" I've seen every season that JB has coached here and I easily think this year has been his finest effort. It far surpasses what was to be expected of such a raw bunch. This is why he's a hall of fame coach. He has always gotten more from less than any coach in any top program "

" Did I really hear someone say that Syracuse was clearly better on offense from the get go against ND? My tv set must have been on the blink. They dominated us offensively. Had we had some offense we might have had a chance in this game. "

" Things I was thinking while frantically reaching for the mute button to silence Mike Jarvis....

-- Am I crazy or did the Orange look better with Greene on the bench? I'm not calling for the benching of the superstar. Not by a long shot. But when he is on the floor, it's as if everyone else waits for him to do something. They rely on him too much, and that hurts the team as a whole.

-- Ongenaet is an animal. If I had to pick, I think I'd say spider monkey. A spider monkey on speed. He's all over the place with arms flailing, and he makes things happen. He's by no means a scorer, he's not afraid to lay out for a loose ball or crash the rim for a rebound. He adds a spark when the Orange need it most. Nine rebounds -- four of them offensive -- and a nice block on the permieter tonight. Add that to eight boards against Providence and six points in each game. The Belgian Fury has looked good lately....

-- Finally, I want to go on record and offer Mike Jarvis some elocution lessons. Half his words don't make sense and he still hasn't figured out how to say Onuaku or Ongenaet. Do your job, or I will.

Heere's to throwing diamonds in the air at Nova....Shambala.
"

" Nobody quite knows what's the scoop on Scoop -- and I wouldn't be surprised if we never know for sure.
It was never released why Billy Edelin left the team a few years back, I don't see why this situation would be any different.
I remain encouraged for two reasons -- Scoop has practiced with the team and he was on the bench during the Providence game.
If he broke the law (i.e. was arrested, failed a drug test, got a DUI) they wouldn't let him near the team. This is obviously a serious issue, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him back on the court shortly.
And while his play has been erratic lately, SU needs Scoop just to have another body out there. The Orange really lucked out against the Friars, nobody was in serious foul trouble.
I respect Justin Thomas, but he'll be eaten alive against the likes of Connecticut and Louisville.
SU needs Scoop back just so Jimmy B can give Jonny Flynn a breather -- the frosh guard has played every minute of the last two games.
Forget about freshman, has any players in the country been asked to do as much as these Syracuse starters?
These guys have to deal with inexperience, have to adjust to a new lineup seemingly every game, have to play big minutes and they have to do this while meeting the expectations of every Syracuse fan out there. Orange fans don't care who's on the court, if this team doesn't make the Big Dance, there will be little sympathy to go around.
Syracuse is in big trouble. They're currently playing with a six-man rotation and their seventh guy is a walk-on. Plus, they've got back-to-back road games coming up.
Wins on the road, in this conference, with this depleted roster, would be truly remarkable. And I think Boeheim will tell you the same thing.
The Providence win was big -- it was really a must-win game and SU responded. But can they keep it rolling at DePaul and at Villanova?
With big guns like Pitt, Notre Dame and Louisville still on the schedule, I say Syracuse has to win one of the next two to keep their head above water.
If they can hover around that .500 mark in conference, they may just find themselves in position to do some damage.
That is, as long as they don't lose any more players.
If that's the case, I still have some college eligibility left. Maybe I'll give Boeheim a call.

- Ryan Day
"

" So The dynasty lives. However things look bleek for a tourney run. We could always just win the Big East again with some more Gerrylike miracles. Nice to see Gerry, more so Mrs. McNamara at the Providence game. I agree this team is going to be stretched too thin to make a stretch run into March. Although Scoop is terrible I'd rather have him in than Thomas, still a walk-on no matter how much they talk him up on time warner. I believe we should be trying to sign Tyree from the Real World to work the back line with AO. Or perhaps put Leo Rautins in for a perimeter threat, he is practically on the team with how much the announcers talk about him. All kidding aside if Paul Harris continues to board and block who knows what can happen, I'll continue throwing dynasty signs at every oppurtunity.
"

" Great thoughts dynasty11, definitely of the glass-half-full variety.
I understand it's not yet time to write this team off, but I do think it'll be more difficult this year than last to make a late-season run. I hate to keep hammering this point, but there's no depth. I don't care how talented the starters are, if they play 40 minutes a game against physical competition night in and night out, they'll be walking around like a 60-year-old man with bad knees by March.
But you're right, it is college basketball and anything can happen. It should be fun down the stretch.

