SU Hoops 2012 edition...

[Johnny Hammersticks]

Also, it is rumored that the university "invited" the authorities to investigate Springfield. Some speculation that the investigation is related to some type of financial scandal. Sorry...don't have a link. I guess we'll all have to wait to see what floats to the surface.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

Just announced...2014 5 star SF commit Chris McCullough will not re-classify to 2013. This is actually good news IMO, and bodes well for our chances to land Dakari Johnson. Dakari is a 2013 5 star C coming out of NYC. Has been recruited by Adrian Autry since middle school. He just narrowed down his list to SU, Georgetown, and Kentucky. He will likely wait until spring to make his decision, and SU's chances will hinge greatly on who declares for the NBA draft.

 

IMO....if MCW and either Christmas or Coleman leave....we will have a really good chance at landing him.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/12/roger_springfield_under_invest.html

 

This stuff never seems to end now.

[The Poojer]

What a horrible performance by Syracuse... can't wait to hear why Christmas, Coleman & Grant were in the doghouse... awful on all fronts today... great effort & hustle by Temple

[BuffOrange]

What a horrible performance by Syracuse... can't wait to hear why Christmas, Coleman & Grant were in the doghouse... awful on all fronts today... great effort & hustle by Temple

 

That's easy - Fair & Keita had career games and Coleman just isn't very good right now. I guess Grant could've logged some of Southerland's minutes but that's about it.

[The Poojer]

i don't know...to not even sniff the court for the final 18 minutes(except Rak's brief appearance)...and cooney in at the end....someone must have looked sideways at the coach at some point...they needed big bodies in there to stop the offensive rebounds...

 

That's easy - Fair & Keita had career games and Coleman just isn't very good right now. I guess Grant could've logged some of Southerland's minutes but that's about it.

[BuffOrange]

A lot of their offensive rebounds were long bounces to the FT line; I don't know how much big bodies help you there.

[bills44]

That's easy - Fair & Keita had career games and Coleman just isn't very good right now. I guess Grant could've logged some of Southerland's minutes but that's about it.

 

Fair is not a good rebounder (as much as some of the shots that he chucked up and went in helped, I would guess that he cost the team as many points on the defensive end), and if Southerland isn't shooting the ball well, he's useless. I really don't think that less Southerland and more of either DC2 or Grant could've hurt much.

 

And someone should probably tell MCW that it's okay to move the ball on offense.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

A total stinker today, and there's plenty of blame to go around. MCW was horrible, especially from the line (really...7-15 from the charity stripe?). Triche was solid in the first half, but then in typical fashion disappeared for what seemed to be the remainder of the game. Clearly our best big man today was Keita, and that's really sad. Cooney has no confidence in himself, and it is now apparent that JB and his teammates are losing confidence in him as well.

 

Only 9 attempts from behind the arc, and SU only made two of them (MCW was 0-5). Defense and rebounding was putrid. Finally, it might sound like sour grapes, but the officiating today was dreadful. Not an excuse for the loss, but it was apparent to everyone (including the announcers) that the zebras dictated the flow of the game with ticky-tack calls. Let the f***ing kids play for chrissakes.....especially in the final 2 minutes!!!

 

I still think this team has a great deal of potential to make a deep run in the tournament, and I know that every team has bad games. They looked completely disinterested out there. I have confidence, however, that this team will continue to improve throughout the season.

 

Kudos to the Temple kids who absolutely played their hearts out today. They left everything out on the court and deserved to win this one.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I have said this before-- all season long this team has suffered from stretches of sloppy play. Caught up with them today.

 

Silly turnovers, sloppy passing, sloppy defense, missed free throws.

 

I will say though that the officiating was really bad, which didn't help either team but really screwed Syracuse down the stretch.

[inkman]

We learned what we kinda already knew. No inside game = gotta make jump shots. That didn't happen. MCW is usually good enough to get some easy buckets but Temple did a great job limiting fast breaks and SU must have missed 10 layups/dunks. Why did Boeheim keep the press on when Temple was exploiting it with the same pass everytime.

 

Blaming the officials is tired.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

And someone should probably tell MCW that it's okay to move the ball on offense.

 

This killed me during the game. A lot of NBA-style 1-on-1 stuff, which was ineffective.

 

I actually thought the offense was better when MCW was out, and CJ got a lot more touches on offense. CJ was having a career day on offense; but he wasn't getting nearly enough touches and shots when MCW was in the game. CJ could have and should have went for over 35.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

I think it should be noted that JB has a knack of really "shaping" his teams as the season progresses. I look back to the 2003 championship season as a great example. Yes, he had Carmelo Anthony, freshman sensation Gerry McNamara, and Hakim Warrick. But does anyone recall the progress that was made by role-players like Kueth Duany (the lone senior), Josh Pace, Billy Edelin, Jeremy McNeil, and Craig Forth? The team started the season unranked, cracked the top 25 in January, and made it up to the #11 ranking by the end of regular season play.

 

Those of us who watched that team closely saw a team that evolved from being a competitive team certainly poised for a run in the NCAA's, to a team that was playing "elite" basketball. Neither Craig Forth or "stone hands" Jeremy McNeil had any semblance of an inside game, and Kueth Duany could barely dribble a basketball, but JB shaped his team to play to their strengths.

