sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Hell is Freezing Over Day!
If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, it's the dead of winter, so it seems more likely that hell would freeze over now than at any other time. This is not necessarily a fun holiday, as on it you are supposed to do all the things you said you wouldn't do until hell freezes over.
"Not until hell freezes over" is an idiom of improbability from the early twentieth century, which stemmed from the belief that hell is a very hot place, and thus will never freeze over. There are many variations on the phrase, such as "It will be a cold day in hell when…" and "There's not a snowball's chance in hell…" Well, the unlikely occurred, hell has frozen over. Get bundled up and ready to celebrate.
SU News
Maliq Brown, Quadir Copeland spearhead comeback which falls just short against BC (DO; Schiff)
Quadir Copeland’s spin move freed up space on the left wing and he immediately attacked a sagging Quinten Post. Penetrating middle, Copeland cupped the ball in his right hand before switching left to perform a dump-off pass to Maliq Brown.
Brown received the feed and finished a left-handed layup as Post abandoned him to guard Copeland. Draped behind Brown was a helpless Prince Aligbe, who committed the foul.
Presented with the first of two consecutive and-one opportunities with 15:24 remaining, Brown pointed toward Copeland. The latter had already wheeled away, fist-pumping in sync with Judah Mintz near midcourt. And BC’s 14-point second half lead — generated as part of a 21-0 run — inched within reach.
The two linked up for a handful of baskets and stayed in front of their defensive assignments which caused the Eagles’ advantage to dwindle. Brown and Copeland spearheaded a stretch where Syracuse cashed in on 9-of-10 field goal attempts. The deficit trickled to four, then two, but the Orange never completed their comeback.
Just three days removed from a convincing 77-65 home victory over NC State, SU (14-7, 5-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) fell 80-75 at Boston College (13-8, 4-6 ACC). It coughed up a considerable first-half lead and faced an uphill battle following the break but Brown and Copeland’s play gave Syracuse a fighting chance. Escaping Conte Forum with a second consecutive ACC win even seemed realistic until the Eagles’ offense erupted.
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/basketball/five-takeaways-boston-college-80-syracuse-75 (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse basketball suffered a tough loss Tuesday night to Boston College, snapping an 11 game winning streak against the Eagles. Here are five takeaways from the set back.
1. Rough Stretch
From the 5 minute mark of the first half to the 18 minutes mark of the second half, Boston College went on a 21-0 run. That proved to be the difference in the game. Syracuse outscored the Eagles 75-59 the rest of the game. The Orange controlled 75% of the game and still lost, which has to be frustrating for the coaches, players and fans. It is one thing to give up a run to the other team. It is another to have it be to that level. A 21-0 run cannot happen and you will not win a lot of games in which you allow such a spurt.
2. Ups and Downs of the Defense
The positive from a defensive standpoint is that Syracuse forced 21 BC turnovers. The negative is that the Orange allowed the Eagles to shoot 60% from the floor and 50% from the three point line. They allowed too many open looks on the outside, specifically to Claudell Harris. Harris had five of BC's 10 three pointers on the night. Four of those threes came after halftime, all in a three and a half minute stretch from the 7:55 mark to 4:18 left in the game. During that time, the lead grew from three to 13. In addition, there was no resistance at the rim when BC attacked the basket. Offensively, even though it was not perfect, Syracuse scored 75 points and shot 47% from the floor. That should have been good enough to win this game.
3. Maliq Brown
A positive from the loss was the play of Maliq Brown. Brown scored 15 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out two assists and had two steals with one block. He was the best player on the floor for stretches of the game. It is no coincidence that when he got into foul trouble in the first half, Boston College started its 21-0 run. The bad news for the Orange is that without Naheem McLeod, the options behind Brown are limited. Peter Carey has shown some positive signs, but I do not think he is ready to play significant minutes game in and game out. Still, Brown was really good in this one.
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Syracuse Basketball: Top takeaways as ‘Cuse suffers dagger loss at Boston College (itlh; Adler)
If Syracuse basketball wants to have any shot at potentially making the 2024 NCAA Tournament following a two-year absence, these are the kinds of games it needed to have.
The Orange, at Boston College on Tuesday night, looked for a regular-season sweep of the Eagles during the 2023-24 campaign.
Yet the Eagles went on a massive run toward the end of the first half and early in the second half, and Boston College scored an 80-75 victory over the ‘Cuse, buoyed by some strong shooting from the field and beyond the arc.
