The season rolls on, even though basketball is about to start and the virus rages.
Syracuse continues this unusual season with a Friday Night Lights affair against Louisville. Syracuse is obviously still hurting, but 2 weeks ago had some optimism injected with the playing of QB JaCobian Morgan, who entered the game and played well. Now the Orange are coming of a Bye Week to take on the Cardinals in Kentucky. Can Syracuse get lucky?
Syracuse travels to Louisville, where they will be well rested, as opposed to Louisville with a short week. Syracuse has been slightly better in stopping the run the last couple of weeks (frankly I think it's more a matchup situation than the personnel getting better), but either way Syracuse continues to generate turnovers. If Syracuse can manage a few turnovers, and get enough out of the offense, Syracuse could get a nice "upset" over struggling Louisville. Either way, both these teams are hurting this season, so whoever can get a little momentum, or get the most possessions, could just end up winner by default. I'm rarely optimistic when I have no reason to be. But I just have a feeling that despite being on the road, Syracuse with the rest they have had, and the optimistic play of the freshmen playing in the last game, along with the traditional success on Friday nights for the Orange, will end up being victorious. I'm taking Syracuse over Louisville 27 to 24.
This game is available nationwide on ESPN at 7:00pm. Both John and I will be watching from the home offices. Enjoy your Friday night and GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Football, Louisville Sucks, Preview
Another trip down to Greensboro for the Orange.
Syracuse took a tough loss on Saturday to end the regular season in overtime. What made it even more brutal was First Team All-ACC and conference leading scorer Elijah Hughes was sitting on the bench the entire second half. While it seems unlikey this season that Syracuse advances far enough to make the NCAA Tournament, they are still playing to keep playing in the postseason. Plus, conference tournaments are always a blast. John and I try our hands in trying to predict how the ACC Tournament will go. We both have Louisville hoisting the trophy, but we have very different winners before the Championship. Click below to enjoy (apologies for mine not being handwritten, but I wanted it to be in color, and my office doesn't have a color printer like Johnny McCounty below).
Labels: ACC, ACC Tournament, Basketball, BC Sucks, Louisville Sucks, Notre Lame, Pittsburgh, Preview, We Hate Duke
Syracuse students agree: Do or die.
Syracuse let another close one slip through their fingers at FSU. Now Syracuse heads to The 'Ville to take on the #11 team in the nation in one of the toughest arenas in the nation. Can Syracuse pull a big upset and stay in the hunt for an elusive NCAA birth?
Syracuse heads into this game off a loss to FSU. However, Louisville is coming off back to back losses of their own. A loss to GTech, and a baffling loss to Clemson. Unfortunately for the Orange, it's unlikely the Cards are going to have another bad game in a row. Syracuse desperately needs Buddy Boeheim to bust out of his funk as well. Despite massive scoring efforts from Joe Girard, and Elijah Hughes when he was on the floor and not out due to injury, Syracuse couldn't beat FSU or NC State in their last outings. Buddy Boeheim didn't contribute. And despite being in both games late, they couldn't get a bucket to ice the game. Syracuse now faces Louisville, a team they beat by 20 last season. Jordan Nwora again leads the Cards, with 18.2ppg right now. He's neck and neck with Hughes in the ACC scoring lead. Louisville is very good at shooting, hitting 40.7% from behind the arc. The good news is their big man is only 6'10" and should be easier to handle than FSU was. That being said, Syracuse will have to really guard the three point line. If they don't this will be over quick. If Boeheim again adds a zero to the scoring, this will be over before the last four minutes. Either way, while I think Boeheim does come back and add some scoring after two really bad games, the Cards will be too much to handle for Syracuse. I'm taking Louisville by seven.
This game is available on ESPN at 7:00pm. John is on vacation and may or may not be watching this at a bar. I'm in the home office. Enjoy, try not to say too many Boeheim Hot Takes, and GO ORANGE!
This game is available on ESPN at 7:00pm. John is on vacation and may or may not be watching this at a bar. I'm in the home office. Enjoy, try not to say too many Boeheim Hot Takes, and GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Louisville Sucks, Preview
Syracuse students agree: Louisville is still very hateable.
