sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to New Year's Eve!
New Year's Eve takes place on the last day of the Gregorian calendar. The first New Year's Eve festivities date back approximately 4,000 years, to the time of ancient Babylon; Babylonians celebrated the new year during the first new moon after the vernal equinox, in late March. During antiquity, the first days of the new year were celebrated at different times around the world, and the day was usually tied to an agricultural or astronomical event. For example, Egyptians celebrated their new year as the Nile flooded, and the Chinese New Year has long begun with the second new moon after the winter solstice.
In 46 BCE, Julius Caesar consulted with prominent astronomers and mathematicians, and introduced the Julian calendar, which closely resembles the Gregorian calendar. He made January 1 the first day of the year, partly to honor Janus, the Roman god of beginnings. At the time, the new year was celebrated by offering sacrifices to Janus, decorating homes with laurel branches, the attendance of parties, and the exchanging of gifts. During the Middle Ages, Christian leaders in Europe changed the date of New Year's celebrations to coincide with religious holidays such as Christmas and the Feast of Annunciation. In 1582, New Year's was reestablished to follow the Gregorian calendar by Pope Gregory XIII.
SU News
Is SU’s current pause the longest gap between games in Jim Boeheim’s tenure? (Mike’s Mailbox) (PS; $; Waters)
When was the last time …?
When was the last time that Mike’s Mailbox started off with the phrase “When was the last time?’' Well, it was just last week.
But I’m doing it again because I’ve got another awesome question from a reader.
And this time, I had to go back more than 65 years ago to find the answer.
Q: Here is another “When was the last time ...” question. With the three consecutive postponements of SU games, when, if ever has SU had an in-season break without games this long?
Bill N.
Mike: Syracuse had to put the men’s basketball program on pause after at least one University of Buffalo player tested positive for the coronavirus just two days after the Orange outlasted the Bulls 107-96 in overtime on Saturday, Dec. 19.
Since then, Syracuse had to cancel (officially, it’s “postpone” for now) games against Notre Dame (Dec. 22), Wake Forest (Dec. 30) and North Carolina (Jan. 2).
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Syracuse basketball by the numbers: What to know about 6-1 start (247sports; Shults)
Syracuse basketball is 11 days into its third break from practice due to the coronavirus pandemic this season. The Orange has postponed three games due to contact tracing concerns stemming from its contest against Buffalo last Saturday.
Despite New York State dropping its contact tracing quarantine period from 14 days to 10, SU has yet to hit the court again as a team. Players are allowed to go in for 1-on-1 work with a coach. Head coach Jim Boeheim and SU Athletics have declined to share any testing results in the last nine days.
While the community waits for the team's return to action, currently slated for Jan. 6 against Florida State, let's take a look at some statistics from Syracuse's first seven games of the season. The Orange is off to a 6-1 start, including a few narrow victories over non-high majors. It’s important to note that most of the Orange’s toughest competition has yet to be played.
Much Improved Defense
It’s easy to discount Syracuse’s 24th-ranked adjusted defense due to the weakness of the schedule so far. But other than allowing 84 points in the first game of the season to Bryant, and 96 in an overtime clash against Buffalo, SU’s defense has been stellar.
Last season, the Orange ranked 116th in the country in adjusted defense according to KenPom. And with senior center Bourama Sidibe expected back for FSU, there’s a possibility that SU’s defensive rating jumps even higher.
The biggest difference in the 2-3 zone is at the top. Instead of Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard playing the majority of the minutes like last year, freshman Kadary Richmond is beginning to play more and more. When Girard struggles to shoot well, there’s nothing he does better than Richmond. The freshman is the best defensive player at the top of the zone for SU, using his length to clog passing lanes and contest deep threes.
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End of 2020 report cards for Syracuse basketball - The Juice Online (the juice; Cheng)
It’s the end of 2020, and with that in mind, here’s Syracuse basketball’s first semester report cards:
Marek Dolezaj: A. Dolezaj has once again played out of position, spending the majority of his 34.0 minutes per game at the center position with Bourama Sidibe out and a slew of underclassmen centers not ready yet for significant minutes. Syracuse has needed his playmaking (a team-best 4.3 apg) more than ever this season, and he’s also averaging a career highs in points (12.6), blocks (1.1), steals (1.4) and free throw percentage (82.8%). Again, he needs to be more aggressive with looking for his shot, but he’s done nearly everything else SU has asked of him.
Quincy Guerrier: A. What a leap Guerrier has made in his sophomore season. He leads the team in scoring (18.0 ppg) and rebounding (10.0), and has already logged four double-doubles through seven games. After shooting 12.5 percent from downtown as a freshman, he’s up to 43.8 percent, and he’s been in double digit scoring every game. Best part is, Guerrier has done it with few plays called specifically for him. Don’t be surprised if the NBA comes calling for him at the end of the year.
Alan Griffin: B+. Griffin was recruited as Elijah Hughes’ replacement, and for the most part he’s lived up to the billing. He’s second on the team at 16.6 ppg, and he’s shown his high-motor ability, hauling in 7.6 rpg despite being just 6 foot 5. His shot selection can be frustrating at times, he’s leading the team in turnovers (22) and he’s still very much a work in progress in learning the zone, plus, there was that 0-for egg he had against Northeastern. But it’s hard to argue with the overall results so far.
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NC State edges Boston College for 2-0 ACC start :: WRALSportsFan.com (wralsportsfan.com; Giglio)
NC State is finding ways to win and freshman guard Shakeel Moore is a big reason.
Moore took care of the scoring at the end of NC State's 79-76 home win over Boston College on Wednesday and senior guard Devon Daniels came up with a defensive stop.
Moore’s jumper with 26.9 seconds left from the top of the foul line gave the Wolfpack a 77-76 lead after guard Wynston Tabbs nearly willed Boston College to the road ACC win.
The Wolfpack (6-1) improved to 2-0 in the ACC for the first time under fourth-year coach Kevin Keatts and has won nine straight home games over the Eagles (2-6, 0-2).
"I like where we are, put it that way," Keatts said after the game. "We couldn't have a better record in the ACC, I should say it that way."
Moore picked up in confidence where he left off in last week's 79-76 win over North Carolina. Moore had 17 points in the win over UNC and was not afraid of the big shot after the game had seemingly slipped away from the Wolfpack.
"The confidence comes from me taking the time to work when nobody is looking," Moore said.
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Other
Syracuse’s most colorful car wash coming to large North Side location (PS; $; Moriarty)
A New Jersey company that promotes its large, colorful and entertaining high-tech car washes is coming to Syracuse in 2021.
Valet Auto Wash bought the former Babies R Us store at 2027 Park St. for $3.8 million on Sept. 15 and recently began transforming it into a car wash that, at 30,100 square feet, will be twice as large as the Delta Sonic car washes in the Syracuse area.
Ray Cerwinski, a car wash “imagineer” for the company, said the facility will open in late spring.
The company’s president, Christopher Vernon, opened his first Valet Auto Wash in 1994 in a repurposed historical trolley car barn in Trenton, New Jersey, and now has locations throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. This will be the company’s first car wash in New York.
Its car washes feature colorful, flashing LED lights that guide cars onto a conveyor belt that pulls them through a tunnel, where an automated system washes them and then subjects them to 300 hp blowers that ensure they come out bone dry.
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