Thoughts on Cuse?

[CatsTopPac]

I don't know guys, Cuse hasn't won a game by more than a possession since Feb 9th, at home against Clemson. They are 3-4 since then, and they still aren't out of the woods yet. They still have to go to Tallahassee on Sunday. And then what will their seeding be for the ACC tourney? They might very well have to play UNC or Duke in their own back yard, not to mention having to play UVA or Pitt. I have to believe that they lose another game before Selection Sunday. So unless it's in the ACC Championship, that will be 5 losses in less than 10 games. With a SOS of 50, can they even be a top 3 or 4 seed? I just think that we are seeing some of the real SU. They were living on some luck, and it's a tough way to get by. I kept saying that they will have some trouble at the end of the season when they have to play in hostile environments against good teams. Maybe the BC and GY games are byproducts of some real hits to their confidence. I just don't see them as having looked really convincing as a top ten team (other than playing Duke) since sometime in early January. And that's just not good to say heading into their last game of the season.

 

[kramer1]

Sweet 16 tops. Of course, I'm saying this about every team except for like 5.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

http://www.sportshoopla.com/forums/college-basketball-forum-message-board-general-discussion/140682-bold-predictions.html

 

[CatsTopPac]

Sweet 16 tops. Of course, I'm saying this about every team except for like 5.

Hahaha, find 3 more, and you're in the neighborhood! I tend to agree, give or take. I just really don't like their chances of playing in a Sweet 16 game that isn't in NY. And even if it is, they are not playing very inspired basketball lately. I feel like the writing has been on the wall with these guys though. Plus, how is Ennis going to play in a game like that. I tend to think he'll be fine, but you never know. It's March.

 

[dcZONAfan]

Here are the teams that are, at the moment, playing like they could win it all

1A and 1B Florida and Arizona
2 Wichita St
3 Wisconsin
4 UVA

 

[CatsTopPac]

Here are the teams that are, at the moment, playing like they could win it all

1A and 1B Florida and Arizona
2 Wichita St
3 Wisconsin
4 UVA

I am still definitely not sold on WSU. Still looking like this year's Gonzaga to me.

 

[dcZONAfan]

I am still definitely not sold on WSU. Still looking like this year's Gonzaga to me.

They are much better than last year. Based on that alone, why would you count them out?

 

[CatsTopPac]

They are much better than last year. Based on that alone, why would you count them out?

Because Last year they had a pretty easy road. They beat a meh Pitt team, a weak Gonzaga team, a weak La Salle team, and then I think that their win against OSU was a combination of getting over looked, and OSU having a hangover from that last second shot to beat AZ. I think that 'Ville overlooked them too. No disrespect to them getting to the FF. They made it, so props to them. But I just don't think they were one of the 4, or even 8 best teams last year. If they had to play two top 15 teams to get to the FF last year, I think they would have gotten beaten.

But no one will be overlooking them this year. And I think that good teams will be extremely hungry to hand them their first and last loss of the year. I also think that they haven't played 2 top 25 teams all year, so I am not convinced that they can beat two in one weekend (also considering that they haven't played a top 50 team since December). And that game was against Tenn at home. Other than that, they played StL on Dec 1st. That's a long time, and a lot of weak opponents in between.

I also think that there will be a ridiculous amount of pressure on a little team from Wichita, who last year was playing on house money. I think that they will probably beat the 8/9 team, but the Sweet 16 team (4/5 unless they get upset) will punch them in the mouth. There is a slim chance to me that they win that game, but I would just be floored if they went to the FF. I just don't see them being able to beat two top 15 teams in 3 days when they have only played one all year.

 

[MI Nightmare]

If you think 2013-14 Syracuse is better than 2012-13 Syracuse then yes, this Cuse team has national championship capability. Speaking of that 2013 team if you want to rewatch some, or all, of a great game from last season check out Syracuse @ Louisville....and then remember, both teams lost a handful of games in Jan/Feb but did fairly well in the Big Dance.

