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'

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

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

The Rivalry. It has begun.

Are you kidding me?  Are you serious? (please read in a Dickie V voice)  WHAT A GAME!  The Syracuse Orange are now 21-0 for the first time in history, have defeated the Duke Blue Devils in front of the largest crowd in history, AND are the #1 team in the country! ALL IN ONE NIGHT!  Tell me you saw that all coming?  You're lying.  What the team did on the court last night was nothing short of spectacular and if we look a little deeper into it, it's even sweeter

Doing the Carl(ton)

OK so coming into this season we all knew CJ Fair was one of the best players in the nation. But what he showed last night is that he is not just a talented player, he is a leader.  When the team needed him to step up, when they needed someone to take the reigns when Duke took the lead, Carl Keith Fair Jr. was there the pick up the pieces...and slam them through the hoop.  Oh yeah, and he played all 45 minutes of the game.  He did not sit the entire game.  28 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks.  Now that's a stat line.  And don't even get me started on the freak of nature that is Jerami Grant.  While CJ Fair is the unquestioned leader of this team, Jerami Grant has the most raw talent.  I am blown away when I watch that kid play my jaw drops.  24 points, 12 rebounds, and a steal.  The amount of balls that kid had when taking it to the basket, I would have picked him to run over a Range Rover.  That was kind of a shitty metaphor but you know what I'm saying.  Talk about crazy.

Our Freshman is better than your Freshman

Ennis the Menace
Ice water in his veins

Remember when everyone said Jabari Parker was the best freshman in the nation?  Some people said he was even the best player in the nation.  Well last night we witnessed Syracuse's 2 POTY candidates take on Mr. Parker.  And it was no contest.  CJ Fair was CJ Fair.  Then there is the freshman with ice water in his veins.  Tyler Ennis.  Parker's stat line goes like this 16 pts, 9 reb, 1 assist.  Ennis's goes something like this. 14 pts, 3 reb, 9 assists.  And those 14 pts include a PERFECT 8-8 from the line.  Including 2 nothing but netters to put SU up 3 with 5 seconds left.  And when SU needed Ennis in OT he was there and ready to go.  Where was Jabari Parker you may ask? On the bench.  Fouled out.  I will argue to the death that Ennis means more to the Syracuse Orange than any other freshman in the nation.  That includes Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Aaron Gordon, or anyone else.  Ennis is the glue that keeps this team together.  Without him I legitimately think the Orange would be about 16-5? 15-6?  But with Ennis the team is 21-0...And #1 in the nation.  The kid better stay another year.  I'm gonna be the one to say it.  If he leaves this team will have some major issues next year.  But enough about next year.  Look that the times when he has stepped up.  It's like he looks up sees that there is 5 minutes left and a switch is turned on.  I've never seen a freshman perform so well under pressure and have literally no emotion change on his face.  He never looks rattled or nervous.  In conclusion Ennis > Parker.

Takeaway

Oh yeah...and Bieber
is a Duke fan

What blew me away more than CJ and Jerami's performances was the way the whole team played together look at the stat sheet.  All the starters, minus Rak, had at least 14 points.  The offense came alive last night in a way we have yet to see this season.  And the one that didn't score much, Rak, had the greatest block of his life.  What balls to go in there and have the confidence to get the ball with the possibility of being posterized for the win for Duke.  While I know the team was just as hype for this game as we were, and that can't happen every game, if the team can play half as good of offense as they did last night mixed in with some of the usual 2-3 defense, I think we may be unstoppable.  The one team I'm afraid of is Notre Dame, but let's not get into that.  All I can say is that I am so proud of this team and this school.  Wouldn't wanna be anywhere else.

PROUD TO BE ORANGE! 

Your Orange Foreign Corespondent

-Ron

#BeatDuke

The day is finally here. Duke. Syracuse. Carrier Dome. Boeheim. Coach K. Damn.  So what should we expect?  Well, don't let the #17 next to Duke fool you, this team is for real and Coach K will have them ready to disappoint the 35,446 fans in the Dome.  Jabari Parker is the real deal and the team will be ready to go tomorrow night.

