Life After Fair, Ennis, and Grant: What's on the Syracuse Basketball Horizon?

The early departures of Tyler Ennis and Jerami Grant have some fans on edge.

This has already been a tough offseason for Syracuse Basketball fans.  After Tyler Ennis announced his decision to leave for the NBA a few weeks ago, Jerami Grant has now decided to do the same.  Oh yeah, and UConn won it all... better than Kentucky maybe, but nonetheless pretty painful to watch.

At one point it seemed like there was so much potential for this Syracuse team, which as we all know makes the let down so much harder.  For the cynics who deny ever having high hopes for this team, I bring you back to Pittsburgh when we were all convinced that this might be a team of destiny:

Given the early departures, it's easy to understand why some might be low on 'Cuse hoops right now. However, we need to understand that this is simply the nature of college basketball.  Players come and they go, but what remains is the program that they have helped build.  Syracuse basketball isn't going anywhere, and fans should keep this in the front of their minds.  That being said, we are losing a lot of talent and next year really could be a crapshoot.  Here's an evaluation on both sides of the spectrum:

Why We Should Be Worried

-Fair, Ennis, Grant, Keita are all gone.  This is the obvious one.  With Ennis and Grant leaving early for the NBA, next year's roster is pretty much depleted in terms of established players.  We lose three out of our top four scorers, and over 62% of our total scoring.  We're left with question marks at pretty much every single position.

-Lack of proven players.  At point guard, we are totally dependent on an incoming freshman to come in and take over once again.  At forward, Tyler Roberson and incoming freshman Chris McCullough to be steady contributors offensively if this team is going to make the NCAA Tournament.  This is a big ask seeing as how neither of them have ever played relevant minutes at this level.  At center, Rakeem Christmas and DaJuan Coleman will have to hold down the paint.  In my eyes, this is another huge question mark, and the ceiling for scoring from this position is incredibly low.

Cooney struggled to find his shot
in the second half of the season.

-Trevor Cooney? Cooney started this year on fire, and things were looking up for the "sharp-shooting" sophomore.  Then things pretty much tanked.  Trevor was shooting just 19% from 3-pt land during The Orange's 2-5 skid to end the regular season.  I firmly believe this was significantly undervalued as a reason for the team's struggles.  So for next season, Cooney is probably Syracuse's most established player, which is a little bit frightening.  If he can't find some sort of consistency, next year could be a season from Hell.

Why We'll Be Fine

-Kaleb Joseph is impressing a lot of people recently.  It's a shame that Tyler Ennis set the bar so high, because it's not realistic to expect that out of a freshman point guard.  Regardless, the Kaleb Joseph hype is growing, and for good

reason.  Joseph just led Cushing High School to their second consecutive league championship with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals in the title game.  It also seems like the young point guard has the intangibles.  Michael Hart, high school coach of Michael Carter-Williams, had this to say about Joseph:

"First of all, he's a winner. We had three years of battles with them, all of which were awesome. This year, in the semifinals, we had a four-point lead with 40 seconds left and Kaleb hit a three, then made a steal on one of our guys."

Kaleb Joseph might have the talent to come in as a freshman and lead this team to success. I guess we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, we can all drool over this video:

                                              

-Chris McCullough is an elite recruit. Ranked 24th on ESPN's top 100 for the Class of 2014, many argue McCullough is one of the best recruits Syracuse has hauled since 'Melo. The Insider scouting report has this to say about the 6'10 power forward:

"McCullough is a very long and athletic forward with obvious upside. He runs the court with long fluid strides, gets off his feet quickly, and gets his head on the rim. He is equally mobile laterally and is consequently a potentially versatile defender down the road while also a dangerous weakside shot-blocker."

If McCullough can come in and produce as a freshman, Syracuse won't be missing Jerami Grant quite as much.

 

-Class of 2015. I think we've gotten a little greedy with our expectations lately. It seems like every year in recent memory, Syracuse has been a national title contender. For the first time in a while, we might be on the brink of a "rebuilding year," which really isn't the end of the world. Especially with the recruits we have coming in 2015.

Malachi Richardson leads a talented Class of 2015

A few days ago, Franklin Howard gave his verbal commitment to Syracuse, joining Malachi Richardson and Tyler Lydon in the Class of 2015. Howard is an athletic shooting guard who stands at 6'4, with great slashing ability that compliments his shot. Lydon is 6'8 power forward that stretches the defense with his ability to shoot the ball.

There's a chance Howard will see limited minutes as a freshman, not because he's not good enough, but because Malachi Richardson is the real deal. The 6'6 (allegedly) shooting guard is ranked 10th in ESPN's top 60 for his class, and scouts have raved about his stroke. ESPN.com scouts had this to say:

"He's established that he's a big guard who strokes threes with range but also handles efficiently, can make plays with the ball in his hands and makes good decisions with the ball. Richardson is a true shooting guard that can shoot the ball with deep range."

As a freshman, Richardson helped Roselle Catholic win a state title alongside current Syracuse freshman Tyler Roberson. These two could be a lethal combination when they're reunited in 2015.

While these three recruits are plenty to be excited about, the Class of 2015 might not end there. According to ESPN, Syracuse still has 5 stellar recruits who are listed as "considering." All of them are ranked in the top 30 for their class, including two in the top 15:

It's not really Syracuse's style, but landing any of these recruits would result in a Calipari-esque recruiting class.  I'm definitely not complaining.  

While the upcoming season could possibly be an epic disaster, there's also the chance of overachievement on the backs of our rookies.  Even if it doesn't work out, 2015 will bring bigger and better things to Syracuse.  I'm definitely not worrying about the future, and neither should you.

Have yourselves a prime offseason, 'Cuse fans. 

Round of 32: Syracuse vs. Dayton Preview

Ohio State transfer Jordan Sibert is
coming off of a huge win against his former team.  

I think we're all feeling a little bit better after Thursday's domination of Western Michigan...and I think we're feeling that much better because the Dayton Flyers knocked off Aaron Craft and Ohio State in the round of 64.

While yes, I would have loved nothing more than to avenge the 2012 Elite 8 loss to Jared Sullinger and the Buckeyes in the midst of the Fab Melo saga, but at the same time I'm more concerned with making it to the second weekend.  That being said, Dayton can flat out play, and Syracuse should not take them lightly.

