Worst Syracuse team I've ever seen.

[Alsacs]

I think you meant zone not M2M.

And I'd love to take the other side of that wager.

If Hopkins is just going to be a JB 2.0 then we are screwed because he isn't JB.
MH needs to be his own guy to have a chance.

 

[Townie72]

If the players are lacking basic, fundamental skills which can't be taught at the collegiate level, why are we recruiting them?

That's a mis0nomer. These players know how to block-out. They know how to drive the lane. They know how to feed the post.

What they aren't doing is doing this stuff in the speeded-up college game where players are bigger, faster and quicker. They need to understand how to play together. That'll come. We are just unused to seeing it at this stage.

 

[Alsacs]

Depends on the level of success or failure. And even then, SU will take its time.

If things go seriously South (Avg 10 wins or less per year), it'll take three or four years.

If results are mediocre (15 wins a year avg), than it'll take 5 - 7 years minimum.

The Administration knows that hiring the "hot" coach is a crap shoot (although it gets the fans excited in the short term.) Just a few years ago, GWU's Lonergan was the "hot" coach)

When Billy Donovan crashes out of the NBA and he will he is out there. Syracuse could afford Donovan.

 

[Townie72]

If Hopkins is just going to be a JB 2.0 then we are screwed because he isn't JB.
MH needs to be his own guy to have a chance.

Oh, he will have the chance to be his own guy.

But, seriously, look at his resume. Is there anything in it that suggests a break with the current philosophies. The strength of Hop as JB's replacement can be found in one word, "continuity".

 

[Townie72]

When Billy Donovan crashes out of the NBA and he will he is out there. Syracuse could afford Donovan.

I like the suggestion.

But it has zero chance of happening IMO.

Talk to me in 4 or 5 years. As Caesar said, "Alea iacta est"*

*"The die is cast"

 

[br801]

If that happens, do you think the SU admin will allow it to continue, or do you think they will show Mike the door?

To be clear, I absolutely want Hopkins to succeed at SU, running the program he wants to run. I hope JB hands him the keys and says "I'll be at the club. Best wishes my friend." And never speaks to anyone in the athletic department except for charity events.

I feel strongly that when JB walks away, he will have no interest in meddling with the day-to-day operation of the program, but will make himself available if Hop seeks his advice.

 

[Bayside44]

Oh, he will have the chance to be his own guy.

But, seriously, look at his resume. Is there anything in it that suggests a break with the current philosophies. The strength of Hop as JB's replacement can be found in one word, "continuity".

Hop has spent a lot of time around K as well with the Olympics, and will be strongly influenced (is strongly influenced) on how that program runs and how they play.

 

[grepal]

D.C. Is the only player doing anything close to expectations. Everyone else stinks.

Not sure how old you are, but the Andre Hawkins teams and the Roc Lloyd teams were not great. That being said, last night was just a very bad offensive performance as well as a stunningly poor defense on the perimeter performance. An awful lot we can and should get better at.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Not sure how old you are, but the Andre Hawkins teams and the Roc Lloyd teams were not great. That being said, last night was just a very bad offensive performance as well as a stunningly poor defense on the perimeter performance. An awful lot we can and should get better at.

I'm in my 30's, but I know JB has never had a losing record and has been worse than .500 in conference like 2 times. If he doesn't fix this soon we will challenge both of those marks.

 

[Townie72]

Hop has spent a lot of time around K as well with the Olympics, and will be strongly influenced (is strongly influenced) on how that program runs and how they play.

I guess we will see.

The SU philosophy on offense, defense, recruiting, how to manage players on-campus, etc is unique and has a great deal of substance to it.

It's all based on a set of beliefs like the superiority of the zone as a game defense as as the basis for recruiting and practicing, It's not a structure that allows a lot of re-organization.

When a new Pope comes in there are changes, but ...

 

[br801]

I'm in my 30's, but I know JB has never had a losing record and has been worse than .500 in conference like 2 times. If he doesn't fix this soon we will challenge both of those marks.

I thought that was supposed to happen two years ago and last year.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I thought that was supposed to happen two years ago and last year.

