BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Connecticut @ Syracuse

January 16, 2006


Another edition of Big Monday tips off tonight and it does not get much bigger in the Big East than Connecticut and Syracuse! Tonight they renew their rivalry on national television as this pair of heavyweights with their Hall of Fame coaches meet in the Carrier Dome on the Syracuse campus. Below are links to the many articles from the internet on tonight's game:

UConn's Frontcourt Will Test SU's Resolve (Rochester D&C)
Here Come the Huskies (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Austrie, Williams Keep Offense Moving (Norwich Bulletin)
UConn Set for Old Foe (Conn Post)
Conn Post Game Preview
No Time to Relax as Tough Stretch Begins (Waterbury Rep-Am)
Road Gets Tougher for UConn (Torrington Register-Citizen)
Time to Keep Eyes on the Road (Hartford Courant)

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The Huskies are a slight favorite this morning, coming off a pair of home wins last week, beating Cincinnati last Monday, 70-59, and getting past Georgetown, 74-67, on Saturday.

Syracuse, in the midst of a killer 5-game stretch, won a pair of road games last week, being victorious at Notre Dame (88-82) and at Cincinnati (77-58) and prepare to mee UConn tonight. After this game, the Orange have road trips to Villanova and Pittsburgh this weekend and next Monday.

Syracuse has won 12 straight games since their November hiccup against Bucknell. Gerry McNamara has scored 54 points in their last two games and will now prepare to face his nemesis in UConn.

McNamara is one of the most decorated playes in Syracuse history and has performed on the biggest stages with Big East Tournament championship and an NCAA Championship, but something about Connecticut turns GMAC, the pride of Scranton into a shooter as cold as a Syracuse winter. For his career, McNamara is 23-101 (22.8%) from the floor and 13-60 (21.7%) from 3-pt range while averaging 10.7 PPG in his career against UConn, while the Orange have dropped 5 of 7.

While the Orange are off to a 3-0 start in the conference, UConn comes in with teo straight conference wins after opening conference play with a road loss at Marquette. They have only played two road games on the season (Pepperdine on November 18) before tonight and this will be quite an adjustment from the friendly confines of the Hartford Civic Center or their on campus home, Gambel Pavilion.

UConn is led by Rudy Gay, averaging 15 PPG and 6 rebounds and he will start along the front court with Hilton Armstrong, a senior averaging 10 PPG, nearly 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in 25 minutes a game, but he has really stepped up his play of late to become the force inside for UConn. JR Josh Boone will also start and he chips in 9 PPG and 6 rebounds a contest. The Orange front line has been much-maligned as they will start a trio of juniors in Terrence Roberts, Darryl Watkins and Demetris Nichols. Nichols has really stepped up his play this season and gives Syracuse a long and athletic small forward who adds scoring punch from the perimeter (15.5 PPG and 6 rebounds), shooting 40% from 3-pt range. Roberts adds 12 PPG and 9 rebounds and Watkins chips in 6 PPG, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. UConn will bring in freshmen Jeff Adrien off the bench as well as bruiser Ed Nelson. The only likely front court reserve for the Orange to see extended time is frosh Arinze Onuaku. Connecticut is a little more flexible and could move Gay to a 4-spot if need be.

Gerry McNamara and freshmen Eric Devendorf start in the backcourt for SU. McNamara is only shooting 34% from the floor (and 3-pt range) on the season, but leads the team with 17.8 PPG and 6.4 assists. Devendorf has been coming into his own since wrestling the starting spot away from Louie McCroskey and averages 10 PPG. McCroskey, another junior, adds depth to the backcourt and has been playing well of late, giving them some toughness and energy. PG Josh Wright has struggled with an injured foot and finding his way back into the rotation with the emergence of Devendorf. He is a true PG and frosh Andy Rautins also could see a little time as a spot shooter. For the Huskies, Marcus Williams has reclaimed the starting role at the PG position and will certainly be a target of the SU fans tonight. In his 4 games since returning from suspension, Williams is averaging 10.5 PPG and 7 assists a game. In the last game, he was joined in the starting line-up by Craig Austrie, a freshmen averaging 5 PPG and 4 assists, but most of his time comes at the point. Senior Denham Brown has also been a starter but has struggled since battling a sore knee and freshmen Marcus Johnson has also started at the spot. The most productive, offensively, member of the backcourt has been senior Rashad Anderson. The dead-eye marksman has averaged 14.5 PPG off the bench for the Huskies.

If Syracuse can get away with playing seven players against the deeper Huskies, meaning no foul trouble, then they do match-up very well. Roberts and Watkins have a history of foul trouble in their careers, but have been better this year, but will be tested tonight. Connecticut can not rely on settling for perimeter jumpers against the Orange zone, if they concentrate on getting the ball to the foul line and attacking from there, they should be in good shape.

