Syracuse students agree: Redemption is at hand.
Syracuse was definitely the underdog, but they had a chance to beat UNC on Tuesday. They came up short though, clearly missing a bigger body to rebound and defend, and yes maybe even score, from the center position. That's not a jab at Dolezaj. It's just a bigger body need to match up with a bigger body. So can Syracuse now get revenge against Pittsburgh after they did the same thing to Syracuse in the Dome?
Syracuse had a pretty commanding lead going into the half against Pitt in Syracuse. However, shooting droughts, the hesitance to go in the paint, and Pitt making threes down the stretch, earned Pitt an unlikely comeback win. Frankly it was one of the biggest collapses Syracuse has had in the last few seasons. And it probably wouldn't have happened with Sidibe in the lineup. Well, despite the 4 week timetable for his injury recovery coming and going, he's still out and not likely to return soon. No one else behing him is big enough or competent enough to play as Sidibe would have at the 5. Dolezaj is doing what he can, and is a solid offensive contributor, but he's still not as big as Sidibe. And Pitt was short handed last time they played. John Hugley on Pitt has been suspended indefinitely after being charged with several felonies. But news this hour came that Pitt's leading scorer Justin Champaigne is expected to play today. He's averaging 17.8ppg. It's not looking good for Syracuse. If they want to stay in it, they must get points of steals more than they did the other day. And they can't afford the dismal shot selection either. They have to drive and make outside baskets, along with good transition plays. Oh yeah, and Dolezaj and Guerrier have to stay out of foul trouble, despite Pitt likely going at both of them. Seems like a tall task sadly. I've obviously been wrong before, but I just don't have a good feeling about this game. Pitt over Syracuse by 13.
This game is available on the regional coverage at 12:00pm. Check your local listings here. I'll be in internet streaming hell, while John will be watching on crisp, clear cable. GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh, Preview
A classic matchup in strange times.
Syracuse lasted as long as expected against a pretty high powered offense with UNC last week to open the season. Syracuse is just about equally as unmatched according to the odds makers this week, as well as Pitt being ranked #25. Will Syracuse be able to pull an upset at Hines?Syracuse heads into the game after a fairly dismal outing last week, at least in terms of offense. Tommy DeVito was unable to find the end zone and started off poorly. He settled into some really good throws, and made some plays to extend some drives, but he was bad in the Red Zone (at least half due to bad playcalling), and the offensive line didn't help him. Not to mention the fact that the defense had no reason not to go all in as no rusher was able to be a credible enough threat to move the ball to help him out. Either way, Syracuse was unable to find the end zone. I expect two adjustments in this game from last week. I expect better play calling by Syracuse in the game, but especially in the Red Zone. And next, I expect improvement from DeVito on throws. That is, if he manages to have time to throw. I don't expect any breakthroughs in the running game after the two top backs for the year opted out of the season. Either way, even if the defense plays another 3 great quarters like they did against UNC, it's unlikely unless Syracuse has a two score lead heading into the 4th quarter, Syracuse is again likely doomed. And the odds that happens is low. While Syracuse will again likely hang in for the first half, I think this will be a second half that is all Pitt. Panthers over Syracuse 37 to 16.
This game is again a good old nooner on The ACC Network. John and I will again be in the home offices. Send along any rules questions during the game as per usual. Enjoy as much as you can and GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Football, Pittsburgh, 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: Just win baby.
Syracuse earned a nice comeback win against GTech on Saturday. Despite not leading for the majority of the game, Syracuse was able to pull ahead and get a nice lead to sweep GTech for the season. Now Syracuse has the chance to sweep another ACC foe in Pittsburgh.
