total of 3 points. So funny how different the narrative is for him. But but “we’re Syracuse” and we should dominate teams. Other teams have gotten a lot better and Cuse is still finding their way. (Btw none of this is directed to you, I’m speaking to the whole board)… those were 2 ugly games so far no doubt but they won. If they lost I would have a completely different tone and yes I agree things need to improve. I’m not an idiot

 

[NineOneSeven]

He won 2 games by a total of 3 points. So funny how different the narrative is for him. But but “we’re Syracuse” and we should dominate teams. Other teams have gotten a lot better and Cuse is still finding their way. (Btw none of this is directed to you, I’m speaking to the whole board)… those were 2 ugly games so far no doubt but they won. If they lost I would have a completely different tone and yes I agree things need to improve. I’m not an idiot

We could have lost both games though, very very easily. That's where I don't understand the "completely different tone part". There should be SOME different tone, when both games the opposing team had the ball with the clock under 10s with a chance to win!

 

[Eric15]

If they lost I would have a completely different tone

We won because a Colgate player tripped over their own feet. I just don't see how the "tone" can be determined by something like that. Last night was a negative in every sense of the word.

 

[Orangezoo]

He won 2 games by a total of 3 points. So funny how different the narrative is for him. But but “we’re Syracuse” and we should dominate teams. Other teams have gotten a lot better and Cuse is still finding their way. (Btw none of this is directed to you, I’m speaking to the whole board)… those were 2 ugly games so far no doubt but they won. If they lost I would have a completely different tone and yes I agree things need to improve. I’m not an idiot

Im happy for Gerry for a good start and hopeful for Red. Starting at a new place vs taking over for a legend are certainly very very different things not to mention obviously different levels.

After what he got out of last years team just felt we would see something that looked a lot different than we have so far and it’s hard to understand especially the defensive effort and the struggles for JJ.

 

[jncuse]

Regarding the well we still won posts.

The Average P4 team has won these level of games at margin of 26 points per game so far this year.

Being 46 points below the average P4 team in the first 2 games will hurt our NET by somewhere between 8 to 13 spots by season end.

Is it stupid that these level of games impact NET so much … certainly can be argued that way. But the system is the system.

It is true that if we somehow get back to the bubble it becomes more an analysis of quality wins and losses, than your individual NEt. But a 6 or 7 in front of your NET can certainly lead to biases in analysis of wins and losses.

Then again I’m not sure how this team will get to the bubble team level .. but can’t give up.

 

[dasher]

How Devendorf played in college has nothing to do with his spot on evaluations about the poor defense. And even with that said, he was orders of magnitude better than anyone on this team.

He wasn't. Devo was an absolute disaster on defense. In a zone. He didn't care at all about defense.

 

[dasher]

The bad thing is this isn't like 20 years ago in the mind of the tournament committee we might as well have lost. These wins will be just as bad as a loss in the long run when/if we start having the bubble conversation. These types of wins versus inferior teams are why we will not be talked about as being on the bubble. We will need multiple very good wins to overcome these again according to the committee and the way they do things now.

Bubble talk? I am preying that we get bubble talk after the last two Home games against Lemoyne and Colgate. The season isn't lost yet but we had a week to look better and we sure didn't. We did get better as the season went on last year. So there is always that.

 

[Stevenson]

Dead men have no bookmarks.

True

 

[dasher]

He won 2 games by a total of 3 points. So funny how different the narrative is for him. But but “we’re Syracuse” and we should dominate teams. Other teams have gotten a lot better and Cuse is still finding their way. (Btw none of this is directed to you, I’m speaking to the whole board)… those were 2 ugly games so far no doubt but they won. If they lost I would have a completely different tone and yes I agree things need to improve. I’m not an idiot

The thing is, it's not just the 2-0 vs 0-2. It is that we didn't improve on defense at all after a week. Not to get at least a little better. And the evaluation of Carlos, at this point, seems very far off.