Dayton's biggest strength is absolutely their depth.  They're technically 11 guys deep and no one on their team averages over 30 minutes per game.  They have four guys that shoot above 39% from three and that is just the beginning of their balanced scoring attack.

Devin Oliver is probably their best player, although Dayton lacks a star who can really take over the game.  Oliver is a balanced player who leads the Flyers in five statistical categories.  He's definitely the most consistent player on Dayton.

Next is 6-4 guard Jordan Sibert who can be an X-factor in this game for Dayton.  He shoots 43% from behind the arc which could cause problems for the Orange.  Vee Sanford is another key contributor off the bench, but once again I emphasize this is a very balanced scoring attack.

While Syracuse has been used to teams trying to slow it down against them, i.e. Villanova and Virginia, Dayton is a team that loves to run up and down. They will try and push the ball as much as possible and they're game is really up tempo.

Dayton is a physical team that knows
how to box out.

 On defense Dayton is a hard-nosed rebounding team and it can be tough to score inside because of their physicality and length.  However, their opponents shoot free throws on almost 44% of their field goal attempts so Syracuse is going to have to make free throws if they want to move on to the second weekend.

All in all I think this has the potential to be a great game.  Dayton likes to get after it on offense and bang around on defense.  I think this matchup is a good test for Syracuse and it's good for them to see a team like this before playing Kansas.  IMO, Syracuse will take this one 79-74.

South Region Breakdown

South Region of the
2014 NCAA Tournament

'Cuse got a 3 seed.  I'm actually kind of happy about that.  I was envisioning a 4-5 with the way we came into this tournament.  So that 3 seed means that Syracuse draws the 14th-seeded Broncos of Western Michigan.  So knowing what we know about Syracuse's current play let's take a look at the South Regional bracket and look at the odds that 'Cuse has to get out of it.

Best First (I still refuse to call it Second) Round Matchups

Pitt is a team that can ruin some
brackets if they get on a run

There are two games that peak my interest in the South bracket.  The first of which is the 8-9 matchup between #9 Pittsburgh and #8 Colorado.  Colorado is a team that has some good wins.  Some wins that jump off the page, and one that really peaks the interest is 3 point win over then #6 Kansas.  The major problem is that the Buffs lost their best player.  Spencer Dinwiddle went down January 12 with a season ending knee injury.  Most of Colorado's major wins came before that event and the Buffs are still trying to figure out who they are without Dinwiddle.  Then there is Pittsburgh.  1st I just want to reiterate my hate for Jamie Dixon and his "I can stand on the court when I want" mentality...anyways I digress.  Back to the team.  They are a good squad.  Lamar Patterson is the absolute real deal, 17.6 ppg., 4.8 rpg., and 4.3 apg.  I mean the real deal.  And they have some quality wins and losses.  They have wins over UNC and Maryland, as well as, 4 or less point losses twice to Viginia and twice to 25-0 streaking Syracuse.  My pick in this game is Pitt just because the ACC prepares teams better for the tournament better than the Pac-12, and they also have better overall wins.

Dayton has the chance
to shock the world

The second game peaking my interest is #6 Ohio State and #11 Dayton.  The Flyers are 2-1 vs. AP Top 25 teams.  That one loss coming in a 1-point loss Baylor.  Starting February 1, the team went on a 10-2 run, with both losses coming against eventual A-10 champion St. Joe's.  Through the season their shooting a fairly impressive 46.6% from the field and the point scoring is fairly spread around, with 4 players scoring 9.9 ppg or higher.  Ohio State on the other hand did not end the season the way they started it.  The team limped to a 10-8 record in the Big 10 and a 25-9 record overall.  Not exactly what Thad Matta had in mind at the beginning of the season.  Now LaQuinton Ross leads the Buckeyes in both points and rebounds, but don't be fooled, the real unquestioned leader of this team is Aaron Craft.  Yes Cuse fans, that dreaded little white dude with a motor that could drive a Lambo.  Craft is, well, crafty.  The kid flat out has the clutch gene and comes through when it counts.  The team itself even beat Michigan State, the team many people are seeing as this years favorite for the ship.  Also the winner of this matchup will play the winner of 'Cuse-WMU so keep an eye on this one.

Potential Upsets 

I see a few potential upsets in the South Brackets.  The first being what I just talked about, Dayton over OSU.  Dayton has nothing to lose and they're still stinging after another tough loss to St. Joe's.  They have the potential to beat the Buckeye's if they spread the scoring out and speed the game up.  OSU only scores 69 points per game this season, 208 in the nation.  If Dayton can get out in transition and hit a high percentage from 3 land, this could be your 11-6 upset.  The next one I see is down the line a little.  Florida, I feel, is the weakest of the #1 seeds.  They play in the SEC, and this year they played in the SEC when Kentucky was more or less awful.  Yes they beat Kansas and Memphis, but they lost to UConn and Wisconsin.  If Pitt can beat Colorado, I think they pose a real threat to the Gators.  That being said I think that would be as far as the Panthers could go as they would lose to either VCU or UCLA in the Sweet 16.

Sleeper

At the risk of sounding like a broken record my major sleeper is Dayton.  The other option is the 12 seed, Stephen F. Austin.  The Lumberjacks are 31-2 and their only losses are to Texas (good loss) and ETSU (bad loss).  They finished the season on a 28 game win streak, and haven't lost since Nov 23.  Granted they play in the Southland Conference, but 28 wins is 28 wins, thats tough to do.  If the team can string together some quality runs during the game, VCU could be in a world of trouble.

Winner

Scottie Wilbekin and the Gators
should be dancing in Dallas

You guys all know that I have a bracket with Syracuse in the Final Four, strolling of of the South after wins over WMU, OSU, Kansas, and Florida.  But let's be realistic, the way the Orange have been playing I'm afraid of Western Michigan.  In my bracket to win the Billion I have the Gators coming out of the bracket.  I think this is because this is an easy bracket for them.  Florida scores over 70 points per game, and can drop 80 with ease if given room to run.  The Gators have an easy path to the Final four if they can get past Pittsburgh in the 2nd (3rd) round.

All that being said, CUSE BETTER GET THEIR SHIT TOGETHER!!!! I DON'T LIKE LOSING!

