The Airing Of Grievances
by Sean Keeley on Mar 26, 2010 1:04 AM EDT
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Go on, get it out of your system tonight. Tomorrow, we start anew. As you're venting, just remember this...
1. The players probably feel 1,000,000 worse than you do.
2. It was one of the most fun and exciting seasons in recent history and, over time, you'll remember that.
Doesn't change the fact it ended in a most disappointing fashion and doesn't change the fact that we coulda and shoulda, but...you know.
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Eh, I saw it coming to be honest. It was a magical season but when they failed in the Big East tourney so hard and then lost AO, I figured it was only a matter of time.
I call it... The Avaslug!
I am the 1st and probably only official member of the David "Dr." Jones fanclub. Until I get the newsletter out, anyway.
Syracuse Basketball 2010: Big East Champs!!! G'Orange!
I’ve been reading this blog all season and have just now decided to post because this I just wanted to say this was the most fun I had watching this team in all my years of being a fan. They got me through winter and that’s all I can ask for. Go Orange!
Agree 100%
I had more fun this year than I can remember in almost any other season, except for ‘03 possibly. Am I saddened that we lost? Oh yeah, but I’ll move on. Might even watch the rest of the tournament now.
Without Gerry McNamara we wouldn't have won 10 f-- games, not 10
by PoetryInMoten on Mar 26, 2010 1:32 AM EDT up reply actions
+1000
great points… this was a very fun, albeit shorter than i hoped, season…
these guys were fun to watch, they seemed to really like each other, and they represented the Syracuse community admirably.
I’ll miss you Arinze, Andy & Wes – thanks for the memories!
by Dana0430 on Mar 26, 2010 1:41 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
It was a great season
Just a very crappy last month and worse end.
The worst part is knowing we’ll never get to see Andy, Wes or AO play again. For some reason, that always saddens me at the end of an SU season. We watch these guys for years, and then boom, it’s all over in a blink of the eye. Good luck to those guys, it was a treat to watch them this year.
I hope JB can get us back to the FF someday soon….I have a sinking feeling that his last good chance at a title was now, and he may see fit to call it quits after he coaches Fab Melo for a year….
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
I really will miss our seniors.
I guess I say that every year, but seriously. The Hair will never done a Cuse jersey again. That saddens me almost as much as this game.
Yeah, I think that might be the saddest part.
This was a really tight group of people and I think that starts with the seniors and trickles down. With all these new guys coming in, some of them so highly recruited, I just don’t think the team will quite the same. I think that’s why I wanted the championship so badly for them. They deserved it.
And somehow, even though Wes is one and done, he didn’t feel like it!
by voteprime on Mar 26, 2010 7:05 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Neither do I honestly.
Wes integrated onto the team so completely it felt like he was here for three years. I really, really hope he lands somewhere fun. I would hate to see him mired on a team like the Nets or Clippers. As a Sixer fan I’d love him in Philly, but I almost don’t want that to happen for his sake.
Also...
I’m sorry for causing a ruckus with my post-game Fanpost. puppy dog face
PS Just watched the video. Is it wrong that I appreciate the amount of nerd friendly material in there?
I wish I had posted this earlier
but when you asked if we’d be disappointed with a loss in the Sweet Sixteen I couldn’t help but wonder if it really mattered if I was disappointed or if I had any right to be. Yes, I’m a fan through and through, but I didn’t endure practices this season, I wasn’t passed over for a starting position, I didn’t lose weight, I didn’t subject myself to the almighty Boeheim. I casually strolled into this season with low expectations, hoping for a few solid wins, but flat-out expecting to watch all of them, regardless. It turns out this team was good. Really good. And fun to watch. These boys gave it their all and enjoyed each other while they were winning. Personally, I couldn’t ask for more than to watch a group of guys who were having fun playing the game they love but also winning while they were loving that same game. This team brought a sense of fun to a game which isn’t always so fun at this level.
I feel as though I am fortunate to have seen this team play together. To see Andy lead a squad to the Sweet Sixteen after losing it’s three leading scorers. To see Wesley Johnson come into his own as a transfer and dominate, on our behalf, at MSG. To see the rest of the team mature to this level and to play the way they did the entire season.
