Defense in 10-11

[copious1218]

On paper, there probably won't be a single person that predicts MU to finish ahead of Syracuse.  So from day one we have an uphill climb.

Standings aren't determined by predictions.  We don't have an uphill climb because we are predicted to finish lower.

[Dawson Rental]

I hope you weren't one of those who was worried over the possibility of a 8/9 seed in the tournament.  Based on your statement, you undoubtedly think a Sweet 16 appearance where we skirted the #1 team in that first weekend is somehow tainted because we played easier opponents.
  

I wasn't one of those who was worried over the possibility of a 8/9 seed.  If the breaks go our way by luck (or by NCAA subterfuge ala Duke), I'm fine.  It's the hand wringing over how MU will never be good enough to win the Big East unless other teams in the conference don't get top recruits that bothers me.  Boeheim has been at Syracuse for what -- 35 years --, and he has a history of successful recruiting, so that's not likely to change soon.  When MU beats Syracuse its share of the time, its not (I hope!) gonna be because Syracuse suddenly can't get the recruits, it'll be because MU will have recruited a team that with Buzz's coaching can beat them.  Which will only happen because those type of recruits want to play and beat the best which means they want MU to be in a conference with 800 pound gorillas like Syracuse, Villanova and (until recently) Connecticut.

On the Syracuse board, where the fans expect a winning team, they are not wringing their hands over whether MU gets Luke Cothron or not.  If we do, they'll be excited to know that their next four years (or however long Cothron stays) worth of games with MU will be much more exciting before they win (as they'll assume they will).

[HoopsMalone]

This twerp is really getting me p*ssed off too!  Over on the Knight to Kentucky thread, he and HoopsMalone are trying to figure out how we can make the Big East less competitive, so poor little MU will have some hope of winning it some day.

I appreciate the view that making the Big East as talented as possible is more fun or is ultimately better for MU.  I just think it is talented enough already.  I don't think it is cowardly (we are fans, not players...) to be happy a top recruit chose to join Kentucky rather than add to an already stacked team. I am fine with the Big East and ACC being a toss up for the best conference.  I just don't think it is wrong to be happy about other teams loading up. 

I am actually happy Knight did not sign with Cuse so we have a better chance of beating them.  It's not like they are going to be a walk in the park.  They are still way better than we are right now.  If Kobe was rumored to be traded to Cleveland, I would be happy if he did not get traded there too.  It's not non-competitive, it's realistic.  The Big East is going to be tough no matter what. 

We have really struggled with Syracuse and the way they are coached and the talent they have means that we are going to be competing with them for the top spot.  We have some great talent coming in and a great coach, so I do want the best chance of winning a top conference. 

I think focusing on beating them when recruiting is a good thing.  That is why I think Colthron would be a nice pick up to put at the free throw line of the 2-3, among many other reasons (politics of pushing players out aside). 

I think our return to great shooting with DJO, Acker, Cubillan, and Lazar this year made the road game winnable for us this year.  The Three Amigo era was a tough matchup for us with Syracuse because of their size and MU's streaking shooting at times, with the only real close game coming when DJ was hurt and Flynn and McNeal had a shootout ultimately won by Flynn.  I think the Diener/Novak era team would have been a better matchup.  Hopefully we can get them at the BC this year and take of business.

[Dawson Rental]

I appreciate the view that making the Big East as talented as possible is more fun or is ultimately better for MU.  I just think it is talented enough already.  I don't think it is cowardly (we are fans, not players...) to be happy a top recruit chose to join Kentucky rather than add to an already stacked team. I am fine with the Big East and ACC being a toss up for the best conference.  I just don't think it is wrong to be happy about other teams loading up. 

I am actually happy Knight did not sign with Cuse so we have a better chance of beating them.  It's not like they are going to be a walk in the park.  They are still way better than we are right now.  If Kobe was rumored to be traded to Cleveland, I would be happy if he did not get traded there too.  It's not non-competitive, it's realistic.  The Big East is going to be tough no matter what. 

We have really struggled with Syracuse and the way they are coached and the talent they have means that we are going to be competing with them for the top spot.  We have some great talent coming in and a great coach, so I do want the best chance of winning a top conference. 

I think focusing on beating them when recruiting is a good thing.  That is why I think Colthron would be a nice pick up to put at the free throw line of the 2-3, among many other reasons (politics of pushing players out aside). 

I think our return to great shooting with DJO, Acker, Cubillan, and Lazar this year made the road game winnable for us this year.  The Three Amigo era was a tough matchup for us with Syracuse because of their size and MU's streaking shooting at times, with the only real close game coming when DJ was hurt and Flynn and McNeal had a shootout ultimately won by Flynn.  I think the Diener/Novak era team would have been a better matchup.  Hopefully we can get them at the BC this year and take of business.

Alrighty then, let's orange crush these dudes at the Bradley!

[Marquette84]

I wasn't one of those who was worried over the possibility of a 8/9 seed.  If the breaks go our way by luck (or by NCAA subterfuge ala Duke), I'm fine.  It's the hand wringing over how MU will never be good enough to win the Big East unless other teams in the conference don't get top recruits that bothers me.  Boeheim has been at Syracuse for what -- 35 years --, and he has a history of successful recruiting, so that's not likely to change soon.  When MU beats Syracuse its share of the time, its not (I hope!) gonna be because Syracuse suddenly can't get the recruits, it'll be because MU will have recruited a team that with Buzz's coaching can beat them.  Which will only happen because those type of recruits want to play and beat the best which means they want MU to be in a conference with 800 pound gorillas like Syracuse, Villanova and (until recently) Connecticut.

On the Syracuse board, where the fans expect a winning team, they are not wringing their hands over whether MU gets Luke Cothron or not.  If we do, they'll be excited to know that their next four years (or however long Cothron stays) worth of games with MU will be much more exciting before they win (as they'll assume they will).

I think you're glossing over the fact that the most important factor of success is recruiting.

Syracuse isn't good because Jim Boeheim has fine tuned his coaching skills over 35 years--they're good because he learned early on he had to land outstanding talent.  What did he do his first season?  He recruits Louis Orr and makes it to the NCAA tournament.  

Mike Deane thought he could get by with sub-par recruiting but better than average coaching.  He couldn't, as he proved at Lamar and Wagner.  Did well with O'neill's recruits, but little success since.  And even a lousy coach like Pat Kennedy can get by on talent--he brought DePaul back from 3-23 the year before he arrived, to the NCAA tournament in three seasons--entirely based on the quality of the talent he recruited.  When the talent stream dried up, so did PKs success.

Yes, there are examples of teams that do well and fly under the radar because of some unheralded recruit does well--MU with Wade, Butler last year, George Mason a few years back, perhaps even Syracuse this year with Wes Johnson.

But those are the exceptions--not the rule.  

In all likelihood, we aren't going to consistently surpass Syracuse (or Pitt, UL, UConn, or VU) until we consistently recruit better players than they do.  If they land the #3 player in the country, its going to be a lot tougher --if not impossible--for us to catch them unless we land a top 10 player of our own.  Since we don't have one this year, I hope Syracuse doesn't land one either.

[jsglow]

I actually kind of wonder if there might be a defensive specialist or two in next year's rotation.  Might EWill work his way into that?  Could Fulce?

The best thing about next year is that practice will be a full 5 on 5; with very good players for both the Blue and Gold team.  That's how Buzz will get them all better.  Bright future I say.