Syracuse dominated the first half against Pittsburgh when they first played in Syracuse, only for the game to get tighter in the 2nd as Syracuse basically hung on for a win. Pittsburgh wasn't able to make jumpers in the first half, or get int he paint. But then Syracuse's offense stalled in the 2nd half, and Pittsburgh made the game tighter despite never gaining the lead. Syracuse will look to finish off Pittsburgh early on their home court. Justin Chamgagnie was the leading scorer and rebounder for Pitt in that game, and he leads the team in both. However, Pittsburgh is dreadful at 3 point field goal % at 29.2, as well as raking 342nd in the nation in offensive rebounding. That's a formula for Syracuse to win again. Pittsburgh coughs up the ball and they don't score a ton, nor do they get many 2nd chance points. If Syracuse is able to keep Sidibe and/or Dolezaj in the game, this one may not be a crushing like Boston College earlier in the season was, but it will certainly be more easy going than GTech was. Guerrier lead in rebounding for Syracuse in the last game, and I look for him to do damage on the boards in this one. Girard made some ill advised shots in the last game, and he's certainly stopped just bombing shots in the last few games. While Boeheim isn't shooting as much as he was earlier in the year, Syracuse should have plenty of opportunity to get transition buckets, including those from long range. Despite being in The Pete, they don't seem to have the home court advantage they are used to, as they have obviously not won too many games period. I think this is tighter than SU fans would want, but it still won't be too nerve racking. SU over Pitt by 9.
This game is available on The ACC Network at 7:00pm. Both John and I will be watching. GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh, Preview, Rivalries
Syracuse students agree: Keeping a win streak alive is fun.
Syracuse is currently riding a four game win streak back into the Dome to take on Pittsburgh. The Panthers are a very beatable team, sitting in the bottom four of the league. That means Syracuse must avoid an upset game at home and not lose all the momentum they've built up in this stretch of the season.
Obviously, you know Hughes is now the leading scorer in the league. Pittsburgh shouldn't be able to stop him. But he's not the only one Pitt has to worry about. Girard, Boeheim, and Dolezaj have all stepped up their offense during the streak as well. And Sidibe also added double digit scoring in the last game as well. That makes this offense pretty formidable. Pittsburgh's offense, on the other hand, won't set the world on fire. They basically have sophomore Xavier Johnson, who leads the team in three point shooting. He averages only 12. But you know the long tradition of players going off against the Syracuse zone. Syracuse will have to be committed to stopping him, as well as making sure Pittsburgh doesn't have any easy looks inside. If Syracuse manages to play even passable defense, they should have a nice, easy afternoon. Pittsburgh's defense is very good in the paint, but they are 12th in the league in three point defense, which doesn't bode well for them if one, two, or three Syracuse players get hot from behind the arc. Look for Syracuse to take every opportunity to get shots up from distance. I actually think this matchup, unlike Notre Dame, is extremely favorable for the Orange. I'm taking Syracuse by 14.
This game is available on The ACC Network at noon. John is in the Dome. I'm in the home office. Shit on Pitt and LET'S GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh, Preview
I refuse to use that new panther head.
Syracuse has crossed the midpoint of their season, and after an extra day off due to having a Thursday night game the week before, take on Pittsburgh in primetime on a Friday night from the Dome. But will Syracuse end up winning this longstanding rivalry game and get back above .500?
This game might as well be the Spider-man pointing at Spider-man picture, as these two teams look pretty close on paper. Pittsburgh's big win came a few weeks ago, when they beat UCF at home (preventing them from claiming another fake Natty Champ, so at least thanks for that). They're 4-2 on the season, just slightly better than Syracuse. Both teams have capable offenses marred by less than optimal offensive lines. Both teams have decent defenses that have been able to pass rush well and pressure quarterbacks. So the biggest matchup of the day will clearly be if Tommy DeVito is close to 100% and will be able to stand in the pocket and deliver, or to a lesser extent make plays on the ground, against a pretty talented Pittsburgh defense. Is Tommy 100%? I have no idea, and we won't know until probably the second or third offensive drive for Syracuse. That is definitely the big X Factor. If DeVito is healthy and will be able to make plays, and to a lesser extent, Syracuse uses the passing to open up the run game (as opposed to the opposite plan at NC State), Syracuse should be able to move the ball against Pittsburgh. The thing about Syracuse and Pittsburgh is no matter how good each team is on paper going in, they always seem to be close games. Take last season's overtime game for example. 1 TD last year, 3 points in 2017, 76-61 shootout in 2016, 3 point game in 2015. This game will be close. It probably will come down to turnovers and just plain luck. Either way, only because Syracuse is home. I'll take Syracuse over Pittsburgh 34 to 31.
