SYRACUSE OUTGUNNED AT PROVIDENCE

January 29, 2009


This is the one Providence needed and unlike others that came before, the Friars got the job done in a 100-94 win over Syracuse.

The win moves the Friars to 6-2 in the Big East while SU has now lost four of five and sit at 5-4 at the halfway point in conference play.

With a short-handed opponent, the Friars Run-and-Gun Game Shoots Down Syracuse (Providence Journal) as six Friars score in double figures, led by Sharaud Curry's 22 points. Syracuse got 35 points from Jonny Flynn and 27 from Eric Devendorf, but the Orange Comes Up Short in it's 'Must-Win' Game (Post-Standard) as Andy Rautins did not make the trip because of an ankle injury and Arinze Onuaku was limited to just 15 minutes of action where he did not score and grabbed one rebound. Onuaku Gave it a Go, But Knee Wouldn't Cooperate (Post-Standard) and the week off before their next game should help the tendonitis improve.

But, this night belonged to the Friars and their fired up crowd who supported their team and made sure Devendorf Heard it from the Crowd (Providence Journal).

Besides the 22 from Curry, Marshon Brooks (17), Geoff McDermott (15), Jonathan Kale (14), Weyinmi Efejuku (12) and Randall Hanke (12) also reached double figures. PC forced 21 turnovers by the Orange, nine charged to Devendorf, as the Orange is Fried (Post-Standard), seemingly mentally and physically.

A week off could not come soon enough for SU.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: ORANGE LIMP INTO PROVIDENCE

January 28, 2009



Syracuse will limp into Providence banged up mentally, after losing three of their last four, and physically. It is unlikely Andy Rautins will play because of a sprained ankle and Arinze Onuaku will be a game time decision in regards to his availability.

The Friars have won five of their first seven conference games, but they still need to beat someone of significance. Their best win(s) this season have come against Cincinnati, whose RPI is 58. Their best non-league win is over Rhode Island (RPI of 62), so the Friars are desperate for a win to place on their resume. They have some opportunities in front of them as the date with the Orange kicks off a stretch of four games that has a road trip to UConn, home date with ‘Nova and a trip to West Virginia in succession.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet today:

Capsule Summary: Syracuse @ Providence (Providence Journal)
Rautins, Jones Out for SU (Observer-Dispatch)
Orange Scouting Report: SU vs. PC (Post-Standard)
Weakened SU Offers PC Opportunity (Providence Journal)
PC Hosts Syracuse Tonight (Pawtucket Times)
PC Hopes to Get Healthy Against Ailing Syracuse (Pro-Jo)

This could be a very telling game for the Keno Davis era at Providence. It seemed every so often the Tim Welsh-led Friars had an opportunity to get over a hump, but each time they were turned back by the powers of the conference. While the Orange are a little bit battered and bruised, the perception of a victory tonight can go a long way for the Friars as they try to carve out an identity in the Big East.

As noted earlier, PC needs a ‘quality’ win and the circumstances in earning such a victory probably could not be set up better. However, Syracuse will not make the snowy commute looking to hand over the game to the Friars. Led by Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris, the Orange backcourt has strength and firepower that will certainly test the PC group of Sharaud Curry, Weyinmi Efejuku and Jeff Xavier. Brian McKenzie and Marshon Brooks provide backcourt depth, which the Orange are without because of the Rautins injury and Mookie Jones and Antonio Jardine being out for the season.

The frontcourt match-up could be where tonight’s game is decided. Arinze Onuaku has experienced pain and swelling in his knee since the loss to Louisville on Sunday and has not practiced. They hope the 6-foot-9, 260-lb big man is able to give it a go. His size is a match-up that PC will have great trouble with. Jonathan Kale and Randall Hanke will be tasked with match-up up with him, but neither has the size and strength to out-muscle Onuaku when he gets position. The Orange also have long and athletic Rick Jackson at the power forward spot and he can also play in the middle to relieve (or replace) Onuaku. Jackson is not nearly as burly as Onuaku, but paired together they make the SU zone extremely tough. Geoff McDermott is the power forward for the Friars, not the tallest, but a rugged player that can handle and pass extremely well.

