UConn/Cuse 12-05 at MSG

[Hoophound]

What game is this from? JC's face looks older but his hair is really dark.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

What game is this from? JC's face looks older but his hair is really dark.

Butler.

 

[Eskapeesto]

I can't wait to watch the first half.

"RED ALERT. BigErn is in the building! All hands man your battlestations!"

 

[August_West]

What game is this from? JC's face looks older but his hair is really dark.

I dunno I borrow those beauties from @tcf15 . I'm sure he knows

Looks like bigern has it

 

[champs99and04]

Looks like it is official that Richardson is staying in the draft.

I guess with Hamilton and Richardson both leaving, we'll call it a wash.

 

[BUHusky]

Looks like it is official that Richardson is staying in the draft.

I guess with Hamilton and Richardson both leaving, we'll call it a wash.

I mentioned it is the DHam thread a few weeks back...UConn has been lucky over the years in that they don't tend to have players who seemingly aren't ready leave early. Obviously DHam did it this year, but it doesn't seem to happen very often at UConn.

Cuse on the other hand seems to have it happen to them every year. Just off the top of my head, Ennis, McCullough, and now Richardson. It's quite amusing.

 

[champs99and04]

I mentioned it is the DHam thread a few weeks back...UConn has been lucky over the years in that they don't tend to have players who seemingly aren't ready leave early. Obviously DHam did it this year, but it doesn't seem to happen very often at UConn.

Cuse on the other hand seems to have it happen to them every year. Just off the top of my head, Ennis, McCullough, and now Richardson. It's quite amusing.

No doubt. You can add Jerami Grant to the list.

 

[EastCoast2]

I mentioned it is the DHam thread a few weeks back...UConn has been lucky over the years in that they don't tend to have players who seemingly aren't ready leave early. Obviously DHam did it this year, but it doesn't seem to happen very often at UConn.

Cuse on the other hand seems to have it happen to them every year. Just off the top of my head, Ennis, McCullough, and now Richardson. It's quite amusing.

No doubt. You can add Jerami Grant to the list.

Not sure how being drafted in the 1st round makes you unready for the NBA. if you're a first rounder, you go. Ennis and Grant have had relatively successful 2 year careers so far, while McCullough came back from a torn knee with about 2 weeks left in the season.

Syracuse seems to be snake-bitten by early entries the past several years, sure, but has 9 first rounders the past 9 years.

 

[BUHusky]

Not sure how being drafted in the 1st round makes you unready for the NBA. if you're a first rounder, you go. Ennis and Grant have had relatively successful 2 year careers so far, while McCullough came back from a torn knee with about 2 weeks left in the season.

Syracuse seems to be snake-bitten by early entries the past several years, sure, but has 9 first rounders the past 9 years.

I don't necessarily disagree about leaving if you're a guaranteed 1st rounder. That said, it was your own coach Boeheim who told those guys they weren't ready and advised them to come back to school. You can interpret that however you want...

 

[Tenspro2002]

I mentioned it is the DHam thread a few weeks back...UConn has been lucky over the years in that they don't tend to have players who seemingly aren't ready leave early. Obviously DHam did it this year, but it doesn't seem to happen very often at UConn.

Strongly agreed. Our program has built itself, historically, on the strength of early-entrant talent that stayed for 3 years: Donyell, Ray, Rip, Ben, Emeka, Boone, Williams, Thabeet, Kemba. Many of these guys had the opportunity to leave even earlier, but came back to school, accomplished more with their teams, and improved their draft position. One of JC's underrated strengths was his ability to convey to his guys when it was time to leave and when it wasn't, and to get them to buy in.

Daniels and, especially, Hamilton are the only 2 I can think of where they left too early and with more to accomplish. To KO's credit, during his tenure he was able to retain Shabazz and Boat, when both could have left early. Obviously that was critical for NC #4.

 

[champs99and04]

Not sure how being drafted in the 1st round makes you unready for the NBA. if you're a first rounder, you go. Ennis and Grant have had relatively successful 2 year careers so far, while McCullough came back from a torn knee with about 2 weeks left in the season.

Syracuse seems to be snake-bitten by early entries the past several years, sure, but has 9 first rounders the past 9 years.

Grant was a second rounder, no? I think you're maybe being a bit generous characterizing Ennis' first two seasons as successful - I'll never fault a kid for leaving school for a first round check, but he was a kid who, developmentally, needed another year in college and whose game never really screamed NBA.

Add McCullough to the list - who went 29th overall - and it's clear that Syracuse hasn't had a ton of luck in getting these borderline guys to return to school (though you did seem to have C.J. Fair for 18 years).

 

[BUHusky]

Strongly agreed. Our program has built itself, historically, on the strength of early-entrant talent that stayed for 3 years: Donyell, Ray, Rip, Ben, Emeka, Boone, Williams, Thabeet, Kemba. Many of these guys had the opportunity to leave even earlier, but came back to school, accomplished more with their teams, and improved their draft position. One of JC's underrated strengths was his ability to convey to his guys when it was time to leave and when it wasn't, and to get them to buy in.

Daniels and, especially, Hamilton are the only 2 I can think of where they left too early and with more to accomplish. To KO's credit, during his tenure he was able to retain Shabazz and Boat, when both could have left early. Obviously that was critical for NC #4.

Disagree about DeAndre. He was coming off a great post-season run in which he was a key piece to winning a championship, so I'm not sure his stock would have ever been any higher. You also have to remember he was very up and down over this 3 years in college. To assume he would have been dominant his senior year doesn't exactly align with the data.

He struck while the iron was hot. Also, he would have been 23 by the end of his senior season. Can't fault him for leaving when he did.

 

[EastCoast2]

Grant was a second rounder, no? I think you're maybe being a bit generous characterizing Ennis' first two seasons as successful - I'll never fault a kid for leaving school for a first round check, but he was a kid who, developmentally, needed another year in college and whose game never really screamed NBA.

Add McCullough to the list - who went 29th overall - and it's clear that Syracuse hasn't had a ton of luck in getting these borderline guys to return to school (though you did seem to have C.J. Fair for 18 years).

Yup Grant went #39 overall - but almost everybody advised him against leaving after his sophomore year, saying he wasn't ready, and he's averaged almost 10 ppg* and 5 rpg*, I have to put an asterisk because he's on the Sixers. Regardless, he's playing his way to a second contract, which is what really matters.

CJ Fair, I always knew he'd never make it in the NBA. Definition of a tweener. Too slow to play the 3, too small to play the 4. Hell of a college player though (2nd team all-American), and improved every year at SU.