sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
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Welcome to National Candy Corn Day!
Candy Corn Day celebrates candy corn, the corn kernel shaped candy often eaten during Halloween and throughout the autumn months. The candy is multicolored, with a broad yellow end, tapered orange middle, and white tip, and is usually made from sugar, corn syrup, confectioner's wax, coloring, and binders. It began being manufactured in the 1880's by the Wunderlee Candy Company, and was originally called "Chicken Feed." At that time candy corn was marketed to rural residents. Around the turn of the 20th century, the Goelitz Confectionery Company—now known as Jelly Belly—began making candy corn. Today's recipe for candy corn is basically the same as it was when it was invented, except at that time the candy was made by hand, which is no longer the case
SU News
Syracuse basketball recruiting target Quincy Guerrier picks college this week (PS; Ditota)
Syracuse basketball recruiting target Quincy Guerrier did a brief Instagram live interview Monday evening with Joseph Tipton of tiptonedits.com.
Guerrier, a 4-star small forward who plays at Thetford Academy in Canada, has narrowed his list of potential college destinations to three schools and will announce his choice on Wednesday. It will be either Oregon, Illinois or Syracuse. Guerrier has made official visits to all of those schools.
The 6-foot-7 Guerrier is from Montreal. Thetford Academy, he said, is about 2-1/2 hours from his hometown.
Here's what Guerrier said about each of his official visits (in the order he discussed them):
Oregon: "I came there with my mom and my coach. My mom was amazed by Oregon because they had great facilities. The environment is crazy. The Nike gear -- all the Jordans and all that stuff, because the guy from Nike came to Oregon. I think it's the No. 1 school in terms of gear. I went to a football game. Crazy. Crazy environment. I had a chance to play with the guys, like Bol Bol, Miles Norris, all those guys. I played against them like two years ago when I was playing with CIA Bounce in EYBL. During the night, I was chilling with the guys, playing some Fortnite games, that kind of stuff."
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2017 Recap, 2018 Outlook — 2018 Syracuse Basketball preview - The Juice Online (the juice; Stechchulte)
The 2017-2018 Syracuse team was about as far as you can get from the preceding year’s version while getting a fairly similar end result. Instead of a high-powered offense and a struggling defense, last year’s Orange used the opposite formula, ending the season as one of the tougher defensive teams in the nation, but also a group that struggled for long stretches on offense. That defensive-minded group ended the regular season with a similar record as the previous season, but unlike the offensive-minded bunch, were granted a spot in the NCAA Tournament’s First Four.
That is when the Orange played arguably their best basketball of the season, putting together three tight wins, including a 55-53 upset of Michigan State to earn a spot in the Sweet Sixteen. Duke was SU’s next opponent and the Blue Devils had enough to hold off Syracuse, 69-65, and end Syracuse’s season with a final record of 23-14.
The offseason was relatively quiet with the only true suspense coming when Tyus Battle declared for the NBA draft. Battle, however, did not sign with an agent and eventually opted to return to Syracuse. There was one departure from the roster, however, as Matthew Moyer, who became the odd man out of the lineup after suffering a midseason ankle injury, transferred to Vanderbilt.
Moyer’s departure, however, does not change the fact that the Orange return all five starters from those three NCAA Tourney wins. Battle, who fell just short of Preseason All-American First Team honors coming into this season, but did claim a nice consolation prize in First Team All-ACC honors, headlines this season’s squad.
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7 things that stand out in KenPom's preseason college basketball rankings | NCAA.com (ncaa.com; Boozell)
The preseason AP poll was released last Monday. But for a more statistical, scientific approach, let’s break down Ken Pomeroy’s preseason college basketball rankings.
Here are seven things that stand out.
Syracuse is ranked eighth
Syracuse is ranked 16th in the AP Poll, but KenPom's projection model is higher on the Orange than those voters.
The defense is the main reason why. KenPom projects the Orange to have the No. 3 defense in the country; they finished fifth on that end last year. The offense is a bit of a question mark, but Jim Boeheim has ideal personnel for his 2-3 zone. These guys are long, smart and athletic. Oshae Brissett looks like he was born to play in this system. Paschal Chukwu has offensive limitations, but he's one of the best rim protectors in the country. Tyus Battle and Frank Howard are active and intuitive up top.