This game will likely come down to Onuaku’s effectiveness. If he can go and play 75-80% of his normal minutes, the Orange should find themselves in pretty good shape. However, losing Rautins saps their depth and their perimeter game, which you will see PC lining up three’s early and often. The combination of a missing Onuaku, or even a limited Arinze, and Rautins might be too much for SU to overcome against a very hyped PC club. Keno Davis will have to keep his players grounded, but he seems to have the laid back personality to prevent his team from getting too tight. With the latest college basketball odds listing PC as a 1 ½-point favorite, this could be the game they can add to their resume.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Providence 75
Syracuse 68

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ORANGE SQUEEZED BY LOUISVILLE

Cards' defense, rebounding too much for SU in 67-57 loss

January 25, 2009


The top four teams in the Big East seem to be separating themselves from the pack. On Saturday we saw Marquette get past DePaul to move to 6-0 in the conference and Connecticut ended the Notre Dame 45-game home win streak to improve to 7-1 in the Big East.

On Sunday Louisville and Pittsburgh hit the road to try and stake their claim among the conference title contenders as we near the halfway mark of conference play.


Over 25,000 fans, mostly clad in Orange, were on hand in the Carrier Dome Sunday afternoon to root their Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team to victory. Unfortunately the home crowd had to exit the Carrier Dome doors into the bitter January air of central New York disappointed as Syracuse Losses to Louisville as Cards Squeeze the Orange (Post-Standard), 67-57.

Syracuse, losing for the third time in four games, falls to 5-3 in the Big East (17-4 overall). The Cards matched Marquette’s 6-0 Big East start with their seventh win overall and are now 15-3 on the season.

Louisville Makes Mark on the Glass (Post-Standard) by grabbing 21 offensive rebounds, but none bigger than the Earl Clark offensive board that preceded his three-pointer to give UL a 57-55 lead with 2:15 left in the game. Clark finished the game with a team-high 16 points, game-high 13 rebounds and added 5 assists to his stat line (we’ll overlook the seven turnovers).

On a day when SU could not find their range from the floor (35% shooting), they were forced to play the last 7:17 without their top perimeter threat as Andy Rautins Goes Down With Another Injury (Post-Standard) and was spotted on crutches with an apparent ankle sprain following the game. Rautins was just one of seven (3 points) in 28 minutes before being injured.

The Cards led by as many as ten, 30-20, in the first half and took a 38-33 lead into halftime. Throughout the second half they held the lead and turned back each and every run by the Orange. However, an Eric Devendorf (game-high 20 points) three-pointer with 2:24 remaining gave the Orange a 55-54 lead. Clark answered with his second-chance three that ignited a game-finishing 13-2 run to close the game to keep the Cards undefeated in Big East play.

Terrence Williams added 15 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals for Louisville. Edgar Sosa scored 13 and did not turn the ball over once all game. A nice lift was also provided by freshman Terrence Jennings who scored 9 points and grabbed 5 boards and blocked 2 shots in 18 minutes off the bench.

Besides Devendorf’s 20, SU got a quiet 12 from Jonny Flynn and 11 points and 9 rebounds from Arinze Onuaku.

Both the Orange and Cards are back in action on Wednesday night with SU travelling to play Providence while UL will host South Florida.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ SYRACUSE

January 25, 2009


Big East action tips off with a highly anticipated showdown at noon in the Carrier Dome when Syracuse welcomes in Louisville. The Cards are riding high at 5-0 in the conference and out their six-game win streak on the line against the Orange.

SU has lost two of three after beginning conference play with four straight wins. The schedule has gotten tougher and now the Orange look to get back into the win column before the losses begin to pile up.

Orange Scouting Report: Louisville vs. Syracuse (Post-Standard)
Louisville Wary Heading into Syracuse (Kentucky.com)
Technical Issues Plague SU (Post-Standard)
Louisville’s Smith Scoring not up to Par (Courier-Journal)
Cards Aim to Impose T-Will (Post-Standard)
Cards Know Dome Can Spell Doom (Courier-Journal)

This game might act as a little bit of a moment of truth for the Orange. As they got off to their 15-1 start, 4-0 in the Big East, they were moving up in the eyes of many as a possible title contender in the Big East. After being thoroughly beaten by Georgetown and Pitt on the road, they have a crucial home game with red-hot Louisville.

