sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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- Aug 15, 2011
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Welcome to National Apricot Day!
Related to the peach, the apricot’s velvety flesh is quite similar. However, the texture of the golden-orange fruit is firmer, and the flavor more tart than its cousin’s. Since we easily preserve the apricot, we enjoy this versatile fruit all year long – fresh, canned, and dried.
Apricots are found the world over but originated in northeastern China near the Russian border in ancient times. Later, the fruit was introduced to Europe and Armenia. The apricot found its way to North America when English colonists settled in Virginia. Apricots traveled further west when Spanish explorers and missionaries brought them on expeditions. This migration caused apricots to be grown commercially today.
SU News
SU assistant Gerry McNamara increases practice intensity by joining in drills (PS; Waters)
Gerry McNamara’s intensity is the stuff of legend.
The reddened face during the game’s final minutes. The primal screams after a key play.
The lasting image of blood streaming down his face as he drilled a 3-pointer during Syracuse’s win over Oklahoma State in the second round of the 2003 NCAA tournament.
McNamara’s career at Syracuse ended almost 14 years ago. The current Syracuse players were just starting elementary school when McNamara bid a final farewell to the Carrier Dome crowd on his Senior Day.
But each day in practice, the Syracuse players, especially the team’s guards, get to experience McNamara’s competitive fire.
The Syracuse assistant coach regularly joins in shooting contests with the guards prior to practice. When practice starts, the guards will sometimes split into two groups and compete with each other. When the sides aren’t even, McNamara will jump in.
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Freshman Joe Girard making an impact with Syracuse :: WRALSportsFan.com (AP; Kekis)
Joe Girard lay flat on his back after a fall on the hardwood of Jim Boeheim Court and staring up at Notre Dame's Prentiss Hubb as the sophomore hovered over the Orange freshman guard, glaring down in menacing fashion late in a tight game with the Irish.
Girard hopped up and walked away after the brief altercation as the referees huddled and then called a technical foul against Hubb. Girard responded by sinking both free throws, the beginning of 10 straight points from Girard while Hubb responded by hitting a pair of 3-pointers to keep the game close.
It was a moment that will be etched in the minds of the Orange faithful for a long time, reminiscent of the grit Gerry McNamara brought to the team nearly two decades ago.
“If somebody challenges me or any competitor, usually you’re going to step your game up a little bit," said Girard, who drained a 3-pointer at the final buzzer and pleaded for a foul call that never came as the Orange lost by a point. "I think I was a little bit surprised. He was just competing. The refs saw it. He got over it. I got over it.”
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Orange Watch: Long-standing winning streak in jeopardy for Syracuse basketball - The Juice Online (the juice; Bierman)
Item: It is certainly the literal meaning of the term “winning program.” Syracuse basketball has been a consistent winner since a .500 finish in 1969-70, the last 50 years. Each year, a winning season adding to the current NCAA Div. I record, and the source of immense pride in Orange Nation for the fifth winningest program of all-time. Following Tuesday’s loss to Virginia Tech that dropped SU to 8-7, 1-2, with 16 regular season games left to be played, that long run dating back to Roy Danforth’s tenure (1968-1976) and Jim Boeheim’s entire career is hanging precipitously close to the edge of the basketball cliff.
When was the last time Jim Boeheim only played six players in a game as he did in the tough-to-swallow 67-63 defeat to the Hokies?
We can’t remember it happening in 44-seasons, although it probably has occurred. Seven players getting minutes, yes, but never just six.
What does that say about where Syracuse basketball is in 2020, even understanding that every team goes through injuries that reduce the number of available scholarship players?
It’s not only hard to remain elite if top recurring choices decide to head elsewhere than the Dome, but even to stay in the upper half of the ACC. The ‘Cuse is 61-53 since joining the league in 2013-14, with a 2-5 mark in the ACC Tournament.