This, to me, is a dagger setback for the Orange. The Eagles (13-8, 4-6 in the ACC), entering this Atlantic Coast Conference contest, had an NCAA NET ranking of No. 90, representing a quadrant-two opportunity for Syracuse basketball.
After leading by as many as nine points in the first half, the ‘Cuse found itself down by 14 points in the second half. The Orange (14-7, 5-5 in the ACC) got within two points but couldn’t get over the hump.
My key observations as Syracuse basketball falls at Boston College.
•In the first half, the ‘Cuse built up a 20-11 advantage. The lead was seven points for the Orange when sophomore big man Maliq Brown picked up his second foul. Things then started to unravel for Syracuse basketball. The Eagles ended the first half on a 14-0 run to go up by seven points, and Boston College stretched its edge to 14 points, 49-35, by beginning the second half with a 7-0 run. That deficit was too large for the Orange to make up.
•Sophomore guard J.J. Starling continued his solid play of late, notching 18 points. Sophomore point guard Judah Mintz also chipped in 18 points, but he only attempted two free throws and missed both of them.
•Playing through foul trouble, Brown was good, tallying 15 points and seven rebounds, but he was 0-of-4 from the charity stripe.
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Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images
Three takeaways from Syracuse basketball’s 80-75 loss to Boston College (TNIAAM; Szuba)
The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team suffered its first defeat to Boston College in twelve games, falling 80-75 in Conte Forum on Tuesday night. The loss moved Syracuse to 2-4 in road games this season.
Syracuse started slow offensively in the halfcourt before eventually jumping out to a nine point lead in the first half. But after Judah Mintz and Maliq Brown picked up two fouls each, Boston College eventually took command and never looked back. The Eagles reclaimed the upper hand and led by seven at the break, only to score seven unanswered on the opposite side. It was all part of a 21-0 run that broke the game wide open.
Syracuse was able to respond and eventually cut the lead to two with under ten minutes to play, but wasn’t able to get over the hump. All in, the Syracuse defense couldn’t get stops, allowing Boston College to shoot 30-50 from the floor (60%) and 10-20 from three (50%). Boston College out-rebounded Syracuse 37-27.
The loss sets Syracuse back after gaining momentum against NC State and represents a missed opportunity for a team in need of wins to get into the NCAA Tournament conversation. To the takeaways.
Two foul participation
Syracuse led by seven when it ran into a bit of foul trouble in the first half. With Brown and Mintz on the sideline — Syracuse’s two most productive players to that point — Boston College regained control of the game. Mintz and Brown were eventually reinserted into the game before the half, but by then it was too late. The Eagles held momentum and Syracuse looked befuddled....
Categorizing Syracuse’s Final 11 Games (orangefizz.net; Frank)
At 14-5 (5-4 ACC) Syracuse is about halfway through conference play. The Orange have picked up some decent wins by sweeping Pittsburgh and taking down Miami, but have also gotten drubbed at Virginia, Duke, and North Carolina along with their only “bad” loss of the season at home to Florida State last week.
Most bracketologists have SU on the outside looking in at this point, it’s just about how far outside they have the Orange compared to their peers. Some have Syracuse in the First Four Out, while others are barely even considering them for the field. So, with 11 games to go in the regular season, let’s categorize each one to determine what SU needs to do to have a shot at the big dance.
CAN NOT LOSE: AT BOSTON COLLEGE, VS CLEMSON
Let’s start with a fun one. These are two drastically different basketball teams. Clemson has a tremendous non-conference performance, and that is why the Tigers are 28th in the NET Rankings as of January 29th. The Eagles on the other hand already have one loss to the Orange (69-59 on Jan. 10th), and are 90th in the NET.So, for Syracuse, BC is a Can’t Lose because it would be a loss below Q1, and you have to win on the road to make the NCAA Tournament, something SU has only done twice this season so far. The Clemson game is a Can’t Lose because it is the only realistic chance you have at a Q1 win left this season, as the chances of beating North Carolina after the first time the two teams played this year does not bode well, and winning in South Carolina against the Tigers is not easy. The Orange desperately need another Q1 win, especially if Oregon and Pittsburgh drop out of their respective spots in the NET.