I could never be upset, because frankly, I have no right to be. This team provided me with more than I could have expected this season and truly played as a team. I wish, for their sake and not mine, that they could have gone farther, but these boys have nothing to be ashamed of, and there is no reason that we should be disappointed.
Thank you, men’s basketball team, for a wonderful season. It has truly been a pleasure.
Ooo yea that's hot.
by Scoopette on Mar 26, 2010 2:24 AM EDT reply actions 5 recs
+1
"Size matters. At least in basketball." - James Arthur Boeheim
by Bernie Fine is the Man on Mar 26, 2010 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions
They overachieved
bigtime. I’m proud of the kids. I’m proud of this season. No one had us in the Top 25 last November. A #1 seed and regular season Big East Champsis a hell of an accomplishment. So are the accolades that came with it; BE POY, BE COY, national COY.
I do want to state that I’m glad I got to watch AO go from a project to a dominate big man and Rautins from seeing limited time to a team leader.
I’m going to look back on this season with fond memories.
It is,however, tough to stomach losing to team that I know we’re better than.
Despite what happened last night I’m still not dissapointed. Not dissapointed at all. This was a great season; better than I could have hoped for. I want to say thanks to our kids. Thanks for a memorable and successful season.
Someone told me the sun would rise today
it hasn’t. It’s cold and rainy out. It’s miserable.
Now I have nothing to look forward to. I’m getting married in a month… my life is over!
Just kidding.
by TheRenegadePumpkin on Mar 26, 2010 7:51 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
It was classic
I took a video dramatization of it after the event. I may get around to posting it so we have something to ponder while we wait for Memorial Day weekend.
by TheRenegadePumpkin on Mar 26, 2010 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions
One more rant and I'm done
I’ve bit my tongue and I’ve noticed that no one else has griped about this so I guess everyones biting their tongue.
With just over a minute to go right before that bull shit 3….. top of the key – right before the pass was thrown to the left baseline – the refs missed a walk…. a walk………thats travel …. W A L K ! ! ! He picked up his fucking left foot before he threw the ball. Should have been ’Cuse ball down by 1. Now I realize that the refs didnt turn the ball over a zillion times. And yes, our boys played like shit the majority of the night. BUT….. HUGE difference between ’Cuse ball down by 1 and ’Cuse ball down by 4 with a minute to go. HUGE DIFFERENCE. Down 4 they didnt convert they had to foul. Down 1 they would have just played D.
OK I’m done. I’m good sigh
Was that the moment where Scoop called the travel?
I thought I saw him stop for a second and make the travel motion with his hands. I didn’t see it, but it must have been pretty blatant for Scoop to stop everything he was doing and call the travel himself like that.
The Butler Player walked
right before heaving the pass that got that 3 off with just over a minute to play
The refs let a lot slide
Butler was hand-checking aggressively and they were playing really tight man-to-man, which is fine if you can get away with it (watching the KSU/XU game, they weren’t playing anywhere near as tight D). They let the teams play – but Syracuse didn’t seem to know how to adapt.
They also didn’t know how to adapt to play a slow burn game. When the other team is focused on limiting your possessions and stopping the fast break, don’t waste possessions by jacking up 3’s at 30 second mark or forcing bad shots. And hold onto the damn ball.
What a walk!
That was so obvious I couldn’t believe it wasn’t called- we were screaming at the TV….It seemed to me that the Butler defenders were hacking us repeatedly throughout the game and hardly anything was called. I could see a loss coming if we had an off night shooting but you hate to see the refs affect the outcome like that….then again if we had more of a rotation we could have been more physical with them without fear of foul trouble.
The refs were below average
But we are a Big East team. We can’t handle a little physical play? C’mon.
The refs did not affect the outcome. We limit ourselves to 12 turnovers, we win this game by 10.
I rewound it
about 10 times after the game was over. Walk all the way. 3 pointer never should have happened. Should have been Cuse ball down by 1 with a minute to play
set rant mode on
fuck…Fuck…FUCK…FFFFFFUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKK!!!!!
That was the suckest suck that ever sucked!!!
NEWS FLASH… Leo’s son just committed another turnover.