I'll post some thoughts on Sunday's game against Providence following the action. Until then, I'll be wishing Steve Perry a belated birthday. - Ryan Day "

" Just a couple thoughts on the orange the rest of the season. First, they are 13-7 overall and 3-4 in conference play. Kind of reminds me of last year when the orange looked lousy just like this team even at a later point in the season. After losing to UCONN on big monday in early February last year the orange were 16-8 overall and 5-5 in conference play. Hmmm looks kind of like this years team. The cuse then went on an improbable winning streak culminating in the orange demolishing georgetown at home(a final four team if you did not hear moronic selection committee). It does not look good for the orange but this team has to much talent to go out quietly the rest of the way in conference play. Also, the rest of the big east is just as mediocre as the orange. Georgetown can not score, (for the love of god let hibbert/john wallace shoot 20 times a game john thompson III) Pitt has suffered a ton of injuries (no sympathy here) and Marquette... well just zone them! I have a better jumpshot than anyone on that team.
Everyone in conference play has at least two losses except georgetown (who would have two if scoop jardine didn't play 39 scoreless minutes. He also didn't get a rebound and his assist to turnover ratio was 1:4 in that game. Awful)and about six teams have three losses. The conference is still wide open and last year the orange caught fire out of nowhere. Call me optimistic, or call me crazy but don't give up on this team yet. There are still 11 conference games left! E-L-E-V-E-N out of 18. Maybe two weeks from now i will change my opinion but it is still to early to tell how this year is going to pan out seeing that the cuse, just like the whole conference is mediocre. Call me crazy, but just refer back to last years 16-8 squad. Can't say i saw that team winning 8 of it's last 10 games. So, anything is possible. I'm not saying that this squad can pull off that kind of a win streak, but this team has a lot more talent and potential than last year's team ever thought of having (they also have a 39 RPI and a 5 strength of schedule). Keep watching because you never know. It's college hoops baby! Cue dick vitale screaming.... o wait, he's still on the DL. "

" Here's a quick thought on the rest of the season for the orange. First of all, they are 3-4 in conference play and 13-7 overall. Last year, at an even later date the orange were 16-8 and 5-5 in league play before shocking everyone with an improbable winning streak to end the year which should have gotten them in the dance (insert remarks about that moron who ran the selection committe last year). Prior to that point the cuse looked a lot like this years team; pretty lousy. So with 11 of 18 conference games played their still is time. It does not look good for the orange, but it didn't last year either and they still gave us something to cheer about. The conference is still wide open since everyone has at least two losses except for georgetown. Furthermore, there are no great teams in the big east this year. All of them are just mediocre and very beatable (yes even g'town who would have lost monday if it was not for the worst single game performance I had ever seen: 0 points, 0 reb, 1 assist, 4 turns in 39 minutes for scoop jardine! Awful). Call me optimistic or call me crazy, but call me right because the cuse was in worst shape last year. Don't give up on this team yet. They have too much talent to go quietly the rest of the way.

P.S. Jonny Flynn is the best point guard in the big east and one of the top 10 point guards in the country. Period. "

