Syracuse students agree: Beating Notre Dame is always good, resume or not.
Unfortunately for Syracuse, a chance for Syracuse to earn a big win was cancelled due to another COVID positive in Louisville. Either way, a streaky Notre Dame team comes into the Dome to take on Syracuse. And Syracuse needs to keep winning. Syracuse has a good chance with a Notre Dame team that started the year poorly, but has managed to win some good games as of late. Notre Dame is basically a team with good offense, and poor defense and rebounding. Notre Dame does what Notre Dame always does. They shoot the 3 well. They hit 38.1% from three as a team, and Nate Laszewski hits over 50%. It's pretty simple. Syracuse will either defend the three point line as they have against NC State and BC, or they'll defend like they did against Virginia and Clemson. Syracuse, especially Griffin, has been a lot better at defending lately. So Syracuse will continue to do that, and create turnovers against a team that normally doesn't, or they won't. If they let Laszewski run wild, the game will be over quick. The good news is that Syracuse should have a bit of a rebounding edge against ND, so if Syracuse defends the line well enough to prevent easy, open looks for Notre Dame, it should be a one and done possession for the Irish. Syracuse, in theory, should win this game, but obviously they need to defend. I'm taking a flyer on Syracuse in this one at home. Syracuse over Notre Dame by six.
This game is available on The ACC Network at 2:00pm. Notre Dame sucks and LET'S GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Notre Lame, 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: Even if they win, Notre Dame is lame.
Seems like just last week Syracuse lost a nail biter by a point to Notre Dame. And while officiating played a small part in the outcome, it was really Syracuse who had a stretch of not scoring, while allowing C John Mooney to go ham. Can Syracuse continue to keep scoring, and manage to get a few stops in South Bend?
Syracuse had a rough go defending Mooney when they were in Syracuse. Sidibe and Dolezaj were both in foul trouble. And Syracuse couldn't buy a stop when it mattered. Nor could they buy a bucket down the stretch except for a last second shot that still didn't tie the score. However, since then Buddy Boeheim has himself gone ham, almost singlehandedly winning at VTech. Since losing back to back against ND and VTech, Syracuse has rattled off three straight wins including at Virginia. Now Syracuse looks to avenge another loss. And Syracuse can do it. The key factor is Guerrier playing better on the boards. Both teams are going to make shots. But if Syracuse is able to again force Notre Dame turnovers, as well as stop Mooney from grabbing as many rebounds and scoring as many points as he did in Syracuse, the Orange have a chance to win and get 4 in a row, as well as another ACC road victory. And really, while ND has kind of remained stagnant, dropping two out of 3, Syracuse has all the momentum. I like the Orange to again force turnovers, keep it close, and pull out another tight win. I'm taking Syracuse by 4.
This game is available on ESPN 2 at 7:00pm. John and I will be watching. GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Notre Lame, Preview
The biggest game for SU Football in 18 years is here.
Syracuse is 8-2, ranked #12 in the nation. Notre Dame is 10-0 and #3. Syracuse has a chance to get a bid to a NY6 Bowl if they keep winning. And while Syracuse is probably overrated in terms of being #12 in the nation, they are, despite some FS1 analysts, a very good football team. So can Syracuse pull the upset, and head into their final game in the top ten?
Syracuse heads to Yankee Stadium to take on Notre Dame. I am frankly astounded if we're putting things into perspective that Syracuse is heading into week 12 with Syracuse very much in the running for a NY6 Bowl. They're ranked in the top 15. I mean... what world are we in? It honestly doesn't even seem real. Syracuse has literally had a winning record 3 times after 2001. But here we are, sitting at a guaranteed Bowl Game, and a guaranteed winning season. And now unbeaten Notre Dame heads to NY to take on the Orange. The key matchup lies with the Notre Dame defense. If they can stop the Orange attack, they'll win the game. Because as we all know, Notre Dame will break the Syracuse defense, just enough to score a few times. Syracuse will need to score more points (duh!), but Eric Dungey and the running backs will need to advance the ball and keep the Notre Dame offense off the field if SU hopes to pull the upset. The good news is Syracuse is bringing the #1 Special Teams unit in the country. With an average starting position better than their opponents, as well as their opponents starting farther back, Syracuse has a real shot in limiting Notre Dame from putting points on the board by the simple fact that thee have to move the ball more to score than Syracuse. Couple that with Szmyt being able to drill almost any field goal, and Syracuse has a real shot in putting points on the board. Notre Dame is a very good team, and may bury Syracuse early. But somehow this team is different. It isn't the regular Syracuse team that finds themselves a decent team, and able to pull an upset, but just don't show up. Syracuse actually has skill position players that can compete with Notre Dame (or Clemson for that matter). I say this often, but if Syracuse can limit the amount of big plays (or more accurately catastrophic plays), Syracuse has the chance of coming away the victor. But really, Special Teams and the offense should carry the day. How can I pick against Syracuse at this point in the year. I'm taking the Orange 37 to 35.