Syracuse has had a week off after laying an egg at NC State. The team as a whole shot pretty poorly from the floor, with the exception of Frank Howard, and even he didn't have the best game from a point guard standpoint. But he seemed to be the only player in the 2nd half making shots. Tyus Battle wasn't much of a factor. Brissett and Hughes were not present at all. And Syracuse missed a bunch of shots, especially in the 2nd half. Every time the team got the game close, they failed to make several shots in a row. But now Syracuse returns home to take on Louisville under coach Chris Mack in his first year at Louisville. Syracuse knows what they're getting in Louisville. They are going up against a very solid defensive team. Syracuse will need to find ways to make easy shots. But the key part of that sentence is making shots. Syracuse will probably be fooled into taking a lot of early threes. That's fine if Hughes, Battle, Boeheim, or Howard are making them. If they aren't, Battle, Brissett, or somebody tall will have to make shots inside, or somehow create turnovers for runouts. Syracuse must also put on a solid defensive effort, battling Louisville C Steven Enoch and F Jordan Nwora. If Syracuse can force tough shots for these players, who aferage just over 50% from two, Syracuse will have a good chance of winning the game. Louisville is prone to turning over the ball, so if Syracuse can dig in, Syracuse has some shots to get points off turnovers against a coach that probably won't be as good as beating the 2-3 as Rick Pitino was. Despite what I think will be a close game, and despite having a restful week compared to Louisville, I think Syracuse is probably going to come up just short in this one. I don't think they're looking ahead. I think it's just Syracuse will just not be able to close out a close game with the shots not falling as of late. I'm taking the Cards by five. This game is available nationally on ESPN / WatchESPN at 7:00pm. John is in the Dome. I'm in the home office. GO ORANGE (and everyone stay healthy for Saturday)!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Louisville Sucks, Preview
Syracuse students agree: Syracuse must start winning games.
Syracuse heads to L'ville to take on the the Cards. Syracuse played a very good team in Virginia on Saturday. But they somehow played them very close at Virginia, and just laid a stinker at home. Syracuse needs some (any) production from the 5 spot besides when Dolezaj is in the spot. Chukwu needs to rebound, but really he needs to score. Syracuse obviously needs points, and to get nothing from the two centers is a sure fire way to lose a game. Syracuse needs to play defense and rebound. Otherwise, Syracuse is going to lose big. I just don't trust this team can score though. And being on the road makes it even worse. I'm taking L'ville by 14. This game is available nationally on ESPN / WatchESPN at 7:00pm. Both John and I are in the home office. See you out there.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Louisville Sucks, Preview
Syracuse has to beat the bird if they want to Bowl.
The Orange head to Louisville to take on the Cardinals of Louisville. Syracuse is in desperate need of a win. With their backs to the wall, can Syracuse pull off their first road win of the season?
Syracuse heads to Louisville in desperate need of a win. And Louisville isn't playing their best ball either. Louisville also lost to Wake Forest, but they were also smoked by BC. So they are vulnerable, but the fact that defending Heisman winner Lamar Jackson has still been sensational this season. Eric Dungey is still doubtful. Syracuse hasn't won on the road. The Orange don't have any momentum to perhaps win a game. While I have faith Syracuse isn't a terrible football team, they just don't have any of the magic ingredients to earn an upset on the road. I'm taking Louisville and the end of Bowl hopes for this season, 42 to 24.
This game is available on ESPN U, The U, at 3:30pm. Both John and I should be in the home offices so we'll see you out there. Because misery loves company.
Labels: ACC, Football, Louisville Sucks, Preview
Syracuse students agree: Postseason bans are never fun.
Syracuse travels to Louisville tonight as the appraiser to Duke-UNC on ESPN. That's all well and good, but it seems that Louisville is a team struggling to deal with the self-imposed posteason ban the University handed down. They've lost 3 of their last 5 games, and the schedule doesn't get easier for them down the stretch. At least for now though, the team is ranked 18 and Syracuse is the underdog coming in. Louisville's offensive threat comes from a pair of transfers in Damion Lee and Trey Lewis. Both shoot around 44% overall and 37% from long range. Stopping these two will go a long way in SU completing another upset. Honestly, I'm not worried that Gbinije will score, or that Richardson or Lydon will as well. I'm not worried that Cooney will get going again and make a bunch of 3s. I am only worrying about defense and turnovers. If Syracuse can stop Lee and Lewis, or at least prevent them from going off, and take care of the ball, they should win this one even if it's close. Louisville likes to pressure the ball, so if having Gbinije or Cooney take charge of getting the ball down the court than SU will need to do that, but preventing easy buckets for Louisville is a must. Additionally, keeping the rebounding close will also help SU. Louisville is missing center Mangok Mathiang, so Lydon, Coleman, and especially Roberson just need to do their job and they should pull some down. If SU defends well, and creates some turnovers of their own, SU should have a fine outing. If they let L'ville score at will, SU will have a hard time getting back into the game, especially of they encounter an offensive drought at any point. Either way, I think Louisville is letting their postseason ban affect them a lot more than SU did last year. I think SU is playing too well right now, and Louisville is trending in the wrong direction. I'll take the Orange in an upset by 5. This game is available nationally on ESPN / WatchESPN at 7:00pm. John will be watching. I'll be out of pocket tonight. So enjoy!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Louisville Sucks, Preview
Syracuse students agree: No one should like Rick Pitino.
