SYRACUSE LOOKS TO ZONE IN ON ELITE 8

March 27, 2009


Syracuse is back into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2004 and will take on the #2 seed in the South, Oklahoma, tonight in Memphis. When you play the Sooners, you have to deal with Blake Griffin, the 6'10 super sophomore that averaged 22.5 points and a nation's best 14.4 rebounds a game.

"Clearly, I don't think anybody has any question that he's the best player in the country," Hall of Fame Syracuse coch Jim Boeheim said of Griffin.

"He's the best we've seen," added junior center Arinze Onuaku. "So it's going to be a tough battle from the beginning."

Defensively, Syracuse will turn to their patented 2-3 zone defense to slow down Griffin. The 2-3 zone does allow for offensive rebounding opportunities, so the Orange will have to concentrate on keeping Griffin off the glass if the zone prevents the Sooners from finding their top player in the paint.

"They obviously know exactly what they're supposed to do in the zone, and they do a great job of it," Blake Griffin said of the SU zone. "We're going to have to be good and pick our spots and then run our offense really well to get good looks."

The zone can cause trouble for any team that is unfamiliar with it. The amount of time in the early going that Oklahoma spends passing the ball around the perimter will be telling of how comfortable they are in attacking the two-three zone. If they can get the ball to the foul line area, they can be successful. They know what they are going to see from Syracuse, can they beat it?

"They defend the heck out of you...because of their length and athleticism, they're maybe able to cover some mistakes they may make in the zone, but you can do that when you're long and athletic like they are, especially on that back line," Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel said.

While Blake Griffin is the name everyone thinks of when preparing for Oklahoma, coach Boeheim is just as concerned about a talented and overlooked supporting cast, which includes Willie Warren, Tony Crocker, Austin Johnson and Taylor Griffin, all capable of knocking down perimeter shots.

"Oklahoma has four guys that can hurt you out there," Boeheim said of the three-point threats of the Sooners. "That's my major concern going into the game tomorrow night. As good as their inside guys are, those four guys present big problems. They're very, very good offensive basketball team."

Offensively, the Orange are not too bad either and the hot hand of Eric Devendorf has been huge in the postseason, beginning with his record setting performance in the Big East Tournament with 84 points in four games. The chemistry between Devendorf and backcourt mate Jonny Flynn continues to grow and Andy Rautins knocked down key three's in their win over Arizona State on Saturday.

Getting the ball inside early is a key as they hope the bulk of Arinze Onuaku and the athletic ability of Rick Jackson will make Blake and Taylor Griffin work on defense. It will also loosen up the perimeter for their shooters to find room, a script that was followed to perfection in the win over ASU.

"You know, we have so many weapons on the court at one time," Flynn said of the Orange attack. "We got a nice inside presence. And Arinze (Onuaku) over here and (Rick) Jackson really helped us out."

While Oklahoma has the star in Blake Griffin, the Syracuse talent of Devendorf, Flynn, Paul Harris and company is not too shabby either. With a zone defense that could be confounding to the OU guards, Syracuse should find a favorable match-up in Memphis.

Look for Oklahoma to settle too often for the perimeter jumper, neutralizing the effectiveness of Griffin. Coach Boeheim may say he is most concerned about the Oklahoma ability to shoot the ball, but he will trade in the Sooners attempting three's over getting Griffin established any day. When that happens, they MUST keep Griffin off the boards.

It has been a very good run for the Orange. With their offense clicking and Oklahoma not being a particularly strong defensive team, Syracuse should continue the Big East run in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 75
Oklahoma 69

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SYRACUSE NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES

March 25, 2009


Basketball is an intense and emotional game. Players use the emotion from the crowd, either home or away to bolster their own energy and efforts. As everyone knows, emotion can come in different forms, including hate, the emotion most opposing fans demonstrate toward Eric Devendorf. They would probably HATE to know that he eats it all up.

Syracuse's Devendorf Thrives on Being America's Most Hated (Democrat & Chronicle) and that emotion fuels his game.

Devendorf's backcourt mate has been getting asked the question of his future quite regularly. At this point, Jonny Flynn Says He Will Return to Syracuse (Detroit News) next season. Of course, the foolishness of the question during an NCAA Tournament run is beyond reproach. Many things can and will change between now and the final date to declare.

Right now, SU is preparing for 2-seed Oklahoma, who realizes it is the 2-3 Zone that Defines Syracuse (NewsOK.com) and the Sooners will have to find a way to crack it, something teams that do not see it that often can struggle to do for long stretches.

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SYRACUSE HEADS TO SWEET 16 WITH 78-67 WIN

March 23, 2009


Syracuse shot a blistering 55% from the field against the Arizona State match-up zone defense in their 2nd round win over the Sun Devils in Miami on Sunday afternoon.

"I thought we played extremely well," SU coach Jim Boeheim said of his team in the 78-67 win. "That defense is difficult to go against, a match up is very difficult to go against."