This game is available on NBC and the NBC Sports App (with cable login) at 2:30pm. Both John and I will be in Yankee Stadium and will probably be excited but cold. Syracuse has the potential to earn their best win in at least two decades. LET'S GO ORANGE!
Labels: Football, Notre Lame, Preview, Syracuse Needs to Win to Make Thanksgiving Tolerable
Syracuse students agree: Syracuse has to beat a wounded ND team.
Syracuse had a bit of a snag when they couldn't seen to stop Wake Forest, a team they should have beaten on the road on Wednesday. But Dome sweet Dome, as Syracuse heads back to the Carrier Dome to take on an ailing Notre Dame team. They are missing Matt Farrell and Bonzie Colson, which is good for Syracuse. Syracuse is favored in this game. They are home. Syracuse is now supposed to win this game. For some reason, Mike Brey is regarded as a very good college basketball coach. I think he's actually a terrible Xs and Os coach, and has gotten by on the fact that he's at Notre Dame and he can recruit. Regardless, with the talent lacking on his sideline today, Mike Brey will have to get creative, or his team will lose. Syracuse can only beat themselves today. Play solid defense, and REBOUND, and Syracuse should get a nice victory and a good win on the resume. I'm taking Syracuse by 13. This game is available nationally on ESPN 2 / WatchESPN at 3:15pm. I can guarantee John is in the Dome. I'm in the home office. Let's beat Notre Lame. GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Notre Lame, Preview
Notre Dame - Syracuse Postgame Reactions or Dress Like A Winner
0 Comments Published on 1.30.2016 by Brian Harrison
The man of the night was clearly Cooney. But everyone was pretty good.
Down goes Notre Dame. A pretty familiar sentiment for Syracuse fans. Syracuse is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings. Boeheim owns Mike Brey, now 16-5 against the Irish under him. So when #25 came in, they left with a loss. But Syracuse played maybe one of their best games of the season. Syracuse dismantled Notre Dame 81 to 66.
- Notre Dame started off the game ahead 5-0, but then Syracuse rattled off a 23-1 run, that gave SU the lead 23 to 6 with just under 10 minutes to go in the first half. SU never looked back.
- Trevor Cooney finished with 22 points on 7-17, 3-8 from the floor. He was also 5-5 from the free throw line. He added 3 rebounds and 3 assists.
- Michael Gbinije and Malachi Richardson, along with Tyler Lydon off the bench, all had 15 points. Generally when two of your starters and your 6th man have 15 points a piece, you're probably going to win the game.
- Just as ND was making the game close, Malachi Richardson drilled a 3 and was fouled, adding the free throw. A rare 4 point play. Which was a huge momentum change for SU.
- Tyler Roberson wasn't as productive as he has been, but he added 9 points and 9 rebounds. A very solid day. He also had a tip in where he was THE MOST high up. All the ups.
- Syracuse outrebounded ND 36-32.
- For the first time since I can remember, SU only missed one of their free throw attempts. They were 15-16 (93.8%) from the charity stripe. You'll win a lot of games when you make you free throws at that clip.
- Oddly, both teams shot the 3 really well. Both teams made 10 from behind the arc. ND only did a little better, making 10-24 instead of 10-25 that SU shot.
- Notre Dame was the best team in taking care of the ball in the country, averaging 9.2 turnovers per game. SU forced 11 in the game, most of which were in the first half.
- This was the most complete team win of the season, especially in conference play.