1,897 wins and a few Freshman

These kids mean business and
Jimmy B's squad better be ready

So as most of you know Boeheim is 2nd all time in career wins in college basketball.  Well the guy who is in the top spot will be sitting across the scorers table.  Mike Kryzewski has coached at Duke for a measly 34 years and amassed 901 wins with the Blue Devils and 957 wins overall in his career.  He and Jimmy B are actually good friends that have coached together many times as the coaches of the USA national team.  So, if you think that the Orange's patented 2-3 zone is news to Coach K take a lap, because these two know each other well and this will be a battle.  Let's move on to the people who actually put the ball in the hoop.  Jabari Parker was the #1 (#2 on some rankings) recruit in the nation this summer.  Tyler Ennis was the #20 ranked recruit.  Funny thing is that Ennis has moved ahead of Parker on many people's "Rookie of the Year" lists.  Even though Ennis has been, as Jay Bilas said, unflappable, he doesn't have either the size or the shooting range that Parker does.  Parker averages almost 19 ppg and 8 rpg.  If those numbers don't make your jaw drop go to youtube and type in Jabari Parker, because then your jaw will drop.  This kid is the real deal.  His body type is like a mix of KD and LeBron.  He's fairly tall like KD but he's got some girth to him like LeBron.  He has had some down games but don't count on that to happen tomorrow.  This game means just as much, if not more, to the Blue Devils than it means to us.

Oh yeah, the rest of the team

Yeah, don't let the 4 losses fool you about this team.  Andre Dawkins may not have the astounding numbers that Jabari Parker has but he does have something.  Experience.  The 6-5 senior guard also has the potential to drop 20 on a team, as Jamie Dixon's Pitt squad found out.  And then there's Rodney Hood, a 6-8 forward who is averaging more that 17 ppg and almost 5 rpg.  Hood, a sophomore transfer from Miss. St. is shooting over 50% from the field and almost 45% from 3-pt land.  He could cause some real issues for the syracuse forwards who haven't really had to deal with very big opponents so far this season.  You can expect CJ Fair and Jerami Grant to be firing out of the zone early and often to cover this big man.  Speaking of big men, Amile Jefferson is a 6-9 forward that gobbles up about 7 boards per game.  While Syracuse has been playing much better on the boards, I can see the rebound numbers dipping a little with the trees that wear blue and white swallowing up the boards.

Prediction

OFFENSE!!!!

So this what everyone looks to see in the posts anyways right? OK so I think that if Syracuse's offense continues its current slip-N-slide that its on there could be some MAJOR problems.  Now I'm not saying this is best I've ever seen SU's defense play, but it is the 2nd best, only to how they played in the NCAA tourney last year.  the 20-0 record you see next to Syracuse is 160345693405% because of the defense.  The problem is that we need the offense to start stepping up.  Cooney needs to find his stroke again, and find it fast.  Like really fast.  This all being said, I think Syracuse does not disappoint the largest on-campus crowd in history and pulls out a close one, 65-62.

Your Orange Foreign Corespondent

-Ron

Ennis Clutch Down the Stretch, Orange Tie School Record at 20 Wins

Tyler Ennis' clutch second half led the
 no. 2 Orange over Wake Forest.

With 12 minutes left in the second half, a Madison Jones layup cut Syracuse's lead to just 3 points.  After regrouping with a timeout, Tyler Ennis scored 11 points down the stretch to lead Syracuse past the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem.

Ennis is proving that he can be the go to scorer late in games when Trevor Cooney and C.J. Fair are not hitting their shots (6-23 from the field, 1-9 from 3 point range).  The silky smooth freshman did it again on Wednesday night and Syracuse tied a school record with 20 straight wins to start a season.

In what was a slow game offensively for a while, Syracuse relied on its defense and rebounding to keep the lead against Wake Forest.  Jerami Grant pulled in seven offensive rebounds (12 total) and chipped in 10 points to record his third double-double of the season.  He also has scored in double figures in 6 straight games.  Defensively, Syracuse held Wake Forest to 34% from the field.  Rakeem Christmas and Baye Keita locked down the paint combining for eight blocks on the night.

Now that Wake Forest is behind us, it's time to get ready for the Duke.  8 AM is pretty early, but I know I'll be in the Dome for the College Gameday taping and you should be too.  BEAT DUKE!

~Ted Gioia

Trap Game? Probably Not, But Don't Take Wake Forest Lightly

There's no such thing as a "trap game"
according to Jim Boeheim.

With Duke looming ahead on Saturday, some think The Orange will overlook Wake Forest.  According to Jim Boeheim, the phrase "trap game" is a media term.  Whether he's right or wrong, Syracuse still faces a tough Demon Deacon team on the road tonight, and it could spell trouble if they don't bring their A-game.

What to Expect From Wake Forest

Coming off of two big wins at Virginia Tech and more recently at home against Notre Dame, the Demon Deacons are picking up momentum and showing they can compete in the ACC.

Codi Miller-McIntyre has led his Demon
Deacons to an above .500 record in ACC play.