This game is available nationally on ESPN at 7:00pm. John will be in the Dome. I'll be watching and partially on RefWatch. GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Football, Pittsburgh, Preview
Pittsburgh - Syracuse ACC Tournament 2nd Round Preview
0 Comments Published on 3.13.2019 by Brian Harrison
Syracuse students agree: Syracuse should win this, but now I don't know.
Syracuse heads into the ACC Tournament as the #6 Seed. Syracuse is facing #14 seed Pittsburgh, after they finished off BC (and probably their coach) yesterday. As you are probably aware, Syracuse beat Pittsburgh home and away this season. Winners of three whole ACC games this season, Pittsburgh finished off BC 80 to 70. Battle was just announced that he is a game time decision, but he probably isn't playing. That being said, he had only six points against Pittsburgh on the road, and Syracuse still won by nine. But either way, the keys to the game remain the same against Pitt. Syracuse needs to play good defense and bang the offensive boards. Syracuse held Pittsburgh to 33.8% and 31.6% from the floor in the two earlier games this year. SU won both. Syracuse just has to be solid and force bad outside shooting. Syracuse will find ways to score without Battle, they just don't have the killer shooter that can take defenders attention. Meaning someone has to hit shots from the outside, so Syracuse can drive the ball in the game. But honestly, Syracuse can play good defense and get some quick points in transition and they should be fine. It would also help if either Howard, Boeheim, or Hughes gets a little warm from outside. Either way, not panicking against Pitt in this one. Syracuse over Pitt by 11. This game is available on ESPN 2 / WatchESPN at 9:00pm (actually probably like 9:25ish). Both John and I will be watching. LET'S GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, ACC Tournament, Basketball, Pittsburgh, Preview
Syracuse students agree: Winning 4/5 is better than 1/5.
Syracuse beat Pittsburgh a couple weeks ago in the Carrier Dome. Now Syracuse heads to the Pete, a building they opened up with the first win by a road team way back when, to take on a reeling Pittsburgh team. Despite getting some incredible performances from freshman guard Xavier Johnson, Pittsburgh has lost their last 4 games, including that game on January 19th against SU. He is the main weapon Pitt has on offense, which isn't a very powerful scoring team. However, they are at home, and have played far better at home than they have on the road. That being said, Pittsburgh only shot 33.8% from the floor against Syracuse in the last game, so if Syracuse plays solid defense, and dominates the offensive glass like they previously did, Syracuse should have the edge in this game, that I think will end up close. Syracuse will likely get production from ever reliable Tyus Battle, and Brissett (despite some bad plays at BC), has been looking better as of late. Additionally, Battle running the point at BC should light a bit of a fire under Frank Howard and should have him playing his best at both ends of the floor. Obviously Boeheim has really come alive in conference play as well. Everything is trending up for Syracuse. They should be relatively successful on the offensive end in beating the Pitt defense. Again, the key is getting stops for Syracuse, finding Johnson for Pittsburgh, and controlling the offensive glass. If Chukwu and Dolezaj are rebounding, Syracuse will win. I'm taking the Orange, in a close one, by six. This game is available on ESPN 2 / WatchESPN at 6:00pm. Both John and I will be in the home office watching. Hopefully Syracuse will get the season sweep. GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh, Preview
Syracuse students agree: We are back in full force for a rivalry game.