Thank you Wes. Have fun battling to win 10 games with the Nets next season.
I feel bad that it ends this way for AO. FUCK
set rant mode off
Now I feel better.
Still a good season with a disappointing ending. I just feel this could have been a special season.
Time to get back to the real world and write some code.
by moosedontbounce on Mar 26, 2010 8:12 AM EDT reply actions
I just turned the radio on...
to ‘Mike and Mike’ and the first word I heard was Doug Doushleib say ‘Butler’. I turned the radio off. Doug probably jizzed in his pants during the game.
by moosedontbounce on Mar 26, 2010 8:27 AM EDT reply actions
Thursday Morning
Gotlieb guest hosting on The Herd: “I don’t see how Butler beats Syracuse.”
That’s when I knew we were screwed. Thanks for the reverse jinx, you bastard.
Amazing Season but...
The problem is with even low expectations, these guys played dominating ball damn near the entire season – really only a couple of games towards the end of the season where we wavered. It is tough to know that at full strength and given what had happened to Kansas etc… we SHOULD be in the FF. Regardless of how well they played it still feels like we underacheived due to circumstance and injury. Thanks guys for a great season though…
It hurt, damn, it hurt.
It was more frustrating than anything else. It hurts because Syracuse and CNY doesn’t have any other professional/collegiate big four sports team that does well or is expected to do well on a mostly regular basis. To see this team absolutely smoke opposing teams early out of that gates was an incredibly pleasant surprise (especially after the exhibition loss to the team that shall not be named). People that live in CNY have little else going for them (high taxes, low incomes, disappearing jobs, long cold winters, etc.) I grow up in CNY a Syracuse fan, became an alumni, and still live in Syracuse. Local people do have a lot invested in Syracuse basketball. It’s a point of local pride that Boeheim (a local guy that you can run into in the bookstore) can regularly put forward winning teams, and catch lightening in a bottle every decade or so.
It sucks that everybody complains about Syracuse free throw shooting, without acknowledging that 6’10" power forwards that can shoot free throws rarely play more than one collegiate season. And typically only for universities like Duke, NC, Kansas, and Kentucky. Yet Syracuse is lucky to have a coach like Boeheim who can take talented, but flawed, players and mold them into a winning team every fucking year.
So when this year’s team stumbled early and then preceded to play like a pro-team, it was an awesome feeling. Syracuse was relevant and damn good. They played unselfishly and aggressive. And then the Pitt game, and the DePaul game, and it was deja vu all over again. That clunker of a game was now always in the back of your mind before every game. Which team would show up? The ‘Nova blow out was the best game I’ve ever been to. Syracuse was #1 despite their flaws.
They should have been a final four team. They didn’t play to their potential and that’s what frustrates people the most. They had all the skill and talent in the world plus heart, but that didn’t seem to be on display last night. Early in the game Rick had a ball tip off of his hands out of bounds and he turned and ran back up court with his head down. He looked like he had already given up.
It sucks because this was really supposed to be a rebuilding year and now next year really looks like a rebuilding year. Losing three key players/leaders again, but without having a Wes Johnson to surprise everyone.
Good season, frustrating end, and there’s always next year.
by Fly Rodder on Mar 26, 2010 8:56 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
rautins
i don’t think i’ve enjoyed watching anyone else mature through the years as i did rautins. he came in as a scrawny, scrappy freshmen and left a solid, gritty player. i was pretty saddened by the way he had to go out… fouling out without a chance to help his team win. when that happened i looked at my wife and could only say, ‘man, that sucks.’
by SalRizzo on Mar 26, 2010 8:56 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Excellent point
Only other guy recently who delveoped his game every year like that was Hakim
"Size matters. At least in basketball." - James Arthur Boeheim
by Bernie Fine is the Man on Mar 26, 2010 9:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Demetris Nichols
He looked lost early in his career but by his senior season he was the leading scorer in the Big East. I’d throw him in this discussion too.
by SpotOnSpotwood on Mar 26, 2010 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions
the problem with demetrius
was that he was on such disappointing and under-performing teams. the class of ’07 was very disappointing, and that overshadows some of the good stuff they did
Needed AO
The second he went down against GT, I knew we were screwed. I think he would have made a huge difference last night, but alas, this was going to happen somewhere along the way. You need all the pieces to pull off a FF or NC, and AO was key. I am at peace because they weren’t going to be able to do this without him, and frankly, a loss here is probably better to stomach than later on, when we’re that much closer, but still don’t have enough to make it.