Offensively, Wake Forest relies heavily on sophomores Codi Miller-McIntyre and Devin Thomas.  Point guard Miller-McIntrye is having a breakout year, nearly doubling his freshman year scoring with 15.2 points and 4 assists per game.  The 6-9 250 pound Thomas is a force on the boards with 8.5 per game, and also contributes in double figures offensively.  He's very efficient offensively, ranking third in the ACC in field goal percentage at 56.7%.  Rakeem Christmas and Baye-Keita will have their hands full keeping him off the offensive boards.

Is This a Trap Game?

Maybe, but I would be shocked if a team coached by Jim Boeheim is really dumb enough to overlook an ACC road game.  I don't think Syracuse is going to take a respectable Wake Forest team lightly, but I do think there is a chance Syracuse gets a scare tonight.  Wake Forest is one of the best rebounding teams in the ACC, keeping opponents to under 28 rebounds per game.  We've all seen those games when opponents take advantage of the 2-3 zone and crash the offensive glass **cough cough Pitt** .  If Syracuse can keep this game reasonable on the boards, they should coast past Wake's mediocre offense.

At the end of the day, I think the cold blooded Tyler Ennis and crew are too much offensively for the Demon Deacons.  I've got Syracuse running away with this one in the second half, 77-63.

Go Cuse.

~Ted Gioia

Time to calm the kittys - Looking at Cuse vs. Pitt

Jamie Dixon
1. a piece of shit
2. ON THE COURT!!
Photo Cred: ESPN

If you've been a Syracuse fan for long enough you know how big of a pain in the ass Jamie Dixon and his group of kitty cats can be for the Orange.  First thing I want to do is express how much is PISSES ME OFF when Jamie coaches from like halfway out on the court and never gets called for a T! What gives?  Any who...the Pitt Panthers are the 2nd ranked team in the ACC and are no joke.  They played probably the easiest non-conference schedule in the nation but they have only lost one game to the now #19 Cincinnati Bearcats.  They also only scored a season-low 43 points in that game, and we can't assume that will happen again because they average 77.3 ppg overall.   

Through the Trees 

So we're used to people talking about Syracuse's height right? Well guess what, Pitt is really tall. Like really really tall.  This could be an issue as our big men are semi useless.  Although Rak seems to have figured out how to offensive rebound again which is nice, but we are really going to need help from Baye, DaJuan, and even Jerami.  The resident old man of the Panthers is also their best player, 6-5 senior forward Lamar Patterson.  Patterson is averaging almost 18 points per game, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, and frankly this dude can do it all.  He can create his own shot and get the basket and could create fits for the Orange is the zone takes a day off like it did when BC shot 50% the other day.  Then there's Talib Zanna, the 6-9 senior from Nigeria that leads the team with 8 boards per game as the Panthers as a team average more than 37 boards per game.  So the key, as I see it, to this game is the get the ball in the hands of Trevor Cooney and have him have another day like he did in Boston.

Prediction

I think we go to 18-0 but this won't be easy.  Jamie Dixon's squad is 5-1 in the Dome in the past 6 years.  This year I have a good feeling that this Orange team in fairly unbeatable and this is not the team that will knock us off.  So I think we pull out a close one in the snow covered Dome, 77-71 'Cuse

Had to make sure the flat in London
gets a little bit of Orange

The Orange Juices are flowing free in the U.K.

-- your Orange foreign corespondent Ron

Fair, Grant lead Orange past Tar Heels

Trevor Cooney was having a miserable day from the field.  James McAdoo was actually knocking down shots.  A lethal combination for the Orange?  Not so much.  CJ Fair and Jerami Grant propelled Syracuse over the struggling Tar Heels.

3- Stars:

CJ Fair- Fair had 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks in a full 40 minutes of playing time today against the Heels.  On a day that Syracuse shot miserably from the field, CJ kept the offense rolling throughout the game.  Fair used a combination of attacking the rim with his mid-range jumper game to keep UNC on their toes, and they never really figured out how to stop Fair.  James McAdoo was given the tall task of trying to guard CJ and it's safe to say Carlton James won this one.

Jerami Grant- Back to back double doubles for Jerami Grant has most of Cuse Nation thinking this kid should be permanently in the starting lineup.  It's not just Grant's freakish ability to attack the rim on drives and put backs, but also his length on the defensive end of the floor.  Grant sucked in 8 defensive rebounds while leading the teeth of the zone against the Tar Heels.  Grant and Christmas altered countless UNC shots today, and that was a deciding factor in today's game.