The Orange executed coach Boeheim's game plan perfectly, jumping out to an early lead, which reached as high as 15 in the first half, 39-24. SU got the ball inside and then they were able to go outside with Andy Rautins hitting perimeter jumpers.

"You don't want to play from behind against them," said Boehiem. "I thought the key early is getting it inside. I thought our guys did a great job of getting it in there. And then after we got some inside looks, Andy came in and hit a couple threes."

Arinze Onuaku scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half and Rick Jackson added some early buckets, including the first two scores of the game for the Orange.

From there, hot shooting by Rautins and Eric Devendorf seemed to answer every run put forth by ASU.

Devendorf scored 21 and Rautins finished with 17. The duo combined to hit eight of 18 three-point attempts.

Arizona State was able to cut the lead to seven, 41-34, but a three-point play by Rick Jackson (13 points, 8 rebounds) and a three-pointer by Johnny Flynn (11 points, 7 assists) and when Andy Rautins connected on a jumper at the 13:18 mark, the Orange lead was back to 15, 57-42.

Back came the Sun Devils, though, with a 15-4 run, capped by a Ty Abbott three that made the score 61-57 with 6:38 remaining.

It was as close as ASU would get.

After a timeout, Rautins connected on a three-pointer on a pass from Flynn, who then found Eric Devendorf just over a minute later and it was a 67-59 Orange lead.

"It was just a great look all around and a well designed play," said Rautins of the set-play following the timeout.

Devendorf would strike again on the next SU possession and the lead was back to 11.

After a pair of free throws by James Harden, Syracuse would score six consecutive points, all from the line, and the lead was back to 15 at 76-61 with just 1:51 remaining and the Orange would go on to win by the final of 78-67.

"This is the NCAA Tournament so we know every team is going to make a run at us," Devendorf said after the game. "They made a run, but the guys we have on our team, even though Jonny is a sophomore, he's a veteran player, the best point guard in America, and Andy Rautins knocked down a big shot and I was able to get open from Jonny penetrating and kicking."

Next up is the South Regional in Memphis for the Orange where they will meet second seed Oklahoma.

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NCAA TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: SYRACUSE VS ARIZONA STATE

March 21, 2009


Quietly, Syracuse is putting together a very impressive run of good basketball. The Orange are 27-9 on the season and have won nine of their last 11 games, including Friday's NCAA Tournament opening round win over Stephen F. Austin, 59-44, in Miami.

The only losses in the recent run of the Orange have come to Villanova, who has already advanced to the Sweet 16, and Louisville, the overall top seed in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

SU will look to continue their winning ways on Sunday against Arizona State, the 6th-seed in the South Region with a berth in the Sweet 16 on the line. Syracuse, maybe the most famous zone team in America, will have their offense put to the test against Herb Sendek's match-up zone defense.

"It's a good defense," SU coach Jim Boehiem said of the ASU match-up zone. "It's a difficult defense to play against. Arizona State plays it the best of anybody right now in college basketball."

The Sun Devils, 25-9 on the season, got past Temple by the score of 66-57 in round one. They earned the victory despite James Harden being held to one made field goal and nine points. In his 68-game college career, Harden has only failed to reach double figures in points nine times including Saturday. On the season, Harden averages 20.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Odds are, he will have a big game against SU. In his career, Harden averages 22.5 points a game following a single-digit offensive performance.

"He's a tremendous player," said Boeheim. "We expect him to have a good game."

Although the two schools have very little basketball history, their star players, Harden and SU point guard Johnny Flynn are very good friend and the head coaches know each other well and have a lot of respect for each other. Syracuse will look to use their size underneath to dominate the pain and hope that Flynn will find seams in the match-up zone and locate the Orange shooters.

Sendek knows the challenge of facing a strong Big East program will be a tough one as he things highly of the chances for the Orange in the tournament.

"I really think they're in the mix of teams from the beginning who people who could
legitimately point to and say hey, they're a contender for the National Championship," said Sendek.

If SU is a contender, then getting past the Sun Devils on Sunday will be a mission they must complete. Syracuse is an ever-so-slight 2 1/2-point favorite according to the college basketball betting lines. With the strength the Big East has been showing, it should give you confidence in this Syracuse squad.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 68
Arizona State 61

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SYRACUSE ZONE STYMIES LUMBERJACKS

March 21, 2009


Syracuse started the afternoon by leading from start to finish in a 59-44 victory over Stephen F. Austin. The Orange got out of the gate quickly, leading 22-6 with 9:28 left in the first half. Seeing the trademark Syracuse 2-3 zone for the first time, Stephen F. Austin could not get their offense in gear.

“Sometimes when teams see our defense for the first time, they struggle against it a little bit,” said Jim Boeheim following the game.

The Lumberjacks settled for the perimeter shot much too often, with little success, shooting 2-21 (.095) from three-point range and 25% overall from the field.

The Orange overcame 21 turnovers, 7 from Johnny Flynn, and an 0-fer shooting performance from Andy Rautins (0-6) by using their advantage in the paint. Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson each scored 12 points, many early as SU opened their big advantage in the opening minutes.

