[Dhamp2Participant]

Let’s get a few things straight. I’ve seen posts lately concerning Syracuse, Wesley Johnson, Andy Rautins, etc. Know this: They’re are SIX players on this year’s team who stand a fairly decent chance to be drafted.

Also, Syracuse is the best college team in America. They beat five teams who when they played were in the top 12. There RIP is 1. We’ll take on and beat any team in the country. And had they started the season in the top 25, instead of having to ascend the rankings, we’d be number 1 in the polls because NO TEAM in the country has played our schdule so far.

As far as draftable players, Wesley Johnson, as I first predicted on this web site, is more than a lotter pick. Rauntins is turning into a defensive stopper with 2.5. stl. He could be a late second round pick. Has anyone seen his lock down passing lanes? He’s averaging five assists and scoring 10 pts for the most UNSELFISH team in college. Johnson is scoring 17 pts a night on TEN SHOTS. HA HA HA.

And don’t forget about Rick Jackson and Onuaku, Joseph (next year, he’ll be unstoppable) and Scoop Jardine, all of whom are draftable players. Jardine should be starting, but the coach wants the length at the top of the key. Understand this team had six players who could one day be drafted.

The only guy I don’t like on the team is the starting freshmen point guard Brandon Triche. He wants to shoot too much and disrupts the flow of the game.

Dhamp2…the greatest basketball mind in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[McWinningParticipant]

so i guess you werent lying about being the best basketball mind in the world…….. whats up Bob Knight?

[TyroberParticipant]

the whole team cant get drafted. there good but not NBA good

[tonyl33Participant]

I do believe that Andy Rautins is underrated by people. He’s an above average passer, defender, along with handles and could shoot lights out. He basically does every thing JJ. Reddick does and more. He can also play the point at time, meaning he’ll be more useful on the court then just a 3 point specialist. If Reddick can make it to the NBA so can Rautins because of his versatility to play the point and SG position.

[Cusemen727Participant]

This team is hands down the number 1 team in the country, I dont even think its debatable, im not gonna say the reasons why because Dhamp covered it all, and Dhamp as far is Kris Joseph is concerned, I couldnt agree with you more, i loved the kids potential last year, and im absolutely loving it this year, and like you said, by next year, this kid is going to be in the big east POY conversation and potentially and all american. I love everything about this team except for our dreadful uniforms, god i hate those space suits.

SYRACUSE ORANGE 09-10 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!

[MkadozaParticipant]

Rautins is a marginal prospect at best. His three pointer isn’t as lights out as some people would suggest, and his steal numbers are inflated because he’s so good at getting his hands in the passing lanes and on traps. He’s a shifty, not spectacular ball handler, and struggles to finish at the rack under pressure. He’s a good basketball player who’s developed his game a lot but he’s not a good prospect by any stretch of the imagination. I question Jardine too. There are plenty of point guards that have his skill set, and most of them aren’t going to the league. if he can step up next year as a legit starter, he has a chance, but when Boeheim benches you for a freshman point guard that wasnt highly recruited, you have to worry. Combined with the combo guard Waiters coming next year, minutes could be hard for him to come by. Onuaku is a good finisher and post defender, but hes a below average defender, rebounder, slow for a PF, short for a center. Again, theres more centers you’d pick over Onuaku.

But Jackson and Joseph have some real potential. Joseph is a three point shot from being a dynamic player. Takes defenders of the bounce and finishs strong. From the games I’ve seen, he’s as athletic as Johnson, though not as quick. He’s strong, a good rebounder, and a very good passer. His long term position is definitely on the wing so working on his three pointer is vital to his draft stock. Jackson has a prototypical PF body. Great quickness and athleticism, long arms, soft hands and nice feet, he just needs to work on his offensive skills. But 6’9″ 240lbs guy with the quickness he has can lead to big time numbers. He’s outplayed Onuaku this year, and it will be very interesting to see how he plays along side Fab Melo next year, but Jackson is Cuses best post prospect now.

And no offense, but Rautins isnt nearly the player JJ Reddick was.

[Dhamp2Participant]

Rautins is BETTER than JJ Redick!!!

Also, so it’s Rautins fault the “he’s so good at getting his hands in the passing lanes and on traps.”…..Last I check that was called defense and not offense, LOL!

And Jardine was never benched. He started the season on the bench and outplayed Triche to the point where he was brielfy inserted in to the starting lineup…He was NEVER bench. Boheim loves the lenghth at the top of the zone.