KenPom expects Syracuse to finish 17th in offense this year. That's a bit surprising. The Orange finished 135th on that side last year. They return all of the same personnel while competitors are losing key players, so Syracuse should certainly improve. And it has the talent to finish in the top 20 on offense; the Orange made the Sweet 16 and looked much more comfortable on that end down the stretch.
But they'll need to cut down on turnovers and shoot a higher percentage from 3 in order to reach that clip. Regardless of all that, Syracuse looks like it could have a big season despite playing in a loaded ACC.
KenPom isn't as high on Gonzaga as AP voters
KenPom takes strength of schedule into account, which hurts Gonzaga even though it runs through the WCC year after year. The Bulldogs were ranked third in the AP Poll and check in at No. 9 in KenPom's rankings.
The truth is, after Kansas and Kentucky, you could make arguments to place teams three through 10 in whatever order you want. We know Gonzaga is going to be good. It lost Johnathan Williams, but any team that returns Josh Perkins, Zach Norvell, Killian Tillie and Rui Hachimura is going to be good. Throw in the fact that Mark Few is their coach and they play in the WCC, and this team is going to pile up a ton of wins.
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Is Boeheim Squeezing The Orange Dry? (dukebasketballreport.com; Jacobs)
For the second straight season a Syracuse player paced the league in floor time. In this case it was Tyus Battle, the ACC’s top returning scorer and a sure first team All-ACC selection. Last year he made second team.
Syracuse has been in the conference for five years and at least one of its players ranked among the top two in minutes played in each of those seasons. The 2018 Orange were the most extreme example of that habit, with three of the league leaders in average time spent on the court.
The Orange contended immediately for a spot in the upper echelon upon entering the league, finishing second in 2014. Mostly, though, despite their Hall of Fame coach and their tradition, they’ve been mediocre at best. The Cuse finished 8th in the league in 2015, tied for 9th in 2016, tied for 7th with two other teams in 2017, and tied Notre Dame for 10th last season at 8-10.
In other words, not particularly noteworthy other than a surprise Final Four trip in 2016 and a questionable spot ahead of the injury-riddled Fighting Irish in the ’18 NCAA tournament.
It’s reasonable to wonder if fatigue, pushing key performers to their physical limits game after game, might be a factor in limiting Syracuse’s success.
Battle’s average minutes played in 2018 were the most by any league performer since Virginia guard Curtis Staples accumulated 39.1 minutes per outing in 1998.
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Syracuse Basketball, Jim Boeheim, Buddy Boeheim - ACCSports.com (accsports.com; audio; Geisinger)
From ACC Operation Basketball, Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim joined The David Glenn Show to discuss all things hoops: this year’s roster, which has Final Four aspirations; the NBA decisions of Tyus Battle and Darius Bazley; coaching his son, Buddy; and the addition of Elijah Hughes to the rotation.
The preseason ACC poll isn’t high on Miami, but the computers are optimistic (miamiherald.com; Wilson)
Every year since Jim Larranaga took over as the Miami Hurricanes’ coach in 2011, Miami has exceeded expectations. Wherever the Hurricanes have landed in the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason media poll, Larranaga and Co. have lifted Miami at least one spot higher by the end of the season.
The bar isn’t very high this season. At ACC media day Wednesday, members of the media in attendance collectively picked Miami to finish 10th in the conference this upcoming season, which would match the 2013-14 season for the Hurricanes’ worst under Larranaga.
Nationally, however, expectations are a bit different for Miami, which is coming off three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The Hurricanes are receiving votes in both of the major polls, hovering around the top 30 in most computer rankings and sitting comfortably inside the top 25 in some individual prognostications.
No major college basketball ranking system is more optimistic about Miami than the Pomeroy College Basketball Rankings, located at kenpom.com. The algorithm created by Ken Pomeroy has become one of the most popular predictive rankings in recent years and the math favors the Hurricanes in the preseason. Miami opens the year as kenpom’s No. 21 team, behind the Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina Tar Heels, Virginia Cavaliers, Syracuse Orange, Clemson Tigers and Florida State Seminoles in the ACC.
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ACC Preview #12 - Georgia Tech (dukebasketballreport.com; King)
Josh Pastner has had a bizarre year. About this time last year, he saw longtime friend Ron Bell turn on him, publishing photos of Georgia Tech basketball players Josh Okogie and Tadric Jackson at his Arizona home and telling the NCAA that he paid for their flights.
