Syracuse students agree: Protecting the home court is paramount.
Florida State heads to the Dome to take on Syracuse. This is a critical matchup for Syracuse as SU is hurting for a quality win for the resume. Let's face it. It may be too late, but it might not be. Put a few wins together, do well in the Conference Tournament. See what happens. Hell, Syracuse scraped in last year, and they made the God damn Final Four. But that being said, Syracuse has very little margin for error today. It all comes down to Florida State's defense, and Syracuse's offense. FSU has the 2nd best defense in the ACC. Syracuse has the 2nd lowest turnovers in the ACC. Something will give. Syracuse needs to control the ball, limit mistakes, and just make basket after basket. FSU will try and force turnovers and get the easy lead with transition points. Syracuse can't let that happen. Syracuse has to play methodical and score easy baskets when it can. Still important, playing better defense and not allowing easy lobs to occur for FSU is important as well. But, really the turnovers could kill SU quickly, like what happened at Boston College. Syracuse needs to be smart and get some major production out of key players. FSU is a deep team, playing a lot of players off the bench so fouls probably won't be an issue. Syracuse will need to score field goals. Despite all this, I just think FSU has too many weapons and will be too tough for the Orange. I'm taking FSU by 17. This game is available nation wide (yay!) on ESPN 2 at 12:00pm. John is in the Dome. I'm in the Home Office. Enjoy...?
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Preview
Wake Forest - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Winning Is Better Than Losing
0 Comments Published on by Brian Harrison
It's unbelievable, but Syracuse pulled out a close game.
Syracuse finally was playing a team that wasn't in the top 25. And Syracuse returned to the Dome. Could Syracuse win a game that was, in fact, winable? Yes. And it was a close game but Syracuse held on to a thin lead and won the game 81 to 76.
- Andrew White went off for 27 points and he was a perfect 10-10 on free throws.
- Taureen Thompson came in second with 18 points on 7-10 shooting. He was also 4-7 from the free throw line.
- Tyler Lydon had a solid game of 15 points and 9 rebounds. He was 2-2 on free throws, and 3-6 on 3s.
- Syracuse and Wake were pretty even in terms of shooting but Syracuse had the slight edge. Oddly enough, Wake had a better free throw percentage, but Syracuse had more and made them when they mattered.
- Syracuse played Lydon, Battle, and White for all 40 minutes of the game.
- Tyler Roberson only played 7 minutes, but he put in a lot of effort in those 7, despite a couple pretty serious lapses in judgment on defense. That being said, he had a big block, and one that was clean but was called for a foul.
- At this point in the season, you would think Syracuse would look for the opposing player lurking around the baseline waiting for a quick pass for the easy 2.
- John Gillon didn't add much in this game. He didn't score. But he did distribute the ball better than Frank Howard, who is not as good as Gillon.
Labels: ACC, Basketball
Syracuse - Notre Dame Postgame Reactions OR Road Woes
0 Comments Published on 1.25.2017 by John Brennan
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| "Ew, there's a spider, get it away!" |
After nearly a week of after its Big Monday tilt against North Carolina, the Syracuse Orange traveled to South Bend last Saturday to take some of its moderate road improvement up against Notre Dame. I don't necessarily think many people expected Syracuse to win, but the better road play at UNC, coupled with Orange success over the Fighting Irish recently, certainly left that door wide open. Which is why not only the end result -- but the manner of defeat -- was so hard for many Orange fans to take. Notre Dame beats Syracuse 84-66.
- Tyler Lydon had a hell of a game: double double via 24 points (7-13 shooting, 2-4 from three, 8-8 from the line) along with ten rebounds in 40 minutes.
- Also playing all 40 minutes was Tyus Battle, Syracuse's 2nd leading scorer, with 17 points on 6-14 from the floor.
- Just behind him in scoring was Andrew White, who had 16 points.
