On Salt Lake, Arinze & Expectations
by Sean Keeley on Mar 24, 2010 3:47 PM EDT
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PrintThe Syracuse basketball team arrived in Salt Lake yesterday. Tired but determined as ever.
The big question that we all kinda know the answer to but are still asking, is...how's Arinze Onuaku?
He was not on the floor for practice. He was in street clothes or sweats at the games. Nobody would say what he’s doing. And if he does play, what kind of shape will he be in?"
Just my two cents but he' not playing Thursday, he's not playing Saturday (God willing) and if SU were to make it to next weekend, he's not playing then either. It's best to assume SU is going to go it without AO. The opponents will get tougher but they've proven they can play without him. They might not be a better team with AO not there but there's a slightly different team. And that's not a terrible thing.
Update: AO is most certainly out for Thursday.
On Brent Axe's show today, he asked me if I would be happy with "just" a Final Four. The truth is...no. Not at this point. Knowing how good this team is and what the road ahead looks like, I want a title. If SU were to make it to the Final Four and not win it all, I might appreciate it more as time went on. Historically it would be a great thing. But right here and right now, it's not good enough. And the players feel the exact same way.
"We got complacent last year, and we were a little too excited to get there," shooting guard Andy Rautins said. "But this team has a whole different mindset this year, and we’re not satisfied yet."
As a No. 1 seed, the Orange doesn’t want to end up like Kansas — a highlight on ESPN for its failures. The team is hungry to keep going. No need for celebration. It hasn’t accomplished anything yet, outside of a Big East regular-season championship.
Butler coach Brad Stevens, whom you may have heard wasn't alive when Jim Boeheim started coaching (and you will hear more than a couple times on Thursday), has his Bulldogs ready. He's more than capable, having one of the best starts to a college coaching career ever. Just like someone else we know...
Stevens’ career arc is very similar to that of Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim. Boeheim was 31 years old when he became the head coach at his alma mater after coach Roy Danforth left for Tulane.
Boeheim’s first team went 26-4 in the 1976-77 season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. In his first three years, Boeheim led Syracuse to 74 wins and 14 losses plus three trips to the NCAA Tournament.
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I've kinda given up on AO playing for us again
Shame – especially since he’s overcome so much to get here.
We just have to hope that our guard play and shooting can make up for the shortfall in paint-defense/ paint strength.
that quote about AO is in regards to last week and last weekend, not whether he's practiced this week
however, i’m with you— i highly doubt we see him again. he’s not playing without practicing, and if he were practicing— whether or not they were planning on playing him thursday or not— i’m pretty sure syracuse would make it known.
http://ExtendtheGame.blogspot.com
i'm fine
with whatever they do from this point. Do I want them to win a title? Of course, but i’m not going to be devastated if they go out in any of these rounds. Maybe the 2003 title helped me in that respect, but a one seed, BE regular season title, sweet 16 appearance for a team no one had doing anything. It’s been a great run no matter the outcomes from here forward.
I’m happy with anything they do. I really am.
Happy
wouldn’t be the word I’d use to describe how I’d feel if we lost tomorrow. It’d feel like a big letdown for the past 5 months. That being said, everybody we play for the rest of the season will be a very good team, meaning if they come out and play well and we play like crap, we could lose.
I stick with the assumption that to demand a Final 4 for your season to be viewed as a success makes you look like a KU or UK fan.
Without Gerry McNamara we wouldn't have won 10 f-- games, not 10
by PoetryInMoten on Mar 24, 2010 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions
also, in regards to being a happy with a final 4, i agree with you again
if you get that far you want to win it. plus, the path were taking reminds me a lot of 96 when a lot of the good teams were cleared out of the way for us (8 seed georgia in the sweet 16, 5 seed miss st in the final 4). if we beat butler and xavier beats ksu, we could get to the final 4 without playing a single BCS conference team
http://ExtendtheGame.blogspot.com
You can go further
Syracuse could play Northern Iowa in the final four and Cornell or St. Mary’s in the championship game. Unlikely, but if it happens, Syracuse could win a national championship by playing nothing but mid-majors.
i want to make it further than last year
i’d love to win, but shit happens. improvement on last year would be great. this team has been extremely entertaining and i can’t complain. i’ll be bummed if we don’t make it to the end, but i’ve thoroughly enjoyed this year regardless of what happens over the next 2 weeks.
If you put a gun to my head and told me to answer honestly . . .