Suspensions followed but it got worse: Bell’s girlfriend, Jennifer Pendley, accused Pastner of sexual assault and in fairly lurid terms.
It took awhile for that to sort out but it seems clear now that Bell was acting with malice and no assault happened.
Still, the suspensions had an effect on last season as did an injury to big man Ben Lammers.
Now, Lammers, Okogie and Jackson are all gone and Georgia Tech, in many respects, is starting over.
Lammers ended up as a superb defensive center, blocking shots and rebounding as well as just about anyone. He could score a bit too. That guy made himself into a really good player.
Jackson is a minor loss but not Okogie, who was drafted #20 by Minnesota. Okogie was sensational for the Yellow Jackets and he’ll be hard to replace.
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College basketball: ACC teams finding strength in outside players this season | NCAA.com (ncaa.com; Iacobelli)
ACC teams are taking flight from the wing this season, where many of the league's best players can be found.
From top contenders like Duke and North Carolina and throughout the entire league, there's a glut of talented players comfortable playing outside that are expected to light up the Atlantic Coast Conference this season.
Lucas: Little Making HIs Own Namehttps://t.co/BXX7ds39hq pic.twitter.com/Hf2N60ucPN
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) October 26, 2018
Ty Battle, the 6-foot-7 Syracuse junior who averaged 19 points a game last year, is anxious to up his game after passing on the NBA for another college year. He figures to make the all-ACC preseason team when it's announced Thursday, a list that should include plenty of guards and small forwards ready to make an impact.
The list of talented perimeter players includes:
— The Blue Devils' trio of mid-range freshmen — all among the top 10 college prospects in last year's recruiting cycle, 6-8 Cam Reddish, 6-7 R.J. Barrett and 6-7 Zion Williamson.
— The Tar Heels combo guards, 6-9 Cam Johnson and 6-4 Kenny Williams and 6-8 forward Luke Maye.
— Defending ACC champion Virginia features a pair of double-digit scorers, 6-2 Kyle Guy and 6-5 Ty Jerome.
Monster stat line for @RjBarrett6 today:
32 points, 9 boards, 4 dimes. 11-18 FG, 4-7 3pt.
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NC State’s Keatts: ‘I am excited where we are at right now’ (thestate,com; video; Hyman)
NC State coach Kevin Keatts talks about the Wolfpack's exhibition victory over Chowan at PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC Monday, Oct. 29, 2018.
ACC Basketball Preview: Florida State - RedCup News (redcupnews.com; Norris)
With only a three-game drop off from their former season, the Florida State Seminoles have had a good stretch of basketball seasons. The Seminoles now look to stay up in tier, while also improving at the same time. And to sweeten the stock, the FSU team is looking up to be all the hype it is brewing to be.
Returning Players:
The Seminoles retrieve 4 of their 5 starters from the 2017-18 season. This means that the chemistry among FSU this year should be heightened over other years. They get back a guard in Terance Martin, forwards with Barian Angola-Rodas and Phil Cofer, and a center in Christ Koumadje. Each of these players averaged over 4-rebounds per game last year. These four should provide a good balance on all fronts of play. The forwards, also, give a good base of scoring combining for (25.1) points a game. There is no reason that this Florida State team should have any problems with running the court they want to this year.
Incoming Players:
The Seminoles had a lack-luster class this summer only bringing in one recruit. This sole recruit would be Devin Vassell, a 4-star recruit out of Suwanee, Georgia. Vassell was a good floor spreader in high school and provided good scoring for his team. Also, Vassell was a top-10 player in the whole state of Georgia during his recruitment. I think we will see Florida State to try to flex him into a smaller guard, more at the point, or build around him at shooting guard.
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Duke men’s basketball 2018-19 player preview: Alex O'Connell (dukechronicle.com; Landa)
Height: 6-foot-6
Position: Guard
Last year’s statline: 3.3 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 10.4 MPG
Game Breakdown:While O’Connell showed flashes of potential from time to time in his freshman year, he struggled to cement a meaningful spot in a thin rotation filled with one-and-done freshmen and Grayson Allen. After getting only 11 total minutes in the first two ACC games, the Georgia native made the most of his first true conference opportunity in a blowout win over Pittsburgh, scoring eight points on three-of-three shooting, including two three-pointers. He followed that game with his highest-scoring performance of the year, posting 13 points, but was unable to carry the momentum through the rest of ACC play. As a result, O’Connell played double-digit minutes in only four of the final 17 games.