“I thought early they were really good,” Boeheim said of his interior duo. “They caught the ball, finished plays around the basket.”

Johnny Flynn had a game-high 16 points and added 7 assists. Paul Harris was limited to just four points, but he dominated the boards with a game-high 16 rebounds and the Orange owned the glass, out-rebounding the Lumberjacks 55-34 in the game.

Syracuse will face sixth-seed Arizona State on Sunday in second round action in Miami.

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SYRACUSE MAKES RETURN TO NCAA TOURNAMENT

March 19, 2009


Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse Orange return to the NCAA Tournament following back-to-back trips to the NIT as a three-seed in this year’s tournament. The Orange used a late season surge, winning their last four regular season games and advancing to the Big East Tournament final before falling to Louisville, to move up several seed lines and cement their spot in the Big Dance.

“Our goal coming into the season was to get to the NCAA Tournament,” point guard Johnny Flynn said Thursday.

Now that the main goal has been accomplished, SU will look to avoid the fate that stung them in their last two appearances, a first round upset.

“We don't just want to be happy to be here, we want to get in and make a run and win the National Championship,” said Flynn.

That run will have to start with a victory of Stephen F. Austin, the champions of the Southland Conference Tournament. On the season, the Lumberjacks finished with a 24-7 record, including a 13-3 mark in the Southland. Friday’s first round match-up with SU in Miami will be the first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance for the Stephen F. Austin basketball program.

“It still probably hasn't hit me as much as I thought it would,” says sophomore guard Eddie Williams of the Lumberjacks first-ever NCAA bid. “It will probably hit me when I step out on the court and there's fans and I see Syracuse on the other end.”

Last season the ‘jacks were expected to emerge from the Southland with the conference’s NCAA bid. However, following a 26-6 season, Danny Kaspar’s club came up a bit short. So reaching fulfilling their goal of trip to the NCAA’s has been the by-product of a year’s work.

“We're very excited to be here,” coach Kaspar told the media. “It has fulfilled a year long quest when we have set our goals very high, the regular season championship, postseason tournament championship and a trip to the NCAA.”

Senior forward Matt Kingsley leads the Lumberjacks with just over 16 points and 7 rebounds a game. However, the 6’9, 230-lb big man will have his fans full as Syracuse will rotate big bodies Arinze Onuaku, Rick Jackson and energizing sub Kristof Ongenaet against the smaller Stephen F. Austin club.

Syracuse is also versatile enough to not miss a beat with a smaller, perimeter-oriented line-up that will feature Flynn at the point and shooting guard Eric Devendorf anchoring the backcourt with Paul Harris and three-point sniper Andy Rautins.

The Lumberjacks are known as a stout defensive unit. That strength will be tested throughout by an offensively gifted Orange squad, but do not expect the mid-major underdog to roll over for the Big East powers.

“We're just going to go out there and do what we've been doing all year, and that is play good defense and give a good effort and just play defense, the thing that's been carrying us all season,” said senior guard Josh Alexander, who has over 1700 points in his 4-year Lumberjack career.

Both times Syracuse lost in the first round to Vermont and Texas A&M in their last two NCAA appearances, it came following a four-game run in NYC for the Big East Tournament. Even this year, the similarities are there as SU played four games in four nights last week in Madison Square Garden. However, those four games might have been more taxing because they included the six-overtime battle with rival UConn, only to be followed with an overtime game hours later against West Virginia.

“I'm still trying to get them back right now,” Johnny Flynn said of his legs following all the minutes logged in the Big East.

Flynn does not anticipate the four game run in NYC to have any impact on this year’s team.

“No, we're all young guys,” said Flynn of he and his teammates being ready to go this week. “I think we have our legs back, our energy is back, so I don't think that will be a problem. This is the NCAA Tournament.”

Coming from the Big East and the level of play they have seen all season, Syracuse should not have much problem with the defensive strength of the Lumberjacks. Syracuse has the athletes, size and offensive talent to combat each strength of Stephen F. Austin. Look for SU to get a comfortable win in Miami and advance to round two.


NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 80
Stephen F. Austin 65

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BET GAME PREVIEW: SYRACUSE VS WEST VIRGINIA

March 13, 2009



WOW!




WOW!!


That pretty much sums up Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. First, Pittsburgh fell to West Virginia, spoiling everyone's hope for a third match-up, and second in less than a week, between Pitt and Connecticut. Now, that game seems to have happened days ago because it was upstaged as the story in NYC this week by the incredible game that followed between Syracuse and Connecticut.

The Orange let a seven-point lead slip away in the final three minutes and change and then saw a potential buzzer-beating three-pointer from Eric Devendorf that would have won the game come a fraction of a second too late and were forced to go to overtime against the more-rested Huskies. Afterall, SU played a pretty emotionally charged game the night before against Seton Hall. Through FIVE, yes, count them FIVE, overtimes, the Orange seemed to battle uphill, never leading for a single second in any of the overtimes. Yet, they made their foul shots, got timely buckets from the three-point line from Andy Rautins and, kept knotting the score to force another extra session. Finally, in the sixth overtime, a Andy Rautins three and Paul Harris (finally) converted a couple shots in close and SU took an eight-point lead and this one would stand as SU upset UConn 127-117 in a six overtime CLASSIC.