Loved watching these guys – I can honestly say I watched every minute of this season that was on TV.
Someone mentioned in the game thread
that it’s not so much how AO plays, and he’s good, but he allows Rick time to get his ass chewed on the bench when he’s playing poorly. Last night, Jackson needed a good ass chewing, but Riley couldn’t even prevent a shitty “power forward,” who’s only previous strategy was flopping, from scoring easy buckets.
I think AO also takes a lot of pressure off of Rick.
So he can let the right moments come to him. He looked lost out there trying to figure out if he should go to the hoop or pass the ball. AO does all the heavy lifting and Rick can just wait, capitalizing at easy points.
I’m hoping we see a more mature Rick Jackson next season – he has the talent and abilities. He just needs more confidence.
But I do think AO would have made a difference. I think he would have scored some points inside early, freeing up Andy and Wes, and even KrisJo, to do their thing. Maybe it’s just my “what if” positive scenario playing out in my head, but I feel like it would have been a different game.
exactly my point.
This team was successful because all year they had 7 different ways they could beat you – no way teams could macth up against all seven guys. One way or another, Boeheim would find the right mix and crush you. Without AO, we were suddenly minus a key option, and a number of tough match up combos went out the door.
Sigh…..
Plus
I think people forget that these guys are just kids playing a game that they love and now they have to deal with a bunch of nasty-ass, venomous losers talking shit and posting heartless comments on syracuse.com.
I hope the guys keep their heads up.
Absolutely right
As much as it hurts, I hope these players know how thankful most of us are that they gave us something to be excited about. I hope the enjoyed the ride as much as I did. My heart breaks for them. My heart really breaks for AO.
When I was a Senior, going into my hockey playoffs, I was just coming back from a torn hamstring. I got the start at home in our Quarterfinals and posted a shut out and didn’t leave the ice because I knew our other goalie would get the nod in the semi’s and finals… even though I felt I was finally back on my game, the other goalie had played great all year when he got the nod, and I had to accept my medicine. We played a team I owned my entire career, in the finals for the 3rd consecutive year, and Coach told me despite all that, I’d be sitting my final game ever of competitive hockey.
We won in OT. I reflected on how far we had come… when I transferred in as a Sophomore, our school hadn’t won a playoff game in over 20 years, and as I left we were a program that had one our league title three consecutive years. It still haunts me to have had to sit it out, though.
But the same goes for AO… even though he sat, look at the prominence he helped the program achieve. Granted, Syracuse was never off the radar, but to overcome so many other player departures and rise to #1 in the country for the first time in 30 years in one little week in February was truly astounding.
I really hope these guys keep their heads up and take pride in the level to which they took this team. Look at all the recruits coming in that we wouldn’t have gotten had these guys not worked hard day in day out, play alongside and above much more heralded players elsewhere, and kept the program in the upper echelon of the national consciousness.
They’ve earned a hearty “thank you.”
by TheRenegadePumpkin on Mar 26, 2010 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions
My only concern...
I agree with everyone here…Andy Rautins will be sorely missed. Possibly the biggest loss to the Orange this decade given how much he could. That being said I’m really concerned for Rick Jackson because I’ve wondering all night if I could even catch his ride home to Syracuse.
zing.
Good Season Overall, but Classic Tournament Disappointment
Best regular season team I’ve ever seen, but classic SU choking in the tourney. SU never seems to do well with expectations in the tournament. All our Final Four teams seemed to sneak under the radar. Something about the Sweet Sixteen that always trips up SU.
by upstateNYYFan1984 on Mar 26, 2010 9:15 AM EDT reply actions
The most dangerous game for Syracuse
The first game is against a team that may just be excited to be there. We have lost our share of first round games for just that reason. But usually we win.
The second game is against a team that just put a ton of effort into winning a tough game, but now has to turn around and figure out the zone in 48 hours. That’s very difficult. No self-respective coach can start planning for Syracuse before winning the first round game.