- You can do the math there. The other nine points came from DaJuan Coleman (five) and Frank Howard (four).
- DaJuan Coleman! Not only did he get playing time, he got meaningful minutes -- 23! He had some rust to shake off, and it looked clear that his knee is not 100%, but he was able to contribute in a way this team hasn't seen in almost a month. With Tyler Roberson being a virtual non-factor because of foul trouble, Coleman was able to fill the rebounding void, with seven of his own.
- Those 23 minutes from Coleman allowed Lydon to slip back over to the forward position so he could focus on offense and be in better position to rebound -- both areas where he filled up the box score. Plus, Syracuse gains size at the center position with Coleman over Lydon. A healthy (enough) and active Coleman helps cover up the minutes that Taurean Thompson will have to spend at center. ND still exploited Coleman, but a lot of that can be rust.
- The Irish didn't exactly kill Syracuse from three -- always a big concern against a team like this -- but they were able to build a solid halftime lead and then just never allow Syracuse to even think about getting back in the game in the second half. It got pretty frustrating to continue to watch, honestly.
So that's basically all I wanna say about that. If Syracuse can't figure out how to play well enough on the road to even be competitive, then what are we even doing this for? A 9-9 conference record from sweeping the home games might get you a decent position in the ACC Tournament, but that's not played in the Carrier Dome -- it's played in a building where Syracuse is 0-1 this season. So, don't count on that to be the golden ticket at this point.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Recap
Syracuse students agree: Wake Forest is a winable game.
After two games on the road versus top 25 teams, Syracuse returns to the friendly confines to take on Wake Forest. Tyler Lydon has been great. The rest of the team is questionable. But this is a winable game for Syracuse on the schedule. Syracuse just needs to consistently score (obvious), and play defense (even more obvious). The difference is focusing the defensive effort on Bryant Crawford and Keyshawn Woods. Wake does extremely well when Crawford is able to distribute the ball and doesn't turn it over. Syracuse must pressure him and GET THEIR HANDS UP ON DEFENSE to block passing lanes and force uncomfortable passes and positions to force turnovers. Syracuse must also guard Woods, who is 45% from beyond the arc, and is in the top three on the team in rebounds, assists, and scoring threes. If Syracuse is able to shut down these two players, and Lydon and almost anyone else can score for Syracuse, they will win the game. Seems simple. But as we've seen, it isn't always that with Syracuse. I like SU at home more than the road though. And Wake isn't ranked. Good enough for me. Orange by 12. This game is available regionally at 8:00pm. Check your local listings here. For everyone else, check WatchESPN. John is in the Dome. I'm in the home office. C'mon Orange!
Labels: ACC, Basketball
Syracuse students agree: Always satisfying to beat Notre Dame.
Syracuse heads to South Bend to take on Notre Dame. They're ranked #15. But despite the fact that Syracuse has been meh over the last few years, Syracuse has dominated them. Syracuse has won the last three contests and seven of the last eight. Remember when GMac and Hak would throw down on ND back in the day? Well, apparently you can have equally fuzzy feelings about Trevor Cooney as an Irish killer. Anyway, ND has a pretty good pair of players in Bonzie Colson and Matt Ferrell. Ferrell is the captain of the offense, and he facilitates better than most. Syracuse put in a pretty great effort against UNC, especially Tyler Lydon. I think if Battle or White can get going, Syracuse has a chance to really take it to ND again. UNC's power was in their rebounding. They earned second chance points and prevented Syracuse from doing the same. ND is not as good of a rebounding team as Syracuse. Oh, and by the way, Syracuse is somehow the best free throw shooting team in the ACC. Suck on that Gottlieb! ND doesn't foul that much, so if Syracuse can make the ones they earn, that will help as well. I actually think Notre Dame won't have much of an answer for Syracuse's zone today. SU proved that they can play great defense on the road against UNC. It was just the rebounding that killed SU. Here, they shouldn't find that as big of a problem. And with the recent history, I'll take Boeheim over Brey, even when ND is playing better as of late. I've never thought Mike Brey is a good X's and O's coach. He just has talented players and plays to their strengths. Here, Syracuse's rubber has to meet the road. This is about as close to a must win as you can have in mid-January. I think Syracuse will come out more hungry and focused, and build on what they did well at UNC. Also, Syracuse has had basically a full week off. I think they come in focused. I'll take the Orange by 5. This game is available nationally on ESPN / WatchESPN at 12:00pm. I'll be out of pocket today, but John will be in the home office watching. GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Preview
Boston College - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Sweet Revenge
0 Comments Published on 1.20.2017 by John Brennan
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| Create your own meme |
2017 got off to a rough start. Syracuse paid a visit to Chestnut Hill to open ACC play, and the Eagles destroyed them. So just under two weeks later, when BC visited Syracuse, it was all about payback, revenge, righting the ship. Had the Orange not been able to do so, it would probably be fair to just write off this season (if you haven't already done so). Thankfully, the Orange played well. Revenge was indeed in order. Syracuse walks away with a 76-53 win over Boston College.