NBADRAFT.NET previously had Onaku being drafted, LOL. He a good rebounder. Those numbers have dropped because his tendintis and of the emergence of Johnson.

Dhamp2…the greatest basetball mind in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[quinceyhodges]

ive been meaning to talk about this. the cuse are good and i like them but beating a bunch of ranked teams who were ranked that high at the time doesnt really impress me much. when teams are ranked that high early it means thats wht the pollsters think they should be. later they show how good or bad they really are and thats how you get a true feel of how good they are. lets say unc, ncstate, duke, wv, and gt are all ranked top 10 in week 1 and i beat them all. if by tournament time they dont even make the ncaa tournament then those wins arent as big because it shows those teams arent as good. im not taking a shot at the cuse im just saying that arguement only holds weight if those same teams are still just as good as they were thought to be or as good as there ranking showed back then. i dont agree that they have 6 draft able players. if we went by how you are saying it then there are alot of other teams with just as many or more draftable players. the reality is that all 6 wont be drafted. just like when the cuse won the title it didnt mean the whole starting 5 would get drafted. you could go down the list of this current duke team and say the same thing but more then likely they wont have 6 guys drafted

[gatorheelsParticipant]

I won’t argue with the opinion that Syracuse should be the #1 team in the nation based on their record & schedule.  However, being the #1 team really doesn’t mean anything. 

Not to rain on anyone’s parade but I highly doubt Syracuse will win it all. Depends on who they get matched up against along the way but I just don’t like their chances.

My main doubts have to do with experience.  Everyone is overlooking the fact that Wesley Johnson, Mookie Jones, Brandon Triche, & Scoop Jardine have NEVER played in the NCAA tournament.  Their main ball handlers have NEVER dealt with that type of pressure.  

Wesley is good but he isn’t Melo.  Where is Hakim Warrick?  Don’t tell me Triche, Jardine, & Rautins are as good as McNamara, Edelin, & Josh Pace.

Also what happens at the very end of a close game?  Who takes the big shot? Even better question who creates the shot?   

Not to mention the mediocre free throw shooting.   

Overall I just don’t think this team is as talented as teams like Kentucky, Kansas, Texas, Villanova, etc… 

[MkadozaParticipant]

Theres no way you call a senior 6’9 260+ center who averages less than 5 rebounds a game a good rebounder. Joseph averages more. Jackson averages 2 more rebounds in 2 more minutes. He just doesnt pursue the ball, like all good rebounders in the NBA. With effort and activity level, he’d struggle getting 7 boards in a full game. Not to mention he’s a terrible shot blocker for his size.

And Rautins is good for help defense, not man-to-man. If being effective in the passing lanes alone was considered good defense, Iverson would be a top 10 defender of all time. Theres way more to defense than helping out in a zone defense. And his steal numbers wouldnt be close to as good if Triche wasnt such a big, physical defender, and you have two guys with 7 foot wingspans playing the wing.

And for jardine, if your on the bench, how are you not benched? You dont have to be a start first. The fact is Boeheim prefers playing a true freshman over a third year player. How can that even being warped into a possitive? That doesnt happen to NBA prospects, unless the freshman recruit is a one and done type player, not a four year project like Triche.

And dont get me wrong! Triche was severely under recruited because of a serious injury before his junior year. This guy was dynamic everytime I watched him play in HS his senior year, but that doesnt change the fact that Jardine is at best a late second rounder his senior year.

And you must have selective memory if you think JJ was worse than Rautins. Better shooter, better man-to-man defender, better finisher and better ball handling. And in the scoring categories, they aren’t even close. This guy was a multiple All American in high school and college and is a rotation player for the Magic. He may have been selected too high in the draft, but this guy is a legit NBA player. Rautins… eh, we will see.

[MkadozaParticipant]

To Gatorheels, they have matched up with talented and experienced squad all year. Theyve played a way tougher schedule than any other top teams, and shown that they dont play close games. They go on big time runs started by superb defensive pressure and pass the ball extremely well. The reason why they should be favored is because they have a bunch of player who want to take big shots, but most importantly, they have players that will find the best scoring opportunity. Pressure Rautins, and Johnson or Joseph will get a look with off the ball movement. The crash the offensive boards hard, and score more efficiently than any team in the country. Theyre focused, polished, and a true team defense and offense. Who do you see with a more complete team? Kansas, Texas and Kentucky are all very good, but have they distinguished themselves as better? You cant legitimately say that they have. You can argue that their overall talent is lower. But production, defense and especially COACHING means you cant count them out. Boeheim is the most underrated coach in the country… 32-34 years they win 20 games or more. They soundly beat teams that people think have a chance of upsetting them.