" Now that's going to be a tough loss to get over.
Syracuse played its guts out against Georgetown but in the end, the senior-laden Hoyas stepped up defensively and forced the worn down Orange into taking some bad shots. Syracuse scored just two points in overtime and the ninth-ranked Hoyas survived, 64-62.
Some quick thoughts from the game:
- SU didn't record a field goal in the final seven-plus minutes. Good defense by the Hoyas? Sure. But it also shows how thin SU is. With no help off the bench, the Orange starters were running on empty in OT. Both Jonny Flynn and Donte Greene were cramping up on the floor. These guys had nothing left.
- How did Flynn's buzzer-beater not go down? That shot looked good all the way.
- For 40 minutes, I thought that was the best officiated game I'd seen in quite some time. The officials knew the play was going to be physical and they let the men duke it. But in overtime, Flynn gets absolutely murdered on a drive, no call, then they call a hand-check on Scoop Jardine at the other end of the court. A hand-check?! Are you kidding me. Even Jay Bilas was blown away by that call. You can't let guys push and shove all game then call a hand-check in overtime. That call led to two G'town free throws.
- I loved seeing Arinze in the high post. Boeheim has to do more of that -- Onuaku finished with a team-high five assists. The offense really started flowing when SU forced Hibbert to play A.O. out at the foul line. That's what opened up all the good looks for Donte and Jonny.
- Scoop's line: 0 points, 0 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 turnovers, 39 minutes. That may be the worst line I've ever seen.
- Syracuse did a tremendous job on the boards. Where was that intensity against Villanova? They out-rebounded the Hoyas 38-29.
- Anyone still think this rivalry is dead? Both teams played like their seasons were on the line (not really a stretch for the Orange). That game might as well have been played in 1985, when Syracuse and Georgetown really hated each other. It's good to see the rivalry has rekindled. I never really liked the fact that ESPN tried to turn Syracuse and Connecticut into arch rivals. It's always been SU-G'town.

Well, there's no such thing as moral victories, not in this game. Syracuse played well enough to win, but Georgetown made the (foul) shots when it counted.
Chalk this one up as a heart breaker.
It'll be a long six days before SU's next game.

Until then, I'll be watching Gus Johnson clips on YouTube. They never fail to fire me up.

- Ryan Day "

" I'm wondering what Boeheim thought about Paul Harris' admission that he didn't play hard for most of the Villanova game.
I'm guessing he didn't take it well.
Well, Harris better be ready for tonight's affair against fifth-ranked Georgetown. The Hoyas aren't unbeatable -- their offense tends to stall when Roy Hibbert isn't involved -- but defensively, they're one of the most aggressive teams in the country.
Syracuse will have to play its best basketball of the season if its going to have a chance in this one.
Donte Greene should be fresh -- he only played 23 minutes against Nova -- and Jonny Flynn is coming off back-to-back 20-point outings.
But these two freshman have never met an opponent as talented and as smart as the Hoyas.
The Orange offense should be able to keep them in the game, but the physical play could knock them right out of it. SU has virtually no depth so if the fouls start piling up, like they did on Saturday, there will be too many holes to plug.
Losers of three of their last four, SU desperately needs wins. One tonight would be big for two reasons -- it would look good on their NCAA resume and more importantly, it would bolster their confidence. But they'll need to grow up in a short period of time. There's no room for turnovers, foul trouble or pouting. If the Orange play like a bunch of freshman, this game will get out of hand quickly.

Dynasty11, thanks for the shout out to Jay Bilas and Bill "Onions" Raftery -- two of the best in the biz. Enjoy the game and keep throwing those diamonds up.

- Ryan Day "

" The cuse just continues to beat up on the bottom dwellers of the big east. I'm lookin for the orange to have a couple statement games against nova and g'town this saturday and monday. After their matchup with g'town on big monday (yes jay bilas and bill "onions" raftery) we will no a lot more about how the cuse will fare the rest of the season. Throw ur diamonds in the sky "

" FINAL: Syracuse 81-59
The two-game slide is over.
Behind Jonny Flynn's 24 points, the Orange dominated Rutgers to improve to 3-2 in the Big East.
While Flynn and Donte Greene (20 points) led the charge offensively, it was the SU defense that made the biggest statement.
The 59 points is the lowest for a Syracuse opponent this season.
More in tomorrow's paper.

- Ryan Day "

" I told ya man, get Yonny more shots and look what happened..... Granted, I could probably bank in a couple threes against this Rutgers D, but still, it's a W and even though they still didn't look all that sharp, it should at least build some confidence, of which they'll need plenty with Villanova and Georgetown looming......

And for the record, I was wrong about Chandler, but he did lead the team in scoring so that's got to count for somehthing, right?

