Orangeyes Daily Articles for Friday for Basketball

[sutomcat]

Welcome to X-Ray Day!

The X-Ray was discovered by accident, as part of an experiment where Wilhelm Röntgen was attempting to ascertain whether or cathode rays could pass through glass. Nearby there was a chemically coated screen, and from it was emanating an odd glow, and dubbed the rays causing that glow X-Rays. Why you ask? Because he didn’t know what they were, so the ubiquitous ‘X for unknown’ was utilized. They’ve been called X-Rays ever since.
So what are x-rays really? They’re energy waves of electromagnetism that act in much the same way light rays do, but with an incredibly short wavelength. 1,000 times shorter than those of light to be precise. Once he discovered them, he began experimenting extensively with them, determining what they could and couldn’t pass through, and how they could be photographed. It was through this that he discovered that lead absorbed it almost completely, and human bone would stop it, creating a new and innovative way to see what was going on inside the human body.

SU News

Syracuse men's basketball falls to defending national champions on opening night | | CitrusTV (citrustv.com; video)

Jim Boeheim’s 44th season as head coach of Syracuse men’s basketball got off to a rough start as the difficult defense of defending national champs Virginia frustrated the Orange all night, leading to a 48-34 loss to the Cavaliers.

Postgame Notes at Syracuse (virginiasports.com)

Virginia Game Notes

No. 11/9 Virginia 48, Syracuse 34
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Carrier Dome

Team Notes
• UVA began its 115th season of men’s basketball with its seventh straight season-opening win
• UVA is 21-1 in its last 22 season-opening games
• Virginia is 10-1 in season openers under head coach Tony Bennett
• The Cavaliers have a 12-game winning streak in ACC openers and are 11-0 in ACC openers under Bennett
• UVA led 25-19 at halftime
• UVA used a 13-0 run to grab a 13-2 lead before Syracuse answered with an 8-0 run
• UVA held Syracuse to 25.9 percent field goal shooting in the first half
• UVA owned an 47-28 rebound advantage
• UVA held Syracuse to 34 points, marking its fewest points allowed to an ACC foe since holding Wake Forest to 34 on Feb. 25, 2015
• UVA is 24-0 when holding opponents under 40 points under Bennett
• Syracuse’s 34 points were an all-time low for the Orange in a game at the Carrier Dome and the lowest since a 49-28 loss to Sampson Navy on Jan. 13, 1945 (Sampson Navy was a team from a military base during the war years)
• UVA had three players with 10 or more rebounds (Jay Huff, Kihei Clark and Braxton Key) for the first time since Yuri Barnes (13), Jason Williford (12) and Junior Burrough (11) vs. Rice on Dec. 4, 1993.

Series Notes
• UVA is 8-5 all-time against Syracuse, including a 7-1 mark in ACC action, in the series that dates back to 1983-84
• Virginia owns a four-game winning streak in the series
• The Cavaliers are 4-2 against the Orange at the Carrier Dome
• UVA has held the Orange to 68 or fewer points in each of the last nine meetings between the teams
• Head coach Tony Bennett is 7-2 all-time against Syracuse.
...

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim not a big fan of playing ACC games early in the season: 'It's just a money grab' (cbssports.com; Norlander)

Following No. 11 Virgina's 48-34 victory vs. Syracuse on Wednesday, I asked Orange coach Jim Boeheim if it was a beneficial thing for his team and all ACC teams to be forced to match up against each other to start the season. Of course, in most cases, power-conference schools opt to schedule low-major fodder to wade into the season.

But the birth of the ACC Network forced a chance for that league's teams this year, with the exception of Duke, which always gets a big-boy matchup in the Champions Classic.
Boeheim hates the idea.

"I wish we'd have won, so when I say it, what I'm gonna say would matter, but when you lose nobody wants [to hear it]," he said. "You never want to to play these league games early. It's stupid. It's just a money grab. They got scheduled games for TV, for the TV contracts so you've got to play games early. And then somebody had the brilliant idea of open up the first game with a league game. I just don't think it's good, I don't think it's smart. You want to build up to the league. The league's the most important thing, so why would you play the first game of the year in the league? Makes no sense to me."

Boeheim would find that most if not all ACC coaches agree with him on this. He made sure to note that you never want to play a team like Virginia right away because of their elite ability on defense and because offenses usually need a bit more time to find a groove.

