sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to The Start of Sukkot!
Sukkot, a Jewish autumn festival lasting seven days in Israel and eight days in the diaspora, starts on the fifteenth day of Tishri, five days after Yom Kippur. Literally interpreted as "Feast of Booths," the holiday is significant for both agricultural and religious reasons. In the book of Exodus, it marks the end of harvest time and of the agricultural year. In the book of Leviticus, it has religious and historical significance, commemorating the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt and subsequent forty years of wandering in the desert.
It is one of three Pilgrimage Festivals in the Hebrew Bible, along with Passover and Shavuot. During the time of the Temple, a pilgrimage was made to it every seven years on the holiday. The pilgrimage was stopped after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, but it was revived again in the 1950s. Today, many people visit Jerusalem during the holiday, and Sukkot is a public holiday in Israel.
SU News
Former Syracuse assistant Rob Murphy goes “Deep’’ in new biography (PS; Waters)
When reading a college basketball coach’s autobiography, the expectations are a lot of stories about the game, tales from the locker room and his philosophies on coaching.
There is all of that in Rob Murphy’s just-released book “Deep,’’ but as the title suggests, Murphy goes a lot deeper than the superficial fluff normally associated with sports books.
Murphy, the former Syracuse University assistant and current head coach at Eastern Michigan, bares his soul as he tells an incredibly personal story.
He writes about his mother, who gave birth to him when she was just 16 years old. He tells of a father who he met twice. He offers insight into growing up in one of Detroit’s worst neighborhoods. How his uncle sold drugs out of his mother’s basement and, most amazingly, how he found out that his mother was the drug ring’s real kingpin.
And Murphy does all that in Chapter 1.
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Can Bourama Sidibe stay healthy? — 2019 Syracuse Basketball preview - The Juice Online (the juice; Cheng)
As we countdown to tipoff in November, we’re going to be tackling the biggest burning questions on the 2019-20 Syracuse basketball team. Today’s burning question: What will Syracuse get out of center Bourama Sidibe?
Think back to a moment to Bourama Sidibe’s freshman year, and one game in particular comes to mind. On a brisk afternoon in late January in Pittsburgh, Sidibe played the game of his young career, grabbing 16 rebounds and adding 18 points as Syracuse held off the Panthers (who went 0-18 in ACC play that year) 60-55.
“I thought he had like 12 (points) and 12 (rebounds) or something, or 12 and 10,” Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said after the game. “Good thing I didn’t take him out.”
Unfortunately for Syracuse, that Jan. 27, 2018 performance turned out to be the aberration instead of the rule. In the 14 games that followed, Sidibe would only score a combined 21 points, slowed by tendinitis in his knee.
He finished his freshman year with disappointing numbers of 2.7 points and 3.2 rebounds.
That injury carried through to his sophomore year, resulting in another disappointing campaign. After an 11-point, 10-rebound performance in an early season game against Colgate, Sidibe didn’t crack double digits again for the rest of the year.
Sidibe was largely a non-factor in the final stretch of the season, and didn’t play in Syracuse’s disappointing opening round loss to Baylor in the NCAA Tournament.
But there is buzz around Sidibe heading into his junior year. With Paschual Chukwu having moved on from Syracuse, Sidibe is SU’s de facto starting center, and Sidibe, for the first time in his Syracuse career, his healthy.
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What John Bol Ajak was doing while his Syracuse basketball team played in Italy (PS; Ditota)
The final time John Bol Ajak visited the Italian Embassy in New York, he walked away dragged by defeat.
“I was just like, ‘I’m not going. I gotta move on from that,’” he remembered. “I had to accept it.”
Complications with his visa prevented Ajak from accompanying his Syracuse men’s basketball team to Italy last August. The 6-foot-10 center from South Sudan instead stayed in Syracuse and worked out with former Orange guard Eric Devendorf.
Devendorf, said Ajak, kept telling him to “look at the bigger picture.” Sure, traveling with his team to an exotic location would have been nice.
“But I can’t just sit back and go, ‘Whoa, I’m not going to Italy.’”
He worked on just about everything while his teammates ate their way through Italy, toured ancient cities and played basketball games against inferior teams in very hot gymnasiums. Ajak, the team’s most gregarious player, was asked during Friday’s media day to assess his skills and how he might impact the Orange this season.
Here’s how he answered:
“Offensively, I think I bring spacing. Being able to knock that 15-footer down. Be able to be a good screener, get the shooters open. Use my IQ to be a good passer. Be constantly in motion, don’t stand around. Set a screen, flash to the mid-post, get your jump shot. But mostly offensive rebounds. I think that’s my strength. Energy guy. Rebound the ball. Bring toughness to the team.”
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Five star point guard sets Syracuse official visit (247sports.com; McAllister)
One of the top players in the 2021 class has set an official visit to Syracuse for next month. Five star Memphis (Tenn.) Briarcrest Christian point guard Kennedy Chandler announced five official visits on Twitter Sunday evening that will take place between October 2019 and February 2020. One of those official visits will be to Syracuse from November 5th through November 7th. Orange assistant Allen Griffin recently traveled south to see Chandler.
