2024-25 NCAA Basketball Thread

[K1 Lover]

Anyone have thoughts on what has happened to our old conference foe Syracuse? They look like they could be 20 loss team? Is/was the Cuse a one coach wonder? 

I was wondering the same thing recently and decided to look at their message board. I came across this thread.

Pretty depressing stuff. Just makes me even more appreciative for where Marquette basketball is right now.

[WhiteTrash]

I was wondering the same thing recently and decided to look at their message board. I came across this thread.

Pretty depressing stuff. Just makes me even more appreciative for where Marquette basketball is right now.

Uhg! That is depressing.  You're right, give me great appreciation for what we have.

It will be interesting to see if they can turn it around.  From the way that thread reads, fans have moved past angry and are now apathetic. 

[DFW HOYA]

Anyone have thoughts on what has happened to our old conference foe Syracuse? They look like they could be 20 loss team? Is/was the Cuse a one coach wonder? 

Syracuse had a Final Four team under Roy Danforth, who quit to take a job at Tennessee, from which they elevated Jim Boeheim to head coach.

There is a thread on that board projecting Syracuse as falling into the trap that Georgetown did, where they stayed too long with the same family. While it's highly unlikely the Orangemen will be drawing 2 or 3,000 a game as is the case in DC, the Carrier Dome is going to look quite uncomfortable if this team is 2-10 in ACC play heading into February.

[TallTitan34]

I was wondering the same thing recently and decided to look at their message board. I came across this thread.

Pretty depressing stuff. Just makes me even more appreciative for where Marquette basketball is right now.

To quote a great man "F'ck 'em".

They, along with Pitt, blew up the old Big East. Sure, it would have eventually happened anyway but they are directly responsible for where they now are.

FAFO

[mileskishnish72]

To quote a great man "F'ck 'em".

They, along with Pitt, blew up the old Big East. Sure, it would have eventually happened anyway but they are directly responsible for where they now are.

FAFO

Agree firmly. For 'Cuse, that's a bit of the old TS.

[Hards Alumni]

To quote a great man "F'ck 'em".

They, along with Pitt, blew up the old Big East. Sure, it would have eventually happened anyway but they are directly responsible for where they now are.

FAFO

Yep, I'm sure they've been happy cashing their ACC checks for years.

Sucks to suck

[Uncle Rico]

Games of the Day brought to you by 2025-26 Marquette basketball, rudderless on the sea of mediocrity:

Arlington Baptist at Baylor, 6PM, ESPN+

Cleary at Duquesne, 6PM, ESPN+

[#UnleashSean]

Uhg! That is depressing.  You're right, give me great appreciation for what we have.

It will be interesting to see if they can turn it around.  From the way that thread reads, fans have moved past angry and are now apathetic. 

There were plenty of people around here that would have been elated if marquette grabbed a 7 seed two years in a row not to long ago.

[Its DJOver]

Larannaga was upset that he made the Final Four and had players leave...hmmm...kinda like you made the Final Four at George Mason and left, Jim?

Hypocritical.

Not exactly apples to apples when he stuck around for 5 more seasons and made 2 more tournaments.

[WhiteTrash]

Not exactly apples to apples when he stuck around for 5 more seasons and made 2 more tournaments.

Shhhhhh.

Stoopid facts.

[Uncle Rico]

Shhhhhh.

Stoopid facts.

Jim made $2.85 million in his last year at Miami.  His last salary at George Mason was just over $700,000.

Hate guys that leave a program for a better financial situation.

[Its DJOver]

Jim made $2.85 million in his last year at Miami.  His last salary at George Mason was just over $700,000.

Hate guys that leave a program for a better financial situation.

Even $ aside, I'm sure he had offers immediately following the FF that were similar pay bumps and he obviously didn't take them.

Every player from the FF team had the opportunity to graduate with him as their coach.  Every incoming Freshman that had committed to him the FF year had an opportunity to graduate with him as their coach.  Was he never supposed to consider another job?

If he had used his run to immediately jump to another job that he was ill-prepared for (looking at you Sha) I would understand the criticism.  If he were a career journeyman (Buzz, Musselman) I would understand the criticism. Neither of those apply here.

He was much more of a Brad Stevens situation where everyone knew he was destined for bigger and better things (obviously not to the level Stevens was) and people appreciated what they had while they had it. I doubt very many, if any people at George Mason have ill will towards him.

[The Sultan]

To quote a great man "F'ck 'em".

They, along with Pitt, blew up the old Big East. Sure, it would have eventually happened anyway but they are directly responsible for where they now are.

FAFO

I've long since moved past yearning for the old BE. This current version is just fine, and honestly the timing worked out perfectly.

Syracuse could definitely have a good basketball program. They have the resources. But they will need to cut bait on a bad coach relatively quickly.

[Uncle Rico]

Even $ aside, I'm sure he had offers immediately following the FF that were similar pay bumps and he obviously didn't take them.

Every player from the FF team had the opportunity to graduate with him as their coach.  Every incoming Freshman that had committed to him the FF year had an opportunity to graduate with him as their coach.  Was he never supposed to consider another job?

If he had used his run to immediately jump to another job that he was ill-prepared for (looking at you Sha) I would understand the criticism.  If he were a career journeyman (Buzz, Musselman) I would understand the criticism. Neither of those apply here.

He was much more of a Brad Stevens situation where everyone knew he was destined for bigger and better things (obviously not to the level Stevens was) and people appreciated what they had while they had it. I doubt very many, if any people at George Mason have ill will towards him.

White Trash doesn't like players having freedom of movement and doesn't think coaches changing jobs is a comp.