It's not Valentine's Day, but another foe is heading into the Dome. The Cards come in ranked in the Top 25, looking to stay hello to old friend Syracuse. And Syracuse isn't nearly as good as the past few seasons obviously. Yet, Syracuse does have a chance in this game. Since Syracuse plays 2-3 that means Louisville will have to shoot some buckets over the zone from three. Louisville only shoots 32.2% from long range in ACC play. So if Gbinije still keeps making shots, and he ends up with more than Terry Rozier, chances are Syracuse has a great shot to win. Both Christmas and Montrezl Harrell will be battling down low. They will probably end in a wash. If Louisville shoots below 30% from 3 and Gbinije outscores Rozier, they should win. If not, it won't be good. A nice upset would help the Orange faithful. Not that matters much. But bragging rights go a long way. I think Louisville will be just too much for Syracuse at this point. Louisville over the Orange by 12. Tune in nationally on ESPN / WatchESPN at 7:00pm. I'll be in the home office. John is in the Dome. Let's get crazy.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Louisville Sucks, Preview
Syracuse students agree: We beat them on the road so we need to win at home.
Louisville was #1 in the nation when Syracuse went down to Kentucky and beat the Cards by two points on their own court. Since then they had a little bit of a skid. Then again, so has Syracuse. However, I think we've learned a few things since that Louisville game. With Syracuse, CJ Fair will be solid and the team rises and falls with Brandon Triche. If he is having a poor shooting day, Syracuse has a rough go on offense. If Triche is hitting shots, then Syracuse has a much higher likelihood of the team being successful. With Louisville, Russ Smith will be solid on the scoring end. The question is will someone else step up to help him with the scoring? Smith (18.4ppg) was easily considered in the conversation for Big East POY before Otto Porter has clearly established himself as the frontrunner. He will score, as he did against Syracuse in the last game. What Syracuse did extremely well in that game is limit Gorgui Dieng (as Syracuse always has) and keep Chane Behanan to single digit scoring. The Syracuse defense worked hard and, as we all know, the defense is not losing games for this year's team. Syracuse basically stole the game down in KY by a couple timely steals and a dunk. Syracuse will again have a close game with Louisville. James Southerland is back and will be able to shoot some 3s from outside, which Syracuse missed in the last game. If this game was again at Louisville I'd pick the Cardinals again, but this is in the Carrier Dome. James Southerland is back and you have to assume that Triche will again find success against Louisville. The Louisville press defense really wasn't effective in stopping the Orange. If MCW limits turnovers Syracuse should get a nice lead and hold it, even if Louisville makes a run to close out the game. Syracuse also outrebounded Louisville so if they do that again and keep Louisville off the offensive glass, this should be another nice Syracuse win. I'm picking the Orange by 12. This game will be available nationally on CBS at 12:00pm ET.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Louisville Sucks, Preview
Louisville - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Beating Number One
0 Comments Published on 1.20.2013 by John Brennan
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| I... uhhh... |
It's no secret in the legal community here in Elmira that I'm a huge Syracuse fan. On Friday, many of the people in the courts were asking me about Syracuse's chances playing at #1 Louisville on Saturday. "I'm certainly not expecting an Orange win, especially without James Southerland," I would say, "but this is College Basketball. You just never know." And I assume this was the attitude of most Syracuse fans. All the signs pointed to an imminent loss: playing the country's #1 on their home court; no James Southerland; recent struggles in beating inferior opponents; an opponent who plays zone and knows how to exploit it; I could go on and on. But we're still all Syracuse fans, and we all always hold out just some bit of hope that even facing a mountain of evidence to the contrary, there's always a chance this team could pull off the impossible and win. This Orange team did just that on Saturday afternoon at the KFC Yum! Center, beating the Louisville Cardinals 70-68.
- Top billing goes to Brandon Triche, despite what happened down the stretch (we'll get to that later). Triche had a perfect -- yes, perfect -- first half. He cooled off significantly -- almost to the point of irrelevancy -- in the second half, but still had outstanding final stats: 23 points on 9-13 shooting (5-7 from three), six rebounds, and two assists in 38 minutes of play.
- Syracuse was off to a hot start in this game (I know, right?) and Brandon was a huge part of that. He was finding lanes to drive to the basket, shot the mid-range jumper with confidence, and chucked threes with ice in his veins. Louisville battled back after its own slow start, and the game continued to be a game of runs with each team trading the lead, but many of those Syracuse runs were sparked by Triche.
- And it's good he was playing the way he was, because the rest of Syracuse was pretty much just running around letting things happen. Unfortunately for Michael Carter-Williams, that meant turning over the ball. A lot. Early and often. Of course, to the great ire of Orange Nation. Jim Boeheim smartly benched MCW in the first half for a couple minutes when it was clear he was in a great funk. In total, MCW had eight turnovers in the game.
- MCW's eight turnovers accounted for half of the team's turnovers. Never a good stat no matter who you're playing, but it hurt even more against a team like Louisville, which thrives on creating turnovers and scoring points off those turnovers. Against the Orange on Saturday, the Cardinals scored 21 points off turnovers. Ouch.
- And so, how did Syracuse not only stay in this game, but win it? Redemption Man: Michael Carter-Williams. Boeheim had the confidence in MCW to send him back out there and stick with him, knowing Michael had the attitude at halftime of leaving the first half in the past, and going out there and playing a new half with a fresh slate.
