[Dhamp2Participant]

Losing Melo is a huge loss, but not as bad as you would think. Here’s a prime opportunity for Rakeem Christmas the "top center" coming out of high school last year and James Southerland to step up. UCONN and Butler didn’t have this kind of talent last year. Let’s rewind, Jamal Mashburn almost single handedly beat the Fab Five in the Final Four or was that the Elite Eight? I can’t remember. Hell, Danny Manning and the Miracles were a one-man show when they won the title.

SU will still most likely make it to the Final Four if they can get past Ohio State. But it’s time for Kris Joseph to really step up. It’s now or never. He and Dion Waiters have to rally and go hard. There aren’t three guards in the nation better than Waiters and now he’s motivated. But, the team needs help from Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche. I like C.J. Fair, but my gut instinct is that this isn’t his tournament. He showed glimpses last week and I don’t expect him to do much. Syracuse has depth, a lot of it. And expect the team to rally around this. Melo is probably heading to the NBA. Bad choice. 

Dhamp….the greatest basketball mind in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[LawDeeZeeParticipant]

if you pointed to one weakness of syracuse as a team it would be defensive rebounding … part of that is playing zone of course, but losing melo doesn’t help this situation. i love waiters, but he’s not going to make up for melo’s absense in the middle of that zone. they have a potential second game vs. k state, one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country … that’s a concern.

 

i think given the current circumstances, SU would be better suited to take advantage of all of those athletes they have on the wings and play more of an uptempo style. whenever i watch them, it seems they allow other teams to slow the game down (especially big east opponents). but if you ever see syracuse fall behind by 10 or more points late in a game and switch to a press … they are VERY effective in it. they have the depth to be able to apply a ton of pressure defensively and not worry too much about having to rotate guys in and out.

 

… of course they’ll never do that!

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

I didn’t think they’d get passed Ohio St., even with Melo.

[DolanCareParticipant]

Syracuse needs to press press press. The more fastbreak points the better chance they have of winning. Obviously fatigue is an issue, but thankfully they have the depth to get away with it.

The last thing SU needs is to get stuck in a half-court game without their starting center

[McDunkin]

 

 

McDunkin….the fourth greatest basketball mind in the world. Next to Hubie Brown, Dhamp, and Javale McGee anyway.

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