BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SETON HALL @ SYRACUSE

December 30, 2008


Syracuse begins conference play at the Carrier Dome tonight when they host Seton Hall at 7 PM.

The 13th-ranked Orange are expected to have Eric Devendorf back in their line-up tonight. Devendorf, who missed the entire conference season last year with a knee injury, missed the last two games (wins at Memphis and vs. Coppin State) after a student judiciary board suspended him for the remainder of the academic year (through Spring of '09) for an altercation with a female student in the early morning hours of November 1st. The Syracuse Appeals Board withheld his suspension, however, they ammended the length and allowed Devendorf to apply for reinstatement after completing community service and other requirements. It appears as everything is in order and Devendorf, who averages 14 points a game, will return to action tonight.

For Seton Hall, their depleted line-up takes a new twist tonight as head coach Bobby Gonzalez will serve a one-game suspension following his outbursts in a regular season loss last season to Rutgers in the final game of Big East conference play in the 2007-2008 campaign. Gonzo's sideline antics have always been a point of contention with officials and administrators and his post-game remarks infuriated Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese. Before the conference acted, the SHU athletic department imposed a one-game Big East suspension on their coach.

Here are some pregame previews and stories found on the web this morning:

Syracuse Hosts Seton Hall in Big East Opener (Syracuse.com)
SU's Second Season Gets Started Tonight (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Orange Scouting Report: SU vs. SHU (Post-Standard)
Beasts of the East (Mycentraljersey.com) - with a SHU-SU preview about halfway in

The latest college basketball ods have the Orange listed as 13 1/2-point favorites to run away from the Pirates.

Seton Hall is a painfully think team and with the injury to John Garcia that is likely to keep him out of action tonight, they have virtually no inside game. Paul Harris and Arinze Omuaku should dominate the boards and with SU having athletic options off the bench that include freshmen Mookie Jones and Kris Joseph, they can go smaller, but still be quite a bit bigger than SHU. The emergence of sophomore Rick Jackson also makes the SU zone longer and bigger on the baseline.

The Pirates will most likely be forced by the SU zone to sit on the perimeter and launch three-pointers. Sophomore Jeremy Hazell might find that to his liking and the streak shooter gets more than enough shots to find a groove in nearly every game with the limited options of the Pirates. The key will be how point guard Eugene Harvey attacks the zone and manages the offense, which at times, you wonder if the Pirates have an offensive system, especially in the half court, and that does not bode well against the zone defense of SU, unless they are hitting a high volume of three's.

SU is back int he national mix this season and expect Syracuse tickets to be a hot commodity this winter in central New York. They shoudl only become more of a necessity following a Big East conference opening win tonight...


NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 84
Seton Hall 68

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DION WAITERS BALLIN WITH LIFE CENTER

2010 Syracuse verbal commitment playing well with new team

December 5, 2008


When Dion Waiters made a verbal commitment to the Syracuse Orange in July of 2007, the (at the time) soon-to-be high school sophomore had yet to play in a regulation basketball game at the high school level.

Waiters had already been making his name on the AAU circuit at that time and became familiar with the Orange after attending their summer camps, along with his cousin, current SU sophomore guard Antonio 'Scoop' Jardine.

After a freshman year of high school that saw Waiters bounce between John Bartam and South Philadelphia High Schools, Waiters made the move to South Kent Prep in Connecticut for a season. He turned heads immediately upon his arrival in New England, displaying a knack of scoring that raised his rating to amongst the top players in the class of 2010.

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Waiters did not stop impressing observers once the spring rolled around and the AAU season got underway. The first viewing for NBE came on Day One of the Pittsburgh Jam Fest and Waiters showed an exceptional ability to score off the dribble. The AAU setting definitely catered to Waiters' preferred style of play.

“I like to just go," said Waiters to NBE at the Jam Fest. "I don’t like the play-calling too much, but just to speed it up and get it going. You get a lot more options when you speed it up on the (oppositions) defense, and get them off-guard.”