- And he did. It wasn't perfect, but MCW was a new man in the second half. Once it became clear that Brandon had cooled off and wouldn't have the success he had in the first half, someone for Syracuse needed to step up. For a while, nobody wanted that responsibility. But eventually, MCW took it. He scored 11 of the team's final 13 points, and had an assist to account for the other two. His final stat line: 16 points (4-13 shooting, 2-7 from three, and an encouraging 6-8 from the line), seven assists, four steals, and two blocks.
- Specifically, it was MCW's steal with 24 seconds left, and fastbreak down the floor for a huge slam to put Syracuse up 69-68 that not only changed the momentum of the game, but gave Syracuse a lead it would not relinquish. He followed that up with a steal off a Gorgui Dieng turnover under the Louisville basket with five seconds left that clinched it for the Orange.
- CJ Fair had another relatively quiet game playing all 40 minutes: ten points, eight rebounds, and several missed opportunities to step up and take over this team. I was calling for it several times, but evidently he never heard me.
- In James Southerland's absence, we have seen the emergence of Jerami Grant as a big time player. The kid's one of the most athletic guys on the court, and has the skills to make the plays. He's taking full advantage of his increased playing time: in 35 minutes, Grant had ten points and five rebounds. He's understanding his role in the zone, and making his presence known even if that doesn't translate into the box score.
- With Dajuan Coleman still being a virtual non-factor, Rakeem Christmas and Baye Moussa Keita had to step up in the big man role. If you really want to identify a weakness in this year's Orange squad, this is it. We're very rarely seeing the production out of this position you'd like to see. Christmas is getting good position on the boards, and that's where he'll light up the stat sheet; but he leaves a lot to be desired on the offensive end, and he still seems to struggle in the zone. Keita plays with intensity on both ends of the court, but is still too inconsistent to rely on for serious minutes.
- Trevor Cooney had four token minutes and scored a bucket.
- Louisville is a very, very good team. Certainly deserving of the #1 ranking it brought into the game. The Cardinals play a very intense game; its zone is active, traps and forces turnovers. And they're fast. Led by big playmakers Russ Smith and Peyton Siva, this team certainly has the skills and talent to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
- Smith led the way for Louisville with 25 points; he was the only double digit scorer for the Cards who, though the rest of the team scoring was pretty balanced, really needed someone else to stand up and make offensive plays. Syracuse held Siva to just three points.
- Dieng is a hell of a player. Five blocks in this game. FIVE!
- Louisville coach Rick Pitino played eight with 11+ minutes. A great rotation with lots of different looks and fresh legs. This will be key down the stretch.
- I'm glad this is a game we'll be able to continue in a couple years, as both these teams will be in the ACC.
This game was an absolute pleasure to watch. Season to season you see a lot of fun, exciting basketball games. This one, to me, was the most fun I've had watching any game this season. As for Syracuse, this might have been the most fun & exciting game I've seen since the 2009 six-overtime win. And this, on a day featuring five games against ranked opponents, and several down-to-the-wire endings. We won't see very many games like this. But alas, the season moves on. This victory moves Syracuse to 17-1 overall, 5-0 in the Big East, where it now sits alone atop the standings. New rankings come out mid-day on Monday, just before Syracuse hosts Cincinnati in the Carrier Dome. Stay tuned!
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Louisville Sucks
Louisville - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Undefeated At Home
0 Comments Published on 3.05.2012 by John Brennan
Scoop's face after he saw his stat line
Saturday was Senior Day in the Dome for Scoop Jardine, Kris Joseph, Brandon, Nick, and Matt. The final home game for the 2011-2012 Syracuse Orange basketball team. The opportunity to go undefeated in the Dome for only the second time in school history. But Rick Pitino's Louisville Cardinals came into town looking to crash that party. The Cards showed a revamped starting lineup, hoping that the changes would spark something on the offense, they'd get out in front of the Orange, and lead the rest of the way. Didn't quite happen that way, though. Overcoming a slightly slow start, Syracuse found its groove, led by Brandon Triche, and capped off an impressive 30-1 regular season, beating the Cards 58-49.
- We knew that head coach Jim Boeheim would be giving more playing time to the likes of Brandon Triche and James Southerland. Whether either would step up and make the most of those minutes was one of the big questions going into the game. Triche responded in kind, with 18 points on 5-10 shooting, including 3-6 from three and 5-6 from the line. He also had four rebounds and four assists. This may have been one of Triche's most complete games in some time, so it was great to see that on the final regular season game when he was on the floor for 28 minutes.
- Southerland played 20 minutes, scoring seven on 2-3, grabbing four rebounds, and blocking three shots. You take that off the bench any day, especially on this team. It's also nice to have another blocking threat out there besides Fab Melo.
- Fab's stat line -- particularly offensively -- won't wow you (four points off a field goal and two free throws), but he otherwise had a decent game and made his presence known. To compliment his eight rebounds, Fab also blocked four shots and had a steal. It was a battle inside, but Fab wouldn't back down. He also drew a couple charges and/or flopped. All in a day's work.
- Credit to Dion Waiters, who again had another complete game. In his typical 29 minutes off the bench, Dion scored 13 on 5-9 shooting, pulled down four rebounds, and dished out three assists. We all know what Dion is at this point, so nothing too out of the ordinary here.