O’Connell’s game revolves around consistent perimeter shooting, freak athleticism, and high energy play. The lengthy guard finished his freshman season with a sensational 49-percent mark from beyond the arc on 45 attempts and posted a quality 47-percent field-goal percentage. He provides a jolt of energy off the bench with his offensive skillset and high motor. While O’Connell is a proven perimeter threat, he did struggle to get into the lane at times, due to his thin frame. Most of the short-comings in O’Connell’s game, however, come on the defensive side of the ball, where the freshman had trouble defending the ball and containing the shifty guards of the ACC.
Role on the Team: With another year under his belt, a few extra pounds of muscle, and an entirely different roster around him that lacks perimeter shooting, O’Connell figures to play a much larger role in the rotation in his sophomore season. While the sophomore will still have to prove he is not a defensive liability, with spot-shooter Jack White serving as his primary competitor for minutes, it is still a safe bet to say that O’Connell will see a large bump in minutes.
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Putting the 16 teams with a realistic shot at winning the 2019 NCAA Tournament title into tiers (cbssports.com; Norlander)
Kansas
Breakdown: With KU's annual ownership of the Big 12 (if you've lost count, it's going for 15 straight regular season titles, which shouldn't be possible in the material world), it gets tough to sort one really, really good Jayhawks team from another really, really good Jayhawks team as the years go on. But this one truly could be a top-five Kansas crew under Bill Self. Even with the college basketball corruption trial becoming an appendage to the Kansas story of 2018-19 (Silvio De Sousa is indefinitely on leave because of what was uncovered in federal court), the Jayhawks have a stock of veteran talent up front and promising freshmen in the backcourt. Dedric Lawson, who came by way of Memphis, will join forces with Udoka Azubuike to make up what might be the most intimidating 1-2 big man combo in college basketball. Flashy guard Quentin Grimes is likely one-and-done, while Lagerald Vick is back for his senior season. This should be a better team on defense than the one from last season ... which made the Final Four.
Stat to know: The Jayhawks have 10 guaranteed or potential matchups during the regular season against teams that are reasonably projected to finish first or second in their conference: Michigan State, Vermont, Louisiana, Tennessee, Marquette, Wofford, New Mexico State, Villanova, South Dakota and Kentucky. And this doesn't even include the road game against Arizona State.
Gonzaga
Breakdown: The Bulldogs haven't had a team this thin on robust big men in a while. Killian Tillie, Rui Hachimura and San Jose State transfer Brandon Clarke are all forwards, but none are thighs-thick-as-watermelon bigs. Zags coach Mark Few told me recently that he's curious to see how his team plays given its unconventional rotation early on, but he and everyone else knows that Gonzaga's set to be elite this season. The Bulldogs have four of the 50 best players in the sport as far as we're concerned. With Hachimura much improved on defense and the team only losing two key players from last season, Gonzaga has a very good chance to do something that's very hard to do: finish top-10 in offensive and defensive efficiency. Doing that puts you at or near the top of the national title conversation, no matter what team you are. This team is going to spend some weeks at No. 1 in the polls this season.
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Other
CNY's best steak: And the winners are... (PS; Pucci)
And the winners are:
Judges' Choice: TS Steakhouse at Turning Stone in Verona.
Readers' Choice: Daniella's Steakhouse in Geddes.
The judging panel included Best of CNY and Upstate New York writer and critic Jacob Pucci; managing producer Charlie Miller and beef experts Mike and Lynda Foster, owners of Shepard Settlement Farm in Marcellus.
The criteria
Taste: The steak had to be, for the lack of a better word, beefy, with an unctuous richness of high quality, well-marbled beef. The subtle tang and earthiness from a dry-aged steak was more than welcome too.
Texture/Tenderness: Of course we wanted a tender steak without too much gristle. But we also wanted a bit of a crisp crust from the char. Flabby, pale steak is just bad eating.
Appearance/Presentation: Proper doneness was paramount here. All our steaks were ordered rare to medium-rare as to let the beef shine brightest. We didn't want overcooked steaks, nor did we want steaks with so much exterior char that it tasted like a charcoal briquette.
We visited each restaurant unannounced on a different day over two weeks. We paid for our own meals. And they were worth every penny.
Our final ranking was based off our impressions of the steak alone, but other considerations, including service, ambiance, quality of other dishes we tried and value, were noted.