- Tyus Battle had likely his best game of the season, scoring 21 on 7-13 shooting, 3-6 from three, a couple of assists, and three steals. He was consistently the offensive spark for the Orange, and also played intense defense -- something certainly lacking in the first game against BC.
- The Orange also got solid offensive efforts from Tyler Lydon (16 points), Andrew White (13), and Taurean Thompson (10).
- Tyler Roberson again had a solid game on both ends, six points and six rebounds. It wasn't a "light up the box score" game for Robie, but he is finally becoming that consistent player off the bench that intensifies the defense, is a threat on the boards, and can score when necessary. He'll always have that "I can't hit bunnies" problem, but at this point his benefits outweigh the negatives.
- But speaking of negatives, what is it with this team and its intense attraction to taking a step inside the arc -- or stepping back just inside the arc -- and taking a shot? It's a low percentage shot without the payoff of the extra point you get outside the arc. It's particularly frustrating when they take that shot early in the shot clock, or when you clearly see other scoring opportunities on the possession. This offense is getting better, and usually doesn't have a problem scoring, but things could be so much better and so much easier if they just stopped taking these shots. But, who am I?
- Ky Feldman had a bucket for the Orange. I'm just putting that in here for posterity.
- Syracuse continues to shoot well from the free throw line in conference play. In this game, they were 17-19 for 89.5%.
We're definitely back to Syracuse being able to play well at home -- which is great! Obviously, the schedule gets harder and the Orange will still need to win some on the road too. But still, this is somewhat encouraging. And BC is a much better team than last year, so beating them actually means something. So for now, just drink it in and be happy.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Recap
Syracuse students agree: This would be a very big win for Syracuse.
With the way Syracuse is these days, these previews really aren't that complicated. Either Syracuse plays like they want to win games, or they don't. Syracuse will need the defensive intensity they had against BC and Pittsburgh if they want to win. They will also have to hit three pointers. Syracuse got away with poor shooting from outside the arc against BC. But UNC is not BC. Syracuse will need to make 3 pointers, as well as continue to assist and find easy buckets inside. Syracuse will also have to limit turnovers to prevent easy buckets for UNC, which is a big part of their offense. However, most important is shooting 3s and finding UNC shooters, specifically Joel Berry. He went off for 26 against FSU the other night. He's capable of doing the same against Syracuse if they come with the Defense they brought to VTech. Syracuse is capable of winning this game and I'd be thrilled if they did. But nothing so far has indicated that Syracuse can play well on both ends of the floor in an away game this season. So I'll take UNC at home by 11. This game is available on ESPN / WatchESPN at 7:00pm. We'll see you out there.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Preview
Syracuse students agree: Getting revenge on BC at home is imperative.
