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?

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.

Orange Football is Back...Sorta

From 1989 to 1996 Syracuse won 6 straight bowl games and they even tied the 1988 Sugar Bowl against Auburn.  In that 1997 season the Donovan McNabb led Orangemen (yes they were still the Orangemen at that point) went 9-3 during the regular season, finishing with 3 straight wins over ranked opponents and a first place finish in the Big East.  This earned them a spot in the 1997 Tostito's Fiesta Bowl.  McNabb would, however, not be able to lead them past #10 Kansas State.  Now this is where the point of this entire post picks up.  Ever since that 1997 Fiesta Bowl, Syracuse football kind of took a spiral.

Granted the Orange did make it to the 1999 Orange Bowl in McNabb's last season with Syracuse, only to be stomped...errrr chomped...by the Florida Gators.  From that point forward Paul Pasqualoni led the Orange to only 1 more season with more than 7 wins.  That one season was 2001 when the Orange magically won 10 games and the Insight Bowl, ironically over Kansas State.  So the Pasqualoni years ended with an embarrassing 51-14 loss to Georgia Tech in the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl. 

Then came the time we don't speak of.  The Greg Robinson Era. God, even saying those words makes me want to dig a hole and wait for the New Year.  The...lets just call them the Bad Times...included 4 seasons with not one, NOT ONE, having more than 4 wins.  The Bad Times included no bowl games, no 4 or 5 star recruits, and, worst of all, no winning. 

Then came the greatest news an Orange fan could hear.  Doug Marrone is the new Head Football Coach of the Syracuse Orange.  The Bad Times were finally over.  Marrone brought with him hope of change and a newly focused team.  Marrone's inaugural year was fairly Robinsonesque resulting in only 4 wins.  Then came the year. The year that started the resurgence of Syracuse football.  The 2010 season brought with it 7 wins and the first bowl birth for Syracuse since 2004.  And who better to play that bowl game against than good ol' Kansas State.  The Orange, led by Ryan Nassib's superior day, won 36-34 in the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. The win, however, meant so much more than a banner in the rafters of the Carrier Dome.  It meant we were back.  The Orangemen (now the Orange) were back.  The year after was a bit of a stumble after the Orange stormed out of the gates to a 5-2 start to the season, they lost 5 straight to miss bowl eligibility by 1 game.  2012 reminded us why Marrone was a reason for hope.  He led the Orange to a 7-5 record and a share of the Big East title in Syracuse's last season in the conference.  Then came the Pinstripe Bowl 2.0.  The bowl game that pitted Syracuse against the former Heisman candidate, Geno Smith, and the West Virginia Mountaineers.  The Marrone led Orange routed West Virginia 38-10 and made Geno Smith look like...well like he has with the Jets...GOD AWFUL.  With its 2nd Bowl win in 3 years, it really seemed like Syracuse was back on the track to national relevance.  Then our savior left. 

When Doug Marrone decided to leave 'Cuse for the Buffalo Bills, the feeling around the suddenly revitalized program turned to more like, Oh Sh*t.  But then came the hardnosed, workaholic, players coach named Scott Shafer.  And here we are.  One year into Shafer's tenure and we're bowling once again.  Shafer's reaction after the BC game pretty much summed it up.  He is very proud of this team and there is much more to come.  So my point is that although Mr. Marrone may have gotten us there a bit faster, Syracuse is on the right track.  And if we can beat Minnesota in Houston this week it will be our 3rd bowl win in 4 years.  I mean come on you have to be impressed with Shafer's first year.  6 wins, in a better conference, against better non-conference teams, and with a quarterback that throws less often then that Pope says "I think I'll be Jewish today."  SO what I'm saying is that Syracuse is back, we're not all the way back, but we are back.  And it is time that we rallied around this team and showed the rest of the nation that Orange Football is HARDNOSED FOOTBALL.

--Ron