Anyway, I'm just psyched to have the always satifactory Jay Bilas back on Saturday mornings. That and the Crosbinator and his troop are 9-0-1 in their last 10. Life is good... "

" HALFTIME -- Syracuse 38, Rutgers 22
The Orange finished the half on a 24-8 run. Jonny Flynn is leading the way with 13 points while Donte Greene has poured in 10 points.
Rutgers has done a pretty good job of making Syracuse look like a good defensive team -- the Scarlet Knights have 11 turnovers to just six assists.
The Syracuse guards are doing a good job of getting into the paint, something they weren't able to do against Cincinnati and West Virginia. Scoop Jardine, who was virtually unheard of the last two games, already has four assists and has fed Arinze Onuaku underneath for two monster dunks.
Overall, a good first half for the Orange. They're not relying on the 3 -- they've only taken three shots from behind the arc -- and they're dominating the boards with a 19-9 advantage. This game is exactly what Syracuse needed after sleep walking through their last two games.

- Ryan Day "

" Some Syracuse-Rutgers pregame notes:
- Rutgers' last two trips to the Dome resulted in two-point losses, 86-84 in 2006 and 63-61 in 2004.
- The Scarlet Knights are currently winless in the Big East and rank last in the conference in scoring, field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and assists.
- Despite averaging just 63.5 points per game in back-to-back road losses, the Orange are still leading the Big East in scoring offense (83.3).
- In the Rutgers media guide, there is a mission statement that reads "relentlessly pursue and win a BIG EAST Conference and National Championship."
Maybe they should change that to "finish the season .500 and make the Big East Tournament." Just a thought.

I'll be back at halftime for some updates.

- Ryan Day "

" Things I thought I was thinking while throwing up during Sunday's Cuse game...

1) Is it me or did Syracuse just forget how to rebound? It doesn't even look like they try half the time. Opponents are getting more second and third chances than Lindsay Lohan in rehab. 17 offensive boards to Cincinnati?? Come on.....

2) If the passing situation doesn't change, I fear Jim Boeheim might get angina. The rooks get all antsy-in-their-pantsy when they have the ball. That sort of stuff works against E. Tennesse St., but it just won't fly in the Big East. I love Yonny Flynn, but he's guilty of this one more than anyone else on the team. He needs to spot up more from behind the arc instead of forcing the ball. He only attempted three trey's against WVU....

2b) Speaking of the Big East, can I just say that I loved watching Roy Hibbert drain that triple with time running out to beat the Huskies on Saturday? ONIONS! Any day that UConn loses is a good day in my book.....

3) This one's backtracking to one of your earlier posts, but Josh Wright? Josh freakin Wright? As far as I'm concerned, he should pretty much just go tuck himself in, never to be heard from again. As a fan, I don't want him back, so I can just imagine what his teammates think of him....

Just think, only five Syracuse losses until Lost comes back on. Good call with the American Gladiators in the meantime. You know brother, it's terrific television, but you do realize it's on at the same time as the G'town-Pitt game tonight. I hope you have DVR...or a VCR if that's more your style.....

Get all over it! "

" Three thoughts from the SU-WVa game:
1. The flashy pass isn't always the best pass. Syracuse is a good passing team, usually, but if I see another behind-the-back, no-look pass, I fear I may start gradually morphing into Stephen A. Smith. No more passes through traffic. No more one-handed, cross-court lasers. With the youth on this team, they've got to take better care of the rock - and that starts with making the simple pass. SU isn't going to win any games with Jonny Flynn picking up one assist to go with six turnovers.
2. Donte Greene jacks up a lot of shots and you better learn to deal with it. He's obviously got the green light from Boeheim, plus he can get his shot off over anybody. His looks aren't always high-percentage, but seriously, who would you rather have shooting? I'm getting sick of these announcers complaining about Greene's shot selection. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. WATCH SOME GAME FILM. Donte has been taking these shots all year. And guess what...he's the Big East's leading scorer. It's not always pretty. And yes, Greene does make you shake your head a lot. But he's a scorer. He wasn't recruited for his defense. Someone needs to remind Mike Jarvis of this, he ripped Greene the entire game for his decision-making. But, I suppose if Jarvis knew what he was talking about, he'd still be coaching.
3. On more of a positive note, while watching the game I got to thinking - SU isn't going to have enough minutes to go around next year. Hypothetically, let us assume that Greene goes pro, that still leaves us with a starting five of Flynn, Devendorf, Rautins, Harris and Onuaku. The reserves would be Jackson, Scoop, Ongenaet and possibly incoming freshman Mookie Jones (who probably should start), Kris Joseph and James Southerland. Barring injuries, that is one deep team. I seriously don't see how Scoop plays more than 15-20 minutes a game. Oh well, I guess it's not a bad problem to have.
And, a final note, I have a college buddy that works for MSG,NY and he told me to watch out for Mookie Jones. He saw him play a couple times at Peekskill and was legitimately impressed each time. This is important because a) my buddy hates Syracuse so I'm sure it killed him to tell me this, and b) he is a college hoops genius. When he tells me something, I listen.
Me, I'm just excited to watch a team with both a Scoop and a Mookie. You'll never know if the crowd is booing or chanting their name. Should be fun.