Syracuse laid a stinker against BC in Chestnut Hill (not in Boston) on New Year's Day. Now BC makes their way to the Dome. Can Syracuse get a little bit of redemption. They need to. It all depends on which Syracuse team shows up. The one that turns the ball over, can't score, or play effective defense, or the one that played Pittsburgh. Syracuse needs to shut down Ky Bowman, who went off for 30 points against Syracuse. SU must guard the arc, but additionally, they must also GUARD AGAINST BACK DOOR CUTS. They allowed a ton of easy buckets in both the BC and the VTech games. Syracuse never had the lead in those contests, in part because teams were able to get easy baskets early. Syracuse at home should play better than on the road. Whether that means Syracuse will win is a different story. But they have shot better at home than on the road. Only because they are at home, I'll take the Orange by 8. Why not, right? This game is available regionally at 4:00pm. Check your local listings here. For everyone else, check WatchESPN. John is in the Dome. I'm at home. Here's hoping we don't see another stinker.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Preview
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| We just pull up our pants, and do the rockaway... |
I think Orange Nation was pretty excited about what they had seen in the Carrier Dome against Miami and Pittsburgh. Rightfully so. That was the Syracuse team we thought we'd get this year. But you didn't think the team had quite turned the corner until they could show that success on the road. So, in many ways, Tuesday's game in Blacksburg was the most important game of the season to this point. And, well, the Orange failed. It was another uninspired defensive effort. It was a decent offensive effort, but offense doesn't win games. You can score 100 points, but if you give up 101, you lose. Exaggeration, but you see my point. The Hokies beat the Orange 83-73.
- Freshman Taurean Thompson was your leading Orange scorer, with 18 points on 7-13 shooting. He's a fantastic offensive player, and he probably has room to improve there. But Good God, he's clueless on defense. I'm not gonna sit here and rag on him because a freshman hasn't grasped the intricacies of the 2-3 zone by the second week of January. But it's his Achilles Heel. Until he does get it, he'll be a defensive liability, and Boeheim will have to do a cost/benefit analysis on whether or how long to keep him out there.
- Speaking of Achilles, we had another "lower body injury" scare from Tyler Lydon. It appeared he rolled the same ankle he had issues with earlier this season, and was visibly bothered by it for the remainder of his minutes on Tuesday. By the time Boeheim pulled him, he had scored just two points while grabbing seven rebounds in 29 minutes. After the game, Boeheim lamented he should have taken him out earlier, but Lydon -- always the team player -- had said he was fine. He echoed those comments after the game, as well.
- Lydon really has to walk a fine line between being a team player, and protecting his future. It's no secret he's probably bolting for the NBA after this season, and continuing to play on a hurt ankle could lead to a worse injury. Of course, NBA teams draft hurt players all the time -- because it's all about potential anyway -- so maybe this isn't even a concern.
- Andrew White and Tyus Battle scored 15 and 13 points, respectively, each playing all 40 minutes. Again, solid offensive efforts. Andrew White's shooting was off again (as sometimes happens) but he still finds ways to rack up points. So, whatever.
- Tyler Roberson had a double double, 14 points and ten rebounds. And that was only in 19 minutes. He's got a short leash from Boeheim, so even if he makes the most of his minutes, enough mistakes gets him pulled. Attribute some of this to lineup considerations, too.
- Frank Howard got 13 minutes of action. And that's all I have to say about that.
- With the zone being uninspired, VTech's already good game plan to exploit it was that much more effective. The Hokies shot 49.1%, 40% from three, and had 20 assists. Lots of great passing, high/low, baseline cuts. Frustrating for an Orange fan to watch.
- Buzz Williams kept most of his clothes on for most of the game. So, that speaks volumes.
