2017-18 Syracuse Hoops

The Filthy One

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Aug 11, 2005
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I've started the last few Cuse hoops threads, and while last year wasn't so hot...hey, we made the final four a few times during my run, so fuck it. Here goes nothing.

Losing Taurean Thompson at the last minute to Seton Hall was a major blow and likely dooms this year to a rebuilding year. The team will feature Tyus Battle, Frank Howard, and a whole lot of inexperience. The only other player on the roster with on-court experience for Syracuse is Paschal Chukwu, who played 108 minutes played for Syracuse. He spent much of last year temporarily blind in one eye. But you know the old saying, "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man in the starting center."

This could be a year in which Boeheim plays his whole bench. Or it could be another year like last year in which he struggles to find a line-up, then sticks to a 6- or 7-man rotation. My hunch is it will be the latter with the rotation looking something like this:

Starters:
G - Frank Howard
G - Tyus Battle (taking something like 25 shots a game)
G - Geno Thorpe
F - Oshae Brissett
C - Paschal Chukwu

Bench (Solid contributors):
F - Matthew Moyer
F/C - Bourama Sidibe

Significantly fewer minutes:
G - Howard Washington
F- Marek Dolezaj

On the bright side, next year's recruiting class already offers hope with Darius Bazley, Jalen Carey, and Buddy Boeheim already signed. With any luck, they'll be joined by a significant group of 2nd year players ready to contribute to the next great Syracuse team. In the meantime...hey, my expectations are obviously low. Maybe this team will find a way to steal some games and make it interesting.
 

luckysox

Indiana Jones
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Apr 21, 2009
8,075
S.E. Pennsylvania
SNIP: The only other player on the roster with on-court experience for Syracuse is Paschal Chukwu, who played 108 minutes played for Syracuse. He spent much of last year temporarily blind in one eye. But you know the old saying, "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man in the starting center." SNIP
This is the funniest thing I've read in awhile. Thanks for the laughs. Hopefully these guys overachieve and give us a little bit of unexpected joy this season.
 

LeftyTG

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SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
1,345
Austin
I've started the last few Cuse hoops threads, and while last year wasn't so hot...hey, we made the final four a few times during my run, so fuck it. Here goes nothing.

Losing Taurean Thompson at the last minute to Seton Hall was a major blow and likely dooms this year to a rebuilding year. The team will feature Tyus Battle, Frank Howard, and a whole lot of inexperience. The only other player on the roster with on-court experience for Syracuse is Paschal Chukwu, who played 108 minutes played for Syracuse. He spent much of last year temporarily blind in one eye. But you know the old saying, "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man in the starting center."

This could be a year in which Boeheim plays his whole bench. Or it could be another year like last year in which he struggles to find a line-up, then sticks to a 6- or 7-man rotation. My hunch is it will be the latter with the rotation looking something like this:

Starters:
G - Frank Howard
G - Tyus Battle (taking something like 25 shots a game)
G - Geno Thorpe
F - Oshae Brissett
C - Paschal Chukwu

Bench (Solid contributors):
F - Matthew Moyer
F/C - Bourama Sidibe

Significantly fewer minutes:
G - Howard Washington
F- Marek Dolezaj

On the bright side, next year's recruiting class already offers hope with Darius Bazley, Jalen Carey, and Buddy Boeheim already signed. With any luck, they'll be joined by a significant group of 2nd year players ready to contribute to the next great Syracuse team. In the meantime...hey, my expectations are obviously low. Maybe this team will find a way to steal some games and make it interesting.
Thanks for starting the thread! I agree with your write up for the most part. My only quibble is that I think Dolezaj will be more of a factor in the rotation.

I have very modest expectations this year. This might be one of the least talented teams Syracuse has put forward in my lifetime. I think highly of Battle - after that it gets rough. Still, the future looks bright with Bazley (might be the best talent since Carmelo) and Carey. A lot of people swear by Hughes, who will be sitting out as a transfer this year. I'm not sure what to think, though Syracuse's track record with accepting transfers is pretty good (I'm giving you side eye here Chukwu).
 

The Filthy One

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Aug 11, 2005
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Time to revisit this thread. Lunardi today has Syracuse as the last team in the NCAA tournament (and a piece about how they are "always on the bubble," in which he makes the point that they are 0-5 against the best teams on their schedule and face a pretty rough backstretch). They've been a little better than I'd thought they be, actually, especially when you factor in losing Thorpe and having Sidibe playing limited minutes. The recipe was there for a disaster, but the team has held it together. They have 2 road wins, and one win at neutral site against a bad UCONN team. The two losses that will really haunt them are Notre Dame at home without two of their best players, and Wake Forest on the road, a game in which SU led late but couldn't finish.

I've been pleasantly surprised by Frank Howard, who seems to be following the Scoop Jardine career path (including the tendency towards maddening turnovers), and by Dolezaj, who has that Josh Pace X-factor type of game. Brissett is clearly talented but his shot is so lost it's tough to watch sometimes. I'm still bullish on next year, assuming they lose only Battle, but I'm skeptical about their chances of making the tournament this year.

The season comes down to whether they can beat a few tough teams in February and early March. They may have to do this without Matthew Moyer, who looks to be out at least another week. They will have their opportunities. If you assume they win @GT and vs WF (not locks but games they will be favored to win), that leaves them with 17 wins, 6 wins in the ACC. They probably need to win 2 more to have a solid chance at the tournament, which means either winning @LOU, @BC, or @MIA (all doable but none likely, IMO), and/or picking off one of NC, NC St, or Clemson at home (also possible but far from likely). I don't see this team beating Duke on the road or Virginia at home, but I guess anything is possible.
 

The Filthy One

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Aug 11, 2005
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Love to be at the vanguard of how college hoops is changing. I don't begrudge Bazley wanting to make money rather than play college ball, but I don't really understand the move. The G League team he ends up with has no incentive to play him. If you really want to get paid, why not go to Australia like Terrance Ferguson did? Bizarre move all around.

This leaves a hole at the forward position for the Cuse next year, and magnifies the importance of Brissett returning. If he does, the Orange should be good next year. If he leaves...oof.
 

The Filthy One

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Aug 11, 2005
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Syracuse catches a break with Tyus Battle deciding to return to school for his junior year. This is the first time in (I think) 15 years that SU will have its starting five return for a second consecutive year. Losing Bazley still stings, but given some improvement from the returning guys, hopefully better health, plus new talent (Jalen Carey, Hughes, Buddy Boeheim), they should be competitive.