SU has relied on Jonny Flynn heavily, but he will be facing pressure all game long against the Cards which will test his decision-making for 40 minutes. As a whole, decision making seems to be one area the SU team can improve upon.

The Cards have been getting great leadership from Terrence Williams and the front court duo of Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels could be lottery picks come June if they both declare.

SU will no doubt be energized by a large home crowd in the Dome. That will help with their intensity on the boards and defensively. I still think the Louisville guards are a notch below the level to carry them in this spot, but it should be a very good game that will come down to the end. If Andy Rautins is hitting some shots for the Orange, they will be in good shape to hold off the Cards.

The latest college basketball odds has the Orange listed as a 2 ½-point favorite on their home floor.


NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 73
Louisville 70

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2011 PROSPECT VISITS SYRACUSE

Syracuse might have identified their future Andy Rautins in the Class of 2011 Recruit Trevor Cooney Takes in Syracuse Game (Grassrootsballin) at the Dome against Notre Dame. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Sanford (DE) holds offers from Wake Forest, Syracuse, Delaware, Rutgers, St. Joseph, Virginia, West Virginia and Georgia. Others showing interest include Georgia Tech and Notre Dame amongst others.

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ORANGE CRUSH(ED)

Pittsburgh and Syracuse met last night at the Peterson Events Center for Big Monday showdown of top 10 teams. Following their first loss of the season over the weekend at Louisville the Panthers are Back to Business in Win over Syracuse as the Orange are Flattened (Post-Standard) by Pitt, 78-60.

After SU grabbed a brief 35-33 lead early in the second-half, Pitt dominated the rest of the way, outscoring the Orange 45-25 to close the game. Sam Young scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half as Young and Pitt are Able to Bounce Back (Tribune-Review).

In his previous three games, Young was just 15-49 from the field, including a 6-20 performance in the 69-63 loss to the Cards on Saturday. Pitt's Young Breaks Mini Slump (Beaver County Times) with a 7-12 performance from the field including two second-half threes that pushed Pitt forward down the stretch.

It was a stark contrast for Pitt from Saturday's game as the Pitt Poster Boys Dominate SU (Post-Standard) with DeJuan Blair scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds after being limited to just 20 minutes because of fouls at UL. Young rebounded from the 6-20 effort with 22 points and Levance Fields directed the Panther attack with an effecient 15 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists, bouncing back from his season-high six turnovers and 3-14 effort against the Cards.

Pitt also locked down the SU perimeter with Jermaine Dixon and Brad Wanamaker making life difficult on SU star Jonny Flynn, limiting Flynn to just two points until the final seven minutes when Pitt already had a substantial lead. Defense Has Dixon at Home (Post-Gazette) in a city known for it (see Steelers, Pittsburgh).

Andy Rautins hit five three's and scored 17 for SU and Flynn finished with 12. In the Big East, there is No Time to Sulk for SU With Cards Up Next (Post-Standard) in another pivotal conference match-up.

Notes:

-SU center Arinze Onuaku was 0-5 from the line and is now 1-14 in his last three games and 6-32 (19%) in Big East play this season. Overall, Onuaku is 29-82 (35%) on the season. He finished with 8 points and 9 rebounds. Onuaku actually shoots twice as better (nation's best 70%) when being guarded from the floor than he does unguarded from the line (35%).

-Paul Harris was issued a technical foul for the third consecutive game. The 'T' also counted as his third foul in the last minutes of the 1st half and Harris never got going in the game, finishing with just 9 points and 5 rebounds in 29 minutes before fouling out.

-Pitt has now beaten SU six of their last seven meetings and 11 of 14. As mentioned on the ESPN telecast, no Big East team has had such a successful run against the Orange since the dominant Hoya teams of the mid-80's.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SYRACUSE @ PITTSBURGH

January 19, 2009


Syracuse rebounded in fine fashion from their first conference loss by blitzing Notre Dame Saturday, 93-74, at the Carrier Dome. Now, we will see how Pittsburgh can rebound from their first loss of the season as Big Monday arrives and the Panthers host the Orange at the Peterson Events Center.