2-3 Zone- Clearly, the 2-3 zone was very effective in slowing down the Tar Heel offense.  Holding a team with that kind of talent to 45 points is no small task.  Syracuse forced 14 Tar Heel turnovers, including 4 from freshman guard Nate Britt.  Trevor Cooney was struggling shooting the ball, but his 5 steals all but made up for it on the defensive end.  The Tar Heel forwards besides McAdoo scored just 7 points in total, which doomed UNC.

All in all it was an impressive Victory from the Orange, who face BC on Monday before a huge game against Pitt.  After Duke's shocking loss to Clemson today, there's no doubt that Syracuse is the hands down favorite to win the ACC.  The real question is... can this team lose?

Roy Williams... We meet again

Somewhere in New Orleans back in 2003, Jim Boeheim modestly shook the hand of Roy Williams after Hakim Warrick solidified the National Championship victory for Syracuse over Kansas.  Fast forward almost 11 years later, and Williams is now the coach at the University of North Carolina with two championships of his own under the belt.  For the first time in the new ACC, Boeheim and Williams meet again...

What's the deal with UNC?
North Carolina boasts the three best wins of any team in the country.  Home against #3 Louisville, away at #1 Michigan State, and home against #11 Kentucky.  One would think this would solidify them a high rank in the top 25, but that couldn't be further from the truth.  North Carolina has been plagued with some BAD losses... I mean losing to UAB after knocking off Louisville bad.  More recently, the boys in baby blue have lost an ugly pair of back to back games against Wake Forest and Miami, putting them at 0-2 in ACC play.  Sophomore Marcus Paige had been the only source of consistency for the Tar Heels, and he has failed to score in double figures these past two games.  However, UNC's main issues are in their front court.  Where Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks once showed flashes of greatness, they now show signs of mediocracy.  Paige's struggles combined with slacking big men have been the main reasons for this major slump.

Marcus Paige is UNC's go to player.

Who should Syracuse be worried about?
Marcus Paige is a dynamic player who really can do it all.  He's got great vision, great scoring ability, and although he has struggled the past two games, I still consider him in the mix for ACC Player of the Year.  Junior James Michael McAdoo is a McDonald's All American who has been scoring consistently for the Tar Heels (14.4 ppg), but he isn't really a difference maker.  Leslie McDonald is the player who might make it rain from three point land against the zone.  As UNC's only real sharp shooter this season, McDonald has struggled to find his shot.  Don't be surprised though if he starts knocking them down, because he surely has it in him.

Expectation
UNC has a knack for playing up or down to the level of their opponent, so don't be surprised if the Tar Heels come out and give the Orange a great game.  Sometimes when there's not much to lose, as there isn't for UNC, it's easier for an underachieving team to find their swing.  You can definitely expect the Loud House to be just that in Syracuse's first big ACC matchup.  While North Carolina will probably make a game of it, I still think Syracuse is just too much for them at this point in the season.  As long as Trev and CJ don't have atrocious days shooting, Syracuse should be fine in this one.  I'm going with The Orange here in a game that will be closer than most expect, 76-70.

Hokies...That was Easy

Welp, I guess the "Syracuse hasn't won an ACC game on the road yet so undefeated means nothing" talk can stop now.  Granted it was the lowly Va Tech Hokies but damn did SU look good. CJ looked like CJ, Trev looked like Trev, and Ennis played his game.  Oh, and the freshmen got in for more than 2 minutes, almost unheard of in Boeheimland.  The Orange weathered every storm that was thrown at them, as little as they may have been, and they walked away with their 3rd straight 15-0 record.

The Leaders are back

So what cause the 9,000 heart palpitations that I had last week during Miami was the fact that the leaders of this team took a bit of a lay off.  Well that didn't last long.  CJ blew the doors off the place and dropped 17 of the most sultry, smooth points I've seen all year.  I mean he was back to his old ways of the beautiful baseline midrange jumpers.  And Cooney, after going 2 for 12 from 3 range vs. Miami, dropped 11 of his own and looked like his shooting motion was back in town.  So with these guys back being themselves we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Oh yea and Jerami Grant added a double-double 12 points and 10 rebounds.  Is it just me or does it seem like SU always has their best all around player come off the bench?  Jerami Grant might not be refined but he has a helluva lot of talent.  It's only a matter of time before Grant becomes one of the best players in the nation. Mark my words. 

Bring on them Tar Heels

So going into this past week I thought this would be a huge match up for the 'Cuse.  And even though UNC just lost to Wake Forest, I don't think it's any different.  This is still a huge match up for 'Cuse.  It is the first real test for the Orange in the ACC and will definitely be a close game.  It really depends of what UNC team we see as to how tough this game will be, but something tells me Roy Williams would love to welcome the Orange to the ACC with a win.  I do feel confident with the way the leaders of this team played tonight and I think the Orange has a great chance to move on to a 16-0 record. 

