sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Save the Elephant Day!
They might be wildlife icons, but, sadly, elephants are in crisis. Save The Elephant Day is a chance to show our love and support for these much-loved giants and raise awareness of the threats to their future in both Africa and Asia, ranging from ivory poachers and traffickers to loss of habitat.
The ideal way to mark the day is to donate to a charity helping elephants or organise an event in aid of these beautiful but threatened beasts. You could also watch a wildlife film about elephants or sign a petition to raise awareness.
SU News
Orange Watch: Another banner year for Syracuse’s ACC mates in football and basketball - The Juice Online (the juice; Bierman)
Item: As we wrote around this time in 2017, the ACC was looking to cap off the double-double college sports calendar sweep with Clemson and North Carolina football-basketball national championships. Following Clemson’s second football title in three seasons in convincing fashion against Alabama on Jan. 7 and Virginia’s thrilling overtime win over Texas Tech for the NCAA basketball title Monday night, the ACC has completed the sweep for a conference record-tying third time, marking the 13th occasion a league has captured both championships in the same school year. It also means that Syracuse resides in the toughest conference in which to compete for national championships in those two sports.
How far away is Syracuse from winning a second national championship in football and basketball?
Closer in basketball than football, as evidenced by SU’s out-of-nowhere Final Four appearances in 2013 and 2016 as both Big East and ACC members. But football is gaining some ground in the last three seasons in what is otherwise an apples-to-Oranges comparison.
The margin for error is virtually zero defeats over 13 football games (with the added league championship game) before the College Football Playoff semifinals to compete in the CFP title game, which includes the grind of eight league games plus Notre Dame every few seasons. It makes the annual path to the football trophy most onerous.
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Syracuse Basketball: Jim Boeheim is chasing “elite scorer” 2021 prospect (itlh.com; Esden Jr)
Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim is chasing an “elite scoring” prospect in the 2021 class. Here’s what we know about him.
Late last week the Syracuse basketball coaching staff (Jim Boeheim, Gerry McNamara) took a closer look at one of the top prospects in the entire 2021 class: Terrence Clarke.
Clarke is a five-star shooting guard from Brewster Academy. He’s rated as the No. 2 recruit overall in the 2021 class and the No. 1 shooting guard overall.
The best part of his game is his ability to get the ball in the bottom of the bucket. In a piece from Donna Ditota of Syracuse.com, Clarke was described as an “elite scoring” prospect.
When you look at the 2018-19 version of Syracuse basketball, the ability to score was assumed heading into the season. Wrongfully so as Orange fans soon discovered. Next year’s squad in 2019-20 appear better suited to deliver on the hype with guys like Joe Girard III, Buddy Boeheim, and Quincy Guerrier, but what about 2021?
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ACC Coaches Who Have Won It All (DBR; Jacobs)
Programs win NCAA championships.
A coherent, self-sustaining, interlocked system of work and reward, of philosophies and values and habits, is apt to yield results that, if pursued diligently, produces consistent success. Then uncontrollable factors like seeding in the NCAA tournament field, the luck of the draw in opponents, and the bounce of the ball influence if not define the extent of that success.
Players also win championships.
By now it’s considered a minor rule of thumb that NCAA titles are won by squads that have some number of first-round NBA draft choices on the roster. This is a bit of a circular argument, as doing well on the game’s biggest stage tends to burnish a player’s stature regardless of the many hours NBA clubs devote to scouting throughout the season and the sober analytic tools brought to bear to measure prospects.
Virginia, in one post-title draft prospectus, had three first-rounders in winning the 2019 title: De’Andre Hunter, Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome. All have eligibility remaining, yet are expected to leave now while their perceived value is highest.
Arguments also can be made for the importance of others in securing an NCAA basketball title, mainly an athletic director who chooses or at least supports the right coach and gives him or her the resources necessary to prosper.
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Player of the Year Zion Williamson to leave Duke after one season, enter NBA Draft (wtkr.com; Winkler)
He can’t be selected number one in the NBA Draft without first declaring for the NBA Draft. Monday afternoon, Zion Williamson does just that.
In an Instagram post, the Duke freshman phenom announces he’s leaving the Blue Devils after one season. But what a season it was.