Here is the official visit schedule Chandler outlined in his tweet:
Tennessee: October 25-27
Syracuse: November 5-7
Ole Miss: November 15-17
Florida State: February 2-4
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Episode 166- Syracuse Basketball: Preseason Talk! 'Cuse Militia podcast (player.fm; podcast; Cuse Militia)
What's up Cuse Nation? Syracuse basketball is right around the corner! The buzz is in the air as the Orange White was played so lets talk some preseason Orange basketball!
Boeheim's Time to Shine: Niko Tamurian goes 1-on-1 with Buddy ahead of sophomore year (cnycentral.com; video; Tamurian & Discenza)
With exhibition games right around the corner and the regular season less than two months away, the Syracuse men's basketball team is full steam ahead getting ready for the upcoming season.
But this team looks a lot different from last season thanks to a brand new starting line-up due to graduating seniors.
One name Orange fans heard a lot about entering this season was Buddy Boeheim. The coach's son was on fire toward the end of his freshman season, scoring 20 points against Pittsburgh and another 16 points when Duke came to the Loudhouse.
"It helped a lot," Boeheim had to say about how those big moments helped him grow as a basketball player. "I think especially struggling early on in the year and being able to play like I did during conference play, it helped me a lot as a player and I learned a lot through that process. "
"It's definitely a big difference from last year," Boeheim said about the newcomers in Orange jerseys. "I'm trying to take advantage of that and really help these guys because I needed that last year as a young guy and just teaching these guys Joe [Girard III] and Brycen [Goodine] at their guard position everyday, like little things from the zone because they're unfamiliar with that. But they're quick learners and it's really good having those guys here and trying to be a leader to them."
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Syracuse basketball to play LSU in 2020 Gotham Classic: Report (PS; Burrows)
Jon Rothstein of CBS reports that the Orange will play LSU in the 2020 Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden.
The Gotham Classic features five teams with a round-robin format, and has the Showcase Game at Madison Square Garden.
The 2019 Gotham Classic features High Point, Eastern Washington, and Belmont with Boston College and Saint Louis in the Showcase game.
The Orange played in the very first Gotham Classic in 2012. The No. 3-ranked Orange defeated Canisius, Detroit and Alcorn State, but were beaten by Temple, 83-79, in the Showcase game.
The dates of the 2020 Gotham Classic have yet to be announced, though 2019 and 2018 have been scheduled in November.
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The Final Word: Beat writers discuss Syracuse's preseason Orange Madness scrimmage (DO; podcast; Staff)
Syracuse fans got their first look at the 2019-20 Orange men’s basketball team during the Orange Madness scrimmage on Friday night in the Carrier Dome. SU is replacing four starters from last season and the Orange showed all five players of its class of newcomers in the orange and white scrimmage.
Here’s what our beat writers had to say after the scrimmage.
Replacement Coaches For Every ACC Program (DBR; King)
The college basketball season starts with optimism in most places but inevitably, by the end of the season, some teams are disappointments and, at some point, every coach is replaced.
So we thought we’d take a stab at candidates to replace every ACC coach.
- Boston College - the Eagles need a good recruiter and a big name, preferably someone with experience in New England. We can think of a guy who fits all of that and who is burning for a chance to redeem himself. And a chance to compete against kill Louisville, even though he would deny it, would make Rick Pitino very, very happy. He’s still radioactive though so maybe former BC assistant Ed Cooley.
- Clemson - they could use a young go-getter with familiarity with the ACC and who has succeeded at a school with spotty basketball history. Who fills that bill better than UNCG’s Wes Miller?
- Florida State - Leonard Hamilton has mastered the art of being competitive yet not being a real threat. Presumably FSU would like to take it to the next level. Gregg Marshall would be a great fit and his arrogance would go over well with the FSU fan base which often feels insecure. Plus he’s seen better days at Wichita.
- Georgia Tech - Whenever they give up on Josh Pastner, the Yellow Jackets need a mature coach who has integrity, respect and a history of winning. Why not Johnny Dawkins? Bonus: ACC teams seem to go after Duke assistants (or former assistants) pretty often anyway.
- Louisville - Richard Pitino obviously. Kidding! But Kelvin Sampson could be lured.
- Miami - The Hurricanes have prospered under Jim Larranaga but might like a younger coach whenever he quits. Who would love Coral Gables and the Miami lifestyle? Too bad Buzz Peterson’s not available. Too bad Lute Olson is not available. He’d be perfect. The next best thing? TJ Otzelberger. Because moving from Vegas to Miami must makes sense.
- North Carolina - They’ll want to keep it in the family and he hasn’t proven himself yet but how about Jerry Stackhouse? If he could win at UNC he’d be a huge force. People might even overlook his personality.
- Notre Dame - They’d like a guy with a track record and energy and being Catholic wouldn’t hurt. Is Porter Moser Catholic?
