Yeah, but wait until next year...

[CuseFaninVT]

The ongoing thread, on January 4th no less, regarding the team's makeup next year has spawned this thread from me.

When was the last time you were content with the current make up of the team and were all in on this team finally getting back to the championship? It feels like it's been a while.

2011-2012 was the team I came up with. Every other team I've had slim hopes that got dashed fairly quickly it feels like. Like we weren't quite a complete team.

 

[Trueblue25]

This year if Tyus Battle stops making things so hard on himself. Love this team. They just play to a style that puts their lack of depth at an even further disadvantage.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

This year if Tyus Battle stops making things so hard on himself. Love this team. They just play to a style that puts their lack of depth at an even further disadvantage.

I have to say, I'm enjoying this team much more than I had suspected before the season began.

I'm just curious if others are always looking forward to the next crop of amazing recruits that tend to come in and show so much less than expected...

 

[Trueblue25]

I have to say, I'm enjoying this team much more than I had suspected before the season began.

I'm just curious if others are always looking forward to the next crop of amazing recruits that tend to come in and show so much less than expected...

I think its partially a result of today’s 1 and done culture. We haven’t had a team since like 2012 thats returned multiple pro level talent system players. Its hard to stay excited when you recruit one and done’s to a system that players dont maximize their potential in until their sophomore and junior years.

We’ve been a springboard the past few years.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I think its partially a result of today’s 1 and done culture. We haven’t had a team since like 2012 thats returned multiple pro level talent system players. Its hard to stay excited when you recruit one and done’s to a system that players dont maximize their potential in until their sophomore and junior years.

We’ve been a springboard the past few years.

Excellent root cause analysis by the way. Seriously. You've nailed the issue very well.

 

[Cusefan0307]

We were a couple points away from competing for the National Title in 2013.

 

[two3zone]

I have to say, I'm enjoying this team much more than I had suspected before the season began.

I'm just curious if others are always looking forward to the next crop of amazing recruits that tend to come in and show so much less than expected...

Last year was tough, but this year while I respect the hustle and grit, we're extremely talent deprived.

I knew it would be a down year but it's not fun to watch Battle playing the ISO game taking double teamed fade aways, Brissett missing so many open shots, and trying to guess which Frank Howard is going to show up. We shouldn't have to worry about Battle and Howard based on their time already in the program, but not only do we have to worry about them, but we have to worry about the surrounding players as well.

This is a very poor team.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

We were a couple points away from competing for the National Title in 2013.

Agreed. But was that expected? That's all I'm getting at.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Agreed. But was that expected? That's all I'm getting at.

We were a protected seed after we won 26 games through the Big East and finished in 2nd place. Anything less than a Sweet 16 that year would have been disappointing. Once we beat Indiana I expected to beat both Marquette and Michigan. That last game was a disappointment to me. We beat Louisville at Louisville that year.

 

[longislandcuse]

I think its partially a result of today’s 1 and done culture. We haven’t had a team since like 2012 thats returned multiple pro level talent system players. Its hard to stay excited when you recruit one and done’s to a system that players dont maximize their potential in until their sophomore and junior years.

We’ve been a springboard the past few years.

Great point - recruiting length means you constantly lose players to the NBA if they show promise. That promise never comes close to being filled because we don't usually get the Top 10 guys.. We get the long, athletic group of recruits after that... and they typically take 2-3 years to be the what the cream of the crop are Day 1.

If Lydon and Battle were Top 10 guys, you could expect them to kill it from Day 1, instead we get the sophomore season we got from Lydon and are currently getting from Battle that isn't lifting the team and then they're gone.

We need to get back to the point where we get a Bazley every year or two. Then add an upperclassmen Frank Howard type with a Battle/Malachi to the mix, along with athletic bigs and there's your Championship caliber team year in/year out.

Might be nice to actually spend a scholly on a non-grad transfer shooter more than once every 3 years as well.

 

[Eric15]

Agreed. But was that expected? That's all I'm getting at.

Pre-Big East tourney: it was doom and gloom, we had just scored 40 something points in our regular season finale against Georgetown and the board was beyond depressed.

Post-Big East tourney: we were a sexy Final Four pick.

 

[cuse10]

We were a protected seed after we won 26 games through the Big East and finished in 2nd place. Anything less than a Sweet 16 that year would have been disappointing. Once we beat Indiana I expected to beat both Marquette and Michigan. That last game was a disappointment to me. We beat Louisville at Louisville that year.

And led Louisville by 20+ during the BET Final. A bad block/charge stole a national championship berth.

 

[Knicks411]

2014 after Tyler Ennis beat Pitt I am pretty sure everyone thought we'd never lose another game again

 

[longislandcuse]

2014 after Tyler Ennis beat Pitt I am pretty sure everyone thought we'd never lose another game again

I think there were a lot here that saw the fatal flaws of that team, even when undefeated.

 

[Eric15]

When was the last time you were content with the current make up of the team and were all in on this team finally getting back to the championship? It feels like it's been a while.

2011-2012 was the team I came up with. Every other team I've had slim hopes that got dashed fairly quickly it feels like. Like we weren't quite a complete team.