As for Virginia coach Tony Bennett, I asked him the same question. After all, reigning national champs being forced to open on the road against a league opponent? It was a bizarre scheduling decision. The last time a team coming off a title in men's basketball opened on the road was UCLA -- 52 years ago.
...

‘Cardiac Cuse’ ‘We Zone You’ Remember these Syracuse basketball shirts? (photos) (PS; photo gallery; Schild)

Options are endless and fans painted the stands with some classics during the Orange’s home opener vs. Virginia on Wednesday night.
...

Syracuse Basketball: Orange offense fails in season opener to Virginia (bustingbrackets.com; Richards)

In an extremely tough offensive game for Syracuse Basketball, they open their season with a loss at home to the reigning national champions.

Syracuse Basketball opened its season at the Carrier Dome on Wednesday night against the 2019 National Champion Virginia Cavaliers. The Orange did well to hold this new look Coffense offence to just 48-points, the only problem was on the other end they only scored 34.

This was always going to be a game where ‘Cuse was projected a loss, but it was an exciting prospect. Playing the champions on your own floor to start the year is a fantastic opportunity, one that could kickstart the whole campaign for the better. But, it wasn’t to be. It never was. The Orange took a 2-0 lead after almost two minutes of basketball – as both teams started the game very sloppy on the offensive end – but, this was to be ‘Cuse’s only lead of the whole night.

The Hoos ominously got into their stride in the end – albeit, not to the extremes of last season where the likes of Kyle Guy, De’Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome lit up opponents. But it was enough to outscore this continuous struggling offence of Jim Boeheim‘s with ease. The Orange shot 7-27 from the field in the first half as too many times it looked like they were rushing their shot. Hughes went 2-8 for the half, but the isolation that the Orange players found themselves in wasn’t working. Spacing and separation was a massive problem in the first half, and this didn’t change at all down the stretch.
...

By the Numbers: Virginia Basketball’s win over Syracuse (streakigthelawn.com; Darney)

The No. 11 Virginia Cavaliers picked up a big win to open the 2019-20 season as the reigning national champions went on the road and stymied the Syracuse Orange in a 48-34 win. That’s right, 34. Although the Virginia offense struggled at times — especially from beyond the arc — the defense was in mid-season form.

To breakdown the game a little further, let’s look at some of the numbers that stood out.

11 - Since Tony Bennett arrived on Grounds, the Cavaliers have won every single season opener. This was the 11th straight, with Syracuse joining Longwood, Roanoake, South Carolina State, George Mason, James Madison (x2), Morgan State, UNC-Greensboro (x2), and Towson as teams that fell to the Hoos on opening night.

The games against Mason (2012), James Madison (2014), and UNC-G (2016) were all on the road, just like the Syracuse game.

1945 - The last time Syracuse scored as few points as they did on Wednesday night, it was the end of World War II. Yep, that’s right. The second World War. According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, the Orange lost to something called Sampson Navy, 49-28. The 34 points scored by Syracuse was also the fewest scored at the Carrier Dome or under Jim Boeheim since...Virginia held them to 44 last season. Sorry, not sorry, Syracuse.
...

Syracuse Basketball: Orange season will be defined by perseverance (itlh; Adler)

The Syracuse basketball squad ran into a defensive-minded Virginia crew that proved too much for the Orange to handle in the 2019-20 season opener.

The Syracuse basketball team couldn’t buy a basket in its 48-34 setback to No. 11 Virginia on Wednesday night in Central New York, and now a contingent of Orange fanatics are ready to declare the 2019-20 campaign as a disaster.

I can’t tell you the number of so-called fans who absolutely ripped the ‘Cuse to shreds after this dreadful shooting performance by Syracuse (0-1, 0-1), which amounted to the fewest points that the Orange has produced since before the Carrier Dome commenced operations in 1980.

Look, I get that some folks in ‘Cuse Nation are disappointed and frustrated. Prior to the current stanza beginning, excitement had developed for a Syracuse unit that we all anticipated would fare much better on offense in 2019-20 as compared to a term ago.

That narrative didn’t transpire on Wednesday, when more than 22,000 people, including Orange legend Carmelo Anthony, took a trip to the Hill to watch the ‘Cuse suit up against the Cavaliers, a group that witnessed its top-three guys flee to the pros after claiming the NCAA title this past April. Despite those massive losses, Virginia’s premier defense under head coach Tony Bennett remains in full force, as evidenced by Syracuse’s putrid offensive box score.