Syracuse pulled off a monumental win at Duke against the #1 team in the nation on Big Monday. Now Syracuse heads back to defend their home court against long time rival Pittsburgh. Pitt was dreadful last season under Kevin Stallings, but now they have a competent coach against Jeff Capel, who has them sitting pretty after beating FSU and Louisville recently in the Pete. They haven't played as well on the road however, losing to NC State earlier in the week. Reports out of Pittsburgh have said that Pitt plans to forgo the easy three point opportunities that the 2-3 Zone affords, but rather they will try and get in the paint and body Syracuse and get SU either in foul trouble or get to the free throw line. I think Duke tried to do some of that. Syracuse today will fair kind of like they did against Duke. If the center spot is producing, and that means both points and rebounds, Syracuse should win this game. Pascal Chukwu, fresh off a monster game at Duke, will be starting again for Syracuse. I like their chances in this one, not only because they are home, but they have a lot of momentum and success to build off of. Syracuse by 7 in this one. This game is available regionally on RSN at 2:00pm. Check your local listings. John will be at the game. I'm at the home office. Shit on Pitt and GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh, Preview, Rivalries
Ever appropriate for throwback uniforms.
Syracuse hasn't won at Pittsburgh since 2001. I couldn't believe that stat. It seems almost impossible. These two teams always play tough and Syracuse hasn't won at Pitt in a very long time. Will the streak be broken today?
Syracuse heads to Hines Field where not even remotely near the number of fans will be there as they saw in Clemson. This is going to be a mostly empty stadium with the Panther faithful and a few SU fans. Syracuse will not be rattled on the road today. Syracuse is coming of a near miss taking down #3 Clemson. I think they don't come out disappointed with their heads down. I think they come out looking for blood. Panther blood. And despite the fact Pitt will have on great throwbacks, Syracuse will have the better team on the field. Additionally, Syracuse has the best Special Teams unit in the league. Pitt's is the worst. Pittsburgh's QB Kenny Pickett (please do, Syracuse) has been sacked ten times this year and thrown four interceptions. Syracuse will have a real opportunity to have a FSU-like game and harass the QB with knockdowns, sacks, and hurries. That will likely cause turnovers that Syracuse can take advantage of. While Pitt will probably find success on the ground in spurts, and have a big play or two, I see Syracuse dominating like they did the second half of the FSU game, in a similar style. I think Syracuse finally breaks through and wins at Pitt on the road for the first time in a very long time, in what is essentially the turning point of the season. Syracuse needs to win these kind of games. The winable league games like this, and upcoming UNC and Louisville. Either way, I think they are on the right path and get the job done today. I'm taking the Orange 48 to 17.
This game is available on regional coverage at approximately 12:20pm. Check your local listings here. For those without the game on TV, you can watch on WatchESPN subject to blackout, or on the ACC Website or App. I'm on the road with football of my own, but John will be watching in the home office. I should be able to catch the end of the game so I look forward to hopefully celebrating with you all at approximately 4pm. GO ORANGE!
Syracuse heads to Hines Field where not even remotely near the number of fans will be there as they saw in Clemson. This is going to be a mostly empty stadium with the Panther faithful and a few SU fans. Syracuse will not be rattled on the road today. Syracuse is coming of a near miss taking down #3 Clemson. I think they don't come out disappointed with their heads down. I think they come out looking for blood. Panther blood. And despite the fact Pitt will have on great throwbacks, Syracuse will have the better team on the field. Additionally, Syracuse has the best Special Teams unit in the league. Pitt's is the worst. Pittsburgh's QB Kenny Pickett (please do, Syracuse) has been sacked ten times this year and thrown four interceptions. Syracuse will have a real opportunity to have a FSU-like game and harass the QB with knockdowns, sacks, and hurries. That will likely cause turnovers that Syracuse can take advantage of. While Pitt will probably find success on the ground in spurts, and have a big play or two, I see Syracuse dominating like they did the second half of the FSU game, in a similar style. I think Syracuse finally breaks through and wins at Pitt on the road for the first time in a very long time, in what is essentially the turning point of the season. Syracuse needs to win these kind of games. The winable league games like this, and upcoming UNC and Louisville. Either way, I think they are on the right path and get the job done today. I'm taking the Orange 48 to 17.
This game is available on regional coverage at approximately 12:20pm. Check your local listings here. For those without the game on TV, you can watch on WatchESPN subject to blackout, or on the ACC Website or App. I'm on the road with football of my own, but John will be watching in the home office. I should be able to catch the end of the game so I look forward to hopefully celebrating with you all at approximately 4pm. GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Football, Pittsburgh, Preview
Syracuse students agree: Sweeping Pitt would be great.
