sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Halloween is a holiday that is rooted in, and was influenced by, both pagan and Christian traditions. On one hand there are the influences of Celtic harvest festivals, such as the Gaelic festival Samhain, and on the other hand Halloween stems from All Hallows' Eve, which is the night before the Christian holiday of All Hallows' Day—or All Saints Day. Halloween traditions were culled from these influences, and from varied traditions that different countries celebrated. The amalgamation of these influences helped to create what we now know as Halloween in the United States.
Samhain is seen as a time when the boundaries between this world and the otherworld narrow, giving spirits the opportunity to enter this world. In Britain and Ireland, divination rituals took place during Samhain, which included practices such as apple bobbing, which is now often associated with Halloween. Since the 16th century or earlier, guising—or going door to door in costume or disguise—has been a practice during Samhain in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Wales. People impersonated the souls of the dead, originally in an effort to protect themselves from the dead spirits, or to receive offerings on their behalf. In Scotland, youths wore masks or painted their faces, and sometimes threatened mischief if they were not welcomed. The practice of wearing costumes and committing pranks spread to England by the 20th century. These traditions can be seen as influences that helped create trick-or-treating. Those participating in costume wearing and pranks also many times held carved lanterns, which helped bring about the jack-o'lantern.
SU News
Syracuse’s Most Important Players: #1 Elijah Hughes – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Gross)
For two straight seasons, Syracuse looked to Tyus Battle in their most desperate moments. Shot clock winding down? Game on the line? Battle was the answer. Jim Boeheim said Battle made possibly more big shots than anyone he’s ever coached. This season, Elijah Hughes needs to fill that void. He needs to be the hero when all else fails.
Hughes hit more threes than anyone else on the team last season by a wide margin. Not many people would have believed before game one that the East Carolina transfer would outscore Oshae Brissett in his first year playing for Syracuse, but he did just that, finishing second behind Battle with 13.7 PPG.
Why Syracuse Needs Him
Boeheim expects Hughes to be the only player on the roster who plays 37-40 minutes. It makes sense, given Hughes irreplaceable skillset. Nobody on the team has his scoring pedigree. More specifically, SU doesn’t have a real isolation threat outside of Hughes. Jalen Carey, Quincy Guerrier and Marek Dolezaj lack efficiency with the outside shot. Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard lack the size and strength to slash to the rim. Hughes, like any high-level scorer, can do both. Put simply, Hughes needs to be the scoring threat that turns even the most stagnant offensive possessions into points. And with the game on the line, he needs to deliver with the ball in his hands.
Best Case Scenario
Hughes continues his positive development and cements his status as one of the ACC’s best scorers. He is ready to make things happen in isolation situations, something he wasn’t asked to do much last season. He even does what Battle could not: distribute the basketball effectively after drawing rotations. The roster situation should allow Hughes to battle for conference scoring title. In the best case scenario, his talents turn that into a reality.
Worst Case Scenario
Hughes isn’t ready for his expanded role. His ball handling and isolation creativity isn’t suited to be a number one option. He doesn’t make teammates better around him and scores at high volume low efficiency. He proves to be better suited for last year’s role as a catch-and-shoot or catch-and-drive piece on offense. Or worse, he doesn’t have the incredible mental resolve that Battle did, even when slumping.
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Welsh: Syracuse basketball is 'going to surprise a lot of people' in 2019-20 - The Juice Online (the juice; podcast; Cheng)
ESPN’s Tim Welsh calls in to break down the 2019-20 Syracuse basketball season with host Wes Cheng on The Juice on the Cuse podcast hosted by SNY.tv. TJO editor in chief Brad Bierman then calls in to chat about the football team’s loss to Florida State.
Orange Watch: Sorting out playing time for Syracuse basketball - The Juice Online (the juice' Bierman)
Item: Following the final tune-up for the Orange Tuesday night, pulling away from Canadian college powerhouse Carleton before the Virginia opener looms in less than a week (Wed., Nov. 6 – 9:00 p.m. ET / ACCN), Jim Boeheim was in a feisty mood on the eve of his 44th season. It’s an annual rite of passage for Orange Nation to figure the over/under of how many players the coach will settle on come the heart of conference play, and the longtime boss was mildly irritated about all of the outside speculation surrounding this year’s roster rotation as he molds a young team to his liking.
