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