Wow!


Will the Orange have ANYTHING left tonight?


Here are some pregame previews and stories on tonight's match-up:

Six Overtimes (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Special Freshman Give Huggins' Game Plan a Boost (Times West Virginian)
WVU Upsets Rival Pitt, Advances to BE Quarterfinals (Daily Mail)
WVU's 1-3-1 Zone Stymies Panthers (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

By the time 9:30 tonight rolls around, Syracuse and West Virginia both would need to put Thursday night behind them. Each team probably has accomplished what they set out to do in NYC this week, win their opener and knock off their top rival, now they both have a real shot at staying in Madison Square Garden for the duration of the 2009 Big East Tournament.

Of course, the question on everyone's mind, will Syracuse have anything left?

This is not a real deep team, usually playing a seven-man rotation with a cameo appearance here and there from an 8th player. In two nights, they have played 110 minutes of basketball, completing a 3-hour, 40-minute plus epic showdown after 1 AM on Friday morning against the Huskies. Now, they need to pick back up and go after the Mountaineers, a team they cruised past in the regular season, 74-61, at the Carrier Dome.

Bob Huggins' team got through their first two days with toughness and tenacity. Despite shooting just 36% in their opening win over Notre Dame, WVU dominated the boards and their athletic ability and speed buried the Irish early. The ultimate test of toughness came Thursday night when WWVU out-toughed the big, bad Panthers and shocked their rival 74-60.

In their first meeting, the SU zone caused the young Mountaineers a lot of trouble. Freshman Darryl 'Truck' Bryant will be in the spotlight once again as he will need to do a much better job of attacking the zone to hit the seams and spot shooter Alex Ruoff open for a wing jumper. Also, look for WVU to get the ball in the high-post area, likely with Devin Ebanks, and use their versatility to attack SU from inside. Ebanks and Da'Sean Butler are very capable scorers.

For Syracuse, they have size in Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson and they will need to use it and try to get easy baskets near the hoop. They will also need to attack the boards with some intensity because WVU will go after rebounds from every angle and position.

Both SU and WVU also need to avoid falling into a trap that might have hirt both Pitt and UConn, they need to focus on there here and now...not what happened last night. Whichever team is able to do that, I think will be the winner. In this case, since they did not have to grind through 70 minutes of basketball into the wee hours of the morning, look for the Mountaineers to have a bit more in the tank and follow the lead of the exploding Devin Ebanks and get another impressive win.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 74
Syracuse 68

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SYRACUSE TAKES ONE FOR THE AGES

March 12, 2009

by Ray Floriani


By Ray Floriani




NEW YORK CITY- You do not have to be told a game is a classic. You feel it and know it. The packed house at Madison Square Garden witnessed one as Syracuse outlasted UCONN 127-117 in six, yes six, overtimes on Thursday evening. Actually Friday morning. Andy Rautins opened the sixth OT with a trey and Paul Harris converted two penetrations to spark an 8-0 run in the first two and a half minutes to spark the decisive run.


The Numbers:

...............Possessions........PPP..................TO Rate
Syracuse.........114..............1.11...................14%
UCONN............1171.............1.00....................23%

Jonny Flynn of Syracuse played 65 minutes leading all scorers with 34 points.

A.J. Price (33 points 10 assists) and Stanley Robinson (28 points 14 boards) were superlative in defeat.

“Over the years (playing and coaching) I’ve had to have been involved in over a thousand games and this tops them all,” said Syracuse coach Jim boeheim.

The difference, UCONN did not care for the ball as well as the Orange and the Huskies struggled from the line hitting 24 of 42.

With PITT losing to West Virginia in the evening opener, two of the Big East’s (and nation for that matter) marquee teams are one and done.

A classic indeed!

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SYRACUSE LOOKS TO FIGHT OFF HUSKIES

March 12, 2009


Talk about a great rivalry match-up, this is a fantastic slate of quarterfinal conference tournament games in the Big East with Connecticut and Syracuse being the Thursday night finale.

Syracuse got past Seton Hall on Wednesday night in a chippy contest, that saw a pair of double technicals and an excessive foul called. When the shenanigans started, SU had a slim two-point lead, when the dust had settles, Syracuse was up 24 and clearing their bench to set up a date with the Huskies.

UConn comes into the 2009 Big East Tournament as the #3 seed following their Saturday loss at Pittsburgh to close the regular season. UConn is very close to locking up a #1 seed for the 2009 NCAA Tournament and a win over Syracuse could do the trick.