-Your Orange Foreign Correspondent
  Ron 

Keep the Orange juices flowin'

ACC Tournament: What To Watch For

As Notre Dame and Wake Forest have tipped off in round 1, it's officially ACC Tournament time.  Freshmen try and prepare themselves for the madness of March, and seniors put on their jerseys knowing it could be the last time they do so.

It's definitely a little weird that we aren't on our way to The Garden with a potential matchup against UConn or Georgetown looming, but there's still a lot to look forward to this week:


1. From Madison Square Garden to Greensboro Coliseum

ACC Player of the Year TJ Warren
will need to pull off a magical run for NC State
to have a chance on Selection Sunday.

The 15 team bracket is a new look for the ACC, who welcomes Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Notre Dame this year.  Notre Dame is playing for pride at this point as the loss of Jerian Grant pretty much took them out of contention a while ago.  Pittsburgh is fighting for their NCAA tournament lives, and with Lamar Patterson's hand 100% healthy, they could once again be dangerous.  And finally Syracuse, who makes a habit of using conference tournaments to regain their mid-season form.

While the three newcomers are used to playing in the physical, fast-paced, backyard brawl-esque Big East Tournament, I don't think the fun in Greensboro will be all that different.

While the ACC certainly has its own style, there are plenty of similarities to previous seasons in the Big East.  Isn't Virginia a carbon copy of the all too familiar 'Nova teams known for a slow pace and defense?  Could ACC Player of the Year, TJ Warren, pull a "Kemba" and lead NC State from the bubble to an NCAA Tournament bid?  There are the four clear cut heavy weights who receive double byes, and then there's the upset-hungry middle tier playing to keep their post-season dreams alive.

The ACC has plenty of talent across the board that could make this week just as ridiculous as any BET in recent memory.

2. Quarterfinal Friday Could Be Dangerous For Top Four

There's no question that this ACC Tournament means a lot to the four NCAA locks in Virginia, UNC, Duke, and Syracuse for different reasons.  However, it means more for the few teams that are sitting atop, or just off of, the bubble.

I would be surprised to see any team playing on Wednesday upset a top 8 seed given the drop-off of talent towards the bottom of the ACC.  Therefore, there's is big chance that Friday's match-ups will all be "bubble vs. lock", which never fails to entertain.


Pittsburgh, Clemson, NC State, Maryland, and Florida State are all bubble teams.  Pittsburgh has the best shot at making the field, but if they can't beat UNC they might be left disappointed on Selection Sunday as their resume features only one win against the top 50.

Florida State will probably need two wins this week to get in, and the rest of the the previously mentioned ACC bubble teams will need a magical run to the ACC Championship game to get into the discussion.

Lunardi says Pitt is in, Lamar Patterson
isn't going to take his word for it.

Prospectively, Friday's slate of games could be:

-1 Virginia vs. 8 Maryland/9 Florida State

With one of Virginia's two conference losses coming to Maryland last Sunday, a rematch between the two schools on Friday would be fun to watch.  Add the fact that this is Maryland's last ACC Tournament before heading to the Big Ten, and you've got the potential for a thriller.

-4 UNC vs. 5 Pittsburgh

This game is most intriguing of all as Pitt will be playing to lock up an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.  UNC is looking to get back to the ACC Championship after losing to Miami last year, and I doubt they'll take the Panthers lightly.  Look for Marcus Paige and Lamar Patterson to light up the score sheet in this one.

-2 Syracuse vs. 7 NC State

Fresh off his anointment of ACC POTY, TJ Warren is looking to keep his season alive.  Warren dropped 23 in the first matchup between these two teams back in mid-February, in a game that saw a last second layup by CJ Fair win it for The Orange.  This is a tough draw for struggling Syracuse, who will have to put down the desperate Wolfpack if they want to head into the NCAAs with any confidence whatsoever.

-3 Duke vs. 6 Clemson

Clemson handed Duke a huge loss on January 11th that served as a needed wake up call for the Blue Devils, who would go on to win nine of their next ten.  First Team All-ACC forward, KJ McDaniels, is a beast who is capable of taking over any game just like he did in the previously mentioned game against Duke (24 pts, 10 reb).

Coming off of a loss to lowly Wake Forest, Duke responded by downing North Carolina at Cameron.  Jabari Parker is playing with a chip on his shoulder after being snubbed in the race for ACC Player of The Year.  If that isn't motivation enough, a win in this one could mean a winner take all grudge match against newly established rival Syracuse, which leads me to...


3. 'Cuse - Duke III (Knock On Wood)

Last season, rival Georgetown smoked us in The Dome and then dominated us in the regular season finale.  I was positive that a third meeting with the Hoyas at The Garden would be a storybook ending to such a great rivalry and nothing could ever possibly compare to the way---I'll stop myself there: I was so wrong.

I'm hands down more excited to (possibly) see Syracuse-Duke Part 3.  If both teams win their quarterfinal matchup on Friday, this wish will be granted.  After the overtime thriller on February 1st followed by Boeheim's epic freakout, I don't think there could be anything better than an ACC semifinal game to decide the first of many season series.

CJ Fair puts in what he thought would be the game winning basket, the refs thought otherwise.

We've witnessed the beginning of what's to be a legendary rivalry.  After all, even John Thompson and the Hoyas couldn't get Jimmy B to flip his lid in such a fashion.  The rematch at Cameron drew 4.2 million viewers for ESPN, after the first game between the two had the fourth largest TV audience for a college basketball game since 2002.

I think it's safe to say that EVERYONE wants to see this third game happen... Plus, we all knew that it couldn't actually end in a 1-1 tie after the worst call of the season.



Predictions:


I think with Jerami Grant back and CJ Fair on fire, Syracuse is the team to beat in this tournament.  I'm taking UNC over Virginia and Syracuse over Duke in the semis.

Syracuse beats UNC 72-69 in the ACC Championship:  Ennis > Paige

Go Orange!












~Ted Gioia

Fair, Grant Shine In Route Of FSU

Jerami Grant looked 100% in his return.

It's good to have Jerami Grant back, let's just start there...  Grant played 35 minutes and contributed 16 points and 8 rebounds in his first game back from a nagging back injury.