I’d tell you that I don’t think that Syracuse has to get to the Final Four, grab the title, whatever, for this to be a great season. This has been an awesome year.
Disappointment is when you have full potential available and fail to perform. This team, without Onuaku, is not at full potential. Anything from here on out is gravy.
I bring back 2000 as an example. That team was at full potential, had Michigan State down 20, and lost in the Sweet Sixteen. That’s disappointment. That team could’ve lifted the trophy that year and had all the parts to do it but imploded in the second half at the Palace.
So, would I be happy if Syracuse lost tomorrow? No. Would I be disapopinted? No.
Weird shit happens in the Tournament. It’s impossible to be disappointed when you can’t counter the ridiculousness of the Tournament with a full complement of players.
really, you won't be disappointed if we lose to butler tomorrow?
i mean, yea i know theyve won 22 in a row and all, but this is freaking butler. did you see that game against murray state last weekend? that was atrocious. sure, it’s nice to reflect in a few weeks on what a nice season it was if we lose tomorrow, but if we lose to butler im going to be pissed and disappointed for a while. if we get to teh final 4 and lose to ohio state or kentucky, sure i wont be happy, but ill probably be able to live with it. to have this great a season and lose to a team that i know we are a good deal better than, even without AO? that’s disappointing.
http://ExtendtheGame.blogspot.com
Nope
Because if Butler wins tomorrow, it means that they shot the lights out from three and played ridiculous body defense (which they’ve done all season).
Butler is no slouch. If you’re thinking that Syracuse is light years better than Butler (especially without Onuaku), I think you’re crazy.
Don’t overlook Murray State, either. That team could play. Proved it in the OVC all season.
Well said
Hoya Suxa. I feel the exact same way. I do think our tune would be different if we didn’t witness 2003, but we did witness it. I won’t be disappointed at all if they lose from here on out.
And for everyone that thinks Butler is some scrub team well you apparently didn’t see them beat Ohio State and Xavier during the year. They can flat play.
Here's the scary part about Butler
They don’t shoot a great percentage from three (only about 150th best in the country; 35%), but 40% of their field goals come from behind the arc.
40%! If you think that Syracuse is a bombing team, only 30% of their field goal attempts come from three (of course, Syracuse cans ’em at a 40% clip).
When you remember that three’s are worth more than two’s (duh), it doesn’t matter whether you can a third of the shot attempts. You’re already banging the extra point as house money on every made triple.
The zone forcing Butler outside isn’t a problem for the Bulldogs (although Syracuse’s zone does present a different set of issues, mostly that anyone from Syracuse’s perimeter can swat the damn ball). That’s how Butler wants to play anyway.
This could be ugly. This should night be an easy night’s sleep for Boeheim.
ehhh
I’m not so bold as to say that Butler is a scrub team, but they will need to play their A+ game tomorrow, or SU will need to absolutely choke. It wouldn’t take a miracle for either to happen, but its just not very likely. Yes, Butler beat OSU (at home), but OSU didn’t have Turner that game, and just a few weeks before UNC beat OSU (with Turner). And they barely squeaked by Xavier (again at home).
If SU doesn’t win by double digits I will be surprised. If they don’t win period I will be extremely dissappointed.
"You heard it out of my mouth, if we get the No. 3 seed, get your Final Four tickets." - Carmelo Anthony
by bloodyyank44 on Mar 24, 2010 6:35 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Its disheartening to read these comments about 'Cuse
You bet your asses i expect them to win. BUTLER?! Of course Butler is a good team. But calling them straight ballers because they beat Ohio State with Evan Turner (would you brag about beating the Cavs if leBron wasn’t playing?) and Xavier.
Guys, were a NUMBER 1 SEED. We have an injury to a big guy, but said big guy is NOT Wes Johnson and is not at all our best player. Syracuse has beaten UNC, Florida, Georgetown, West VA, Villanova, amongst other teams who have played tougher opponents than Butler.
I mean, I’m not looking ahead of Butler, but Syracuse is universally considered among the top 4 teams in this tournament. The only teams we should capable of getting beat by are Kentucky, Duke, or West VA… And we are just as likely to beat them right back. If another team takes us out, I call that a disappointment. Butler. Fucking Butler.
For Moten’s sakes, guys, expect your team to step up!!!! Be more like bloodyyank!!