Pittsburgh lost a 10-point lead and their undefeated season in the last 8 minutes at Louisville on Saturday in a 69-63 loss to the Cards. The Panthers turned the ball over a season-high 20 times against Louisville's full-court pressure. However, it was the foul trouble of DeJuan Blair that changed the game for good over the last 8 minutes.

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

Panthers Can Forget About Loss in Hurry (Post-Gazette)
Orange Braces for Pittsburgh Brutes (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Orange Scouting Report: SU vs. Pittsburgh (Post-Standard)
Pitt Looking for Quick Recovery (Tribune-Review)
Confident SU Ready to Take on Pitt (Rochester D&C)

Saturday's loss to Louisville drove home one major point about Pitt, DeJaun Blair is their Most Important Player. Arguements can be made for Sam Young (18.4 points, 5.5 rebounds a game) or Levance Fields (10.2 pts, 7.1 assists, 1.8 turnovers a game), but Blair's absence due to foul trouble in a game-turning 19-3 run by Louisville showed how important Blair is to the Panthers.

Blair scored nine points and grabbed 10 rebounds, but he played just 20 minutes because of fouls. While the 6-foot-7, 265 lb bear is incredibly nimble and quick with tremendous hands, which is evident in the fact he leads Pitt with 1.9 steals a game, Blair has a tendency to pick up two-three fouls a game reaching or riding a guard 25+ feet from the basket defending the high bal screen. Most of Blair's steals come inside as he uses his quickness against other big men in the conference, not stripping guards in the backcourt.

When Blair was on the bench, Louisville was able to get second chance scoring opportunities and convert them, allowing them to set-up their full court pressure. It also took away Pitt's second-chance opportunities which led to some transition points for the Cards who were able to leak out on the break with less of a fear of a Blair rebound and put-back...in a nutshell, the whole game was turned around.

Syracuse was at their high-flying best against Notre Dame on Saturday, torching the Irish with 39 fast-break points in a 93-74 win. SU has the big bodies to clog the lane against Blair in Arinze Onuaku, who has similar girth as Blair, and the long and athletic Rick Jackson who will attempt to alter Blair's shots inside. The SU zone will also force Pitt to rely more on their perimeter shooters, the most inconsistent part of their game.

Offensively, Syracuse can score with the best of them and it will make them dangerous against any opponent. The Orange have explosive point guard Jonny Flynn directing the attack and his play is rapidly improving this year with a deeper supporting cast. He will be tested tonight as the Pitt defense and rebounding prowess will likely prevent the free-flowing pace of a game that SU excelled against when facing the Irish.

Consistency on defense and on the boards is one of th ebiggest keys to winning on the road. Not sure if Syracuse is at the point yet in those two areas to get a win here tonight. Both teams are on a quick turnaround, but SU has it a little easier as they will travel from Syracuse to Pittsburgh following their noon home contest while Pitt is coming home from Louisville following a 6 PM game on Saturday. They will be looking for a lift from the home crowd, similar to the lift Louisville got to push them over the top on Saturday in handing Pitt their first loss. The Panthers are a pretty healthy 8 1/2-point favorite in tonight's contest, that number seems just a tad high to me in what should be a good game. If Blair can be on the floor for 30 minutes...I think Pitt wins. If he finds himself in foul trouble...this could go either way.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Pittsburgh 72
Syracuse 66

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: NOTRE DAME @ SYRACUSE

January 17, 2009


After suffering their first loss in conference play on Wednesday night, the Syracuse Orange return to the comfy confines of the Carrier Dome were an anticipated crowd of more than 30,000 will brave frigid temperatures to be in the building as SU hosts Notre Dame at high noon on Saturday.

The Irish, in the midst of a brutal stretch of games with Connecticut, Marquette and Pittsburgh up next in succession before month’s end, are coming off an overtime loss at Louisville on Monday night. The loss knocked ND to 3-2 in Big East action, which both losses on the road.