After we beat Duke at home in 2014, I like most others thought we were national title good. But then we had that stretch of miracle win vs. Pitt, miracle win vs. NC State, losing to abysmal BC, and escaping Maryland, and after that our program hasn't really been itself since.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Last year was tough, but this year while I respect the hustle and grit, we're extremely talent deprived.

I knew it would be a down year but it's not fun to watch Battle playing the ISO game taking double teamed fade aways, Brissett missing so many open shots, and trying to guess which Frank Howard is going to show up. We shouldn't have to worry about Battle and Howard based on their time already in the program, but not only do we have to worry about them, but we have to worry about the surrounding players as well.

This is a very poor team.

We are much better than expected. Frank has been pretty consistent except for a game or two. Chukwu is 10 times better than last year, and is actually becoming a competent player. Moyer is finding his spots and Brissett is doing better than anyone could have reasonably expected, averaging 15 points and 1o rebounds a game halfway into the season.

I was with you in terms of expectations of a terrible team when we approached the beginning of the season, but your constant negative take on things is wearing thin, and doesn't really reflect what we have seen so far from this admittedly limited group. This is like the 2002 squad in a way, with a good group of mostly young players building a foundation that we are going to add some elite talent to next year.

 

[IthacaMatt]

After we beat Duke at home in 2014, I like most others thought we were national title good. But then we had that stretch of miracle win vs. Pitt, miracle win vs. NC State, losing to abysmal BC, and escaping Maryland, and after that our program hasn't really been itself since.

I couldn't believe how that team fell apart after the 25-0 start.

 

[br801]

We were a couple points away from competing for the National Title in 2013.

Yeah, but remember how unpopular that team and certain players were among certain segments of the fan base at various points along the way?

 

[Dave85]

I have to say, I'm enjoying this team much more than I had suspected before the season began.

I'm just curious if others are always looking forward to the next crop of amazing recruits that tend to come in and show so much less than expected...

Last night I went to West Orange to watch Jalen Carey play. He's very good. But I would expect him to play as well as Tyus Battle is playing now as a sophomore. Jalen did show moments of absolute brilliance. The thing is competition at the D1 level is some much better than HS. And I'm not sure his endurance and strength will be his freshmen year compared to where Tyus is now. I honest think Jalen Carey is going to be one of those players who is just okay freshmen year but makes a huge leap and NBA draft consideration his Sophomore year.

In order to win a NC next year either OB or TB, one of them, I think would have to stay one more year.

 

[two3zone]

We are much better than expected. Frank has been pretty consistent except for a game or two. Chukwu is 10 times better than last year, and is actually becoming a competent player. Moyer is finding his spots and Brissett is doing better than anyone could have reasonably expected, averaging 15 points and 1o rebounds a game halfway into the season.

I was with you in terms of expectations of a terrible team when we approached the beginning of the season, but your constant negative take on things is wearing thin, and doesn't really reflect what we have seen so far from this admittedly limited group. This is like the 2002 squad in a way, with a good group of mostly young players building a foundation that we are going to add some elite talent to next year.

Running stats are awful to judge a player. Brissett isn't doing better than expected . He's shooting 38% from 2 and 26% from three. Wouldn't be such a big deal but he's taking shots at volume, he's killing our offense.

Don't know numbers off hand but I'm willing to guess nobody in our history had worse numbers than this with the amount of volume he plays and shoots.

 

[Dave85]

Yeah, but remember how unpopular that team and certain players were among certain segments of the fan base at various points along the way?

The important thing to remember about the 2003 run to the NC is that it was not all Anthony. The 4 games leading up to the NC a player would step up and practically have a career game. But it was like a different player every night. It was a strange run.

 

[Dave85]

Running stats are awful to judge a player. Brissett isn't doing better than expected . He's shooting 38% from 2 and 26% from three. Wouldn't be such a big deal but he's taking shots at volume, he's killing our offense.

Don't know numbers off hand but I'm willing to guess nobody in our history had worse numbers than this with the amount of volume he plays and shoots.

You and your wet blanket posts.

 

[two3zone]

You and your wet blanket posts.

Am I saying anything not true? These guys play a lot of minutes. A lot of them should or could average a double double. Grant with his limited skill set a few years back on this team and those minutes would probably average a 20-20.

 

[br801]

The important thing to remember about the 2003 run to the NC is that it was not all Anthony. The 4 games leading up to the NC a player would step up and practically have a career game. But it was like a different player every night. It was a strange run.

I was talking about 2013, Dave, but your point about 2003 is a good one.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Don't know numbers off hand but I'm willing to guess nobody in our history had worse numbers than this with the amount of volume he plays and shoots.

They are ... not good.

Since 92-93, there have been 117 SU players seasons with more than 125 total FG attempts and more than 6 FGA per game. Oshae is dead last at a 34.6 FG %. He's only slightly behind two Cooney seasons, a senior GMac, and a sophomore Hart. They were all better 3-pt shooters, though. Oshae's rebounding to this point is excellent. Brissett's FT % though suggests that he should be or can be a much better 3-pt shooter.

ETA: Brissett's PER (which is a decent stat, but not all-encompassing) ranks second on the team to Chukwu.