It's become abundantly clear that the success of this team depends on whether, and to what extent, it decides to play active defense. It can usually score. It can usually hang close enough to make a comeback. But it all goes back to defense. As goes the defense, so goes the Orange. But at this point, I have no idea what the fix is, or why we can see the defense play so well and so inspired for two straight games, and then see it all disappear. All I know is that they better decide to play that inspired, active defense on Saturday in the Dome against Boston College. It was bad enough watching Syracuse lose at Conte Forum in person; I don't think I could handle another defeat in the Carrier Dome. So, Syracuse, please help me out.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Recap
Pittsburgh - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR They Couldn't Miss
0 Comments Published on 1.11.2017 by Brian Harrison
Sometimes basketball is fun still.
Syracuse was down in the dumps. But then Pittsburgh came to town. Syracuse shot the lights out, especially in the first half. And Pittsburgh seemed to have trouble. And it resulted in a huge Syracuse win that they dominated from start to finish. Despite the close score at the end, this one was really never in doubt. Syracuse over Pittsburgh 77 to 66.
- Andrew White led the team in scoring with 21 points on 7-14, 4-8 shooting, adding 3-4 free throws and seven rebounds. A really solid shooting day for a guy who should always shoot lights out, but hasn't done so lately.
- John Gillon might have played the best game of his career. Not only did he score a quite 20 points, but he had 11 assists and only four turnovers. He passed the ball magnificently, and Syracuse has found the point guard and distributor they have been desperate for.
- Tyus Battle had a solid shooting day, adding 15 points on 6-9, 3-5 shooting.
- Tyler Lydon had a quiet day by his standards, but shot 5-9 from the floor and picked up 13 points and five rebounds.
- Tyler Roberson came off the bench and played 36 minutes. But it might be the most productive 36 minutes you'll ever see while only scoring four points. He had ten rebounds, but he really allowed Syracuse to grab more because of his play. More importantly, he had six huge blocks.
- Syracuse shot 51.9% both overall and from three. They were 14-27 from distance. They also shot 87.5% from the free throw line.
- Syracuse limited Pittsburgh to 35.1% from the floor.
- Syracuse went on a 32-4 run in the first half. Insane.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh
Syracuse students agree: Beating Buzz is satisfying.
Syracuse has seen Buzz Williams teams for the better part of a decade. One thing is always guaranteed. He will sweat through at least one shirt. And his teams will play hard. Syracuse travels to Blacksburg to take on a VTech team that is ranked. Syracuse needs the resume boost. Can Syracuse play well on the road? I don't know. You don't know either. My guess is they have a similar game plan to Pittsburgh. As both teams are pretty similar with a big time shooter. Syracuse will need to start hot. If they make shots like they did they will be fine. But even more important is Gillon still passing the ball so effective as he did, and playing with the same intensity as Syracuse did on the defensive end on the floor than they did against Pitt. Either they show up or they don't. But I think Syracuse has all the momentum right now. And Buzz has somehow found a way to blow it against Syracuse in the last few meetings. So I'll take a flyer on the Orange and say SU by 6. This game is available nationally on ESPN U at 7:00pm. Both John and I are watching at home. Good luck to all.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Preview
Syracuse students agree: Beating Pittsburgh is always great.