I do worry about how in-sync the Huskies are right now, especially defensively on the perimeter with a revolving door of players. If Gerry McNamara can take advantage of this and rise above his historical woes against UConn, this could be an exciting win for the Orange. Tonight, I am going with the senior GMAC as he adds another chapter to his tall tale of an Orange legend.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 76 Connecticut 71

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Syracuse @ Cincinnati

January 14, 2006


You just can't help but feel sorry for the Bearcats and interim-coach Andy Kennedy. They have had to endure a lot since last season ended. Players such as Roy Bright, Vincent Banks, A. Souleywane, Erick Murray, Ryan Patzwald and DeAndre Coleman have left the program. Recruits Tyree Evans and Ivan Johnson never made it to campus, and, of course, Bob Huggins was forced out as head coach by University President nancy Zimpher. Through it all, this group of players have stuck together and played with pride and passion in racing out to a 13-2 record and 2-0 start in the Big East. Then, on Monday, not only did the Bearcats drop their first Big East conference game of the year, but saw Armien Kirkland go down to a season-ending knee injury, forcing Cincinnati to regroup once again.

On the other side of this match-up you have the Syracuse Orange. Syracuse raced to the finals of the Coaches vs Cancer Classic, including a 35-pt annihilation of Bobby Knight's Texas Tech on the way before bowing to (still undefeated) Florida in a very competitive game. Immediately following that game, the Orange were stunned at home by Big East giant-killer Bucknell before feasting on their annual list of Holiday Turkeys at the Dome, leaving the Orange under the national radar. This past Wedensday, Syracuse marched into South Bend and beat a very desperate Notre Dame team on their home floor and will look to head to Cincinnati to do the same.

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For the first time, Cincinnati will get a look at Jim Boeheim's famous 2-3 zone defense. Cincinnati is not the strongest perimeter shooting team and this zone, which features one of the more long and athletic group of Syracuse defenders in a while, will give anyone fits in their first try. Eric Hicks should find ways to have a lot of success in the middle of the zone and they will have to try to get James White the ball at the foul line. If they can get these two to break down the zone with a 2-man game, they could crack the lock in this defense. Hot and cold Jihad Muhammad is a very important piece, too. The zone has soft spots and if freshmen PG Devan Downey can penetrate and make the zone contract, Muhammad could find space to get off his jumper, and, if he is on, he could shoot the Bearcats right into the game. Unfortunately for UC, this is really all they have left. Cedric McGowan a JUCO transfer is their 5th starter and Ronald Allen comes off the bench to play inside. Chadd Moore and Dominic Tilford add backcourt depth, but neither can be counted on to give an offensive spark. Moore is a capable ball handler and distributer whose experience could help against the zone.

For Syracuse, they seem to be nailing down their roles. They will start Gerry McNamara at the PG. despite shooting just 33% from the floor, McNamara is still the key to the Orange. He has increased his assist total to 6.6/game this year, but he is still deadly from beyond th earc when he is shooting under control. The emergence of Eric Devendorf seems to be rounding out the Orange attack and gives a nice offensive compliment to McNamara on the perimter. Add in Louie McCroskey to the mix again after a little attitude adjustment period to accept his role on this team and Syracuse will look to get things rolling againt. Their offensive post play is still a concern as Terrence Roberts and Darryl Watkins still show a lack of offensive presence in the half court set. Cincinnati will have to dig down and force the game to be played in the half court, which will help them conserve energy and make SU run an offense. Demetris Nichols has been an emerging threat for the Orange and is capable of hitting 3's in bunches and adds another dimension in the zone that they have lacked the last couple seasons defensively, as he is long and athletic at the SF spot. Off the bench they can use Josh Wright at PG, although Wright has played sparingly after missing action with an injured foot that is still not 100%. Arinze Onuaku is a big post body that will spell Watkins and Matt Gorman adds depth behind Roberts. Freshmen Andy Rautins is an excellent shooter that might get a few minutes onthe wing depending on game situations.

it is really tough to say how Cincinnati is going to react from the latest bad news impacting their line-up. I do not think there will be any quit to this team and playing in front of their first sell-out of the season, I am sure they will be ready to go early and often. Syracuse is not a deep team, but they definitely look like one compared to Cincinnati. Each team seems to be accepting the roles they have been forced to play for their team. However, I just think Syracuse will have a little too much for Cincinnati as the game wears on. This might be just a bit too much adversity for the Bearcats to face and they extra adrenaline rush early in the game with the crowd and emotion for their fallen teammate might lead to them hitting a wall. If Syracuse can survive the initial punch from Cincinnati, I expect them to carry on throughout and win this one.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 75 Cincinnati 68

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Syracuse @ Notre Dame

January 11, 2006

Syracuse embarks on their first true road test tonight as the travel to South Bend, IN to meet the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Over the last three seasons, the Orange and Irish have met twice a year in the regular season, this is the only regular season meeting this year. Even though Syracuse has dominated in terms of wins and losses, the average score in the six contests has been 76-73 in favor of Syracuse, who have also won the last three on the Irish home floor during this timeframe.