- NC State - Kevin Keatts should be there for a good while but in keeping with State’s long tradition of hiring guys from smaller programs, why not Dan Muller from Illinois State?
- Pitt - Jeff Capel should be there for a long time but after Capel? Nate Oates? He can't possibly stay at Alabama. Can he? He just doesn't seem like an SEC guy. Pitt could call him home.
- Syracuse - with Mike Hopkins killing it at Washington the first call will go there.
- Virginia - Ron Sanchez of course. They won’t want to let go of Bennett Ball and Sanchez is going to be pretty good at it.
FSU Basketball should be thankful for preseason ACC prediction (chopchat.com; Parker)
FSU Basketball was predicted to finish fifth in the early picks from the media this past week – and they need to be counting their stars to be that high.
For much of the past decade, the FSU basketball team has spent their time as one of the top teams in the ACC – a decade that culminated with three appearances in the conference’s annual tournament championship game and the 2012 tournament where the Seminoles defeated North Carolina to bring home their first title.
Along with being one of the top teams in the conference nearly at a yearly mark of late comes a level of expectations for head coach Leonard Hamilton and his Noles – but it might be better for the Seminoles to take a step back when it comes to predictions when it comes to the 2019-20 season.
Coming into a season where FSU basketball will be replacing several big name stars – including the duo of Terance Mann and Mfiondu Kabengele, who are now members of the LA Clippers – after their second straight appearance in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, the Noles found out where the media thinks they will finish this season.
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Virginia Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for the Cavaliers (bustingbrackets.com; Harkins)
Virginia basketball is fresh off winning the national championship during this past season. Will the Cavaliers be able to defend their title?
Virginia basketball has easily been one of the best programs in the country for the last several years. Under the leadership of head coach Tony Bennett, the Cavaliers have emerged as a defensive juggernaut and national powerhouse. That much was never more evident than during this past campaign as the program managed to finish off an elite redemption story by going from becoming the first-ever No. 1 seed to lose in the first round to cutting down the nets as national champions.
It was a particularly impressive campaign for the Cavaliers as they solidified themselves as one of the nation’s top programs. Coach Bennett also proved that his system is able to win in March and that should greatly affect the future recruiting in Charlottesville. Looking ahead to this coming campaign, Virginia might have a tough time defending its national title. This is due to the fact that the Cavaliers had to wave goodbye to Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy, DeAndre Hunter, and Jack Salt this offseason as major rotation pieces.
With that said, though, Coach Bennett’s success has been predicated more on his system than the players on his roster. There should be more than enough talent on his 2019-20 roster to compete near the top of the national rankings as long as all of the program’s newcomers quickly adjust to the collegiate game and UVa’s playing style.
Virginia looks poised to be a top-25 team in the country this year but there are definitely plenty of concerns regarding their significant personnel losses. Now, without any further ado, let’s dive deeper into a season preview for the Cavaliers.
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UNC Basketball: Recruiting analyst makes pick for 5-star Tar Heels target (keepingitheel.com; Pearson)
A big Crystal Ball prediction has come in for a top UNC Basketball target on Sunday after his visit to Kentucky. What does it mean for UNC’s chances?
With three five-star recruits already committed to North Carolina in the 2020 recruiting class, the Tar Heels have a Top 3 class as it stands. Just weeks before the early signing period, Roy Williams and his staff have done a great job with this class so far.
And they hope they aren’t done yet.
There is still plenty of time for UNC to add at least one more recruit and maybe even two or three more by the time it’s all said and done. They still have offers out to a few recruits including some five stars that are left uncommitted.
One of the top names on UNC’s recruiting board is Cade Cunningham, the No. 2 overall player and one of the best scorers in this class. Williams would love to pair point guard Caleb Love with Cunningham to create a very good backcourt that should score in bunches. It’s a dream backcourt for UNC fans in the 2020 class and would be the icing on the cake.
But it’s not going to be easy and on Sunday, their chances may have taken a hit.
Lead recruiting analyst from 247 Sports, Evan Daniels, put in his Crystal Ball prediction for Cunningham and he logged it to Kentucky. This is significant because Daniels’ CB picks are usually spot on as he has been correct on all 42 of his predictions for the 2020 class and has a lifetime record of 222/235 (94.7%).
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Other
Columbus Day 2019: What’s open, closed? Banks, mail, trash pickup, Walmart, Target, more (PS; Herbert)
When is Columbus Day?
Columbus Day 2019 takes place Monday, Oct. 14. The holiday, also known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, is always observed on the second Monday in October.
What is Columbus Day?
Columbus Day is a federal holiday commemorating Italian explorer Christopher Columbus’ voyage and landing in the New World on Oct. 12, 1492. Columbus was commissioned by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain to find a faster route to Asia, and instead “discovered” what is now known as North America.
The holiday was first formally observed in New York in 1792, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt made it a national holiday in 1937.
Columbus Day is not without controversy, as Columbus “discovered” a land already inhabited by millions of Native Americans, and European settlers led to the death of much of the indigenous population. Today, six states and more than 100 communities have officially changed the holiday’s name to Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
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