HURTS TO LOSE MORE THAN IT HELPS TO WIN: AT GEORGIA TECH, AT NC STATE, VS VIRGINIA TECH
This is another fun category. It was certainly true with the FSU loss last week and would have been for either Miami or NC State during the homestand as well. The Yellow Jackets are currently 134th in the NET, the Wolfpack are 84th, and the Hokies are 45th.A win against Virginia Tech would certainly help, but losing any of these games would be really hurtful to your resume, you are trying to avoid bad losses at this point and each of these would be one of those. They would also be considered “Must Wins”, but for the purpose of this exercise, let’s keep this label because it is what the industry is calling a lot of these types of games.
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Starling is examined for a concussion at Boston College (PS; $; Ditota)
With 2 minutes and 30 seconds left in the first half of Syracuse’s basketball game at Boston College, Mason Madsen took a shot from the left corner.
SU guard JJ Starling attempted to block that shot. Instead, he went sprawling head-over-heels and landed with a thud on the Conte Forum floor.
That’s where he stayed, face down, for a few anxious moments. SU athletic trainer Mike Mangano went out to examine Starling. The crowd was silent.
“I jumped in the air to go block the shot and he ripped baseline and took my legs out from underneath,” Starling said later. “I landed on my head.”
The fall stunned Starling, who was eventually rolled onto his back.
Mangano checked him for signs of concussion and ruled he was OK to continue playing.
“I’m fine now,” Starling said in Syracuse’s post-game locker room.
Syracuse lost 80-75 to the Eagles Tuesday night.
MBB: Results 2024 Jan 30 (RX; HM)
MBB: Results 2024 Jan 30
First, let's catch up on Monday's action...
Monday Night
#7 Duke 77 WVirginia Tech 67
The Hokies really needed to win from an NCAAT point of view.
Tuesday Night
There was a huge upset in the ACC!#3 N Carolina 73
Georgia Tech 74 W
This was an excellent game, and GT played very well, but UNC nearly won anyway.
Syracuse 75
Boston College 80 W
The Eagles are no fluke, it seems!
Louisville 64
Clemson 70 W
The Tigers could not afford to lose to Louisville!
Miami 68
NC State 74 W
The Wolfpack got a nice conference win at home.
However, the Tar Heels weren't the only upset victims.
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MBB: BPI Top 50 - 2024 Jan 30 (RX; HM)
MBB: BPI Top 50 - 2024 Jan 30
NET is hot garbage which projects only two (2) ACC teams to make the NCAA Tournament - ridiculous! On the other hand, there are analytics like BPI (Basketball Power Index) which are much more favorable.
| Rank | TEAM | BPI | W-L | CONF |
| 1 | Houston Cougars | 22.8 | 18-2 | Big 12 |
| 2 | Purdue Boilermakers | 19 | 19-2 | Big Ten |
| 3 | Arizona Wildcats | 17 | 15-5 | Pac-12 |
| 4 | Tennessee Volunteers | 16.7 | 15-4 | SEC |
| 5 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 16.2 | 14-6 | SEC |
| 6 | UConn Huskies | 15.8 | 18-2 | Big East |
| 7 | Auburn Tigers | 15.8 | 16-4 | SEC |
| 8 | Iowa State Cyclones | 15.6 | 16-4 | Big 12 |
| 9 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 15.2 | 17-3 | ACC |
| 10 | Creighton Bluejays | 14.9 | 16-5 | Big East |
| 11 | Illinois Fighting Illini | 14.4 | 15-5 | Big Ten |
| 12 | Duke Blue Devils | 14.3 | 15-4 | ACC |
| 13 | Wisconsin Badgers | 14 | 16-4 | Big Ten |
| 14 | BYU Cougars | 13.8 | 15-5 | Big 12 |
| 15 | Marquette Golden Eagles | 13.4 | 15-5 | Big East |
| 16 | Baylor Bears | 13.2 | 14-5 | Big 12 |
| 17 | Kansas Jayhawks | 12.9 | 16-4 | Big 12 |
| 18 | Michigan State Spartans | 12.4 | 12-8 | Big Ten |
| 19 | Saint Mary's Gaels | 11.9 | 16-6 | WCC |
| 20 | TCU Horned Frogs | 11.8 | 15-5 | Big 12 |