The third game gives a team that is good enough to win two tournament games four or five days to prepare for the zone. Unlike January and February, the kids are probably not focusing on school nearly as much during the Big Dance. All focus goes to one team.
If we can beat the third game hump, then we have something special… a Final Four team.
We are spoiled when 30-5 is a disappointment
Make no mistake, it was a disappointing end. However, everything that they achieved this year hasn’t been done in 2 decades or more.
Outright reg. season champs- 1991 I think was the last
1 seed- 1980
- rank- 1988 I think
Set the attendance mark again(and actually beat Nova)
Big East POTY- Wes, but before that Hakim
COTY- 1st time Jimmy will get it
Honestly, anything less than a title would be disappointing. However I think that calling this year a “disappointment” is wrong. It undermines everything that the players did this season. No team ever had the kind of pressure that was on this team because of their lofty status.
Really fun season
We had a lot of bright moments, beating UNC, UF, WVU, Georgetown twice, Nova etc. This years squad over achieved and its not just that they did, but how they did. They had great character and seemed like fun kids. Everyone got along and played basketball the right way. This was a team fans could really be proud of.
Its tough for the seniors, but they both had great careers. If you see Andy or AO, shake their hands and just thank them. If they are at the bar, send them a drink. Show them some respect because they earned it.
That being said, with the solid recruits coming in and the cultural change in this program over the last two years due to Johnny, Andy and AO – hopefully the staff and upper classmen (scoop, ricky, kris) can keep this thing going. This team was very good. Won 30 games. Played unselfish. Good shot selection and played D. Now imagine what a team like this could do with Kentucky level talent. Andy, AO… thanks for leaving your DNA on our program.
Hardest part
Is seeing Andy and AO and the rest in tears or just stunned. This team was such a lift to us all, after another disappointing football season with a sliver of promise, these guys just lifted us up and carried Central NY to #1!. It is a shame they just played such a stinker last night. My heart broke each time they tried so hard, too hard, to make the perfect pass, or knock down the big shot and it just didn’t happen. Butler played their game and SU wasn’t able to change that. Kudos to Butler for that, but SU shot themselves. I pray that all of them feel loved, and know that the vast overwhelming majority of SU fans will always remember them with pride and wonder “what if” Ao hadn’t gotten hurt. Perhaps all 3 of our “unrated” guys will get a shot at the next level and make us proud again on NBA draft night.
If you’d have told me ...
that the team that Syracuse played shot 25% from 3, 40% from the floor, had only 9 assists and 5 offensive rebounds, I’d say we killed ‘em. 18 turnovers and only 4 steals will do that to you.
I hate it when people say “classic choke” in the tournament, though. People act like the Richmond loss happened yesterday. Or even Vermont. Boeheim is 44-26 in NCAA tournament games.
We really did miss AO last night
Depresses me that his Syracuse career ends like that.
Bye to Andy and to AO and to (lets be honest here) Wes. Hopefully Riley can become a force in his sophomore season. Even with a class like the one we have coming in…. we may take a step back… but who knows? How big a step were we supposed to take back this year?
I’m ok now. I don’t think I’m going to be able to go to espn.com or listen to ESPN Radio or watch ESPN in the next two weeks. But… I’ll live. At least Kansas lost in an earlier round, and within the next few years it’s going to be like Kentucky never participated in this tournament.
by wildcatlh on Mar 26, 2010 9:57 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Sure hope
Rick Jack can get some toughness over the summer. He looked like the weakest 6’9" big man in the country last night with butterfingers to boot. That lil’ skinny big for Butler out toughed him the whole game.
within the next few years it’s going to be like Kentucky never participated in this tournament.
ha ha, over/under on how many years before they forfeit their wins? 2.5?
That's another thing that burns me...
…I really wanted to go to the finals and crush Calipari-tucky, and show him how you win the honest way. Scum. Bag.
Man, when Cornell had cut to 6 near the end of the game I was impressed.
I still didn’t think they’d do it, but boy did they get close. If any team has a claim to be underseeded it’s Cornell. Once Kentucky started asserting it’s athleticism I thought it was a done deal and the route was underway. But it never happened. Great season for the Big Red as well.
