Why, why, why?!!!

Ok, first off, it's finals week and I haven't been able to watch any of the games (no coverage, not because finals are more important), so I haven't been able to dissect the games.

Now to the important stuff. Devo's gone. Done for the year. You already know this. Syracuse.com broke that he is eligible for a medical redshirt this year, which is about the best news we can get at this point.

What this means for the team:

• Donte Greene, here's your chance to carry us big fella. You are now our only perimeter player who can consistently create your own shot (and if you think he's a power forward you're kidding yourself). Donte really has to step it up now, and carry this team through scoring droughts.
• The defense needs to step it up. We're losing 17-18 points per game, and we need to make them up on the defensive end. We need to focus in the zone, keep it moving, put the pressure on the opposition. We give up too many easy shots that now must be contested.
• We need an outside shooter. Fly Jonny's opening night aside, I don't trust his jumper at all. I haven't seen enough of Scoop to know about his shooting. Harris is improved, but not a threat. Basically, I'm hoping Justin Thomas can shoot. At this point I have no idea, but right now Donte is our best shooter with Devo and Rautins out.

Fortunately, we had a dominating win over ETSU and the easiest part of our schedule coming up. We need to use these games to perfect the zone and get Thomas acclimated to playing for a big time program, if he is going to get as many minutes as are reported, which is likely with the loss of Devendorf and apparently Josh Wright (too bad Mike Jones left because of lack of playing time, this would have been his chance).

One thing I would like to see is a big lineup with Harris at the two and Greene at the three, with Onuaku and Jackson down low (not my idea, thanks Axeman). I like Harris' toughness at the top, and the length on the bottom. However, putting Onuaku (doubtful) or Jackson on the wing could cause problems, as they may not be quick enough to play there.

At least we have a few games to try things out. Just gotta take care of business.

Let's Go Cuse.

Syracuse @ Virginia Recap

Ok folks, sorry about the long layoff (last two weeks of the semester=work, work, work. But aside from that college is great). The boys looked good in the win over Virginia. Key points:

• Donte Greene showed his inside scoring ability when we needed it. Down the stretch he hit an open three, but drove to the hoop or backed his guy down on a couple of occasions. Complete package, this kid. 20 pts, 10 reb, 3 blocks.
• Fly Jonny Flynn looked a little out of control in the first half, but had a great second half. He's shooting way too much from the outside though, and from way too far away. But he only really forced one shot in the second half and looked great.
• Onuaku was quiet tonight, didn't hear his name too much.
• This team actually looked like they gave a crap on defense. Devendorf and Flynn were harassing Virginia's guards all night. Great hustle and we looked much better than we had in games past. Also helped that Virginia could not figure out how to work the zone.
• Kristof Ongenaet runs like the skinny kid in Superbad (watch the first 14 seconds, you'll get the gist). I wish I was kidding.
• One bad mistake: Harris gets a rebound near the end of the game, in a situation where Virginia needs to foul, and he HOLDS THE BALL!!! Sure enough, he misses the front end of the one-and-one. Fortunately, we hung on, but he needs to pass the ball to Devo or Flynn in that situation.
• Sean Singletary missed his first five free throws, after starting the season 45-48. We won by two.

We played well, but got a little lucky as well. He makes one more free throw and he doesn't have to intentionally miss at the end (if you believe that the game would have unfolded in the exact same way, which I doubt).

But, all in all we had a good game, still need a little work though. Fortunately, this is a big road win, improving our non-conference schedule.

Eat it Gottdweeb.

One and Not So Done

One and done freshman are always a good topic for debate. Sure, you can have a Carmelo Anthony to lead you to a championship, but then you're left with a team who will win two tournament games over the next four years. Well I'm going to argue for the one and done.

1. Carmelo led us to the NCAA Championship for the first time ever. Period. So already, I like this idea.


2. Carmelo brings us other players. Look at Donte Greene. Carmelo influences Donte Greene, and I think the fact that Carmelo went to Syracuse had an impact on Greene being here.


3. Donte could bring in another outstanding freshman who wants to be just like Donte Greene in a few years. If this cyclical pattern continues, eventually we get our four years out of Carmelo, they're just spread out with different stars.


4. Carmelo made a pretty big donation for a practice facility, if I remember correctly.


5. Melo won us the championship.

Frankly, that's all that matters for me. If you want players who will stay for years, you can have the Nichols, Watkins, and Roberts who win 2 tournament games in four years. I'll take a one and done Melo who will win 6 tournament games in one year and cut down the nets at the end.

I'm off to indulge myself in pies and turkey for the week, I'll see you back here Monday.

Friday's Game

Hey y'all, sorry about the late post. Cuse beat Fordham, 80-63 behind Donte Greene's 25 points and 9 boards. Flynn had another solid game with 6 points, 8 dimes and no turnovers.

Not much analysis on my part, I don't get Time Warner Sports so I didn't think I would watch this one. What I did catch was on TV at Applebees, so my focus was more on my Quesadilla Burger (delicious) as opposed to the game. But from what I saw they looked good after a slow start.

