Orange::44

West Virginia - Syracuse Preview

2012-01-28T10:43:00.000-05:00

Syracuse students agree: The season sweep would be excellent.

Syracuse bounced back from their loss to Notre Dame last Saturday to beat a pretty good Cincinnati team at home on Big Monday. Now the Mountaineers come into a fairly packed Carrier Dome for a Saturday afternoon affair that pits the fourth place team in the Big East versus the top dog. Can Syracuse handle the leading candidate for Big East PoY?

Syracuse is again without starting center Fab Melo. He is out until further notice, with rumors swirling that he could be back next game or in "a while". Moral of the story, only Syracuse University knows at this point. Either way, this is a winable game for Syracuse at home in front of a friendly and full crowd. Over 27.5k tickets have been sold for this game, which will make it the largest on campus crowd of the season so far. And that bodes well for the Orange as the Mountaineers have had problems on the road as of late. Specifically at St. John's, where the lost on Wednesday 78-62. WVU's freshmen players have not adapted to playing well on the road in Big East play as of late. Kevin Jones (20.9ppg, 11.6rpg), is their leading scorer and rebounder however. And he has played great all season. He scored 26 points in that loss in MSG. He will score a bunch today most likely. The key is to limiting WVU to as few possessions as possible and getting in an offensive rhythm. Transition buckets, which have not come easy to the Orange the last few games will also be key. While Jones doesn't turn the ball over that much, Darryl Bryant turns over the ball quite a bit. 56 turnovers to his 57 assists. The Turkish Thunder Deniz Kilicli will be tough inside, but his main strength is rebounding. Aaron Brown, off the bench, will be the best three point shooter for West Virginia. Moral of the story, if Syracuse wants to win they need to convert easy baskets and execute good half court offense. West Virginia's strength is their defense and rebounding. WVU will have trouble penetrating the zone. Adequately guarding three point shooters and pulling defensive rebounds are needed. If Syracuse gets their transition offense going this game is over early. If not, Syracuse will have a game similar to the Cincinnati game. They might be down early, but more likely it will simply be close until later in the second half, when Syracuse will get the lead or really pull away. Syracuse is just too deep and too talented. And you have to assume Dion Waiters will wake up in front of the home crowd. Syracuse earns a nice Big East win at home by 12.

This game is broadcast nationally on ESPN U at 1:00pm this afternoon. You can also watch on your home computing device. We're in the Dome today and there's a big crowd so phone action will be spotty at best. Enjoy the game and a fine Saturday. We all hope.

Orange::44 On The New Nike Uniforms

2012-01-26T22:50:00.001-05:00

This will be worn against South Florida in the Dome.

Editor's Note: We here are used to writing about uniform changes at Syracuse. We've done it quite a bit over the years. Below are the thoughts of Correspondent John Brennan and I on the new uniforms.

Brian: Syracuse is (or should we say Nike) is shoving a new design on several schools this and next month for their uniforms. Not particularly surprising. It's what Nike does. I've long been on record as hating gray or "platinum" as a home uniform. However it makes sense for schools like Georgetown, a school who's color is actually gray. I think it's ugly anyway, but it makes sense for Georgetown. Therefore, it would make sense that for school with only one official color, like Syracuse, that a home jersey would be white, and your road jersey would be your school color. For a school like Syracuse, Alabama, or Duke where colors are part of their nickname, this takes on even more gravity. Either way, I'm on record as well as saying that I don't think wearing gray is traitorous or any sort of reference to Georgetown, but I do think it's just stupid and ugly. I said this before seeing the actual designs above. I haven't changed my mind.

When Nike tells you to wear a new uniform you do it. We understand this to be true. But why? Yes, they are shelling out millions to outfit your guys. But it it wasn't Nike it would just be Under Armor or Adidas or any other company. So why grant that much control over your uniforms to a company anyway? Without the team and the University there wouldn't be anyone to wear the uniforms anyway.

We all know this is just to sell jerseys. Syracuse is wearing their usual white jerseys at home after this, and orange on the road. So that's awesome. This is just to make a quick buck. And the worst part is they will sell. There is always a segment of people that will buy these. So thanks for being most of the problem. But this just isn't that great of a design anyway.

Every school is a gray jersey with their school's color down the side and their color sneakers. Not that creative. The designs on the back aren't that intricate. And last I checked we were the Syracuse Orange. Not the "CUSE" officially.

Either way, these are minor gripes. The real issue is that this kind of idea, were there is just a one off of a jersey just to sell them, is ridiculous and shameful. But it's just the kind of move I'd expect from Nike and Syracuse University Athletic marketing. After all, they are the ones that sold a wildly dumb 20-0 shirt.

The final point I'll leave you is the idea that complaining over what this team wears is stupid. While it maybe be "just a jersey" it represents the team. A team that would be playing in front of an empty stadium without fans and specifically alumni. The fact that Nike thinks you're a sucker and will just buy anything with "CUSE" on it should be an affront to your sensibilities. But maybe that's just me.

John: It's Nike being Nike. Let's not lose sight of that. We know they're gonna do what they need to do to make money, andif they think this is what will do that for them, then all the morepower to them.

Do I like them? No. As with mostly everyoneelse's complaints, it's really the gray/platinum that turns me off. It's just not a good combination. I'd really hate Syracuse wearing these against Georgetown, but it looks like we're safe fromthat. But beyond that, why do we hate the gray? I think it's because we are the Syracuse Orange. When the school decided to identify itself as simply a color, that became our main focus. While many schools have a color in its name (Marquette Golden Eagles, Tulane Green Wave,Duke Blue Devils, Alabama Crimson Tide, etc.), we are JUST acolor. We don't have a tangible thing like an Eagle, a Wave, a Devil, ora Tide to fall back on. Justthe color. So when a uniform underminesorange, we believe it undermines The Orange, we believe it underminesSyracuse. We take it personally.

But "we" are fans. We care about aesthetics. We care about common sense. Wecare about tradition. But "we"don't play basketball for Syracuse. We aren't wearing those uniforms on the court, dribbling, passing, shooting, and dunking. So as long as the uniforms don't impact how the players play, then who REALLYcares? That said, there are a few aspects of these newuniforms that I think could improve upon what we have now. I'm assuming the fabric and venting choices are technological improvementsover the current. And while "'CUSE" isn't my first choice forthe front of the jersey, it's not horrible either. If there was going to be an alternate jerseyin the regular rotation, I wouldn't mind if it said'CUSE. On the back of the jersey we currently have a lot going on inthat mesh thing with scenes from campus. The new alternates have a huge block S, what appears to be the top of the Carrier Dome, and astar with an 03 in it, honoring our National Championshipseason. That's nice. The shorts have a thick orange stripe down the sides,with a block S and Syracuse bannered over it. I like that better than the current blocks of colors. The orange shoes and orange socks? They speak for themselves.

At the end of the day, Syracuse is only wearingthese uniforms for the South Florida game on February 22. As a fan, I can stomach that for one game, especially that one. Unless contractually obligated, it appears Syracuse would be foolish to roll them outagain, based upon all the negative feedback that has beenacknowledged by both the SyracuseU and suorangeempire twitter feeds. So for now, let's just appreciate that Nike wants to honor Syracuse as anelite program (even if we disagree with the way they do it) and hopethat future experiments take into consideration the reactionsof the fan base (i.e. potential customers).

Cincinnati - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Nice to Win Again

2012-01-23T21:38:00.000-05:00

Scoop will hit shots when he needs to

Anytime you lose a game, the next game becomes very important. A win gets you back in the right direction, but another loss sends you further down the wrong path. After Syracuse won its first 18 games last year, it lost to Pitt and then lost its next three games. We were all screaming that the sky was falling. Syracuse did eventually fall out of that rut last year, but it took its toll on the team. So this is why tonight's game against Cincinnati was so important. And it would have been easy to lose it: the Orange had just lost at Notre Dame; the middle of the zone was still reeling from losing Fab Melo; Cincy was playing well and hosting a whiteout in its first Big Monday. In a hard-fought battle, Syracuse beat Cincinnati 60-53.

Kris Joseph was your leading scorer for Syracuse (a go-to guy?) with 17 points on 8-11 shooting. Interestingly, though, Kris shot 0-3 from three, which means that he hit all shots within the arc (including some nice dunks).
Other double-digit scorers were Scoop Jardine with 13, and Brandon Triche with 11.
Scoop started real slow, but poured it on when it mattered, late in the game when Syracuse was really pulling away. Scoop was 2-4 from three.
In his second start, CJ Fair put in another solid effort with six points and six rebounds (four offensive).
Sliding Rakeem Christmas over to cover Fab's spot resulted in nine rebounds from Rak, three blocks, and a solid player in the middle. I think he's done a lot of growing up over the past few days, and he's gained a pretty good understanding of this 2-3 zone.
While Rak was active in the zone, he "held" Yancy Gates to 16 points. I say that because I really think Gates would have scored a lot more if the middle of the zone were exploitable like it was Saturday against Notre Dame.
Cashmere Wright was the leading scorer for the Bearcats with 17, mostly aided from going 5-8 from three. Cincy started hot, especially from three, which gave us all that "Oh crap here we go again" feeling. Good thing that didn't last.
Comparatively, Syracuse outshot Cincy 46.4% to 34.4%. Cincy held a slight edge from three, 32% to 25%. Syracuse edged by on the rebound battle 36-35.

Just as I said it's important to win after a loss, I'll be a bit obvious and say it's important to win after a win. That's the task this Saturday, as Syracuse hosts West Virginia in the Dome. Between now and then, Syracuse will be working on continuing to move on without Fab Melo (assuming that's the situation). Fab Melo will be working on whatever it is he needs to work on so that playing without him is not the situation. And we'll be working on bringing you all the latest in Syracuse sports. Maybe even figuring out why Dion Waiters was such a non-factor tonight.

Syracuse - Cincinnati Preview

2012-01-23T15:51:00.001-05:00

Syracuse students agree: Time to bounce back in a big way.

Tough loss on Saturday. Syracuse is no longer #1. #3/4 isn't so bad though. And now they travel to Cincy to take on the pretty good Bearcats in a sold out arena. Although Cincinnati can't spell the word involved (look closely), this game will be tough.

Fab Melo is still not where the team is. That is a problem in terms of being able to stop Yancy Gates. He averages 12.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and has one hell of a right cross. You can debate for yourself if he should still be on Cincy, but he is and will probably eat up Baye Moussa Keita and Rakeem Christmas on the inside. Which means that Syracuse has to score. Especially since Sean Kilpatrick averages 16ppg. While they don't have one individual that can consistently hit outside shots, they shoot the ball well from the outside as a team. Syracuse will have to be active guarding the perimeter but not fall into the huge trap of biting on every overload of the zone, giving Gates a really easy bucket. Really though, this preview comes down to the gut feeling and pretty standard logic that after a team has a really bad shooting night like Syracuse did Saturday, where three or four big time players had a terrible offensive night, that that doesn't happen two games in a row. Syracuse has to play Gates tough, but Syracuse has really owned Cincy for the most part since entering the league. Syracuse also has 8-9 reliable scorers, where Cincy plays eight, and only seven really do much of anything. Especially if Gates gets into foul trouble, this game could be a nice win for Syracuse. I do like the Orange, but this will be another close game and Syracuse will probably have to play from behind but should take the lead down the stretch in the second half. A nice start would also help. Syracuse needs to come out firing on all cylinders, as Cincy will probably do the same. Our good friend Scott knows I'm pretty good at picking Syracuse/Cincy games, so he'll be sad to know I'm picking the Orange by 8.

This game is again on Big Monday. ESPN national broadcast with the A Team of McDonough/Bilas/Raftery on hand, starting at 7:00pm. Should be another game that Syracuse fans will sweat out. Since this is on the road be sure to check out Twitter and harass Scott from The Bearcats Blog @BearcatsBlog, and join our tomfoolery of course. Enjoy.

Syracuse - Notre Dame Postgame Reactions OR No Longer Undefeated

2012-01-23T04:01:00.002-05:00

Well that sucked to watch. Unless you're an ND fan.

South Bend: Where #1 goes to die. While the result wasn't too much of a surprise it was still unpleasant to watch. Syracuse falls, but the good news is that this was a road loss we knew would happen eventually, and Syracuse is still in solid command of first in the Big East. The absence of Fab Melo did not help either. But let's talk about this game first.

Notre Dame got off to a roll hitting two three pointers right away. Syracuse never led in this game. They had a season low half output of 23 points to ND's 35. Luckily Dion Waiters hit two back to back three pointers before the half to only make it 12 points. Then in the second half ND and SU basically traded baskets, with both teams going on mini-runs of points, with Syracuse never really getting closer than seven or eight points. Missed free throws and failing to take advantage of turnovers really never let Syracuse get back into the game. Oh yeah, and a ton of bricked three pointers. Syracuse ends up going down 67 to 58. Not bad considering how good ND played and how bad Syracuse shot in this game.

Syracuse's leading scorer was James Southerland off the bench with 15 points. He probably played the best offense for Syracuse looking at the game in total. He was 5-10 and 3-7 from the floor respectively. He also was 2-2 from the line.
Kris Joseph was the leading rebounder on the floor for the Orange with five. CJ Fair and Rakeem Christmas each added four.
Scoop Jardine, as usual, led in assists with seven.
Syracuse missed Fab Melo. They only had two blocks in the game.
Despite the fact that Notre Dame turned the ball over the least in the Big East going into this game, Syracuse caused 17 for the Irish, and had nine steals. Sadly that didn't equate to a win like it normally would. In the circumstances, it really didn't feed any transition offense in the vast majority of the turnovers.
Syracuse shot the ball poorly. They were 18-53 (34%), and 7-23 (30.4%) from three. Syracuse missed 14 of their first 19 field goal attempts. The worst way to start a game on the road, let alone against a team in the Big East.
Notre Dame, conversely, shot the ball better. They shot 50% both overall and from behind the arc.
Syracuse only got 28 points from their starting lineup.
Scoop Jardine was 0-5 and 0-2 in the game. His only points were two free throws out of four. He couldn't hit the ocean from a boat on Saturday night.
While Fab Melo was not the reason Syracuse lost the game, and he would have only contributed a few baskets at the most, where he was missed was simply being in the zone. A seven footer makes players alter their shots and think twice about driving in the lane. He also blocks shots. He would have given Jack Cooley a run on his scoring.
Baye Moussa Keita can't catch the ball worth shit. And he has no excuses as his thumb is healed and unwrapped. He couldn't catch it wide open, let alone hot underneath the basket. I mean, how is that possible?
Similarly, Kris Joseph couldn't dribble in this game. At all. What's up with that?
I defer to our friend Russ at the Three Idiots with this post. In it, about the blocks/charges he says "The block/charge call is ruining collegebasketball. The refs screw it up more times than they get it right and it takesthe aggressiveness out of the game -- the flopping is worse than it is in aEuropean soccer game. In my opinion, unless a guy is an absolute statue, thecall has to be a block. If the game starts getting called that way, you'll seea lot fewer guys sliding over at the last second and taking guys out too." Nailed it. And I'll add that the charge that Waiters "committed" was a block. It was a secondary defender sliding over standing directly over the arc line. Stationary or not, that is a block by the new rules. In the arc as a secondary defender? That's supposed to be a block. Higgins called it a charge.
Cooley, in a three person trap from the press of Syracuse, swung his elbows and hit CJ Fair. It was a textbook Flagrant 1 as the rule now states and it was called that after a review. Good for the referees. It was about the second or third one he committed on the day.
No one player played completely bad from the floor on offense, but almost every player had a good stretch where they were just awful or made a terrible shot selection. Notable examples were Watiers, Fair, and obviously Scoop.
Yelling "Overrated" at a team you are beating devalues the win. Most people know this except the one jackass that starts it in every student section in the nation. Also, as someone pointed out, if Syracuse was so overrated why are you rushing the court?
Chanting "Fab Can't Read" is funny. Is it also over the line? That's debatable. You want to yell that? Fair enough. I expected that at UConn,WVU, Pitt, or Georgetown, but not at ND though.

Syracuse now travels to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats. Will Syracuse play better with the still absence of Fab Melo? Will the pressure of being #1 now lifted will Syracuse simply crush? We will find out Monday night. Let's just hope everyone involved forgets about this game quickly.

Syracuse - Notre Dame Preview

2012-01-21T12:55:00.002-05:00

Syracuse students agree: Everyone loves beating Notre Lame.

Syracuse, fresh off a nice win against Pittsburgh in the Carrier Dome, has had since Monday night off to prepare to play Notre Dame in the Joyce Center in South Bend. They are 20-0 and undefeated. Can that last against the Irish?

Notre Dame is interesting. They don't have consistent three point threats as they have had in the past. Statistically, their best shooter sits the bench with an ACL tear, out for the rest of the year. Also, their second best rebounder, in Tim Abromaitis. That means their best player now is guard Eric Atkins, averaging 13.3ppg, and shooting 44.3% from behind the arc. After that, it gets significantly weaker in terms of offensive production. The difference in this game will be Notre Dame's ability to handle three points. Limiting turnovers is the first. They have the least amount of turnovers in the Big East. If Syracuse cannot create turnovers or steals to get some easy baskets they could struggle. Slowing the pace of the game is the second. Syracuse is beatable if you keep them consistently playing half court basketball. While they can score (obviously) in the half court, it makes it harder for them. Additionally it limits possessions. Finally, Notre Dame has to rebound. They will probably out-rebound Syracuse like they have been for several games this year. But limiting second chance baskets will be key for the Orange. If the fail to do that, and ND gets a kick out to an open shooter, it usually bodes well for that team. Syracuse is more athletic and deep though. We should see nine guys today. I have a feeling Baye Moussa Kieta will see some significant time today, but really it is Syracuse's back court with Scoop Jardine, Brandon Triche, and Dion Waiters that will carry this team today. Scoop has been playing very well lately, averaging 11 points and 9.5 assists his past two games. He's only committed a couple turnovers in that stretch as well. He's good for one horrific turnover a game, but since it's only one it's pretty forgivable. Kris Joseph should shoot well today and I think James Southerland and CJ Fair will obviously play a huge part. While I think this game will be close, I'm taking Syracuse in a tight game. The Orange stay unbeaten by five.

This game is available nationally tonight at 6:00pm EST on ESPN. Also available online. This should be a close and probably uncomfortable game to watch for the Orange faithful, so distract yourself with some Twitter snark when you can. Enjoy your Saturday.

Tomaselli's Pants are on Fire

2012-01-20T20:48:00.002-05:00

When I originally typed that title, I was thinking of the "liar, liar, pants on fire" thing. Then I thought more about how he's a convicted sex offender, and I guess the "pants on fire" thing takes on another meaning. I'm like totally smart like that.
Anyway, to the nitty gritty here. Today, Zach Tomaselli -- the third accuser in the Bernie Fine saga -- admitted that he had doctored emails he provided to the Post-Standard, and that he lied about things in order to get people to believe him. You follow that logic? Good. This, of course, is a huge blow to his already shaky credibility. With the Tomaselli accusations being the only potentially prosecutable case against Fine, these latest credibility issues really throw a wrench into that.
For the Feds (or anyone else) to bring Fine to trial on these accusations, they need to have credible evidence. Prosecutors have a duty to do justice -- which often times means not prosecuting a case if they don't have enough evidence for a conviction. In a sex abuse case where there is little to no physical evidence, the lion share of the proof presented at court will be the testimony of the alleged victim. Therefore, that alleged victim's credibility is of the utmost importance; if the jury doesn't believe the alleged victim, they have nothing on which to base a guilty verdict.
So let's count the credibility issues of Zach Tomaselli:

He first contacts ESPN, who puts accuser Bobby Davis in touch with him. Then he goes to the authorities.
He evidently doesn't know the difference between UConn and Pittsburgh.
His school says he was in school when he says he was in Pittsburgh.
He doesn't know how he got to Pittsburgh or who else was with him.
He admits that he doctored emails he showed to the Post-Standard in order to get them to take him seriously.
And, oh yeah, he pleaded guilty to sexually molesting a young boy and is awaiting a lengthy prison sentence.

Now, I'm no expert -- no, wait, I am -- but no prosecutor is going to prosecute a case against Bernie Fine on the Tomaselli allegations. Of course, following his revelations to the Post-Standard today, he then texted the paper that he wants the police to drop its investigation, leave him alone, and that he'd also be dropping the civil suit against Fine. A non-cooperating complaining witness doesn't necessarily mean that the police wouldn't follow through with their investigation or that the prosecutor wouldn't prosecute -- that happens all the time -- but realistically I imagine Fine is fine here. I mean, with Tomaselli facing three years in prison, he'd be testifying in Fine's trial wearing prison garb. Strike One. And then lie after lie after lie. Strikes two and three. He's out.

I imagine, however, that the Feds will continue their investigation of Bernie Fine, with or without the cooperation of Tomaselli. They need to make sure there are no other potential victims. They need to make sure that they have conducted the most thorough investigation possible, so that nobody can ever say that this was swept under the rug.

Many have asked about the effect Tomaselli's lies will have on the search warrants. Initially, not much. The warrants were already issued and executed. To my knowledge, nothing damaging was recovered. If this case did actually go to a criminal trial, the defense would surely challenge the warrants, claiming that the applications upon which the warrants were based did not have probable cause and were unreliable. It's easy to say that in retrospect, knowing what we know now about Tomaselli. But at the time, the judge has sworn affidavits in front of him, claiming -- under penalty of perjury -- that everything contained in the affidavit is true. The judge has to take those affidavits for what they are and, to an extent, assess the reliability of the information. My thought here is that the judge probably acted within his discretion in finding there was enough probable cause for the issuance of the search warrants. If anything, the police will get some slack in not thoroughly investigating Tomaselli before vouching for his credibility in bringing his accusations before the judge for the warrants.

But, as Brian noted on twitter earlier today, this is all probably a moot point. If Fine isn't prosecuted, then the legality of the search warrants is immaterial. If there's no trial, then there's no need to suppress evidence. Simple as that.

And so, the saga continues. With Bill Fitzpatrick being right about there not actually being a Victim #4, and with Zach Tomaselli all but convicted of perjury, we're only left with our original two accusers -- Bobby Davis and Mike Lang. As has been reported here and pretty much everywhere else (maybe even on ESPN), the accusations of Davis & Lang are beyond the statute of limitations. So as it stands now, unless there is another accuser out there, Bernie Fine will not face criminal prosecution for any of these alleged acts. And also, with the civil suit by Tomaselli being withdrawn, Fine currently has no court case against him whatsoever.

