sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Pepper Pot Day!
Having been nicknamed as “the soup that won the war,” Pepper Pot has its very own day. National Pepper Pot Day is observed annually on December 29th.
The winter of 1777 – 1778 was brutal. The Continental Army was fighting for the newly formed country of the United States of America during the Revolutionary War. As they were camped at Valley Forge on December 29th, 1777, George Washington asked the army’s chef to prepare a meal that would boost their morale and warm them. The chef rounded up some peppercorn, small bits of meat, tripe and other ingredients and called it Pepper Pot Soup, also known as Philadelphia Pepper Pot Soup.
SU News
Virginia Tech finishes nonleague play with 11-2 record (roanake.com; Berman)
The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team polished off another nonconference foe Thursday. Now it’s time to see if the Hokies’ winning formula will work in the ACC as well.
Virginia Tech wrapped up nonleague play with a 76-59 victory over North Carolina A&T at Cassell Coliseum.
The Hokies, who led the entire second half Thursday, will carry an 11-2 record into Sunday night’s ACC opener at Syracuse.
“We’re a great offensive team,” said Tech guard Ahmed Hill, who scored 14 points. “We can do a lot of great things in this league.”
The Hokies entered Thursday ranked first nationally in field-goal percentage (54.9 percent entering the game), third in three-point field-goal percentage (45.3 percent) and fourth in scoring offense (92.6 ppg).
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Calipari: We won't be focused on Pitino absence (espn.com; Medcalf)
Kentucky Wildcats coach John Calipari said Rick Pitino's absence from Friday's matchup against the Louisville Cardinals, marking the first time the two won't face off in the rivalry game since 2009, won't affect his team.
Calipari said his squad is more focused on repairing the defects that cost the Wildcats in a Saturday loss to UCLA in New Orleans than the particulars of their upcoming meeting with their in-state rivals.
"For us, it'll be you're playing a game after a loss, you're playing after Christmas," Calipari said Thursday in response to a question about Pitino, who was fired in September for his alleged role in a $100,000 pay-for-play scandal involving Adidas and the family of five-star recruit Brian Bowen. "Knowing my guys, they don't even know [Pitino is gone]. They may go into the game ... 'Where is he?'"
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Syracuse Basketball: Andrew White is tearing up the G-League (itlh.com; Weisleder)
Former Syracuse basketball star Andrew White’s tremendous play in the G-League should land him in the NBA sooner than later. ITLH breaks it down.
Things could have gone better for Andrew White after Syracuse’s unexpected loss to Ole Miss in the 2017 NIT Tournament. Nine months later, White has proven that he is far more determined to make the NBA than most undrafted players.
This past June, White failed to make the field of 60 in the 2017 NBA Draft and became an unrestricted free agent.
Just over two months later, on August 28th, the Boston Celtics signed White, only to place his contract on waivers on October 12th. Two days later, White became a free agent during Boston’s training camp and was allocated to the Celtics’ G-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.
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ACC Basketball: 5 questions for the beginning of conference play (bustingbrackets.com; Freeman)
Conference play for ACC basketball will be underway this week. Here are five questions concerning the league before they beat up on one another.
1. Can the Tar Heels find another post option?
Luke Maye went from a feel-good story last season to making his opponents feel bad this time around. He’s one of the best players in the conference but North Carolina is overly reliant on him down low.
When Maye struggles, the Tar Heels are vulnerable to losing games. It’s just too much to expect him to consistently excel in the ACC, so more depth is needed. There are a few bigs behind him that have shown flashes and any of them stepping up will be immensely helpful.
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Inside the NBA Academy and what it means for the future of basketball (espn.com; Givony)
The immense potential of the NBA Academies venture was on full display in the Czech Republic this past week. Also on display was just how far it has to go to become a consistent producer of NBA talent.
After opening its doors in Senegal only seven months ago, the NBA Academy Africa -- one of six across the world that provides teenagers with NBA-level coaching, facilities and competition, while also stressing educational development -- took its first trip ever to Europe for a series of competitive games intended to continue the development process of the 14 players on its roster, hailing from Senegal, Nigeria, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin and Central African Republic.
There were some extreme highs -- wins over Paris Levallois' junior team in France and a shocking upset of European youth basketball powerhouse Red Star Belgrade, which is the team that went on to comfortably win the championship game of the Get Better Academy Invitational.
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Other
Where to explore the great wintery outdoors in central New York (DO; Kato)
Winter officially kicks in on Dec. 21, but we’ll likely see the winter weather central New York is known for long before that. Check out these nature centers in the Syracuse area to best enjoy the snowy scenery this season.
Beaver Lake Nature Center
8477 East Mud Lake Road, Baldwinsville
Beaver Lake Nature Center features 9 miles of trails, which are home to more than 200 species of birds and 800 types of plants. The center also offers more than 400 learning and exploration programs each year, including several that are seasonal, according to its website.
The center hosts a variety of events in the winter, including winter trails, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, according to the website. The center also offers a program for visitors to learn about animals’ tracks and the territorial signs they leave behind.
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