| 21 | Kentucky Wildcats | 11.7 | 15-4 | SEC |
| 22 | Gonzaga Bulldogs | 11.6 | 15-5 | WCC |
| 23 | Florida Atlantic Owls | 11 | 17-4 | American |
| 24 | Clemson Tigers | 11 | 13-6 | ACC |
| 25 | Texas Tech Red Raiders | 11 | 16-3 | Big 12 |
| 26 | Dayton Flyers | 10.9 | 16-3 | A-10 |
| 27 | Cincinnati Bearcats | 10.9 | 14-6 | Big 12 |
| 28 | Texas A&M Aggies | 10.5 | 12-8 | SEC |
| 29 | Texas Longhorns | 10.5 | 14-6 | Big 12 |
| 30 | St. John's Red Storm | 10.5 | 13-7 | Big East |
| 31 | Florida Gators | 10.5 | 14-6 | SEC |
| 32 | Oklahoma Sooners | 10.4 | 15-5 | Big 12 |
| 33 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 10.3 | 13-6 | ACC |
| 34 | Villanova Wildcats | 10.2 | 11-9 | Big East |
| 35 | Mississippi State Bulldogs | 10.1 | 14-6 | SEC |
| 36 | New Mexico Lobos | 9.6 | 18-3 | Mountain West |
| 37 | Virginia Tech Hokies | 9.4 | 13-7 | ACC |
| 38 | San Diego State Aztecs | 9.3 | 16-4 | Mountain West |
| 39 | Providence Friars | 9.2 | 14-6 | Big East |
| 40 | Virginia Cavaliers | 9.2 | 15-5 | ACC |
| 41 | Indiana State Sycamores | 9.2 | 18-3 | MVC |
| 42 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 9 | 12-8 | Big Ten |
| 43 | Northwestern Wildcats | 8.9 | 15-5 | Big Ten |
| 44 | Miami Hurricanes | 8.9 | 14-6 | ACC |
| 45 | Utah Utes | 8.8 | 14-7 | Pac-12 |
| 46 | Kansas State Wildcats | 8.8 | 14-6 | Big 12 |
| 47 | Xavier Musketeers | 8.6 | 10-10 | Big East |
| 48 | Utah State Aggies | 8.6 | 18-2 | Mountain West |
| 49 | SMU Mustangs | 8.5 | 13-7 | American |
| 50 | San Francisco Dons | 8.4 | 16-6 | WCC |
ACC Hoops Roundtable: RJ Davis running away with Player of the Year, Bubble chatter, hot seats and more - Saturday Road (saturdayroad.com; Blackmon)
We aren’t quite to the halfway point, but with February almost upon us, now is as good a time as ever to roundtable some ACC hoops. Here’s a little two-man-weave between Saturday Road’s excellent Brett Friedlander and hoops writer Neil Blackmon.
1. The best team that isn’t North Carolina or Duke is …
Neil: Florida State. A month ago, I would say Clemson and argue it isn’t close. Now I don’t know what to make of the Tigers, who look Sweet 16 good some nights and NIT bound others. I will suggest the 3rd-best team is Florida State, with all due respect to Wake Forest, which has a better roster than the Seminoles. That’s the difference between Leonard Hamilton (438 wins, 1 BBWA National Coach of the Year award, 3 ACC Coach of the Year Awards, 1 ACC Championship) and Steve Forbes (63 wins, 0 NCAA appearances, at least Wake is fun again?).
When the Noles lost to Lipscomb in December, I texted former FSU great Terance Mann, “Is Ham done?” Mann’s reply? “He likes this team. Wait.” They defend beautifully, are switchable, turn teams over at a 21% rate, which is among the nation’s best, and their only ACC losses are to North Carolina (who they led by double digits in the second half) and to a desperate Brad Brownell Clemson team last weekend. Did I mention they bullied Wake Forest in their only meeting with those guys? I like their balance, coaching and improvement over the Demon Deacons, and Clemson is too erratic.Brett: Wake Forest. I can’t disagree with you about the Noles. They’re playing the kind of defense that has become Coach Ham’s trademark, and Jamir Watkins has been everything he was hyped to be. But in my opinion, when all is said and done, the best team that isn’t UNC or Duke will eventually be Wake Forest. The Deacons were already a different team than they were during the first month of the season because of the addition of Efton Reid as a rim protector and low post presence on offense. But they changed their identity — and got even better in the process — recently when Damari Monsanto came back from his knee injury.