Is this justice? Hard to say. Nobody knows what the truth is or whether any of these things actually did happen -- except Bernie Fine and the accusers. And -- debate on the statute of limitations issue aside -- how this case has developed and continues to run its course should give people some confidence in the criminal justice system. The rights of the accused are, and should be, at the forefront of every case, from initial accusation to disposition. Even more important than the victims. That might make me unpopular, but you rest assured that if you are the one being accused of something -- wrongly or rightly -- you want the process to treat you fair and you want all of your rights honored. You want the system to get it right, and protecting the rights of the accused is the best way to get the right result and protect the integrity of the system. And if that means that some guilty people "get away with it," then so be it. Guilty people going free is better than innocent people being convicted.

Now we wait for the next development in the life of Bernie Fine. And you know us lawdogs here at Orange::44 will be here to break it all down for you.

Pittsburgh - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR How the Mighty Have Fallen II

2012-01-18T22:07:00.001-05:00

We're upset the refs don't know charges from blocks too, Jim.

Big Monday. ESPN. McDonough/Bilas/Raftery. It doesn't matter who you play; it is what it is and it's always gonna be a rough game in the Big East. This past Monday's matchup in the Carrier Dome between Pittsburgh and Syracuse was no different. The Orange had a lot riding on this game: the potential for the best start in school history at 20-0, a chance to widen its lead in the Big East standings, and a chance to beat Pitt in the regular season for the first time since 2003. And so the magic continued, as #1 Syracuse beat Pittsburgh 71-63.

I vividly remember last year's game at Pitt. I watched on TV with Brian at The Green Derby, a local Elmira restaurant and bar. That game began with a 19-0 run by Pitt. Syracuse followed with a 17-0 run of its own, but eventually came up short.
This year started much the same, only it was Syracuse that began with the big run to start the game. Though it was 13-0, that run provided the Orange with the cushion it needed to keep the lead in this game.
Dion Waiters led the way for Syracuse with 16 points on 4-9 shooting, including 2-3 from three and 6-8 from the line. He's a gamer and one of the go-to guys. Take note, America.
Three others had 12 points: Kris Joseph, Scoop Jardine, and Brandon Triche. Rounding out the double-digit scoring for the Orange was Fab Melo with 10 points.
Add to Fab's 10 points his 10 rebounds, and he has a double double.
Scoop also had a double double: his 12 points with his 10 assists were Scooperific.
Funny that CJ Fair doesn't get a mention until now, but check this: seven points, five boards, and three blocks in 28 minutes, including a monster flying dunk that made #1 on the SportsCenter top plays. Just another day at the office for CJ.
Though he had a good game, including his double double, Fab Melo was a liability out there on the floor for much of the game. He was absolutely being abused by Pittsburgh, and the refs were hesitant to call anything. But when it came to Fab pushing the line, it was called post-haste. Fab fouled out eventually. It's the Big East, that'll happen. But Fab's hands were the liability. He just couldn't hold onto the ball. In fact, he had six turnovers. It got to the point where I was callling for Baye to enter the game, because I didn't think his ball handling could be any worse than what we were getting from Fab...
And when Keita entered, I was proved wrong immediately as he had a turnover. Sure, that was his only one of the game, but that's only because he saved himself or his teammates bailed him out a few times. Can these guys just get some strong hands, please?
What else was a big liability? Rebounds. We knew that would be a statistical category we'd probably lose to Pitt, who currently is one of the best rebounding teams in the country (proving that rebounding doesn't equal winning). The margin here was 40-28 favoring Pitt, but it seemed like it wasn't even that close. In my experience it's tough to win a Big East game if the margin is 10 or more, or if you can't even reach 30; but Syracuse debunked that. So, there's that. Which is nice.
Defensively, Syracuse played the game they needed to, and didn't let any one Pitt player dominate: Lamar Patterson, Ashton Gibbs, and Cameron Wright all led the team with just 10 points.
Statistically, Syracuse out-shot Pitt 46% to 39.3%.
I'm not even going to do any more statistical comparisons, except for the one that mattered the most: free throws. Syracuse was 20-23 (WHAT?!? YES KEEP DOING THAT!), while Pitt was 12-23. Same number of attempts for each team, but Syracuse hit the eight that Pitt couldn't. The margin of victory was eight. You do the math.

Syracuse improves to 20-0 on the season, 7-0 in the Big East, and earns a hard-fought victory over a perennial rival. Pitt continues its descent into the under-belly of Chicago's sewers, as the bottom of the Big East has been known in recent years due to its occupations by DePaul (who, it should be noted, also beat Pitt). And so now it's time for Syracuse to face a couple true road tests, on Saturday at Notre Dame and on Monday at Cincinnati. They should be good games, and they're both on ESPN, so, no excuses to not watch.

Pittsburgh - Syracuse Preview

2012-01-16T14:41:00.003-05:00

Syracuse students agree: Pittsburgh is not the same as they were.

Pittsburgh is a mess right now. Syracuse is the absolute opposite of that. The #1 team in the nation, they are undefeated on the year at 19-0. One more win and Syracuse will have their best start in program history. But what about today's game?

Good news for Syracuse is that this game is being played in the Carrier Dome. Obviously the chance for a major upset highly decreases on the road, and Pittsburgh will have to play a pretty perfect game. Ashton Gibbs is the clear star for Pitt, averaging 16.9ppg. Gibbs can't do it alone however. He had 29 points against Marquette, but Pitt still lost by five points at Marquette. Pitt's real problem is they turn the ball over a lot. Syracuse causes a lot of turnovers. I personally think Pitt is screwed. However, if Nasir Robinson (12.4ppg) also gets hot, Syracuse could have some trouble putting this game away early. Pittsburgh is also a great rebounding team. Syracuse had a bad shooting affair in the first half against Providence on Saturday. That shouldn't happen against Pittsburgh today, especially because the revenge factor for this team is high. Any team that beats them last year they remember and are sure to finish them off this season. Again, Pittsburgh can rebound. However Syracuse is still undefeated and they haven't always led in rebounding. Like both games against Providence. Dion Waiters is still very hot, and Kris Joseph is playing well, leading Syracuse in scoring. I'm picking the Orange at home. I still can't decide if Pitt's offense or defense is worse. If Syracuse plays halfway decent defense they should be fine. Syracuse wins this one on a BIG MONDAY by 11.

This game is available on ESPN nationally tonight at 7:30. I'll be in the Dome tonight so there will be little Twitter activity tonight. But we'll be sure to slander Pitt on our trip up. Enjoy your Monday, and most likely your holiday off from work.

Providence - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Friar Fail

2012-01-15T14:47:00.001-05:00

Yes Jim, sometimes we look like that when we see dunks too.

19-0. It ties a school record for best start to a season. It came against Providence, who Syracuse beat only a few weeks earlier. Leading scorer Vincent Council was held out of the game due to a coaching decision. While I respect that choice Coach Cooley made to hold him out, following the standards he has set for his program, he assured this game was over before it started.

The game started off slow. The game went back in forth until about 6:30 to go in the first when Syracuse went on one of their big runs that they do often this season. The went into the locker room on a big three at the buzzer from Scoop Jardine for the second game in a row, up 38 to 21. Syracuse continued their dominance. While there were some offensive lulls, the lineups of Syracuse players weren't exactly their top guys in all the time. Syracuse was your winner 78 to 55.

Kris Joseph led the Orange with 13 points on 4-10 shooting, hitting 4-4 from the free throw line. Dion waiters added 12 points, Scoop Jardine and Mookie Jones (yes, that Mookie) each added ten.
CJ Fair again led the team in rebounding with six. There was a pretty even effort at rebounding in this game.
Scoop Jardine almost had a double-double. He finished the game with nine assists.
Dion Waiters continued his defensive dominance with four steals.
Fab Melo had four blocks to lead the team. There were ten in the game for the Orange.
Syracuse only had eight turnovers in the game, with Fab Melo committing the most with three. Providence had 22 in the game.
Syracuse finished in the game shooting 43.5% (30-69) from the floor, 5-20 (25%) from three, and 13-18 (72.2%) from the free throw line. SU limited Providence to 35.1%, 21.4% (3-14), and 80% (12-15) respectively.
Providence outrebounded Syracuse again. This time only by 1, 38 to 37.

Syracuse takes on Pittsburgh on Monday night for Big Monday next. Pittsburgh is on a six game losing streak, including 0-5 in the Big East. In what can only be described as a garbage fire, Syracuse is facing them in the Carrier Dome at the best time. More on that later. For now, enjoy some football.

Providence - Syracuse Preview

2012-01-14T15:14:00.005-05:00

Syracuse students agree: Time for another win against Providence.

Syracuse is looking to tie the school record for wins to start a season. Sitting at 18-0 they are playing Providence, who they defeated only a few games ago at Providence. Can the Orange keep the streak alive?

Providence is coming off their best win in an absolute demolishing of Louisville 90 to 59. Easily their best performance all season. In looking back, Syracuse beat Providence in the Dunk 87 to 73. The game was never really close after the 18 minute mark in the second half. The game was never closer than a two to three possession game down the stretch. Whenever Syracuse needed a basket they got one from someone in that game. Providence out-rebounded the Orange in their game as well which is of note. The simple fact is that Providence cannot keep up with the offensive output of Syracuse. They are also not nearly as good on the road as they are at home this season. While they played a perfect game at home versus Louisville, they obviously did not against Syracuse when they were there. Vincent Council is still the player to watch for Syracuse, averaging 16.4ppg. He is also great at distributing the ball, allowing others to score. Honestly I think this game will go about the same as it did in Providence, but with a much wider margin for most of the second half. I'm picking Syracuse by 14.

This game is on regionally on SNY, TWCS, ESPN 3 online, and any other network that shows Big East Network games. I'm not in the Dome today, so we'll be on the Twitters of course. Enjoy this on your laptop if you plan on also watching football.

Villanova - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR How The Mighty Have Fallen

2012-01-12T17:17:00.002-05:00

Scoop leaves his last game in front of his hometown Philly crowd #1

In a normal season, you'd see the schedule and see Syracuse at Villanova and that would be a hot ticket. It would be a matchup between two top-25 teams, two teams in the upper echelon of the Big East, jockeying for position within the conference. But evidently 2011-2012 is not a normal season. Instead, this Syracuse at Villanova matchup featured two programs going in opposite directions. Those trends continued on Wednesday night in a game that was never really close, as Syracuse beat Villanova 79-66.

While Syracuse sent the same starting five onto the court for the 18th straight game this season, it wasn't the starters in the spotlight. The stars of this game were bench players Dion Waiters, CJ Fair, and James Southerland. Not only were they the three top scorers (at 20, 9, and 15 respectively) but they were the playmakers.
Not to say the starters were bad, because they weren't. But they left a lot to be desired. Take Kris Joseph, for example. In 30 minutes, he was only 2-9 shooting (0-4 from three) and a perfect 4-4 on free throws for eight points. That's just abysmal shooting, and this team needs more out of its senior leader, especially one playing the most minutes for the team.
In all, the starters were 12-28 (43%) shooting for 32 points, 18 rebounds, and nine assists. The bench, meanwhile, was 16-35 (46%) shooting for 47 points, 22 rebounds, and six assists.
Dion Waiters had a usual great game, this time in front of his hometown Philadelphia crowd (has that been mentioned much?). 8-13 shooting (including 2-4 from three) for 20 points, five rebounds, five rebounds, and two assists. Not to mention he rolled his ankle late in the first half and then still went out there in the second half and played like he didn't feel a thing.
Scoop Jardine didn't wow anyone with his play, but he gave his Philly phollowers a memorable moment when he caught an inbounds pass near halfcourt from CJ Fair with time expiring at the half and banked in a three pointer.
The banked three from Scoop was enough to get Dion to jump up out of his chair, limp-run over to Scoop, and do the most half-assed hip-bump I've ever seen. Surely, that was all adrenaline.
The first half also saw Syracuse's patented offensive run, this time 20-2, to secure a lead they would not relinquish. That's good though, because for the second straight game Syracuse basically traded baskets with its opponents in the second half. In fact, Villanova outscored Syracuse in the second half 42-36.
Remember when we were concerned about Syracuse starting games slowly and then having to fight back and build a second half lead? Yeah, that's over.
With a team this deep and a pretty clear rotation of players, it's not a matter of endurance or being gassed in the second half. It's complacency. There may be turmoil in the Big East, but there games won't get easier. Syracuse gets beat in the game where they become so complacent that their opponent actually ties it up in the second half. And, of course, takes a lead and keeps it at the end of the game. That's how wins work.
Villanova is not a good basketball team. Now at 8-9 on the season, 1-4 in the Big East, things look pretty grim. The Wildcats will be in the unfamiliar territory of a Tuesday afternoon Big East Tournament game and, unless they rip off five consecutive wins in New York, they will be missing the NCAA Tournament.
Nova doesn't have any big-name players, any superstars, anything of note. They're young and I'm sure Jay Wright will work his magic and get them back up to Nova standards soon, but with Syracuse leaving for the ACC (sometime...), we might never see it.
That said, Nova did have three players in double-digit scoring: Mouphtaou Yarou, Dominic Cheek, and JayVaughn Pinkston, all with 12. The rest of the team was... meh.
Syracuse out-shot Villanova 44.4% to 32.8%.
Syracuse also held the rebounding margin 40-36.
The block party continues for the Orange, who had eight in this game.
Baye Keita's play off the bench hasn't been talked about here, but he had a pretty solid 19 minutes. He knocked down two free throws, grabbed seven rebounds, and had two blocks. I just wish I didn't have to hold my breath every time he touches the ball. Nothing's wrapped anymore, so he has to be more confident in holding onto the ball. That would help me feel better.
Jim Burr was on the call, along with Karl Hess and Michael Stephens. A much better officiated game than the last two we've seen, but how about that crazy blocking call on Fab when he had the ball! When asked about it after the game, Fab disagreed with the call. And so do I.

And so, Syracuse leaves Philadelphia 18-0, 5-0 in the Big East, and returns Saturday to the Carrier Dome looking to match its best start in program history. I didn't follow college basketball much while I was in high school (gasp!) but in 1999 I do remember seeing that headline about the Orangemen winning their 19th straight to open the season. That was kinda cool.

Anyway, neither Brian nor I will be trekking up to the Dome on Saturday for the game against Providence. My excuse? My 49ers play the Saints in the NFC Divisional playoff game beginning at 4:30pm. Due to my overwhelming need to watch both that game and the SU game, I'll be required to once again view from my command center in my living room. So for those of you who will be in the Dome, be sure to cheer extra loudly for me.

Syracuse - Villanova Preview

2012-01-11T16:39:00.000-05:00

Syracuse students agree: Villanova... wha happened?

Syracuse is still undefeated, having a three game week wrap up with a solid victory at home over #20 Marquette. Now they travel to Philadelphia to take on a Villanova team reeling right now. Normally Syracuse would be walking into a Villanova buzzsaw, but now there are several questions.

Syracuse by all accounts is the far better team on the court tonight. Syracuse is a perfect 17-0 on the season, with four solid wins in the Big East. Villanova, on the other hand, has lost three of four conference games with the lone win against DePaul and one of the losses against USF at home. The star of the team is clearly Maalik Wayns, who leads the team in scoring with 17.4ppg. He shoots the ball a lot and much of Villanova's offense runs through him. However, he does not shoot the long range shot well. He's only shooting 28.2% from long range. In the years that Villanova has found success over Syracuse, they have had solid outside shooting. Villanova does not have that this year. Therefore, the likelihood they will find success from working outside in is slim. The zone is built to take this team and shut them down. Villanova needs to have a perfect offensive night to upset the #1 Orange in their building. The good thing about Villanova is they do rebound the ball well, something Syracuse has had trouble with at times. But their defense will help, as well as rebounding off a lot of missed three point attempts. Watch for the battle between Fab Melo and Baye Moussa Kieta with Mouphtaou Yarou. Especially the foul situation. If Yarou gets in trouble with fouls, this game should get ugly in Syracuse's favor real quick. Syracuse just needs to play a solid offensive game and continue to play good zone defense. This should be an easy one unless Scottie Reynolds gets more eligibility. Syracuse is your winner by 17.

This game will be available nationally on ESPN 2 tonight, along with ESPN 3 on the internets. You should be able to watch wherever you are. I'll be joining John in his game watching command center and I'm sure we'll be talking about our game, as well as the other Big East games on tonight. We'll be watching all three. Set your snark meter to 11.

Orange::44's Bowl Pick'em Results

2012-01-10T17:24:00.000-05:00

Those oranges are actually plastic, I wouldn't try to eat them

As advertised here on Orange::44, we held a College Bowl Pick'em game over at yahoo.com for our loyal readers. The rules were simple: register a slate of picks, rank your confidence on each pick, and sit back & wait. The winner was promised a shout-out here on the blog, to be internet-famous for a hot minute.

SHOUT OUT!

To our winner, JasonL! He was our winner, having correctly picked the winner in 28 out of 35 bowl games, finishing with a final points total of 529.

How does one win points? Confidence rankings. As there were 35 bowl games, there was a score 1-35 assigned for each game, based on how confident you were that the team you picked would beat the other team. For example, my most confident pick was Boise State in the MAACO bowl to beat Arizona State. I was correct, so that pick earned me 35 points. My least confident pick was the New Orleans Bowl, where Louisiana Lafayette inched away with a 32-30 win over San Diego State. My correct pick earned me one whole point there. So basically, it was much more than just picking winners; you had to pick winners AND earn the most confidence points. Good stuff.

Thank you to all 16 people who participated. One other entry also correctly picked 28-35, but fell 28 points short of the title.

Other entries of note: Brian was 24-35 for 440 points -- good enough for 5th place overall. I had it a bit worse, only going 20-35 for 403 points, a modest 10th place finish. I had a lot of disappointments, including LSU crapping out on me. Oh well. I hope fun was had by all!

BlogPoll 2011 - Final Ballot

2012-01-10T01:42:00.002-05:00

Orange::44 Ballot - Week 16

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	1
2	Alabama Crimson Tide	1
3	South Carolina Gamecocks	2
4	Boise St. Broncos	2
5	Arkansas Razorbacks	2
6	Oregon Ducks	2
7	Michigan St. Spartans	6
8	LSU Tigers	-7
9	Stanford Cardinal	-5
10	USC Trojans	--
11	West Virginia Mountaineers	11
12	Houston Cougars	3
13	Michigan Wolverines	11
14	Oklahoma Sooners	2
15	Baylor Bears	2
16	Wisconsin Badgers	-7
17	TCU Horned Frogs	3
18	Georgia Bulldogs	--
19	Florida St. Seminoles	6
20	Nebraska Cornhuskers	-1
21	Southern Miss. Golden Eagles	2
22	Virginia Tech Hokies	-10
23	Clemson Tigers	-12
24	Kansas St. Wildcats	-3
25	Arizona St. Sun Devils	-11

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

*They beat LSU, but I still have Alabama #2. Oklahoma State beat Stanford and in my last poll I had Oklahoma State #2 and Alabama #3. They both won. They both move up.
*West Virginia and Michigan jump the most. I just can't put WVU in the Top 10 with 3 losses, but they are close. Michigan deserves to be higher than the bowl losers. They also beat a tough VTech team, even though they always suck in the BCS.
*Sun Devils. Did anyone pick them against Boise except alumni? They barely hang on at #25.
*I would have put Baylor high for their offensive output (I do think RGIII is great), but that team didn't play any defense.
*No movement for USC. No bowl game to judge.
Anything crazy? Let me know. Otherwise we'll see you back here next year for more ballots.

Marquette - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Get Off The Court!

2012-01-08T12:12:00.000-05:00

"So Timmy, how we gonna screw Syracuse?" "Oh, we will, John. We will."

Before I get into the recap here, let me give a big thanks to the Post-Standard and photographer Frank Ordonez. That gem there is Frank's work, and he has a collection of 25 awesome shots over at syracuse.com so go check that out after you're done reading this.

Of all the games Syracuse has seen on its schedule so far this season, this was the one that, looking at it before the game, made me the uneasiest. The Golden Eagles are always a dangerous team, have a ton of different ways to beat you, and of course got us twice last year. The only team to beat Syracuse twice last year. And the team that sent us home in the NCAA Tournament. Add to that a #20 next to their name and the huge lead they had against Georgetown the other night, and that was creating a possibility that things would be difficult. Now, of course, they lost that lead -- and that game -- to Georgetown, so they can be beaten. And, though it was a struggle, Syracuse held on to beat Marquette on Saturday 73-66.