- On this Senior Day, we had a tale of two old guys. Kris Joseph had a pretty solid game to close out his Dome career: 11 points on 4-9 shooting, four rebounds, but three turnovers. On the flip side, Scoop Jardine got skunked, had one rebound, three assists, but three turnovers. Of course, he showed his leadership by stressing after the game that team performance & victory was more important than his individual performance. That's all well and good. But Syracuse needs production from Scoop in any and all postseason games if advancement is a goal. Luckily we had Triche to pick up some of the slack here, but how about they just share the responsibilities and be equally as good?
- CJ Fair had a down game by his standards, with only four points and four rebounds in 24 minutes. I'm totally not gonna get on him, though. He's earned every accolade he gets, and deserves to be cut some slack for an "off night."
- Rakeem Christmas did a great impression of the typical Rakeem Christmas.
- On the Louisville side, offense wasn't something too concerning. Their two highest scorers each had ten (Russ Smith and Chane Behanan). Overall, the team shot 33.9%. No pride in that number.
- Syracuse, on the other hand, shot 42.2% for the game. But if you wanna know who won the rebounding battle, take a guess. You guessed Syracuse? Wrong. It was, of course, Louisville, at 40-32. Go figure.
- Oddly enough, Syracuse turned the ball over more times (15-14) and had the ball stolen 10 times (to Louisville's six).
- The crowd of 33,205 was the fifth-largest in Carrier Dome history. Always nice to be a part of a 33k+ crowd.
- The only walk-on senior to see playing time was Brandon Reese, who got in during the last minute of the game. I thought it was odd that Matt & Nick didn't make it in, but I guess a nine-point differential was just too close for Jimmy to chance it.
- Syracuse was presented with the Big East regular season championship trophy after the game. That was nice.
Up next, the Big East tournament. #1-seed Syracuse plays the winner of #8 West Virginia vs. #16DePaul/#9UConn. That quarterfinal game will be Thursday at noon on the ESPN. A victory there sends the Orange to Friday night's semifinal at 7pm, which sets up Saturday night's championship at 9pm. Just for S's & G's, I'll be posting our BET Bracket Predictions prior to the first games, which tip with that DePaul/UConn game tomorrow at noon. Follow along, see who has the higher basketball IQ between Brian and I. I guarantee you, it'll be a crap-shoot!
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Louisville Sucks
Syracuse students agree: A win on senior day is always great.
Syracuse has little to play for in this game except to give the seniors on the team a nice send off in their last game at the Carrier Dome. That is strong motivation. While Syracuse already hoists the Big East regular season title, this game will affect nothing in terms of standings or seedings. Therefore, what will we see on the floor?
Louisville has struggled as of late. Fresh off a lose to USF, L'ville has lost three out of their last five, including the one point loss to Syracuse in Louisville half a month ago. Louisville is not on the bubble, but fully into the NCAA Tournament so they are also playing for price more or less. Plus Pitino loves to try and beat his former boss. Pitino has stated there will be a couple lineup changes for this game, including Kyle Kuric coming in off the bench and Gorgui Dieng sitting to start as well. Once Syracuse stopped guarding Dieng at Louisville he made some bad jump shots from the foul line area that Syracuse capitalized on by earning rebounds. Therefore Pitino will try and flash other players to the middle of the floor that can actually knock down that jumper to put more pressure on the Syracuse defense. A wise coaching adjustment. Peyton Siva will be ready to redeem himself after a less than great, foul filled performance against Syracuse earlier this year. But Louisville will do what they do best. They will find ways to score from Kuric and Siva, and they do scrap for rebounds well. Syracuse, however, found offensive spurts by creating turnovers and earning runouts. If Louisville can limit bad threes taken, and limit their turnovers this will be a close game. Syracuse just finds ways to beat you this season however. Louisville can't be sure it will come from Melo, Fair, Waiters, Joseph, or even Scoop. That makes them dangerous. Look for fair to be the key man in this game again, hitting mid-range jumpers and pulling down rebounds. Fab's foul trouble will also be a factor. I do think Syracuse manages to create some separation at home this time around though. While Louisville will surely play better than in the game against Syracuse in KY, Syracuse is sure to shoot better at home as well. I'm taking the Orange to finish a fantastic regular season perfect at home by beating the Cardinals by 9.
This game will be broadcast nationally on CBS at 4:00pm. Be sure to tune in with the hopes that Raftery will be courtside. Either way John and I will be in the building for all the fun so check the Tweets as usual. And here's hoping we all have a pleasant weekend to rest up and recharge before the Big East Tournament in Madison Square Garden next week. It's a magical time of year.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Louisville Sucks, Preview
Syracuse students agree: A win against Louisville would be nice.
Syracuse has survived Rivalry Week so far. They beat both Georgetown and Connecticut in the Carrier Dome, one in overtime and the other by 18 points. Having lost only one game on the season, Syracuse is still playing well enough to win, even when they don't play their best game. But we all know it is harder to perform on the road. The Yum! Center is sold out, so this will be an interesting game.
