sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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- Aug 15, 2011
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Welcome to Peach Blossom Day!
Peach Blossom Day is a Japanese holiday with a lot of names – Doll Festival, Girls’ Day, and Hinamatsuri.
Originally, Hinamatsuri was a religious holiday of sorts, in which people put dolls in miniature boats and sent them out to sea in order to get rid of their troubles.
Nowadays, the holiday does involve large displays of dolls, but is frequently used as a celebration of all things girly. Since the peach trees are usually blooming at this time in Japan, the blossoms are a large part of the celebration.
SU News
Syracuse men's basketball opponent preview: What to know about Georgia Tech (DO; Schneidman)
To avoid playing in the opening round of the conference tournament next Tuesday, Syracuse (17-13, 9-8 Atlantic Coast) needs to beat Georgia Tech (17-13, 8-9) on Saturday in the Carrier Dome. The Yellow Jackets topped the Orange, 71-65, two weeks ago in Atlanta, and SU will get a chance to avenge that loss when the ball tips at 4 p.m. on Senior Day.
Here’s everything you need to know about Josh Pastner’s team.
All-time series: Tied, 4-4
Last time they played: Syracuse let a nine-point lead in the first half turn into another double-digit second half deficit at McCamish Pavilion. Tyler Lydon hit a free throw to bring SU within two with under a minute remaining. But the Orange couldn’t close the deal after a Tyler Roberson illegal screen prevented the Orange from getting a shot at tying or taking the lead. Taurean Thompson scored a team-high 18 points while Andrew White’s then-seven-game streak of scoring 20 or more points ended as the fifth-year senior only posted 17. Ben Lammers led the way for GT with 23 points, seven rebounds and seven blocks.
The Georgia Tech report: Since beating Syracuse, the Yellow Jackets have won only one of three. Losses to lowly North Carolina State and then-No. 21 Notre Dame, and a win against Pittsburgh, have Pastner’s team presumably on the same ground as Syracuse heading into the last game of the regular season. Georgia Tech has risen in Kenpom.com’s defensive efficiency rating to No. 5 in the country coming off a win against the Panthers in which GT only surrendered 52 points. Lammers still leads the way, but freshman Josh Okogie and junior Tadric Jackson are capable of jumpstarting an offense that hasn’t done much damage during conference play.
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Syracuse men’s basketball is never out of a game because of its full-court press (DO; Schwedelson)
Jim Boeheim isn’t afraid to let everyone in an arena know when his team is desperate, when he has no other choice but to change his defense.
Then, he turns to the press.
It propelled the Orange to the Final Four last year, overcoming a 14-point deficit with 10 minutes left in the Elite Eight. And it’s what has led to three comeback wins in the past month.
“At that stage, you’re desperate. You’re just trying to fly around and make a play,” said Syracuse’s head coach. “It’s been at the end of games. … You’re down 10, it’s a desperation situation and you just try to make the play and make something happen. … There’s no other chance but to force a turnover.”
The Orange (17-13, 9-8 Atlantic Coast) has trailed by double digits in eight straight games. Outside of a 20-point loss at then-No. 7 Louisville, the contests were decided by an average of 4.3 points and SU went 4-4 in the eight-game stretch. Even in the three games Syracuse lost, the press made it close.
In many ways, the full-court press salvaged the Orange’s entire season. Boeheim applies the tactic sparingly and knows a good team can figure out a way to beat it easily once it adjusts. But in short segments, SU has relied on the press to climb back into games in which it previously had no chance.
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Beat writers predict Syracuse to edge Georgia Tech (DO; Staff)
Syracuse (17-13, 9-8 Atlantic Coast) hopes for an NCAA Tournament resume-boosting win when it takes on Pittsburgh (17-13, 8-9) at 4 p.m. on Sunday in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse lost, 71-65, the last time these two teams met two weeks ago in Atlanta.
Here’s how The Daily Orange beat writers think the game will unfold.