Syracuse came right out of the gate in this one and played a terrific first half.
Great first half play was capped by a huge 19-0 run from 11:57 to 2:19. Talk about a scoring drought! Obviously, credit the Syracuse defense on that.
Leading the way for Syracuse was Kris Joseph, who in a game-high 38 minutes scored 17 points on 5-8 shooting, including 4-4 on threes, had four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. You want solid play from your senior leader? That's it. Do it that way every night, Kris!
Brandon Triche had another monster game, again dropping in 16 points on 5-12 shooting, 4-9 from three, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block. Brandon's stat line is impressive, but it doesn't tell much about how clutch it was. The shots that he hit, the rebounds that he grabbed, if you look at where in the game they happened, they all really helped Syracuse keep its lead.
Kris and Brandon were the only starters in double-digit scoring. Fab had six in 18 minutes, Scoop just three in 24 minutes, and Rakeem scoreless in his token five minutes.
Rakeem just wasn't cutting it today. In his five minutes, he missed two shots, grabbed a rebound, and fouled twice. Head Coach Jim Boeheim quickly realized this wouldn't be the kind of game where you can rely on a freshman forward who isn't so used to the extreme physical play of the Big East.
Rakeem's benching allowed for the healthy-enough-to-play Baye Keita to log 20 minutes. Baye only scored four points, but two of them came on free throws down the stretch that, as Boeheim noted, really helped seal the game for Syracuse when Marquette was within two. Baye was also active in the zone, with two blocked shots. Of his five total rebounds, three came on the offensive boards, giving the Orange a chance for second chance points.
Two of my favorite players on Syracuse lately are Dion Waiters and CJ Fair. The minutes and the determination they provide this team off the bench are no doubt the envy of the league. CJ scored 13 points in 30 minutes, while Dion tallied 12 on 28 minutes. Fair was all over the boards with eight (leading the team with Fab Melo in that category), and Waiters dished out seven assists to lead the team.
Bottom line with those two guys, CJ and Dion, is that they just go out there and produce. They're consistent and they're good. If CJ is the glue guy (he's more than that), Dion must be the concrete guy. He doesn't break easy, and he's solid as concrete.
To give credit where credit's due, Marquette played a great game. They were physical, they shot the ball well, and they made the adjustments at the half necessary to go out there and close the 37-19 halftime gap. And close it they did!
Golden Eagles coach Buzz Williams got the most out of his starters, with three of them in double-digit scoring (Darius Johnson-Odom with 19, Jae Crowder with 15, and Junior Cadougan with 10) and the other two starters with nine (Davante Gardner and Vander "Powder" Blue).
Buzz had a constant rotations of substitutions, going to four bench players to keep his starters fresh. While the bench logged 45 minutes, the bench scored four points. I mean, Todd Mayo scored four points.
If you were in the Dome for this one, you know that Buzz Williams was the biggest source of consternation for Cuse fans. Being on the court and being beyond the line of the coaching box is Buzz's style, and in this one he went wherever he wanted. At one point, literally the entire Carrier Dome crowd of 25,412 was on its feet chanting "GET OFF THE COURT!"
It doesn't bother me that a coach might be fired up and coming out of the coaching box to help out his players. What bothers me is that this coaching box rule was solidified by the Rules Committee a couple years ago, and became a point of emphasis. A violation (usually after a warning) is supposed to result in a technical foul. I think Jim Boeheim had to change his in-game coaching style a bit when that rule came down (I believe he actually led the charge on that, actually), so to see him abide by that rule and others just totally disregard it -- with no consequence from the officials -- is what bothers me about it all. So, am I mad at Buzz? No, because he saw he could get away with it. I'm mad at Tim Higgins, John Cahill, and John Gaffney.
Higgins, Cahill, and Gaffney were the officials in this game. We didn't think things could get much worse than what we saw in Providence last Wednesday, but it sure seemed like this was worse. Fab Melo was in foul trouble virtually the entire game, and picked up a flagrant for throwing what they must have determined to be an inadvertent elbow. I haven't had the luxury of seeing the replay on that, but in real time from my seats in section 309 I didn't see anything other than a heap of powder blue fall to the floor.
You might not believe this, but Marquette had 21 personal fouls to Syracuse's 18.
Syracuse shot an abysmal 39.3% from the floor vs. the slightly better Golden Eagles' 40.4%. At the end of the day, the difference came from three-point shooting (Syracuse won 40% to 23%) and free throw shooting (Syracuse won 74% to 61%).
Syracuse out-rebounded Marquette 40-34. Syracuse also won on the offensive boards 13-9.
Uncharacteristic for the Orange, the turnover margin was only +1 (16-15).

Syracuse is now getting a good, healthy dose of "Humongous Target On Our Backs." This team will be facing adversity on every aspect of the game: from the opposition, to the officials. The solution is not to make excuses about those things, but to overcome them. And that's what Syracuse did on Saturday afternoon. If the officials are going to throw you for a loop and call a certain game, change your game strategy or change your lineup. With a team as deep as this, Syracuse can do so almost flawlessly. The key, obviously, will be to keep these guys as healthy as possible so they can continue to be as deep as they are. Boeheim has a lineup for virtually any situation, and his Hall of Fame credentials make him the best equipped to use this deep bench to put the best five out there in any situation.

Saturday was a day of upheaval in the Big East. #9 Georgetown lost to West Virginia; Rutgers beat #8 UConn ;and Notre Dame beat #10 Louisville. Syracuse held on for the victory, to improve to 17-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big East, which leads you to question who else in the conference is going to step up? You hate to say that, because you're asking for an opportunity to eat your words in a few weeks when Syracuse gets beat. But it will happen, eventually. I mean, right? Or does the fact that Pittsburgh and Villanova sitting winless at the bottom of the conference standings mean there's been a huge shift in power that could create the perfect storm for Syracuse?

Speaking of Villanova, the Wildcats are the next opponent for Syracuse. The Orange travel to Philly for a Wednesday night tilt at 7:00pm, which can be seen nationally on ESPN2. Look for the typical pre- and postgame coverage here on Orange::44.

Marquette - Syracuse Preview

2012-01-07T14:33:00.002-05:00

Syracuse students agree: Before Wednesday this would have been a troubling game.

Syracuse is still undefeated. After handling two road games in the league, Syracuse is back in the Dome for a matchup against the team that defeated them in the NCAA Tournament the year before. Revenge has been easy to obtain in the Dome this season, so will that also be the case today?

Marquette comes in fresh off a major collapse on the road against Georgetown. Up 17 points in the second half, Georgetown was able to come back and win by three in the Verizon Center. Before that, they had a four point win against Villanova at home. Villanova just lost to USF the other night. Before that Marquette lost to Vanderbilt at home 74 to 57. Offensively, Marquette is not as good as we once though. Frankly, despite having a trio if pretty good three point shooters, I'm not sure how Marquette is going to penetrate the SU 2-3 Zone. Fab Melo is assuredly much better defensively last season. Darius Johnson-Odom hits the outside shot 39.2%. He can keep Marquette in a game. Todd Mayo really impressed me in the first half against Georgetown off the bench as well. And obviously Jae Crowder is a dynamic player that can shoot and dribble penetrate. He can also rebound pretty well. This is a short team though. They only have one player above 6'7''. They will have trouble against Fab Melo in rebounding and getting into the paint. The biggest question is if Baye Moussa Kieta is still unable to play due to a sore hip. If he cannot come in to replace Melo when/if he gets into foul trouble, Syracuse will have to simply go with a smaller lineup like we saw in good chucks of the Providence game. While Marquette will hit some outside shots, they will have trouble setting up any other shots for their offense. If Syracuse limits their transition game, something they also excel at like Syracuse, this game will not be close. I do think they hang around until about midway through the second half however. But Syracuse will hold on to win again in a nice conference match. Syracuse is your winner by 13.

This game is again sadly on ESPN's regional coverage. Tune in on TWCS, SNY, or ESPN 3 at 4:00pm EST. I'm not in the Dome today, but John is so look for updates from him. He'll be back with the recap sometime soon. Hopefully it's still more happy news.

Syracuse - DePaul/Providence OR All Your Big East Are Belong To SU

2012-01-06T01:31:00.001-05:00

Yes Jim, those officials in Providence were terrible.

It's only been a few days into 2012 but it's already been fantastic for the Orange. Now 16-0, with three wins in the Big East, Syracuse is still riding high atop the polls. And with recent wins of Seton Hall over UConn and DePaul over Pittsburgh, Syracuse has become the team to beat in every measurable way. So before we take on Marquette this Saturday, let's look back at the week Syracuse has had.

Syracuse v. DePaul

Syracuse started the game strong against DePaul. Syracuse shot well and the defense was stingy. The Orange were up at the half 45-26, especially with DePaul shooting 30.8% from the floor, missing all eight three point attempts. That was the game. Syracuse and DePaul literally traded baskets in the second half, each scoring 42 points. Syracuse was the winner 87 to 68.

Kris Joseph was the leading scorer for Syracuse with 22 points. He also led with seven rebounds for the team. He shot 7-15 from the floor, and also 7-9 from the free throw line.
CJ Fair had 16 points off the bench and played 29 minutes. He went 6-6 from the floor and was 4-4 on free throws. He also added five rebounds. He is quietly having a fantastic season.
Scoop Jardine and Dion Waiters tied for leading the team with three assists each.
Seven players had at least one steal. The team had ten.
Fab Melo finished the game with six blocks. He also added 12 points, hitting 6-7 shots.
Syracuse shot 58.6% from the floor.
Not as good was 25% from behind the arc (3-12).
The team had 11 blocks total, but did have 16 turnovers.
Syracuse limited DePaul to shooting 40.3% from the floor and just 3-18 (16.7%) from behind the arc.
Syracuse led in all statistical categories except free throws (Depaul hit 15-20) and assists (DePaul had 16, one more than Syracuse).

Syracuse v. Providence

This game was a little tougher for the Orange. The Providence fan base proved a little more noise and energy in The Dunk than DePaul. And Providence came out ready. The first half was a back and forth affair, with Syracuse only up by two at the break. Then Syracuse came out firing in the second half. While Providence fought hard, just like that Syracuse had a double digit lead. They never gave that lead up. They ended up winning 87 to 73.

Brandon Triche was the leading scorer with 16 points on 6-8, 4-5 shooting. He really gave Syracuse the lead in the second half with two huge three point shots.
Rakeem Christmas led Syracuse in rebounding with five.
Scoop Jardone scored ten points and lead the team with 11 assists. That's a double-double.
Syracuse again shot the ball well with 61.1% and 58.8% (10-17) from behind the arc.
Syracuse was outrebounded again 26 to 22. Guess they deserve to be ranked 4th.
Syracuse led in every other category except free throw percentage.
Providence way overachieved with their offense in this game. Shooting under 30% from behind the arc, they hit 46.2% from behind the arc, and scored 73 points. They scored 40 their previous game. This was their first conference game at home however.
This was easily the worst officiated game Syracuse has appeared in all season. By far. And no Tim Higgins or Jim Burr.
RIP Dave Gavitt.

Syracuse next takes on Marquette back in the Carrier Dome this Saturday. While this would have looked daunting a couple of days ago, they just blew a 17 point lead to Georgetown in DC, losing by three. So who knows which team will show up. But when you're #1 you have to assume your opponent will come out hot in their offense. Should be a fun one.

Syracuse - Providence Preview

2012-01-04T15:52:00.001-05:00

Syracuse student agree: The Dunk will be apply named tonight.

Syracuse is still #1 in the country. They are #1 still after handling their two Big East opponents so far. And for some reason there is tons of "trap game" talk for tonight. Is the 9:00pm start fooling everyone?

I watched a good portion of the second half of the Providence v. Georgetown game on New Year's Eve. In 40 minutes of basketball, Providence scored a total of 40 points. They shot 25.5% from the floor, and 3-13 from behind the arc. Oof. Oddly, they only had 13 turnovers in the game. That means that Providence was content to slow the ball down and run their half court offense. The problem was, against Georgetown, a weaker defense than Syracuse, Providence had trouble running any sets. Think Seton Hall against the Orange in the Dome. And while Providence has had a few days to prepare for the Orange, Providence does not nearly have the experience at the center position like Seton Hall does. The best offense against the 2-3 Zone comes from putting the ball in the hands of your center around the free throw line to either drive inside more, take a jump shot, or kick it back out. Herb Pope, one of the best big men in the conference, only managed four points against Syracuse. And he's far better at the position currently than Kadeem Batts, LaDontae Henton, or bench player Bilal Dixon. And despite great intentions, unless something magical happens, Providence isn't going to shoot the nine three pointers it would probably take to threaten taking out the top scoring team in the league. One thing Providence does do well is rebound though, so they should have a lot of possessions off of missed Syracuse baskets. The problem is that Syracuse will steal the ball and get some easy run outs. Not to mention the fact that Syracuse plays ten guys, who all can score. Providence plays seven. This is the kind of game that does not favor Providence in the slightest if it turns into a run and gun type of track meet. Gerard Coleman can score against inferior defenses, but he is just not good at shooting from long range. Vincent Council leads the Friars in scoring with 16.1ppg and also in assists at 6.6, but will have trouble against Fab Melo and the other Syracuse defenders inside. Providence last took down #1 in a Pittsburgh team in February of 2009 in the Dunk. But that Providence team had more overall talent on the team. Lifetime Providence is 2-10 against #1, but that should be changed to 2-11 after tonight. No trap game here. No magic should be at hand. While clearly Syracuse is not invincible, an abnormal amount of things have to go the Friars' way if they want to pull off the upset. The probability is staggering. I'm picking Syracuse, a team that can actually score in a Big East league game, by 29.

This game is a rare 9:00pm start for the Orange, maximizing the television coverage as there are several other league games on tonight at 7:00pm. This game will be available nationally on ESPN 3, but will be available on SNY and TWCS. I'll be at the laptop helm during the game tonight so I look forward to making fun of the Providence mascot with you all. We'll be back later this week with a wrap up from DePaul and this game.

Syracuse - DePaul Preview

2011-12-30T03:37:00.003-05:00

Syracuse students agree: Happy New Year and DePaul is awful.

Syracuse demolished Seton Hall at home in a revenge game from the year before. While Syracuse has had some sketchy history at DePaul, Syracuse beat DePaul in the Dome 107 to 59 last season. And being the #1 team in the nation doesn't hurt.

Syracuse finished their revenge with a crushing of the Hall in the Carrier Dome. But while it was notable that the scoring was spread around, and Fab Melo set a school record for blocks in a game with ten, it was the defense that reigned supreme. They held a Big East opponent to under 50. In the Big East, that is almost unheard of. Syracuse caused 23 turnovers. The defense for Syracuse is playing out of their mind. DePaul is currently 9-3. Of the nine wins, if any were impressive I'd note them here. They aren't. As a matter of fact, their strength of schedule is ranked 232nd. Only 22 teams in the nation have a worse SoS. Cleveland Melvin and Brandon Young are a nice pair of sophomores. Young a nice combo guard averaging 17.4ppg, and Melvin a forward leading the team with 18.5ppg. DePaul is not a good 3 point shooting team though. Shooting 34% as a team, none of their two big stars hit them frequently. So Syracuse will need to guard the inside of the zone. This is the biggest test of the season for DePaul, and they should be shell shocked. Syracuse should roll in another "true road game" but since Illinois is closer to Syracuse than North Carolina, this game is already downgraded to "neutral court". Either way, DePaul's students are still on break, not many people go to DePaul games anyway, and despite being hyped to play #1, DePaul is way overmatched in this game. Syracuse will roll in Chicago, beating DePaul by 28.

This game will be shown on ESPN 3, but also TWCS and SNY at 5:00pm EST. If you can stand the bloodbath while you're hungover on New Years Day. Always a fun day, like SU killing Notre Dame last season.

Seton Hall - Syracuse Postgame OR Ass-Kicking

2011-12-29T15:30:00.001-05:00

Look at the form on that jumper!

Wednesday night was the Big East opener for Syracuse. Seton Hall, meanwhile, wasn't quite sure where it was. Maybe it was stuck dreaming of that drubbing it gave Syracuse last January. Maybe it was simply left in New Jersey. Maybe, just maybe, Seton Hall isn't all that good. At any rate, Syracuse played at a high level the entire game, and ended victorious, 75-49.

Syracuse never trailed in this game; and although it wasn't a good offensive game, it was good to see them put points on the board early and consistently. Having a lead in Big East games -- especially early -- is the key to doing well in conference games.
The leading scorer for the Orange was, you guessed it, ~~Kris Joseph~~ Dion Waiters. He scored 15 off the bench. Kris Joseph had a whopping 0. Zero. None. That's how good this team is.
Other important offensive play came from Brandon Triche (11 points), CJ Fair (9 points), James Southerland (8 points)... oh, and Fab Melo.
Here's Fab's line: 25 minutes, 6-of-9 for 12 points, seven rebounds, an assist, and 10 blocks. That results in an unconventional double-double, and those 10 blocks set a new Syracuse record for blocks in a game.
To get that sort of effort, on both ends of the floor, from a kid with only a few years of basketball experience and a rather forgettable freshman year is just phenomenal. And a huge testament to the hard work Fab has been putting in to get better.
For all the hype around Pirate center Herb Pope, Syracuse was able to neutralize him. While grabbing nine rebounds, Pope was only able to score four points but, more importantly, coughed up the ball six times.
In all, Seton Hall turned the ball over 23 times -- and each player logging playing time (five starters & fine bench players) had at least one turnover.
On the turnover issue, Matt Glaude had a great post over on NunesMagician.com yesterday. Check it out.
The Hall out-rebounded the Orange 39-37. But, whatever.
Baye Keita only played nine minutes, but he made the most of them. He was active, scored six points, pulled down two rebounds on the offensive end, and even had a block.
Baye was a good compliment to James Southerland, who also had solid play in his 17 minutes.
How intense is Michael Carter-Williams? That kid is fearless. He'd walk right into a gunfight with only a paperclip, and not be afraid to walk up to the sharpshooter and stick that paperclip in the shooter's eye. I really don't know where I'm going with this analogy, other than to say he'll do whatever needs to be done, no questions asked.
Though walk-on Matt Tomaszewski made it in the game before the other walk-ons and logged two minutes in the game, he never got a chance to shoot the ball. He remains a perfect 7-7 from three.
Yeah, that's right. Walk-ons. In a Big East game. This does happen from time to time.
Announced attendance was 25,081. That's great, especially considering it was a winter break game so the students weren't there.
Unfortunately, about 25,000 of those fans participated in the wave. We really need to get that PSA out there again.
Revenge is sweet.

Now, I know this is Seton Hall, and they're not really that good, but it doesn't matter who you play. You win the game. Especially with it being the start of the conference slate, it's so much better to notch that first win and shoot to first place in the league standings. Instead of, you know, last place. Must be demoralizing to be down there with DePaul. Oh yeah, DePaul. We'll see you on Sunday!

Seton Hall - Syracuse Preview

2011-12-28T12:36:00.005-05:00

Syracuse students agree: The opening of the league is exciting.

Syracuse opens Big East play against Seton Hall. Normally that wouldn't be cause for alarm, except that the last time they visited the Carrier Dome they simply put a wallop on the Orange. Jeremy Hazell has graduated, leaving a lot of the points they scored in that game off the board. Should we still be worried?

It is the Big East after all. As the years have proven, it is certainly not unheard of to have an early upset in league play. Or late. Or in the middle. Either way, #1 Syracuse cannot be lazy in this game. Herb Pope returns, and when not fighting with Eric Devendorf, he is a very good low post player. He gets double-doubles and will probably be the leading rebounder in this game. He is also good at getting his own rebound and earning second chance points for himself. Fab Melo and Baye Moussa Kieta will have their hands full in trying to contain the leaner and more agile Pope (Protestants all fear this new Pope). While Hazell is gone, freshman Aaron Crosby is shooting 41.8% from behind the arc. And Fuquan Edwin adds 14ppg as well. This is a team that when taken lightly will burn you. But looking at their resume, their best win may be against Virginia Commonwealth. They have lost to Northwestern as their only loss, on neutral turf. And played the likes of Yale, Dayton, Wake Forrest, and Auburn. Their schedule doesn't impress me. Syracuse, having played #9 Florida, as well as NC State on the road, and the NIT in New York, is statistically a better scoring, rebounding, and assisting team. Not to mention that they are way deeper than the six to seven players Seton Hall uses regularly. Herb Pope will rebound like a beast, but the rest of the team will have to contend with offensive possessions against a 2-3 zone that they will not find as much success shooting over. On top of that, Syracuse is hungry for revenge from last season, is more capable of big runs and transition baskets, and will not allow open shooters, nor are they as complacent as last year. This has the makings of a big win for the Orange to star their conference slate right. I think the Orange do win this game at home against the nuisance from New Jersey. I'm taking the Orange by 17.

This game will be broadcast in Upstate New York on TWCS and should be available elsewhere on SNY. It will also be shown on ESPN 3 (Watch ESPN) at 7:00pm. John and I will be in the Dome tonight so look for the occasional sassy tweet. Also, I apologize in advance to any readers from New Jersey, but you have to expect some Jersey slander when playing a team from there. It's the way Otto intended.

Tulane - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Another Perfect Non-Conference

2011-12-24T21:14:00.001-05:00

Not much for Coach to get that upset about.

Syracuse had just one more game before the Christmas break and the start of the Big East Conference. The Green Wave (wearing light blue) looked fairly sharp, but they were eventually overpowered. Syracuse cruised to a perfect non-conference record for the third year in a row.

Syracuse started this game going back and forth with Tulane for the lead for the first ten minutes. Then after gaining a slight lead, at about the same time they took the lead against NC State, Syracuse's offense exploded with just over six minutes to play in the first half. Then went on to keep the pressure and the walk ons were in before the final two minutes. Syracuse was your winner 80 to 61.

Dion Waiters led Syracuse in scoring with 15 points off the bench in 24 minutes of work. He was 6-12, 2-4 from the floor.
James Southerland, Rakeem Christmas, and Fab Melo each had five rebounds. The team had a total of 28, one shy of Tulane's total.
Kris Joseph, Scoop Jardine, Brandon Triche, and Michael Carter-Williams each had three assists. Syracuse had 16 total. That is double what Tulane had.
Waiters led the team with two steals. Syracuse finished with seven, keeping up with their average.
Syracuse impressively had 11 blocks in the game. Four came from Southerland.
Syracuse kept the turnover limit low, only having seven in the game. Melo had the most with three. Syracuse caused 11 for Tulane.
Syracuse shot the ball well, hitting 26-51 (51%) from the floor overall. The Syracuse defense held Tulane to just 34% (17-50).
The Orange hit 10-21(47.6%) from behind the arc. Tulane also did well hitting 7-16 (43.8%).
SU also did well at the free throw line in this game, hitting 18-22 (81.8%).
That Matt Tomaszewski, a walk on, can shoot that three ball huh? He is a perfect 7-7 on the year.

The Orange now are home to enjoy Christmas with their families and will be back in Syracuse next week to get ready for their first conference game. Seton Hall will be coming into the Dome to take on the Orange and you know they will want to really beat them after last season's game. Luckily Jeremy Hazell is no longer on the team. Sadly they are not coached by Bobby Gonzalez has been gone for too long.

On another note, we here at Orange::44 wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. We'll be back next week with the usual previews and coverage as Syracuse moves on to conference play.

2011 Orange Football Report Card

2011-12-24T14:03:00.000-05:00

Even Santa cries about this season.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Holidays to all our loyal readers. The 2011 Syracuse football season was, overall, a disappointment. A losing season. No bowl game. Regression in many aspects of the game. After each game this season, Orange::44 has graded the offense, defense, special teams, and coaching. Now that the season is over, it's time for the final report card, to see the final averages for the team. Let's just say, this isn't something to take home to mom & dad, hang on the refrigerator, and get a bonus in your allowance or a special dinner at that fancy restaurant.

Offense

Season GPA: 1.693

I think the offense is the unit that regressed the most through the season. Led by quarterback Ryan Nassib, the offense started as a solid C unit. It was getting the job done, putting points on the board, winning games. It all peaked with that monster win over West Virginia. And then, well, the bottom fell out. The once-accurate Nassib was now badly missing his targets; receivers weren't getting open; the line couldn't hold open the pocket. It was bad. Antwon Bailey had a good season and will be known for being a small but strong runner who could make something out of nothing. But too often he was a non-factor in this offense; there were some games where his numbers were simply awful -- not because he didn't play well, but because he wasn't given the ball. Nassib will be returning for his senior year, and the young receiving corps will have a chance to shine next year, but there are a lot of questions to be solved between now and September. Does this offense have the ability to do well?