Syracuse and Pittsburgh is one of the more underrated rivalries in East Coast Basketball. It always seems to be either a close game, or a crazy ending, or an all out brawl. Earlier this season, I would have assumed that Pittsburgh would have been easy pickings for Syracuse, after Pitt lost to SMU and Duquesne and Syracuse was smoking fools. And with Pitt having a new coach as well. But the tides have turned. Syracuse is trying to put it all together, and came a long way in the Miami game. They showed flashes of much better defense and made shots. If Syracuse can get going today, Pitt could have trouble keeping up. However, Pitt has four legitimate 3 point shooting threats, as they were on display this past week against Virginia in The Pete. I think Syracuse will again play well in the Dome, and if they build a little bit of a lead, Pittsburgh has had trouble closing games. So with a lead, I'm not sure Pitt could get back into it as time ticks down. But I just think Coach Kevin Stallings' plan is going to just shoot the three over and over and if they make a bunch, then ball game. And I think they will. So I'm taking Pittsburgh in a close one. Panthers over the Orange by six. This game is available regionally at 12:00pm. Check you local listings here. WatchESPN for everyone else. John is in the Dome. I'm currently not, but will be soon, burred under snow at the Home Office. We'll see you out there.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh, Preview
Miami - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Step Forward
0 Comments Published on 1.05.2017 by John Brennan
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| "Where is that delicious Wegmans sub I was just eating?" |
When you lose to a Boston College team that hasn't won a conference game since the 2014-2015 season, you've pretty much hit rock bottom. Or, at least, you hope that's rock bottom. I didn't want to chance that, and evidently, neither did the Syracuse basketball team. They actually played defense! Pretty well! Plus, they shot the lights out of the ball. Add to that a quite raucous Carrier Dome crowd (which didn't include me) and you've got yourself a nice Wednesday night. Syracuse beats Miami 70-55.
- Playing all 40 minutes, Andrew White led the way for Syracuse with 22 points on 7-13 shooting, 4-9 from three, and 4-4 from the line. He also grabbed ten rebounds for a double-double.
- Taurean Thompson started the game at the center position, but after a few rather unproductive minutes, Tyler Lydon slid over and Tyler Roberson entered the game. And then -- except for the last 40 seconds of the first half -- Boeheim stayed with the lineup of John Gillon, Tyus Battle, Andrew White, Tyler Roberson, and Tyler Lydon.
- That lineup worked wonders. The defense was active, guarded shooters, rotated and slid when appropriate, and limited the Hurricanes to 55 points. The offense shot 56.8% for the game, 42.1% from three, and 85.7% from the line.
- Tyler Lydon had another great game as well, with 20 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks.
- Tyler Roberson had a very solid effort off the bench: nine points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Just as important as his stats was his presence on the court -- he knows how to move in the zone. When one teammate can motivate another, it becomes contagious and they all feed off each other's success. That was on display Wednesday night.
- Here are a few stats that make this 15 point win even more impressive: Syracuse didn't score a field goal for the final 2:01 of the game; Miami hit 11 threes; Miami had 21 points off 15 Syracuse turnovers.
- Jim Boeheim was happy, even giddy, and definitely his usual snarky self in the postgame presser. Take the eight minutes and watch it here.
As coach stated, this game is but a good step forward. It's not the thing we can look at to say this team isn't gonna go 1-17 in the league. But it's a start. They need to keep it up. And all signs point to Boeheim sticking with this lineup as long as he can. The next test is Saturday, in the Dome against always tough Pittsburgh. The Panthers just beat Virginia at the Pete in overtime, so they're certainly no pushover.
Labels: Basketball, Recap
Syracuse students agree: We're glad we're on break still.
Syracuse stinks right now. And until they beat an ACC team, there will be no evidence to the contrary. That being said, Syracuse might have a chance against Miami if it does a couple things better than they did at Boston College. Mainly, cover shooters. Syracuse allowed 16 3 pointers at BC. Miami doesn't live and die by the 3, but the chances are vastly improved for Syracuse if they aren't allowed to make more than a hand full. On top of that, Frank Howard, or any other player playing the point has to facilitate and actually make smart passes. Howard only recorded 3 assists against BC. Too bad he also turned the ball over 3 times. Smarter decisions must be made in regards to the basketball and quick. However, Lydon seems to be hitting his stride, and Roberson has actually played great in the last 2 games off the bench, being awarded more and more minutes on the floor. Well earned minutes. Syracuse has a chance, but defense must be played. However, Syracuse couldn't stop BC's star, and I'm not sure Miami's Ja'Quan Newton will be stopped either. I'd like to think Syracuse can flip a switch at home in this one, but again, no evidence to that effect. So I'm taking The U in the Dome by 14. This game is available regionally at 7:00pm. Check your local listings here. For those not blacked out, the game is available online. Both John and I are in the home offices. We'll see you out there, win, lose, or draw.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Preview
Syracuse - Boston College Postgame Reactions OR Bottom Of The Barrel
0 Comments Published on by Brian Harrison
This is a little better than how I was feeling being at this game.