 

[dcZONAfan]

Because Last year they had a pretty easy road. They beat a meh Pitt team, a weak Gonzaga team, a weak La Salle team, and then I think that their win against OSU was a combination of getting over looked, and OSU having a hangover from that last second shot to beat AZ. I think that 'Ville overlooked them too. No disrespect to them getting to the FF. They made it, so props to them. But I just don't think they were one of the 4, or even 8 best teams last year. If they had to play two top 15 teams to get to the FF last year, I think they would have gotten beaten.

But no one will be overlooking them this year. And I think that good teams will be extremely hungry to hand them their first and last loss of the year. I also think that they haven't played 2 top 25 teams all year, so I am not convinced that they can beat two in one weekend (also considering that they haven't played a top 50 team since December). And that game was against Tenn at home. Other than that, they played StL on Dec 1st. That's a long time, and a lot of weak opponents in between.

I also think that there will be a ridiculous amount of pressure on a little team from Wichita, who last year was playing on house money. I think that they will probably beat the 8/9 team, but the Sweet 16 team (4/5 unless they get upset) will punch them in the mouth. There is a slim chance to me that they win that game, but I would just be floored if they went to the FF. I just don't see them being able to beat two top 15 teams in 3 days when they have only played one all year.

Right now St. Louis is a 4 seed. UCLA is a 5, so is Oklahoma. SDSU is a 4 seed.

You are telling me WSU is likely to lose to any of those teams? I think they beat them. Hell right now MSU is a 4 seed and with the way they are playing WSU could definitely beat them.

I think you are overrating the depth in this year's tournament. There are a LOT of mediocre teams right now. Do you really think that Creighton, as a 3 seed (at the moment, probably 4 now that they got crunched by Gtown), is better than WSU? Because I think that is NUTS

 

[dcZONAfan]

If you think 2013-14 Syracuse is better than 2012-13 Syracuse then yes, this Cuse team has national championship capability. Speaking of that 2013 team if you want to rewatch some, or all, of a great game from last season check out Syracuse @ Louisville....and then remember, both teams lost a handful of games in Jan/Feb but did fairly well in the Big Dance.

I've said it for a while, there's not a chance this 'Cuse team is better than last year's team. I am not entirely sure, but I think I said it when they were still undefeated. Jonvi, do you remember?

 

[pumpkinhead33793]

Here are the teams that are, at the moment, playing like they could win it all

1A and 1B Florida and Arizona
2 Wichita St
3 Wisconsin
4 UVA

I am gonna have to disagree with Wisconsin. I just think they are too inconsistent offensively. They can beat any team in the country but they can also lose to any team in the country on any given night. I just think in a single elimination tournament, there will be a 50-47 type game that they eventually lose.

 

[CatsTopPac]

If you think 2013-14 Syracuse is better than 2012-13 Syracuse then yes, this Cuse team has national championship capability. Speaking of that 2013 team if you want to rewatch some, or all, of a great game from last season check out Syracuse @ Louisville....and then remember, both teams lost a handful of games in Jan/Feb but did fairly well in the Big Dance.

I don't think that this year's Cuse team is as good as last year's team. Last year, Cuse's losses at the end of the season were to #11 GTown, @#22 Marq (by 3), #10 'Ville, @#5 GTown, and #4 Ville. Those are much better losses than they have this year as of late. They also beat the teams they were supposed to (including #17 Pitt and #5 GTown in the BE tourney.

Last year's team didn't lose to two teams with losing records, and squeak by two other mediocre teams to sandwich losing 4 out of 5 games. This year's team has yet to beat a top 25 team on the road. And strictly speaking, their best true road win (other than the miracle shot against Pitt, and again, not counting playing the MSG as a road game), was their two point win @ RPI #75 MD.

That doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy that they can win a March style game with thousands of hostile fans, against a tourney team. Their good neutral wins were all in front of 2,500 (mostly Cuse fans) in Maui. That doesn't replicate March to me.

They just haven't shown me that they can win those kinds of games.