Defense

Season GPA: 1.803

It wasn't always pretty, but often times this defensive unit kept the team in the game. We'll put it on the offense as to whether a win resulted or not. Coming off a 2010 campaign where the defense was strong, veteran, and clearly the most dominant unit on the team, the 2011 version had younger players, and some key injuries. Most damaging was losing Chandler Jones after the Wake Forest game. He provided a nice spark for the line upon his return, and was constantly able to put pressure on opposing QBs. Jones also had the uncanny ability to be all over the field, following the ball and making stops. I'm too lazy to look up the stats, but he probably led the team in tackles. Maybe he should teach the rest of the defense how to tackle, because they were awful. Just awful. It was Greg Robinson Era tackling for many games. Pass coverage was soft too... as if we had seen that before in a prior administration. At any rate, a healthier, more experienced defense should help out this team next year. Especially if Chandler Jones sticks around. We need more interceptions from him like the one he got in Pittsburgh to close out the season.

Special Teams

Season GPA: 2.026

In many ways, this was not a typical season for the Syracuse special teams unit. Filling the boot of Rob Long proved to be an extremely difficult task. As a result, Syracuse gave up some yards on the field position game that hurt the defense. Field goals & extra points weren't the automatics we were generally used to. Toledo game, anyone? The one bright spot on this squad was the kick return unit. Led by Kobena & Graham, you could often times count on a nice run back and a good starting position for the offense. Again, whether the offense would do anything with it would be up to the offense.

Coaching

Season GPA: 1.803

We all expected more out of Doug Marrone and his staff. Sure, we had all gotten used to his conservative play-calling, but we weren't content with it. Especially when we saw him open up the playbook at the Pinstripe Bowl last year, we all thought, maybe, we'd see an exciting offense this year. Not so much. There was the occasional trickery, razzle-dazzle, whatever you wanna call it. Flea flickers, WR passes, a new name for the Wildcat. But that was all pretty rare. Outside of the play-calling, coaching disappointed me with the lack of discipline on this team. False starts, holding, personal fouls. Sure, those things are done by the players, but the leadership, the discipline, the preparation, they all come from the coaching staff. You take a look at some of the boneheaded things that happened at the last home game against Cincinnati, or the season finale at Pittsburgh; those were the actions of a team in week 1 or 2, not week 12. We saw some players face suspensions for "violating team rules," and you have to wonder what was going on in that locker room. Was there a lot of in-fighting? A mutiny? This doesn't seem like Doug Marrone's team. Not the Doug Marrone who cleaned house when he was hired, getting players off the team who weren't willing to buy into his work ethic and his way of doing things. I don't know what it is. That's a coaching issue, a team issue, that Marrone needs to regain in the off season. Otherwise, all the talent in the world isn't going to win a game on the field next season.

Overall

Season GPA: 1.831 (C/C-)

You crunch the numbers and you end up with a C/C- and you think to yourself, "Yeah, that sounds about right." On the lower part of the curve, decent, but not good enough. At the halfway point, this team was 4-2, and I said they were either the best 4-2 team in the country, or the worst 4-2 team in the country. It ended up being the latter. Other than the upset victory over West Virginia, the Orange lost every game of the second half of the season. And you look back at those four wins, and you realize they were just good enough to win those games. Two of them required overtime. We'd all be singing a different tune about "just good enough" if that equated into six wins and a bowl berth. But five, just not good enough. 2011 wasn't a total failure; it's simply another chapter in the Syracuse anthology currently being authored by Doug Marrone. We just hope that, as the pages turn from 2011 to 2012, the narrative doesn't turn into a horror story.

Tulane - Syracuse Preview

2011-12-22T18:32:00.003-05:00

Syracuse students agree: The last non-conf. game can't be a letdown.

Syracuse faces their final non-conference foe before the start of the Big East. Hanging onto #1 and having a day off, Syracuse looks to earn another statement win before taking on old foes. Tulane completes the football/basketball combo pack of this season. Let's take a look.

Syracuse is a bigger, more talented team. Tulane has a lofty 11-1 record on the season so far. Their only loss is on the road at Wofford. Their most impressive win is a two point victory over Navy at Navy. Tulane simply does not play on the road. Freshman Ricky Tarrant can shoot the ball, but Syracuse will be bigger and rebound better. And chances are while Tarrant will get some open looks and knock down a few, it should go like Tuesday's game. Sorry it's quick, but tip is in 30 minutes and I'm picking the Orange by 28.

Syracuse will be shown on TWCS, SNY, and ESPN 3. Enjoy the show. I'm not in the Dome but I'll be out watching it with enjoyable people. Watch if you can.

Postgame Reactions from NCState & Bucknell

2011-12-21T22:55:00.000-05:00

It would be the tale of two games for Dion

Syracuse has now played two games as the #1 team in the country. It's just become so commonplace around here that we at Orange::44 almost decided to just not talk about the games. You know, because it's awesome to be #1 and you're expected to win and so what's the sense of talking about it?

I'm kidding, obviously. Let's get to the recaps.

December 17 at North Carolina State

This game got extra hype for a few reasons. First, it was the first game for Syracuse as the #1 team in the country. Second, it was Syracuse's "first true road game." You put those two together and you have a recipe for disaster, at least based on recently-crowned #1s losing in their next road game. I don't know how much farther you (or ESPN) would want to take the useless-stat/tenuous-connection train there, but I'm disembarking right now. And with that said, Syracuse cruised to an 88-72 victory.

Early action saw NCState pull off to a slight lead. Then, with 8:16 left in the first half and the Wolfpack ahead 29-23, Syracuse woke up. The Orange rattled off 23 unanswered points over the next 6:49 before NCState scored again.
It was an awesome stretch, which saw the likes of James Southerland and Dion Waiters really step up and carry the team.
Syracuse then started the second half extremely flat, even allowing the Wolfpack to come back and tie the game. Luckily, a run around the 8-minute mark put Syracuse ahead for good.
Syracuse shot 57% from the floor, including 44% from three. NCState was 58%, including 50% from three.
The leading scorer for Syracuse was Waiters with 22 points. He also had three assists, a steal, and a block.
Dion and Kris Joseph played a team-high 32 minutes, and Kris was right behind Dion with 21 points. Still though, this was Dion's game.
But how nice is it for Joseph to have a quiet game and score 21 points?
Syracuse was out-rebounded 26-24, but it was clearly the turnover ratio that allowed Syracuse to go on those runs and build leads; Syracuse forced 18 turnovers while only coughing up the ball eight times
Lots of Orange down in Raleigh, and they let themselves be heard. If you were there, kudos to you!

December 20 vs. Bucknell

I'll be honest: nothing about this game, before it happened, excited me. Other than it being an opportunity to see the #1 team in action in person (and since I had season tickets), I really didn't want to go to the game. I just did because, well, that's what I do. And the other "17,000" who also attended the game, I think, had the same mindset as I did. They were just there. That "enthusiasm" carried over to the players, who were just there too. But they won, 80-61, because, well, that's what they do.

Maybe it's because we're used to seeing Dion dominate games, so we get disappointed when he doesn't. He didn't in this game: just four points and two rebounds in ten minutes on the floor.
One pleasant surprise was Rakeem Christmas. 'Tis the season, I guess, because he scored the first seven points for Syracuse. On the night, Christmas scored ten points, had five rebounds, and two blocks in 14 minutes.
Up until now, Christmas had been the token starter, who got the hook early and whose minutes never amounted to much. Was he becoming last year's Fab Melo? Would it make sense to continue letting him start, even if he'd soon be pulled? Would the confidence gained by staying in the starting lineup all season translate into the progress we saw from Melo from last year to now?
The other starters who stepped up were Kris Joseph, with the team high 17 points, and Scoop Jardine, adding 14. Solid effort from both of them.
CJ Fair and Michael Carter-Williams were clutch off the bench, especially do-it-all MCW. Their development in these non-conference games is vital to solidifying the strength and depth of the bench, which will make this team so deadly in Big East games, and provide a huge advantage come NCAA Tourney time.
Not much else to mention about this game. It was kind of boring. A win is a win.

And so, one more game remains before the Christmas (here, I mean the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus Christ, not our starting freshman), as the Tulane Green Wave visits the Dome on Thursday night. That game will wrap up a stretch of three games where Syracuse plays a team whose nickname doesn't end in S (Wolfpack and Bison). Earlier this season, Syracuse played the Stanford Cardinal and the Marshall Thundering Herd. In Big East play, we'll of course see the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and the St. John's Red Storm. By season's end (pending postseason opponents), Syracuse sees seven teams lacking that S on the end of its name. Useless stat, but interesting nonetheless.

Bucknell - Syracuse Preview

2011-12-20T15:25:00.003-05:00

Syracuse students agree: Home or away the Orange are here to stay... #1.

Syracuse performed admirably on the road in the hostileenvironment of NC State's faithful (well the 2/3 of the arena that was for NCState if you believe reports). Now they are back in the comfy Teflon coveredconfines of the Carrier Dome. Bucknell comes into town to take on the red hot,undefeated Orange.

The Bison come in at 7-4 on the season. A Patriot Leaguemember, this team is not going to scare Syracuse or their fans into thinking anupset could be brewing. While Bucknell has a nice pair of shooters in BrysonJohnson and Cameron Ayers. Ayres leads the team in scoring and hits over 50%from long range. Syracuse will have to find these shooters. The good news isthat Syracuse is very good at perimeter defense. Actually better than they werelast season. Johnson was a starter before an injury and sat out Bucknell's lastgame. He will play and will be a spark off the bench for the Bison. The person Syracusereally needs to watch is forward Mike Muscala. He averages 13 points and 9.2rebounds per game. Syracuse has struggled this season with easy passes to thebaseline behind the back row of the zone. Muscala has good post moves and FabMelo and Baye Moussa Kieta could find themselves in foul trouble if they aretoo aggressive in defending the paint. He could also provide a problem for theOrange in rebounding. However, Syracuse leads the nation in steals and turnovermargin. Syracuse should run this team out of the building, especially if thisgame turns into a track meet with their depth. Syracuse should earn a big winin this one. Syracuse over Bucknell by 24.

This game will be nationally televised on ESPN U at 7:00pm.John will be back tonight with a big recap of the NC State and Bucknell games.There are only two chances to see Syracuse before the heart of the Big Eaststarts. Enjoy the blowouts and low pressure games while you can.

Syracuse - NC State Preview

2011-12-17T12:49:00.004-05:00

Syracuse students agree: The national media are gonna hype up the road angle.

Syracuse is now the #1 team in the nation. While Syracuse has traveled away from the Carrier Dome to New York City, this will be their first true road game, heading to future ACC opponent NC State down in the heart of ACC country. Can Syracuse stay undefeated and #1?

The short answer is yes. Syracuse takes on an NC State team that isn't all that impressive. They beat teams like Elon and Morehead State and lost to Stanford and Vanderbilt. They have two good players. Their best shooter is guard Scott Wood, hitting 56.8% from behind the arc. He is their only long range threat however. They will need to get the ball to forward CJ Leslie, averaging 12.8 points and who is capable of playing either forward positions. With only one legitimate outside shooting threat, Syracuse will concentrate on covering Wood from outside the arc. That means that the ball will be passed into the interior, where Syracuse will swarm the ball and make it difficult for NC State to score. Leslie will get some interior scoring opportunities, but will find it difficult working against the zone, a defense NC State doesn't usually play against. Making it more difficult is that the zone will not be stretched too badly with no real outside threat. If Syracuse covers Wood well, and they are able to rebound the ball well, this will be an easy game for Syracuse despite the hyped up NC State fans and team gunning for #1. If Syracuse prevents second chance points and easy buckets for the Wolfpack, this game will be all Orange. I think they do win by 12.

This game will be on ESPN 2 at 6:30pm, a delightful national broadcast. It will be the last major non-conference opponent before the conference slate, so this will be a fun test before the Big East kicks into full gear. And it will be a preview of a fun conference match up in the hopefully near future. Enjoy this between your college bowl consumption.

Orange::44's Bowl Pick'em

2011-12-14T15:25:00.005-05:00

#AllTheOranges

It's Bowl time again for college football. While Syracuse isn't attending, that means we can't celebrate the litany of meaningless but fun college football matchups, leading up to a computer deciding the two best teams in America playing for a giant crystal football. Join John and I in the Orange::44 College Bowl Pick'em. See if you know more about college football than us. Hell you might. But I'm a Blogpoll Voter. You're supposed to lie to me and kiss my butt. Anyway, it's on Yahoo. The group ID # is 11186. Or hopefully you can just click this link here to join. No password needed, the group is open to the public. Invite your friends. No prizes involved but pride. Enjoy.

PS - First bowl is Saturday the 17th. Get your picks in before that.

But It's Not About Money...

2011-12-13T18:24:00.004-05:00

Today, Bobby Davis and Mike Lang filed a civil lawsuit against Syracuse University and Jim Boeheim for defamation. It was one of those "Well we're really not surprised because anything can and will happen in this case" moments. And when this whole Bernie Fine thing broke -- still less than four weeks ago -- many were concerned about Jim Boeheim's comments and assertions to the press. The concerns haven't resulted in criminal liability for Boeheim or a firing by the University, but we've now seen Boeheim dragged into a courtroom. Him, before Fine, who may never see a courtroom in this case.

First, the suit itself. It was filed in New York County's Supreme Court. If you've seen an episode of the original Law & Order, this is the same court Jack McCoy prosecuted his cases. While the Boeheim lawsuit will obviously be in the civil part, not the criminal part, let's not lose the bigger picture here; this is Manhattan. This is a state suit under state law, so any county in New York has jurisdiction over this case. The specific county in which the suit is filed is the issue of venue, and by choosing Manhattan over Onondaga County, Davis & Lang (i.e. their attorney) is making a deliberate choice. Let's face it: money in Manhattan is a lot different than it is in Syracuse. The jury pool is the county of the lawsuit; think about who lives in Onondaga County versus who lives in New York County. Certainly not an indictment on what type of person lives in Onondaga County; they're regular people who understand regular things. But the type of people living in New York County are not farmers, are not blue collar workers, are not teachers, are not social workers, are not bank tellers, are not ... well, you get the picture. They're CEOs, bankers, lawyers, socialites, actors. You might say the now-infamous 1% lives there. You're gonna get a bigger jury verdict from a Manhattan jury than an Onondaga jury. No doubt Jim Boeheim & Syracuse University will be moving for a change of venue in the near future.

The lawsuit itself is for defamation. Defamation is a civil cause of action for damage caused by untrue statements being published. Slander and libel are two forms of defamation. The suit basically alleges Boeheim went to the press with false information about Davis & Lang -- by calling them liars and saying they came forward for money -- and that they have suffered damages as a result. The legal questions here will be: did Boeheim act intentionally or recklessly in making the assertions about the truthfulness & motivations of Davis & Lang? Did Davis & Lang actually suffer damage? Was that damage caused by Boeheim's assertions?

As I've mentioned on twitter, many times before today and again today, Boeheim said what he said when he said it because be believed it to be true based on the information he knew at the time. He knew these allegations about Bernie Fine had been brought several years ago about alleged acts in the 1980s & 1990s. He knew the police never brought charges against Fine. He knew the University investigated it. He knew that nobody brought to the attention of investigators could corroborate Davis' story. And he knew that the Jerry Sandusky story at Penn State had just recently broke. It was within that context of knowledge that Boeheim said what he said. When his context of knowledge changed -- i.e. with the Laurie Fine tape -- Boeheim backed off his earlier comments and, in an emotional press conference following the Florida game, offered an apology. If this case ever gets to a jury, that jury will have to examine Boeheim's words over the course of the past less than four weeks, and determine whether he knew or disregarded evidence in making his assertions about the accusers lying and being in this for money. They'll also have to weigh his First Amendment right to freedom of speech -- his right to express his opinion. Were his words assertions of truth, or expressions of opinion? That's a blurry, gray line.

Not to be lost on this development of a lawsuit is who the attorney at the forefront is: Gloria Allred. I'll be nice and not say anything about her, other than to say her reputation precedes her. Now, she was merely the speakinghead at today's press conference. At this point, she's not even the attorney of record on the case, because she's not licensed to practice in New York. According to the last page of the lawsuit, she will be filing for admission pro hac vice, which means that she will ask to be permitted to practice in NY for purposes of this case, with the assistance of NYS bar admitted counsel. I'm sure that will be approved, but Gloria Allred is not on this case for her courtroom prowess. She's on this case for things like today: the public face of the case.

In terms of where the case goes from here, we're at step #1. An index number has been purchased in the County Clerk's office in NY County. That allows the plaintiffs to file their suit with the Court. They then have to acquire jurisdiction over the defendants Syracuse University and Jim Boeheim by effectuating service of the complaint upon each of them. The attorneys will then file answers, demands for discovery, motions, depositions, etc. That can take months or even years. A settlement could happen at any time, but I honestly don't see a settlement coming anytime soon. The stakes are too high on both sides; I mean, it's Gloria Allred for Christ sakes! This whole thing really jumped up several levels with Allred's involvement.

What can ultimately happen if there's a finding of liability? The suit asks for special, compensatory, and punitive damages. Special & compensatory damages are designed to make the plaintiff whole, to put him back in his prior position and compensate him for the damage inflicted by the defendant. In a personal injury case this can be rather easy to figure out: medical bills, lost wages, loss of future earnings if unable to work again, etc. In a defamation suit, these damages are much more speculative. It'll be interesting to see exactly what is claimed by Davis & Lang outside of the "difficulty to now work in the Syracuse community and even to leave their homes." Punitive damages are those assessed to punish the defendant, severe enough to change their behavior. Most famously is the fight over punitive damages in the Exxon-Valdez case. 22 years later, that fight still rages.

We're obviously on day one of a civil suit that will go on for weeks, months, or even years. A lot can happen. If the last few weeks is any indication of what's to come, a lot WILL happen. What we can't deny is that the dynamic, the conversation has now changed. I know personally, I have gone from disbelief of the allegations against Bernie Fine, to recognition that Bobby Davis is probably a victim, to now having the belief that, yeah, this is all about the money, even if Bobby Davis is a victim. The sad thing is, I don't even get the impression from Bobby Davis that he wants it to be about the money. I truly think he just wants Bernie Fine to not abuse children. But he's gotten so caught up in bringing his story forward, so caught up with Mark Schwarz, and now so caught up with Gloria Allred, that he's just going along with what people are telling him to do. Which, unfortunately, may have been what got him wrapped up with Bernie Fine in the first place.

George Washington - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR 35 Points & #1

2011-12-13T00:04:00.005-05:00

You've earned that smile Dion.

After taking on a Marshall team, and only winning by four points, George Washington made their way into town. Syracuse's defense has been solid, but their offense sputtered out at the end of the game against Marshall. That never happened on Saturday against GW.

Syracuse started the game on a 7-0 run and never looked back. They were never in danger of losing this game one bit. Their largest lead of the game was the winning margin. Leading by 20 points at the half up 45-25, they expanded their lead, continuing their good defense and shooting the ball well. They ended up the winner 85 to 50.

Dion Waiters was the leading scorer in the game with 19 points. He went 8-11 and had five rebounds, four assists, and six steals.
The leading rebounder was Kris Joseph with eight rebounds. He also led the starters with nine points.
Michael Carter- Williams led the team in assists with 8. He also had five points in 18 minutes of play.
Fab Melo again led the team in blocks with three.
Syracuse had eight turnovers as a team. It's always good when Syracuse has less than ten turnovers. They forced 18.
Syracuse did not lead in rebounding, but that's mostly because they allowed a lot of offensive rebounding for GW. Syracuse had 34 to GW's 39.
Syracuse shot the ball very well, hitting 50% of their shots overall and 26.7 from behind the arc (4-15). Something fantastic was Syracuse making 17-19 from the free throw line (89.5%) GW hit 30.6%, 16.7%, and 56.3% respectively.

Syracuse next travels on Saturday to NC State to play a true road game in the non-conference schedule. They also assumed the #1 ranking, elevating that game to national television on ESPN 2. In the meantime, we will wrap up the football season and in general hope to have a quiet week. That would be a nice thing for a change after the past few weeks.

George Washington - Syracuse Preview

2011-12-10T14:19:00.004-05:00

Syracuse students agree: We all thought GW was in the Colonial Athletic League.

Syracuse on paper is a much deeper, more talented team than George Washington. But George Washington will surprise Syracuse in terms of how good at shooting the ball from outside of the arc they are. Far more consistent than Marshall, Syracuse will have to account more for the shooters of GW in the zone. At least Syracuse has had a lot of practice rotating to cover shooters in the zone. The match up of the game will be Syracuse's offense versus the GW defense. GW will use MANTOMAN, 1-3-1, and 2-3 defenses. If Syracuse finds themselves in a scoring drought, Syracuse will be in trouble in this game. Syracuse has seen the 1-3-1 defense before when they played Coach Beilein first at West Virginia and now at Michigan, and they saw a bit of zone earlier this season. However, if Syracuse settles for less than ideal jump shots, Syracuse could be in a situation where they are not scoring but GW is. Syracuse's offense, despite the end of the Marshall game, has been solid this season. I'm picking Syracuse over GW by 14.

This game is on TWCS and SNY starting at 7:00pm this evening. Because of that, TWCS and SNY will carry the usual postgame coverage which is always entertaining. Enjoy your weekend. We'll wrap it all up next week. No football anymore, which is a good thing right now.

Bernie Fine: No NY Prosecution

2011-12-07T18:14:00.007-05:00

Today, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick held a 50-minute press conference to announce basically what we all already knew: that Bernie Fine could not be prosecuted under New York State law for the alleged crimes committed against Bobby Davis and Mike Lang. If that's all that could be gleaned from that presser, then we clearly have a grandstanding DA who, not to be forgotten, is an elected official and therefore, a politician. But after watching the presser, I gained a lot more information, a lot more insight, and actually have some respect for how he handled things (today, at least).

First, I highly recommend that you visit your favorite news site to view the entire press conference, or at least the highlights, if you haven't already done so. Information is the key, and as we have found, people who comment or criticize without having enough information do more harm than good. To begin the presser, Fitzpatrick does a good job of describing the timeline of events concerning the allegations: who knew what, when they knew it, and what was done about it. He states the facts. He doesn't pass judgment or say anyone did the wrong thing. He simply says "this is how it all unfolded." He then goes into some greater detail about how the situation has been handled since ESPN went public with the story back on November 17. I assume we all have a pretty good idea of the story from there.