As he is habitually wont to do, Jim Boeheim is going to do things his way. That includes his evaluation and subsequent tinkering with the on-court options afforded him this season with a rare SU team in which four guards will contribute significant minutes, along with the more common four forwards/centers, the combination of big men potentially being in flux, along with riding the season’s stretches of who’s hot, and who’s not.
The big caveat is how Bourama Sidibe evolves in a starting role at that critical center spot that when clicking anchors the zone defense and changes the complexion of the offense. Sidibe’s play in turn relates to where on the floor Marek Dolezaj’s starter-like minutes will be spent, which then may result in opening up some playing time for either Robert Braswell or likely Jesse Edwards inside.
“Look, I’ll tell you this, I’m going to play the guys I think we need to play to win,” Boeheim said succinctly after the 19-point Carleton victory. “if somebody gets in and does a good job, they’re going to play. If they don’t, they’re going to be out.”
“I think it could be eight, nine, or possibly could get to 10,” Boeheim continued. “It’s more likely it’s going to be eight or nine, in actuality.”
So, there it is. Eight or nine players will see important minutes, and with that in mind here is the projected early season look at how those minutes will be divvied up among the scholarship roster:
Starting Lineup:
- Jalen Carey-PG
- Buddy Boeheim-SG
- Elijah Hughes-SF/PG (if needed)
- Quincy Guerrier-PF
- Bourama Sidibe-C
- Marek Dolezaj-C/SF/PF
- Brycen Goodine-PG
- Joe Girard-SG/PG
- Robert Braswell-SF/PF
Syracuse Basketball: Defense improves, rotation shortens in Carleton win (itlh; Adler)
The Syracuse basketball squad possessed some positive attributes in its final exhibition tune-up against Carleton University.
The Syracuse basketball team wrapped up its exhibition schedule at 2-0 after cruising past Canadian powerhouse Carleton University, 77-58, on Tuesday evening inside the Carrier Dome.
This proved a fairly solid performance for the Orange, as the Ravens are an extremely talented crew, having claimed 14 national titles, including one in 2019.
The defending NCAA champions, Virginia, are up next for the ‘Cuse, a daunting task to commence the 2019-20 regular term. The Cavaliers ranked No. 11 in the preseason Associated Press top-25 poll, lost multiple guys to the NBA after the last campaign, but Virginia always puts forth a stingy defense.
It’s encouraging that Syracuse, in its battle versus Carleton, fared a bit fitter on defense – at least after intermission – and in the turnover department, since the Orange didn’t look stellar in either category when it defeated Daemen College this past Saturday night in the inaugural exhibition match-up for the ‘Cuse.
The Ravens, for example, connected on just 9-of-27 from the field and 0-of-8 from beyond the arc in the second half, according to a box score of this affair provided by Syracuse.com. The Orange also significantly slashed its number of turnovers, and that’s imperative because the Cavaliers will make the ‘Cuse pay dearly for these kinds of miscues in their encounter on Nov. 6 in Central New York.
Head coach Jim Boeheim had this to say following Syracuse’s conquest of Carleton:
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Syracuse Basketball: 7 Orange alum start 2019 in the G-League (itlh; Queripel)
Seven former Syracuse basketball players find themselves on G League rosters. We look at where these guys ended up and how those in the NBA have fared.
The NBA season is young, as just a handful of games have been played. Four former Syracuse basketball players are on an NBA active roster. We will look at those guys as well as the seven G League players set to start their 2019 seasons.
Dion Waiters
Coming off a tumultuous start to the season, Dion Waiters still has not suited up for the Miami Heat. On Tuesday, Waiters was reinstated from his suspension. However, he remains inactive. It is unknown when Waiters will return or if he will even play another game for the Heat.
Jerami Grant
Through three games this season, Jerami Grant has recorded multiple highlight plays. So far, he has been coming off the bench but making a positive impact.