That style of play also attracted him to Syracuse, making the Orange an easy option for the talented guard.

"I like how they (Syracuse) let the guards go," Waiters said. "I don’t like calling plays so much, but instead to just go and make it happen on the spot. I guess you can say I like winning to, and what better place to do it at."

As impressive as Waiters was in Pittsburgh, the next AAU tour stop that NBE caught him in action was even more impressive. Saturday at the Rumble in the Bronx was Waiters at his finest for Team Final, breaking down defenses and finishing with an array of moves to the hoop. He also showed an improved ability to set up his teammates after breaking down the defense. His summer play was impressive throughout the AAU season and earned him an invite to the prestigious Boost Mobile Elite 24 event in fabled Rucker Park.

As for high school, the fall of 2008 found Waiters on the move again, this time settling in at Life Center Academy in Burlington, New Jersey. Under head coach Wilson Arroyo, Waiters and his Warrior teammates play a demanding schedule, that included home and home match-ups with powerhouses on the Jersey scene such as St. Benedict's of Newark and St. Patrick of Elizabeth. They also have famed St. Anthony's of Jersey City on the schedule as well as a recent test against Oak Hill.

The improvements in Waiters' game with his passing and decision making seen on the AAU trail has continued into the 2008-2009 high school season, according to coach Arroyo.

"Dion’s biggest improvements have come in leadership and maturity," says Arroyo. "I also believe his shot selection and passing has drastically improved."

Waiters has always been known as an elite scorer, and he can still fill it up, evidenced by his 26 point performance Thursday night against Pine Forge Academy. However, he is becoming a much more well-rounded backcourt performer as coach Arroyo has put some new responsibilities on his 6-foot-3 star.

"He is at the point guard position and he is trying to keep the whole team involved," remarked his coach. "I think Dion’s maturity and leadership can take him to another level in his game."

In the game with Pine Forge, Waiters was credited with a team-high 8 assists. Not bad for a player many thought of as only a scorer not too long ago.

While the 2008-2009 Syracuse Orange are out of the gates strong, it looks like their two-year hiatus from the NCAA Tournament should come to an end. With a talented player like Dion Waiters entering the mix in 2010, Syracuse will continue to have the college basketball odds in their favor of competing among the nation's elite every March once again.

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BIG EAST TEAM OF THE WEEK: 12/1/2008 SYRACUSE

December 1, 2008



With victories over Florida, Kansas and Virginia in the last week, Syracuse is an obvious choice for the Big East team of the week for the NBE Basketball Report's 12/1/2008 Power Poll edition.

Syracuse, who has missed the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons, went to Kansas City for the final two rounds of the CBE Classic and brought home the championship hardware, beating Florida 89-83 on Monday night and then rallying from a 13-point second half deficit to force overtime and eventually come out with a victory against Kansas, the defending national champions, 89-81.

Syracuse sophomore point guard Jonny Flynn was the star of the two-night stay in Kansas City, averaging 21.5 PPG in the two wins. He was not alone, as it was a true team effort for the Orange with Paul Harris and Arinze Onuaku each posting double-doubles against Florida, along with freshman Kris Joseph contributing 10 points of the bench and Andy Rautins nailing five three's in the opening half keeping SU in the game.

In Tuesday's championship contest, Eric Devendorf scored 20 points, second only to Flynn's 25, while Onuaku and Harris again compliled impressive double-double totals against the Jayhawks, playing in front of a decidedly pro-Kansas crowd.

The wins over Kansas and Florida will definitely help the college basketball odds of the Orange ending their two-year hiatus from the NCAA Tournament. On Friday, their comeback win over Virginia was just another example of the growth of this year's team as they put aside the expected let down and rallied from an 11-point deficit to defeat the ACC school in the Dome, 73-70. SU spread out the scoring and shot attempts in this effort, showing that this year, the Orange are a complete team ready to make a statement in the Big East.

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