I hear ya. You're one of my favorite posters and I respect your optimism, but it's really hard to believe we are this bad so far. I'm sure we will somewhat turn it around, but I don't have any confidence we meet expectations.

 

[br801]

I hear ya. You're one of my favorite posters and I respect your optimism, but it's really hard to believe we are this bad so far. I'm sure we will somewhat turn it around, but I don't have any confidence we meet expectations.

I'm only optimistic until I see enough to feel otherwise. So far, I haven't.

I did really underestimate how difficult it might be for the five new faces to mesh with the four returning players.

 

[MikeSU02]

I think you meant zone not M2M.

And I'd love to take the other side of that wager.

Correct, my error on the zone v man-to-man.

But I absolutely think our recruiting territory expands and I absolutely think we start looking more like the Milwaukee Bucks (in terms of philosophy, if that example helps) than our current strategy.

If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Time will tell. If we ever cross paths, happy to buy you a beer!

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Correct, my error on the zone v man-to-man.

But I absolutely think our recruiting territory expands and I absolutely think we start looking more like the Milwaukee Bucks (in terms of philosophy, if that example helps) than our current strategy.

If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Time will tell. If we ever cross paths, happy to buy you a beer!

I imagine Townie drinks manhattans or old fashioneds.

 

[MikeSU02]

I imagine Townie drinks manhattans or old fashioneds.

We can agree on those.

 

[br801]

I imagine Townie drinks manhattans or old fashioneds.

I'm guessing he throws back a Tom Collins now and again, too.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I'm guessing he throws back a Tom Collins now and again, too.

That's a little sweet for him, but maybe in the summer when he's feeling fancy...

 

[phil77]

Downside to a bunch of 5th year grad transfers chemistry issues. Team looks like they don't enjoy playing with each other.

 

[Cowtown]

Downside to a bunch of 5th year grad transfers chemistry issues. Team looks like they don't enjoy playing with each other.

Because the SU game wasn't on here, I watched the Jets last night. OMG. You think we got problems? Oh Lord

I've only seen the SC and Wiscy games, but I think you're correct on the chemistry issue. Obviously these guys haven't played together much, which everyone knows. But what I saw lacking was hustle on D and no sense of timing on O. There are just too many guys out there who still seem to think of zone D in terms of the tavern league 2-1-2: older, fat guys trying to take up as much space as possible, hoping the ball comes to them. In the final 4 run last year, they played their asses off on D. Now they're drifting, floating, whatever you want to call it, but there's no commitment to it, no ownership of it. It's like they don't believe in it, and don't know how to believe in it.

On O, nobody seems to move with any sense that they know what they're doing. They're tentative. Driving lanes and passing lanes are there but are closed up before they can capitalize. Post players seem to wonder why they should work to get open because the ball doesn't come, and perimeter players are not ready with the ball to enter it at the right time. Seems they're too busy looking (hoping?) for their own shot first, because the post isn't open. Well, of course it isn't, you missed it/weren't ready for it.

Boeheim plays from his own basket out (read: defense first), and there's no faith in it right now. Worse, the lack of boilerplate level faith has spread to rest of the operation.

Sounds just like the Jets. :noidea:

 

[SoBristol]

Downside to a bunch of 5th year grad transfers chemistry issues. Team looks like they don't enjoy playing with each other.

They looked fine when they were winning with each other, against the cupcakes.

Chemistry does not tell the story. The guards aren't good right now -- not shooting well, not driving, not finishing, not setting up teammates. The inside guys can't finish inside. Lydon tries to drive -- it isn't a strength of his game. It isn't team psychology -- it is basketball skills, and that comes back to players we thought were capable of more (Lydon, Howard, Battle).

 

[Cowtown]

They looked fine when they were winning with each other, against the cupcakes.

Chemistry does not tell the story. The guards aren't good right now -- not shooting well, not driving, not finishing, not setting up teammates. The inside guys can't finish inside. Lydon tries to drive -- it isn't a strength of his game. It isn't team psychology -- it is basketball skills, and that comes back to players we thought were capable of more (Lydon, Howard, Battle).

I think there's plenty of skill out there, there's just no idea how to use it at either end.