Some important things I've learned from Fitzpatrick's press conference:

He believes the accusations brought forth by Davis and Lang; he says that had the allegations came forth within the statute of limitations, he no doubt would have prosecuted Fine. He further explains that had he been made aware of the allegations (and the tape) in 2002, 2003, 2005, he would have initiated an investigations (certainly similar to what has transpired over the last few weeks) to attempt to uncover other potential victims.
The previously identified "Victim #4" is no victim at all; there is no credibility to his accusations.
There are potentially several issues with the allegations brought forth by the third accuser, Zach Tomaselli. The DA's office is in possession of travel records and school attendance records which he will be turning over to Fine's defense counsel as "Brady material." I'll explain that below.
The conduct alleged by Davis and Lang fall under "Sexual abuse in the third degree," which is a Class B misdemeanor in NY. More on that below.
While he thinks ESPN, the Post-Standard, the Syracuse Police, and Syracuse University all could have (and probably should have) acted differently when information was disclosed to them all those years ago, they did not act wrong or certainly not illegally. There was no evidence of any institutional failure or cover-up.
He certainly thinks the law firm investigation in 2005, at the request of SU, was wholly inadequate; but that the university and its employees (i.e. Nancy Cantor and Jim Boeheim) acted appropriately in relying upon that investigation's findings. Of course, now knowing that that investigation was "inadequate" and didn't have enough information, has caused those officials to reevaluate how they view the case and that those more recent revelations have resulted in an appropriate change in tone and message.

"Brady material" -- music to the ears of a defense attorney, and quite frankly, an important cornerstone of our criminal justice system. This is a term that emerged from a 1963 Supreme Court of the United States case, Brady v. Maryland, which held that the prosecution in a criminal action has an affirmative, constitutional duty to protect the due process rights of the accused by turning over to the defense any evidence which may be viewed as "exculpatory" -- that is to say, could be potentially helpful to the defense. To really simplify it, here's an extreme example: 18-year-old black man, 6'4" tall weighing 300lbs. is arrested and charged with armed robbery of a liquor store. Through its investigation, the police or prosecution come upon surveillance video showing that the person robbing the liquor store is actually a frail, 70-year-old white woman barely reaching 5'2" and 115lbs. The prosecution has a duty to turn that surveillance video over to the defense. Sure, an extreme example, but that should be quite illustrative of what is "Brady material."

The Brady material here seems to include travel records and attendance records. I'm assuming (though Fitzpatrick deferred any further comment on the issue to the US Attorney) that the travel records indicate Tomaselli didn't travel with the team and wasn't registered at the Pittsburgh hotel, and that he was in fact in school on the dates in question. Such evidence is obviously useful to the defense in essentially proving that these actions alleged by Tomaselli could not have happened; or at the very least, can serve as an attack on his credibility. Now, we know Tomaselli has been anything but shy in talking to the media (or posting on his facebook), and he has already responded to this Brady material. Believe him and his cover-up/manipulation of evidence claims or not, it is what it is; the US Attorney will make its own credibility determination and will decide whether he has enough credible evidence to proceed with a Federal prosecution.

But, the more appalling consequence (in my opinion) with these apparent holes in Tomaselli's story is that several search warrants were issued, evidently using Tomaselli's sworn statements. Now, I haven't seen the search warrant, and I haven't seen the search warrant application, so I don't know exactly what's in it and what basis the judge used to grant the search warrants. But if Tomaselli's credibility is at issue, this could cause serious issues with the validity of the search warrants. Should the dominoes continue to fall in that direction, there's a chance that the warrants could be ruled invalid, and any evidence seized as a result could be inadmissible in a prosecution. That's extreme and a lot of hypothesizing at this point, and it would only be as a result of a finding that there was not probable cause for the court to issue the warrant. So, I won't speculate any more on that until I see the warrant application.

"Sexual abuse in the third degree" - the crime that Fitzpatrick believes was committed by Fine against Davis & Lang. From the statute (Penal Law section 130.55): "A person is guilty of sexual abuse in the third degree when he or she subjects another person to sexual contact without the latter's consent." Sexual contact is "any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of a person for the purpose of gratifying sexual desire of either party." Obviously sex abuse 3rd is a catch-all charge for which anything from fondling to rape could fit; however, with conduct such as rape (which requires penetration) has its own separate charges, one can assume that fondling is the only thing being alleged here. That's consistent with what Bobby Davis and Mike Lang have publicly stated. Sex abuse 3rd, being a B misdemeanor, only carries a maximum 3-month sentence, 1-year probation, fines, and surcharges. More importantly, however, a conviction of this crime requires registration with the Sex Offender Registry -- so, if convicted, Fine would be a registered sex offender. Obviously here, with no state prosecution, there will be no state conviction and, no sex offender registration. We'll have to see what the Feds do.

So where does this leave us? Essentially in the same position we were in before Fitzpatrick's presser this morning. We're more knowledgeable, sure, but nothing about the situation has changed. The Feds still need to decide what, if anything, to charge Fine with, and take further action from there. Jim Boeheim, Nancy Cantor, and the SU community seem to be vindicated and given a vote of confidence by the DA. Maybe that will put to rest the National Media's push for more accountability by Boeheim, and calls for his resignation or firing to be silenced.

If Davis and Lang truly are victims of Fine, they don't get their day in court. They don't get "justice." The statute of limitations is what it is, and it exists for a reason. If the legislature of NY thinks that needs to be reexamined, then the legislature needs to act on that and change it. I can say from a defense standpoint, statutes of limitation are important because it prevents allegations of crimes from the distant past from ruining someone's life; evidence is old or non-existent, memories are faded or wrong, and it's much more difficult to get a fair trial based on old allegations. But, it's the province of the legislature to reexamine that and do what it sees fit so that justice, both to alleged victims and to the accused, is at the forefront of our criminal justice system.

Syracuse - Pittsburgh Postgame Reactions OR Season Over

2011-12-07T16:15:00.009-05:00

Yeah, we didn't like it either Doug.

Syracuse was 5-2 after beating then #15 West Virginia. A team that would later go on to win the Big East and play in the BCS Bowl for the league. Syracuse then proceeded to lose their last five games and not become bowl eligible. It is with that bitterness that we fill out the grades for the final game, knowing that we were probably going to lose this game anyway.

Offense

Syracuse should have won this game looking at the final statistics. They had as many first downs as Pitt (20), converted third downs better (6-13), had more total yards (345) and led in time of possession. But Syracuse committed six turnovers, four of which were due to Ryan Nassib (23/32, 225yds, 1 TD, 2 INT) fumbling two balls, and throwing two picks. The most costly being in the final drive (with two timeouts and 3 minutes to go) fumbling right into a Pitt defender's hand for an easy scoop and score. Despite SU having 120 rush yards, Antwon Bailey never got loose and wasn't even the leading rusher on the team. Five losses, five games without touchdowns. Just saying. Either way, turnovers and empty possessions against a beatable Pitt team (Broken Record) led to another loss.

Defense

The defense wasn't even close to any receiver on Pittsburgh's first play. An easy score as someone didn't follow their assignment. Overall though, the Syracuse defense bent but never really broke. They gave up some ridiculously long plays that had they turned around when the receiver slowed should have been easily defended. Giving up big plays is one thing if you get burned. But because you just covered a receiver poorly is another matter. This happened all too often in the game. Syracuse's run defense was stout however. A refreshing change from the last few games, especially Louisville and USF. And Chandler Jones had the defensive highlight of the day, and maybe his career with a pick and a nice run back. All in all, Syracuse was very beatable if all Pitt did was pass the ball. The defense did just enough though, where Syracuse probably could have won had they not turned the ball over so much on offense.

Special Teams

Playing from behind never helps. Thanks for fumbling the opening kickoff to give Pittsburgh easy field position. The defense didn't help you, but just giving away the ball really doesn't help. Additionally, they gave Pitt pretty good field position for several of their drives. Ross Krautman was perfect on field goals and extra points, and Jonathan Fisher was good on punting. But the muffing of a ball is the worst special team offense ever.

Coaching

Syracuse is down two scores in the fourth quarter. What does Syracuse do on offense? Take 9:30 to go down and score a field goal. A small sense of urgency that late in a football game when playing from behind would be encouraging to see. The play calling in this game was bad on offense. While the turnovers were the players failure of executing on the field, Syracuse then needed to score more points. The offensive play calling, weather ahead or behind never changes. That cannot be the case. You have to adjust your strategies depending on the situations in game that are presented to you. Taking that much time on a drive in the 4th quarter should never happen unless you are ahead. Period.

GPA

D+ (1.25)

While it is no surprise that Syracuse could have won this game, it is definitely no surprise that they lost. Turnovers and a really bad start to the game helped contribute. But no set of circumstances aligned for Syracuse to retake this lead or have enough time to attempt to do so. It will be a long off season and changes in staff and players will occur. For now, this is a bitter end for the seniors departing for bigger and better things.

Intangibles

A+ to Hines Field. One of the better NFL stadiums and a great place to watch a college football game. Good food and all the condiments I could ever want. All hail the Condiment King.

A+ to those Pitt Bloggers out there that were very welcoming, along with Pitt fans in general. They are a more pleasant bunch of football fans in the Big East in my experience.

We'll be back by the weekend with a season recap and final grades for the football team. After that it's all basketball until February. Look for an Orange::44 Lawdog update on the Bernie Fine case later tonight as well.

Florida/Marshall - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Two More Wins

2011-12-07T00:20:00.007-05:00

Some hairy moments but the results were all good.

Syracuse's last two games were a bit uncertain. While Virginia Tech and Stanford were decent tests, none would be as tough as #9 Florida and CUSA contender Marshall. Syracuse was your winner in both however.

Against #9 Florida, Syracuse would face a talented shooting team. The zone begs for teams to take a lot of three point shots and Florida took 26. They made nine, which kept the game closer than it otherwise would have been. Syracuse had only a four point lead at the half, but Syracuse strong defense helped propel Syracuse to the lead, along with Scoop Jardine hitting some key shots down the stretch. Syracuse held on to win 72 to 68.

Brandon Triche was the leading scorer in this game, hitting 5-13 and 1-4 respectively from the floor. His big strength in the game was getting to the free throw line, hitting 9-9.
At this point it's unsurprising that CJ Fair is a great rebounder. He was the leading rebounder for Syracuse, pulling down 11.
Scoop Jardine led the team with four turnovers, but he did have seven assists. He also shot 6-10 from the floor, and again provided the keys to the win in the final minutes.
Rakeem Christmas only spent two minutes in the game and finished with 0 points. This is something to keep an eye on when the competition rises even more.
Syracuse caused 20 turnovers for Florida. That obviously helped Syracuse earn transition points and help either get or keep Syracuse ahead of Florida.
Syracuse shot 40.6% from the floor, 17.6% from three, and 81% from the free throw line. Florida led in the first two categories, something that typically doesn't happen in a win.
Syracuse had 10 steals and four blocks. They also had 14 turnovers. That is still double digits, but it was 6 less than Florida.

Syracuse next took on Marshall in a game that Syracuse never trailed. While the score ended up closer than it probably should have been, Syracuse was never really in danger of losing the game as Marshall couldn't hit the ocean from a boat for the majority of the game. They were 0-16 on three point attempts until they made their first. Syracuse's offense did stall at the end of the game as well, which didn't help. At times it seemed there was a cap on the basket. Either way, Syracuse was your winner 62 to 56.

Dion Waiters was your leading scorer off the bench with 15 points, hitting 4-7 from the floor and 7-8 from the free throw line.
Kris Joseph was the leading scorer for the starters, earning 11 points. He was 2-3 from behind the arc. Joeseph was also the leading rebounder for Syracuse with eight.
Scoop Jardine against led Syracuse with four assists. He also had three steals, also leading the team.
Fab Melo had four blocks in this game, further proving his better defensive prowess.
Syracuse again caused a lot of turnovers with 19. Syracuse's defense was active and stout and everyone on Syracuse does in fact work hard at their defense, which is refreshing to see.
Syracuse shot only 41.5% from the floor. They looked dreadful at times towards the end of the game on offense. Syracuse shot 27.3% from behind the arc. Syracuse also was only 65.2% from behind the arc. Syracuse amazingly led in the first two categories over Marshall however, limiting them to 33.8% and 20.8% respectively.

Syracuse next takes on George Washington from the Atlantic 10 on Saturday at noon. Despite being #3 and 9-0 Syracuse can always improve. They have few valuable tune ups left before the Big East slate, so hopefully Syracuse will continue to improve. The last five minutes of this game were not too pleasant. Neither are losses.

Marshall - Syracuse Preview

2011-12-06T15:58:00.003-05:00

Syracuse students agree: There won't be a letdown after Florida, right?

After beating #9 Florida on Friday Syracuse faces a lesser known team in Marshall, but one that has the potential of winning Conference USA. Syracuse held onto a lead in the second half against Florida thanks to great play from both Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche. Additionally Syracuse caused turnovers out of the zone and earned transition points. Marshall is a big pick-and-roll team, but that should be negated by the zone defense. The question will be if Marshall is having a good shooting night. Marshall has players, like DeAndre Kane (15.8ppg) that is a very capable scorer, including from long range. However, Marshall is also inconsistent. You have to assume they will be on a good amount however. Syracuse will again need to stretch the zone. The key in this game will be rebounding. Much more than Florida and Virginia Tech, Marshall has a better ability to crash the glass and get second chance points. Syracuse must limit that and again spur their offense in transition from their defense. If Syracuse can do this, it will not matter what kind of shooting night either team has. Syracuse will find ways to score inside, but Marshall will have trouble. Unless they are shooting lights out, or getting those easy second change points near the basket, Syracuse will run away with this game in the second half. Look for the Orange to be your winner and stay undefeated by 13.

This game is on TWCS and SNY, so if you're local you should be able to watch this game. Syracuse should avoid the letdown and continue their streak of non-conference wins. We'll be back tonight for a combined Florida/Marshall wrap up, and we'll cover the Pitt Football game before John and I say goodbye to the 2011 football season.

BlogPoll 2011 - Week 15 (Regular Season Finale)

2011-12-05T01:53:00.002-05:00

Orange::44 Ballot - Week 15

Rank	Team	Delta
1	LSU Tigers	--
2	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	3
3	Alabama Crimson Tide	--
4	Stanford Cardinal	2
5	South Carolina Gamecocks	2
6	Boise St. Broncos	3
7	Arkansas Razorbacks	3
8	Oregon Ducks	3
9	Wisconsin Badgers	3
10	USC Trojans	3
11	Clemson Tigers	10
12	Virginia Tech Hokies	-8
13	Michigan St. Spartans	-5
14	Arizona St. Sun Devils	1
15	Houston Cougars	-13
16	Oklahoma Sooners	-2
17	Baylor Bears	--
18	Georgia Bulldogs	-2
19	Nebraska Cornhuskers	-1
20	TCU Horned Frogs	-1
21	Kansas St. Wildcats	-1
22	West Virginia Mountaineers	--
23	Southern Miss. Golden Eagles	--
24	Michigan Wolverines	-1
25	Florida St. Seminoles	-1
Dropouts: Auburn Tigers

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

*LSU remains #1. Alabama drops to #3 in being idle, with Oklahoma State taking the #2 spot.

*Houston you let me down. They drop 13.

*Goodbye 5 loss Auburn. Southern Miss is in.

*Clemson jumps after beating VTech in the ACC Championship.

Anything wonky leave a comment. The next ballot will come after all the bowls. I'm assuming.

Cue The Crying Child...

2011-12-04T19:59:00.002-05:00

For the final time in 2011, the crying children have been cued.

Pittsburgh Quick Predictions

2011-12-02T05:00:00.004-05:00

Yeah we're both leaving. So what.

Syracuse is at their lowest point of the season. Needing one more win to be bowl eligible. One more game on the schedule. And it's not looking good.

Tino Sunsari looked like crap last season. That is until he played Syracuse. I have a feeling he's going to look like Tom Brady on Saturday. The Syracuse defense is weak. The offense hasn't been able to execute. Unless the offense wakes up this game is already done. Syracuse should have rolled last week and they looked awful. Chandler Jones was about the only good player on defense last weekend. That will probably be the case this weekend. No preview necessary. Pitt will roll 37 to 17.

This game is on ESPN 2 nationally at noon. I'll be there with John. The tickets were free and I'm not one to turn down a road trip. Look for me Saturday night downtown. I'll be in the Pens jersey #66.

Florida - Syracuse Preview

2011-12-02T04:10:00.005-05:00

Syracuse students agree: A top 10 matchup in December is AWESOME!

#4/3 Syracuse and #10/9 Florida have met before. In the 2008-2009 Season they played in the CBE classic in Kansas (winning 89-83), and again in Tampa in the 2009-2010 sesaon (winning 85-73). Syracuse shot the ball extremely well in the last few games, both in the paint, but especially behind the arc. While Eastern Michigan was playing a lot of zone defense, that should not be the case with Florida. Look for Syracuse to run a lot of their usual sets to get the ball inside or an open shot. Both sets of guards are pretty even in their abilities to score. The difference in this game will be what happens inside the paint. Obviously Rick Jackson is not on the team anymore, but Fab Melo has improved as of late, along with Rakeem Christmas. Florida's starting power forward Erik Murphy is out with an injury. If Florida finds it easy to get the ball in the paint and score they will be in a good position for the upset. Syracuse should have the rebounding advantage which will help Syracuse pull away in the second half of this game however. Syracuse is just too talented and far deeper than Florida. I'm picking the Orange by 9.

This game is on ESPN at 7pm. Sadly I'll be in Pittsburgh so I'll either be trying to watch this on my phone, or I'll be in a bar in the Steel City. I wish we were in the Carrier Dome, but for the last football game, we'll manage. And hopefully Syracuse will do their part to win the Big East / SEC Challenge.

Cincinnati - Syrscuse Postgame Reactions OR Bleh!

2011-12-01T20:41:00.008-05:00

Doug and Nate were losers last Saturday. Like all of us.

I'm out of the home office the rest of the weekend at Pittsburgh, to maybe see if Syracuse could get a bowl berth. WVU did their part tonight. Cincy could help tomorrow. But really Syracuse needs to beat Pitt. So before we head down there, let's analyze what happened last Saturday. Crap, but lets press on.

Offense

Ryan Nassib (19/38, 203yds, 1 TD, 1 INT) had a mediocre day with field performance. While he did the job late in the game past the point when it would have mattered, he didn't convert third downs and despite one obligatory shot down the field that missed, no pass was really thrown for more than ten yards. Antwon Bailey did everything but score and ran hard, which was a bright spot overall. But was caught behind the line on too many occasions. 373 total yards isn't bad, and 22 first downs is good, but 4-15 on third downs is just bad.

Defense

I never played football in high school. I barely dabbled with it on Friday afternoons back in college. I'm convinced I could lead a touchdown drive against the Syracuse defense by passing on the secondary. Cincinnati sure did. And they had a backup QB in. They scored only 3 points the week before against Rutgers. Syracuse went to 2 OT's against Rutgers. Syracuse's defense allowed 30 points. Regression is awesome. Injuries don't help either.

Special Teams

C-

While the kicking and punting and field goal units were solid, coverage is still a joke. No further analysis needed.

Coaching

C-

You would think with OC Nathaniel Hackett now on the sideline that the offensive play calling would not only be better and sharper, but more smoothly delivered. While there were no issues in the players knowing what plays to run (except for some of the receiver routes), the play calling was probably the most conservative of the season. You see the results. As for Scott Shaffer and the secondary, this was one of their worst games.

GPA

D+ (1.35)

Syracuse managed more first downs, more overall yards, and equal amount of possession time, and still managed to lost badly. This game was within 2 scores with plenty of time in the 4th quarter but the defense couldn't stop anyone. And even after causing Cincy to punt, they could never capitalize and had empty possessions. You can't win a game that way.

Syracuse plays this Saturday for the possibility to play one more game this season. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN 2 at 12pm. Syracuse would become bowl eligible with a win. I'm not holding my breath sadly. But an upset is always possible. We're gonna skip the recap of the Eastern Michigan game, with apologies to Coach Murphy. We'll preview the big basketball game later today, along with the football Saturday and be back next week to wrap it all up.

Fab Melo's Legal Deal

2011-11-30T20:34:00.004-05:00

Justice is slow, steady, and fair

In what I suppose we can only refer to as good legal news (for a welcome change), Fab Melo's Criminal Mischief case has been disposed. The Post-Standard reports today that the attorneys reached a deal wherein Melo was granted an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal. As a defense attorney, this is the most sought-after disposition, short of an outright dismissal of the charges.

Melo had been accused of Criminal Mischief 4th degree, a Class A Misdemeanor, in an incident allegedly involving damage to his girlfriend's turn signal. Due to the nature of the allegations, the case was transferred into the Domestic Violence Court within Syracuse City Court. I previously blogged about DV court, so take that for what it's worth. Melo faced up to a year in jail, $1000 fine, and a criminal record. With this ACD, he avoids all of that.

An Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal is, well, just that. Legally, the case is adjourned and remains pending during the period -- in this case one year -- with no guilty plea or adverse finding. If the defendant follows all of his conditions of ACD during the ACD period, once that period expires, the charge is automatically dismissed, his record is sealed, and as Melo's judge stated, "it's as if the charge never happened."

Some may see this as Melo getting off easy. But there's really good reason to dispose of a case in such a manner, especially given the circumstances here. First, looking at the facts itself, I'm assuming the incident wasn't as simple as "Melo mad, Melo smash, Melo reach in, Melo break turn signal!" (not sure why Melo turned into a caveman just there). While his apparent angry outburst shouldn't be condoned, I'm assuming he was in a situation where he was egged on or provoked, and his actions weren't totally unexpected. A "typical human reaction" you might say. But beyond the actual circumstances, let's look at a few other factors: Melo had no prior criminal record, he completed counseling with positive reports, and he paid restitution to fix the broken turn signal. The lack of a criminal record is important because the prosecutor must evaluate the case and ask "Is this the type of case we want to ruin someone's clean record with?" Clearly the circumstances must have dictated no. Completion of counseling was a plus, because it not only helped remedy the problem that led to this incident but hopefully will give Melo the tools necessary to properly handle similar situations again in the future. Also, the fact that he engaged in the counseling up front, and did so with flying colors, shows dedication on his part and gives the Court a sense that he really earned that ACD. And of course with Melo paying restitution, he has made the victim whole in the sense that she's back in the same position (property-wise) as she was before this happened.

So what we have now is a situation where everyone is in a better position than they were before this all happened. It gives Melo a second chance at living life as a clean, law-abiding citizen, and gives his girlfriend the satisfaction that he's gotten some training to make him a better person. This was Melo's "Ooops, I messed up," "get out of jail free" card. The legal system recognizes that we all make mistakes, and depending on the severity of that mistake, will deal out justice as it sees fit.