It looked like Syracuse would be using their win against Cornell as a start of an easy stretch of games, meant to get Syracuse's footing back after failing to play any semblance of great basketball against St. John's. But no. The unlikely thing happened. Syracuse seemed to play even worse than it had been. Syracuse traveled to Boston College (not actually in Boston) and managed to possibly become the biggest disappointment of the season, but certainly one of the worst Power 5 teams in the nation. Syracuse has zero wins against a top 50 RPI (despite RPI being stupid person math) team. Syracuse has no resume. Syracuse got blown out by a team that couldn't win a league game last season. Syracuse may do the same this year. SU loses to Boston College 96 to 81.
- Despite looking lost in almost every aspect of playing except shooting the ball, Andrew White scored 22 to lead the team. He was 4-7 from distance and 4-4 on free throws. He also had six rebounds.
- Tyler Lydon did his best to add 17 points, looking visibly frustrated with his team while on the floor.
- Tyler Roberson came off the bench and had one of his best games of the season. He looked energized while others looked dazed. He put in a fantastic effort, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
- John Gillon was 2-10, 0-4 shooting in the game, for seven points. More disappointing was Frank Howard, who was 1-6, 0-2 shooting in the game for three points. But more importantly, he only had three assists and committed three turnovers. Dreadful play from the point guard spot, no matter who was there.
- The team allowed 16 3's and BC shot 61.5% from behind the arc.
- The defense is dreadful and doesn't cover shooters. They also don't anticipate and rotate accordingly. BC must have had at least six back door cut passes from the paint for easy buckets before someone started rotating in to cover it.
- Apparently the team played man-to-man defense for a brief moment in the game. I didn't notice being their live. But Twitter erupted.
- For those that think that switching to man-to-man will somehow save the season, you're wrong.
- For those that think Jim Boeheim should be fired, you're wrong.
- For those that don't remember, Syracuse went to the Final Four last year as a 10 seed.
- 85% of the crowd was for Syracuse. But it was quiet. And only got loud with a monster dunk from Roberson.
- I don't know where Syracuse goes from here.
Labels: ACC, Basketball
Syracuse students agree: No matter what, Syracuse can totally beat BC.
Syracuse heads into ACC play on the road in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to take on Boston College. The Eagles head into this game at 7-6, only slightly worse than 8-5. But they are, in fact, a decent basketball team when given the right match up. Syracuse will need to make baskets, as chances are they won't get many second chance buckets against BC. They are tied in rebounding with Virginia atop the ACC standings. Syracuse will need to make buckets, but specifically the easy ones they should definitely hit. Otherwise, it will be a long day. Syracuse also must stop Jerome Robinson. He's one of the few BC players that averages double digits in scoring, and if allowed to, will light up Syracuse. SU will have to find him and cover him. If Syracuse is successful in limiting Robinson's points, and frankly, doesn't allow some rando to then become ACC player of the week, Syracuse should win. I like Syracuse to force a few steals here, but more importantly, continue their hot shooting from outside. Additionally, if it comes down to it, BC is somehow worse at free throws than Syracuse. And we know how much they matter. The gym will be quiet. Students are home on break, and not many go to games at BC in the first place. So I think there will be a decent crowd for Syracuse there and they should edge out BC for their first ACC win of the season. And they need to. I'll take the Orange by 8. This game is available nationally on ESPN U / Watch ESPN at 12:30. Both John and I will be on campus at BC so giddy up. Let's go Orange! FOR BOSTON, FOR BOSTON, THE OUTHOUSE ON THE HILL!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, BC Sucks, Preview