Grant is averaging just over 10 points a game with three rebounds and one assist per game. Although its a small sample size, Grant has improved his free throw percentage. So far, he is seven for nine on the year.
If Grant can continue his uptick in stats, then look for him to get good run time this season.
Michael Carter-Williams
Michael Carter-Williams is currently battling for playing time in Orlando. Right now, he is getting game action, but that could deteriorate. With the emergence of Markelle Fultz actually showing his potential, this could lead to a reduction in minutes for MCW.
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Hughes, JG3 deliver for Syracuse in final preseason game )poststar.com; St Croix)
Elijah Hughes flashed the maturation of his game as the primary offensive option, and the Syracuse University men’s basketball team connected from deep to hold off Carleton and cap off its preseason Tuesday night.
Hughes delivered team highs of 15 points, 10 rebounds and three steals to go with four assists to guide the Orange to a 77-58 victory over the Ravens of the Ontario University Athletics Conference in front of 4,778 fans at the Carrier Dome.
Freshman Joseph Girard III of Glens Falls scored 14 points in 17 minutes off the bench, including a 3-for-4 mark from behind the arc, and Buddy Boeheim added 12 points on three 3-pointers.
Hughes, the only full-time starter back from last season, also led SU in scoring with 24 points and five 3-pointers during a 90-71 win over Division II Daemen College in SU’s exhibition opener Saturday.
The Orange, which finished 20-14 overall last season and suffered a first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament, will begin Jim Boeheim’s 44th season as head coach by hosting defending national champion Virginia in an Atlantic Coast Conference clash slated for 9 p.m. next Wednesday in the Dome.
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30 Minutes in Orange Nation (ESPN; radio; Steve & Seth)
Seth and Steve discuss SU Basketball’s last exhibition game and World Series Game 6. Later, they think about what the world of collegiate athletics would look like with compensation for name, image and likeness.
Syracuse Basketball Defeats Carleton 77-58 | | CitrusTV (citrustv.com; video)
The Orange started slow, but picked things up in the second half to cruise to a 19 point victory over Carleton University in their final exhibition before the start of the season. Syracuse will host defending national champion #11 Virginia next Wednesday night with tip-off set for 9.
2019-20 Syracuse men's basketball preview dukechronicle.com; Trivedi)
Syracuse Orange
2018-19 record: 20-14, 10-8 in the ACC
Head coach: Jim Boeheim
Tenure at Syracuse: 44th season
Career coaching record: 1047-385
Home court: Carrier Dome
Starters: G Jalen Carey, G Buddy Boeheim, Elijah Hughes, Quincy Guerrier, Bourama Sidibe
Bench: Marek Dolezaj, Robert Braswell, G Howard Washington, G Brycen Goodine, G Joseph Girard III
Overview: For the second time in Boeheim's coaching career, he will have no seniors on the team. The Orange lost four starters from last season, most notably Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett to the NBA, and will enter the season with tempered expectations. As such, the junior class will be expected to step up, led by Hughes and Sidibe on the starting lineup and Dolezaj playing meaningful minutes off the bench. Instead of relying on one or two scorers as it has in the past, Syracuse may have a more balanced offense and potent shooting with Hughes, Buddy Boeheim and Girard, who will push for playing time as a true freshman.
On the defensive side, the Orange are synonymous with the 2-3 zone. However, with the aforementioned losses to the pros and Paschal Chukwu and Frank Howard out of eligibility, the length, experience and communication to run such a zone may be lacking and Boeheim has hinted at man-to-man defense.
One thing that needs to go right: Boeheim puts together a solid defense with a balanced offense and Syracuse finds itself where it has in almost every other season in recent memory—firmly on the NCAA tournament bubble.
One thing that could go wrong: The Orange do not have a defensive identity, their lack of experience is too much too overcome and Syracuse falls toward the bottom tier of the ACC standings.