A consensus first-team All-American and the AP, USBWA and NABC Player of the Year, the ACC Player of the Year and the ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player, Williamson was a force on both ends of the floor. He finishing tied for the ACC lead in scoring with 22.6 ppg, third in rebounding (8.9 rpg), second in steals (2.1) and fifth in blocks (1.8). His .680 field goal percentage led the ACC and is second nationally.
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Ty’s time to turn pro: UVA’s Ty Jerome to skip senior season, enter NBA Draft (wtkr.com; Winkler)
Jerome is jumping to the next level.
In a post on his Instagram page, Virginia junior guard Ty Jerome announced he will forego his senior season at UVA, hire an agent and enter the 2019 NBA Draft.
Jerome averaged career highs in points (13.6), rebounds (4.2) and assists (5.5) during his junior season in 2018-19. Jerome netted six 20-point games, including 24 against Purdue and 21 against Auburn in the NCAA Tournament. Jerome registered three double-doubles and tied a school record with 14 assists at Syracuse. Jerome, who was two-time All-ACC honoree, totaled 1,011 points, 317 rebounds and 384 assists in 105 career games in three seasons at UVA.
“I would like to thank Coach Bennett and his staff for recruiting me and giving me the opportunity to play at this level,” Jerome said in a statement. “This is the hardest decision of my life because of how much I loved my teammates and my three years at UVA. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be for the NBA Draft and I’m excited to go chase this dream.”
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ACC stars show locals what big-time basketball is all about (greensboro.com; Sands)
The gym was packed, the crowd hyped and ACC seniors did not disappoint as they put on a show local residents won’t soon forget.
There was a good-natured Harlem Globetrotters kind-of a feel to the game and everyone from the local high school players, to the referees and fans alike got to be a part of what felt like a community celebration at the ACC Barnstorming Tour at Morehead High School last Saturday.
VIP chairs surrounded the court for those willing to pay a premium to be courtside to watch UNC stars Cameron Johnson, Kenny Williams and Luke Maye strut their stuff.
In addition, NC State’s Torin Dorn stole the show with his gravity defying jams in the dunk contest. Several players from UNC-G and Wake Forest also came out to play for the hometown crowd and there were plenty of smiles to go around as Morehead rolled out the red carpet for the ACC players and fans alike. After a 3-point shooting and dunk contest, players signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans.
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Other
Erie Canal itinerary: 12 unique, historic stops to make from Albany to Buffalo (PS; D'Imperio)
To many people in Upstate NY, springtime means "Canal Season."
There are many ways to experience the wonders of Upstate NY's Erie Canal. And there are many ways to travel the route. Some even like to walk the entire canal route (not really a hike, but more of a flat walk along the path running next to the canal). Some like to ride a bike along the way. And some even like to pilot their own boats along the canal. Even by car, there are stops that will have you pulling off the road many times.
Mid-Lakes Navigation resumes its popular for-hire boat rentals every spring. This allows everyone from families to seniors, honeymooners and pets to experience the canal by living on a boat for as long as a week. The boats are traditional in design and patterned after the narrow boats found in England, have cabins with bathrooms, up to queen size beds, showers, cooking stoves and more.
The entire 300-mile route is dotted with interesting things to see, places to visit, interesting restaurants to experience and museums of all kinds to explore. And who knows. You may even come upon a party or a festival along the way! Or see a soaring bald eagle!
Here is a list of 12 things (going from East to West) to keep on your to-do list while traveling the whole canal this year, or even shorter parts of it. All of these places are within a mile or two of the canal, and some are mere steps from the water where you can dock your boat or rest up from your walk.
With over 200 communities dotting both sides of the Erie Canal, obviously this list of 12 places is very brief. So, we ask you.
What is your favorite canal town and why?
1) Harbor Visitor Center: Gateway to the Canals (Waterford, Saratoga County)
Old building, lots of canal information, staffed with friendly and knowledgeable people. If you are boating on the canal, this will be stop #1. An easy 10-minute walk into Waterford (oldest incorporated village in the country, 1793). Make a date to come here in September. The village holds the largest tug-boat festival in the Northeast. Over 30,000 attend Canal Fest.
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