sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 26,563
- Like
- 115,648
Poinsettia Day celebrates the beautiful red flowering plant that has come to be associated with Christmas, the poinsettia. The plant is native to Mexico, where it was used by the Aztecs; its flowers were used to produce red dye, and its sap to treat fevers. Franciscan missionaries in Mexico used it in the 17th century as part of nativity processions, the first time it became associated with Christianity. A story has been passed down about a poor Mexican girl who didn't have anything to honor baby Jesus with at a procession. An angel told her any gift from the heart was a good gift, so she gathered weeds from the roadside. When she placed them around the manger they transformed into poinsettias. In Mexico the flowers are called La Flores de la Nochebuena, or the Flowers of the Holy Night, and are displayed on December 12, the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe. This day marks the beginning of the Christmas season.
Poinsettias take their name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, a botanist and the first Minister to Mexico, who sent cuttings of the plant back to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1837, William Hickling Prescott, a gardener and historian, was asked to rename the plant and named it after Poinsett, because of his achievements in government and horticulture. By some odd coincidence, Poinsett died on December 12, the same day as the Day of the Virgin Guadalupe, and the same date that would become National Poinsettia Day.
SU News
Former players offer their favorite memories of the SU-Georgetown rivalry (PS; Waters)
The rivalry between Syracuse and Georgetown was once one of the fiercest rivalries in all of college basketball.
The feud ran hot. It began with John Thompson’s gloating. The scars remain from his "Manley Field House is officially closed'' jab after the Hoyas snapped Syracuse’s 57-game home streak in the final game at its former arena.
This wasn’t a respectful rivalry either. Punches were thrown. Chairs, too. As recently as 2013, John Thompson mimed a throat-slash in the closing seconds of the Hoyas’ 61-39 win over Syracuse in what was assumed to be the schools’ last meeting as Big East foes.
One week later, Syracuse exacted its revenge, beating the Hoyas in the Big East tournament.
The rivalry, subdued but still simmering, continues on Saturday as Syracuse heads to D.C. to face Georgetown at the Capital One Arena.
We invited 20 former Syracuse players; stars, role players and walk-ons, to provide their favorite memories of the rivalry with Georgetown and then asked them what they would say to the current players to make them understand the importance of this game.
Here are their responses:
...
This year's Syracuse basketball team will be best since 2016 - The Juice Online (the juice; Irvine)
Becoming the best team in one of the worst four-year runs in the program’s recent memory is a low bar, but this year’s team will end the season as the best SU has had since its 2016 Final Four run.
Syracuse’s 5-4 start, the worst in 50 years, is primarily a product of schedule. Oklahoma State, Penn State, and Iowa are not college basketball blue bloods, but they all rank in the KenPom top 40.
Penn State ranks No. 23 after knocking off Maryland, which was No. 4 in the AP poll, while Oklahoma State had gone as high as No. 35 before losing its last two games without injured point guard Isaac Likekele, who torched in the Orange in their matchup.
Losing a few games in the non-Conference schedule, while unthinkable in the early 2010s, has been common for SU the last three years. In fact, many of the Orange’s non-conference losses in prior years have been much worse than this year’s, including Old Dominion last year.
It just happened that Syracuse played three straight games against difficult non-conference opponents, plus Virginia — who Syracuse has struggled against since joining the ACC. If those losses were spread out across a typical SU schedule, it would look no different than recent years.
So what is there to be hopeful about with this year’s team?
Passing
Syracuse’s offense has been downright difficult to watch in recent years. It featured high ball screens that went nowhere, isolation hero ball, and a gruelingly slow pace.
...
Ewing: Hoyas' full roster available vs. Syracuse as of now (foxsports.com; AP)
It was hard not to do a double-take when Georgetown basketball coach Patrick Ewing answered a question Wednesday about whether his full roster will be available for the team’s next game by saying, “As of now, yes.”
Ewing and the Hoyas are in a bit of an “as of now” world at the moment.