I think we all knew Syracuse probably wasn't going anywhere without a healthy Jerami Grant, who is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.  Grant used his size and athleticism to dominate the boards and knife along the baseline for buckets, as always.

The full strength Orange dominated Florida State on both ends of the floor, and earned its first 15 point victory since Janurary 7th against Virginia Tech.  While Grant's return is encouraging, nothing pleases me more than the play of CJ Fair, who was just named First Team All-ACC.

In CJ's final regular season game, he scored 22 points on 9 of 13 shooting, and pulled in 7 rebounds.  This is coming off of his 28 point explosion in the loss to Georgia Tech on Senior Night.  He looks like he's ready to will this team deep into the NCAA Tournament, and after three years of waiting, I think it's long over due for CJ to be "the guy" in March.  Don't forget he was the only reason for Syracuse even being close in that Final Four game against Michigan last year.

CJ Fair has scored 50 points over his last two games.

Trevor Cooney... what gives man?  After struggling early in this one, missing a pair of wide open three balls, Cooney actually found his shot late in the game coming up with two huge triples to bury FSU.  Regardless, Trevor was still 3 of 13 from the field and a dismal 2 of 8 from 3.  All signs are pointing to confidence issues shooting the ball, which is the epitome of the (not so) sharp shooter's freshman campaign.

What made the difference in this one though was Syracuse's defense and transition game.

Syracuse held its Florida State to just 38% from the field on Sunday, after letting Georgia Tech and Virginia go off for 48% and 50%, respectively.  Fair and Ennis combined for 7 of the teams 9 steals, and the 2-3 zone looked stingy once again.

For the first time in recent memory, Syracuse used the 2-3 to generate offense.  Ennis did a great job of running the court and slicing to the basket for easy buckets on the fast break.  We even saw Jerami Grant throw up an absolutely filthy alley for Christmas, which ended quite favorably for the Orange.

Now let's all in unison let out a big sigh of relief as it seems Syracuse has remembered how to play elite basketball again.  With the ACC Tournament looming this week, it is great to see these guys get back to their old ways of dominating inferior opponents and closing out games for a change.

Syracuse will be the number 2 seed in the ACC Tournament, which means a double bye and a matchup on Friday with the winner of NC State and Miami/Virginia Tech.  If both Syracuse and Duke advance in the quarterfinals, they will square off against each other on Saturday for an all too fitting 3rd meeting to decide the season series.

While it's clearly no Big East Tournament at The Garden, this should be a great week for the ACC.  I'm taking 'Cuse over UNC in the finals.

~Ted Gioia

Shutdown in Charlottesville

SU MEN'S LAX FALLS TO UVA 17-12

G Dominic Lamolinara (14 saves) played well in a loss at Virginia

SU goalie Dominic Lamolinara jumped up and down in pure frustration, as Virginia players celebrated just outside of his crease late in the 4th quarter. Cavaliers attackman Mark Cockerton had just fired home his 4th goal of the night to give UVA a commanding 5-goal lead. For Coach John Desko and his squad, an alarming realization was just beginning to set in.

Just two weeks after being voted the #1 team in the nation in the NCAA Coaches' Poll, the Orange was going to fall to 0-2 in ACC Conference play. 

Welp, no one ever said this whole new conference was going to be easy.

WHAT HAPPENNED

The nightcap of the Syracuse/Virginia doubleheader started off well-enough for the Orange. Middie Hakeem Lecky (4G 0A) stormed down the right alley and buried a shot past Virginia goalie Matt Barrett (5 saves) to open the game's scoring. Kevin Rice (2G 0A) and Henry Schoonmaker (2G 1A) would follow with a goal each to give SU an early 3-0 advantage.

But Virginia would respond with a run of its own, scoring 5 straight goals to close out the 1st quarter. The Cavaliers were led on offense by attackman James Pannell (7G 0A). The sophomore, who is the younger brother of former Cornell superstar Rob Pannell, was dialed in throughout the night.

The two teams traded goals throughout the 2nd quarter, and the Wahoos entered half time with an 8-6 lead. 

SU came out strong in the 2nd half, and attackman Randy Staats (2G 2A) ultimately tied the game at 9-9 with 7:39 left in the 3rd quarter. Unfortunately for the Orange, it was all downhill from there. 

Virginia used a dominant run at the face-off X to load up on time of possession and score 8 of the game's last 11 goals, en route to a 17-12 victory.

YOU CAN'T SCORE WITHOUT THE BALL

For the 2nd straight game SU was completely and utterly dominated at the face-off X and in time of possession. It seems as if John Desko is done hiding his frustration with starting face-off specialist Chris Daddio, as the head coach employed 4 different face-off men against the Cavaliers. 

It didn't matter who the Orange went with against UVA - none of them had success. Daddio won just 5 of 22 face-offs, and Mike Iacono, Austin Wentworth and Peter Macartney combined to win just 2 of 9 face-offs.  

That being said, it's beginning to look like another underlying problem for the Orange is its inability to pick up ground balls. Virginia won the ground ball battle with an astounding margin of 51-22. 

If this Syracuse team can't find a way to get its star studded offense more time of possession, the Orange is headed for an under-achieving season. 

NEXT UP

The Orange travels to Atlanta, Georgia to take on St. John's in the Cobb County Classic on Saturday, March 8th. 

Like me, you're probably wondering why Syracuse agreed to travel 7 states south to take on an in-state rival. I would assume it's because it's warm(er) there.

Glad this awful run of SU sports came just in time for midterms *sobs silently*.

~ Kevin Case

A Bit of Rest for the Weary

After a rough week for SU the team stopped their first losing streak of the season at 2, winning by 2 at the Comcast Center last night.  As my partner Ted told you all in his post after the Duke loss, it is not time to panic yet.  That statement still stands.  Now even though my heart palpitations just stopped about an hour ago because of yet ANOTHER close game, the team had some positives that they can build on after such a dreadful last few games.

CJ was back to his old ways
last night at Maryland
Photo Credit: ESPN

First thing to build on is CJ Fair played like CJ Fair.  That is something that the wonderful fans of the Syracuse Orange have been devoid of for the last few weeks.  CJ has made a few big plays here and there but last night he was back and doing CJish type things again.  He started the game off with 10 points in the first 14 minutes, scoring once on back to back plays as we have grown accustomed to seeing.  He also made a step back 3 in crunch time as the shot clock was running down.  And he finished the last 4 minutes with 4 fouls, playing smart, fundamental, Boeheimian basketball.