Meet Irish’s Lethal Weapon (Post-Standard)
Rautins Earning Respect (Daily Times)
Notre Dame Must Improve Defensive Stands (Chicago Tribune)

Syracuse won their first four league games (again, against teams that are a combined 1-16 in conference play), but got their first taste of a conference contender Wednesday night and were thoroughly beaten by Georgetown. The Hoyas shot lights out and raced to a commanding 18-point halftime lead while the Orange got their feet under them.

Syracuse also received an injury scare against the Hoyas as Andy Rautins crumbled to the floor in pain during the first half, holding his knee, after getting tangled up for a loose ball. Rautins would not return in the game, but the immediate prognosis following the game was a bruised knee and he was likely to suit up and play against the Irish. Rautins missed all of last season because of a torn ACL from the summer of 2007.

“He’s got a slight strain or bruise but he’s walking,” SU coach Jim Boeheim told media members during Thursday’s league conference call. “He may be able to practice today [Thursday], he should be able to practice tomorrow [Friday]. We’re expecting unless something changes for him to be able to play.”

Against Louisville on Monday night, the Irish simply looked as though they ran out of gas and had nothing in the tank for overtime. Mike Brey’s club uses just seven players most nights and on Monday, six of them accounted for 223 of the 225 available minutes in the OT contest.

To win on the road, defense and rebounding are extremely important. The Irish struggle on the defensive end of the floor and the graduation of Rob Kurz has left a hole in their defensive and rebounding prowess. Against a Syracuse team that can score points and rebound, it will take a lights-out shooting effort by the Irish against the SU zone to steal a road win.

Luke Harangody will get his share of points and rebounds, like he always does. Expect the Syracuse big men of Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson to also produce on the inside for the Orange. The major question for the Irish is who will keep the SU backcourt from scoring. From Jonny Flynn to Eric Devendorf to Paul Harris and Andy Rautins, Syracuse will have offensive threats pressuring ND all game long. That is a tough match-up for the Irish.

The early college basketball betting lines have pegged SU as 3 ½-point favorites.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 84
Notre Dame 75

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: HOYA, ORANGE RIVALRY RENEWED

January 14, 2009


A classic rivalry in the Big East is renewed tonight at the Verizon Center for a national audience as Syracuse puts their top-ten ranking on the line against rival Georgetown.

Syracuse is 4-0 in Big East play and 16-1 on the season. Their lone loss came at the hands of Cleveland State when Cedric Jackson banked in a 60-footer at the buzzer to break a tie score.

Georgetown is 2-2 in Big East play, 11-3 overall, and are trying to find their footing in the Big East. The Hoyas finally got some bench support in their win over Providence this weekend, something they will need dearly to be consistent in the Big East.


Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's game from the web this morning:

Hoyas Seek a Solution for Syracuse (Washington Times)
Kris Joseph Does Not Expect a Hoya Welcome Mat (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Orange Ready to crank it Up (Post-Standard
Cold Shooting Hoyas Prepare for Red Hot Orange (Washington Post)
Scouting Report: SU vs. Georgetown (Post-Standard)
Syracuse Players Aware of History in Nation’s Capitol (Post-Standard)

The talent on these two teams, at least in their starting line-ups, are pretty evenly matched. Syracuse has some more experience and strength, while Georgetown has some more potential and athleticism. Syracuse has a bench that has been more productive, and having Eric Devendorf available to come off their bench is a big boost for the Orange and is nothing the Hoyas can counter with.

The Hoyas return just three players (Austin Freeman, Jesse Sapp and DaJuan Summers) who saw significant time in the Big East regular season last year. New starting point guard Chris Wright missed most of the season with a foot injury and Greg Monroe, a freshman, round out the starting line-up for John Thompson III. The Hoyas are definitely top-loaded in talent and their group has as much potential as any starting line-up in the conference. However, growing pains have been evident as the Princeton-style offense is definitely not flowing as naturally as it has in the past in Big East play.

Georgetown flashed their high potential in their conference-opening win at UConn, but were quickly dragged back to earth with a thud when Pittsburgh smacked them around on this very floor.