Saturday’s game against former Big East rival Syracuse will be Georgetown’s first at home since legal matters for three players came to light after the school announced last week that one, leading reserve Josh LeBlanc, would be transferring.
Also leaving, for unspecified reasons, was starting point guard James Akinjo, who was not connected to the cases involving LeBlanc and two players remaining on the team, Myron Gardner and Galen Alexander.
“It was kind of like, ‘Wow.’ I kind of felt like I was in a movie,” senior guard Jagan Mosely said about the departures of Akinjo and LeBlanc, who were both among the team’s top five scorers. “I come to college, and you expect to go to the Tournament every year. … And then it’s just like, it doesn’t turn out that way. And then this happens.”
Washington, D.C., Superior Court records show that LeBlanc, Gardner and Alexander agreed this week — without any admissions — to stay at least 50 feet away from a female Georgetown student, her two roommates and their home and to not contact them. According to court documents, the student accused the three players of “threats against (her) personal safety.”
Separate temporary restraining orders filed by a different student against LeBlanc and Alexander were granted last month.
Asked about possible school discipline for Alexander or Gardner, Ewing replied: “Because of legal issues, there are some certain things I can’t even talk about.”
“It’s none of, really, my business,” starting guard Mac McClung said. “I wish the best for those guys.”
...
Syracuse Basketball Decade In Review: Ranking the 10 teams - Pickin' Splinters (pickinsplinters.com; Heyen)
As the 2010s come to a close, Jim Boeheim and his 2-3 zone remain the constants in Syracuse basketball. There’s been plenty of excitement and change, too, and this “Syracuse Basketball Decade In Review” will take a look back at all the teams, players and games worth remembering from the past 10 years.
The first installment of the series will rank the 10 teams that completed a season in this decade, with the pool ranging from 2009-10 to 2018-19. In a decade of two Final Four appearances, a conference switch, multiple undefeated starts to seasons and a number of crazy shots, there are arguments to be made up and down the list. You won’t all agree with the order, but that’s fine. Just take a walk down memory lane of SU hoops.
10. 2014-15
Record, final result: 18-13, banned from postseason play
Best win: Feb. 18 vs. No. 12 Louisville. The Cardinals brought future NBA players Terry Rozier and Montrezl Harrell to the Dome four days after the Orange had fallen to No. 4 Duke. But an unranked Syracuse team held the Cardinals to four made field goals in the final 10 minutes of action as Rakeem Christmas scored 18 of his 29 points in the second half. Combined with a win over No. 9 Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. less than a week later, late February provided the bright spots in an otherwise lost season for SU.
Worst loss: Nov. 20 vs. Cal at Madison Square Garden. Syracuse lost 13 times this season, but none fell in the category of awful defeats. So let’s go with the one in retrospect that doesn’t look great, a 14-point defeat at the hands of a Golden Bears team that eventually went 7-11 in the Pac-12. The Orange trailed by 12 at halftime and couldn’t shoot their way back in it.
Best player: Rakeem Christmas. It was a shame Christmas didn’t get a chance to shine in the NCAA Tournament as a senior. He averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds as a junior the year prior, but he was the center of SU’s offense in 2014-15. That meant lots of post touches and dominance from the inside, leading to final averages of 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He earned First Team All-ACC and Third Team AP All-American honors.
Most iconic moment: Michael Gbinije hit a game-winning jumper to beat Virginia Tech, 72-70, after the Orange trailed by 13 points with 6:29 to play. Full-court pressure got Syracuse back into the game and set Gbinije up for the winner. Despite still to come Louisville and Notre Dame upsets, Syracuse University announced 24 hours after Gbinije’s game-winner that it was banning the team from all postseason action.