Syracuse has dropped seven in a row to Louisville. While this team doesn't appear to set any eyes on fire by showing a lot of talent on the court, they are a solid team that has, on occasion, played like a top ten team. The secret is out on Kyle Kuric. He lit up Syracuse a couple years ago and has been a factor ever since. He is the leading score and senior leader of this Louisville team. He is the one that will hit open threes anywhere on the floor. He can also be crafty in the lane and do some things around the rim. Fab Melo will help stop that, but good ball movement could be Louisville's biggest strength. On top of that, Louisville has a very good defense, giving different looks of man and zone. If Syracuse finds consistent offense and penetrates to the hoop like they did more against UConn than Georgetown, Syracuse will get to the free throw line, or kick out to open shooters. Or simply score as they were able to Saturday. Peyton Siva has struggled from three in shooting all season. He could get hot, but more likely he will shoot several threes and miss. That is good for the Orange. While everything I've said basically favors the Orange, I'm just going to pick based on history and my gut. I think Syracuse loses one more this season and this is the one. Syracuse just can't beat Louisville so I'm picking them to lose in this one by six. But I can be and do hope I am wrong.
This wraps up Syracuse's rivalry week and will be nationally broadcast on ESPN at 7:00pm tonight. John Brennan will be on here after with a wrap up of UConn and Louisville tonight. As for me, this game is away so look for all the snark you can handle on the Twitter. I look forward to making fun of your favorite player soon.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Louisville Sucks, Preview
Syracuse students agree: Beating Louisville would make everyone feel better.
Syracuse is coming off a very frustrating loss in the Carrier Dome to rival Georgetown. While Syracuse led for a good portion of the second half, the Orange failed to gain a field goal in the last six and a half minutes. That, plus stunned and confused defense, resulted in a stunning and unnecessary loss for Syracuse. Turning to this game, first thing's first; KFC Yum! Center? Ridiculous. That being said, Louisville has won the last six games versus the Orange, including two wins last season, both at the now closed Freedom Hall and in the Carrier Dome. But this is a new season like all of them, and Syracuse has to go into a brand new building. Louisville is getting two injured players back in Rakeem Buckles and Gorgui Dieng, who have sat out the last few games. L'ville's leading scorer is guard Preston Knowles, averaging 14.8ppg and shooting 39.2% from behind the arc. This is another game where Syracuse will have the edge on the inside as Rick Jackson is a monster in the post. If he manages to avoid fouls, he will be a huge factor in this game not only as a scorer, but as the league's best rebounder. Louisville has a boost in the post with Buckles returning, their team's leading rebounder, but the rebounding edge should belong to Syracuse. If that is the case, Syracuse will have a chance in this game. Honestly, if this game were in the Carrier Dome I might give the edge to Syracuse, but because this is at Louisville, and with the scoring woes of Syracuse as of late, I have to give this game to Louisville, especially with the recent history between the schools. The worst part is Pitino gets a lot of credit for being a better coach in terms of busing the zone. However, last season Louisville beat Syracuse with outside shooting. Not exactly a zone buster, simply just playing into the weakness of the zone. Louisville does not have the same outside shooting as this season with all the talent they lost, but they should do just enough because Syracuse is not as prolific an offense, to win this game. Truly this game is a coin flip, but because any game is tough to win on the road in the league I'll give this to Louisville by seven.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Louisville Sucks
It's weird saying this one is for a bowl.
Syracuse is in unfamiliar territory for younger fans and definitely current students. After all, the last time Syracuse went to a bowl game I was in my senior year at Syracuse. I graduated in 2005. But, much like Baltimore in the show The Wire, it's a new day. Syracuse is sitting on a 6-2 record and one more win guarantees a bowl trip. This should be that win.
By now you know what you are going to get from Syracuse. Delone Carter and Antwon Bailey will be the first options in the offensive game plan. Ryan Nassib will be called on to keep the L'ville run defense honest by passing, taking big shots, converting on third downs, and protecting the ball. Syracuse, like at Cincinnati, should be able to put together several scoring drives, especially inside the friendly confines of the Carrier Dome. The only issue will be pass protection from the offensive line, as well as run blocking, as RT Michael Hay is out. That being said, Louisville is really hurting. RB Bilal Powell is out, along with starting QB Adam Froman. Both have been having a good year, combining for 20 offensive touchdowns on the year. This is a huge blow to the offense. Backups will be named Saturday but at QB it will either be Justin Burke or Will Stein, who have five combined starts between them, and no starts this season. As for RB, Victor Anderson is the most likely starter, as supposed to a pair of redshirt freshmen. Anderson returns for this game after missing the last three with a shoulder injury. Better than a knee injury I suppose. Look for him to run the ball early and often, as Louisville is similar to Syracuse in the effort to truly establish a power running game. Either way, Syracuse should be stingy in giving up scores to this group like a lot of teams Syracuse has faced this season. Look for another couple of scoreless quarters for the opposition. Louisville will need some serious luck, gaps in coverage, and big time playmaking to stay in this game on offense. I had originally picked Syracuse to win this game 31 to 17, but I made that prediction assuming that the starters would start. I think scoring 17 is probably a little hefty for Louisville at this point. But I do think they will do enough to earn 13 points. Therefore, I'm still picking Syracuse in this game 31 to 13.