 

[dcZONAfan]

I am gonna have to disagree with Wisconsin. I just think they are too inconsistent offensively. They can beat any team in the country but they can also lose to any team in the country on any given night. I just think in a single elimination tournament, there will be a 50-47 type game that they eventually lose.

fair enough. I guess maybe I am overcompensating for all the shit I talked about wisconsin when they went on their losing streak, because I was obviously wrong about them being bad. But their current streak is very impressive, and the main reason I give them this type of credit is the win @ Michigan. If you want to talk about statement wins, that is a serious one. Going into Crisler and winning convincingly is about as impressive as it gets.

Do I think Wisconsin can beat Arizona or Florida? Nope, I think those are absolutely AWFUL matchups for them. But do I think, if both those teams get upset (this is March Madness, that could absolutely happen), can Wisconsin win it all? Absolutely, since the only other great defensive team (UVA - I won't count Louisville or WSU because of their awful schedule) already lost to Wisconsin and, while those teams are clearly very different now than they were then, that's the type of confidence a team like wisconsin could use to beat a good defensive team.

 

[Malibu]

They dont shoot the ball well at all. 253rd in the country in points per game. 173rd in rebounding. 222nd in assists which means no easy shots and to much one on one and 187th in fg%. Those are the issues with this team but there defense tournament time will be tough to deal with. Noone should count this team out of making a run in the big dance.

 

[rmilia1]

Things have a tendency to end up where they belong. Cuses 25-0 start probably should have had 3-4 losses at a minimum so 26-4 is really still a game or 2 ahead of where they should be. Metrics had cuse as about the 12-14th best team coming into february and thats about where they belong.

 

[jonvi]

From Smoking hot to ice cold. I went from dating Bo Derek to Bo Diddley. That's ok....they got game. But it's apparent SU has to get Grant and Keita back to 100% for them to regain their form. If those two don't get healthy, it's not looking good for the home team.

Earlier in the season SU fans were screaming for Coach JB to play Roberson and Gbiniji more and he didn't. And last night...IMO....it became apparent why he didn't play either much. They just are not that good.....yet. Both show good signs, but both disappear for long stretches. Gbiniji has seen plenty of minutes and by now Roberson has seen enough to know what to do...and neither got it done last night.

Over the last week, SU fans wanted Grant sat till he is healed. You got that, now don't complain about the loss. With that comes Roberson and Gbiniji...combined playing 44 minutes, netting 5 points, 2 assist, 5 boards and 2 blocks between the two of them. That's why the Coach plays them sparingly. They haven't caught up with the game.

Down Grant, a wounded Keita, two newbs neither stepping up, this is the product you get. That said.....

The Good:

Fair put up 28 points and 8 boards.
Christmas got 10 boards in 28 Minutes.
Ennis ended with 18 points and 7 assist.

I liked the effort. They never gave up...and almost took it to OT.

Last thought...Cooney has to keep shooting. 3 - 12 last night. But you have to have him keep shooting. Shooters eventually find their stroke. Add in a healthy Keita and Grant with Fair, Christmas and Ennis.

Cuse does a 180. It's coming.

 

[Cincyfan78]

They dont shoot the ball well at all. 253rd in the country in points per game. 173rd in rebounding. 222nd in assists which means no easy shots and to much one on one and 187th in fg%. Those are the issues with this team but there defense tournament time will be tough to deal with. Noone should count this team out of making a run in the big dance.

'Cuse reminds me of a slightly better on offense Cincinnati. Defense, rebound, drag the other team down so that their offense at least gives them a chance. 'Cuse has more reliable options on offense, but I'm not so sure these two teams are extremely different.

 

[gpm1976]

Cuse fans, I think I was wrong.. it may be time to hit the panic button. The low post game seems to be gone and the shooting isn't picking up the slack.

 

[jonvi]

Cuse fans, I think I was wrong.. it may be time to hit the panic button. The low post game seems to be gone and the shooting isn't picking up the slack.

Not much is needed for Cuse fans to hit the panic button. Many Cuse have been hitting the panic button for some time now.

I like it when the bus gets empty. I get great mileage.