9. 2016-17
Best win: Feb. 22 vs No. 10 Duke. This season also featured top-10 upsets of Florida State and Virginia (which was Jim Boeheim’s win No. 1000*). But if you remember one game, it’s probably this one. Duke featured Jayson Tatum, Grayson Allen and Luke Kennard. The Orange trailed by nine early in the second half. But then John Gillon willed Syracuse back, finishing with 26 points and the banked game-winning 3-pointer from straight on that sent the Dome into pandemonium.
Worst loss: Dec. 21 vs. St. John’s. Syracuse was run off the floor by the Red Storm just before Christmas. The Orange already had four nonconference losses and couldn’t afford another, let alone one by the final margin of 93-60. A Jim Boeheim-led SU team had never lost five nonconference games in a season until dropping this one.
Best player: John Gillon. His overall season numbers don’t show it, but after the Duke shot, Jim Boeheim said, “We go as John Gillon goes.” Seems like a good source to trust on this one. Gillon was at the heart of all three of Syracuse’s top-10 upsets at home, along with scoring a career-high 43 points (including the shot to send it to overtime) in a win at North Carolina State. The grad transfer Gillon (joined by grad transfer Andrew White III) only played one season at Syracuse but gave the Orange a bunch of memorable moments.
Most iconic moment: Gillon’s banked-in buzzer beater against Duke. It ranks among the greatest shots in the history of Syracuse basketball.
...
Syracuse Basketball: Howard Washington warrants 6th man consideration (itlh; Weisleder)
Syracuse Basketball’s Howard Washington is a selfless hunger artist off the bench whose success is rooted behind his opportunities. Here are the details.
It has been less than a full month since Syracuse basketball began its 2019-20 season against Virginia in the Carrier Dome.
On November 6th, redshirt junior Howard Washington was behind three guards in head coach Jim Boeheim’s rotation: A returning Jalen Carey and incoming freshmen Brycen Goodine and Joe Girard.
14 months ago, during the latter stage of his ACL tear recovery, Washington was cleared for full workouts after a full summer of rehabilitation at Syracuse when he suffered a stroke walking on campus. Crouse Hospital doctors immediately removed two blood clots in his brain, and shortly after, he underwent heart surgery.
...
"And you hate them even more" Syracuse/Georgetown rivalry alive and well (cnycentral.com; Tamurian)
We published a story yesterday illustrating how the Syracuse/Georgetown Basketball rivalry is still alive and well with four classic games since Syracuse joined the ACC.
If you were still in doubt, players on both sides want to reassure you that these teams still don't really like each other. At all.
"To step on the court knowing the guys across the line hate you, and you hate them even more, and then wanting to get a win for your fanbase as much as possible" said Georgetown senior guard Jagan Mosely on the matchup with Syracuse.
In the last four seasons, Syracuse and Georgetown have split the matchups with two wins apiece. Georgetown winning in the first game Mike Hopkins coached while filling in for Jim Boeheim in 2015 along with a special game in 2016 to honor the late Pearl Washington.
Syracuse exacting revenge on the Hoyas with thrilling rallies in back to back seasons including a game-winning shot from Tyus Battle last year.
Even freshmen like Joe Girard III know exactly what to expect.
"It's gonna be unbelievable" said Girard III.
...
A friend's suicide spurred former Syracuse guard Trevor... (theathletic.com; Gutierrez; pay article)
In July 2018, Trevor Cooney received a call from a friend, who informed him that their buddy Sean Locke had killed himself. First Cooney was shocked, then tangled in disbelief, then disappointed, then overwhelmed. Nearly 17 months later, Cooney still finds the death of one of his closest friends hard to comprehend.
Amid the grief, Cooney became filled with a desire to become an advocate for mental health. He would educate others about the illness, help raise money for a foundation in Locke’s memory and attempt to normalize depression. He looked for ways in which he could redirect the energy associated with his loss and use it for something good.
Cooney, a former Syracuse guard who was part of the Final Four teams in 2013 and ’16, is pushing for mental health advocacy in honor of his late friend, with whom he played golf and basketball and hung out at parties. He has taken matters into his own hands, joining the board for Unlocke the Light Foundation, which...