Syracuse has some size and strength that is similar to Pitt with Arinze Onuaku and Paul Harris in their line-up. Jonny Flynn is the engine of the Orange attack and Andy Rautins adds the missing perimeter ingredient that they did not have last year. The progression of Rick Jackson has also made the backline of the SU zone much more formidable and allows a bigger line-up to be on the court for most of the game. When SU struggled at USF in the second half, it was largely due to the absence of Paul Harris, forcing Rauitins or Eric Devendorf to have to play on the backline of the zone, which USF exploited on the boards or attacking the baseline offensively.

This game also represents a pretty big step-up in Big East competition for the Orange. While Georgetown has survived a schedule of at UConn, vs Pitt, at Notre Dame and vs PC (12-4 in conference play), SU has mowed down Seton Hall, USF, DePaul and Rutgers (combined 1-14 in league play).

While this SU team definitely looks like a group that will make some noise in March and remain amongst the top of the Big East, it will be interesting to see how ready they are for this game. The college basketball betting odds show Georgetown as a 6 1/2-point favorite, which seems high, they should be able to hold on for a win in this one as it might take SU a little while to find their footing in this type of Big East match-up.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 67
Syracuse 63

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS HOSTS ORANGE

January 10, 2009


Every so often Rutgers rises from the depths of despair to pull out a few surprising wins at home at the RAC. And, more than once, Syracuse has been their victim. However, those wins have yet to come in the Fred Hill era, although, they have made a couple runs already in close losses to Pitt and Marquette at home early in conference play.

Syracuse has a killer 10-game stretch beginning next week. They look to close out this four game conference opening stretch with another win, but they can not afford to be looking past the Scarlet Knights who are itching to knock one of the big boys off.

Here are some game articles and previews from the web:

Chandler Excels on the Wing for RU (myCentralJersey.com)
Orange Scouting Report: Syracuse vs. Rutgers (Post-Standard)
Syracuse Heads to Rutgers on Saturday (Syracuse.com)
Orange Set for Scarlet Knights (Syracuse.com)
Super Frosh Chose Rutgers (Post-Standard)

This one might be an interesting game with a Saturday night RAC crowd ready for something positive to happen for their Scarlet Knights. RU has size inside to match up with Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson with Hamady N’Diaye and Greg Echenique starting and JR Inman coming off the bench. Corey Chandler will have his hands full with Paul Harris, but Chandler is not one to back down from a mano-y-mano challenge on the court. SU has a clear advantage at point guard with Jonny Flynn, although Anthony Farmer, a senior, has been playing pretty well at times this season. RU also has a zone buster in Mike Rosario who has the green light to shoot RU into (or, at sometimes out) of games.

The early college basketball odds have Syracuse as a road favorite of 7 ½ points. With SU 3-0 in the Big East and a brutal stretch coming, and the Scarlet Knights 0-3, it will be mighty hard for the Orange not to take a breath in this game and let their guard down. Eric Devendorf off the bench is likely to be the difference in tilting the game to SU’s favor as RU narrowly misses another upset.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 74
Rutgers 69

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SU LOOKS TO KEEP ROLLING AGAINST RUTGERS

By Zach Smart

A wild, 60-foot buzzer-beater and an off-campus incident supposedly sparked by Eric Devendorf may have but the lone blemishes on Syracuse’s otherwise unflappable road to redemption, but the Orange are certainly back on the map.

The sense of urgency is certainly there for the Orange, which has arguably the best backcourt in the conference in Jonny Flynn and Devendorf.

The Orange have sacrificed individual totals for team harmony, unison, and the inevitable success that this selfless surrender yields way to.

The Orange trounced DePaul (8-8, 0-3 Big East) to the tune of 85-68 Wednesday night. Andy Rautins continued his hot shooting, scoring a team-high 17 points. Paul Harris and Arinze Onuaku scored 14 a piece, and Devendorf chipped in with 13. Flynn handed out a game-high eight dimes, and the Orange withstood an 18-point performance from Demon forward Dar Tucker.

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“In the first half, I thought our defense was good for long stretches,” said coach Jim Boeheim, following the beatdown.

“I thought we really helped each other and did a good job rebounding and offensively, we moved the ball. In the second half we came out a little bit like (we did against) South Florida, we made 2-3 mistakes and, you know, just couldn’t get a rhythm going on offense. Sometimes that happens when you have a lead. You still don’t want that to happen, but we made enough plays and we got an opportunity, I thought, to work on our defense. We did a lot of good things, some things I think we could have done better.”