 

[tptcuse]

He won 2 games by a total of 3 points. So funny how different the narrative is for him. But but “we’re Syracuse” and we should dominate teams. Other teams have gotten a lot better and Cuse is still finding their way. (Btw none of this is directed to you, I’m speaking to the whole board)… those were 2 ugly games so far no doubt but they won. If they lost I would have a completely different tone and yes I agree things need to improve. I’m not an idiot

Of course the narrative is different. Siena was 4-28 last year and we have two McD's all Americans.

 

[Orangezoo]

The thing is, it's not just the 2-0 vs 0-2. It is that we didn't improve on defense at all after a week. Not to get at least a little better. And the evaluation of Carlos, at this point, seems very far off.

In year 2 I feel like I’m watching a team led by a bunch of assistants and lacking a leaders voice on the sideline and on the court. Does Red have that voice or can he find it?

 

[Eric15]

Bubble talk?

I'm not sure if I was supposed to read this post in Jim Mora's voice, but I did.

 

[dasher]

I'm not sure if I was supposed to read this post in Jim Mora's voice, but I did.

View attachment 246747

You actually were.

 

[dasher]

In year 2 I feel like I’m watching a team led by a bunch of assistants and lacking a leaders voice on the sideline and on the court. Does Red have that voice or can he find it?

Our entire coaching staff seems laid back. There isn't a Hop or even a G-mac. Someone to stand up and get in someone's face.

 

[Newhouser]

He won 2 games by a total of 3 points. So funny how different the narrative is for him. But but “we’re Syracuse” and we should dominate teams. Other teams have gotten a lot better and Cuse is still finding their way. (Btw none of this is directed to you, I’m speaking to the whole board)… those were 2 ugly games so far no doubt but they won. If they lost I would have a completely different tone and yes I agree things need to improve. I’m not an idiot

It's apples and oranges. Siena won four games last year I think and are what 3-0 now with a roster makeover. We won 20 had a major roster makeover and have looked awful. And your right we aren't Siena we demand better. I could give a rats butt about Siena. I'm worried about our team and rightfully so.

 

[Sbucketball]

Bubble talk? I am preying that we get bubble talk after the last two Home games against Lemoyne and Colgate. The season isn't lost yet but we had a week to look better and we sure didn't. We did get better as the season went on last year. So there is always that.

My recollection is that the offense got better but the defense got worse as the year went on. Or at least that was my perception, whether right or wrong.

 

[Hopkins16]

Regarding the well we still won posts.

The Average P4 team has won these level of games at margin of 26 points per game so far this year.

Being 46 points below the average P4 team in the first 2 games will hurt our NET by somewhere between 8 to 13 spots by season end.

Is it stupid that these level of games impact NET so much … certainly can be argued that way. But the system is the system.

It is true that if we somehow get back to the bubble it becomes more an analysis of quality wins and losses, than your individual NEt. But a 6 or 7 in front of your NET can certainly lead to biases in analysis of wins and losses.

Then again I’m not sure how this team will get to the bubble team level .. but can’t give up.

Hmm.. what if we beat Duke and/or a couple of top ranked ACC teams? Get far in the ACC tournament? Some good quality wins changes the conversation.

 

[shu 49]

How Devendorf played in college has nothing to do with his spot on evaluations about the poor defense. And even with that said, he was orders of magnitude better than anyone on this team.

He was spot on completely but he wasnt as good then as he would be if he understood it like he does know. i remeber him being middle of the road defensively with Flynn being our dog defender. He certainly didnt play defense as good as he was offensively. Light years ahead on that side of ball.

 

[gmoney44]

That sums a up a lot of my feelings. To add, yes we won 20 games last season, but realistically, we beat Oregon and UNC and NC State (before they started playing well and went on their crazy NCAA run.) It was definitely improvement from where we were, but was it really that great? I'm not so sure. There was a reason we weren't even on the NCAA bubble.

The eyes don’t lie. We haven’t been good in a longtime. That includes last year and the first two games this year.