Monsanto is hitting shots (6-of-13 on 3-pointers) and his productivity is only going to increase as he gets into game shape and his minutes increase. His shooting ability isn’t the only way Wake will benefit from his presence on the perimeter. The attention defenses will have to pay to him will also create space and open up driving lanes for Hunter Sallis, Cam Hildreth and others.
Neil: I love the roster building Forbes has done via the portal at what, unfortunately, has become a tough place to recruit elite talent. There are more pros (NBA or Europe) on this Wake Forest team than any in recent memory. I think they’ll win enough games to get a NCAA Tournament invite. I think Monsanto is the kind of guy who can shoot you through the ACC Tournament too … great call on that young man.
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Other
Chris (left) and Kevin Little and their meat lover pizza at the West End Kitchen & Catering, the fourth stop on our CNY Pizza Tour. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)(Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)
CNY Pizza Tour, stop #4: A phenomenal pizza in a West Side shop you’ve never heard of (PS; $; Miller)
You’re probably familiar with most of the pizzerias I’m visiting for this pizza tour throughout 2024. Many are Syracuse institutions that we’ve been enjoying for decades. They’re the mom-and-pop shops we can always depend on to feed us when we we’re too lazy to cook.
I can guarantee that almost none of you have heard of this week’s stop: West End Kitchen & Catering. Hell, it wasn’t even on my list until I was on my way to Tipperary Hill last Friday at lunchtime. But I’ll tell you what, I’m thrilled I stopped in.
Chris and Kevin Little, identical twins who grew up on Syracuse’s West Side, bought the building on Erie Boulevard West that had been home to Patsy’s Pizza for 38 years. Over the past year, they’ve created what they liken to a test kitchen, a restaurant operated by different cooks at different times on different days. They also use the spot to develop new items for their popular summertime food truck, Baja Cali Taco Co.
They serve creative tacos, burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, chopped cheese sandwiches and hot honey chicken sandwiches. But this week we’re here for the pizza.
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An auto dealer cleaned up an abandoned Syracuse industrial site. Now it’s getting sued by the city (PS; $; Moriarty)
An auto dealership company is facing a lawsuit and fines after cleaning up an ugly industrial property without seeking the city’s approval.
The Maguire Family of Dealerships tore out a thick hedgerow of trees and bushes along Harbor Brook while sprucing up a long-vacant industrial property not far from its Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership on Hiawatha Boulevard last spring. The company hopes it will be the future site of a luxury auto brand dealership.
Maguire then planted new grass and trees on the property at 1000 Hiawatha Blvd. W., resulting in a strikingly improved appearance of the site along the east bank of the brook.
But there’s a problem that goes beyond basic landscaping, according to the city of Syracuse.
The dealership did the work without first figuring out whether it would cause soil erosion and possibly create more polluted drainage into Harbor Brook, which flows into Onondaga Lake.
Last week, the city filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Onondaga County alleging the company failed to obtain permits to remove the hedgerow along the brook. The lawsuit also alleges the company failed to file a plan for preventing pollution from stormwater runoff from entering the brook, both during the cleanup and afterward.
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https://www.syracuse.com/entertainm...dy-show-coming-to-syracuse-amphitheater.htmlc (PS; Herbert)
The Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview is getting a different kind of show this summer.
TruTV’s “Impractical Jokers” will bring their comedy tour to the Syracuse amphitheater on Friday, Aug. 23. The “Drive Drive Drive Drive Drive” show will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m. via Live Nation. Fans can also purchase a pre-show backstage tour with Murr and/or a post-show meet-and-greet with Murr.
Prices range from $18.50 to $238.50; additional fees may apply. The show is 16+ suggested; parental discretion is advised.
It will be the first comedy event at the Syracuse amphitheater, which opened in 2015. Besides concerts, the venue has also previously featured religious speaker Franklin Graham, an outdoor movie series, and Fourth of July celebrations.
According to a press release, the show will feature all-new material from James “Murr” Murray, Brian “Q” Quinn and Sal Vulcano, who are all members of the Tenderloins comedy troupe. Since 2011, they’ve starred on the hidden camera reality TV show, “Impractical Jokers,” combining pranks with improv comedy.
The “Impractical Jokers” stars will also make Upstate New York stops on July 19 at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts and July 20 at the Broadview Stage at SPAC (Saratoga Performing Arts Center) in Saratoga Springs.
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