- SU was listed on most prospective brackets as a "first team out". This is a huge resume boosting win for SU. I would say as of right now they are in the NCAA Tournament.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Notre Lame
Syracuse - Notre Dame Postgame Reactions OR A Top Ten Road Win!
0 Comments Published on 2.28.2015 by Brian Harrison
This is calmer than I would have been at that 5th Christmas foul.
Well I didn't think they would do it. After beating #12 but then losing to Pittsburgh at home I didn't think that Syracuse could go on the road and beat #9 Notre Dame. But they did. Trevor Cooney hit some unbelievable shots, and BJ Johnson came off the bench and had a day! Syracuse beat the Irish 65 to 60.
- BJ Johnson led all scorers with 19 points on 7-13, 2-6 shooting. He was also 3-3 from the free throw line. Easily his best game of the season and he single-handedly outscored the one player from ND that scored off the bench 19-16.
- Trevor Cooney didn't have the best night, going 5-11, 1-6, but the shots he hit down the stretch were astounding and clutch and kept Syracuse in the game and allowed them to win it. He finished with 11 points.
- Rakeem Christmas didn't have the best game, but he did have a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
- Michael Gbinije also didn't have the best game, but he did add 12 points, five rebounds, and six steals.
- Ron Patterson earned six points, but had some really dumb plays. Pretty typical Patterson outing.
- Mike Brey just has no idea how to beat a 2-3 Zone other than shoot over it. And normally ND is great at that, leading the ACC. but they were 3-22 (13.6%) which I have to imagine was a season low.
- The 5th foul on Christmas was ridiculous. Enough said.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Notre Lame
Syracuse students agree: The new #1 wants to avoid a quick let down.
If you watched Duke take on Syracuse on Saturday you saw a fantastic college basketball game. Maybe the best of the season. If you were there, you had an even bigger treat. But now that the Duke game has ended, and the pollsters have crowned Syracuse the new #1 team in the nation, they have a quick turnaround and are playing on Big Monday against Notre Dame, coming into the Dome as one of the more unpredictable teams of the ACC.
Syracuse hosts the traveling Irish in a big contest, not for anything Syracuse could gain from beating up and down ND, but rather what they can lose. That is always the problem with being #1 during the year. But anyway, Syracuse is facing a team that isn't quite as offensively gifted as Duke, despite the fact that Notre Dame beat them as well. Notre Dame, when they lack the power of a truly great big man in the paint, only has one way to beat Syracuse. That is, of course, shooting a bunch of 3s over the zone. They will probably run a couple back door cuts, but other than that it will mostly be drives and kicks. I maintain that Mike Brey is still not a great X and O guy and the only times he's managed to beat Syracuse is when he had either equal or superior talent on his side of the court. That is not the case in this game. Notre Dame's best player is Garrick Sherman, a transfer from Michigan State who averages 14.5ppg. Oddly, Notre Dame is only averaging 6.6 made three point baskets in ACC play. So if they are looking to beat Syracuse by making a bunch of 3s, they better make more. Duke made 15 and still lost. I think Christmas and Grant will be the ones doing most of the damage in this game. I think they will get looks like they did in the Duke game after Parker fouled out and just continue to hammer inside the paint. I like Ennis to get a bunch of assists in this one, maybe even get a double-double because of it. Notre Dame is also coming off an overtime win, but they did that on the road and then traveled to Syracuse right after. Meanwhile, Syracuse got to sleep in their beds the last couple of nights. I think those stats are overvalued, but they are worth noting. What is more germane is the fact that Notre Dame is 0-5 on the road this year and 0-10 overall against #1 teams on the road. Syracuse has also beaten Notre Dame in nine of their last 11 trips to the Carrier Dome, and by an average of 15.6ppg. I like the Orange to actually get a comfortable lead in this game and give some of the starters a breather in the second half. I'll take the Orange to avoid the let down by 22.
The game tonight will be on ESPN / Watch ESPN at 7:00pm. John will be at the game and I'll be in the home office so stay tuned as you normally would. I'll be back later this week with a complete Duke wrap up, and John will tell you how this Notre Dame affair will go. Either way, we'll be on a more regular posting schedule in the near future.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Notre Lame, Preview