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Candy Corn Day celebrates candy corn, the corn kernel shaped candy often eaten during Halloween and throughout the autumn months. The candy is multicolored, with a broad yellow end, tapered orange middle, and white tip, and is usually made from sugar, corn syrup, confectioner's wax, coloring, and binders. It began being manufactured in the 1880's by the Wunderlee Candy Company, and was originally called "Chicken Feed." At that time candy corn was marketed to rural residents. Around the turn of the 20th century, the Goelitz Confectionery Company—now known as Jelly Belly—began making candy corn. Today's recipe for candy corn is basically the same as it was when it was invented, except at that time the candy was made by hand, which is no longer the case
SU News
Syracuse basketball recruiting target Quincy Guerrier picks college this week (PS; Ditota)
Syracuse basketball recruiting target Quincy Guerrier did a brief Instagram live interview Monday evening with Joseph Tipton of tiptonedits.com.
Guerrier, a 4-star small forward who plays at Thetford Academy in Canada, has narrowed his list of potential college destinations to three schools and will announce his choice on Wednesday. It will be either Oregon, Illinois or Syracuse. Guerrier has made official visits to all of those schools.
The 6-foot-7 Guerrier is from Montreal. Thetford Academy, he said, is about 2-1/2 hours from his hometown.
Here's what Guerrier said about each of his official visits (in the order he discussed them):
Oregon: "I came there with my mom and my coach. My mom was amazed by Oregon because they had great facilities. The environment is crazy. The Nike gear -- all the Jordans and all that stuff, because the guy from Nike came to Oregon. I think it's the No. 1 school in terms of gear. I went to a football game. Crazy. Crazy environment. I had a chance to play with the guys, like Bol Bol, Miles Norris, all those guys. I played against them like two years ago when I was playing with CIA Bounce in EYBL. During the night, I was chilling with the guys, playing some Fortnite games, that kind of stuff."
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2017 Recap, 2018 Outlook — 2018 Syracuse Basketball preview - The Juice Online (the juice; Stechchulte)
The 2017-2018 Syracuse team was about as far as you can get from the preceding year’s version while getting a fairly similar end result. Instead of a high-powered offense and a struggling defense, last year’s Orange used the opposite formula, ending the season as one of the tougher defensive teams in the nation, but also a group that struggled for long stretches on offense. That defensive-minded group ended the regular season with a similar record as the previous season, but unlike the offensive-minded bunch, were granted a spot in the NCAA Tournament’s First Four.
That is when the Orange played arguably their best basketball of the season, putting together three tight wins, including a 55-53 upset of Michigan State to earn a spot in the Sweet Sixteen. Duke was SU’s next opponent and the Blue Devils had enough to hold off Syracuse, 69-65, and end Syracuse’s season with a final record of 23-14.
The offseason was relatively quiet with the only true suspense coming when Tyus Battle declared for the NBA draft. Battle, however, did not sign with an agent and eventually opted to return to Syracuse. There was one departure from the roster, however, as Matthew Moyer, who became the odd man out of the lineup after suffering a midseason ankle injury, transferred to Vanderbilt.
Moyer’s departure, however, does not change the fact that the Orange return all five starters from those three NCAA Tourney wins. Battle, who fell just short of Preseason All-American First Team honors coming into this season, but did claim a nice consolation prize in First Team All-ACC honors, headlines this season’s squad.
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7 things that stand out in KenPom's preseason college basketball rankings | NCAA.com (ncaa.com; Boozell)
The preseason AP poll was released last Monday. But for a more statistical, scientific approach, let’s break down Ken Pomeroy’s preseason college basketball rankings.
Here are seven things that stand out.
Syracuse is ranked eighth
Syracuse is ranked 16th in the AP Poll, but KenPom's projection model is higher on the Orange than those voters.
The defense is the main reason why. KenPom projects the Orange to have the No. 3 defense in the country; they finished fifth on that end last year. The offense is a bit of a question mark, but Jim Boeheim has ideal personnel for his 2-3 zone. These guys are long, smart and athletic. Oshae Brissett looks like he was born to play in this system. Paschal Chukwu has offensive limitations, but he's one of the best rim protectors in the country. Tyus Battle and Frank Howard are active and intuitive up top.