Another thing that we can find a bit of hope in is the fact that SU won without Jerami Grant.  Grant has been one of the shining stars this season and has taken a permanent spot in the starting lineup.  He tweaked his back in the Duke game and only played 13 minutes last night.  So it proved that SU can beat a mediocre team without one of our best players, which sounds a bit stupid but until about 3rd round of the ACC tourney and the Sweet 16 of the NCAAs, SU will be playing mediocre teams.  My point being SU still has that grind it out mentality and can win when the cards aren't exactly in their favor.  Speaking of cards another one that hasn't been in the SU's favor lately is Trevor Cooney's shooting.  He started off hot last night but went ice cold until his fade away at the end of the game.

The other two things we can take away from last night's game is that SU led by double digits at one point and they get some much needed rest. While the team did give us all another heart attack last night with their 11th game decided by 6 points or less, they did show spurts of ability to blow a team out...while it didn't last long, it was there at one point. I think. Sorta. Maybe I just want it to happen so bad that I'm delusional. Anyways, I digress. What we can all agree on is the fact that this Monday-Saturday rest time will be much needed.  The team can finally regroup, get Grant's back checked, rest Baye's knee a bit more, and all around figure themselves out a bit.

All I know is that something tells me that this game vs. Virginia will be epic.  With first place in the ACC on the line against a team that has already beaten Pitt, UNC, and Notre Dame twice, the game has the makings of something big.  Hopefully the positives will outweigh the negatives this Saturday night.

Keep the Orange juices flowin'!

-Your Orange Foreign Corespondent
  Ron

State of the Union: No Need To Panic Yet

Boeheim's ejection might have cost
Syracuse the game.

Mayday! Mayday! Call the Coast Guard because this ship is surely sinking...  After a flawless 25-0 start, Syracuse has dropped back to back games against BC and Duke.  According to ESPN, Syracuse fans should be worried about their recent play.  I'm not convinced.

First of all, Syracuse played well enough to win in Cameron.  A terrible call decided what was a brilliant basketball game.  Parker had an identical take earlier in the game that was called the other way.  It doesn't mean we should feel good about losing to Duke, but it wasn't a bad loss.

There's no question that Boeheim's double technical/ejection put the game on ice, but sometimes a statement like that goes further than the final score.  I'm not going to preach that the freakout was warranted, but it's definitely not the end of the world.  As a fan I was just as livid, and also ecstatic that Boeheim put that ref in his place while showing that he's "still got it in him".  On another positive note, it's really just adding fuel to the growing fire that is the Syracuse-Duke Rivalry.

At the end of the day, Syracuse leaves Cameron with a loss, but definitely some valuable lessons learned.  It will come back to benefit them come March.  

So Syracuse has lost two straight games, one of which was a terrible loss at home to the lowly BC Eagles.  Is it time to freak out? I'm not there yet.

Last year's team taught me a lot about college basketball.  The 2012-2013 Orange boasted an 18-1 record and the #7 ranking before going on a miserable 5-7 slump that included a horrendous 22-point loss to that one school from DC that shall not be named.  That is when red flags should've probably been flying.  I had actually written off that Syracuse team and wanted Michael Carter-Williams to pack up and head to the NBA a month or two early.  I shouldn't have to remind you how badly I was wrong, but just for fun here's a heartwarming picture: 

Michael Carter-Williams and CJ Fair celebrate
being Final Four bound.

Carter-Williams led Syracuse to the final Big East Tournament Championship Game, and then to Atlanta for a Final Four appearance that just happened to come a clean ten years after Melo's Cornrows' finest moment in New Orleans. 

The point is that no matter how bad a couple of losses seem, they are essential to the progression of a young team and it doesn't necessarily indicate that this team won't be able to pick it up when it matters most.  Syracuse has two huge opportunities ahead at Maryland and then Virginia.  

The next few weeks is when we really learn who this Syracuse team is, and how they handle their first taste of adversity.  

That Being Said, what in the world has overcome this seemingly titanic Syracuse bunch?  Well I guess we've learned that Tyler Ennis is human after all.  A dismal 2 of 13 from the field in Cameron, and four turnovers in a near escape at home against NC State.  I think it speaks to Tyler's performance this season that we're making a fuss about one bad shooting performance and just four turnovers, but nonetheless the freshman point guard was completely out-shined by Jabari Parker on Saturday night.

Against NC State, Ennis, Cooney, and Fair all struggled shooting and it led to Syracuse's second lowest point total of the season.  When Boston College came to the Dome, CJ and Ennis shot the ball decently, but Syracuse got virtually no offensive contributions from Cooney or the short-handed Syracuse bench.

As the offense has been struggling, the defense hasn't really picked up the slack.  Holding BC to 62 points, Duke to 66 points, and NC State to 55 points would usually seem like a job well done. I wouldn't say this was the case here. 

Olivier Hanlan split the 2-3 zone and
forced the game into overtime. 

With 47 seconds left in regulation, Syracuse let Olivier Hanlan slice right through the teeth of the zone for a layup that would eventually send the game to overtime.  With 46 seconds left in the extra period, Patrick Heckmann got to the rim easily for the go ahead bucket.  Boston College shot almost 43% from the field and 11 of 22 from three.

On Saturday, Parker had an abusive put-back over Cooney and Grant to give Duke a six point lead late in the game.  Although the Blue Devils were way short of their ACC-leading 80.1 points per game, they came close to 48% shooting!  Those are remarkable numbers considering Quinn Cook went 2 for 11.  A lot of this can be credited to Duke's 14 second chance points, which stem from their 11 offensive rebounds.   

While Syracuse has been holding opponents to relatively low point totals, it's been the breakdown late in games along with the inability to protect the defensive glass that has cost the Orange two victories and they're lucky it wasn't four.  In these past four games Syracuse is giving up an average of 12 offensive rebounds... It makes for an awfully painful game watching experience.  The defense has to get its swagger back if Syracuse wants to make a run at the ACC Title and beyond.  