GMac was a low percentage gunner. He hit big shots, but missed a ton of normal ones. Edilin was a head case for all his talent. And Joseph plays like a 6’7 Pace, minus passing, plus rebounding. This is an efficient, unselfish and dangerously effective team. My question to you is, which team has shown that they can slow down Syracuse’s well balanced attack? Besides Pittsburgh of course. They hardly foul for their aggressive defense (8th in the country), 7th in blocks, 4th in steals, 5th in scoring average and margin of victory, 11th in field goal percentage defense, and number one in assists and field goal percentage. You cant stop the TEAM from scoring, and thats way harder to stop than having one or two takeover players.

[lowryfoyerayParticipant]

Cuse the is the most unselfish team in the nation, and has the best players for their particular system in the nation, but aren’t as talented as kentucky and kansas. Its so hard to get the ball into the middle of their 2-3 zone because of their incredible length, I went to their game against Marquette, and the zone completely neutralized hayward since he was playing the high post and couldn’t get any touches. Usually teams with the most NBA talent end up winning the tournament like the ’05 and ’09 heels, or the uconn and florida teams, but i’d equate this team to the ’08 Kansas team. That team was well coached and played together and beat a loaded unc team and a memphis team led by the 1st overall pick

[gatorheelsParticipant]

This Syracuse team can’t be compared to that 08 Kansas team.  That Kansas squad had 5 players drafted in the 2008 Draft.  They also had Aldrich & Collins who will be drafted this year.   

You have to realize also that Syracuse hasn’t played what I consider the best teams in the country….Kansas, Kentucky, Nova, Texas, Purdue, Duke, Mich St., Butler, etc..

Don’t get carried away.  

Syracuse beat California who was missing Theo Robertson.  Syracuse beat West Virginia who was missing Deniz Kilicli.  

Syracuse- Sort of a Long-shot to win it all in my book.  Like I said earlier I just don’t think they are as talented as the other top teams. I also think lack of Experience will hurt them when the pressure is on.

[Dhamp2Participant]

Gatorheels…..I’ll touch on one of your points. You forget about intensity. If two teams who are ranked in the top 10, when they play the intenisty, media and hype is there for a top 10 game. And while teams may fall off later, at the time, when the play, it means everything.

Also, someone said Jardine was benched. He wasn’t. And he’s a sophomore.

This team is loaded. Joseph is a three-point shot from being a first-round draft pick.

Dhamp2…the greatest basetball mind in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[JNixonParticipant]

I like Syracuse as a Final 4 team…They have a perfect blend of perimeter and post offense and defense. They also play as a team, and they don’t take a bunch of bad shots or have a bunch of lapses on defense. They do everything well, except they don’t have a player that can create shots off the bounce. But even with that, they move very well without the ball so they can put just as much pressure on the D. They are a great team and I wouldn’t be shocked at all if they won it all.

[MkadozaParticipant]

Syracuse also beat a streaking Georgetown team that out scored them 14-0 early to win by 17. They beat Memphis, a team that played Kansas extremely close, by 17. Only 3 of their 20 wins were by single digits. Barring the Pitt and WVU game, Cuse has dominated every opponent.

Its also said that Cuse hasnt played the top teams in the country. Who has Kansas played? Michigan St lost to two team Cuse has beaten. Texas is talented, but they have show a penchant for having let downs under Rick Barnes. Purdues best win was against WVU when they were missing Kilicli. Villanova-Cuse will be answered later in the year. Duke? Whos theyre best opponent? UConn? Gonzaga? GT? Kentucky? You claim ‘experience’ is an issue, but the team that has 4 freshman in the rotation should be favored? Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe, Dodson, Miller, Orton, and Liggins have never played in the NCAA Tournament. Why wont pressure affect them? Butler? BUTLER??? Loses to Georgetown, Minnesota, Clemson and UAB, combined with one good win over an Evan Turner-less Ohio St squad, shouldnt even be in this convo. None of these teams have a resume better than Cuse. As Syracuse’s opponents if they arent that talented. Like my boy Mookie said. This team is ‘too talented’.