Thoughts on one-and-done freshman tomorrow.

More Thoughts From St. Josephs Game

OK, we've finished the recap, here's the analysis. Devo, way to be there tonight. His impact on this game cannot be understated. He jump started the offense after a lethargic first 5 minutes. He had the passion that we love him for, diving onto the scorers table after one loose ball. Hustling on defense to prevent a game tying layup in the final minute. And perhaps most importantly, being a leader for these young kids, telling Jonny Flynn during the slow start "Everything's going to be all right."

Flynn, what else can I say. Huge shot after missing everything else, only one turnover to go with his six assists. Coach Boeheim said the only other player who he remembers missing every shot and hitting a game winner was Gerry, in the Notre Dame game in 2003. A very solid game, including a spectacular no-look pass at about the 4 minute mark to...

Donte Green. He had a very good game as well, with a game high (equaled by Paul Harris) 18 points to go with 8 rebounds. He worked it a little inside more, which is what I like to see. He just looks so fluid with his movements and made a few great passes that led to scoring opportunities. Also, he had the huge jam and the foul on the dish from Flynn.

Paul Harris is getting a little forgotten in the talk about the freshman, but he's been a monster on the glass, collecting 14 rebounds last night, along with his 18 points and 6 assists. Great game from Harris, who also his a three in this game.

Even more forgotten is Arinze Onuaku, who set his career high in points for the second straight game with 17 points, but only 4 rebounds. However, he's looking tough inside and did a great job in the middle of the zone.

The backups, well, can't say much because they rarely saw the court. Jackson, Ongenaet, and Jardine were the only bench players who played, and they saw a combined 17 minutes. Greene and Devendorf played the whole game, while Flynn and Harris played the whole second half.

One final observation, that took place at the end of the game. Up 2 with .8 seconds left Paul Harris had two free throws. After missing the first, the debate was to miss or make the second. Len Elmore said miss, because that leaves you with a 3/4 court heave at the end. Coach Boeheim agreed, and yet Harris still made the shot. After Calathes had a chance to tie with a three in the corner, Boeheim wondered aloud (meaning he screamed at Harris) what Harris was thinking. Harris says he tried to miss, but it went in.

Try to miss them all then, Paul.

Fly Jonny Flynn

The whole game the kid was quietly doing his thing. Lurking, looming. Shut out until 1:45 left in the game, before two free throws. Len Elmore put it best: "He may not always be there when you want him, but he's always on time." A game winning three with 5 seconds left by Jonny Flynn led Syracuse to a 72-69 victory over St. Josephs in a sloppy game at the Dome.

Syracuse got down 10-0 in the first five minutes in which they looked terrible, before Devendorf started to light it up. Down 17-7 they went on an 11-0 run to take a 1 point lead, and they continued the inspired play throughout the first half and into the second. Paul Harris hit a three (seriously) from the corner to put Syracuse up 45-33, their largest of the game. The Hawks answered the three with a 11-0 run to make the score 45-44, leading to a real barn burner down the stretch.

A key play in the game (you know, other than Flynn's game winner) came with 50 seconds left and Syracuse up two. With the shot clock running out Flynn forced a terrible shot (one of the few bad decisions hes made so far) that was blocked. Darrin Govens, who blocked the shot, scooped it up and raced down the court, looking for an easy layup. Devendorf hustled the whole way, and Govens blew the layup. Pat Calathes fouled Devo going for the rebound, giving him two shots.

The score should have been tied, but went to a Syracuse three point lead after Devendorf hit one free throw. St. Joes tied it up on a three point play, leading to Flynn's heroics at the end of the game.

More thoughts on the game later.

J-Fly, Devo, and a little too close for comfort

Jonny Flynn is the man. Period. This team saw a 14 first half lead knocked down to four. And J-Fly (the nickname is a work in progress, leave any ideas in the comments section) stepped it up. He buried three straight threes (one of which I had to answer the door. Who the hell collects canned goods when Syracuse is on?) and took a charge to spark a Syracuse run. They held onto that lead and won 97-89. Closer than it should have been, but better than losing like we have in previous seasons.



Back to Mr. Flynn, he finished with a game high 28 points and 9 assists, the 28 points breaking Melo's previous record for a freshman debut by one. But he stepped up when we needed him to, and that is better than any record. He made the big run and also had a huge assist to Onuaku for a jam to slow another Siena run.



The other player who really stood out in this game was Flynn's high school teammate, The Incredible Hulk (sorry, but the in depiction on the right Harris's muscles are a little small) had 14 points and 15 boards, tying his career high for rebounds. Just keep bangin' big guy.

Good night for the centers, Onuaku had 12 and 6, staying out of foul trouble. Arinze was also named male scholar athlete of the week. Rick Jackson was also impressive in his little playing time, scoring 8 points. He made easy layups, which I haven't seen a big guy for Syracuse do since, oh wait, that's right NEVER. Not too shabby for one of the "other" freshman.