It was the first time the Orange (15-1) sat in a man-to-man defense for an extended period, as Boeheim would add.

Paul Harris, who missed the South Florida game, looked a step behind at first but picked it up as the game progressed. He was aggressive and active, pulling down nine rebounds to supplement AO and Rick Jackson down low. Jackson, who’s beginning to flower, scored 11 points to go with six boards.

This triumvirate needs to be just as efficient against Rutgers, which has upgraded their frontline with Gregory Echenique and Hamady N’dyiaye, who are an average height of 6-10. The two bigs were apparent against Marquette, as they helped Rutgers outrebound the Golden Eagles 37-25. Marquette, of course, was able to eke out the win.

Echenique has emerged into one of the conference’s top rebounders. N’dyiaye, still green and frail, is slowly coming along.

-The 9-7 Scarlet Knights, who everyone pegged as the surefire Big East doormat after witnessing them lose games to Lehigh, Stony Brook, and St. Bonaventure, has shown some toughness. They hung tough with a formidable Marquette team, falling by a tight 81-76 margin.

-After UConn clamped down on fabulous freshman Mike Rosario, throwing him into a 2-for-13 funk, the Jersey City native scored 22 points against Marquette. Corey Chandler helped the Scarlet Knights with 19 as their upset bid of the Golden Eagles fell short.

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'RAUTE' TO RECOVERY

By Zach Smart

Adversity.

We've all been dealt our fair share of it. It's about as inevitable as death and the next Britney Spears meltdown, as predictable as the next NCAA upset, and comforting as camping out in Alaska during these below freezing winter days.

No matter how hard you try, nobody gets out of life unharmed or unscathed.

Last year, Andy Rautins was physically hurt and struggling mentally. He was denied access to the sport he loves, nursing a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Rautins suffered the injury while playing in the Tournament of the Americans in Las Vegas during the summer of 2007, and his 2007-08 campaign was over before it began.

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Rautins was not the only key cog missing last year. Eric Devendorf, another staple in the backcourt, was also relegated to cheerleader. He tore a ligament in his left knee and his season was out before Big East play even kicked off.

Rautins, a quick-strike three-point sniper, showed residual effects of his one year away from the game during Cuse's first three games. Rautins hit just six of his first 24 shot attempts and continued to be the epitome of inconsistent.

The spindly shooter never let self-doubt penetrate his brain or snowball. He shouldered the shooter's mentality, telling himself to just keep shooting.

In early-season resume wins over Florida, Kansas, and Virginia Rautins connected on a combined 12 three-pointers.

Then, after being mired in a three-game 5-for-18 funk, he snapped out of it by lighting up Coppin State for 29 points, on the strength of nine treys, tying Gerry MacNamara's legendary school record for most three-pointers in a game.

He's been sizzling ever since.

Rautins scorched the nets for 26 points and seven trifectas in Syracuse's 100-76 drubbing of Seton Hall during their Big East opening.

He's hit nine threes in the past two games, wins against South Florida and DePaul.

"He's a good player, what do you want?" Said Jim Boeheim, instigating laughter in the press room following the DePaul win.

"He's out there because he's a good player, that's why he's out there. I've always thought he's a very good player, that's why I decided to start him as a sophomore."

Boeheim, who's known to blow up when the gun goes off (see "McNamara" and "overrated" on Google.com for more details), has always been defensive of his players. For Rautins, a shootist with a great basketball bloodline (his father, Leo Rautins, starred for Syracuse before playing for the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA), it's no different.

"It was a really frustrating experience," said Rautins of last year. "I had a great summer though, and that definitely paid dividends."

Rautins, showed up at Big East media Day in October, sporting a dapper suit with a unique, creative undershirt. With his frame and hairdo, the kid doesn't look like a basketball player. Watch him spot up and shoot, though, you'll be hard pressed to find someone from his Jamesville, N.Y. hometown that was better.

"Obviously after a whole year, the summer helped him tremendously," said Boeheim.