Connor Grossman (17-13)
Bee careful
Syracuse 63, Georgia Tech 60
Syracuse shouldn’t think it can waltz into its regular season finale and pry a win away from Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are on the cusp of their first NCAA Tournament berth in seven seasons, and a win in the Carrier Dome could get GT on the right side of the bubble. But on its home court, SU’s offense will be markedly improved from the sluggish performance it showed in Atlanta earlier this month. Georgia Tech’s offensive woes will persist, and the Orange comes away with a significant win before heading to the Barclays Center for the conference tournament.
Matt Schneidman (13-17)
Harmless sting
Syracuse 68, Georgia Tech 62
To spare itself at least a little sweat heading into the ACC tournament, Syracuse needs to beat Georgia Tech at home. The Orange’s visit to Atlanta got away in the second half, but don’t expect that same offensively lethargic SU team to show up on Senior Day in the Carrier Dome. The Orange secures a bye in Brooklyn, and more importantly may not even need to win a game there in order to make the Big Dance.
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Syracuse Basketball: Senior Grades- John Gillon (itlh.com; Peelman)
John Gillon wasn’t supposed to be the go-to guy this year. Yet, nearing the end of the season we finally understand, this year would not be the same without him. Inside the Loud House looks at the way John Gillon has left his mark on Syracuse Basketball.
John Gillon was the first acquisition we got in the transfer market this last offseason. A guard from Colorado State who was talented, but not a star, fans wrote him off as a role player on this years team. Incumbent Sophomore combo guard Frank Howard was penciled in by most as the starting point guard, with Gillon, even though he was a senior, as the backup.
Midway through the season though things became very clear. The offense worked better and more efficiently with Gillon at the helm. Th passes were crisper, the connections were there, and the team was gelling under his leadership. So Boeheim as he does every year, shortened the rotation and dubbed Gillon the starting point guard so Syracuse Basketball.
The results have been huge as he in one way or another led us to a second half resurgence which includes Syracuse beating three top-ten ranked teams. The most notable one Gillon was apart of was his 26 point showing at Duke where he nailed a long three-point shot at the buzzer while being surrounded by three tall Duke defenders.
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Other
Upstate NY's top-ranked brew pubs in its 50 largest cities and towns (nyupstate.com; photo gallery; Staff)
Upstate New York has a booming craft beer and microbrewery industry, and brew pubs are popular all across the region. A brew pub distinguishes itself from pubs or breweries in that they brew their own beer on site, and also offer the traditional restaurant/pub fare.
#50 Lancaster - Brennan's Bowery Bar & Restaurant (Williamsville)
#49 Canandaigua - Rheinblick German Restaurant
#48 Woodbury - Morrison's (Plainview)
#47 Massena - No listings
#46 Ogdensburg - The Place
#45 Corning - Market St. Brewing Company
#44 Fredonia - Ellicottville Brewing Company
#43 Oneida - Upstate Tavern (Verona)
#42 Fulton - Red Brick Pub
#41 Dunkirk - Ellicottville Brewing Company (Fredonia)
#40 Geneva - Bottomless Brewing
#39 Endicott - Water Street Brewing Co. (Binghamton)
#38 Oneonta - Roots Brewing Company
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Take a look at the top ranked brew pubs in Upstate NY's 50 biggest cities and towns, according to Yelp and TripAdvisor.
A few notes: Not every town in Upstate NY has a brew pub. In such cases, we deferred to the top ranked brew pub in a nearby location. In the event that no nearby city or town had a brew pub either, we listed pubs with a broad selection of craft brews, and noted that they were not actually brew pubs in the slide. In some cases, we listed no brew pubs when there simply weren't any options anywhere nearby.
In the event that Yelp and TripAdvisor had different pubs listed as #1, the pub that ranked higher on the site where it wasn't the #1 pub was the winner. In the event that two pubs alternated rankings on the two sites, the pub with the greater number of reviews won.