And then there's Devendorf. Devo, Devo, Devo, what are you doing to me? Nice stat line (19 pts, 4 reb, 6 dimes) but so many huh? plays. After a steal when he was the only defender who could get back, Devendorf stopped to jaw at the ref. Another play he threw the ball away, and then jumped as the ballhandler approached him and the guy ran right by him. Let's put it together Eric, any day now.

Now I'll get to Donte Greene, who looks a little like how Greg Oden must have looked when he was 6. Solid game for Greene, 14 and 7 with 5 blocks, but not outstanding. He seemed very reliant on his jumper from beyond the arc. I want to see him post up a little more, or drive to the basket. Don't get one-dimensional on us Donte.

Problems. One big one, turnovers. Flynn had five and Harris had 6, the only blemishes on their sparkling evenings. I'm going to chalk this up to it being the season opener and these guys (meaning the team in general) are a little rusty. But if this keeps up we'll have a problem.

Let's give Siena some credit here too, they can play. They have some great shooters and they know what they're doing at all times. They made a second run in the second half after Paul Harris busted Kenny Hasbrouck's (Siena's leading scorer) nose hustling for a loose ball. Not to mention the fact that they outscored us by 6 in the second half. So a hat tip goes to the Saints here.



Overall, a good night for the Cuse. Bring the turnovers down a little and we'll have a great season.

Let's Go Cuse.

Here we go

Only a couple more hours until we face Siena, and all I can think of is 2003. I think of the beginning and the end and find it eerily similar to this season.

1. We are coming off of a disappointing season in which we missed the Big Dance. In 2002 a Preston Shumpert led Cuse team ended their season in the NIT semifinal. This year, we are again coming off of a loss in the NIT. Hold on, I got more...


2. We have one scholarship senior. In 2003 it was Kueth Duany, brother to Duany Duany (whose relevance to this blog is that it is the greatest basketball name ever), as the lone senior. Unfortunately, it's Josh Wright this year. But, it's still a similarity. Next point...


3. We are unranked in the preseason. I view this as a serious injustice this year, and perhaps its just because of how '03 turned out. But I feel like this team should be ranked, and will be before too long. Number 4 is...


4. We have a talented freshman from last year who can make a big leap this year. Paul Harris, I'm looking at you. Hakim Warrick went from 6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 2002 to 14.8 and 8.5 in 2003. He also had a big play (it gets better each time I watch it) in the championship game, if I remember correctly Harris had 8.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last year after a relatively slow start. This year he'll make the Big East his own personal Big Easy. And finally, here's the big one...


5. Our incoming freshman from Baltimore. Carmelo played his first game in 02, and five years later we have Donte. This is a ton of pressure to heap on this kid, and in no way shape or form do I expect him to be as good as Melo was that year. But I do expect him to play well and with this team they should have something special.

So there you have it. 5 reasons that Syracuse will be winning the National Championship this April. You heard it here first.

Lets Go Cuse.

Now thats more like it

Fifty, fiddy, or however else y'all may say it. It's a nice, round number to throttle LeMoyne by. I'd offer you a link to a recap, but SUathletics and the Post didn't offer much. Oh well, its only exhibition. But it still feels good, especially after Connecticut struggled with Morgan State. Not to mention Kentucky against Gardener-Webb.

Season starts for real on Monday, ESPNU. And believe me, this one's gonna be legen-

-wait for it-

-DARY!!!

Beating St. Rose By 9 and Josh Wright thoughts

We beat St. Rose by 9 points (recaps here and here). 9 Points. And yet I feel surprisingly good. We're not Michigan State. We're not Ohio State. We struggled with an inferior team, but we beat them. Which is more than I can say for the teams mentioned above.

Josh Wright

On another positive note, Josh Wright will be out again for tonight's exhibition against LeMoyne. Wright is the last remaining link of the underachieving teams of the past few years. The fantastic four of Nichols, Watkins, Roberts, and McCroskey that managed to win two NCAA tournament games in their careers (both in their freshman year). And we have Captain Turnover, who has won as many NCAA tournament games as our best point guard (Jonny Flynn). 0.


I don't think that this is a mere coincidence. PG play is so important, and Mr. (not so) Wright hasn't gotten the job done. So if this ankle injury can limit Josh until I don't know, April? Then we can ride Mr. Flynn all the way to San Antonio. Or, more realistically, he'll prevent us from joining the ranks of Ohio State and Michigan State by not costing us the game against LeMoyne.

9 Days

9 days. No not the one hit wonder who sang Absolutely (Story of a Girl). No, we will see Siena 9 days.

I don't know about y'all, but I'm ready to see the Dome packed, standing and clapping til that first bucket is scored. I'm ready to see Paul Harris's sculpted guns again. Ready to see if this incoming freshman can BMore than the last from his hometown. Ready to see Jonny's reunion with the aforementioned Harris (and did I mention the pythons?).

How can you not be looking forward to this season after this. Onuaku is an animal in the paint. This is the beginning of a new season. How can it get any better than this. We all have one thing in common at this point.

We all have hope. Let's go Cuse.