This game is available in the greater upstate New York area on Time Warner Cable Sports, on SNY, and on ESPN 3 at 12:00pm. The last nooner in a row, as next week's game is a 3:30 kick. But we'll be up bright and early in the blustery cold scheduled to be in Syracuse on Saturday morning. As always it will be toasty in the Carrier Dome as a pretty good crowd should be on hand. Hopefully at this point the community, as well as the students, are ready to show up to see their team hopefully become Bowl eligible. Either way, this should be an entertaining game. It will either be close and entertaining, or Syracuse will roll. Both are pretty fun if you are a Syracuse fan.
Labels: Big East, Football, Louisville Sucks, Preview
Louisville - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR No Love For SU
1 Comments Published on 2.16.2010 by Brian Harrison
Anytime you want to take over a game again feel free.Well we knew this would happen sometime, we just did not expect it to be against Louisville and Rick Pitino. Syracuse fell on Valentine's Day in front of the biggest crowd in college basketball of the season. It was disappointing but unfortunately not that surprising. Syracuse falls to the Cardinals 66 to 60.
Syracuse started the game well, and for most of the first half was out in front of the Cards. But then the 'Ville would get on a run of their own and catch up. This back and forth keep happening until Louisville took the lead in the half, but Syracuse closed out the half up by one. Syracuse was up by 11 at one point. But Louisville made good use of their possessions and, most importantly, hit big threes. Syracuse got down and made a good effort to get back into the game, but missing shots, poor rebounding down the stretch, and a suspicious intentional foul call, ended the comeback. Syracuse ended up losing by four before a cherry picking dunk as time expired. They finished down by six to lose to Louisville for the fifth time in as many tries. Balls.
Wes Johnson was the leading scorer for the Orange. He finished with 14 points, but it is a bit deceiving because he shot 5-20 on the day. He injured his thumb in the UConn game so it was unclear if this played a part in the 25% success rate, but either way this was not the performance Syracuse needed to have against a Big East team. He added eight rebounds to tie the team's high.
Both Arinze Onuaku and Andy Rautins added 12 points. AO did it on 6-8 shooting, while Rautins did it on 4-8 and 3-7 from behind the arc. Andy nailed one of them from deep in transition that was brilliant down the stretch, but failed to get a chance to take a shot when it mattered. Onuaku overall was really good from the post in this game but he continues to have trouble securing the ball if he gets swarmed in the paint. Onuaku also added seven rebounds.
Mookie Jones actually made his way into this game for three minutes. He did not get any points and missed the one shot he took. His defense was not good in this game. For those people that think he should be playing you either do not understand the dynamics of this team and Jim Boeheim's coaching, or you just do not have any basketball IQ.
Syracuse shot the ball under 50% in this game, actually being outscored in this game. They shot 41.4% (24-58), while Louisville shot slightly better at 42.9% (24-56). Syracuse actually outrebounded Louisville in this game 34 to 32 but they couldn't buy a rebound when it mattered most as 'Ville pulled them down off of missed free throws and on the offensive glass, resulting in points for them.
You simply have to give credit to Louisville. They played better defense, had better rhythm on offense, and generally had every bounce go their way. Timmy Higgins also made sure Syracuse did not have a chance to come back after calling an intentional foul. But let me be totally clear, Syracuse lost this game by how they played, not from anything Tim Higgins did. Syracuse lost. We all move on. 24 and 2 is nothing to be ashamed of. There is no need to complain about this and that after the loss like we are 2-24. We aren't. This is still a good team and this was hopefully the wake up this team needed. Until next time... at Georgetown.
Labels: Basketball, Big East, Louisville Sucks
Louisville - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Syracuse Owns Louisville Football
0 Comments Published on 11.05.2008 by Brian Harrison
You see that scoreboard? That's a Big East win ya sonofabitch!Well boys and girls, I admit I am still stunned. Back around 2000 and 2001 the Big East was comprised of teams that were dynamic and interesting. The league had a feel that anyone could win on any given day, much like the basketball league does now. I did not expect Syracuse to win, but somehow they dug deep and beat Louisville. Or, Louisville is not good this year and they never seem to have an answer for Syracuse. Either way, I’ll take a win when I can. Syracuse holds off Louisville 28 to 21.
Offense
B+
The offense did a great job of actually scoring and gaining yards. Cantley had a pretty good day (11/22, 178yds, 2 TD, 0 INT), but 11 for 22 just is not that awesome. The real story on offense is Curtis Brinkley gaining 166 yards on 33 carries, earning a touchdown. His longest play was a 45 yard run. This guy hits holes with speed (that’s what she said) and makes defenses pay when they make mistakes. Brinkley sets the school record for having five 100 yard rushing games in a row. Da’Mon Merkerson was the all star on receiving three balls for 68 yards and a touchdown. Syracuse converted six of 13 third down opportunities, converted one attempt on forth down, and earned 385 total yards, more than Louisville. Good job.