So, yes, the Orange put up a stinker versus the Cavaliers (1-0, 1-0) and fell to 5-8 overall in the programs’ series. On offense, a lack of fluidity and rhythm ensued, and that resulted in poor shot selection on an abundance of possessions. The ‘Cuse got crushed on the boards, and in the assists department.

On the positive side, Syracuse took care of the ball pretty well, forced Virginia into 16 turnovers and allowed a mere 48 points – with this latter figure usually enabling you to come away with a conquest.
...

Syracuse Basketball: Isolation Orange offense falls flat vs Cavaliers (itlh; Lee)

The Syracuse basketball offense leaned on isolation play vs Virginia. Here’s why it failed miserably and how the Orange can fix it moving forward.

The Syracuse basketball team returned to the Carrier Dome to kick off the 2019 season. Unlike years past the Orange didn’t face off with the Detroit Mercy or Cornells of the college basketball world, instead, they opened vs the defending National Champion Virginia Cavaliers.

With a team, that many thought was built on offense faced off against a juggernaut of a defense. Syracuse a team built on pick-and-rolls in the past all but abandoned the strategy in the opener.

In the past, the offense seemed to struggle because of double-teams off the ball screens. A change of philosophy and an added wrinkle to the offense.

Bourama Sidibe was the main Cuse player to set ball screens but struggled to stay on the floor after defensive mishaps and foul trouble. After Sidibe went out, the Orange went with dribble hand-offs to initiate their offense but Virginia’s versatility and discipline defensively help neutralize this adjustment.

Without causing much confusion with handoffs against the Cavs, Syracuse resorted to many tough looks after isolations became the only offense available. Players like Buddy Boeheim, Jalen Carey, and Joe Girard III had to then attempt to break down an elite defense.

Combined the trio of Boeheim, Carey, and Girard III shot 5-of-24 from the floor and 2-of-12 from three-point territory. Elijah Hughes; the man expected to carry the offensive load this year, wasn’t immune to the inefficiency on offense going 4-of-14 from the field.
...

Syracuse basketball: 34 points, zero concerns - The Juice Online (The Juice; stechschulte)

Based on the last six paragraphs of the three-part Syracuse basketball preview that wrapped up on this very website Wednesday, I am not surprised by the events that transpired that night when the Orange faced Virginia.

Inexperienced guards, three-point shooting volatility, and defensive issues all reared their heads at the Dome. Starting point guard Jalen Carey had minimal input in the game after getting lifted in the first half, getting a quick hook after a couple ill-advised shots after halftime and only returning for garbage time, and Brycen Goodine logged eight mostly inconsequential minutes. The team shot just over 17 percent from deep, and allowed the Cavaliers to shoot 66.7 percent on two-point field goals (the most concerning number in the game, given its likely meaningfulness for the season as a whole).

Most of you do not care about that. You just care that they could not score. Which is fair.

But, what if I present you with some numbers?

5, 1, 2, 7, 2, 4, 25, 5.

No, those are not the shooting percentages of individual Syracuse players from Wednesday night’s game. They are where Virginia has ranked at the end of the last eight seasons in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted defensive efficiency ratings. No, I don’t know what happened in the terrible, horrible, no-good 2012-2013 season where they were only the 25th-best team in the country on defense.

Here are two other sets of numbers:

53, 44, 61, 66, 68, 65, 47, 56

33, 33, 38, 55, 37, 39, 38, 36

Those are, in order from most recent to least recent, the point totals and field goal percentages that SU has mustered in the eight games against Virginia prior to last night, also known as “since the Orange joined the ACC.”

In case you are wondering, yes, “the Malachi Richardson game” is in there. No, it is not the game where SU scored 66 points and shot 55 percent. It is the one before that where they managed to score 68 points and shoot a blistering 37 percent from the field.
...

ACC Roundup: Tigers Bounce Back (DBR; King)

Clemson lost its season opener to Virginia Tech in a bit of a surprise but bounced back nicely against Presbyterian, winning 79-45.

Granted, it’s the Blue Hose and not a powerful team but Clemson was still impressive. The Tigers played a lot of smart basketball and crushed it from three point range, hitting 14-34 from deep.

The Tigers forced 21 turnovers and, for the parts of the game we saw, played with some real savvy.
Over the years, Clemson has usually had either great talent and poor coaching or middling talent and solid coaching.

