sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Wear Red Day!
National Wear Red Day® is Friday, February 3, 2017
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SU News
A day after his huge 43-point game, Syracuse basketball's John Gillon reflects (PS; Ditota)
John Gillon has abandoned Twitter.
The Syracuse basketball point guard avoids that finicky social media site these days, not wanting to wade into the roiling waters of fan discontent.
On Wednesday night, though, Gillon trended on Twitter and in the minds of Syracuse fans, who witnessed a 43-point output that helped the Orange dispose of North Carolina State in overtime and claim a much-needed ACC road win.
Gillon was back at work a day later in the Melo Center, where Syracuse prepared to play Virginia Saturday in the Carrier Dome.
He sat down Thursday afternoon to talk about the aftermath of his historic basketball night. Here's that conversation:
I read where you had 50 messages on your phone after the game last night. Is that about how it went?
John Gillon: "It was probably more than that. It was like, maybe, 70. A lot of texts."
What was the coolest or most noteworthy text you got? Which one springs to mind as soon as I asked about it?
"I don't really remember any of them. They were all about the same. And then my mom called me. She was like, 'You're a bad man, dude.'"
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Q&A with Richmond Times-Dispatch UVA beat writer Mike Barber (DO; Schneidman)
For the first time since the Elite Eight, Syracuse (14-9, 6-4 Atlantic Coast) and No. 9 Virginia (17-4, 7-2) face off, this time in the Carrier Dome on Saturday at noon. Last time the two teams played, the Orange stormed back from 16 down in the second half to become the first No. 10 seed to reach the Final Four. This time, the Orange rides a three-game winning streak into a date with a Top 10 team coming off a blowout win over Virginia Tech.
Richmond Times-Dispatch UVA beat writer Mike Barber answered a few questions for The Daily Orange ahead of the game.
The Daily Orange: It’s a cliché term, but is there any revenge factor stemming from the Elite Eight?
Mike Barber: Revenge might not be the right word, but last year’s loss to Syracuse is definitely on the minds of the U.Va. players. As a few of them noted last night, winning Saturday won’t change what happened last year and will do little to ease the sting many of them still feel over that loss. I think there is a sense that they would like to show they can finish the job this time around against Syracuse, even though there is so much less on the line. Of course, I think that could work against them, too, if it’s a distraction from their normal preparation.
The D.O.: Who’s one player Syracuse fans need to watch out for, not named London Perrantes?
M.B.: This U.Va. team has had to remake itself, especially, offensively since it lost four seniors from last year and booted Memphis transfer Austin Nichols the first week of the season. It seems a different Robin has emerged each game to star alongside Perrantes’ Batman.
For this game, keep an eye on junior forward Isaiah Wilkins. He’s scored in double figures in four of the last five games, including putting up a career-high 15 in Wednesday’s win over Virginia Tech. He also matched a U.Va. record over the past two games by hitting 12 straight shots. And the Hokies were playing a match-up zone against U.Va.
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Marial Shayok increases physicality to become a top threat for No. 9 Virginia (DO; Alvarez)
Marial Shayok said he doesn’t take a single minute on the court for granted. Especially since before this year, he wasn’t getting many.
Despite a rich basketball family, Shayok began his career at Virginia as a minimal contributor. Now, his scoring average has more than doubled and he leads his team in his percentage of shots taken when on the floor (30.1), per Kenpom.com.
“We have gone to a more physical lineup and he has played well,” head coach Tony Bennett said. “Marial has always shown good stretches, but I think he is getting more comfortable and establishing his spot.”
Shayok showcased the difference against Georgia Tech on Jan. 21. Late in the game, Shayok caught a pass at the elbow after skirting an off-ball screen. He busted through the defense, absorbed a whack on the arm and laid the ball in off the glass for an and-1. Shayok walked calmly to the charity stripe while the Cavaliers home crowd applauded him for totaling a new career-high in points (19).
Shayok has always exhibited that composure on the court. His quiet but aggressive style has him in the middle of his most successful season yet. Shayok averages a career high in both points (10.1) and minutes (21.1) per game and has become an essential piece of the No. 9 Virginia (17-4, 7-2 Atlantic Coast) team that visits the Carrier Dome this Saturday at noon.
“He’s always been a scorer,” teammate Devon Hall said. “I think him being patient … (and) letting the game come to him, I think that really changed for him this year.”