During the ACD period, Melo must obey all laws, and abide by a modified order of protection -- one that allows Melo and his (ex?)girlfriend to have contact as long as Melo refrains from such bad behavior as assault, stalking, harassment, menacing, etc. against her. His failure to follow these conditions of ACD, including committing a new crime, can result in the original Criminal Mischief charge being restored to the Court's calendar, and Melo being in no different position than he was before accepting this deal today -- presumed innocent and having the right to a trial by jury. Of course, if then found guilty, he could face that 1 year in jail, 3 years probation, fine, etc.

But let's hope Melo takes advantage of this second chance, keeps his nose clean, and just focuses on his studies and, of course, basketball.

Eastern Michigan - Syracuse Preview

2011-11-29T16:03:00.003-05:00

Syracuse students agree: It's fun to see Coach Murphy... right?

Off of an NIT Preseason Tip Off win, Syracuse faces Eastern Michigan, coached by a familiar face in Rob Murphy. This will be an interesting match in that Eastern Michigan runs a 2-3 zone defense and many of the sets Syracuse runs (wonder where he learned all that?). Honestly, their only problem is there are a smaller team, and they only have nine scholarship players eligible, due to three on the roster sitting out a year due to transferring. They have a good, scoring guard in Darrel Lampley, who is shooting 44% from behind the arc. Syracuse will most likely have to extend the zone to cover him, but if they do they should run away with this game. Look for Syracuse to win by 25.

This game is being broadcast locally on TWCS and SNY. Doubtful it will be picked up on ESPN 3. Because of the Bernie Fine stuff we're scrapping a review of how the team did at the NIT. They won and they played well. We'll be back with a postgame from this game, as well as the football game this past weekend.

BlogPoll 2011 - Week 14

2011-11-29T03:09:00.002-05:00

Orange::44 Ballot - Week 14

Rank	Team	Delta
1	LSU Tigers	--
2	Houston Cougars	3
3	Alabama Crimson Tide	-1
4	Virginia Tech Hokies	--
5	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	1
6	Stanford Cardinal	1
7	South Carolina Gamecocks	1
8	Michigan St. Spartans	1
9	Boise St. Broncos	1
10	Arkansas Razorbacks	-7
11	Oregon Ducks	--
12	Wisconsin Badgers	--
13	USC Trojans	--
14	Oklahoma Sooners	1
15	Arizona St. Sun Devils	2
16	Georgia Bulldogs	--
17	Baylor Bears	1
18	Nebraska Cornhuskers	1
19	TCU Horned Frogs	1
20	Kansas St. Wildcats	1
21	Clemson Tigers	-7
22	West Virginia Mountaineers	--
23	Michigan Wolverines	--
24	Florida St. Seminoles	--
25	Auburn Tigers	--

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

*No one drops out and no one comes in.

*Arkansas and Clemson both lost so they each drop 7 spots.

*LSU and Houston are undefeated. While each has a conference championship game still, they will be #1 and #2 in my poll until they lose.

*All things being even I had Houston jump the Crimson Tide because I don't know which team would win head to head. But I know Alabama has already lost to LSU.

Something ridiculous? Leave a comment.

On Bernie Fine So Far

2011-11-28T23:30:00.004-05:00

Fine was fired on Sunday.

We here at Orange::44 have cultivated a reputation over the years. In going from the first Syracuse Blog on the internet under the direction of Matt Glaude, to my current tenure as the editor here, we have run the gambit from silly to critical. But, especially in the last few years, we (John Brennan and myself) have become known as a reliable source in informing readers when the arena of the law and sports intersect. There is also a reason our slogan here is “chronicling the daily disaster that is Syracuse University Athletics”. It is at this juncture that I, as editor, feel like we should contribute to the Bernie Fine discussion.

Famed movie critic Gene Siskel was known for asking the following question, “what do we know?” So let’s start there. We know that allegations have been made of a disturbing nature against Bernie Fine, long time assistant to Jim Boeheim at Syracuse, and the Associate Head Coach of the program. We know that these allegations were made by Bobby Davis, a former Syracuse ball boy. It was investigated previously by the Syracuse Post-Standard, ESPN, and Syracuse University. Nothing could be corroborated at the times of those investigations. The allegations resurfaced a couple of weeks ago, which then got the Syracuse Police, Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, ESPN, the Post-Standard, Syracuse University, the US Attorney, and the US Secret Service involved. We know that nothing was run in the papers or the media before 2011 because no corroboration was found to confirm Davis’ story at the time, including people he told them to ask. That also includes the now accuser #2 Mike Lang, Davis’ stepbrother. Jim Boeheim defended his friend at this point, calling the accusers liars. On Sunday a new accuser, Zach Tomaselli, charged with sexual assault himself, accused Fine of abusing him as well. Also on Sunday, ESPN released an audiotape of what they say is Laura Fine, Bernie’s wife, and Bobby Davis from 2002. In that tape, the woman admits that she suspected some of the things that Bernie Fine was accused of to Bobby Davis. Finally, on Sunday night, Nancy Cantor fired Bernie Fine. Jim Boeheim also issued a statement apologizing for his earlier statements in defending Fine and calling the alleged victims a liar. This is all that we know.

That is a skimming of the facts but rest is all speculation and guesses and assumptions. And that is where we are at the writing of this. Those are the only things we know for sure. That’s important to remember, because ESPN, sports radio callers, and national columnists all seem to think they know more than that. They do not. The rest is all opinion or assumption.

It is no secret that I, Brian Harrison, am a graduate of Syracuse University (’05). John Brennan is a two time graduate of Syracuse, earning his BA and law degree from Syracuse (’03, ’06). We are fans. We are both upset by the notion that this could have happened at Syracuse University, a place where we both have endless fond memories, both before and after our commencements. But do I think that the University had anything to do with any molestation? No. Nor do I think there is a grand conspiracy or cover up in any way on the part of the University or any employee of the university. Not even Bernie Fine covered anything up. He just denied it. Nor, at this juncture, is there anything or anyone saying that there is some sort of cover up. Rational people would say that means at this point there wasn’t one then.

The good news is that Syracuse University could not have handled anything from this latest investigation better. From the initial statement from the Chancellor, to this latest statement about the firing of Bernie Fine, they have been excellent in their smartly crafted statements, saying the right things, and hitting the right tones. Something Penn State never did.

This investigation has taken many twists. Each more unbelievable than the last. It started when the District Attorney basically accused the Chief of the Syracuse Police Department (and/or the Assistant Chief) of either clear obstruction or incompetence. In an awesome press conference (please watch it if you haven’t) he ripped up one side of the police and down the other, and got a little bit of the mayor as well. Then there is this phone call. I don’t know what else is going to come out, but at this point nothing is surprising.

In terms of the legal situation, William Fitzpatrick will present items as the District Attorney to the Grand Jury. No charges will come of it thanks to the New York Statute of Limitations. While they have been amended to allow prosecution for these heinous crimes against children indefinitely, they were not changed retroactively. With any new and more recent allegations charges could be brought, but as of right now Fine is essentially in no danger of a case being brought in court. And there is always the possibility of Federal Court as well.

This third accuser to surface has major credibility issues, looking at it from a legal perspective. Facing charges of sexual assault in Maine, this seems like setting up a legal defense as an abused child himself. If true or not, there are credibility issues here that police and courts have to sort out. His father has said it is lies. It is another bizarre angle, but something that, if true, could provide a case for the district attorney or federal authorities to charge Fine with.

But on to the real reason for writing this essay. A few people are calling for the firing of Jim Boeheim. Nothing that he has done, or any information that has currently transpired, is grounds or reason for Syracuse University to fire Jim Boeheim. You have to remember at the start of this that this was the third time these allegations had surfaced. Jim Boeheim’s employer, Syracuse University, conducted their own investigation into the allegations in 2005 (which never heard the audio tape just released) over a four month period and nothing was found. Jim Boeheim thought that Fine was exonerated. On top of the fact that Boeheim had no reason to believe it was true from anything he saw, he defended his friend of 50 years. Now there is a preponderance that the first two victim’s stories are true. It appears his first statement of calling the accusations lies was in error. We still do not know the truth, but we know that Boeheim should not have said those things. However, Boeheim thought they were lies at the time. Just because he did that, does not mean he tolerates child abuse, nor does it mean he thought that if Fine did anything that it was acceptable. Boeheim has rightfully apologized. He will also probably face some sort of punishment from the University, most likely in a fine. Boeheim will also continue to take criticism which is fair in terms of his first statement. But did anything he say rise to the level of being fired from the University? Not at all. Nor is the argument of anything “happening on his watch” valid either. If he was notified by someone witnessing anything improper by Fine, then that would be valid. No one saw anything and then told Boeheim, nor did he see anything himself. Nor was it his responsibility to police coaches and players to the level that he would have seen anything happen. As Davis said himself, Boeheim wasn’t at the Fine home at 2am. Nor should he be expected to have been there. Davis knows that and most reasonable people do as well. If you are someone’s boss and they rob a bank after work, should you be fired? If you went on a business trip and he left the heist plan on a desk in their hotel room, were you supposed to search the room just because you’re their boss? I submit not. A reasonable person would submit not. Nor can anyone, not even CBS employees, extrapolate that Boeheim was saying that all abuse victims are lying. He was saying that these individuals were lying, convinced that if they were not something would have come up in 2005. Any sort of red flag. It didn’t. You can’t blame Boeheim for thinking what he thought at the time with the information he had. Again he did not have to make those statements and should be criticized, but clearly should not be fired. If everyone was fired for making dumb statements at some point even more people in this country would be unemployed. However, he is a public figure and a representative in name only to Syracuse, so he will need to face that, which he has in an apology that, written by him personally or not, still accurately relays his sentiment.

Supporting Boeheim also does not equal support for child abuse. To start, no one supports child abuse. Certainly John and I don’t. To say that saying Boeheim should keep his job is equal to supporting child abuse is not only wrong, but it is an argument that does not pass muster. Syracuse is not Penn State and any comparisons to the situation are made by people either ignorant of the facts or just plain incapable of reason.

The Syracuse Post-Standard so far has had excellent coverage of this, along with our friend Brent Axe on The Score 1260. ESPN has botched their own massive story already again, and other national columnists simply do not have the same context and sources that the people in Syracuse have. I remind you to consider that before forming opinions based on other’s opinions, including this notebook entry you currently are reading. Until the entire truth comes out, which I fear we may never know completely, things are not simple or cut and dry. But comparing Syracuse with any other school or any other situation is ridiculous. Unless there is a major new development this will probably be the only comment from the Lawdogs at Orange::44 until the investigation is complete. John and I still received top notch educations at Syracuse, and still enjoy everything about Syracuse. One employee does not represent a University with thousands of employees, nor does it their alumni, many of which are extremely distinguished. Syracuse University will continue to do what it does best; education. The sports programs will continue to succeed as well. This can happen to any school, any business, any employer. I’m sad it happened at Syracuse, and we will have to live with that knowledge. But am I worried about any tarnishing of the Syracuse name? From what I have seen from the university so far, not one bit.

We’ll return to our regular coverage of games and previews tomorrow as well all try to move on.

Cincinnati Quick Predictions

2011-11-25T15:08:00.004-05:00

Everybody loves a DisCon.

Syracuse has dropped three games in a row. This game becomes critical to become bowl eligable, as well as the seniors last game at home in the Carrier Dome. So that means Syracuse has to play well and have a little luck right?

Good news everyone! ~~I programmed the toaster to feel feelings~~ Zach Collaros is out in this game and done for the year. Cincinnati only managed to rack up three points against Rutgers in New Jersey last weekend. Syracuse loves playing Cincinnati without Collaros. Munchie Legaux steps behind center trying to QB this Cincy team, but frankly compared to Nassib and Collaros he is adequate at best. Syracuse should have the offensive advantage in this game. This game is simple. Whichever secondary plays better will win the game. Both secondaries are pretty even, allowing teams to drive down the field. Cincy makes it harder to score though. But they are playign Ryan Nassib, while Syracuse is against Legeaux. Syracuse should play better in this game. I'm picking Syracuse to become Bowl eligible finally 31 to 10.

This game is on TWCS/SNY and ESPN 3. This is the final home game and there are crazy ticket sales going on so if you want to head to the Dome Saturday it will only cost you $15 on the low end. No excuses now. Plus you'll want nachos after having leftovers again.

Stanford - Syracuse Preview

2011-11-25T14:36:00.003-05:00

Syracuse students agree: Syracuse is the better S school.

After beating Virginia Tech by 11, Syracuse biggest competition so far this year, they now take on Stanford for the NIT Preseason Tip-Off Championship. While Stanford is also 5-0 on the season, they have beaten no good teams. Okey State is not the name it was five years ago. But they did cruise in that game, so Stanford cannot be taken lightly. They are shooting 49.4% from the floor overall. Just higher than Syracuse's 49.1%. The key matchup is how well Stanford shoots over the Syracuse 2-3 Zone. Stanford is not in the Big East though. I'm fairly certain Stanford probably hasn't played against a 2-3 zone in the last few years, let alone this season. On the other hand, their leading scorer is senior center Josh Owens. If Stanford can manage to get him the ball through the zone he could do some damage against Fab Melo and Baye Moussa Keita. Those staying out of foul trouble is key for Syracuse to continue their undefeated streak. I think they do, and I think they zone will be confounding enough for Stanford that they again run away with the game in the second half. Syracuse wins by 13.

This game is on the Flagship, ESPN, in a couple hours tipping at 5. We'll be back after the weekend with a full NIT wrap. Until then, enjoy your leftovers. Football preview rolling out next.

Virginia Tech - Syracuse Preview

2011-11-23T15:35:00.006-05:00

Syracuse students agree: We beat VTech before, we'll do it again.

Syracuse takes on Virginia Tech in the Semi-Final round of the Preseason NIT Tournament. This is an interesting game as it is the first real test versus a BCS Conference team. Picked sixth to finish in the ACC, Virginia Tech is a perennial bubble team, but might just get over that NCAA hump this season. They rely heavily on Dorenzo Hudson, earning 19.3ppg and scored 31 points against FIU in their last game. He can shoot the ball and create scoring for himself from the guard position. As for the rest of the team, I'm not that impressed. They are once again missing their best big man in JT Thompson who, for the second year in a row, tore his ACL. Syracuse should dominate in size, but the true test will be if Syracuse is able to rebound against far tougher competition. Syracuse's outside shooting should be on in this game in front of the friendly crowd of MSG. And with James Southerland and Dion Waiters playing well, Kris Joseph can quietly score in bunches. Syracuse needs to get those dirty baskets off offensive rebounds and make Virginia Tech have empty possessions by grabbing rebounds. If they do that, Syracuse will cruise in MSG to the Championship game Friday.

This game is nationally televised on ESPN 2 starting approximately at 9:30, 30 minutes after the conclusion of Oklahoma State and Stanford end. Should be a fun one, and the biggest game for this deep Orange team so far. We'll be back Friday for previews to that next NIT game, along with the Cincinnati Football preview for Saturday. Until then, have a very happy and enjoyable Thanksgiving and enjoy your hoops feast as well.

Cincinnati Q&A With Scott from Bearcats Blog

2011-11-23T14:19:00.005-05:00

Still think a bearcat is made up.

Cincinnati travels to the Carrier Dome on Saturday to take on Syracuse at noon. That means we talk to our Cincinnati expert on retainer Scott King of Bearcats Blog, one of the best Cincinnati blogs on the internet. Also the first, which is something he and Orange::44 have in common. He also appreciates cooking shows, which always helps. Plus he knows what he’s talking about in terms of his Bearcat teams. To the questions!

1. Orange::44: Cincinnati was in position to win the Big East again. Now it's a toss up. What happened?

Bearcat’s Blog: It's been a combination of things. The defense, which had played well most of the season (Tennessee excluded), has been gashed for huge yards the past couple of weeks. West Virginia put 400 on them. Rutgers, which hadn't run on anyone, ran for 200 yards. The kicking team has had a problem giving up blocked kicks this year, and they gave up a block on the tying attempt against West Virginia. The offense has sputtered with Zach Collaros on the sidelines. It's been a combination of things hammering UC at once, and it's been a little too much for them to overcome.

2. Orange::44: How big is the loss of Zach Collaros. Is your team done?

BB: It's gigantic. He wasn't just the quarterback, he was the offensive captain. To say UC was lost without him against Rutgers would be a lie. Munchie Legaux has talent, but he flat out hasn't played well. He's only hit 42% of his passes since Collaros got hurt. Rutgers keyed in on the running game, forcing Munchie to beat them, and he couldn't. Now, Butch Jones is putting in packages for Jordan Luallen and saying that the starting job is potentially open.

I don't know if UC is done, mainly because the schedule has gotten softer (sorry Cuse fans), but hopes of winning the Big East are fading away like Marty McFly's family when he was playing the guitar during the prom and his dad let the guy cut in on the dance.

3. Orange::44: Who is the best player on your team now that Collaros is done?

BB: Isaiah Pead. It was Isaiah Pead all season offensively. When Pead is getting yards, the Cincinnati offense has been tough to stop. When UC was in the Tennessee game in the first half, Pead had 130 yards. The rest of the game he had 22 and UC scored 9 points. He's been a threat in the passing game as well this season, but didn't get a ball thrown to him against Rutgers. The Pead 50 yard TD against Louisville turned that game, and is the only thing keeping the Cardinals from being the outright leaders.

Defensively the most talented player is Derek Wolfe. He's got 14.5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks and is a big reason why people haven't run the ball on UC. He's the only guy on the defense that seems like he could be in the NFL tomorrow.

JK Schaffer is the heart and soul of the defense though. He's among the Big East leaders in tackles. He is tied for the team lead in INTs and passes broken up, and he goes hard every play. Losing him would hurt the defense more than Collaros being hurt has changed the offense.

4. Orange::44: So who do you think is going to win the Big East now?

BB: West Virginia. They shouldn't lose to Pittsburgh or South Florida. I'm disappointed that they are back to having a great chance of winning the league. I would love to see Rutgers or Louisville win the league, just so people bitch and moan about the Big East having a team that is clearly inferior in a BCS game. I think the weird outrage people get about a team that isn't that good playing in a game they aren't going to watch is funny.

5. Orange::44: What scares you about this Syracuse team the most?

BB: I'm worried that Syracuse is going to play the same kind of game Rutgers did against the Bearcats. Run the ball down their throat, keep the defense on the field, go on long drives, and that they stop Isaiah Pead. I think Munchie Legaux could be a good QB next year, but I don't know how I feel if he's forced to win the game.

6. Orange::44: Admit it. Your team is losing on Saturday right?

BB: I will never admit any such thing. I will admit that it should be an interesting contest.

7. Orange::44: What is Cincinnati Basketball going to achieve this season?

BB: That's the question on a lot of people's minds. Obviously the loss to Presbyterian is a giant WARNING sign in some regards. The biggest test for his team is going to be their defense. If they defend well, they are going to win. If they don't, they are probably going to lose. Same as last year in that regard. Depth is a big issue. Starters have seen 30+ minutes a game against subpar competition, which is never a great thing to see. There is no one off the bench that seems like they are going to get theirs offensively, like Sean Kilpatrick last year. It's going to be an interesting year.

8. Orange::44: What is it about cooking shows that make them fascinating?

BB: I have no idea. I think some of it is because it's easy to judge from just looking at it. You can say "oh man that pasta is burnt to hell," and not sound like a moron. I think another part of it is that cooking is something that we all can do, and do somewhat well. Obviously it's not going to be top shelf material, but the average person could cook a good meal. Thrown in the competition aspect of things and it's got appeal. The fact it seems every other female cooking show host is hot is a plus. Most of the male hosts are insane, like whoever the Sweet Genius guy is, or they are complete a-holes, which draws in the viewer. And they are fun to watch, you can jump in at any time and know what's happening and they are on all the time.

Thanks to Scott for answering the questions and enjoying great television. You can follow him on twitter @cardscott5, along with the blog @BearcatsBlog. When you do, be sure to whish him a Happy Birthday today. You can read my answers to his questions here!

BlogPoll 2011 - Week 13

2011-11-21T01:05:00.003-05:00

Orange::44 Ballot - Week 13

Rank	Team	Delta
1	LSU Tigers	--
2	Alabama Crimson Tide	4
3	Arkansas Razorbacks	1
4	Virginia Tech Hokies	1
5	Houston Cougars	6
6	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	-4
7	Stanford Cardinal	3
8	South Carolina Gamecocks	4
9	Michigan St. Spartans	4
10	Boise St. Broncos	4
11	Oregon Ducks	-8
12	Wisconsin Badgers	4
13	USC Trojans	7
14	Clemson Tigers	-6
15	Oklahoma Sooners	-8
16	Georgia Bulldogs	1
17	Arizona St. Sun Devils	1
18	Baylor Bears	7
19	Nebraska Cornhuskers	-10
20	TCU Horned Frogs	-1
21	Kansas St. Wildcats	1
22	West Virginia Mountaineers	1
23	Michigan Wolverines	1
24	Florida St. Seminoles	-9
25	Auburn Tigers	--
Dropouts: Southern Miss. Golden Eagles

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

*Southern Miss is my only team that falls out. Nebraska, Florida State, Oklahoma, and Oregon all take some big falls though.

*Auburn slips in at #25, despite all the losses they have. But I'm not ranking Notre Dame for last beating Boston College, or Penn State.

*New top five, save for LSU at the top.

Anything too crazy? Leave a comment.

Colgate - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Just Another Game?

2011-11-20T12:26:00.003-05:00

Syracuse beating Colgate was a big deal?

Just another game? That's what this needed to be, and that's what it was once the ball was tipped shortly after 4pm yesterday. Syracuse went on to dominate the Raiders, who fell to the Orange for the 45th straight time, with a score of 92-47. It was a game that saw some solid bench play from Syracuse, the assistant coaching skills of Gerry McNamara, and not a lot of Kris Joseph.