Syracuse had a week off and after working in practice Syracuse played their best offensive game of the season against Boston College in the Dome. Syracuse now tries to keep the winning streak alive as they travel to The Pete to take on Pittsburgh. Traditionally The Pete has been a tough place to play for opposing teams, but Syracuse was the team that got the first win there, Tyler Ennis daggered the hearts of Pitt fans, and Pittsburgh is a garbage fire on offense this season. Syracuse has one job and one job they need to do to win. That is stop Parker Stewart from hitting a ton of 3 pointers. Syracuse let him get loose and Pittsburgh had a lead in the Dome. But then Boeheim ripped his jacked off and ripped into his players and the defense tightened. They were able to stop Pittsburgh for virtually the last ten minutes of the game. Syracuse will need to do the same if they want to win at Pittsburgh. SU held Pitt to 45 points in the last game, and nothing I've seen from either team should change that too much. Syracuse just need to again rebound. The interesting question is if Matt Moyer has recovered from his sprained ankle he suffered Wednesday in the Boston College game. An even lighter bench, and a whistle happy crew in stripes could be disastrous for Syracuse. Syracuse needs to be smart on defense and stay out of foul trouble. If they can, Syracuse should have a good day. The depth is concerning, but not enough for me to pick Pittsburgh in this. I'm taking the Orange by 13. This game is available regionally at 4:00pm. Check your local listings here. WatchESPN for everyone else. As always, GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh, Preview
Syracuse students agree: We're back just in time for a rivalry game.
Syracuse is coming off a brutal lost to Florida State, a win that Syracuse was desperately seeking and could have earned. Now, dumpster fire Pittsburgh comes in the Carrier Dome reeling even more than Syracuse. Pittsburgh is a team in shambles. They've had about 13 different starting lineups, their coach is yelling at crowds, he doesn't know how to beat the Zone, and they haven't won a conference game yet this year. Pittsburgh doesn't score a lot, and they also turn the ball over. The game plan should be simple. Get as many points off turnovers as possible, and rebound the holy hell out of the ball on both ends. If Syracuse can do that, even the usual "where the hell did this guy come from?" unbelievable scorer can't hurt SU. Syracuse needs to just do what they do best, which is play defense. The rest, in theory, should come in this one. Syracuse needs conference wins, and although a home win isn't as good as a win on the road against a ranked team, Syracuse needs to avoid a 5 game losing streak. Ahh Pittsburgh, the cure for what ails you (this used to be BC, but they seem to be competent this year). I guess they should have tried to keep Jaime Dixon a little harder huh? I'm taking the Orange by 9. This game is available regionally at 9:00pm. Check your local listings here. Despite this being a home game, both John and I are in the respective home offices. Shit on Pitt. Yadda yadda yadda. GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh, Preview
We welcome back an old frienemy.
Syracuse is at an interesting position no only in their season, but in the broader sense of the program. It's year 2 of Dino Babers' tenure, and it's the midpoint of the season. This is specifically when Dino himself points to where the system he uses fires on all cylinders and is really the point where everyone grasps what they are supposed to be doing within that system. However, that also might not be the case when facing the hardest schedule in the nation while also possessing not the greatest defense. It's Homecoming, which makes it even harder as a lot of alumni eyes will be on this team this weekend in person and up close. So what can Babers and his team do this weekend to convince the faithful that this is the direction we want the program going in? The simple answer is win.