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No. 9 Virginia prepares for ACC road game against Syracuse (cavalierdaily.com; D'Arpino)
Although the No. 9 Virginia men’s basketball team prepares to play an unranked Syracuse opponent, the Cavaliers (17-4, 7-2 ACC) won’t take the game lightly. Traveling to the Carrier Dome to face Syracuse (14-9, 6-4 ACC) will bring back memories of when the two teams met last year in the 2016 NCAA tournament, and the Orange stunned Virginia with an unlikely come-from-behind victory.
The 68-62 win sent Syracuse to the Final Four, defying expectations and robbing Virginia of its opportunity to move beyond the regional final for the first time since 1984.
As the Cavaliers prepare for revenge, they will have to look back at the unpleasant memories of last year’s game.
“That was a beautiful season last year, and we knocked on the door of the Final Four and didn’t get there,” head coach Tony Bennett said. “I always try to watch matchups from last year and so I’m sure I’ll see some painful things at times, but I haven’t really thought about that. I just want to get ready. We have two days to prepare and that’s a tough zone.”
The two days of preparation for the Syracuse game are following a dominant win for the Cavaliers, in which they crushed in-state rival Virginia Tech, 71-48. Junior guard Devon Hall had 17 points and nine rebounds, leading Virginia to pick up a point in Commonwealth Clash.
While Hall’s 17 points against the Hokies (16-6, 5-5 ACC) marked a career high for the guard from Virginia Beach, his defensive contributions were not unnoticed'
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Virginia-Syracuse Preview (Feb 04, 2017) | FOX Sports (foxsports.com; AP)
Jim Boeheim, now in his 41st year as the Syracuse Orange head coach, called Wednesday’s 100-93 overtime win at North Carolina State “the best comeback that I can remember that we’ve had.”
Boeheim has long career, but a short memory. Just last March, he said the same thing after the 10th-seeded Orange rallied from 16 points down in the second half to stun the No. 1 seeded Virginia Cavaliers 68-62 and advance to the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four.
Surely, the Cavaliers have tried to forget that game. But with Syracuse next on their schedule, the Cavaliers were asked about that collapse against the Orange even before the ink dried on the stat sheet from their 71-48 romp over Virginia Tech on Wednesday.
“Thanks a lot,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said, smiling. “I’ve gone to a lot of therapy and I’m over that, and you brought it up.”
“I haven’t thought about it ’till you brought it up right now, and now my heart’s pounding,” senior guard London Perrantes said.
No. 9 Virginia (17-4, 7-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) will visit Syracuse (14-9, 6-4) at noon Saturday at the Carrier Dome. After blowing an 11-point halftime lead Sunday and losing on a tip-in at the buzzer to reigning NCAA champion Villanova, the Cavaliers rebounded against Virginia Tech with its sixth win in seven games and its most lopsided win over the Hokies since 1991.
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Other
Syracuse's new 'Winter' mascot celebrates Groundhog Day forecast in Punxsutawney (PS; Herbert)
Visit Syracuse claims the Salt City is now "the official home of winter." The city even has a new mascot, a frosty-looking figure named (what else?) Winter.
"Winter" and several other Central New Yorkers headed to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on Thursday to celebrate Groundhog Day at Gobbler's Knob. Naturally, they were rooting for six more weeks of winter -- and got it.
Punxsutawney Phil, the famous weather-predicting groundhog, saw his shadow on Feb. 2, 2017. According to an old German legend, that means winter's here to stay a little longer (though his actual forecasting skills are not always accurate).
"Winter" started appearing in a social media campaign back in November, encouraging others to acknowledge Syracuse as the #officialhomeofwinter. He looks blue and icy, complains about the other three seasons (spring, summer, fall) and praises the locals who embrace colder weather.
"People don't run and hide," the snowy spokesperson said in one video. "They don't shut down. They don't stay in their homes. They go ice skating, skiing, they're going to these great places that stay open no matter how carried away I may get with the snow and ice."
In Punxsutawney, Phil's prediction Thursday brought on some groans from the crowd, but "Winter" invited everyone to celebrate six more weeks of winter in Syracuse. He was accompanied by signs saying "Ice Ice Baby," "May the Frost Be with You" and "Winter Rocks."
Six more weeks! #OfficialHomeOfWinter #GroundhogDaypic.twitter.com/zx4Jiup1H6
-- Syracuse, New York (@VisitSyracuse) February 2, 2017
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