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UNC Basketball: ESPN analyst picks Tar Heels to win ACC (keepingitheel.com; Pearson)
ESPN makes their predictions for the upcoming college basketball season and one writer is very high on the UNC Basketball program
The 2019-20 college basketball season officially tips off next week with a loaded schedule to start including 17 ranked teams playing on Tuesday night. While the games all begin that Tuesday on the fifth, the Tar Heels will open their campaign at home on the sixth.
UNC will host Notre Dame on Wednesday night to not only begin the new season but the Atlantic Coast Conference season as well.
The Fighting Irish are one of two games the Tar Heels will play vs. the ACC before the normal January conference schedule. They will also travel to take on the defending National Champion Virginia Cavaliers in December as well.
As we prepare for the upcoming season, several publications and outlets are making their predictions for each conference as well as the national picture. We already told you about the media picking Duke as conference favorites from ACC media day as well as Athlon Sports also picking the Blue Devils earlier this week.
But not everyone is on that bandwagon.
ESPN also released their picks for the upcoming season with Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello and John Gasaway all giving their picks. Each writer picked a different team to finish at the top of the standings with only Gasaway showing love for the Tar Heels.
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2019-20 Florida State men's basketball preview (dukechronicle.com; Browning)
Florida State Seminoles
2018-19 record: 29-8, 13-5 in the ACC
Head coach: Leonard Hamilton
Tenure at Florida State: 18th season
Career coaching record: 556-426
Home court: Donald L. Tucker Civic Center
Starters: G. Trent Forrest, G. M.J. Walker, RaiQuan Gray, Patrick Williams, C Dominick Olejiniczak
Bench: G Davin Vassell, G Anthony Polite, Wyatt Wilkes, G Nate Jack
Overview:
The Seminoles return only one of their top-three scoring threats from last year’s team that made a run to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament and reached the ACC title game before falling to Duke. However, the lone returner and senior guard Trent Forrest may be just enough to power the Seminoles into contention for the ACC. Forrest is both considered a preseason All-ACC guard and on the Bob Cousey Award watch list.
Other than Forrest, the Seminoles only return one other starter in junior M.J. Walker, who is currently out with an injury, along with key sophomore guard Davin Vassell. Complementing the returning class is the 19th ranked recruiting class in the nation, headlined by five-star small forward Patrick Williams who looks to make an immediate impact in a team in need of some offensive firepower.
Expect to see a lot of youth in the Florida State lineup this season, as none of the returners averaged more than 10 points per game last season. The Seminoles lost their big man in 7-4 Chris Koumadje but are immediately bringing in two more 7-footers to complement their guard heavy lineup. The Seminoles are projected to finish fifth in the ACC, behind Virginia.
One thing that needs to go right: Forrest takes on a bigger scoring role than he has in the past and the Seminoles' strong recruiting class help Florida State develop into an ACC threat with the ability to once again make a run in the big dance.
One thing that could go wrong: Without injured players Walker and Vassell, the Seminoles falter early in the season and lose all momentum going into ACC play and limp their way into the conference tournament.
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Other
Goat cheese cheesecake served over crumbled shortbread with caramel. Dinner at Eden, Syracuse, N.Y. (
Eden sets the downtown Syracuse dining scene on fire (Dining Out Review) (PS; Paventi)
Describing how good the goat cheese cheesecake ($8) at Eden in Hanover Square is difficult. When our waiter asked what I thought, I told him it was amazing, punctuating my description with a particular word ending in -ing unfit for publication.
It was, without a doubt, one of the best desserts I’ve eaten in any city. A high-risk, high-reward dish, the creamy goat cheese held a moat of caramel and was served over homemade shortbread. The loaf-shaped cheese tasked as if it had been sweetened slightly, while the freshly made caramel sauce added additional sweetness and flavors of burnt sugar. The cheese rested on a bed of crumbled shortbread, which offered a crisp, buttery contrast.
It was the only thing we ate that did not emerge from the raging fires of the kitchen’s hearth. If you walked into Eden and didn’t know any better, you would look across the long, narrow dining room into the kitchen and assume it was on fire. Flames raged all evening long, an orange glow in the corner of your eye stealing your attention away and teasing you with the anticipation of the blaze’s next burst of color.
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