Pittsburgh comes into the Carrier Dome with the exact same record as Syracuse. Unlike Syracuse, they have beaten who they were supposed to (Rice, 1-AA Youngstown State), and lost to big boys #4 Penn State, #9 Oklahoma State, and Georgia Tech. Their QB play has been unimpressive, with their starting QB, transfer Max Browne has started but rarely finished games. He didn't throw a TD in any of the Pitt losses. Ben DiNucci, Redshirt Freshman QB replaced him in all of those games. The pressure will be on Syracuse's safeties to break up passes and prevent big plays. Really, not allowing Pittsburgh big plays will be key. If Syracuse is able to apply pressure and keep Pittsburgh from establishing a run game, Syracuse should have a good chance to win this game. After the shootout last season, it seems unlikely that Pittsburgh has the firepower to put up those numbers. Bur really, Syracuse still has most of the offensive pieces from last year's team that put up 61 points last year. If Syracuse is able to run the ball and get some pressure off of Eric Dungey to work in the pocket, Syracuse should have a really nice day on offense. Syracuse is somehow favored in this game. And on paper, you can see why. Pittsburgh hasn't had much success on offense this year, except against Rice. Syracuse is poised to pick up a win this weekend in front of a fairly big home crowd. I'm taking the Orange 41 to 30.
This game is available regionally on the ACC Network at 12:30pm. Check your local listings here. For those in areas it isn't on TV, you can catch the game on WatchESPN. I'll be in the Dome this weekend, while John will be at a wedding. An odd reversal from the usual. Either way, I'll have coverage from the Dome. Check the Tweets. If you're making the trip, enjoy Homecoming. GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Football, Homecoming, Pittsburgh, Preview
Syracuse students agree: Double the wins against Pitt, double the fun.
Syracuse heads to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers in one of the toughest places to play in College Basketball. At least that used to be the case. Pittsburgh is now in 14th place in the toughest league in America. They're 2-9 in conference play. Their only wins in conference are their last game against Boston College and their only home conference win against then #11 Virginia. That win was impressive, but that was all the way back on January 5th. Between their two wins, they rattled off 8 losses, including to Clemson, NC State, and getting SMOKED by Miami. Syracuse has a chance to win 6 in a row, and beat a rival twice in one season, something they haven't managed to do with Pittsburgh in a while. But can Syracuse do it? Syracuse had a huge lead against Pittsburgh in the first half of their last game in Syracuse, but Pitt stormed back and made it at least more interesting in the end. Closer than it should have been. However, Syracuse is playing much better ball as of late. And I'm not confident Kevin Stallings has found a remedy has found a magic potion to make him better at coaching offense against the 2-3 Zone. On top of that, Gillon is playing much better and has become the clear full time point guard, which was not quite the case when Syracuse played Pittsburgh the last time. As a matter of fact, the Pittsburgh game was really Gillon's coming out party. If he, Andrew White, and Battle continue to play well, they can earn another win at the Pete. Syracuse, after all, was the first team to do so, and the first #1 team to win at the Pete. If you're keeping track at home. I like the Orange in this matchup again. I think the game will be a lot closer being at Pittsburgh. But I have to think the way this team is playing, the let down won't happen against Pittsburgh. I'll take the Orange by 6. This game is available regionally on The ACC Network at 1:00pm. Check your local listings here. John is in the home office, and I'm at home too but only watching via internet because apparently The ACC hates Massachusetts. We'll see you out there.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh, Preview
Pittsburgh - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR They Couldn't Miss
0 Comments Published on 1.11.2017 by Brian Harrison
Sometimes basketball is fun still.
Syracuse was down in the dumps. But then Pittsburgh came to town. Syracuse shot the lights out, especially in the first half. And Pittsburgh seemed to have trouble. And it resulted in a huge Syracuse win that they dominated from start to finish. Despite the close score at the end, this one was really never in doubt. Syracuse over Pittsburgh 77 to 66.
- Andrew White led the team in scoring with 21 points on 7-14, 4-8 shooting, adding 3-4 free throws and seven rebounds. A really solid shooting day for a guy who should always shoot lights out, but hasn't done so lately.
- John Gillon might have played the best game of his career. Not only did he score a quite 20 points, but he had 11 assists and only four turnovers. He passed the ball magnificently, and Syracuse has found the point guard and distributor they have been desperate for.
- Tyus Battle had a solid shooting day, adding 15 points on 6-9, 3-5 shooting.
- Tyler Lydon had a quiet day by his standards, but shot 5-9 from the floor and picked up 13 points and five rebounds.