Here are some pregam stories and previews on tonight's anticpated match-up:

Orange Get Mad (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Boeheim Gets Serious at Big East Tourney (Post-Standard)
Mad Bimber (Post-Standard)
Ready to Rumble (Journal Inquirer)
Orange Scouting Report: Syracuse vs. Connecticut (Post-Standard)
UConn Eager to Break Tournament Hex (Connecticut Post)
UConn Men Have No Shortage of Motivation for Big East Tournament (TheDay.com)
Big East Quarterfinal: Syracuse vs. UConn (Hartford Courant)

These two teams met in Connecticut back on February 11th in a contest that resulted on one win and two losses for the teams involved. With UConn winning by the score of 63-49, the Huskies picked up a win in the standings, while the Orange a loss, howeever, Jerome Dyson was lost for the season because of a knee injury, a loss that might have knocked UConn from the favorite perch in the Big East.

Dyson went down to injury early on in the game in the first meeting. Connecticut was able to break away from a close game in the first half with a defensively-dominant performance, led by Hasheem Thabeet who scored just 8 points, but added 16 rebounds and 7 blocked shots. The Orange wanted nothing to do with scoring near the basket, shooting 31.7% from the floor with their two big men, Rick Jackson and Arinze Onuaku, combining for a 3-12 effort.

However, the game also go physical late. Thabeet was not just intimidating with his size, but some loosely tossed elbows caught the attention (and bodies) of Orange players and he topped it off with a fastball to the face of Kristof Ongenaet when falling out of bounds in an effort to perseve possession. Following the game, SU seemed to be looking forward to another shot at the Huskies.

In a situation similar to Pittsburgh possibly looking ahead to a potential Friday night rematch, UConn could very well have the Panthers on their mind. Afterall, saturday's loss is very fresh in their mind, so being 100% concentrated on the Orange might not be happening. We saw on Wednesday night what a motivated SU team can look like, they should be plenty motivated for this game.

The current NCAA Basketball betting odds have UConn as a 5 1/2-point favorite. With all the focus on Pitt and UConn here in NYC, do not sleep on the Orange. However, in the end, UConn will play too much defense and keep SU's easy buckets to a minimum. With Hasheem Thabeet inside, that is likely to be the difference in the end.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 70
Syracuse 67

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ORANGE LOOK TO KEEP ROLLING VS. SETON HALL

March 11, 2009


Seton Hall just will not go away. And, if you think Syracuse is in for a walk through Central Park tonight, think again. The Pirates dispatched South Florida in the Bulls Garden debut last night, 68-54, as NYC natives Jeremy Hazell (23), Eugene Harvey (16) and Robert Mitchell (13) combined for 52 points as the Pirates rallied from a two-point halftime deficit. With friends and family in the stands again tonight, look for SHU to give the Orange everything they have left.

Syracuse comes into the 2009 Big East Tournament as the #6-seed, having won four in a row, highlighted by Saturday's overtime victory at Marquette. Syracuse aims to increase their momentum heading to the 2009 NCAA Tournament as they look to make their return after back-to-back NIT appearances.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's nightcap:

Orange Survived, Then Thrived (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Orange Scouting Report: SU vs. SHU (Syracuse Post-Standard)
SHU Knocks off USF in Big East Tournament (Star-Ledger)
Seton Hall Coach Bobby Gonzalez Surviving, Maturing (Star-Ledger)


This is a game that Bobby Gonzalez can not wait to coach in. These two teams met to open Big East play just prior to the New Year, but 'Gonzo' was not on the Pirate bench due to a one-game suspension for remarks and actions following a loss to Rutgers to conclude the 2007-2008 regular season. The Pirates were embarrassed in the Carrier Dome that night, in a game that was really not even that close.

While SHU was firing away blanks from beyond the arc, going 2-27 from three-point range, they were letting Syracuse do anything they wanted to on the offensive end. The Orange put five in double figures, led by Andy Rautins' 26 points.

That was then, this is certainly 'the now.' The Pirates were without John Garcia in that game and they are a much better team with him available. His size and experience will allow him to go toe-to-toe with SU big man Arinze Onuaku. The Orange definitely have the size advantage as they also start 6'9 sophomore Rick Jackson, and although SHU will use a smaller line-up, SU will not likely be deterred as they will employ their standard 2-3 zone defense against SHU.

In the first game tge SU zone led to the Pirates just bombing away from three-point range to no avail. Tonight, in order to compete, it will be imperative for Eugene Harvey to run an efficient zone offense, attacking the seams and finding players in position for good shots.

In the first game, SHU also pushed tempo and the game quickly turned into something you would see in the summer on the AAU circuit. It is a style that the Orange love to play with Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf attacking the basket in transition for lay-ups and if, by chance, SHU got back on defense, Andy Rautins was open for the three. And, on the rare occasions they missed, Jackson or Onuaku were there to gobble up second chance opportunities.

SHU simply can't afford to let the game turn into that kind of track meet against the Orange again. They will need to play defense, try and keep SU off the boards and strike quickly, but intelligently on offense.

