ORANGE BASKETBALL NOTES

February 20, 2009


Syracuse freshman forward Kris Joseph has seen his numbers and playing time shrink considerably as the Big East season has moved forward. A player who his roomate, Wesley Johnson, describes as having untapped potential, Joseph needs to get stronger physically, according to coach Jim Boeheim. A shoulder injury has slowed his development as the season progresses and a form of tendonitis has caused him to have difficulty lifting his arm. Still, Joseph is a positive person and knows he is going to make the most out of his freshman seasons as he remains Sunny While Struggling (Post-Standard) as he copes with the adjustment to major college basketball.

Syracuse fns might be getting awfully wary of NCAA 'bubble' talk, especially after the last two seasons where the Orange fell on the wrong side of the bubble when NCAA Tournament Selections were made. SU is 19-7 overall and 7-6 in the brutal Big East. Out of the conference, they have a win over Memphis in a true road game, without Eric Devendorf, they also beat Kansas in Kansas City (MO) and beat Florida on the neutral court in KC. With that resume, especially considering injuries they have also had to face, the Orange are Close to Being a Lock (Auburn Citizen) for the Big Dance, but they have learned, you need to take care of business. A win on their home floor over Villanova in front of a CBS television audience will bring them one more step closer to being that lock, barring a total collapse.