I Can Truthfully Say, that I'm not worried.  I liked what I saw out of Syracuse against Duke and I think they will right the ship in Maryland.  Like I said before, this is when we will really find out if Ice Man's veins are still frosty and if CJ Fair will go out like the jackhammer he's been for the past four years.  

And with legacies and dreams of the national title on the line...

Stay tuned Orange fans.  

~Ted Gioia

P.S. 

Did I mention he's still got it?

The Battle for Central New York

#1 SU Men's Lacrosse Edges #10 Albany 17-16 in OT

Syracuse's Randy Staats fires a shot at Albany goalie Blaze Riordan

On Sunday, there were two NCAA Men's Lacrosse games broadcast on national television. Neither of these games was Syracuse/Albany.

Make better choices NBC Sports.

If you missed this weekend's clash between the Orange and the Great Danes, I'm genuinely upset with you. The entire contest was a living and breathing example as to why lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. This game had it all - star players, tons of offense, good goalie play, lots of physicality, a big comeback, and even a pretty raucous crowd.  

Let's get to it shall we. 

THE FRANTIC FINSH

With nearly 11 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, it looked as if the Orange was finally in control. Transfer Randy Staats had just dumped in his 5th goal of the day after a clever trick play afforded him a wide-open net on the fast break. The finish capped off a 5-goal run for Syracuse, and gave the Orange what seemed to be a commanding 16-11 lead. Albany had hung tough with Cuse all game long, but now it looked like SU was ready to send them packing back down Route 5. 

Except Albany never packed it in; Coach Scott Marr's team didn't quit. The Great Danes scored back to back goals to cut SU's lead to 16-13. Then, as Albany star attackman Lyle Thompson pushed for a another goal, he took a nasty hit to the head from a Syracuse defenseman. A few Albany players took exception to the hit, and a brief scuffle was followed by a few yellow flags from the referees. The incident only worked to further the Great Danes resolve to even the score, as they would go on to score 3 consecutive goals and tie the game with a little over 2 minutes remaining.

With the score now tied at 16-16, Albany earned the best chance to win the game in regulation. SU long stick middie Matt Harris was flagged for a slash with 55 seconds left to go in the game. The Great Danes took advantage, and had a real good look at a game-winning goal with about 30 seconds to go. But SU goalie Bobby Wardwell made a nifty save in net, got the ball downfield, and sent the game to overtime.

In OT it was the SU middies who combined to get the game-winning tally. On the Orange's first possession transfer Randy Staats dodged from the top of the box and drew two defenders, before finding a cutting Henry Schoonmaker in the middle of the defense. Schoonmaker fired a side-arm shot past Albany goalie Blaze Riordan to end the game. 

COLLEGE LACROSSE WORLD, MEET RANDY STAATS

On Sunday, the top scorer for Syracuse was a player who has only been with the program for about a month. That's pretty remarkable, and it really speaks to just how talented a lacrosse player junior transfer Randy Staats is. A week after notching 1 goal and 2 assists against Siena, Staats exploded for 5 goals and 2 assists against the Great Danes. 

One of the most incredible things about the transfer from Onondaga Community College is the way he moves off the ball. Staats is constantly in motion and seems like he has a great knack for being in the right place at the right time. 

THOMPSON TRIO GOOD AS ADVERTISED

Albany's Thompson trio is comprised of brothers Miles Thompson and Lyle Thompson, as well as their cousin Ty Thompson. All three hail from the Iroquois nation and play a fantastically unique and entertaining brand of lacrosse. They each seem to glide slowly around the field before quickly snapping into action for a pass, dodge, or shot. 

The trio combined for 7 goals and 7 assists on Sunday, even while attracting an immense amount of attention from the Syracuse defense. If you consider yourself a lacrosse fan, make a concerted effort to watch these guys play. They are that good. 

RIVALRY(?)

This Syracuse/Albany matchup has now given us two overtime thrillers in as many years. Both of these games have been well attended by fans of both teams, and Sunday's matchup included plenty of hard hits, and even a contentious moment between the two teams' benches.

Are we witnessing the birth of a New York Lacrosse Rivalry?

It's hard to say as of now. The birth of a rivalry probably depends on the Great Danes success after the graduation of the Thompson trio. Will Albany be able to stay near the top of the College Lacrosse World, as well as consistently compete with Syracuse in the future? Only time will tell.

UP NEXT

Syracuse opens up ACC Conference play with a matchup against #7 Maryland next weekend.

Should be another close one, so here's to hoping we have a packed house Saturday at 1PM.


~ Kevin Case

Syracuse Pitt Recap

TYLER ENNIS

...more to follow, but for now just watch this until we get back to you.

Season Opening Slaughter

Randy Staats celebrates a goal with Kevin Rice and Billy Ward

#1 Syracuse Men's Lax Slams Siena 19-7

I'll forgive all you Syracuse fans who have been a bit enamored with the Men's Basketball team lately - they are the number one team in the country. But there are some other top-ranked teams up on the hill.

Last night the Men's Lacrosse team opened its season with a 19-7 beat down of MAAC opponent Siena. I'll save you some of the details and hit on what I thought were the important takeaways from Cuse's season-opening victory.

FIRST QUARTER OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION

This matchup was a mismatch from the opening face-off, as SU sprinted out to an 8-3 lead in the opening frame. Perhaps more shocking than the 8 goals on the scoreboard was the efficiency with which the SU offense scored those goals. The Orange needed just 16 shots to find the back of the net 8 times - good for a shooting percentage of 50%. For some reference, Albany led the NCAA in shooting percentage last year at 36% (SU finished 14th with 31%).

The other interesting part of the 1st quarter offensive barrage was the number of players who took part in it; seven different players scored for the Orange in the opening 15 minutes. 

THE DYNAMIC DUO

The above-mentioned nickname will probably be how I refer to attackmen Dylan Donahue and Kevin Rice for the rest of this season. The two seemed to have some sort of mental telepathic communication in use throughout this game. Donahue finished the game with an astounding 8 goals and 1 assist, including an insane stretch in the 3rd quarter where he scored 4 consecutive goal in a span of 9 minutes.  Rice - just as spectacularly in my opinion - finished with 0 goals and 8 assists. 