Syracuse is playing pretty well right now and they are mighty confident. While that trait seems to be pretty consistent with this group, their play has been backing up the confidence they have in themselves of late. In the end, they are the better, deeper and more experienced team, and that will lead to a solid win, but expect SHU to make their share of runs at them.

For those with an interest in the March Madness betting lines, Syracuse is a 6 1/2-point favorite in tonight's game.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 81
Seton Hall 72

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SYRACUSE @ MARQUETTE

March 7, 2009


After starting Big East play 9-0, Marquette has limped home for Senior Day, losing five of eight, and must continue to fight without their floor general, Dominic James, who is out for the season because of a broken foot suffered in their loss to UConn in their last home game.

The losing down the stretch has pushed the Golden Eagles out of the top four in the conference and a loss to SU on Saturday would mean that MU is the 6th seed in the 2009 Big East Tournament while the Orange would claim the 5th seed.

Syracuse started off the season hot as well, but a stretch of seven losses in 10 games has pushed the Orange into the middle of the Big East pack. Syracuse is in a stretch of three straight wins as they have run over St. John’s, Cincinnati and Rutgers in succession, but Saturday’s task will be much tougher as they will be facing and emotionally charged atmosphere in the Bradley Center when they meet Marquette.

Pregame stories and previews:

Orange Can Get 6th Seed in Big East Tournament with Win over Marquette (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Senior’s Day Will be Emotional (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
Syracuse Orange Hope for Grand Finale (Rochester D&C)

While you can expect a spirited effort by Marquette with a vocal and excited home crowd behind them, watch out for Syracuse in this one. The Orange have certainly built some confidence with their last three impressive wins and their zone defense has always given Marquette fits as it cuts down their ability to break down a defense off the dribble and forces them to settle for perimeter jumpers. With James not in the line-up, the pressure shifts to Maurice Acker to solve the SU zone, a tough task for a new starter.

The Orange certainly have individual talent, especially in their backcourt with Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris with three-point specialist Andy Rautins. The loss of James gives SU an unexpected edge there.

It will be emotional for MU today, no question, and the players will play hard. However, the toll of the James injury and the three losses, including the bulldozing administered by Pitt Wednesday night in the last 16 minutes might have MU reeling. With their lack of depth and the SU zone, a past nemesis, Look for SU to take over the 5th seed.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 80
Marquette 73

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BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: SYRACUSE

March 6, 2009


VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Dashonte Riley, (C) from Detroit Country Day High School (MI).

Projected 2009-2010 Roster:

Seniors: Paul Harris (G), Arinze Onuaku (BF/C), Eric Devenderf (G), Andy Rautins (G)
Juniors: Johnny Flynn (PG), Richard Jackson (BF), Sean Williams (C), Wesley Johnson** (F)
Sophomores: Kris Joseph (F), Antonio Jardine* (G)
Freshmen: Brandon Triche (G), James Southerland (F), Dashonte Riley (C), Mookie Jones *** (SG)
2010 Commitments: C.J. Fair (PF), Dion Waiters (G), Baye Moussa Keita (C)

* Will sit out 2008-2009 as a medical redshirt
** Sitting out 2008-2009 per NCAA transfer rules
*** Applying for medical redshirt after missing majority of 2008-2009 with hip injury

DaShonte Riley, a 6-foot-11, 215-pound center, is off the board once again. The big man from Detroit Country Day High School was originally a verbal commitment for Georgetown, but after making an official visit last fall, Riley let the early signing period pass without signing a letter of intent and the decision was made to re-open his recruitment. Now, after taking a couple visits, Riley has made his final decision and Syracuse Lands the 6'11 Center (Syracuse Post-Standard). Riley took official visits to both Syracuse and Marquette in the last month and narrowed his choices to the two schools before picking SU this week.


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On paper, the Syracuse roster was full for the 2009-2010 season, but the Orange have added another member for the 2009 class with the commitment of Dashonte Riley. The Detroit (MI) native is a 6-foot-11 center who is a strong defender with a developing offensive game. A very long, lean and athletic big man, Riley has the physical tools that colleges crave as his upside potential is tremendous.

Playing for one of the nation's top high school programs under coach Kurt Keener at Country Day, where they have been ranked in the top 10 by USA Today all season. Playing on a loaded team that inlcudes highly regarded junior guard Ray McCallum, Jr as well as USF commit Jordan Dumars and Donnavan Kirk, a Miami-commit, Riley has contributed about 9 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks per game. Riley seems like an ideal fit for the back-end of the SU press as a deterrent for opponents to attack the rim. His athletic ability also should fit very well in the style of the Orange

For more on Riley, you can visit: DaShonteRiley.org.

The make-up of the Syracuse roster showed a need for a point guard and the Orange did not have to go very far to fill that void as Jamesville-DeWitt star Brandon Triche decided to stay close to home and chose the Orange over finalists Georgetown, Connecticut and Georgia Tech last fall. Triche showed at the Reebok Summer Championships the ability to get into the lane and use his size and strength to get to the rim and score. Triche does need to add a more consistent jump shot as it was evident throughout the summer that his perimeter touch needs work.