Enjoyable Team to Watch
This team was a lot of fun to watch, they clearly loved playing together. Expectations may have been higher than last year, but I don’t have the same sour taste in my mouth that developed watching Devo and Paul play out the string.
Here’s hoping these guys keep up the Twitter updates. I for one will want to know which summer blockbusters Scoop likes.
Here is what I don't get:
I understand that I don’t have the right to be upset or feel disappointed. The players certainly have that right, but I don’t. But that doesn’t change the fact that I still am upset. So to those of you that aren’t. To those that can so easily transition to happy fun time yay us, where is the switch? Where is the switch you can flip so that when a game last night ends you can honestly say, “Oh well. Good run. That sure was a fun season. I am not at all disappointed and am certainly not upset.”? It’s one thing for fairweather fans who barely know the players’ names and don’t even realize our jerseys are different to shrug and change the subject, but the TNIAAM crowd is anything but fairweather fans. So where is the switch I ask. Make no mistake, I will get there. I always do. But rarely do I get there within minutes or hours. Often I need a full day.
Lots of practice.
Having had to find the switch 29 times out of the last 30 years of being a fan, I’ve gotten kind of good at it. I was crushed when good teams did not reach their potential in: 2010, 2005, 1999, 1992, 1986, 1983…
But, yeah, it takes me a day or so to find it. And the rest of the tourney is always ruined for me. I don’t want to even hear the word “basketball” until next October. I could care less who wins at this point, I just know it’s not us…
But you were crushed.
I’m seeing a lot of people scold others for being crushed at all. As if I am a bad person for being upset last night or for feeling like this was a disappointing result after a great season. Apparently I should be feeling nothing but pride and gratitude right now because as a fan that’s all I have the right to feel.
by NOLACuse on Mar 26, 2010 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think I meant 2000 above, not 99.
The Hart / Blackwell / Thomas team that had to play Michigan State on their home court…
2000
It was 2000. And The Palace of Auburn Hills isn’t Michigan State’s home court, but it is only about an hour from their campus.
by GrossSuperman on Mar 26, 2010 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions
That loss was worse
We played well. The refs called 7 more fouls on us than MSU… negating our front line. It was WW-NCAA all the way. Plus, my roommate was an MSU grad. To go from 14 up with 18 minutes to go to losing by 15… just a shocker.
When AO went down, we were on borrowed time. That time ran out last night. In all likelihood, it would have ended Saturday anyway (without AO).
Feel crushed
We understand. Take some time. Just know that as bas as this loss hurts, when they do pull off big wins, it feels so much sweeter. Remember ’03 championship, remember ’06 BET, remember the ’92 BET.
Without Gerry McNamara we wouldn't have won 10 f-- games, not 10
by PoetryInMoten on Mar 26, 2010 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions
This hurts worse than 2000...
I’m proud of how this team came together. They went from an unranked squad, losing three of their starters, and went to #1 and to a top seed in the NCAA tournament. I’m proud of how this team, that could have quit after losing to Georgetown, came together at the end of the season to put together a remarkable first round. They looked like the dominating team that we saw at the start of the year and the team that we knew was going to be special.
However, I’m not going to come out here and lie and say that everything is ok and that we should be satisfied with winning 30 games. It’s not. And we shouldn’t be. This team was too talented and too special to have gone out this way. I can’t be content with losing to this Butler team. We were the top seed in the region and should have been able to dominate them.
Rick Jackson just looked awful out there. I don’t know if it was a struggle with playing more minutes, the mountain air, playing out of position, or how he was played, but he looked bad. He looked winded and was sweating way too much within the first four minutes. I was actually hoping that Boeheim would sit him for a little bit so that DaShonte Riley could come back in. He put in some quality minutes and actually looked pretty good when he played in the second half. Kris Joseph completely disappeared in a starting roll during the tournament and that does not bode well for his ability to replace Wes next year. Speaking of Wes, where was he when we needed him down the stretch? The only complaint I can have about the kid is that he didn’t take over games when he needed to. Last night was one of those times.