 

[OrangeTown]

I would point out that Red has been great at recruiting.

The infusion of talent since he took over had been great, especially from high school. Since Red took over, we have recruited Starling, Westry, Freeman and White into the program. All were top40 or better talent according to RSCI. Moore (77 RSCI), Majstorovic and Fennell also look like really good talents... If they grew up in the US instead of overseas, both the international guys would have been ranked players too. Add in the imminent Kiyan Anthony commitment, and Red has pulled in more top level talent than any of JBs last 10 seasons in both of his two seasons recruiting.

Red needs to work on his in game coaching, development of players (especially defensively), handling of NIL and closing the deal on transfers. Not getting a true starter at PG in the portal appears to be hurting big time.

He's got a lot to learn, but he took an under talented poopshow of a roster to 20 wins last season, and escaped some close calls so far this season.

Red still needs time to finish remaking the program in his image before we know what the end result is going to be.

I liked this because it is level headed. Also because you said “poopshow” and I’m immature and slightly drunk.

 

[gmoney44]

Y'kno we actually lost to Colgate twice before Boeheim retired.

Yeah, it's an ugly win, but we should count our blessings that we're upset about winning.

Ya we get it. JB lost a step or 4 when he was like 100 years old. He also went on like a 40 year run of great basketball before his decline. I’d take one good year under Red let alone 40.

 

[jncuse]

Hmm.. what if we beat Duke and/or a couple of top ranked ACC teams? Get far in the ACC tournament? Some good quality wins changes the conversation.

Quality Wins will always trump a so/so NET when it comes down to analyzing your team, especially if the aren't bad losses. Not sure how our team can get a number of quality wins to be on the bubble, -- was it even worth my discussing earlier? -- but lets hope they somehow happens.

It's just tough when you are on the bubble and your net starts with a 6 or 7. And that is what these type of games do if you are an on the border team.

 

[CardiacCuse]

I’m not going to overreact after only two games, but in this new age of the portal it doesn’t take 4 years to build a roster. Everyone on this current roster was brought in by Red.

Red needs to identify a system of basketball that works in the new world of college basketball. I hope he can do it, but I don’t think it’s a given to assume he’ll get a minimum of 4 years.

the coaches that do well in this era are going to be the ones that can have their team hitting on all cylinders from game 1...NOT the coaches that take months to get "warmed up"

is it fair? idk...non conf didnt use to mean much...it means A LOT NOW

wasnt that the point of bringing in all the seniors? to be able to play well without a lot of coaching and hit the ground running?

its a worrying trend now that red's teams start seasons looking like they were sleeping all summer

 

[MamesJungro]

You must have blacked out for long stretches. We've had some horrible defensive players over the years. Did you ever see Donte Greene play defense??? No one did.
Taurean Thompson was a really poor defender at SU.
Chukwu was awful early on in his time here.
There were many guys who came here and were terrible on defense. JB would gently show them the bench. Some of them eventually came around and were eventually passable defenders. Others were ushered out of the program.

I'm willing to give some of the younger guys time to adjust and improve.

these aren’t young guys who will be benched until they are asked to move on in the spring - this is the core of our team. They have massive holes in their games without having others skills (exceptional scorers lile DH and TT; being huge like Chewy) that make up the their liabilities

 

[Niastri]

Hmm.. what if we beat Duke and/or a couple of top ranked ACC teams? Get far in the ACC tournament? Some good quality wins changes the conversation.

Right... If we go for 30 wins in the regular season, and every single one of them is a nail biter, were still a 1-seed.

I think everyone is concerned that beating Lemoyne and Colgate in nail biter victories means we're likely to get smoked by anybody good.

Nobody will care how we did the first two games if we beat Texas and Tennessee and start the season 7-0. Unfortunately, I think 4-3 with a few blowout losses is more likely with the way the team played so far.

We're running out of time to get everybody playing good defense and figure out our offense.

The rotation needs to solidify, and guys need to understand their roles.