KenPom expects Syracuse to finish 17th in offense this year. That's a bit surprising. The Orange finished 135th on that side last year. They return all of the same personnel while competitors are losing key players, so Syracuse should certainly improve. And it has the talent to finish in the top 20 on offense; the Orange made the Sweet 16 and looked much more comfortable on that end down the stretch.
But they'll need to cut down on turnovers and shoot a higher percentage from 3 in order to reach that clip. Regardless of all that, Syracuse looks like it could have a big season despite playing in a loaded ACC.
KenPom isn't as high on Gonzaga as AP voters
KenPom takes strength of schedule into account, which hurts Gonzaga even though it runs through the WCC year after year. The Bulldogs were ranked third in the AP Poll and check in at No. 9 in KenPom's rankings.
The truth is, after Kansas and Kentucky, you could make arguments to place teams three through 10 in whatever order you want. We know Gonzaga is going to be good. It lost Johnathan Williams, but any team that returns Josh Perkins, Zach Norvell, Killian Tillie and Rui Hachimura is going to be good. Throw in the fact that Mark Few is their coach and they play in the WCC, and this team is going to pile up a ton of wins.
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Is Boeheim Squeezing The Orange Dry? (dukebasketballreport.com; Jacobs)
For the second straight season a Syracuse player paced the league in floor time. In this case it was Tyus Battle, the ACC’s top returning scorer and a sure first team All-ACC selection. Last year he made second team.
Syracuse has been in the conference for five years and at least one of its players ranked among the top two in minutes played in each of those seasons. The 2018 Orange were the most extreme example of that habit, with three of the league leaders in average time spent on the court.
The Orange contended immediately for a spot in the upper echelon upon entering the league, finishing second in 2014. Mostly, though, despite their Hall of Fame coach and their tradition, they’ve been mediocre at best. The Cuse finished 8th in the league in 2015, tied for 9th in 2016, tied for 7th with two other teams in 2017, and tied Notre Dame for 10th last season at 8-10.
In other words, not particularly noteworthy other than a surprise Final Four trip in 2016 and a questionable spot ahead of the injury-riddled Fighting Irish in the ’18 NCAA tournament.
It’s reasonable to wonder if fatigue, pushing key performers to their physical limits game after game, might be a factor in limiting Syracuse’s success.
Battle’s average minutes played in 2018 were the most by any league performer since Virginia guard Curtis Staples accumulated 39.1 minutes per outing in 1998.
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Syracuse Basketball, Jim Boeheim, Buddy Boeheim - ACCSports.com (accsports.com; audio; Geisinger)
From ACC Operation Basketball, Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim joined The David Glenn Show to discuss all things hoops: this year’s roster, which has Final Four aspirations; the NBA decisions of Tyus Battle and Darius Bazley; coaching his son, Buddy; and the addition of Elijah Hughes to the rotation.
The preseason ACC poll isn’t high on Miami, but the computers are optimistic (miamiherald.com; Wilson)
Every year since Jim Larranaga took over as the Miami Hurricanes’ coach in 2011, Miami has exceeded expectations. Wherever the Hurricanes have landed in the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason media poll, Larranaga and Co. have lifted Miami at least one spot higher by the end of the season.
The bar isn’t very high this season. At ACC media day Wednesday, members of the media in attendance collectively picked Miami to finish 10th in the conference this upcoming season, which would match the 2013-14 season for the Hurricanes’ worst under Larranaga.
Nationally, however, expectations are a bit different for Miami, which is coming off three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The Hurricanes are receiving votes in both of the major polls, hovering around the top 30 in most computer rankings and sitting comfortably inside the top 25 in some individual prognostications.
No major college basketball ranking system is more optimistic about Miami than the Pomeroy College Basketball Rankings, located at kenpom.com. The algorithm created by Ken Pomeroy has become one of the most popular predictive rankings in recent years and the math favors the Hurricanes in the preseason. Miami opens the year as kenpom’s No. 21 team, behind the Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina Tar Heels, Virginia Cavaliers, Syracuse Orange, Clemson Tigers and Florida State Seminoles in the ACC.
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ACC Preview #12 - Georgia Tech (dukebasketballreport.com; King)
Josh Pastner has had a bizarre year. About this time last year, he saw longtime friend Ron Bell turn on him, publishing photos of Georgia Tech basketball players Josh Okogie and Tadric Jackson at his Arizona home and telling the NCAA that he paid for their flights.