"If it wasn't for the summer, he wouldn't be anywhere near where he is now. The summer really helped him. He handled the ball a lot, made a lot of plays for that (summer) team. I think he's ahead of Eric because he had that summer. But I think their both getting back, hopefully, to where they need to be."

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: DEPAUL @ SYRACUSE

January 7, 2009


Quietly, Syracuse continues to rise up the national rankings, being a 60-foot shot away from possibly being undefeated at this point. While the brutal portion of the Big East schedule does not kick in for another week, the Orange will look to avoid a pot-hole in the Dome tonight when DePaul comes looking to break into the conference win column.

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

Orange Scouting Report Vs. DePaul (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Syracuse Faces Tough Stretch Against Top 25 Teams (Rochester D&C)
Mac Koshwal’s Leadership Vital to Depaul’s Success in Big East (Chicago Tribune)

Following a sloppy win at South Florida last Friday night, Syracuse looks to get back home and playing better as the meaty section of their schedule is starting to appear in the near distance. A key part of the reason SU was not able to put the Bulls away on Friday night was the absence of Paul Harris who did not play after suffering a lacerated finger in their win over Seton Hall. Harris’ ability to rebound on the backline of the SU 2-3 zone was missed as Andy Rautins was forced to play on the block defensively often.

Also, Arinze Onuaku was just one of nine from the foul line, a number that will have to get MUCH better against the better teams in the Big East. However, in this match-up, it might not matter so much. SU is a bad match-up for DePaul as they will force the Blue Demons to fire away from the outside as they sit in a 2-3 zone defense. DePaul is not a very good perimeter shooting team and their point guard play is still an area that needs to improve, especially if they will attempt to attack the zone properly.

Syracuse will sag their zone to take away the driving lanes of Dar Tucker and also neutralize Mac Koshwal in the point. Take away scoring opportunities from either, or both, of those two and DePaul will be seriously challenged to score point.

Syracuse, on the other hand, has plenty of offensive firepower with Rautins finding the range from the perimeter lately, Eric Devendorf returning and Jonny Flynn running the show. Harris back in the line-up will help and the dual big man line-up with Onuaku and Rick Jackson will cause the Blue Demons a lot of trouble on both ends of the court.

Syracuse seems to be a generously lists 15 ½ point favorite tonight as they look to continue to cement their return to your March Madness betting pools after a two-year hiatus. However, after more review, maybe that is not enough.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 83
DePaul 66

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SYRACUSE @ SOUTH FLORIDA

January 2, 2008


Syracuse heads to the sunshine state on Friday and it will not be for a little holiday rest and relaxation. Especially with the memory of last season's embarrassing loss they suffered to South Florida in the Sun Dome fresh in their minds.

Here are some pre-game stories and previews from the web:

Ready or Not, Here Comes the Big East (Tampa Tribune)
Orange Head to Sunshine State (Syracuse.com)
USF's Jones Can't Find Consistent Rhythm (Post-Standard)


It looks like it will be another long Big East campaign for South Florida. The Bulls finished their pre-conference slate with a 5-7 record and lost highly anticipated mid-year transfer addition Mike Mercer for the season in the process. Mercer, a transfer from Georgia, suffered a torn ACL in a loss to Wright State.

Syracuse has had an excellent beginning to their season with just about everything going their way. Wins in the CBE over Kansas and Florida shot the Orange into the Top 25 rankings and a win at Memphis, without Eric Devendorf, stamped SU as contenders in 2009. Devendorf is not back after being suspended from the University in which he missed two games. He came off the bench to score 20 in SU's Big East opening laugher over Seton Hall.

Devendorf missed the entire Big East slate last season because of a knee injury and Andy Rautins, who has 16 three-point baskets in the last two games, also missed the entire season a year ago. With those two back and the emergence of power forward Rick Jackson being able to play with Arinze Onuaku together in the frontcourt, this is a much different SU team from the one that missed the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season last year.

NCAA Basketball odds have SU as an 8-point road favorite in Friday's contest. The improved perimeter firepower of SU and the thin frontcourt of USF should have the Orange cruising to a victory in this one, even on the road.


Prediction:

Syracuse 75
South Florida 62

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