It is.  GoldenBummer's point about Larranaga misses the mark, though, that I agree with.

Coaches and players both have freedom of movement and both should maximize their earning value should they choose to.

Jim Larranaga is 75-years old.  He made a lot of money coaching.  I won't feel sorry for him because the landscape is different than it used to be and things went south after his Final 4 appearance. 

[The Sultan]

Yeah Larranaga spent 11 seasons at Bowling Green and 14 seasons at both George Mason and Miami. Really can't label him as a job-hopper.

Anyway, I still find it sad that these guys still can't find fulfillment outside of coaching.

[Its DJOver]

Coaches and players both have freedom of movement and both should maximize their earning value should they choose to.

You mean like every other person that works a job? That's to wild of a concept for me to believe.

[Uncle Rico]

You mean like every other person that works a job? That's to wild of a concept for me to believe.

For some people, it is.  They bemoan players having the freedom of movement and demand loyalty to ol' alma mater. 

[Shaka Shart]

For some people, it is.  They bemoan players having the freedom of movement and demand loyalty to ol' alma mater. 

Company loyalty for 99% of the population just means you are paid less

[Shaka Shart]

They ever figure out if the Florida coach was stalking coeds or nah

[The Sultan]

It will take months for them to complete the investigation and issue the ruling.

[WhiteTrash]

White Trash doesn't like players having freedom of movement and doesn't think coaches changing jobs is a comp.

Players have been able to transfer longer than I have followed college sports. If I didn't like it I wouldn't watch.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I don't want to start or be involved in a "discussion" of who is to blame, but college sports is in a bad spot due to lack of or clarity on rules. The sports are going through a major disruption and especially if you are older and don't need to work, I understand guys stepping away. It does not make them quitters or cry babies.
Are people who bust their ass for 30+ years to provide for their families and decide to hang it up if their commute doubles or they are asked to re-train on cutting edge technology or report to a new boss due to an acquisition quitters?
Maybe people are jealous that some people have the ability to say "f--- it!".

I understand what you are getting at but this is a really bad analogy.

First, high major basketball coaches are not "busting their ass to provide for their families" in the way you are implying. They are "busting their ass to provide a third vacation home in Cabo and generational wealth to their families". Next, the guys who bust their ass for 30 years are not telling multiple media outlets how hard they had it on their way out, if they did, they likely would be called quitters and whiners by some.

But the most important difference is that the guy busting his ass for 30 years is being asked to take on more work for the benefit of the company. High major coaches are being asked to take on more work for the benefit of their "employees". The more appropriate analogy is a CEO quitting after a lawsuit or a new regulation requires them to pay their workers a fairer wage making their job more difficult in the process. If that CEO then whined to multiple news outlets that their job was so much more difficult now that he had to pay his employees a fairer wage, then they would absolutely get dunked on by the same people who are labeling coaches quitters/whiners.

People don't begrudge coaches leaving because their jobs are now harder. They begrudge them because some choose to make statements on their way out that seem to indicate that they feel their convenience is more important than the players finally having an opportunity to make what they are actually worth. 

[Uncle Rico]

Games of the Day brought to you by the NY Post, News for Idiots:

Alice Lloyd at Morehead St., 11AM, ESPN+

Columbia International at Charleston Southern, Noon, ESPN+

Spartanburg Methodist at UNCW, 1PM, FloC

Kentucky Christian at Wofford, 1PM, ESPN+

Blackburn at Eastern Illinois, 2PM, ESPN+

Webber at South Florida, 2PM, ESPN+

Dallas at Sam Houston St., 2:30PM, ESPN+

Virginia Wesleyan at Old Dominion, 3PM, ESPN+

Nobel at Cal-State Fullerton, 4PM, ESPN+

Southwestern Christian at Tulsa, 4PM, ESPN+

Cal-Maritime at UC-Davis, 6PM, ESPN+

Westcliff at UCSB, 6PM, ESPN+

William Woods at St. Louis, 7PM, ESPN+

Mt. Marty at Nebraska-Omaha, 7:05PM, ESPN+

Northern New Mexico at UTEP, 8PM, ESPN+

[The Sultan]

I understand what you are getting at but this is a really bad analogy.

First, high major basketball coaches are not "busting their ass to provide for their families" in the way you are implying. They are "busting their ass to provide a third vacation home in Cabo and generational wealth to their families". Next, the guys who bust their ass for 30 years are not telling multiple media outlets how hard they had it on their way out, if they did, they likely would be called quitters and whiners by some.

But the most important difference is that the guy busting his ass for 30 years is being asked to take on more work for the benefit of the company. High major coaches are being asked to take on more work for the benefit of their "employees". The more appropriate analogy is a CEO quitting after a lawsuit or a new regulation requires them to pay their workers a fairer wage making their job more difficult in the process. If that CEO then whined to multiple news outlets that their job was so much more difficult now that he had to pay his employees a fairer wage, then they would absolutely get dunked on by the same people who are labeling coaches quitters/whiners.

People don't begrudge coaches leaving because their jobs are now harder. They begrudge them because some choose to make statements on their way out that seem to indicate that they feel their convenience is more important than the players finally having an opportunity to make what they are actually worth. 

I would like this post a million times if I could.

No one is sympathetic when people who are making millions, and often 70+ years old, complain about how much harder their job is. There are plenty who will take your place.

[Uncle Rico]

I would like this post a million times if I could.

No one is sympathetic when people who are making millions, and often 70+ years old, complain about how much harder their job is. There are plenty who will take your place.

Why won't people think of the incredible hardships of these millionaires?