The leading scorer for the Orange was Dion Waiters off the bench, who contributed 16 points in 26 minutes. Those 26 minutes were also a team-high for the game.
Speaking of "off the bench," the entire active roster made it into this game. Collectively, the bench scored 60 points.
That's right, the Syracuse bench outscored the Colgate TEAM 60-47.
In addition to Waiters, the other huge contributor off the bench was James Southerland. Not only did he contribute the following line (14 points, 4 steals, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks, all in 21 minutes), but he spearheaded one of the most exciting sequences I've ever seen in Syracuse basketball. More on that in the next bullet.
The Syracuse defense employed the pressure for much of the game, trying to stay active, catch Colgate off guard, and create turnovers into fastbreak points. At no time was this more evident than just under the 9-minute mark in the first half. Southerland stole the ball and hit a jump shot. On the inbound attempt, CJ Fair stole the ball under the basket and tossed it in for the score. After a timeout by Colgate to regroup, another attempt to inbound under the basket was thwarted by James Southerland, who hit a 3-point jumper. After another inbound, Brandon Triche stole the ball, got it to Southerland, who made a lay-up. Then a foul on Scoop Jardine at the inbound led to another inbound attempt, which was stolen by Southerland who dunked it in. Colgate then called ANOTHER timeout to regroup. The next possession led to a Rakeem Christmas steal, and though he missed the layup, Fair came in for the offensive board and put in, for which he was fouled. By then we hit the under-8 media timeout. But wow. This description doesn't even do it justice. Go back and watch it yourself!
In all, 13 Orangemen scored points. That's impressive, no matter who you're playing.
The starters' time on the court was limited, with Christmas getting the most at 20 minutes. All starters returned to the floor to start the second half, except Kris Joseph, who we later learned was resting his knee after experiencing some soreness and stiffness. After the game, coach Jim Boeheim insisted Joseph could have played, but felt it was better to get him some rest so he'd be ready for the games Wednesday and Friday at Madison Square Garden.
Fair started the 2nd in place of Joseph. CJ had a nice game, with 13 points in 18 minutes, also adding 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block. His game on both ends of the floor has been very consistent. He's a go-to player who doesn't create a lot of hype or attention, which I think makes him especially dangerous. It's great to have a player like that on the team.
Michael Carter-Williams is also getting some huge playing time in these early contests, playing for 22 minutes in this one. While his stat sheet isn't impressive (3 points, 5 assists), he is active on the floor and is really good at making the opposition know he's out there. I worry sometimes that he plays a little too aggressive, and he can sometimes create some stupid fouls. However, these are, as they say, freshman mistakes. He'll learn, and be all the better for it.
Scoop Jardine had a very un-Scoop-like game. In 16 minutes of action, he scored 11 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, had a steal and an assist, and -- this is the weird part -- had zero turnovers. Zero! Who knew that zero could be the hero?
Colgate was simply outmatched on every aspect of this game. While their leading scorer Pat Moore had 19 points, it obviously didn't much matter. That's all the Colgate analysis you're getting from me.
As we move in to seeing some tougher competition in New York City this week, we should continue to see what permutation of players Boeheim decides to use. Yes, the bench goes deep, and with it, the talent, but Boeheim won't be parading out the likes of Mookie Jones on a regular basis once the cupcakes are out of the way. Waiters, Keita, and Fair are the ones you'd anticipate getting most of the minutes off the bench, but with the way Southerland has been playing in these early games, how can you justify not playing him? We could very easily see a 9- or 10-man rotation deep into the season. And the best thing about it is, God forbid if a starter gets hurt, there's someone just as good on the bench who can step in and play like a starter.
I, for one, am grateful that we have that to rely on.

So now, we turn our attention to Wednesday, and a matchup at MSG against the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Hokies. I insist that we all use the full name. Using the full name will divert attention away from having to address the big elephant (empty chair) in the room. So, please indulge us.

Colgate - Syracuse Preview

2011-11-19T11:10:00.003-05:00

Syracuse students agree... Colgate's in for a drubbing.

Though we're still in college football season, the game of focus on this November Saturday in the Carrier Dome is not football, but basketball. The gridiron guys are on a bye week while the #5 basketball team takes to the floor against the Colgate (Red) Raiders at 4pm. Syracuse looks to improve upon its 3-0 start heading into the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-off tournament at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday against former Big East and future ACC opponent Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, Colgate seeks some direction, as is always the case for a school in the Patriot League this early in the season. Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim will continue to go deep into his bench, playing various permutations from his 10 players. The usual starting five, led by forward Kris Joseph (16.7 ppg), will be out there looking for the fast start that sometimes plagues a team like this (as it did in the last game against Albany). Dion Waiters and CJ Fair will provide the sparks off the bench, so look for their good game play to continue. Over on Colgate, their leading scorer is senior guard Mike Venezia at 14 ppg; down low, junior center John Brandenburg will be a force to reckon with as he pulls down 8.5 rebounds per game. Syracuse will need to box out and try to make him as much of a no-factor as possible. In a series dating back to 1902, the Orange holds a 118-45 record over the Raiders, including winners of the last 45 meetings. Colgate hasn't beaten Syracuse since 1962. That's before man set foot on the moon; before personal computers and smartphones; and before Boeheim became head coach. Colgate should have plenty of trouble with the #5 team in the country; look for an easy Syracuse win by 29 points.

Fordham/Manhattan/Albany - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Very Niiiiiice!

2011-11-16T23:38:00.003-05:00

We know Jim. Refs are already in Big East Tournament form.

Syracuse has opened their season with a bang, not a whimper. Three games, and three victories, by an average margin of just over 28 points. A good as way as any for the #5 team in the nation to start a season, save for another top 25 win. But I think we'll all take big wins against inferior opponents. Syracuse beat Fordham 78-53, Manhattan 92-56, and Albany 98-74. And they were never really close.

Your leading scorer for Fordham was Kris Joseph, hitting 6-12 and scoring 16. He also led the team against Albany with 19 points, hitting 8-14. Dion Waiters led the way against Manhattan off the bench with 17 points.
Each game had a different rebounding leader. Fordam saw Brandon Triche pull down the most with seven. Manhattan saw the break out of Fab Melo grabbing nine, which was excellent to see. CJ Fair continued his excellent career in rebounding by leading for Albany with nine.
Fab Melo led the Fordham and Manhattan games in blocks with four. Both Dion Waiters and James Southerland had two each in the Albany game.
Kris Joseph and James Southerland seem to be the best at three point shooting, with Dion Waiters also doing well during the Manhattan game. All three have the ability to hit the long ball though.
So far the most impressive player unexpectedly seems to be James Southerland, who has really shot the ball well, and has the ability to rebound and clean up around the glass.
Fab Melo has really improved. So much so that he actually never fouled out of any games and was able to take some charges. His offense has greatly improved, along with his defense of just standing tall, not fouling.
Biggest disappointment so far is Scoop Jardine. While his shooting has improved, his decision making is right on par with last season so far.

Syracuse next takes on Colgate on Saturday at 4pm before taking on the teams in the NIT Final Four in Madison Square Garden next weekend. Another warm up game before a little better of a team to play against. I know I wasn't alive the last time Colgate beat Syracuse. I'm fairly certain my mom wasn't either. This will not be a game. But we'll have our usual preview Friday, along with some football bye week fun perhaps.

Albany - Syracuse NIT Season Tip Off Preview

2011-11-15T14:44:00.003-05:00

Syracuse students agree: Albany schmalbany.

The next round of the NIT Preseason Tournament is hapening tonight in the Carrier Dome for Syracuse and winner over Brown, Albany. The Great Danes are a steadily improving team over the past few seasons. Going to a record last season of 16-16, they improved nine more wins from the previous season. But they lost their leading scorer from that team. They do return All-America East Conference Logan Aronhalt (14.6 ppg) and Mike Black (12.3 ppg), but considering that Syracuse has Kris Joseph and the rest of the scholarship players, Albany is severely lacking in firepower. And Syracuse's defense has been locked in both games so far this season. Fab Melo is contributing and taking charges. Albany has no chance in this game. Syracuse is your winner by 28.

This game will be available on TWCS in Upstate NY, as well as ESPN 3. It should be another fun one to watch if you like one sided affairs. I'll be in the Dome tonight first hand for this one, so enjoy the occasional Tweet tonight. This one isn't national in coverage so I get you may be left wanting.

USF - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR USF? Really?!?

2011-11-15T01:54:00.003-05:00

I really wish I knew what he said to her.

Syracuse had the chance to show the nation on another Friday night that they were a team that could play with the big boys. They failed to. Syracuse got drubbed in front of a fairly full Carrier Dome in front of the Homecoming crowd. Stellar. Syracuse the loser in the Dome 37 to 17. To the grades.

Offense

D-

Syracuse spent the entire first quarter punting. Another slow (no) start for the Orange. Ryan Nassib (23/46, 297yds, 2 TD, 0 INT) actually played a decent game in the second through fourth quarters. He overthrew/underthrew some receivers early and on a few occasions either he or the receivers got the routes wrong and he was throwing to no one. After that he settled down, but his receivers let him down, including three touchdown passes that were dropped. Antwon Bailey (18car, 65yds, 3.6avg, 0 TD) never established the run. Syracuse did not turn the ball over which was good. But this offense obviously did not move the ball well. Even more squandered opportunities.

Defense

C-

Syracuse held USF to less than 50% on third downs. But they did earn 27 first downs in the game. They also amassed 490 yards of total offense. But the biggest problem was USF's average 7.3 yards gained on passes and 5.5 on runs. Those kind of gains do not make it easy for a team to be stopped. And USF really was not in this game. What is the most egregious is knowing BJ Daniels is a quarterback that runs, and they allowed him to rush for 117 yards on 21 carries. Not stopping the pass is typical and expected. Not stopping the run is worse.

Special Teams

Jonathan Fisher is our punter now apparently. And he shanked one hard to start the game. Badly. Coverage was also bad. Not UConn bad, but still pretty bad. Ross Krautman came through at least, hitting a 28 yard field goal and converting two extra points.

Coaching

D+

Surprisingly, with three less penalties, Syracuse managed more penalty yards than USF. The team has been undisciplined for the last few games, far more than any last season, or any to start this season. Looking at the last several games, having a slow start for each, Syracuse really needed smart play calling to start this game. That was not the case. Syracuse also needed to not have so many empty series. While failed execution on the part of players stalled most of the drives, putting players in a better position to make conversions is the job of offensive coordinators. The first series was three runs and a punt. Keep in mind Syracuse started with an eight yard play for a second and 2. They failed to convert. Additionally they failed to score from inside the five yard line with four plays. That is bad play calling and not knowing what your players are capable of.

GPA

D (1.13)

Syracuse was never really in this game after BJ Daniels got going. Syracuse's offense never really got going this entire game either. It's a miracle Syracuse earned 17 points. This was the same problem as last year. Syracuse needs the bye week now more than ever. Serious problems need to be fixed. As for this game... well it just was not good.

Intangibles

D to the weather on Friday evening making the tent absolutely necessary for our tailgating. It would be clear for 40 minutes, then raining for 20, then clear for 30, then snowing for 15, then clear for 30. Crazy stuff. At least there wasn't any THUNDERSNOW.

F to the student section. This was a Friday at 8pm game. You could have drank all day and showed up at 7:30 to a COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME. Most of you didn't. Great work. Cheers to those that did though. An 8pm game is about as far from a nooner as you get. Sad.

Syracuse will earn a much needed by to take on a Zach Collaros free Cincinnati team. An intriguing game now with that announcement. Syracuse still looking for bowl eligibility with one win. We'll all enjoy turkey first though. And a feast of basketball.

Manhattan - Syracuse Preview

2011-11-14T18:13:00.002-05:00

Syracuse students agree: We own Manhattan.

Syracuse opened the season nicely with a 25 point win on Saturday against Fordham. Syracuse will look to continue the streak against Manhattan in the first round of the NIT Season Tip Off. The winner will advance to play Albany tomorrow at 7pm (Drat I wanted to play Brown. Ah well). And yes, Syracuse should be the winner. Manhattan is a team that poses little to no threat to Syracuse, a much bigger and more talented team. Fab Melo changed the Fordham contest by just being big and shutting down their leading scorer. Chances are the same will happen when Syracuse tries to limit the Jasper's best player George Beamon. He averaged 15 points and ten rebounds per game last season. But he will fall short in this one. Tip off is less than an hour away, so I'm just going to call a 21 point victory for the Orange, with Dion Waiters being the big spark off the bench again.

We'll be back shortly with full coverage of the USF game on Friday night, both the Fordham and Manhattan postgames, and a preview of the upcoming game tomorrow night. For now, enjoy.

BlogPoll 2011 - Week 12

2011-11-14T01:19:00.003-05:00

Orange::44 Ballot - Week 12

Rank	Team	Delta
1	LSU Tigers	--
2	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	1
3	Oregon Ducks	2
4	Arkansas Razorbacks	2
5	Virginia Tech Hokies	2
6	Alabama Crimson Tide	2
7	Oklahoma Sooners	2
8	Clemson Tigers	2
9	Nebraska Cornhuskers	3
10	Stanford Cardinal	-8
11	Houston Cougars	3
12	South Carolina Gamecocks	1
13	Michigan St. Spartans	-2
14	Boise St. Broncos	-10
15	Florida St. Seminoles	1
16	Wisconsin Badgers	2
17	Georgia Bulldogs	3
18	Arizona St. Sun Devils	3
19	TCU Horned Frogs	--
20	USC Trojans	3
21	Southern Miss. Golden Eagles	4
22	Kansas St. Wildcats	--
23	West Virginia Mountaineers	--
24	Michigan Wolverines	--
25	Baylor Bears	--
Dropouts: Auburn Tigers, Cincinnati Bearcats, Texas A&M Aggies, Florida Gators, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

*Boise the big loser, dropping down 10 spots thanks to TCU's win. TCU now appears.

*Also new is KState, WVU, Michigan, Baylor.

*Stanford takes a drop with the lost to Oregon. They jump to 3. LSU still #1 with the Okey State taking #2.

Anything whack? Leave a comment.

Fordham - Syracuse Preview

2011-11-10T20:33:00.002-05:00

Syracuse students agree: Welcome to the 2011-2012 season.

Syracuse opens the 2011 season in a pretty unremarkable way. They play Fordham, a team that had an absolutely dreadful 2010-2011 season, going 7–21 (1–15) in the Atlantic 10 Conference. This should be an easy win for Syracuse. The biggest question is who is starting, and who will get playing time off the bench. The projected starting lineup is Jardine and Triche at guards, Kris Joseph and Rakeem Christmas at small and power forward, and Fab Melo at center. But how much Dion Waiters will we see? What rotation will be established? Several of these questions can be answered by buying a 2011 Orange Tip Off, conveniently available for purchase here. There's the one plug. On top of that, We'll see freshman Michael Carter-Williams, along with Waiters, CJ Fair, and Baye Moussa Keita. This will be like the two exhibitions. There will be a lot of shots taken, rebounds pulled down, and big dunks. Fordham was not good last year. The will not be good this year. Especially in the first game. Syracuse is your winner by 23.

This game will be broadcast on TWCS and SNY at 4:00pm. Good luck to the Carrier Dome crew in putting the court down in time after starting around midnight. But they will. It's what they do. This should be a fun one to start the season, something we've all been looking forward to.

Your Guide To Homecoming: 2011 Edition

2011-11-10T20:01:00.003-05:00

Another year, another Homecoming, another guide.

Editor's Note (Same as last year): Syracuse has made a huge effort to re-brand Homecoming "Orange Central". This is unacceptable. It forever should be known as Homecoming, one of the few traditions Syracuse actually has that isn't fake or manufactured and has been going on for years. I don't care that Homecoming doesn't fit neatly into a #hashtag, and I don't think something as simple, pure, and nice as Homecoming needs a makeover. It's Homecoming. And it forever will be known as such here on this blog, and apparently at the Athletic Department as well. And even on the "Orange Central" homepage in pictures too.

Producing a guide to homecoming has become a tradition here at Orange::44. This year will be no exception. Bars and restaurants come and go, but the solid advice on where to eat or drink will remain constant here in this guide. As always, enjoy your time back. It's fleeting, so choose wisely. This guide should help.

Food On The Hill

El Saha – The cheapest pita on Louis Marshall Way. With delicious options to cram in your pita, an entertaining staff, and usually South Park or Family Guy on the television, this is where I usually stop for a Pita, but lately they have been slipping. You might want to go with the always solid Pita Pit.

Pita Pit – For you traditionalists out there, you will probably still want to head to your old favorite. It is slightly more pricy, but they offer a few more toppings, an artsy menu, and everything is amazing with bacon. But really, that is just a good rule for life.

Jimmy John’s – The smells are free, but sadly the subs are not. This sandwich shop is delicious however. Their bread is baked fresh, the staff is bizarre, and now they do not use the till money to buy drugs. I always have a ridiculous conversation with a stranger in here as well. Could be some perfect post-bar entertainment before you head home.

Sliders – A brand new burger joint. The burgers are pretty good, they are made to order, and you can get regular or slider size as well. They have Belgian fries as well, which means they are crispy on the outside and soft and delicious on the inside. I recommend this place if you are hungry for a burger on your nightly journey.

Cosmo’s Pizza – A classic joint that has a greasy diner feel. Their pizza is good, but I would go for any number of other choices they offer. Finish the deal with a THB and a scoop of vanilla.

Varsity Pizza – The best cheese steak on the hill. They also have many other tasty choices, plenty of tables, decent pizza, and if we beat the other team come on down after the game and see the band flip the banner over. Beware, you are on the clock if you eat the pizza.

Faegan’s Pub – For something a little more upscale, this is probably the place you should be. With a multitude of salads, burgers, wraps, and sandwiches you have plenty of options. Also, with over 40 beers on tap, you can find something to go with any meal. Just get there during the day, as they close down the kitchen around niner. More on this later.

Aladdin’s – This place offers several natural and organic choices, for the more health conscious. I’ve only ever eaten here a handful of times but it hasn’t really disappointed me. The desserts are also great here.

Acropolis Pizza – They have subs and the usual fare. Nothing too remarkable. Why go here when you can just go to Cosmo’s though. Upside is that they do serve alcohol.

Insomnia Cookies – Perfect for that late night sweet tooth craving. They have cookies, frozen treats, and other assorted sweets. Not my cup of tea at 2:00am, but feel free as this is a nice place.

Food In Syracuse

Tully’s – Located on Erie Blvd. and in Liverpool this is the ultimate sports bar in Syracuse. With a shit ton of TV’s, excellent food ranging from appetizers to dinners, and the best chicken tenders (Tully’s Tenders) in Syracuse, this will surely cure your hunger, especially if you want to watch a game. Just get there early if you are going on a Sunday.

Spaghetti Warehouse – With a seemingly endless dining room, and a lot of pasta options, this is the place for Italian. The Marsala may cost you, but the bread is free. Especially tasty when dining with friends in the trolley car. Not a bad pick for decent pasta.

Pastabilities – A bit more upscale than the Warehouse, it is a favorite of many folks on the hill. While not my favorite, there are plenty of tasty options on the menu, and it is conveniently located near all of your favorite downtown bars.

Empire Brewing Company – A small underground restaurant that has a small but somewhat fancy menu. They brew their own beer and can pair it with any meal you choose which is also very nice. Try the burgers, or if you are feeling frugal the Chicken Po’ Boy. A little pricy, but fairly worth it.

Syracuse Suds – This bar also makes their own beer and has an extensive sports bar type menu. The appetizers are very good here and they serve some great steaks as well. Finish it off with some homemade root beer.

Zebb’s – Way out in Mattydale just off I-81, it is a hidden gem. I feel like not many SU kids know about this one. It has a diner feel, with most standard American fare. They have a “Build Your Own Burger Bar”, you can get shots of vanilla, cherry, or chocolate flavor in your cola, and they have the definitive appetizer menu in the Syracuse area. In the mood for alcohol? Try the mojito. I don’t think it’s a gay drink. Moooooo-heeeeeeeee-tooooooooo. Also, if you are allergic to nuts, stay away from the cookies. Bastards.

Alto Cinco – Located on Wescott Street, this places offers good, authentic Mexican food. There is usually a hell of a wait, but you can make the time pass with margaritas and Coronas at the bar. Truth be told I’ve never eaten here, but everyone raves that I should have included this on the list years ago, so here you all go.

Dinosaur BBQ – The most famous of all the Syracuse eateries. Without a doubt, the best BBQ you can get in all of Upstate New York. Syracuse is the original location and also the most colorful. Enjoy the “Big Ass Pork Plate” or sample the two best meals with a House Special of a quarter rack of ribs and a quarter chicken. The sides are also especially delicious and if salt potatoes are on the specials it is a must.

Bars On The Hill

Chuck’s – What could best be described as a hole in the wall. Graffiti covers the walls, but the pitchers flow well here. During Friday Happy Hour pitchers are $3/5, and while they do not have an impressive menu, their fries do the trick. This bar gets awfully crowded with bitchy undergrads wearing pink shirts and popped collars. If that is your thing then this is your bar. Also, current and former basketball players like to hang out here, so maybe you could celebrity spot as well.

Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar – Make my day and e-mail me if you actually go to this bar. How is this place still open?

Darwin’s Pub – RIP.

Faegan’s Pub – The gold standard in Marshall Street Bars. With over 40 beers on tap and bartenders that are skilled in the craft of making drinks and shots, this is where most alumni end up. While there are not many specials on Friday, it is vastly less crowded and a much better atmosphere than Chuck’s. Say hi to Guy for me and tell him Mr. Harrison sent you.

Harry's – This bar has a small place in my heart, as my father's cousin was Harry. However, he long sold the bar before I got to the hill so no free drinks for me. This bar is ideal for MNF watching and eating wings. However, you will not be in town on Monday. Not a bad option for a bar choice though. It is solid with decent food and probably not a big crowd.

The Sheraton Hotel – While I would not stay here all night, they do have free wings and pizza for a couple hours starting at five. If you are a broke alumni with a lot of debt, maybe you should start out here.

Bars In Armory Square

Mully’s – This Irish bar is undistinguishable in every way. They have booze and you don’t. Who’s more Irish?

PJ’s Pub and Grille– It will forever be known as PJ Dorsey's to me. This is a fun little bar with room, dancing, and a favorite of mine as I spent my 21st birthday there. Nothing too remarkable about it, but again, they have drinks and you want some. This could be a really fun place.

The Blue Tusk – This is the most expensive place downtown, but it could be worth it if you enjoy rare brews and an upscale atmosphere. A LOT of beers on tap. Also, the back room is the perfect place to sit down, enjoy the company of friends, and some fine ales.

Bar – This is an upscale place with a dress code and loud music. It is also very dark. Perfect for being sketchy if you are into that sort of thing. The bartenders know what they are doing, so you’ll be good to go. This would not be my first choice though.

Syracuse Suds – This bar is also a micro-brewery. Nowhere else in Syracuse can you get a root beer keg. A lot of older people come here so it will not get out of hand, but it is a nice, chill place to drink some beers and they have a very solid food selection.

Empire Brewing Company – This is also a quite place to enjoy some freshly brewed local beers. This is like an Irish pub, but instead of Guinness try the Blueberry Wheat.

Kitty Hoynes – This is a pretty authentic Irish pub and as such as a really great fairly authentic food menu if you are craving some things made with Guinness. They have some great beers on tap as well. Highly recommended if you want a great chill pub experience.