- Tyler Roberson came off the bench and played 36 minutes. But it might be the most productive 36 minutes you'll ever see while only scoring four points. He had ten rebounds, but he really allowed Syracuse to grab more because of his play. More importantly, he had six huge blocks.
- Syracuse shot 51.9% both overall and from three. They were 14-27 from distance. They also shot 87.5% from the free throw line.
- Syracuse limited Pittsburgh to 35.1% from the floor.
- Syracuse went on a 32-4 run in the first half. Insane.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh
Syracuse students agree: Beating Pittsburgh is always great.
Syracuse and Pittsburgh is one of the more underrated rivalries in East Coast Basketball. It always seems to be either a close game, or a crazy ending, or an all out brawl. Earlier this season, I would have assumed that Pittsburgh would have been easy pickings for Syracuse, after Pitt lost to SMU and Duquesne and Syracuse was smoking fools. And with Pitt having a new coach as well. But the tides have turned. Syracuse is trying to put it all together, and came a long way in the Miami game. They showed flashes of much better defense and made shots. If Syracuse can get going today, Pitt could have trouble keeping up. However, Pitt has four legitimate 3 point shooting threats, as they were on display this past week against Virginia in The Pete. I think Syracuse will again play well in the Dome, and if they build a little bit of a lead, Pittsburgh has had trouble closing games. So with a lead, I'm not sure Pitt could get back into it as time ticks down. But I just think Coach Kevin Stallings' plan is going to just shoot the three over and over and if they make a bunch, then ball game. And I think they will. So I'm taking Pittsburgh in a close one. Panthers over the Orange by six. This game is available regionally at 12:00pm. Check you local listings here. WatchESPN for everyone else. John is in the Dome. I'm currently not, but will be soon, burred under snow at the Home Office. We'll see you out there.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh, Preview
Syracuse - Pittsburgh Postgame Reactions OR Holy Offense!
0 Comments Published on 12.03.2016 by Brian Harrison
This guy scored an awful lot of TDs this year.
Syracuse put up their best offensive performance of the season. Certainly the best offensive performance I can remember. And yet, it wasn't enough. The last quarter was basically a track meet. And Pittsburgh made it to 70 first. Pittsburgh ended Syracuse's season, by a final of 76 to 61.
Offense
A
668 total yards of offense, 61 points, 36 first downs. Insane numbers. I'm not going to give them anything less than A. And everyone contributed and made plays. Just the best offensive performance Syracuse has seen in a long, long time.
Defense
D
The defense allowed 644 yards, 76 points. Had the defense been able to make any number of stops so that Pitt didn't keep scoring, the outcome may have been different.
Special Teams
B
Kick and punt returns were fine, and kick and punt coverage was passable. There were several kicks out of bounds however, and Cole Murphy missed a couple XPs. A better than average day, but nothing special.
Coaching
B
The offense was on fire. And really, not sure the coaches could have called a better defensive game. The players just needed to execute and make stops. Oh yeah, and tackle. They didn't do that sometimes.
GPA
B- (2.75)
This game gives you a hint of what kind of team Syracuse has the potential to be. The future is bright. But the present, with a banged up defense, couldn't stop Pitt. And that's the way the season ended.
Syracuse finished 4-8 on the year. Not bad, but as you can tell, this team will be fun to watch in the future. I look forward to next season and another year of recruits from Babers and his staff. And now, it's all basketball.
Labels: ACC, Football, Pittsburgh
Syracuse - Pittsburgh ACC Tournament Postgame Reactions OR Cooney Again
0 Comments Published on 3.16.2016 by Brian Harrison
One senior played well. The other... not so much.
Syracuse had it the closest they could and even had a chance to win it. Of course it didn't work out. Syracuse lost in a grinder to Pittsburgh, that saw major lead changes both ways, and a huge comeback that fell short. SU lost to Pittsburgh 72 to 71.
- Michael Gbinije lead the way with 24 points. He was 4-6 from distance. He also had 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
- Malachi Richardson chucked it up a lot, but he finished second with 13 points on 4-12, 2-4 shooting. He made a few big freshman mistakes out there.