ACC Basketball power rankings: Duke, Louisville and UVA ahead of the rest (bustingbracket.com; Travis)
Following an upsetting loss in the ACC/B1G Challenge, the ACC has taken a step back and we have seen several top-ranked ACC Basketball teams fall in the past few days.
Prior to the ACC/B1G Challenge, ACC Basketball was looking good, several teams were ranked, Duke, UNC, Virginia and Louisville were all undefeated, Florida State looked promising, now less than a week later, it is a much different story.
The ACC/B1G Challenge was a huge disappointment for the ACC as the conference lost the challenge 6-8 with three of their ranked teams suffering losses. Not only that, but the ACC’s only wins against ranked teams during the challenge came from Duke beating Michigan State and Louisville beating Michigan.
It was because of this that many have begun to say that the ACC has taken a step back and maybe the B1G is the best conference this year.
...
Virginia Tech basketball: Hokies escape with close win over UT-Chattanooga at home (gobblercountry.com; Manning)
The Virginia Tech Hokies improved to 7-3 on the season Wednesday night with a 63-58 win over UT-Chattanooga in Blacksburg. Freshman guard Nahiem Alleyne led the Hokies with 22 points.
Virginia Tech led this game at halftime 32-28 but the Mocs came out in the second half and controlled the action. At one point, UT-Chattanooga had a 51-47 lead with less than five minutes remaining and things looked bleak in Blacksburg.
Finally, Tech’s offense came back to life and the Hokies went on a 9-0 run to take a 56-51 lead late. Junior guard Wabissa Bede connected on a clutch three-point shot with just over one minute remaining to pad Tech’s lead to six and the Hokies never looked back.
One of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation, the Hokies struggled from beyond the arc for much of the game. Tech hit just six of 21 from three-point range, before connecting on two late to clinch this win and end a frustrating three-game losing streak.
Defensively, the Hokies did an outstanding job on UT-Chattanooga leading scorer, Matt Ryan. Ryan entered the game averaging 15 points per game, but was held to just two points. He was one of seven from the field and missed all six of his three-point attempts.
...
Other
After fraud scandal shakes Jreck Subs, its smalltown shop owners could really use a hero (PS; McMahon)
Candace Duprey kept serving sandwiches.
She kept going while the Jreck Subs corporate owner was indicted in a sprawling fraud case. When he went to prison and forfeited the business as part of a plea deal. Even when the U.S government, in an extraordinary step, took over operations of Jreck’s corporate business.
Making subs was what Duprey, 58, had been doing since she was 16.
But there’s been there’s been little certainty for Duprey and the other owners of 31 Jreck shops for nearly three years. In little towns upstate from Massena to Duprey’s place in Weedsport, the Jreck’s shop owners have been frozen by the multimillion-dollar fraud racket.
Even a recent glimpse of hope that the Jreck brand would be resold is now up in the air as the convicted owner’s ex-wife makes a bid for the business.
“We’ve been in limbo for a long time,” Duprey said. “It’s been very stressful.”
It’s been unsettling for the franchisees, many of whom Duprey said spent their lives investing and working in their shops. While the U.S. government has been in charge of the chain, licensing agreements have expired to allow an eventual new owner to renegotiate. The future and worth of the brand has been tied up in a legal battle.
The franchisees operate the sub shops separately from the corporate Jreck brand, which was owned and managed by Christopher Swartz up until his arrest. Swartz in 2016 pleaded guilty to swindling investors out of at least $9 million. As part of his criminal case, the U.S. government seized Swartz’s business.
A new owner is lined up now, giving Duprey and other local franchisees some hope for the brand they’ve invested time and money into for decades.
A Florida company was selected Nov. 18 as the top bidder among 11 submissions. The company, Fresh Start Franchising, is owned by Matthew Darrah, a former executive and current consultant at Enterprise Holdings, which owns a handful of car rental companies. Darrah declined to comment until the sale is closed.
...