The Orange get a tough local kid with a high basketball IQ in Triche. He has shown outstanding court vision in high school and is an excellent passer. He has recovered from an ACL injury that cut short his sophomore season and he is looking to finish his career at J-D with a big season now that the injury problems are behind him.

Prior to his commitment to SU, the NBE Basketball Report spent some time Catching Up With Brandon Triche and this is what he had to say about the Orange:

“The location is a factor. It’s like five minutes from my house. The coach is a Hall of Famer, and Johnny Flynn will probably head to the NBA after the season, so that will open up a spot for me.”

The Triche name is a familair one for Orange fans. Brandon's uncle, Howard Triche, was a starter ont he SU squad that lost to Indiana on Keith Smart's last second jumper in the NCAA Championship Game in 1987.

For now, Triche and Riley join previous commit James Southerland in the SU class of 2009. Southerland was originally expected to be part of the 2008 class, but he attended a second year of prep school at Notre Dame Prep. The 6-foot-7 forward has an excellent perimeter game and is working on adding strength and a more well-rounded arsenal. Despite rumors circulating late on the AAU circuit, Southerland seems to have re-affirmed his commitment to SU and the presence of Mike Hopkins at every game Southerland played with the Albany City Rocks in the Desert Duel showed how much the Orange were still interested in him. SU Looked in on Southerland at the Desert Duel and he was very offensive minded, again showing his needs to round out his game.


Triche, Riley and Southerland are not the only newcomers for the 2009-2010 season as SU will also add an important transfer. When Wesley Johnson informed the staff at Iowa State he was transferring they were not happy with the news. Losing a quality player is very tough and Johnson is definitely, at least, a quality player. As his list of potential destinations grew and was fine-tuned, it was clear that many schools believed he would be making a big impact wherever he ended up. After taking a visit to Syracuse, Johnson found his next home and decided there was no need to take any additional visits. Johnson also considered West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Ohio State as finalists.

Johnson is a 6'7 combo forward with plenty of length and athleticism, perfect for Jim Boehiem's style of play. His sophomore numbers were a little less than expected after an excellent freshman campaign in the Big 12, but a stress fracture in his foot, which forced him to miss five games and eventually led to an April surgery, took away much of his trademark explosive athletic ability.

As a freshman at Iowa State, the Texas native averaged 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds. As a sophomore, he contributed 12.4 points a game, but the rebounding total dipped in half, but a lot of that was due to the injuries that had him on the perimeter more than going inside to battle.

The projected 2009-10 Syracuse roster is now over the NCAA scholarship limit of 13 with 14 players currently included. Players like Eric Devendorf, Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris could be candidates to test professional waters after this season.

While the SU staff was workign to finalize the 2009 class, they have also been quite bisy working on the class fo 2010. The latest commitment for Syracuse in the class of 2010 is a bit of an unknown. Baye Moussa Keita has been in the United States for a short period of time, but the athletic 6-foot-10 big man from Senegal has the tools to be a very good player down the road and Jim Boeheim and staff are banking that he will develop into a star by the time he arrives in central New York.

Keita definitely will be well tutored as he will be playing at powerful Oak Hill Academy in Virginia under coach Steve Smith. Keita began to make some noise last spring when he competed in the Jordan Brands international Game at MSG and then got some additional exposure in the Nike Global Challenge this past August. Although his time was limited in the recent 2009 Primetime Shootout, but the potential is obvious.

With most young big man, adding muscle and weight is one of the most immediate needs for Keita. With a listed weight of under 200 pounds on the Nike Global Challenge roster, Keita has a ways to go to be ready for the Big East battles, but time is on his side. Coach Smith at Oak Hill believes he is more along than previous Senegal natives at the same time when they entered Oak Hill, including DeSagana Diop who went right into the NBA Draft from Oak Hill.

It was an exciting weekend around Syracuse back in October as the basketball program kicked off their official start of practice and the return of Carmelo Anthony to the Carrier Dome took place Friday night as well. The former Orange star was in town with his Denver Nuggets teammates for a pre-season match-up against Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash and and rest of the Phoenix Suns.

Taking in all the excitement of a weekend was a 6-foot-8 forward hoping to follow in Carmelo's footsteps. C.J. Fair, a highly touted member of the class of 2010, was making an unofficial visit and liked what he saw and the opportunity ahead of him and decided to pledge for the Orange.

Like Anthony, Fair will come to the 'Cuse via Baltimore. The left-handed shooter has the ability to score from the perimeter and put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. Weighing in at a slight 186 pounds, Fair will have to work on adding muscle and weight to his frame before lacing them up in the Big East, but the potential to fit very well in the Syracuse system under Jim Boeheim at forward is very clear to see. Others interested included Louisville, Maryland, Georgetown, Virginia and others. Fair missed the summer AAU circuit due to ACL surgery, but the Orange had no hesitation in making their move to secure a commitment.

