sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to the Winter Solstice!
The winter solstice, hiemal solstice or hibernal solstice occurs when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt away from the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year, when the Sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky.[3] At the pole, there is continuous darkness or twilight around the winter solstice. Its opposite is the summer solstice. Also the Tropic of Cancer or Tropic of Capricorn depending on the hemispheres winter solstice the sun goes 90 degrees below the horizon at solar midnight to the nadir.
The winter solstice occurs during the hemisphere's winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the December solstice (usually December 21 or 22) and in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the June solstice (usually June 20 or 21). Although the winter solstice itself lasts only a moment, the term sometimes refers to the day on which it occurs. Other names are the "extreme of winter" (Dongzhi), or the "shortest day". Since the 18th century, the term "midwinter" has sometimes been used synonymously with the winter solstice, although it carries other meanings as well. Traditionally, in many temperate regions, the winter solstice is seen as the middle of winter, but today in some countries and calendars, it is seen as the beginning of winter.
SU News
Syracuse basketball awful from deep again, shows grit in these comebacks (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball is displaying an encouraging grittiness in grinding out successes.
Through seven games, Syracuse basketball is a more than solid 6-1, with its only loss to a top-25 Rutgers team on the road minus two of its starters.
Yet, as Orange head coach Jim Boeheim noted after his squad outlasted Buffalo, 107-96 in overtime, from the Carrier Dome on Saturday night, the ‘Cuse is a few plays away from possibly having a record much worse, say 3-4.
In the 2020-21 campaign opener, the Orange barely got by Bryant. And, over this past week, Syracuse basketball snuck by Northeastern and, most recently, Buffalo.
So depending on which way you slice things – glass half-full or glass half-empty – you can prognosticate that the ‘Cuse is demonstrating terrific grit and toughness in fighting out these victories.
Or, you can say that the Orange is barely beating good, but not great, squads – an indication that, perhaps, Syracuse basketball is in for a long 2020-21.
I’m an optimist. For me, that the ‘Cuse is winning games when playing poorly – games that it probably should end up losing – signifies a strong character and will.
Plus, while Bryant, Northeastern and Buffalo aren’t Gonzaga, Kansas and Duke, they are pretty darn good non-conference foes.
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Five Takeaways From Syracuse's Comeback Victory Over Buffalo (SI; McAllister)
1. Finding Ways to Win
There is no question that this Syracuse team has its flaws, especially with Bourama Sidibe out. That said, the encouraging thing is that they continue to find ways to win. Whether it is scrapping out a win against Northeastern when they were playing terrible offensively. Or when lethargic for large stretches against Bryant mustering up the energy to rally for a last second victory. Or battling back from 16 against a fully healthy and extra motivated Buffalo squad. The point is, each game was different and each required Syracuse to win in a different way. Having that versatility is what you need come tournament time, and generally is the sign of a good team. None of those three games are ones they win the last two seasons. Part of finding ways to win is going with the hot hand in the guard rotation. Kadary Richmond played 32 minutes against Buffalo to just 16 for Joe Girard as Girard was not playing well. Minutes between those two will fluctuate game to game based on who is playing better in that particular game. Richmond was good for Syracuse in this one, and helped spark a second half comeback.
2. Griffin Comes Alive
Alan Griffin had a terrible game against Northeastern. He started out against Buffalo not playing well. But over the last 10 minutes of regulation and five minutes of overtime, he was spectacular. Griffin seemed to snap out of his funk after Jim Boeheim called timeout and spoke with him during the break. After that, Griffin's energy picked up and his play spoke for itself. Over the last two minutes of regulation and in overtime alone, he scored 13 points on 4-4 shooting with four rebonds and that spectacular game saving block. All in all, he finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. When he plays with that type of effort, Griffin can be a game changing player.
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Mballa's dominance inside gave Buffalo a chance to beat Syracuse (247sports.com; Gunn)
Josh Mballa couldn’t believe it. He fought with Alan Griffin for a rebound after his teammate, Ronaldo Segu, missed a jumper driving to the basket with two minutes left in overtime. Mballa reached into Griffin coming down for the rebound and was called for his fifth foul of the game. He untucked his jersey as sulked over to the bench following an inspired performance.
Like his team, Mball ran out of gas, Buffalo fell to Syracuse 107-96 in overtime on Saturday night in the Carrier Dome. The Orange outscored the Bulls 20-9 after regulation. The Bulls, playing with their head coach, Jim Whitesell, was who was in quarantine because of contact tracing, pushed Syracuse, even building a 16-point lead in the second half. The long game wore down the Bulls, and Syracuse’s battle-tested core proved the difference in a high-octane game.
SU only made it to overtime after an epic chase-down block from Griffin with four seconds left.