 

I still believe, wholeheartedly, that this team has a legit shot at a final 4 run this season. My biggest fear is a serious injury to MCW or Brandon Triche, as we have no depth at guard, and Cooney clearly is not ready yet. Who knows, however, how Cooney will be playing come tournament time? Jim Boeheim is a great teacher.

[bills44]

he's had some teams that get better as the season progresses, and some that peak in November/December (like 2 years ago, for example).

 

I don't think that the comparison to 2003 is fair, for one simple reason: Melo. There is nobody on this year's squad that has an offensive skillset remotely close to Melo, circa 2003. While Forth/McNeil didn't have a low post game, Warrick did. And Forth was really, really solid defensively.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

he's had some teams that get better as the season progresses, and some that peak in November/December (like 2 years ago, for example).

 

I don't think that the comparison to 2003 is fair, for one simple reason: Melo. There is nobody on this year's squad that has an offensive skillset remotely close to Melo, circa 2003. While Forth/McNeil didn't have a low post game, Warrick did. And Forth was really, really solid defensively.

 

You make a fair point, in fact, I recall thinking this same thing after I posted. I do think my core point is valid, however, in that one of Boeheim's greatest strengths as a coach is his teaching ability. I could see guys like Jerami Grant, Trevor Cooney, and Dujuan Coleman really finding their way in this offense as the season progresses. My main fear, as eluded to by previous posters, is our lack of depth at guard. Triche or MCW go down and we are really in for some trouble. I do think Southy could hold down the 2 in a pinch though.

[section122]

Sorry Hammersticks I just don't see it this year. I see a lazy bunch of players with no leader and most painful very little fire. Cuse nevers loses in MSG and missed free throws cost them big but I just don't see a player with the ability to step up. MCW looks like he wants to but hasn't proven reliable yet.

 

I see a sweet 16 team but I don't know about a final 4 squad... yet. I like your point of Boeheim working with the teams as the season progresses but I think the Big East will be a rude awakening for some of these guys. Christmas and Coleman strike me as a bit soft. Triche (who I love) gets sent to the bench for long stretches for some reason. MCW has a lot of growing up to do (had to laugh at the crowd chanting Lord and Taylor everytime he touched the ball). Cooney is streaky at best and over his head at worst. Southerland appears to be the real deal but I don't know how high his ceiling is. Keita is a player with fire and hustle but not a ton of skill (love this guy too). I just don't see a team that can win it all this year. Hope I'm wrong though!

[inkman]

Sorry Hammersticks I just don't see it this year. I see a lazy bunch of players with no leader and most painful very little fire. Cuse nevers loses in MSG and missed free throws cost them big but I just don't see a player with the ability to step up. MCW looks like he wants to but hasn't proven reliable yet.

Not sure about lazy; Fair, Keita, Southerland, Triche an Cooney play with plenty of hustle.

 

Southerland appears to be the real deal but I don't know how high his ceiling is.

Well, he's a senior, so I think he's hit his ceiling. He scares the hell out of me, his historionics on the bench after fouling out last game left me thinking he's somewhat autistic. Only half kidding.

 

As far a Triche spending time on the bench, I'm sure he's earnin it.

Edited December 26, 2012 by inkman

[section122]

Not sure about lazy; Fair, Keita, Southerland, Triche an Cooney play with plenty of hustle.

 

 

Well, he's a senior, so I think he's hit his ceiling. He scares the hell out of me, his historionics on the bench after fouling out last game left me thinking he's somewhat autistic. Only half kidding.

 

As far a Triche spending time on the bench, I'm sure he's earnin it.

I did forget about Fair and he is a hustler however all of the players that you mentioned don't have elite skills. Triche (again I love him and think he is the most clutch player on the team) I think gets put on the bench due to a lack of hustle. These are just my views on the team though.

 

As for Southerland I thought he was only a Junior or had redshirted but I am wrong. For some reason the SU website has him listed as a JR. but this is his 4th year. As for his "histrionics" I think the refs were a bit quick with the whistle at the end of the game. The fouls right before against Triche the cameras caught Boeheim yelling to the ref "you're calling fouls before they happen" and I think Southerland paid the price for it next time down the court. Both calls were questioned by the announcers and ticky-tac at best.

 

I don't think these 2 calls were the reason for the loss though. Poor free throw shooting was the #1 cause to me. I just don't see a Waiters on this team or even a Kris Joseph (pre-concussion). MCW has a lot of growing to do between now and March and he could potentially become that player.

[inkman]

Agree in most points, although Southerland still worries me. Not to mention, if he's cold they can lose to any good DI school. If he's hot, they can okay with anyone. As much as its MCW's team, they live and die with 43's shot.

[section122]

Agree in most points, although Southerland still worries me. Not to mention, if he's cold they can lose to any good DI school. If he's hot, they can okay with anyone. As much as its MCW's team, they live and die with 43's shot.

So true and I think the Arkansas game was the perfect example of that. He was lights out and they needed that to pull out the w.