This team was special, but without AO, they obviously didn’t have the depth and experience to win the tournament. Regardless, it was still so frustrating to watch. I had a bad feeling about this game as I was driving over to our family friends to watch it. The only other games I felt that way about were Louisville and Pitt. Surprise, surprise….
I’ll get over it at some point, but it is just so hard to see what we could have accomplished and come up short. Why must we underachieve?
by GrossSuperman on Mar 26, 2010 10:28 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I was glad that Scoop was actually taking some shots down the stretch. We needed quick baskets and we needed threes to get back in it. They were making free throws so we couldn’t just trade bucket for bucket with them. But why is it that we never foul early enough? Most teams would start fouling at the two minute mark and the final two minutes will last ten. With Syracuse, the final two minutes last two minutes. We don’t foul, and we don’t play smart at the end of the game. Never have.
Wes was almost completely non-existent in the second half and never seemed to try and get open for his shot. He remained in the low post and was continually out-muscled by the defender. The entry passes to him were fine, but he continued to get pushed out and forced awful shots from the block. And then, after he hit that three to put us up I don’t think we heard from him at all. He needed to get himself open out in the corners when Scoop was bringing the ball down so that Scoop didn’t have to take a contested three.
by GrossSuperman on Mar 26, 2010 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You said exactly right. I'm proud of this team, but I'm not at all content with this
This team played too well all season to have their season ended by Butler. I’m not taking anything away from Butler, they prepped well and played to win. But the ‘Cuse…. I mean, all year they played basketball the opposite way ’Cuse has in the past. They beat teams that werent as good as they were, they brought energy EVERY game, and they just attacked and played confident all year. I wasn’t worried about a ‘Cuse seeding and upset because they didn’t play like every year before them. But last night. Old’ Cuse came back. Timid, apprehensive, panicky, and selfish. I mean, Butler is a good team, definitely underseeded (they were #12 overall!..a 5 seed?!) but not a team to fear. Missing AO hurt, but that wasn’t the difference. THAT is why this upset stings the way it does.
Of course the team knows it. Of course they feel worse than I do and everyone else. Fine. We will all get over it. I just don’t accept this ending. It happened, I know. But Syracuse dug its own grave last night. You step up or step out. Syracuse didn’t have to win a championship for this season to be successful, but its ending was supposed to come to a better or more talented team. Kansas, Kentucky, uccch… Duke, or West Virginia even.
Maybe they took Butler for granted. Butler deserves plenty of credit, but they did nothing special. They allowed Syracuse to implode. I wish it was better for our guys. I wanted us to keep going and keep the country in awe of our surprise. Now this season will inevitably be lumped into a question of “Is the Big East Overrated?” I wanted SU to be the team that carried the Big East to the title game and people would say “Well, the BE may have lost a lot early, but they ended as the last conference standing, so they were legit.”
I just wish Syracuse came out playing like Syracuse and not like Syracuse.
"you're the Rod Thorn in my Chris Bosh side."
by Chris Child's Fist on Mar 26, 2010 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
do we have confirmation of a Chipotle stop before the game
Those f$@king burritos make you slow, man.
"you're the Rod Thorn in my Chris Bosh side."
by Chris Child's Fist on Mar 26, 2010 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions
This quote sums it perfectly:
I just wish Syracuse came out playing like Syracuse and not like Syracuse.
Is it sad that I don’t find it remotely confusing?
Rick Jackson HAS NO HANDS! ARGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Just had to say that
Rautins had too many TOs and what the hell was Scoop doing in the final seconds…I always had some quibbles with AO’s play but now I realize how key he was to the Orange’s success.
Rick Jackson did an admirable job keeping control of the paint though Butler was able to penetrate and slash to the basket which our zone defense failed to stop.
Still upset how it ended knowing we were at least a Final 4 team. I will come around eventually but this loss hurts. However it was one magical and unexpected run I will never forget.
The key to Syracuse's success
was “all of it.” It was Wes/AR shooting, AO/RJ down low, Scoop/KJ/Triche driving, and all of them defending. You take anyone off, it would have hurt somehow.
Take Triche off… and suddenly teams could press us… especially if Scoop got into foul trouble.
We got the #1 seed because we had all the ingredients. We lost because we did not have all the ingredients.