“Tough league, people are good,” Boeheim said while explaining his team’s offensive deficiencies in the second half that doomed the Orange Tuesday night against Va. Tech. “We’ve had two opportunities (Notre Dame and Tech) to win games, and we couldn’t get it done.”
Now in an interesting schedule twist, SU finishes up the road portion with three of its four rotating partners this year in three of the next five games against Virginia first on Saturday afternoon (4:00 p.m. ET / ESPN), then Virginia Tech and Notre Dame again in quick turnarounds. The other two games are against annual home/away partners Boston College and Pittsburgh.
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(libsync.com; podcast; Cuse Militia)
What's up Cuse Nation? So, the Orange fall to 8-7 (1-3 ACC) in a 67-63 game against Va Tech. It hasn't been easy to watch. Syracuse has lost the last two games by five points. We all feel the pain...You'll hear from us. We'll hear from you in Fan Feedback.
We remain optimistic though, as the Orange head to Virginia to take on UVA for the second time. UVA has not made huge strides as the year has gone on. We'll tell you what we think!
Pitt Tops UNC for First ACC Road Win Under Jeff Capel (pittsburghsportsnow.com; Northam)
Ahead by eight points with five minutes to play, no one was ready to declare Pitt the winner in its men’s basketball game against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Wednesday. There was still plenty of time for Pitt to do Pitt things.
But, to the surprise of many, Pitt never relinquished that lead. And with 22 seconds left, unhappy Tar Heels fans began shuffling out of their seats.
Jeff Capel’s Panthers held on in the Dean Smith Center for an 73-65 victory Wednesday night, giving Pitt its first-ever win in Chapel Hill in eight tries. The win also broke a streak of six straight losses to Roy Williams’ Tar Heels.
And the triumph is Pitt’s first ACC road win since Feb. 8, 2017, when the Panthers won at Boston College.
Leading Pitt was Trey McGowens, who totaled 24 points, six rebounds and eight assists in 39 minutes of play. Xavier Johnson added 17 points, and Justin Champagnie tallied 22 points and eight rebounds.
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ACC Roundup - ‘Hoo Those Eagles? (DBR; King)
In Tuesday’s ACC action, Louisville beat Miami 74-58, Virginia Tech deflated Syracuse in the Carrier Dome, 67-63 and Boston College surprised Virginia 60-53.
Surprised us too. We didn't think they had chance to pull this off and if you’d told us that they’d be without Nik Popovic and Derryck Thornton, both injured, we’d have said it would be impossible.
Yet there was Jim Christian at the end, cool as a cucumber, calling his guys over like it was an exhibition game.
BC fully expected to win. They were excited but they were also confident. It was an impressive performance.
After last season’s spectacular run to the NCAA title, Virginia fans are having a tough time getting used to being mortal again. They’re also getting a bit of what Duke gets a lot of, which is everyone’s best shot. It’s exhausting and no fun but either this season or soon enough, Virginia will be back as we’ve come to know and dread the Cavaliers.
They’re not going very far away.
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Other
Walsh: Cuomo support for Syracuse STEAM school a big ‘win’ (PS; Weiner)
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said he considered his mission accomplished Wednesday when he heard Gov. Andrew Cuomo declare his support for locating the state’s first regional STEAM high school in Syracuse.
Walsh sat in the audience at Cuomo’s 2020 State of the State address in Albany as the governor pledged support for a project that the mayor views as vital to transforming Syracuse’s economy.
Cuomo told the crowd he will support a $75 million project to open the high school and a state-funded worker training center that focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, or STEAM.
The school would open in the renovated Central High School building on the edge of downtown Syracuse, which has been abandoned since 1975.
“It’s a win for us,” Walsh told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard after Cuomo’s address. “We’re excited. My priority was to make sure it was referenced in the speech. The governor reinforced his support of the project.”
Walsh said the biggest key was making sure the governor was on board with a centerpiece of the Syracuse Surge, the mayor’s technology-focused plan to drive the city’s economic development.
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