ORANGE 'PASS' ANOTHER TEST ON WAY TO 10-0 START

Syracuse improved to 10-0, their best start in 10 years, as the Orange Turns Up the Pressure Against St. Francis (Syracuse Post-Standard) in a 75-51 win.

Coming off the big win over Florida on Thursday to close the 2009 SEC/Big East Invitational, Jim Boeheim expected a little dip in defensive intensity as SU Battles Letdown Before Victory (Watertown Daily Times) on Sunday. A few defensive breakdowns gave coach Boeheim teaching moments before the Orange iced this game away.

Arinze Onuaku led the Orange with 14 points and Wesley Johnson added 12 points and 9 rebounds as Syracuse used their decided size advantage to dominate St. Francis. The Orange shot 54% from the field while limiting the visitors to 29% and forcing 17 turnovers.

From my Carrier Dome vantage point on Sunday the aspect of this SU team that stuck out to me was their passing (24 assists on 29 made baskets Sunday). Not only the skill of being one of the better passing teams I have seen in a while, but the unselfish mindset that this team has. The veteran presence of 5th year seniors Arinze Onuaku and Andy Rautins along with 4th year junior Wesley Johnson shows this is a team that 'gets it' and they understand their roles. Brandon Triche and 'Scoop' Jardine fit the personnel perfectly while running the show. This is also a very BIG Orange line-up, able to fill the backline of the 2-3 zone more impressively than any SU team in recent memory going back to the national championship team with Hakim Warrick and Carmelo Anthony on the blocks. They might be a little thin at guard and not the best three-point shooting team outside of Rautins, but with Kris Joseph and Mookie Jones finding roles off the bench and playing to their role, this team has it going on!

The Carrier Dome should be a very fun place this winter!!

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SYRACUSE ROLLS PAST MAINE; FACE FLORIDA NEXT

Syracuse is definitely playing the role of a top 10 team, not a team that was unranked just a few weeks ago, they are beating good teams and destroying bad teams. The latest victim was the Maine Black Bears and this was a no-contest from the start as the Orange led 60-12 at the half. Yes, 60-12!

SU cruised to victory, 101-55, as six players reached double figures and no SU player played more than 24 minutes. Freshman Brandon Triche scored 16 points to lead the effort and the SU Defense Had its Way with Maine Watertown Daily Times) as the Orange are 'zoned' in and working in-synch in the 2-3 zone.

Next up for the Orange is a Thursday night date in the SEC/Big East Invitational against ranked Florida in St. Petersburg (FL) as Syracuse will put their 8-0 record on the line against the Gators.

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ORANGE BRUSH ASIDE COLGATE; JOHNSON SHINES AGAIN

Syracuse continues to roll along and improves to 7-0 with a victory over an upstate rival last night in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse Knocks Out Colgate Early (Syracuse Post-Standard), taking leads of 18-5 and 30-10 and leading by as much as 33 points in the first half and then cruising to a 92-58 win.

Once again, Wesley Johnson is establishing himself as the show in Western NY this winter, finishing with 19 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in just 23 minutes and proving No Pass is Too High for Johnson (Post-Standard) as he soared to slam home an alley-oop from Andy Rautins that put an exclamation point on the win and Johnson's performance. Johnson's early season performance has led to NBA Talk After 7 Games (Auburn Citizen) as he was the MVP of the 2K Sports Classic, dazzling the crowds at Madison Square Garden in wins over North Carolina and Cal. He's also turning heads at the Carrier Dome, averaging 18.3 points per game and shooting 52 percent from the 3-point line.

Rautins, SU Serve Notice (Watertown Daily Times) that this is a different Orange team this year. Rautins, a redshirt senior, led SU with eight assists as --Syracuse was credited as a team with 35 assists on 39 made baskets, an impressive ratio, to say the least.

SU faces Maine this weekend at the Dome before a taking on Florida in the SEC/Big East Challenger December 10th in a meeting of two of the biggest early season risers nationally.

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