“To their credit, they stayed with their game plan,” UB interim head coach Angres Thorpe said about Syracuse. “We took them off the three-point line, which was one of our keys, and they did a really good job of getting to the foul line and hitting the offensive glass.”
“I wished we would’ve finished one extra basket in regulation, then we would’ve had this conversation a long time ago,” Coach Thorpe said.
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Syracuse comes from 16 down for overtime win against Buffalo - The Juice Online (the juice; Stechschulte)
Less than four minutes into the second half, Syracuse trailed by 16 points, but rallied to dominate the overtime session in a 107-94 home win over Buffalo. A Jayvon Graves three staked the Bulls (3-3) to a 57-41 lead shortly after intermission, but the Orange (6-1) rallied to score 66 points in just over 21 minutes of play.
That offensive punch was desperately needed, as SU’s defense was gouged throughout regulation. The Bulls shot 49.4 percent from the field, including 40.9 percent from three-point range. The zone stiffened as the game progressed, enabling the Syracuse offense to pull them back into the game.
The Orange shot 53.7 percent from the floor after halftime and connected on 23-of-30 foul shots in that time span. Overtime was very good overall to the SU offense, as they were able to score on 10-of-12 possessions in the extra five minutes.
Syracuse jumped to an early lead, but Buffalo responded with the first run of the night to jump out front. The Bulls needed under a minute to drain a trio of treys around a Quincy Guerrier lay-up to take a 15-12 lead before the first media time out.
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Syracuse mounts 16-point comeback to top Buffalo in OT - Pickin' Splinters (pickinsplinters.com; Cifonelli)
With 16 minutes left in the game, Josh Mballa gave Buffalo a 59-43 lead. It was the second time in the last minute the Bulls had that advantage. Syracuse then put on a press, crawled back into the game and won 107-96 in overtime.
The Orange’s biggest run over the last 16 minutes was 5-0, but the Bulls always had an answer to keep it close. Alan Griffin and Quincy Guerrier combined to score 22 of Syracuse’s last 44 points of regulation. Griffin also made a game-saving block on a breakaway dunk attempt by Jayvon Graves with six seconds left.
The block that sent it to OT @alangriffin_ pic.twitter.com/QgeeSYXrW8
— Syracuse Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) December 20, 2020
Griffin’s block was a jaw-dropping moment that even impressed his coach.
“Alan’s block is one of the best plays I’ve ever seen in here,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. “That was an incredible play. It saved the game.”
Syracuse was able to get back into the game due to its increased pressure and a focus on rebounding, Jim Boeheim said.
“We had to try and get more action, more activity,” Boeheim said. “I’ve been trying to get Alan to get to the offensive boards and he made two or three huge plays on the offensive glass when we needed them.”
Once the game got to overtime, the Orange took over. Griffin scored nine of his team’s 20 points in the extra frame. Guerrier and Buddy Boeheim also had five apiece in overtime.
Buffalo created a margin of victory in the first half with a 17-4 over a five minute span. That created a 14-point lead that Buffalo was able to keep in double digits for most of the remainder of the half. Mballa led the run with six points.
The Bulls made nine threes to Syracuse’s three, but the Orange went 32-for-42 from the charity stripe. Buffalo made nine of its 13 free throw attempts. Additionally, Marek Dolezaj, Kadary Richmond and Griffin combined for all of Syracuse’s 10 blocks.
Despite the close score with a Buffalo team that now sits at 3-3, Jim Boeheim is still happy with his team’s victory.
“This is a really good win,” Jim Boeheim said. “In the two close games we had here we didn’t do much; we didn’t play well. This was a tremendous game. I know our defense has got to be better but their offense is really good.”
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Syracuse Basketball: Alan Griffin block ‘one of best plays I’ve ever seen’ (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim fired up Alan Griffin to just go out and play the game.
Syracuse basketball junior small forward Alan Griffin had proven tremendous, by and large, all season long prior to getting zero points this past Wednesday afternoon as the Orange squeaked by Northeastern, 62-56, from the Carrier Dome.
After that contest, ‘Cuse head coach Jim Boeheim ripped into Griffin, a transfer from Illinois, saying that his player let his struggles on offense affect his all-around game, including his play on defense.
Fast-forward to Saturday evening on the Hill, and in the first half versus fellow Empire State foe Buffalo, Griffin still didn’t get much done in a positive manner on either end of the floor as the Bulls built up a double-digit lead.
Boeheim told Griffin to be less concerned about his shot, and more concerned about playing the game of basketball, the Syracuse basketball head coach said via a Zoom call with media members following his team’s encounter with Buffalo.