- Speaking of freshman mistakes, Franklin Howard came in off the bench to play 18 minutes. He had five assists, but two turnovers, one of which practically sealed the game for Pittsburgh. Not quite, but close.
- Cooney was 3-8, 3-6 on the day, finishing with 9 points. He leads the league in missed tying or go ahead at the buzzer shots.
- Roberson was a non-factor with 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 fouls and 4 points.
- Syracuse shockingly lead in rebounding 31 to 30.
Labels: ACC, ACC Tournament, Basketball, Pittsburgh
Syracuse - Pittsburgh ACC Tournament 2nd Round Preview
0 Comments Published on 3.09.2016 by Brian Harrison
Syracuse students agree: Tournaments are always must win situations.
Syracuse already had one "win and you're in" situation in their last game. Now it's definitely win or you're OUT. Syracuse must find a way to beat Pittsburgh, a team that has beaten Syracuse both at home and on the road this season. Syracuse will again probably not be able to keep the rebounding numbers respectable, but they must do one thing and one thing only for 40 minutes. That is score. Syracuse had kept both games against Pitt fairly close heading into the final media timeout. But then Syracuse managed to either turn the ball over, or just plain not make shots. Syracuse needs to finish that final four minutes this game, or they may be sitting at home next weekend. And that would be tragic for Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney. Tyler Lydon should have another good game against Pittsburgh, but only 19 combined points from Cooney, Gbinije, Richardson, and Roberson in the last outing isn't going to get it done. Syracuse must make their 3 pointers. And 2-10 efforts, or even 3-7, probably won't be enough. Syracuse needs to value possessions and execute high percentage shots. I don't think Syracuse is able to really stop Pittsburgh inside. They haven't proved they can yet at least. Therefore, possessing the ball more than Pitt, and converting those possessions is important. We all know how tough it is to beat a team 3 times in a row. I think Pitt will have a tougher time than the last 2 games against Syracuse. And what will also help is that the Verizon Center will be full of SU fans. DC is a major Syracuse stronghold. Therefore, in a close one, with their backs against the line, I'm taking the Orange by 5. This game is available nationally on ESPN / WatchESPN at 12:00pm. John is life in the arena in DC so say hi if you see him, and since I work for myself, the boss let me out to watch this one. Should be interesting either way. GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, ACC Tournament, Basketball, Pittsburgh, Preview
Pittsburgh - Syracuse Postgame Reactions or Syracuse Was Boarded
0 Comments Published on 2.29.2016 by Brian Harrison
Roberson didn't do much, but he wasn't the reason SU lost.
The stage was set for SU to make a nice stretch run. Syracuse had fallen to Pitt early in the ACC season, and Jim Boeheim wasn't at the helm. Syracuse could have gotten another conference win. Instead they fall short in a game that SU fans have seen before. Syracuse was unable to score for stretches and allowed Pitt easy access inside. Syracuse fall to Pitt at home 66 to 52.
- Tyler Lydon was the hero, earning 21 points on 8-12, 4-8 shooting. He was brilliant and frankly the only reason Syracuse kept it as close as they did.
- Michael Gbinije added 10 points, and sadly he was the only one in double digits in scoring that started for the Orange.
- DeJuan Coleman led the team with 8 rebounds. Too bad that wasn't even close to being enough.
- Story of the game was Pitt destroyed SU on the boards 43 to 23. Pitt had 29 defensive rebounds and 14 offensive rebounds.
- Syracuse shot poorly as well. Richardson was 0-6 from 3 and Cooney was 1-7. Overall, Richardson was 1-10 and Cooney was 1-9. Other than the boards, there's your game right there.
- Roberson doesn't have to score to contribute on the floor. But in 25 minutes of play, he didn't score any points and only pulled down 4 rebounds. He did look a step behind. And I have no problem with how Boeheim responded on Roberson in his presser. The people that complained are either fairweather fans who wouldn't even care if SU won the game or were having a killer season, or don't actually follow the games and only heard about it because of the coverage it got.
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Pittsburgh