Brad Brownell is closer to the latter than the former but we liked what we saw from Clemson Thursday. With some work and luck, the Tigers can exceed the low expectations most people have for them this season. We’d like to see that.

It was a pleasure to see Clemson playing smart basketball. It’s a football town but Brownell’s program deserves support. It’s generally admirable.

One minor bit of bad news: the NCAA ruled that Nick Honor, a transfer from Fordham, would not be eligible this season. On the bright side, a waiver was granted recently to Khavon Moore, who transferred to Clemson from Texas Tech. He played 20 minutes against Presbyterian and had six rebounds and two points.
...

Pitts Slips Past Florida State in 63-61 ACC Opener (theacc.com)

Jeff Capel and Leonard Hamilton expected ugly. Good thing, because the Pittsburgh and Florida State coaches saw plenty of it in their season opener on Wednesday night.

Missed shots. Turnovers. Scrambles for loose balls that looked more like rugby scrums. Oh, and fouls. Lots and lots of fouls. Yet through the whistles and the weirdness, the Panthers found the resolve necessary to grind out a 63-61 victory that laid another brick in the foundation Capel is trying to set in his second year on the job.

''I thought we showed a lot of toughness, showed a lot of togetherness,'' Capel said after the Panthers rallied from nine down to beat the Seminoles for a second straight season. ''Got an amazing contribution from our bench and I thought guys just fought. We figured out a way to win.''

Reserves Ryan Murphy and Terrell Brown scored 13 points each for the Panthers (1-0, 1-0 ACC), who won despite shooting just 31 percent (16 of 51) from the field. Pitt survived by getting into the lane relentlessly against the bigger Seminoles (0-1, 0-1), an approach that helped them outscore Florida State 22-13 at the free throw line.

''We want to attack,'' Capel said. ''They're a team usually with a lot of size but we want to challenge that. That's who we are and what we do.''

Senior guard Trent Forrest, the only starter returning from a team that reached the Sweet 16 last season, led Florida State with 19 points. Devin Vassell added 14 but the Seminoles couldn't survive 14 turnovers and 27 fouls. RaiQuan Gray, Malik Osborne and Balsa Koprivica all fouled out for Florida State. The Seminoles also played without 7-foot graduate transfer center Dominik Olejniczak.

Florida State is rebooting after winning a program-record 29 games a year ago. All that newness led to first-game jitters that translated into an over-aggressiveness that led to foul trouble that forced Hamilton to dive deep into his bench. Twelve players saw the floor for the Seminoles.
...

Former CBA, Syracuse football player Greg Paulus named head basketball coach at Niagara (auburnpub.com; AP)

However unexpectedly Greg Paulus landed his first head coaching job, the former Duke point guard won't be entirely unprepared taking his seat at the end of Niagara University's bench Friday night when the Purple Eagles open the season at Drexel.

Paulus has confidence knowing he can lean upon the vast experience he gained as a player and draw from a high-profile network of mentors to guide him. The 33-year-old laughed when asked how often he hears Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's voice in his ear, before responding: "All the time."

And he sure sounded like Coach K when placing the emphasis on his players as opposed to himself in the midst of a tumultuous two weeks that began with Patrick Beilein's abrupt resignation and culminated Thursday, when Paulus made the jump from assistant to head coach by signing a mulityear contract.
...

Other

Construction on cashless toll system for NYS Thruway has started (PS; Weaver)

Construction for the cashless toll system on the New York State Thruway has begun.

Work has begun at about one-fifth of the sites along the 570-mile-long east-west interstate, which is also called I-90.

Preliminary work has begun as Exits 37 and 38 in the Syracuse area. But major construction won’t begin in the Syracuse area until 2020, according to a Thruway spokeswoman.

The Thruway is installing gantries along the highway that will eliminate the need for toll booths, tickets and toll workers. These scaffolds will track vehicle movement and read E-ZPasses. For those who don’t have an E-Z pass, the system will record license plates, then bill the owner of the vehicle.

Some gantries will be over the highway; some gantries will be at the entrance and exits areas.

This summer, the Thruway awarded a $355 million contract to a construction group to build the new system. The installation deadline in the contract is the end of 2020.

The entire cashless toll system will be turned on at once, after all installations are done. The brick-and-mortar toll booths will be removed in 2021.

The Thruway has set up a website to track construction. There is no current plan to change toll rates.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]