 What's crazy is that 6 of Donahue's 8 goals were assisted by Rice, and nearly all of those finishes were shots from right on top of the crease. No doubt opposing teams will have to start planning for the terrific two-man game of these two Cuse attackmen.

THE (NOT SO) DREADED FACOFF X

If you're an SU Men's Lacrosse fan the image of the Duke Blue Devils walking around with the national championship trophy is probably still seared into your brain. You probably also remember how much the Orange's awful play at the face-off X partially (or mostly) led to that Blue Devils victory.  

During its three preseason scrimmages SU struggled a bit at the face-off X. Head Coach John Desko attributed this to his use of too many players - he said he'd stick with one guy against Siena. In the season-opener, Coach Desko's words rang true, as Chris Daddio performed well and SU ultimately won 15 of 28 at the X. 

So does that mean Cuse's face-off problems are over? It's (way) too soon to tell. 

NEXT UP

The Orange welcomes #10 Albany to the Dome next Sunday. I'll try to churn out a game preview and maybe a positional breakdown of the SU roster before then.

Peace, Love, Lax

~ Kevin Case 

 

'Cuse Fans, Where Do We Stand Post-Clemson?

Some interesting things happened during Syracuse’s 57-44 win over Clemson. The first of which being that the game was played on a Sunday.

But other things happened, too. There are lots of ways to look at Sunday’s game so I’ll present a few different vantage points:

The Optimist’s P.O.V. – Sure, Syracuse got outrebounded, but that’s only because Baye Moussa Keita got hurt and Rakeem Christmas was in foul trouble. For a good amount of the second half, Mike Gbinije was playing along the baseline in the zone while Jerami Grant anchored the center. How could we not get outrebounded? There was a breadth of scorers spread out over the starting five and, considering who was in the game, holding an opponent to 44 is pretty good.

The Pessimist’s P.O.V. – Well, Syracuse won. But at what cost? We lost Keita for three quarters of the game and we’re not sure if he’ll be able to play in the biggest road test of the year till now. Plus, Rakeem proved that when he can’t get subbed out for, he’s just going to foul. So now we’re really screwed. It’s not like we can give Gbinije all the minutes on the block, the dude can’t score at all. Not to mention, we got three points off our bench. THREE POINTS! Sure, the starting five is supposed to carry the load, but with Keita out I’m concerned.

The Ambivalent P.O.V. – We’re catching a break by who we’re playing on Wednesday. Even though it’s Pitt and they’re good (really good at home,) they lack one towering player who can beat us on the block. The only player over 6’9” is Joseph Uchebo who averages like two minutes a game. Obviously, I’d rather have Baye in there, but maybe putting Grant as the anchor is good to combat all their forwards and guards?

The Pittsburgh Fan’s P.O.V.  – ATTACK THE ZONE HEAD ON! If Rakeem Christmas doesn’t have three fouls by halftime, then I want Andrew McCutchen to coach our second half.

Average Syracuse Fan P.O.V. – We knew someone would get hurt at one point or another, so if this is the worst injury we deal with all season it’ll be a major victory. Again, I’m not so sure having Grant in the middle of the zone is a bad thing. His athleticism allows for a lot. What we have to worry about now is foul trouble vs. Pitt. They’re obviously going to attack us in the paint so we need to stay straight up. Sure we only got three points off the bench Sunday, but that’s why we have guys like CJ and Tyler.

All for now.

~Boomer Dangel

ACC Player Of The Year Watch List

Welcome to our first edition of the ACC Player Of The Year Watch List.  This is definitely relevant for Syracuse this year as both CJ Fair and Tyler Ennis are very much in the conversation.

 Don't forget that Fair was named ACC Preseason Player Of The Year, and he was also my pick to win the award when he decided to come back for his senior season.

What's happened since then?  More or less the emergence of the top two freshman in the nation in Ennis and Duke's Jabari Parker.  But this is more than just a three man race.  Here's my rankings                                                          through Wednesday's games:

1.) Jabari Parker, Duke- Jabari Parker had his case of midseason slump, but it's safe to say that is over and done with.  In the past 5 games, the freshman phenom is averaging 17.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.  Despite fouling out in the loss at 'Cuse, Parker is the reason Duke has regained its swagger winning 6 of 7. The biggest win in that stretch was in Pittsburgh, one of the hardest places to play in the country, where Parker scored 21 and pulled in 11 boards for his 7th double double of the season.

2.) CJ Fair, Syracuse-  After going off against Duke for 28 points, CJ shot 2-13 and scored just 6 points against Notre Dame.  Besides that mishap, Fair has been Mr. Consistent for the Orange offense.  Before Monday's game, Fair had put up double figures in 17 straight games.  To me, he's still Syracuse's go-to player and he proved that in the Duke game.  This was a tough call, but Parker is consistently putting up more points and more rebounds than Fair.  While CJ has reached 20 points in just 6 games this season, Parker has more than doubled that with 13 20-point games.  If you watch the two play, Parker is definitely more of a force to be reckoned with, but it's close.


3.) Tyler Ennis, Syracuse- There's no doubt that Tyler Ennis has emerged onto the scene as one of the best freshman in the country.  Ennis' stability is just what Syracuse has needed.  He manages games, gets the ball where it needs to go, and scores pretty efficiently.  On top of that, Ennis is fantastic at the top of the 2-3 zone averaging almost two and a half steals per game.  Asking who is more valuable between CJ and Tyler isn't really a fair question (no pun intended) because they feed off of one another.  I'm giving the edge to CJ here because of the Duke game.

4.) Lamar Patterson, Pittsburgh- Patterson might be the best pure shooter in the ACC, shooting 43% from 3 and 48% from the field.  On top of his scoring, Patterson is a capable passer with over four assists a game, most of them to big man Talib Zanna on the inside.  With good strength and toughness, the 6-5 small forward is a good rebounder and above average defender.  It was hard not to put T.J. Warren here, because there is no doubt he is the best overall scorer in the ACC (22.4 ppg). However, Patterson is a key to his teams success where Warren just shoots 18 times a game and NC State is probably not even a tourney team.