15 Ws and a big old goose egg

--Ron

Virginia Tech Preview - Bring on the Hokies

The Hokies best player, Jarell Eddie,
is no stranger to the Orange

Ok so let's just get past the heart attacks that we all suffered last game.  Now that I have a clear head what we can take away from that game is that we now know we can win a dogfight, and win when our stars aren't performing.  The game was grinded out and the Orange walked away with the W.  Now to move forward to SU's next ACC opponent, the Virginia Tech Hokies.

The Arc

One of the main concerns of playing a 2-3 zone is 3 point shooting.  If a team gets hot from behind the arc, it is usually a rough day for the Orange.  Look at the Villanova game...SU was down 18 in the 1st half because 'Nova was drilling it from three land.  Same thing happened in the Miami game.  This could be a problem against Virginia Tech.  The Hokies rank 6th in the nation in 3-pt field goal percentage at 42.5%.  This means that Jimmy B's squad better be ready to extend the zone out or their 3rd straight 15-0 start may be a goner.  The Hokies are led by senior forward Jarrell Eddie.  Eddie leads the team with over 17ppg and leads the team with 47% from down town.  Eddie has already hit 42 3s in VT's first 13 games.  VT will, however, most likely be without 2 of their top sharp shooters, Adam Smith, out with a strained calf, and Marshall Wood, probably out because of the flu.  This will definitely hurt the Hokies chances of ending SU's current streak.  

StUggling Offense

Let's admit it.  The offense in the last game for the Orange was awful.  Not just bad.  But awful.  That is going to need to change if the Orange wants the get its second ACC win.  The Hokies hit a lot of threes, as I previously stated.  And the Orange give up a lot of threes, as we've seen.  So while the zone will probably be able to force outside shots from Va Tech's shooters, they are most likely going to make some.  So that means that Cooney needs to get out of his funk from 3 land, CJ Fair needs to start playing like the ACC POY, and the big men down low need to start being big men down low on the offensive side of the ball.  I mean come on 49 points against 8-5 (at the time) Miami? They can do better than that.  And they'll need to in order to come out of Blacksburg unscathed. 

Prediction

While it seems like I've been all doom and gloom this whole preview I still think the Orange is the better team.  I think CJ and Trev get back on track, I think T-Dot keeps being T-Dot, and the big men start to play better down low and the Orange comes out with a win.  My prediction -- SU 75 Va Tech 63. 

-- Ron 

Miami's Storm Can't Bring The ORANGE Down

Syracuse improved to 15-5 all time versus the Hurricanes
on Saturday January 4th

  Miami did everything right against Syracuse this afternoon by controlling the pace and tempo for the entire game. 'Cuse was not able to stretch their legs out and run on Miami because the hurricanes were able to hold possessions late into the shot clock, slowing every glimpse of momentum Syracuse would have. Also oddly enough, Miami played an extremely effective 1-2-2 zone on the Orange that limited them to a dismal 25 points at half. Down four during the break, The U continued to move the ball well and knock down some valuable threes while slowing down the Orange. They also could compete with Syracuse around the rim and off the glass (MIA: 27 rebs, 6 blocks/SYR: 29 rebs, 3 blocks) allowing them to take the lead for a  vast majority of the second half.

Syracuse on the other hand could not ignite an offensive spark whatsoever. The Orange were suffocated by Miami's offensive possessions and what little shots they did get off, they could only hit 36% of them. That is just never going to go well when you're also 3-15 from long range. Syracuse desperately even stretched their zone out to a full court press 5 minutes into the second half just to try and force some steals for easy buckets. For you members of the Coonsquad out there, Trevor unfortunately did not perform his best today going 2-12 from the floor, all from behind the arc might I add. I love Cooney as much as I've admired every other great college shooter but I like it when he attacks the hoop or at least looks to score in other ways every once in a while. He can make himself more 1 dimensional than he actually is and that can hurt a team especially when you're playing 39 minutes like he did today. However he did manage to finish the game with 11 points.

Jerami Grant started his first game of the season this year

with Dajuan Coleman out with a knee injury

Thankfully C.J. Fair (15 pts)  and Tennis (10 pts, 7 asts)  provided some late game heroics. Fair banged a corner three and hit another clutch layup late in the second half while Tyler had 2 marvelous takes to the basket that each resulted in scores for the Orange in their final possessions. Despite a rough outing, Syracuse proved they're a difficult team to beat even when things aren't going their way. Syracuse wins 49-44.

Things we learned: No game is a sure thing in the ACC