Although Mike Brey has downplayed the importance of this game in the media, it is a game the Irish have to have at home. The Irish schedule does favor them this season as it does not have the likes of Pittsburgh, Connecticut and Syracuse two times (instead, it is Marquette, DePaul and Providence twice each), but an 0-3 start in the conference will keep you staring up hill the rest of the way. The latter half of their conference schedule turns easy, but with their next six after SU featuring road trips to Marquette, Louisville and West Virginia with home dates against Villanova, Georgetown and Providence, avoiding an 0-3 start is crucial in keeping the Irish on the minds of the NCAA Selection Committee.

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For Syracuse, this is also a very big game. Any time you have a chance to steal a road game, you must take advantage and Syracuse is in the midst of a killer stretch of schedule. After the game at Notre Dame, the Orange travel to meet Cincinnati on the weekend and turnaround for a Monday date with Connecticut at home. Then, they conclude the stretch with a trip to Villanova on the following Saturday and then travel across the state for a Monday meeting at Pittsburgh. With their conference schedule, that is more of the norm for the Orange who have Connecticut, Villanova and Cincinnati twice this year. Kicking this stretch off with a win would be a huge statement for a team that seems to be teetering on the edge of being a conference contender.

This game highlights two of the better senior lead guards in the conference with Chris Quinn of the Irish and Gerry McNamara of Syracuse. Quinn is averaging 16.3 PPG with a team high 6.5 assists a game to 2.3 turnovers. McNamara is putting up similar numbers with 16.6 PPG and 6.6 assists with 3.1 turnovers. Where they are really different this season is with their shooting percentages. Quinn is shooting 43.5% from the floor and 42% from beyond the arc while McNamara is hitting just 32.6+ from the floor and 32% from deep. If McNamara can get his offensive game to be more efficient, it would be a great help to the Orange, but he seems to try to do too much as the lead guard offensively, taking away from some of the rest of the team. With Josh Wright battling a sore toe, McNamara has not been getting much time off the ball, which seems to impact his shooting.

Syracuse should have the advantage with the rest of their line-ups as they look to start freshmen Eric Devendorf (10 PPG) alongside McNamara and Demetris Nichols (15 PPG) at the wing and Terence Roberts (12 PPG and team high 8.6 rebounds) and Daryl Watkins (6 PPG and 7 rebounds) up front. Junior Louie McCroskey seems to be back in the flow off the bench and could be a key perimeter defensive presence on the floor. Josh Wright’s health definitely impacts the Orange depth and freshmen Arinze Onuaku is the only front court reserve that sees regular time. Andy Rautins and Matt Gorman add some additional depth, but are kind of last resort type subs, even though Rautins is coming off a 10-pt performance against USF.

For the Irish, they have the inconsistent Colin Falls and Torin Francis to rely on behind Quinn. Falls is a player that can spot up against the Syracuse zone and shoot the Irish right in the game. Or, the Orange can go man to man and Falls could be rendered useless on the court as he does not add much of a presence on the boards or on defense. Francis has averaged 16.6 PPG and nearly 10 rebounds a contest in his career against Syracuse. He will have to have similar numbers tonight to help the Irish produce a balances offensive effort. The athletic Russell Carter adds nearly 10 PPG as a starting guard and the sweet shooting freshmen Kyle McAlarney adds about 7 PPG off the bench in the guard rotation. Up front, freshmen Luke Zeller and Rob Kurz both add about 5 PPG and 5 rebounds a night splitting time at the PF position and Rick Cornett adds about the same spotting Torin Francis at the C position.

I think both teams can, and will try repeatedly, to attack and expose the other’s weaknesses. I look for Syracuse to play more man to man than they are used to and go to their full court press to push tempo, something Notre Dame in the past has fallen into the trap with. For Notre Dame, I look for them to play somewhat of an extended zone against the Orange shooters and try to make Syracuse beat them in a half court setting on offense, something Syracuse can get really frustrated trying to do because their big men have not shown the ability to be consistent offensive threats in a half court set. If they game slows down, advantage Notre Dame, if the game gets shifted into a higher gear, advantage Syracuse….so, who will dictate tempo? My fear for Notre Dame is that Mike Brey will not commit to the half court style and integrate his big men into the offense on a consistent basis. However, with it being the first real road test for the Orange and a MUST win game, no matter what they say publicly, for the Irish, you can not count out a desperate home team.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 73 Notre Dame 70

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