Suspensions followed but it got worse: Bell’s girlfriend, Jennifer Pendley, accused Pastner of sexual assault and in fairly lurid terms.
It took awhile for that to sort out but it seems clear now that Bell was acting with malice and no assault happened.
Still, the suspensions had an effect on last season as did an injury to big man Ben Lammers.
Now, Lammers, Okogie and Jackson are all gone and Georgia Tech, in many respects, is starting over.
Lammers ended up as a superb defensive center, blocking shots and rebounding as well as just about anyone. He could score a bit too. That guy made himself into a really good player.
Jackson is a minor loss but not Okogie, who was drafted #20 by Minnesota. Okogie was sensational for the Yellow Jackets and he’ll be hard to replace.
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College basketball: ACC teams finding strength in outside players this season | NCAA.com (ncaa.com; Iacobelli)
ACC teams are taking flight from the wing this season, where many of the league's best players can be found.
From top contenders like Duke and North Carolina and throughout the entire league, there's a glut of talented players comfortable playing outside that are expected to light up the Atlantic Coast Conference this season.
Lucas: Little Making HIs Own Namehttps://t.co/BXX7ds39hq pic.twitter.com/Hf2N60ucPN
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) October 26, 2018
Ty Battle, the 6-foot-7 Syracuse junior who averaged 19 points a game last year, is anxious to up his game after passing on the NBA for another college year. He figures to make the all-ACC preseason team when it's announced Thursday, a list that should include plenty of guards and small forwards ready to make an impact.
The list of talented perimeter players includes:
— The Blue Devils' trio of mid-range freshmen — all among the top 10 college prospects in last year's recruiting cycle, 6-8 Cam Reddish, 6-7 R.J. Barrett and 6-7 Zion Williamson.
— The Tar Heels combo guards, 6-9 Cam Johnson and 6-4 Kenny Williams and 6-8 forward Luke Maye.
— Defending ACC champion Virginia features a pair of double-digit scorers, 6-2 Kyle Guy and 6-5 Ty Jerome.
Monster stat line for @RjBarrett6 today:
32 points, 9 boards, 4 dimes. 11-18 FG, 4-7 3pt.
...
NC State’s Keatts: ‘I am excited where we are at right now’ (thestate,com; video; Hyman)
NC State coach Kevin Keatts talks about the Wolfpack's exhibition victory over Chowan at PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC Monday, Oct. 29, 2018.
ACC Basketball Preview: Florida State - RedCup News (redcupnews.com; Norris)
With only a three-game drop off from their former season, the Florida State Seminoles have had a good stretch of basketball seasons. The Seminoles now look to stay up in tier, while also improving at the same time. And to sweeten the stock, the FSU team is looking up to be all the hype it is brewing to be.
Returning Players:
The Seminoles retrieve 4 of their 5 starters from the 2017-18 season. This means that the chemistry among FSU this year should be heightened over other years. They get back a guard in Terance Martin, forwards with Barian Angola-Rodas and Phil Cofer, and a center in Christ Koumadje. Each of these players averaged over 4-rebounds per game last year. These four should provide a good balance on all fronts of play. The forwards, also, give a good base of scoring combining for (25.1) points a game. There is no reason that this Florida State team should have any problems with running the court they want to this year.
Incoming Players:
The Seminoles had a lack-luster class this summer only bringing in one recruit. This sole recruit would be Devin Vassell, a 4-star recruit out of Suwanee, Georgia. Vassell was a good floor spreader in high school and provided good scoring for his team. Also, Vassell was a top-10 player in the whole state of Georgia during his recruitment. I think we will see Florida State to try to flex him into a smaller guard, more at the point, or build around him at shooting guard.
...
Duke men’s basketball 2018-19 player preview: Alex O'Connell (dukechronicle.com; Landa)
Height: 6-foot-6
Position: Guard
Last year’s statline: 3.3 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 10.4 MPG
Game Breakdown:While O’Connell showed flashes of potential from time to time in his freshman year, he struggled to cement a meaningful spot in a thin rotation filled with one-and-done freshmen and Grayson Allen. After getting only 11 total minutes in the first two ACC games, the Georgia native made the most of his first true conference opportunity in a blowout win over Pittsburgh, scoring eight points on three-of-three shooting, including two three-pointers. He followed that game with his highest-scoring performance of the year, posting 13 points, but was unable to carry the momentum through the rest of ACC play. As a result, O’Connell played double-digit minutes in only four of the final 17 games.
