sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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- Aug 15, 2011
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Welcome to the Spring Equinox!
The equinox is being celebrated around the world - heralding autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the south. What is an equinox and how does it work, asks Justin Parkinson.
The name equinox means "equal night" in Latin. It's theoretically the day of the year when all points on the earth's surface experience the same lengths of daylight and darkness - 12 hours of each. The autumn equinox in the northern hemisphere (it's the spring equinox for the southern hemisphere) always falls on 22, 23 or 24 September.
Imagine the earth orbiting the sun in a flat plane - ie as if it was pinned on the edge of a slightly elliptical disc. It spins on its axis as it does so - each turn making a day. But the earth also constantly tilts at an angle of 23.5 degrees to that flat plane as it orbits the sun.
SU News
ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla, 2 Big 12 assistants preview Syracuse’s matchup with Baylor (PS; Waters)
Fran Fraschilla knows Syracuse extremely well from his days in the Big East.
As ESPN’s lead color analyst for its broadcasts of Big 12 Conference games, Fraschilla also knows Baylor.
On Thursday, Syracuse will meet Baylor in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah.
And Fraschilla loves the pairing.
“It’s a classic 8-9 matchup,’’ Fraschilla said. “I think they’re both dangerous teams. They’ve both gone through tough conference schedules. They’ve both beaten good teams. I think it’s a great matchup.’’
Fraschilla along with two Big 12 assistant coaches offered a scouting report on Baylor, which went 19-13 this season and 10-8 in the Big 12.
The first thing all three said was that Baylor must be judged on its play in the second half of the season. The Bears lost Tristan Clark, a 6-foot-9 forward who was averaging 14.6 points and leading the country with a 73.7 field goal percentage, after 14 games.
“They played through him a lot,’’ said one assistant coach. “They posted him up and got him a lot of touches. He was a handful on the glass. Without him they’re a little bit smaller.’’
With Clark gone for the year with an ACL injury, Baylor not only got smaller, the Bears changed their offensive identity.
“They were one of the slowest teams in the country, but they’ve changed,’’ said the second Big 12 assistant. “They shoot a lot more threes and they play through Mason.’’
Mason is Makai Mason, a 6-foot-1 senior who transferred to Baylor from Yale. Mason leads the Bears with 14.6 points per game. He makes 36.5 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Late in the season, Mason played despite a nagging toe injury.
“Makai Mason hasn’t really been 100 percent,’’ Fraschilla said. “When he’s healthy, he’s their Drew Brees. He gives them swag.’’
Three years ago, Mason scored 30 points as Yale upset Baylor in the NCAA tournament.
“He’s a heady point guard,’’ the first assistant said. “He’s got a lot of experience. He drives to play-make; not just to score. They go to him in late clock. He likes to go left for pullup threes. He’s their go-to guy.’’
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Tuesday’s 2019 NCAA Linkorama (DBR; King)
Duke Links
Duke’s Marques Bolden back to practice, aiming for return for NCAA tournament
Where it all began: Spartanburg excited for Zion’s return to SC
UNC’s Roy Williams named USA Today coach of the year; Duke’s RJ Barrett is player of the year
Duke, UNC veterans know pain of first-weekend NCAA Tournament exits
Top-seeded Duke has the toughest Final Four path of any men’s No. 1 seed
King of the Court: U-School star Vernon Carey Jr., a Duke signee, earns Florida Association of Basketball Coaches’ highest honor
Dick Vitale’s advice to Zion Williamson: Don’t quit on your team
March Madness predictions 2019: Dukeis our bracketologist’s title pick
Major Injury Update For Duke C Marques Bolden
March Madness 2019: Duke’sMarques Bolden (knee) returns to practice
Major Injury Update For Duke C Marques Bolden
March Madness 2019: Duke’s Marques Bolden (knee) returns to practice
VCU or UCF? Picking Duke’s likely Round 2 opponent
NCAA Tournament 2019: Buy or sell Duke, Gonzaga, Virginia and UNC?
NCAA Tournament: Duke, Michigan State headline East Region primer
NCAA tournament is a family affair for Tyus and Tre Jones
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March Madness predictions: Every NCAA first round game picked | NCAA.com (ncaa.com; Boozell)
The greatest few days in American sports are almost upon us.
Here's a prediction for every 2019 NCAA tournament first round game.
East Region
DUKE BOASTS TOP SEED IN EAST REGION
(1) Duke vs. (16) North Carolina Central/North Dakota State
No need to get cute here. Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish and the crew should roll over the winner of the First Four game with ease.
Winner: Duke
(8) VCU vs. (9) UCF
The Rams' defense is the best unit in this game by far, but this is a fantastic 8-9 matchup. VCU ranks seventh in the country in defense, per KenPom. UCF's offense is hit-or-miss, and it will struggle putting up points in this pressure-packed environment.
STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL THE MADNESS
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2019 bracket | Print bracket | Fill out yours
Bracket tips | March Madness FAQ
4 types of Cinderellas | March Madness TV schedule
Watch latest highlights & features | Shop March Madness gear
Winner: VCU
(5) Mississippi State vs. (12) Liberty
This will be a good one, but the Mississippi State backcourt of Lamar Peters and Quinndary Weatherspoon could overwhelm Liberty. The Flames' stoppers are in the frontcourt, and that duo has the potential to run wild.
Winner: Mississippi State
(4) Virginia Tech vs. (13) Saint Louis
Justin Robinson is back, and this is a fascinating clash of styles. The Hokies love to bomb 3s. Saint Louis loves to slow the game down. Virginia Tech has far more firepower, though, and has been playing well after some turbulence about a month ago.
BRACKET TIPS: How to pick March Madness upsets | Should you pick a No. 1 seed to win?
Winner: Virginia Tech
(6) Maryland vs. (11) Belmont/Temple
Yes, Belmont needs to scoot by Temple in order to get a crack at Maryland. But the Bruins are outstanding offensively, and have only lost once since Jan. 17. Belmont makes 59.5 percent of its 2s, good for second in the country. Look for the Bruins to make Bruno Fernando come outside of the paint and guard ball screen after ball screen.
Winner: Belmont
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Bracket predictions: Virginia is going to win it all (sbnation.com; Darney)
We’re officially underway in the 2019 NCAA tournament as Fairleigh-Dickinson and Belmont picked up wins in the First Four to join the official bracket. FDU’s Jahlil Jenkins and Darnell Edge lit it up in the first game, getting the tournament off to a spicy start as the Knights overcame a 13-point deficit to earn a shot at Gonzaga. In the second game, Belmont and Temple traded the lead until the Bruins pulled away down the stretch.
This season’s bracket fascinates me because the top eight teams all have extremely legitimate shots at a national title. While I think there could be a ton of upsets in the early rounds, things are going to get super chalky in the Elite Eight.
Last year, I, like many, had a terrible bracket that was decimated after Virginia lost to UMBC. This year, I’ll learn nothing and pick the Wahoos all the way to the championship game.
Let’s get to it!
East Region
First Round
#1 Duke vs. #16 North Dakota State/North Carolina Central: We don’t know yet who Duke is going to play, but it doesn’t matter because neither ND State nor NC Central have Zion Williamson. Duke does. Pick: Duke
#8 VCU vs. #9 UCF: As is the case with every 8/9 game, this one is a tough pick. UCF has Tacko Fall, and while I desperately want to see him matchup against Zion, I think VCU’s defense does enough to hold on in this one. Pick: VCU
#5 Mississippi State vs. #12 Liberty: The Flames will give Mississippi State a game, but I don’t think they have enough to overcome Quinndary Witherspoon and the Bulldogs. Pick: Mississippi State
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Other
The 31 best bars in Upstate NY, ranked by Yelp for 2019 (PS; Axelson)
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and if you're lucky, that might pulling up a stool at one of the best bars in Upstate New York.
A new list using reviewer data from Yelp.com ranks the 31 best bars in Upstate New York, from classic Irish Pubs to elegant cocktail lounges, these are the bars with the best drinks, the best servers and the best atmosphere in Upstate NY.
See if your favorite bar made the 2019 list, or find a new watering hole in a town near you.
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#31 Delaware Supply (Albany County) - $$
For if you like your bar with a coffee shop vibe
5 stars, 20 reviews
19 5-star reviews
One customer says: "It is a minor mystery why this place feels less like a bar and more like a coffee shop. Is it because three different coffee shops have been in this space over the past ten years? Is it the lighting? The cool vibe of the music? The low key owners who staff the bar? The lack of wait staff? Or maybe it's all the windows?"
Website, Yelp
292 Delaware Ave
Albany, NY 12209
Other categories: Beer bars
#30 80W (Monroe County)
Cocktail lounge serving bar food with a sophisticated twist
4.5 stars, 36 reviews
27 5-star reviews
One customer says: "The large bar in the middle of the venue was great, complete with very comfortable bar stools ("best ever" from my Interior Designer wife) that you could hang out in for hours. The bartender was very nice and made us both great craft cocktails. We had Prosciutto Wrapped Dates as a small plate with our drinks, which were wonderful."
Website, Yelp
7 Lawrence St
Rochester, NY 14607
Other categories: Cocktail bars, lounges, restaurants
#29 Kitty Hoynes (Onondaga County) - $$
Classic and memorable Irish Pub experience
4 stars, 230 reviews
113 5-star reviews
One customer says: "Ambiance: It's an old Irish Pub. It smells like my grandmas basement & that makes me happy!
Drink: The bartenders made something special for me and I loved it. I think it was a lemon thing but don't a lemon drop.
Service: The bartenders were funny, professional and personable. I would absolutely recommend this place and even come back!"
Website, Yelp
301 W Fayette St
Syracuse, NY 13202
Other categories: Irish, Irish pub
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