BRANDON TRICHE NEXT IN LINE

April 20, 2009


When Jamesville-DeWitt star guard Brandon Triche committed to play for the hometown Syracuse Orange, the feeling was the solidly built 6-foot-3 guard could ease his way into the line-up spelling star Jonny Flynn next season. That plan might have changed drastically with Flynn opting to sign with an agent and enter the 2009 NBA Draft last week.

“Obviously it’s gonna be a lot of pressure, but I think I can handle it," Triche told NBE Saturday night when competing in the Jordan Brand Regional All-Star game at Madison Square Garden. "[I’m] working out everyday just to preparing myself for it. So I think I can come in and be an impact player.”

Triche certainly looked to part on Saturday, scoring a game-high 33 points and earning the game's co-MVP with Russell Smith.

With other Big East recruits on the floor such as Dan Jennings (WVU), Austin Johnson (RU), Omari Lawrence (SJU) and other talented players making up a City team and a Suburbs team, Triche dazzled on-lookers with his passing ability and drives to the basket. His 200-lb frame looks to be ready for the Big East battles he is likely to be thrown into early in his college career.

Triche will have another local product who has been through a similar situation as point guard for the home town Orange to help him out. Lazarus Sims is a member of the Syracuse basketball staff and will be a good source of help as Triche will battle the demands of playing in front of a dedicated basketball fan base that he has grown up among. Triche is the nephew of former Orange forward Howard Triche, who was a senior captain on the Syracuse team that lost to Indiana in the national championship game in 1987.

Triche told NBE he will waste no time getting to work with his new teammates. After graduating from J-D on June 29th, Triche expects to start classes at SU around July 2nd. Triche has shined on every big stage he found himself on this past season, including Saturday night at MSG, the stages will be bigger and brighter next year in the Big East, but expect Triche to be ready!

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FLYNN SIGNS WITH AGENT, CONFUSION STILL EXISTS AT SU

April 17, 2009


The Syracuse Post-Standard has been trying to sort out the situations with the Syracuse trio of Paul Harris, Eric Devendorf and Jonny Flynn, and it seems there has been a clear disconnect with the players and Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim who seems as unaware of their intentions as the fans following, although, it also seems as Boeheim may find the sitations less urgent than most fans.

This morning, the Post-Standard updates the news that Flynn Signs and Boeheim Addresses Rumors on the three.

With Flynn signing with Creative Artists Agency Sports, his Syracuse career is over.

Harris was at Manley Fieldhouse playing pick-up ball with Flynn and other teammates, but his status with the team remains unclear and Boeheim reiterated to the Post-Standard Harris is not being forced out, but they University felt his intentions were to declare for the draft and put his name out there, as they indicated in a press release from the school April 9th.

Other returning players continue to go about their business, seeing it as both exciting, but sometimes distracting as they prepare for next season where their once promising college basketball odds have taken a hit in the wake of these defections.

Stay tuned...

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THREE-HEADED SU MONSTER WEIGHING PRO DRAFT STOCK

By Zach Smart

The Syracuse basketball nation took a strong blow recently, as news that Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris, and Eric "Tivo Devo" Devendorf would declare for the upcoming NBA draft spread like wildfire.

The three-headed monster "must submit their intentions in writing to the NBA office, which must receive their notices by 11:59 p.m. on April 26. NBA personnel will comb through the entries and announce within a few days a list that contains the names of the legitimate players who have submitted applications," according to Tim Frank, the NBA's vice president of basketball communications.

Flynn watched his NBA draft stock soar while he steered the big Orange ship into the Big East championship title game. He also helped the Orange to a berth in the NCAA tournament. The Orange suffered a knockout at the hands of projected No.1 pick Blake Griffin and Oklahoma during the sweet 16.

Flynn was an integral part of Syracuse's unpredictable run to the Big East championship game. His ability to scrape opponents off the dribble, lose defenders in traffic and take the ball to the tin at a relentless pace his vaulted him into a different zip code.

He was playing like there's no tomorrow, emerging into the little engine that could and leaving jaws littered all over the Madison Square Garden floor.

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Flynn dropped a robust 34 points, handed out 12 assists and never stopped curling to the cup during the Orange's thrilling, 6 OT signature victory over a Final Four club in UConn.

Flynn penetrated the teeth of the UConn defense, absorbing fouls, and enough hard contact to make the pint-size point guard look like a human pinball.

In the end of the dramatic, historic, epic 3-hour and 42+ minute game, the neophyte from Niagara Falls, N.Y. was the last man standing.

Harris, who came to Syracuse as a manchild recruit out of Notre Dame Prep (via Niagara Falls), averaged 12 points and eight boards. Harris, who has two sons, was feast or famine this season. He lit up UConn for 29 points in the aforementioned 6 OT thriller at Madison Square Garden, but got his masters degree in blowing layups that night--a la Charles Smith in the 1994 Knicks/Bulls series.

Devendorf gave an efficient account of himself this season, springing back from injury as a better player. The kid mired in legal troubles early on was more of a problem on the basketball court, scorching the nets during the Big East tournament (with impressive range and accuracy) and getting free for fast break lay-ins.

Despite rumors that "Devo" was staying put (Eric's father, Curt, recently told the Syracuse Post-Standard that his son "loves Syracuse and would return for his senior season), the well-tatted guard who averaged 15.7 points and three dimes will weigh his professional stock.

The loss of Flynn would be a major gap in the backcourt. Brandon Triche, a Syracuse-bound guard who starred for Jamesville-DeWitt high school this season, is hoping Flynn changes his mind.

Triche, who averaged 22.3 points, 6.7 assists, and 6.2 boards his senior year, played against Flynn (then a senior at Niagara Falls HS) his sophomore year.

In the eyeball-to-eyeball duel, Flynn got the better of his younger counterpart. He outscored him 33-31 and defeated J-D, 81-75.

"He's one of the best point guards in the country and I want to be a point guard so I think he can really help me out," Triche told the Daily Orange of the encounter.

"Just practicing with him every day and watching him play every day would really help me out."

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