O’Connell’s game revolves around consistent perimeter shooting, freak athleticism, and high energy play. The lengthy guard finished his freshman season with a sensational 49-percent mark from beyond the arc on 45 attempts and posted a quality 47-percent field-goal percentage. He provides a jolt of energy off the bench with his offensive skillset and high motor. While O’Connell is a proven perimeter threat, he did struggle to get into the lane at times, due to his thin frame. Most of the short-comings in O’Connell’s game, however, come on the defensive side of the ball, where the freshman had trouble defending the ball and containing the shifty guards of the ACC.
Role on the Team: With another year under his belt, a few extra pounds of muscle, and an entirely different roster around him that lacks perimeter shooting, O’Connell figures to play a much larger role in the rotation in his sophomore season. While the sophomore will still have to prove he is not a defensive liability, with spot-shooter Jack White serving as his primary competitor for minutes, it is still a safe bet to say that O’Connell will see a large bump in minutes.
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Putting the 16 teams with a realistic shot at winning the 2019 NCAA Tournament title into tiers (cbssports.com; Norlander)
Kansas
Breakdown: With KU's annual ownership of the Big 12 (if you've lost count, it's going for 15 straight regular season titles, which shouldn't be possible in the material world), it gets tough to sort one really, really good Jayhawks team from another really, really good Jayhawks team as the years go on. But this one truly could be a top-five Kansas crew under Bill Self. Even with the college basketball corruption trial becoming an appendage to the Kansas story of 2018-19 (Silvio De Sousa is indefinitely on leave because of what was uncovered in federal court), the Jayhawks have a stock of veteran talent up front and promising freshmen in the backcourt. Dedric Lawson, who came by way of Memphis, will join forces with Udoka Azubuike to make up what might be the most intimidating 1-2 big man combo in college basketball. Flashy guard Quentin Grimes is likely one-and-done, while Lagerald Vick is back for his senior season. This should be a better team on defense than the one from last season ... which made the Final Four.
Stat to know: The Jayhawks have 10 guaranteed or potential matchups during the regular season against teams that are reasonably projected to finish first or second in their conference: Michigan State, Vermont, Louisiana, Tennessee, Marquette, Wofford, New Mexico State, Villanova, South Dakota and Kentucky. And this doesn't even include the road game against Arizona State.
Gonzaga
Breakdown: The Bulldogs haven't had a team this thin on robust big men in a while. Killian Tillie, Rui Hachimura and San Jose State transfer Brandon Clarke are all forwards, but none are thighs-thick-as-watermelon bigs. Zags coach Mark Few told me recently that he's curious to see how his team plays given its unconventional rotation early on, but he and everyone else knows that Gonzaga's set to be elite this season. The Bulldogs have four of the 50 best players in the sport as far as we're concerned. With Hachimura much improved on defense and the team only losing two key players from last season, Gonzaga has a very good chance to do something that's very hard to do: finish top-10 in offensive and defensive efficiency. Doing that puts you at or near the top of the national title conversation, no matter what team you are. This team is going to spend some weeks at No. 1 in the polls this season.
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Other
CNY's best steak: And the winners are... (PS; Pucci)
And the winners are:
Judges' Choice: TS Steakhouse at Turning Stone in Verona.
Readers' Choice: Daniella's Steakhouse in Geddes.
The judging panel included Best of CNY and Upstate New York writer and critic Jacob Pucci; managing producer Charlie Miller and beef experts Mike and Lynda Foster, owners of Shepard Settlement Farm in Marcellus.
The criteria
Taste: The steak had to be, for the lack of a better word, beefy, with an unctuous richness of high quality, well-marbled beef. The subtle tang and earthiness from a dry-aged steak was more than welcome too.
Texture/Tenderness: Of course we wanted a tender steak without too much gristle. But we also wanted a bit of a crisp crust from the char. Flabby, pale steak is just bad eating.
Appearance/Presentation: Proper doneness was paramount here. All our steaks were ordered rare to medium-rare as to let the beef shine brightest. We didn't want overcooked steaks, nor did we want steaks with so much exterior char that it tasted like a charcoal briquette.
We visited each restaurant unannounced on a different day over two weeks. We paid for our own meals. And they were worth every penny.
Our final ranking was based off our impressions of the steak alone, but other considerations, including service, ambiance, quality of other dishes we tried and value, were noted.
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