5.) Rodney Hood, Duke- There's really nothing Rodney Hood can't do.  At 6-8, he is one of the hardest jump shots to stop in college basketball as Syracuse found out on February 1st.  After transferring to Duke last year from Mississippi State, Hood has exploded onto the scene as one of the ACC's elite.  There's no question that Parker is the man in Durham, but Hood constantly reminds people that he is worthy of attention too or else he will go off, just ask Notre Dame.  Rakeem Christmas still has his number though:

HONORABLE MENTION


TJ Warren, NC Sate

Marcus Paige, North Carolina 


~Ted Gioia

Nobody's Perfect

     One of my favorite topics to discuss with other students here at Syracuse is their feelings on the Orange being undefeated this late into the season. Do we want to be perfect going into the ACC Tournament and ultimately the Big Dance? There have been 7 teams in the history of the NCAA Men's Basketball that have won a national championship without recording a loss (given 4 of these 7 teams being coached by the legendary John Wooden). Yet there have been 16 teams heading into the field of 64 with a perfect record that did not result in a championship.

Syracuse is off and running to their best start ever under Boeheim's reign
22-0 (9-0 ACC)

     Here is my take on the whole situation: I do not want to be undefeated in March with a target on our backs and every team wants roll into the brackets after winning a conference title. Yeah it's technically more games for your team to play but with it comes an even greater momentum swing heading into March Madness. I want 'Cuse to lose one game. Looking at the schedule we need to be most concerned about the #25Pitt, #11Duke, and #20Virginia games, and I don't want to lose too late in the season where the team could second guess themselves. So I'm saying we need to lose to Clemson, BC, or NC State in mid February at home...which means I would have to physically witness it, but it's for the good of the team.

  As I'm writing this though I'm starting to love how were undoubtedly the #1 team in country. I guess I just think it's crazy to believe Syracuse can continue this historic run another month and a half. Let the record show many people I've talked to disagree with me completely, but I truly feel this needs to happen.


Comment, critique, or question the way I feel. Let me know what you're thinking.


~ Chris Adams

Syracuse-Arizona: Depth Key For Two Best Teams In The Nation

The biggest reason why Syracuse and Arizona are arguably the two strongest teams in the field right now is that on any given night, they have multiple players who can win a game for them. Case and point, Trevor Cooney dropping 33 and willing the Orange to a win Monday night.

Tyler Ennis and Jerami Grant are likely
to be lottery picks in the 2014 NBA Draft.

But the two teams are more similar than you might think.

Look at Tyler Ennis and TJ McConnell. Both control the offense. Both are pass-first point guards who can drive and handle the ball. Ennis adds another dimension with his ability to take over a game. Versus Pittsburgh, Ennis drove to score in the final seconds.

But, McConnell is a perfect fit for Arizona because of the system there. He scores a lot in transition, which is much easier to do out of a man defense than a zone because he has to release from one man and create that separation. In transition, McConnell’s ball handling and ability to finish creates transition points.

The differences between the two are minimal. Both command the game and without them, their teams would be in trouble. For Syracuse, they’d not only lack the court presence and leadership, but the Orange would struggle for depth at guard. And mind you, both players are new to their teams playing in the shadows of Michael Carter-Williams and Mark Lyons.

Nick Johnson provides a terrific scoring spark
for the Wildcats.

Trevor Cooney and Nick Johnson aren’t the superstars but vital role players. More importantly, they give experience to players who don’t necessarily have it. Cooney offsets Ennis’ youth with his experience in the backcourt and Johnson knows how to score when the Wildcats need it the most. When Cooney is on, he’s on. And Johnson’s transition ball-handling is vital.

The biggest concern for this Syracuse team is its depth at guard. Cooney and Ennis take the lion’s share of the minutes, even though Mike Gbinije has been playing more and more. Gbinije is great and probably even an upgrade from Cooney defensively.  But he flat out can’t score. Time and time again, Gbinije has had the ball in transition and failed to take the ball to the basket. He hit a three pointer vs. ND but other than that, he completely lacks confidence offensively.

God forbid, if Cooney or Ennis goes down with an injury, or DEFINITELY God forbid an academic suspension, that Gbinije automatically has to play 32 minutes a game.

CJ Fair's 28 points against Duke
has Syracuse ranked #1.

That’s something Arizona now has to deal with: Brandon Ashley was injured in the Wildcats’ loss to Cal and will miss the rest of the season. His consistency and minutes as a “4” player is a considerable loss to Arizona.

Freshman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is supposed to take Ashley’s spot and is supposed to be a solid perimeter defender. But replacing Ashley’s offense is a tall task.

Before Ashley’s injury, he was the CJ Fair of Arizona, whose experience and leadership is valuable to the team except Fair’s consistency far outranks Ashley’s. Fair goes 38 minutes a game (when he doesn’t go 40 like he did vs. UNC, Pitt, @ Miami and all 45 vs. Duke) and Ashley was hovering around 30 mpg. Any team would be lucky to have Fair’s composure and scoring ability.

Both guys score the same way, along the baseline and with spot up jump shots. Fair takes an occasional three pointer, and Ashley is less inclined to shoot long range. But, Ashley is more physical and has more weight than Fair does. Against Colorado, he scored 15 points mostly off the block.

Still, Fair is the anchor of the Orange. He struggles to drive with his right hand, but averages almost 17 ppg and 6 rpg. His numbers are subtle but extremely consistent. Fair’s basketball instincts make him perfect for Boeheim’s zone, he anticipates passes and uses his length to tip halfhearted passes.

Aaron Gordon's athleticism can be compared
to that of Jerami Grant.

Jerami Grant and Aaron Gordon both use their athleticism to get to the rim and score. But both leave something to be desired in their technique. The strongest forwards in the league keep the ball above their waists, and really above chest level, in the paint. Both these players are wonderful athletes and would succeed at both Syracuse and Arizona. There’s just some signs of immaturity from both in the paint. Assuming they don’t go pro, this presents Boeheim and Miller with tremendous upside at the forward position.

And that’s not to say both players aren’t great now. Gordon’s offensive rebounds and Grant’s length defensively make them the two best “3” players in the country. Both are lockdown on the baseline and already NBA caliber defenders.

Syracuse took every single No. 1 vote from Arizona this week. But all in all, the teams are extremely similar and poised to make deep runs.

~Boomer Dangel

Boomer also helps ESPN’s Bruce Pearl with his research, so if this article looks similar to Bruce Pearl’s ESPN INsider column, don’t be surprised.