"you're the Rod Thorn in my Chris Bosh side."
by Chris Child's Fist on Mar 25, 2010 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions
never said light years better, i said a good deal better
and people paid to know these things think so too— were 6 pt favorites. i guess more power to you if you can just smile and say “nice season guys” after a loss as a favorite to butler, but thats not me and ill never understand being able to say that after losing to an inferior opponent. if we play our A game tomorrow i dont see any way we lose. if we play our A game and lose to a team thats better— whether it be kstate, osu, kentucky, whoever it may be— i’ll still not be happy, but i’ll find that easier to swallow
http://ExtendtheGame.blogspot.com
I would be disappointed if we lose tomorrow.
I like watching us play and I hate to see if come to an end for me and them. But the season will not be a disappointment.
This Syracuse team—at full strength—is not better than the UConn team that lost to George Mason. The nature of the beast is that there are no sure thing wins… especially in the Sweet Sixteen.
And to make it to the FInal Four and be disappointed is just absurd. We were top 4 in the country for most of the season. We were #1… and lost our 2nd game as a #1 team, falling to #3.
We are not the most talented team. Kentucky is. Four guys in the top 15 NBA prospects. We have one.
We no longer have any depth at C/PF, much less a servicable inside offensive game.
We lived by the three in Buffalo, and could easily die by the three in SLC.
We have the ability to make head-shaking turnovers in terms of quality and quantity. Our shot selection varies from excellent to subpar.
At this stage, we are only playing teams on a winning stream. There are no cold Villanovas or streaky Georgetown’s left.
Take every win from here on out as a success.
Kentucky IS more talented, absolutely
But they are all young and I wouldn’t call them a mentally tough team. They are cocky bastards who think their talent alone will win games. Even their coach has admitted that they do not adjust well in games. I’ll take the experience of ’Cuse over the youth of Kentucky.
Yeah, if Kentucky keeps their heads, they will beat everyone. But I honestly think they might very well lose to Cornell. Mostly upperclassmen who have played together for years (cus you know, no one leaves Cornell early for the NBA, lol). They are funadmentally sound and exactly the type of team Demarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe and John Wall would scoff at. Kansas did the same thing and nearly lost earlier this year. Cornell has gotten better since then too. Don’t be surprised if they pull an monster upset. Don’t underestmate the power of Juniors and Seniors.
"you're the Rod Thorn in my Chris Bosh side."
by Chris Child's Fist on Mar 25, 2010 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Grrrr...
I just think the most frustrating part of the AO injury, as a fan, is that at least for the recent future we’re going to play what-if, no matter what happens. If they get bounced…would the same thing have happened if AO wasn’t hurt? Even if they win it all, would they have been even more dominant had AO been in? A totally different team who wouldn’t have won? It is just so frustrating to have watched a certain team play the entire year, get ridiculously excited about a certain team…and then see a different version (not necessarily worse or better – just different) come tourney time.
I HATE that I could potentially be that fan who has to make the argument, “Well, we weren’t at full strength” or “If we had AO playing, it would have been different.” I HATE when fans do that, and HATE that I may have to become one.
As usual – Georgetown ruins everything.
Gotta love JB
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: theres absolutely no reason to play AO if he’s not 100%. So sure, keep the bluff going as long as possible. As for AO being out tomorrow, yeah it sure sucks, but if SU were to lose it would be because either Butler played out of their minds, or SU played like garbage. And I’m absolutely sure that JB and the team knows the exact timetable on AO, be it that he could be available for Saturday, the Final 4, or never again. Whatever the case may be, he is playing this brilliantly.
So, g’head, wait all week before announcing AO won’t play because he hasn’t practiced. Got it coach, great set up. So what’s the other team to think when AO suddenly is practicing, or on the court during pregame warm-ups in uniform? Not saying this will exact scenario will happen tomorrow, but I expect a similar situation to play itself out sooner or later.
"You heard it out of my mouth, if we get the No. 3 seed, get your Final Four tickets." - Carmelo Anthony
As I said somewhere else
last week, I think the injury to Arinze may help us out if he comes back. Not holding my breath at this point, but we just became a deeper team if he does.
Something also tells me that he makes a run at it if we make the Final 4. You’re telling me that if you were a Senior and were even at 50% that you wouldn’t make an attempt to play at least a few minutes?
Without Gerry McNamara we wouldn't have won 10 f-- games, not 10
Syracuse
Of course they can beat Butler. It’s not like they are facing Le Moyne College!
And
the dead horse appears to make another appearance.
Without Gerry McNamara we wouldn't have won 10 f-- games, not 10
by PoetryInMoten on Mar 25, 2010 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions
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