Defense
B
They were not as diligent as in past games, but they did manage to limit Louisville when they needed to, only allowing them to convert seven of 15 third down opportunities. They also sacked Hunter Cantwell twice and intercepted him once. All in all a solid B. They obviously managed to last the entire game, actually insuring the game for Syracuse with the interception on Cantwell. No complaints this week boys.
Special Teams
B
Patrick “Sex Offender Mustache” Shadle had a solid day as he was only asked to hit four extra point attempts, which he did. The punter Rob Long did alright, punting six times for a total of 249 yards, two of which were inside the 20 yard line. Max Suter and Mike Holmes combine for four kick returns for a total of 73 yards. Nothing special here, but they did the job and did not fumble at all. Therefore, a solid game for the special teams.
Coaching
B
Greg Robinson is no genius. But, if the team wins, the buck stops with the top. If you take the shit for losing, you get the credit for winning. Nothing outrageous one way or the other. Just players executing on the field made this happen. Therefore, Greggers gets the B.
GPA
B (3.05)
Syracuse pulls off Greg’s third Big East win in four years, the second against Louisville. Greg earns his ninth win in as many years. Syracuse performed admirably despite facing another daunting team, having their reputation in the toilet, and a coach that nobody believes in. Some might give Greg credit for this win, but for me, all the credit falls on the kids in the game who persevered through a lot of odds and ended up the victors on Parents Weekend (or Family Weekend as the university calls it now… bullshit). A solid performance from everyone on the field. If only they could have played this well all along.
Syracuse will next travel to Rutgers this Saturday and will be seen on ESPN U at 12:00pm. With Rutgers also playing up and down like a yo-yo, and with this Syracuse performance the past weekend, who knows what will happen? What is certain is that Syracuse earned a few days of good jobs from fans this past Saturday, and earned a little more respect than they were getting. Stay tuned later tonight for my quick thoughts on the fake basketball game Syracuse played this past Monday evening. Until then, feel sorry knowing those players have to now travel to New Jersey.
Offense
B+
The offense did a great job of actually scoring and gaining yards. Cantley had a pretty good day (11/22, 178yds, 2 TD, 0 INT), but 11 for 22 just is not that awesome. The real story on offense is Curtis Brinkley gaining 166 yards on 33 carries, earning a touchdown. His longest play was a 45 yard run. This guy hits holes with speed (that’s what she said) and makes defenses pay when they make mistakes. Brinkley sets the school record for having five 100 yard rushing games in a row. Da’Mon Merkerson was the all star on receiving three balls for 68 yards and a touchdown. Syracuse converted six of 13 third down opportunities, converted one attempt on forth down, and earned 385 total yards, more than Louisville. Good job.
Defense
B
They were not as diligent as in past games, but they did manage to limit Louisville when they needed to, only allowing them to convert seven of 15 third down opportunities. They also sacked Hunter Cantwell twice and intercepted him once. All in all a solid B. They obviously managed to last the entire game, actually insuring the game for Syracuse with the interception on Cantwell. No complaints this week boys.
Special Teams
B
Patrick “Sex Offender Mustache” Shadle had a solid day as he was only asked to hit four extra point attempts, which he did. The punter Rob Long did alright, punting six times for a total of 249 yards, two of which were inside the 20 yard line. Max Suter and Mike Holmes combine for four kick returns for a total of 73 yards. Nothing special here, but they did the job and did not fumble at all. Therefore, a solid game for the special teams.
Coaching
B
Greg Robinson is no genius. But, if the team wins, the buck stops with the top. If you take the shit for losing, you get the credit for winning. Nothing outrageous one way or the other. Just players executing on the field made this happen. Therefore, Greggers gets the B.
GPA
B (3.05)
Syracuse pulls off Greg’s third Big East win in four years, the second against Louisville. Greg earns his ninth win in as many years. Syracuse performed admirably despite facing another daunting team, having their reputation in the toilet, and a coach that nobody believes in. Some might give Greg credit for this win, but for me, all the credit falls on the kids in the game who persevered through a lot of odds and ended up the victors on Parents Weekend (or Family Weekend as the university calls it now… bullshit). A solid performance from everyone on the field. If only they could have played this well all along.
Syracuse will next travel to Rutgers this Saturday and will be seen on ESPN U at 12:00pm. With Rutgers also playing up and down like a yo-yo, and with this Syracuse performance the past weekend, who knows what will happen? What is certain is that Syracuse earned a few days of good jobs from fans this past Saturday, and earned a little more respect than they were getting. Stay tuned later tonight for my quick thoughts on the fake basketball game Syracuse played this past Monday evening. Until then, feel sorry knowing those players have to now travel to New Jersey.
Labels: Big East, Football, Louisville Sucks
I cannot believe it. Seriously. Go ORANGE!And thanks to West Virginia for winning.
No crying child this week I guess.
Labels: Big East, Football, Louisville Sucks