As for RJ… I can understand missing open 6-footers. I can even understand missing pressure FTs. It’s just not his game. I can understand falling for a great head fake and committing a foul. That’s just life as a decent 4/5 in the NCAA’s.
What I cannot accept is the inability to catch the ball and keep it from squirming out. You don’t need Division I talent to do that. It’s not shooting over a 7’0" defender. It’s not trying to maneuver around an aggressive defender. You know, things that WE cannot do. We are talking about catching and grabbing and keeping.
I can, however, understand that every player is going to have a bonehead play. Or two. Derek Jeter will boot a ground ball now and again. But after that first one you dig in. RJ did not dig in. He was careless with the ball in the first five minutes and careless in the final five minutes. Careless is mental.
Riley had turnovers. He did not become a turnover machine though.
by ezcuse on Mar 26, 2010 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I may have missed it in the game thread
But I wanted to mention one thing that’s been killing me. When Cuse was up 54-50 and they were inbounding under Butlers basket, Rautins pass was deflected out of bounds and a Butler player chased it down and threw it inbounds, it looked to me that he was CLEARLY out of bounds when he threw it and since that play ended up a 3 that cut our lead to 1, that could have been a huge game changer. I was in a bar so I couldn’t hear what the announcers were saying (thank God) but my dad and i were infuriated. What did everyone else see there?
I thought the same.
The announcers didn’t seem to think anything of it at all. I’d like to watch the replay and see, but I definitely thought his foot hit before the pass was off.
Still should have done more with that lead though. They’ve done more with slimmer leads this year after all.
The bigger miss
Was the step the kid took on the pass before the three….
by GrossSuperman on Mar 26, 2010 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions
I saw it. Yeah, he was out of bounds. They also missed a walk that led to the 3 that essentially iced the game
I won’t blame the refs, but i know ’Cuse had to be extra frustrated at those consecutive missed calls at that particular time. Gotta overcome it though. Gotta overcome it.
"you're the Rod Thorn in my Chris Bosh side."
by Chris Child's Fist on Mar 26, 2010 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions
no excuses for them losing it
but that absolutely killed our momentum and ensured that we wouldn’t get back. it sucks that you let something like that take over the game, but there were several times when ’cuse slowed down expecting a call that never came and Butler took advantage.
FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was going to post some quasi-intelligent analysis about AO, turnovers, jetlag, missed travels, missed illegal screens, bad breaks, etc. But I decided that I just needed to vent instead, so…
FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Orange(men)!
So I think I'll be playing basketball this Sunday.
Should I take it upon myself to avenge this loss in an open game at a public park in New Orleans against a bunch of Jewish guys? If my team wins and I score a bunch that would almost be like SU making it to the Elite Eight or Final Four right? Right?
Not gonna lie
I’m looking forward to seeing James South doing the stanky leg (is that what the kids say, “doing” the stanky leg?) a lot more next season. That kid seems like a hoot. Scoop and South show? Putting that out there…
Ooo yea that's hot.
Rick jack lookesd like he was throwing the game
I call bs.
When cuse was down two and about to score and he turned it over and made it a 5pt game. I lost my sh!t. !!!
Did someone get a new house in philly. :(
by therealmundy on Mar 26, 2010 11:57 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Ps. I will be mad to november. I will be mad till november. Mad till november.
( Can’t wait till cooney. ). Go cuse forever
by therealmundy on Mar 26, 2010 12:05 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Well, I can. I'm going to be upset for a while.
Since the moderator asked for grievances, here goes:
I’m mad at:
Howard Triche for not doing in 87 what Hakim Warrick did in 03.
Wes Johnson for not doing what Melo did in 03.
Jim Boeheim for not doing what he did in 03.
The list goes on and on and on.
They should have won this game, dammit! They were too afraid to lose.
Woulda, coulda, and definitely, shoulda.
ARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!
by TheOrangeVermonter on Mar 26, 2010 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m pretty sure Howard Triche has no more eleigibility available.
"Size matters. At least in basketball." - James Arthur Boeheim
by Bernie Fine is the Man on Mar 26, 2010 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Did you know
His nephew is on the current squad though?
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