After intermission, Griffin clearly turned things up a notch. His energy was terrific. He was flying all over the place. His activity level was top-notch, as he effectively drove into the lane and crashed the boards, both on the offensive and defensive glass.
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Fizz Follower Mailbag: 12/20 – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefiz.net; Unsworth)
There’s a lot to wrap your head around after last night’s 107-96 overtime win over Buffalo. On the positive side, Quincy Guerrier’s 27 points and 11 boards, Kadary Richmond’s game-changing effect in the second half and Alan Griffin’s takeover in crunch time. On the not-so-positive side, Joe Girard was cold again, SU as a team was 3-19 from behind the arc and the Orange looked completely outmatched in the first half.
It was just another rollercoaster ride for Cardiac ‘Cuse, but the book is still out until Jim Boeheim’s squad reaches conference play. By the way, Boeheim was chippy in the postgame presser (which seems normal at this point in time).
Let’s get to some questions.
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The lineup change that Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim should try (but obviously won’t) - The Juice Online (the juice; Irvine)
If you only knew that the Syracuse men’s basketball team was 6-1 and ranked 30th in the KenPom rankings, you might think the team was poised to bounce back into a regular fixture in the top-25 for the first time in years.
But the Orange is one missed open shot by the Bryant Bulldogs and an incredible Alan Griffin block away from being 3-3 with two home losses to sub-100 teams. Something needs to change if the Orange are finally going to breathe easy again on Selection Sunday.
The obvious change is inserting freshman point guard Kadary Richmond into the starting lineup. Statistics aren’t everything, but Richmond is so far and away SU’s best defender that his defensive box plus/minus of 7.7 is more than twice that of the next best Orange. He has the team’s highest steal percentage and block percentage. He leads Syracuse in defensive win shares despite ranking 5th in minutes played.
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'Cuse Militia Podcast - Armchair Media Network (armchairnetwork.com; podcast; Cuse Militia)
Episode 268- Syracuse Basketball: Buffalo Post-Game/Notre Dame Preview!
ACC Roundup - Not A Great Saturday For The Conference... (DBR; King)
In Saturday’s ACC Action, Louisville fell hard at Wisconsin, 85-48, Central Florida upset Florida State 86-74, Purdue took Notre Dame 88-78, Miami turned back Jacksonville 73-64, State smacked Campbell 69-50, Virginia Tech walloped Juan Dixon’s Coppin State team 97-57 and Buffalo nearly upset Syracuse before falling in overtime 107-96.
Did we miss something there? What’s that you say?
Oh yeah - UNC beat Kentucky 75-63.
And it wasn’t so much the loss which knocked UK to 1-5 on the season for the worst start since the 1926-27 season - four years before Adolph Rupp showed up.
No, it was the way Kentucky handled the loss.
Freshman Cam’Ron Fletcher cried on the bench, frustrated by his (lack of) playing time. Terrence Clarke walked off the court before the final buzzer. And the only player who was willing to talk to the media was Keion Brooks.
It’s still early but this team looks like a train wreck.
To his credit, Fletcher apologized for his behavior after the game.
For his part, John Calipari blamed himself even as he talked about the manifest immaturity his team displayed.
Two big guys in this game must have had some questions about their school choices: UNC’s Walker Kessler, a Five-star center coming out of high school, got just two minutes and UK’s Olivier Sarr, who came over from Wake Forest to great expectations, fouled out in 19 minutes with two points, four boards, one assist and one block.
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Other
Hot cocoa bombs: Sweet new craze sweeps through Central New York (PS' $; Cazentre)
What could be better than a cup of hot cocoa on a cold and frosty winter’s night?
How about a cocoa bomb?
“It’s so much more fun, and more fun for the kids,” said Duyen Nguyen, a baker who is preparing to to open a sweets shop called the Cake Bar at the Salt City Market in downtown Syracuse in early 2021.
There’s a good reason kids (and many adults) love the cocoa bomb, which has become one of the hottest food trends in the nation this holiday season. Eater.com reported this week they’ve “exploded on TikTok.”
It’s a hard shell of chocolate, wrapped around ingredients like cocoa powder, peppermint candy, marshmallows, berries and/or sprinkles. They’re typically decorated in playful or festive fashion.
Put it in a mug of hot milk and watch what happens.
“It melts, or some say explodes,” Nguyen said. “Everyone loves it. It’s good for the holidays with family.”
To avoid a big mess, Nguyen recommends putting the bomb in the mug first, then pouring the milk over.
Cocoa bombs, also called hot chocolate bombs, have been a huge hit across Central New York in recent weeks.
Nguyen is taking online orders for pick-up in a special pop-up from 4 to 7 p.m. Dec. 23 at the With Love Kitchen, 435 N. Salina St.
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