SU's next home game is Wednesday vs. Rutgers. I'll be providing thoughts from the Carrier Dome during halftime and directly following the game, so check back here for that.

Until then, enjoy American Gladiators.

-Ryan Day


"

" And you thought Syracuse played poorly.
Thursday night, the West Virginia Mountaineers stunk up the joint at Louisville. SU's next opponent shot just 36 percent from the floor, converted just 24 percent of their 3s and scored a season-low 54 points while taking the loss.
Of course, you know what this means.
On Sunday, West Virginia will shoot the lights out against SU. They'll be angry about the Louisville loss and they'll be fired up by their home crowd. And if that isn't enough motivation, Huggy Bear could threaten to take away their seats in the locker room.
Don't laugh, he's done it before.
Sunday's game will either be a blowout -- the Mountaineers just whooped on No. 11 Marquette at home -- or it'll be a barnburner.
Seriously, this could be a "first one to 100" game.
I'm rather giddy for this one.

In another note, Josh Wright is making an attempt to return to the basketball team.
I know Syracuse is thin and inexperienced, but c'mon. Josh Wright is not only a mediocre basketball player (translation: he can make wide-open lay-ups when there's no one else around), but he bailed on his teammates.
Forget about Jim Boeheim letting him back on the team, I don't think the players would allow it.
I for one know a couple players in the Syracuse locker room who had a few choice words for JW after his exodus.
I believe the term "quitter" was tossed around quite frequently.
For the good of the team, this better be a rumor and nothing more.

- Ryan Day
"

" D-Nice is back!
After a nine-game stint in the NBA Developmental League, Demetris Nichols was recalled by the Chicago Bulls and is back in the Association. Nichols' NBDL numbers (21.9 points, 5.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds) are quite similar to the staggering stats he put up last year at 'Cuse.
In just three NBA games -- all for the Cavaliers -- D-Nic made just one of eight field-goal attempts in 15 minutes of play.
Personally, I was shocked the Knicks and Cavs couldn't find room on their roster for Nichols. He may have had a less than impressive debut, but every team needs a sharpshooter off the bench, plus D-Nic is a proven scorer with some height.
The Bulls need 3-point shooting desperately -- they're converting just 32.7 percent from downtown.
Here's to hoping that D-Nic's stay in the bigs is a long and successful one.
The Bulls host the Knicks tonight at 8:30 p.m.
"

" hey i don't know if it is just me but i thought a say you at chilis the other day. is that a frequent stop of yours cause i haven't read it in any of your columns. great opening blog by the way i couldn't agree more "

" It's not the size of the dog in the fight...
Nobody knows this better than Paul Harris.
Listed at 6-5, the Syracuse sophomore is third in the Big East at 9.6 rebounds per game.
That's 3.6 more rebounds per game than Roy Hibbert is averaging. Georgetown's seven-footer was the preseason player of the year in the Big East, but his numbers (11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds) are mediocre at best. Even SU's Arinze Onuaku (14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds) is dominating Hibbert in the stat column.
Is it just me, or should Hibbert be pulling down 10 rebounds a game with his eyes closed.
I guess it doesn't matter -- no matter what numbers he puts up, Hibbert will be cashing a seven-figure paycheck in about six months. As for Harris, he doesn't really have a position on the floor but his strength and nose for the ball will guarantee himself a spot in any lineup.
Last week's Big East player of the week is leading the league in double-doubles (8) and has been a large factor in the Orange's six-game win streak.
But I have to ask, if Harris was 6-7 or 6-8, how many boards would he average?
I had three responses to this question.
Twelve or thirteen.
Fifteen.
Twenty rebounds and two shattered backboards. Per game that is.
- Ryan Day "