And Dhamp. I said Jardine is a third year player, which is 100 percent true. Hes been at Syracuse for 3 years, a redshirt sophomore. Just like Mookie is a second year player and rautins is a fifth year player.. And if your on the bench, your benched. He was the projected starter all the way until the season started. But Boeheim prefers the true freshman. I just dont understand why your arguing about semantics when the fact is he cant start over Triche.

[JNixonParticipant]

Scoop Jardine is a much better PG than Triche IMO. I think Jardine is a very good player..He seems to have a high basketball IQ and he’s a crafty playmaker. I like his game alot, Triche can develop into a good player but as of this season, Jardine seems to be a far more effective PG.

[gatorheelsParticipant]

Mkadoza- please read the comment I said earlier…"I won’t argue with the opinion that Syracuse should be the #1 team in the nation based on their record & schedule."  So I don’t care if Kentucky, Kansas, Texas…resumes don’t stack up to Syracuse at the moment.  It is the regular season…I’m talking about NCAA Tournament time.  

You will see why I doubted Syracuse’s chances to win it all when March rolls around.

As for the comments about Kentucky… There is a big difference between John Wall/Eric Bledsoe/Cousins etc & Triche/Mookie etc haha cmon now.  

[MkadozaParticipant]

Gatorheels. you cant have it both ways. Lack of experience will hurt Wes Johnson but not the Kentucky players? How is that even suggested? You cant judge these teams on anything but their players, how they’ve played, and who they’ve played. And to assume that Cuse will struggle is less logical than them having success. What evidence do you have, besides your feelings, that Syracuse will struggle? Evidence? Proof? Anything? Numbers? Coaching?

[gatorheelsParticipant]

Can Wesley create his own shot?  Can John Wall?   There is part of your answer.  

Nobody has proof as to what a team is going to do in the tournament.  It is purely opinion based & I have given my opinion.   

Mkadoza- R U a Syracus fan or something? lol

 

[bray1980Participant]

Kris Joseph Highlight Package this guy will be in the NBA OCanada!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqeE9bcG76k

[SpencerIsHawesome2Participant]

Scoop is a solid NCAA player, but as far as NBA potential goes, forget it. He’s not good enough and wont ever be, simple as that.

I love Andy Rautins, but as an NBA player, you can forget him too. He does a lot of the little things well and he shoots well, but I’ve seen many occasions where he has made dumb plays and he isn’t a good enough defender to make up for his lack of ability to score(well he can score, but in terms of NBA he wont be able to on anything other than the occasional 3)

Onuaku is solid and may be a late 2nd rounder but will not last in the L. He’s not a good enough rebounder to make it given the size disadvantage nor does he have any offensive game other than layups/dunks.. and he’s the worst free throw shooter in the country.

Jackson is similar to Onuaku, but is a better defender and rebounder. After his senior year he might be a mid to late 2nd rounder as well but I’d predict that he wont make it either. Just not enough skill.

Kris Joseph, Wes Johnson, and Brandon Triche are the only ones currently on the roster that I see with NBA potential.

Regardless of all this, I see ‘Cuse as a VERY legitimate threat to win the national championship. They may not have the talent as some of the other top teams, and I’m not a huge Boeheim fan, but they play excellent as a team–about as good as I’ve seen in a while from any team. However, the biggest concern I have is FREE THROWS. For them to win it all they need to become a better free throw shooting team. If they can improve on that–they have just as good a shot as anyone.

[rtbtParticipant]

I have to chuckle when I see posts claiming Andy Rautins, or any other Syracuse player, is a good defender. Syracuse plays zone about 99% of the time! In light of that, there’s no way you can describe any Syracuse player as a great defender because you never have the opportunity to see how any of them play in a man to man, NBA style defense.

[quinceyhodges]

you are overrating a couple of the syracuse players dhamp. there are alot of player out there who are better then joseph and a couple will probably be freshmen next year, there big man has europe written all over him.

[Dhamp2Participant]

Last time I checked rtbt…..Playing zone wasn’t offense, lol…..Also you said, ” there’s no way you can describe any Syracuse player as a great defender because you never have the opportunity to see how any of them play in a man to man, NBA style defense.”

Hmmmm. I seen to remember last year Paul Harris was not only a lock down defender, but a smaller version of Ron Artest!

Dhamp2…the greatest basketball mind in the world. Next to Hubie Brown anyway.

[arman]

dhamp i agree you completely…..

[Author]

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