Fair was the second commitment for the class of 2010 for SU as they already had a big time commitment from guard Dion Waiters out of Philadelphia. Waiters is a BIG-TIME offensive talent and is a cousin of current Orange guard Antonio Jardine. Waiters committed to SU a year ago, before ever playing in a Varsity high school game. He spent last season at South Kent in Connecticut and will be playing this year at Life Center Academy.


Still, top targets in the class of 2010 include Keita's Oak Hill Academy teammate Doron Lamb, who is a NYC native and Mountain State Academy small forward Shaquille Thomas out of New Jersey, nephew of former Villanova star Tim Thomas, is very high on the Orange and has been close to committing. New England big man Carson Desrosiers, and Long Island star Tobias Harris are also receiving a lot of attention from Syracuse on the recruiting trail. Michigan shooting guard Isaiah Sykes has also entered the SU radar screen in the class of 2010. Going even further out, SU has made early progress with 5-star recruit LaQuinton Ross as well as Delaware sharp-shooter Trevor Cooney, to name a couple.

After back-to-back NIT appearances and two one and done NCAA's prior to that, it is time for Syracuse to get back into the mix of a nationally elite program. Recruiting at a high level is a way to do that quickly and the return of a March Madness participant will get the train rolling again in central NY.

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SYRACUSE CLOSES HOME SLATE ROUTING RUTGERS

March 4, 2009


OK, so by now it is 10 PM on Tuesday night. Cincinnati has lost to South Florida, Georgetown has lost to St. John's and they go to the half at the Carrier Dome with Rutgers taking a 20-19 lead into the locker room over Syracuse. Could it just be one of those nights?

Well, not entirely, while the Scarlet Knights remained amazing consistent(ly bad) in the second half, scoring just another 20, Syracuse found their footing and put up 51 as they bomb RU, 70-40, sending the Knights to their 16th Big East loss in 17 games.

The Orange Breaks Rut (Syracuse Post-Standard) early in the second half, feeding Arinze Onuaku the ball inside and embarking on a 24-8 run immediately after intermission in the first nine minutes to take control of the game and cruised the rest of the way over Rutgers.

It was showtime early and often for SU in the second half and Paul Harris led the way with 18 points and several high flying antics. Jonny Flynn added 10 assists, but also committed seven of the 20 Orange turnovers in the sloppy contest. With chants of 'Krist-of, Krist-of' (Post-Standard) echoing through the Dome, SU's lone scholarship senior Kristof Ongenaet added 10 points and six rebounds, playing 25 minutes, in his final SU home game. SU walk-ons Juston Thomas and Jake Presutti also got extended time in the rout, playing over three minutes and the seniors gave the crowd a reason to sheer as Thomas scored four points and Presutti drained an open three.

Syracuse will close the regular season in Milwaukee when they take on Marquette on Saturday before hoping to make another run in the Big East Tournament (tickets) next week at Madison Square Garden, where they should have plenty of fans urging them to make a run.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ SYRACUSE

March 3, 2009

It is senior night in the Carrier Dome and Syracuse, winners of three of their last four, come into the home finale feeling a little bit better about themselves. Last week, SU applied a thorough beatdown on both St. John's, in Madison Square Garden, and Cincinnati, at home, to improve to 9-7 in the Big East and 21-8 overall.

The Dome faithful will look to send the lone SU scholarship senior, Kristof Ongenaet, off as a winner when the Orange host floundering Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights dropped two more last week, at Notre Dame and vs. Rutgers, and are now 1-15 in the Big East.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's game:

Happy Days are Here Again at SU (Post-Standard)
Orange Scouting Report: Syracuse vs Rutgers (Post-Standard)
Syracuse-Rutgers Scouting Report (Asbury Park Press)
Griffin Making an Impact for Rutgers (Asbury Park Press)


There really is not a whole lot to analyze in this game. The Orange, according to the latest college basketball odds are 15 1/2-point favorites. SU will likely sit in their trademark 2-3 zone defense and dare the Scarlet Knights to make shots and create off the dribble by attacking the seam of the zones. Rutgers continues to struggle with a gameplan and then the execution of getting the ball into the paint. If you are unable to do that, the SU zone will tear you apart.

Offensively, Syracuse has too many athletic weapons for Rutgers to keep up with. Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris can all score and then Andy Rautins comes off the bench to drain three's and liven up the crowd. In the paint, Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson will at least hold their own against the under-utilized Greg Echenique and under-developed Hamady N'Diaye. Off the bench in the frontcourt is Ongenaet, a likely source of energy and toughness that will give his team an emotional lift when needed.

For Rutgers, the game will likely hinge on if freshman Mike Rosario can shoot the Knights into the game from beyond the arc. There seems to be little plan of attack after that. The script usually reads the RU opponent racing out to a big early lead and the Scarlet Knights bombing away from three-point range hoping to make a run. If Rosario is on against the zone it could happen. If not, it could be ugly...I am thinking it might be closer to the ugly side tonight.

NBE Blogger Preview:

Syracuse 86
Rutgers 67

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