The Glory Years of SU Hoops
I realized it in 2004, when I was reading about another stellar recruiting class brought in by Jim Boeheim. These are the glory years of Syracuse Basketball. And I've been spreading that message to every SU student and fan I meet, trying to keep a city that thinks the world is ending every time we lose from missing out on an era.
Who knows how long this will last? Boeheim is showing no sign of slowing down, but the man is in his 60s. He's also brilliantly consistent, no matter how strong or weak the conference gets. So if the Glory Years end on his watch, we might not notice it until a few years pass and recruiting and the program dips.
Winning the championship triggered this era, notching us up a level in prestige, and thus recruiting. The next year we made the sweet sixteen, with the marquee game being Gerry's 43-point performance in the first round.
Many called last year a failure. The Orange were the victims of the second worst first round upset in the tournament. But Hak won Big East player of the year honors and lead us to our first Big East Championship in 11 years. Yes, we fell well short of our potential in the NCAAs. But winning the Big East is a great achievement. I'd compare it to winning the Premiership but getting bounced in the first round of the Champions League. Looking back, it was a great year - an outstanding year, really. (Not to mention that Vermont was a team of destiny last year and would've beaten just about anyone that night.)
This year is almost the opposite of last year. We dubbed it a failure at the end of the regular season, writing off Gerry McNamara's Band. But the Glory Years of SU Hoops are, happily, far from over. Another Big East Title, one of the greatest ever. And a chance to do some damage in the bracket. We're playing with a free pass, now. Who knows what else this installment of the Glory Years will bring?
And next year...if you haven't heard of Paul Harris, well, remember his name. He's the most highly touted Freshman we've got since a kid named Carmelo Anthony came to town.
Who knows how long this will last? Boeheim is showing no sign of slowing down, but the man is in his 60s. He's also brilliantly consistent, no matter how strong or weak the conference gets. So if the Glory Years end on his watch, we might not notice it until a few years pass and recruiting and the program dips.
Winning the championship triggered this era, notching us up a level in prestige, and thus recruiting. The next year we made the sweet sixteen, with the marquee game being Gerry's 43-point performance in the first round.
Many called last year a failure. The Orange were the victims of the second worst first round upset in the tournament. But Hak won Big East player of the year honors and lead us to our first Big East Championship in 11 years. Yes, we fell well short of our potential in the NCAAs. But winning the Big East is a great achievement. I'd compare it to winning the Premiership but getting bounced in the first round of the Champions League. Looking back, it was a great year - an outstanding year, really. (Not to mention that Vermont was a team of destiny last year and would've beaten just about anyone that night.)
This year is almost the opposite of last year. We dubbed it a failure at the end of the regular season, writing off Gerry McNamara's Band. But the Glory Years of SU Hoops are, happily, far from over. Another Big East Title, one of the greatest ever. And a chance to do some damage in the bracket. We're playing with a free pass, now. Who knows what else this installment of the Glory Years will bring?
And next year...if you haven't heard of Paul Harris, well, remember his name. He's the most highly touted Freshman we've got since a kid named Carmelo Anthony came to town.
posted by Prof. A at 4:45 PM
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