Daisy Dukes / Vinyl – This is a “cowboy” bar and a dance club on the back. It can be fun on occasion and a lot of hot girls like to get crazy here which is a plus. They also have a mechanical bull there for that added level of white trash. Then you can get sketchy in the back dancing the night away. Not my true cup of tea, but a lot of people enjoy this place and it is fun to slum it once in a while.

There are plenty of other restaurants and bars I am forgetting about, but really, this is the guide. If it is not on this list, you either should not waste your time or you already know about it because it is not that popular but you like it anyway. Both cases are fine.

Now is some advice to carry you through the weekend that I always give:

•It is important to remember that no matter how drunk you get, you do not live off campus anymore. Try not to show up to a former residence and try to break in just because you used to live there.

•This one is for the younger kids; Homecoming is too short for you to deal with drama and people trying to make you feel like crap. Avoid people that you would have a problem with and just hang out with people you enjoy.

•Tailgating is an art. Respect it and it will respect you.

•If you hate Nancy Cantor like my friends do, enjoy a nice pee on Nancy’s $6 million wall. It is the world’s most expensive outdoor urinal.

•Enjoy the sights and sounds of your old campus, but avoid public safety. They still have guns.

•Enjoy some beers on the quad. It is private property after all. Just don’t sneak into Maxwell Hall to shotgun some beers like you did back in the day.

•Bring two pairs of shoes. You never know if your buddy will pee in them.

Everything above is just solid advice. Feel free to ignore it, but you may come to regret it.

For any other non-drinking/official Syracuse events, check out the official Homecoming schedule right here.

Syracuse will take on South Florida at 8:00pm in the Carrier Dome. While tailgating will only be had by the truly dedicated as it should be snowing, you can still enjoy some debauchery before heading into a full and very orange Carrier Dome. Be sure to enjoy your time if you are making the trip back, enjoy the game win or lose, and as GO ORANGE!

South Florida Quick Predictions

2011-11-10T16:19:00.002-05:00

Just a reminder: Tampa is not South Florida.

With another Friday Night game, that means the preview needs to come out earlier. We're happy to oblige. A shorter week to forget the last game sooner is welcome. And this is Homecoming after all. Our annual Homecoming guide will follow this preview, but for now let's get to the game.

Syracuse has had a rough go after slaughtering #15 West Virginia under the lights a few weeks ago. Since then, two letdowns of Louisville and Connecticut. The worst part is, both games were winable. Syracuse just did not execute their games. It was more to do with not making plays than anything opponents did. Which makes them the worst kind of games to watch. But USF has had troubles as well, having lost all four of their conference games. The last being an OT loss to Rutgers by a field goal after leading by a few scores with about seven minutes left. South Florida is vulnerable both on the pass and the run. Of course, Syracuse is more vulnerable on the pass as well. And QB BJ Daniels of USF is a very mobile quarterback, capable of running for first downs and more. The way Syracuse defended the run last game, that could prove deadly. This game could be an airshow for both teams. The key in this one is obviously limit big plays, but more importantly get in an offensive rhythm early and keep scoring. If Syracuse does not score on their first two possessions, this game is probably over. Syracuse has been able to come back, but it gets more unlikely the further we go in the season. Additionally, this is a "short week" to prepare for USF for Syracuse so I just feel like the game plan will not be as tight as WVU was, with a bye week proceeding it. But all that being said, I do think Syracuse will be able to pull a game out on Homecoming. The Dome will be loud, the students will be there in full force as this game is not being played at noon, and there should be some vintage electricity in there. I'm picking the Orange in a close one, 27 to 24.

This game is being played on national television on ESPN 2 at 8:00pm. There should be a lot of folks in the Dome. And if you can't make it, enjoy it on a nice Friday night in. You'll probably be warmer than I will be tailgating. At least the game is indoors. Always enjoyable.

Syracuse - Connecticut Postgame Reactions OR Something About UConn

2011-11-09T23:54:00.007-05:00

This picture could have been from 2002. But it was last weekend.

It's always UConn. Like Louisville in basketball, Syracuse just can't seem to beat UConn. Especially at Rentschler Field. Syracuse was in a good position to win this game, and they sucked. Pathetic.

Offense

C-

Syracuse by the numbers did what they were supposed to do in terms of converting third downs (7-14). But in reality it didn't matter because they had a lot of empty possessions. Ryan Nassib (24/39, 275yds, 2 TD, 2 INT)played well most of the time, but had several overthrows, and obviously throwing on the move to a curling receiver is just asking for a defender to jump the route. Antwon Bailey (16car, 50yds, 3.1 avg, 0 TD)never really got going, which put more pressure on Nassib as well. Alec Lemon was the only consistent player, earning 9 receptions, 157 yards, and a touchdown. Nick Provo also got a score and was good as usual. But that was not good enough.

Defense

The defense was never really set up for success a few times by special teams, and then they allowed massive runs on several occasions. They played better in the second half, and also caused five turnovers, but overall they were hot and cold. The fact that UConn was 3/8 on third down conversions was good, but they earned 18 first downs, which means they did it through penalties of Syracuse and big runs on first or second down.

Special Teams

D-

The opening kickoff that UConn ran was a joke. That joke continued all day as the average kick return for UConn was 41 yards. And when kicks only reached the 20 you do the math. Additionally, Ross Krautman missed a field goal which would have given Syracuse the lead at the half. Just a poor day for special teams. Phillip Thomas gets the gold star for two INTs however.

Coaching

C-

Really conservative Doug Marrone appeared in the offensive play calling. Scott Shaffer additionally failed to adjust defensive schemes to account for UConn's running game. Just an uninspired performance. Perhaps a little no huddle would have been the spark needed for Syracuse to move the ball?

GPA

D+ (1.37)

UConn didn't win this game. Rather they did enough not to lose it. Syracuse lost it. Which is always the best way to do things on the football field. Syracuse had a higher 3rd down conversion rate, more yards, and a higher time of possession. Did not matter. Turnovers didn't help, and failing to capitalize on the opposing team's turnovers make it even worse. When the other team is just giving you points you have to take them. Or you deserve to lose.

Intangibles

A+ to the weather. A sunny 50 degree day in November to watch football outdoors was welcome.

D+ to the food service workers in the stadium. They were not good. Sorry UConn fans. Come to the Dome and you'll know what you're missing.

A+ to the awesome accident we witnessed in the parking lot at the Rent. Not only was a dumb girl backing up into a car was the cause, not only was her drunk boyfriend awesomely angry, but five Connecticut State Police vehicles responded. That was good for over 25 minutes of entertainment after the game. Brilliant.

Syracuse takes on USF on Homecoming this Friday night at 8:00pm on ESPN 2. The last time Syracuse played an 8pm game on national television the results were good. And USF has not won a Big East game this season. I'm excited for this. You should be too.

BlogPoll 2011 - Week 11

2011-11-07T03:23:00.003-05:00

Orange::44 Ballot - Week 11

Rank	Team	Delta
1	LSU Tigers	1
2	Stanford Cardinal	1
3	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	1
4	Boise St. Broncos	1
5	Oregon Ducks	1
6	Arkansas Razorbacks	1
7	Virginia Tech Hokies	2
8	Alabama Crimson Tide	-7
9	Oklahoma Sooners	4
10	Clemson Tigers	4
11	Michigan St. Spartans	6
12	Nebraska Cornhuskers	-4
13	South Carolina Gamecocks	-3
14	Houston Cougars	7
15	Auburn Tigers	7
16	Florida St. Seminoles	-5
17	Cincinnati Bearcats	--
18	Wisconsin Badgers	5
19	Texas A&M Aggies	-7
20	Georgia Bulldogs	4
21	Arizona St. Sun Devils	-6
22	Florida Gators	-6
23	USC Trojans	--
24	Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	--
25	Southern Miss. Golden Eagles	--
Dropouts: Penn St. Nittany Lions, Michigan Wolverines, West Virginia Mountaineers, Kansas St. Wildcats

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

*Alabama drops the biggest. 9 spots. LSU takes the number 1 spot.

*No way was I going to keep Penn State on this ballot. Forget it.

*WVU falls out, leaving Cincy the lone Big East representative.

*There was some adjustment after some second reflections on some of the teams with more than 1 losses.

*I didn't want to put Southern Miss and USC but WVU and Kansas State made me.

*I was really high on Florida State last week. I still am, just not as much.

Leave some comments if it's ridiculous.

Cue The Crying Child...

2011-11-05T20:14:00.001-04:00

Coach P squeaked one out. His FACE looks the same, win or lose.

Connecticut Quick Predictions

2011-11-04T13:21:00.004-04:00

This is the best avatar of the season. It's frightening too.

It's our old friend Paul Pasqueloni. I have nothing bad to say about the man. I just have plenty bad to say about how his coaching turned out. He's not even close to the level of bad that man over his right shoulder is, but he let a great Syracuse program slip into mediocrity before Greggers finished the job. Either way, we now face him and his Connecticut UConn Huskies in East Hartford.

Syracuse had a rough go of it last weekend in Louisville. But these Syracuse players are talented and they should bounce back from a bad week. And what better team to do it with than UConn. Syracuse hasn't beaten UConn at Rentchler Field ever. That's since 2006 so it isn't that impressive, but still it would be nice to head out of there with a win if you're Syracuse. And by all accounts they can. Syracuse has a talented starting quarterback in Ryan Nassib and UConn uses a rotation, with the main player being Johnny McEntee with a magical 8TD/4INT ratio. No UConn player is really good with the long pass, and pending any epic breakdowns of a secondary like Pittsburgh had to allow them to score their touchdown against them, this should not be a game played with long passes. The running games are equal as well. But Syracuse converts third downs at a much better rate than UConn (43%-29%). This could be a field position game, but both teams should be able to make plays as it should be around 50 and sunny out so the weather will not affect the game too much. If Syracuse can get in an offensive rhythm, they should take the lead and never look back. UConn has a good defensive line, so if Syracuse's offensive line can create running lanes and protect Nassib, Syracuse should rule the day. Syracuse's secondary is their weak point, but if they even make competent plays, UConn will have trouble scoring. UConn's offense will not set the world on fire and it is their main weakness. The joke for a long time at Syracuse was that Coach P's offense was "Run, Run, Pass, Punt". That isn't much of an exaggeration for what UConn has done so far this season. They beat USF, but lost to teams like Western Michigan, Vanderbilt, and Iows State. Syracuse can put up points though, and UConn cannot. I'll take the Orange in this one in the Coach P Bowl. Syracuse over Connecticut 27 to 17.

This game is on the national broadcast on ESPN U at 12:00pm EST. John and I will be live in East Hartford so be sure to check out the tweets that day of the goings on in the stadium. As always, you have to check out our favorite artist, Mike Borkowski's latest picture for the UConn game here. It's fantastic as per usual. Enjoy the game, hopefully we beat P and the Connecticut UConn Huskies, and GO ORANGE!

Coach P Through Pictures

2011-11-03T17:08:00.007-04:00

Like it or not, this Saturday's game in East Hartford between Syracuse and UConn is more about Paul Pasqualoni than anything else. It's the one thing that immediately links these two football programs. Syracuse football flourished in the Big East under P's tutelage, until, of course, it didn't. After his firing from Syracuse on December 29, 2004, P landed a few NFL jobs before eventually returning to the college ranks to coach UConn beginning this season. The Connecticut native, P seems at home at UConn, picking up right where he left off at Syracuse: destroying the program. And what better way to tell his story than through various snapshots of time?

We of course start with the best. In celebrating a double overtime win over Pittsburgh in the Carrier Dome, Coach P and Diamond Ferri share a moment, along with crazy helmet guy who somehow got on the turf and was obviously doing some kind of victory dance. I'm so glad the Post-Standard still had this archived at syracuse.com. I laughed uncontrollably when I first saw this picture some seven or eight years ago, and I still can't stop laughing. Everything about it is great! But, it led to...

Remember facebook groups? Someone I know, who shall remain nameless, created a group before P was fired called "I F***ing Hate Coach F***ing P" and created this picture as the official picture for the group. It's amazing how much a couple red lines in the shape of an X over P's face in MS Paint can just transform a picture. When P was fired, the group name was changed to "I F***ing Hate Coach F***ing P Still" -- and I think the group still exists. It obviously wasn't so much hate for the man as it was hate of him as our coach. I think we all get that, right?

Coach P then landed a good gig in Dallas, as a coach on the Cowboys staff. I believe originally he was coaching the tight ends. Obviously Jason Whitten is so awesome because of P. P has this ability to look like he has no idea what's going on any time a camera is snapped. Or, maybe, Jerry Jones paid him to look this way.

P then joined the Miami Dolphins in 2008 as defensive coordinator. He brought those same talents of intense confusion with him to South Beach. Incidentally, he was on the Dolphins staff when Miami traveled to Toronto to play the Buffalo Bills, a game at which the Syracuse University Marching Band performed. Needless to say, there was some "shooting the breeze" going on, reminiscing about his old Syracuse days. That may or may not have led to his being fired, and being rehired by the Cowboys as defensive coordinator. He then left the team following the 2010 season with head coach Jason Garrett hiring new staff.

Which of course brings us to today, as head coach of the Connecticut Huskies. P is older, maybe wiser, but still not so photogenic. His Huskies whimper along to the beat of their own drum, which always seems to be on the off beat. Maybe eventually he can turn around that program. In fact, I hope he does. Just as long as it's not at the expense of Syracuse.

CSULA - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Nothing Happened

2011-11-01T21:47:00.002-04:00

For some reason, 8,668 people showed up to the Carrier Dome tonight. Not sure why, as there was no official game or anything. Hmm I wonder what all the fuss was about. Anyway, I took a quick survey of the "Who's Who" in the Dome, and here's what I came up with:

Jim Burr, famous for drinking and leaving before the end of games. He fit right in with the Carrier Dome crowd.
Andy Rautins & Eric Devendorf. One's locked out of the NBA while the other's locked out of his baby mama's house.
Gerry McNamara III. He's just a baby, and we're not gonna boo a baby. We're better than that.
Stephen Thompson, who holds the all-time record for games played for Syracuse with 144. We understand he now coaches a group of misfits from California who he takes on red-eye cross-country flights.
Mike Veley, who's famous for annoying "catch-phrases" and a wandering eye.
Otto the Orange, who you may recognize in a soon-to-be-outdated Big East Conference commercial shopping at SU-branded Tops.

After gathering for a little over two hours, the above VIPs and the remainder of the 8,668 assembled decided to leave. Some left sooner. But the good news is, nobody got killed. If we ever figure out why they officially gathered in the first place, Orange::44 will be the first to pass that information along to you, our loyal readers.

Cal State Los Angeles - Syracuse Preview

2011-10-31T21:43:00.003-04:00

Syracuse Students Agree: It's good to be back in basketball season!

The 2011-2012 Syracuse Orange start with a couple exhibition games before officially beginning the regular season next Saturday. First up is tonight's 7pm matchup in the Carrier Dome agaist the Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles. Coached by former Orangeman Stephen Thompson, CSULA should be no match for the current Orangemen. This is an experienced and deep squad going to battle for Head Coach Jim Boeheim, and they should easily roll to victory. No more analysis needed. And, well, if we don't like the final score, keep this in mind: this is exhibition so it never really happened. See also Syracuse v. LeMoyne, 2009.

BlogPoll 2011 - Week 10

2011-10-31T00:11:00.003-04:00

Orange::44 Ballot - Week 10

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama Crimson Tide	--
2	LSU Tigers	--
3	Stanford Cardinal	--
4	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	2
5	Boise St. Broncos	-1
6	Oregon Ducks	1
7	Arkansas Razorbacks	2
8	Nebraska Cornhuskers	2
9	Virginia Tech Hokies	2
10	South Carolina Gamecocks	2
11	Florida St. Seminoles	2
12	Texas A&M Aggies	2
13	Oklahoma Sooners	4
14	Clemson Tigers	-9
15	Arizona St. Sun Devils	1
16	Florida Gators	2
17	Michigan St. Spartans	-9
18	Penn St. Nittany Lions	3
19	Michigan Wolverines	3
20	West Virginia Mountaineers	3
21	Houston Cougars	3
22	Auburn Tigers	3
23	Wisconsin Badgers	-8
24	Georgia Bulldogs	--
25	Kansas St. Wildcats	-6
Dropouts: Baylor Bears

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

*Baylor is out. In is the Bulldogs of Georgia.

*Clemson and Sparty drop the most. That's 9 spots.

*Wisconsin also loses, thanks to a hail mary.

*Kansas St. is just hanging on in the poll with only one loss.

*Okey State jumps up to #4.

As always, leave a comment if something jumps out.

Louisville - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Marrone's Kryptonite

2011-10-30T22:04:00.004-04:00

Oh, YOU again! Great...

With the huge win over West Virginia only eight days prior, one would have thought that the Syracuse Orange would be riding that momentum into Louisville. But no. Syracuse played one of its worst games in recent memory, and lost to the Cardinals 27-10. The loss drops the Orange to 5-3 (1-2 in Big East play) and still one win away from bowl eligibility. It also keeps Head Coach Doug Marrone winless against Louisville. Let's break it down to see what went wrong (spoiler alert: everything).

Offense

The offense scored 10 points, but really only three since the touchdown was in garbage time with 1:31 remaining in the game. Ryan Nassib, the heart of this unit, was not good. While he completed 22 of 36 attempts (61%) for 162 yards and a touchdown, the passing game really had no positive impact on this game. There were several errant pass attempts which, had they been on target, would have extended drives, accounted for large gains, or even put points on the board. The ground game was just as bad: Antwon Bailey carried 15 times for 70 yards, and his only big play was a 29 yard run; the team only gained 84 yards total on the ground. The dominating offensive line from a week ago decided that was a fluke and went back to their old, ineffective ways. Nassib was either hurried, hit, or sacked nearly every pass attempt, and there were no gaps open for the runners. And while we're on the subject, "The Express" made its debut -- the Syracuse version of the Wildcat formation. I didn't even know this was still a thing? Was Marrone looking at tape from a few years ago and say "Hey, let's try that again!"? I don't necessarily hate it, but on a day when nothing was going right, it's hard to not scratch your head about that. I just can't give a passing grade to an offense which consistently found itself in unmanageable 3rd down situations and only converted three of its 14 attempts.

Defense

While the guys up front, led by Chandler Jones, were able to put some pressure on Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater, it wasn't enough to significantly change his stats. This defense gave up 343 total yards (198 passing, 145 rushing). The Cardinals changed their gameplan from a hard-nosed running game to a more balanced attack. And Bridgewater was able to tear up the Syracuse secondary. Pass coverage just wasn't good. Not surprising, but you hate getting beat that way, especially when you know it's been a problem. While the defense did have the second and third quarters where it held Louisville scoreless, it started weak and ended weak. Fail.

Special Teams

D-

The only passing grade goes to a unit that really had very little impact on the game. Ross Krautman hit a 34-yard field goal in the second quarter. Kickoffs are going farther, so that's good. But those are the only positive things to highlight. Syracuse rarely had good field position, while Louisville did. I'm putting a lot of that blame on special teams.

Coaching

99 yards. That's what Syracuse gave Louisville due to 12 penalties. All penalties are stupid, but when several of them are personal fouls, that's inexcusable. Sure, it's the players, but ultimately it's the coach; the coach not having control over his team. I don't know what it is, because for these guys to basically act like punks out there is totally uncharacteristic of a Doug Marrone-led team. Unfortunately, Marrone wasn't able to make the halftime adjustments needed to improve the product on the field, and the final score reflects that.

GPA

F (0.18)

Waiting some 30 hours to do this report card didn't soften my anger and disappointment with what I saw out there on the field. It's a loss, and the whole team failed. Maybe we just expect so much more after the drubbing we saw against the Mountaineers. At any rate, if this is something that might rear its ugly head again this season, that might be the scariest thing you contemplate this Halloween weekend.

Intangibles

Pretty good crowd at Papa Johns Stadium. It was homecoming, a fact which was lost on the Big East Network's announcing crew, who were impressed by the Cardinals' alumni who were back in town to watch the game.

It was cold and, at times, windy. Do you reckon that affected the game play at all?

At one point the game was getting so difficult to watch that I thought about that Louisville cheerleading scandal from a few years ago. Not sure what I'm talking about? Google Rebecca Manns.

This officiating crew was the same crew from the Toledo game. They made it their mission to screw Syracuse every chance they had. I'm not saying the penalties weren't earned, but you don't think the Zebras had that missed extra point in the back of their minds?

While the Orangemen fell short of clinching a bowl berth in October, this sets up a pretty interesting storyline heading into the November 5 matchup in East Hartford against former Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni and his UConn Huskies. It would be real nice to clinch against him. As a side note, Brian and I will be at Rentschler Field for that game, just as we were at Rutgers last year when Syracuse became bowl eligible. Must be fate.

Cue the Crying Child...

2011-10-29T15:20:00.001-04:00

We all want to throw a temper tantrum right now.

Louisville Quick Predictions

2011-10-28T10:00:00.002-04:00

Lemon should help spoil the L'ville party.

Syracuse has played Louisville twice under Doug Marrone. Twice they have been the loser. Syracuse looks to end that streak Saturday.

Syracuse comes in off a massive victory over #15 West Virginia, the heavy favorite to win the Big East. And on paper, it looks possible they could earn another victory and become bowl eligible. Ryan Nassib is coming off a masterful performance, where he finally looks like he is reaching full potential. Additionally, Syracuse is a much healthier game then they were a few weeks ago, especially with the way Chandler Jones played against WVU's Geno Smith. While Syracuse has the better offense, Louisville's strength is their defense. They have a tough defensive line that has only allowed one 100+ yard rusher all season. Despite having a good defensive line, Syracuse's offensive line has been excellent the last several games. This will be the match up to watch. If Syracuse can create lanes for Antwon Bailey to run in, this game will be over early. Once Bailey gets going, Nassib will find open receivers. Syracuse made a conscious effort to go to tight ends against WVU. I think the wide receivers will get the same treatment in this game, as well as Bailey earning some reception yards out of the back field. Either way, moving the ball will be key. If Syracuse can sustain drives and get a stop here and there, Syracuse will be in control. If Syracuse allows big plays and continued gains of 7 yards or more on rushes, this will be a dog fight. I just can't see how Syracuse regresses so far past last week that they lose this game though. Under Coach Strong, Louisville has never won back to back league games, and they beat Rutgers last week. I think the Orange will shine again. Syracuse over Louisville 31 to 17.

This game will be your nooner on the Big East Network, so check it out on TWCS, SNY, and ESPN 3 (Watch ESPN). John will have your complete postgame analysis again, and check him out on the Tweets as well. Enjoy your weekend. Hopefully all Syracuse fans will.