Orangeyes Daily Articles for Tuesday - for Basketball | Syracusefan.com

Orangeyes Daily Articles for Tuesday for Basketball

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Welcome to Groundhog Day!

Taking place almost halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, Groundhog Day is an annual event when groundhogs are brought outside and are observed to see if they see their shadow or not. If they see their shadow, it is said that there will be six more weeks of winter. If they do not, it means the weather will be mild in the upcoming weeks, and spring will come early.

In the past, days with similar meanings and celebrations have been held on or around the same time. The Celts celebrated Imbolc, a religious festival that anticipated the coming of spring, the birth of farm animals, and the planting of crops. The Christian festival Candlemas takes place on the same day. Some European Christians believed that if it was sunny on the day it meant there would be forty more days of winter.


SU News

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Film review: Syracuse’s 2nd half provides blueprint for defensive improvement (DO' Emerman)

Syracuse’s performance Sunday night showed that any defense is only as good as the players executing it, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said postgame.

SU was awful in the first half, allowing 47 points to a team down its top two scorers. Most of NC State’s buckets came at the rim or from wide-open 3-pointers. The athletes were playing the same defense in the second half, albeit with a slight adjustment, when they allowed 26 points.

“Our defense has just got to get better,” Boeheim said. “If our defense doesn’t get better, we won’t win. It’s pretty simple, really.”

The Orange currently rank No. 78 in defensive efficiency, per KenPom, allowing 96.2 points per 100 possessions. As Nunes Magician’s James Szuba pointed out, that number would mean three of SU’s worst defensive teams since 2002 have come in the last five years.

Syracuse (10-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast) is allowing 70.3 points per game, 11th in the ACC. But its second-half showing against the Wolfpack proves it has the players to be at least serviceable on the defensive end. The keys, as always with the zone, are limiting entry passes into the high post and closing out to shooters.

For a baseline on what it looked like in the first half, the Orange were playing defense like this:
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No fans, no problems: ACC home men’s basketball teams are winning a lot of games (PS; $; Ditota)

No fans, no problems: ACC home men’s basketball teams are winning a lot of games - syracuse.com
Playing college basketball games on the road this season would seem, on the surface, to be simpler.

Few, if any, partisan fans pack the arenas. The noise in those buildings mostly equates to the squeaking of basketball shoes and the audible interactions between players, coaches and officials. ACC coaches this season have described games as something like closed scrimmages.

And yet, ACC home teams are still winning the vast majority of their games. Winning on the road still seems really hard.

After Georgia Tech lost at Louisville Monday afternoon, ACC home teams posted a 45-19 record (70.3%) in conference-only games. According to the ACC, that is on pace to be the highest winning percentage for conference home teams since 2003 (53-19, 73.6%).

Ken Pomeroy calls the ACC an “outlier” in terms of home court winning percentage this season. Only the Mountain West (72.0%) exceeds the ACC numbers right now.

“I don’t think it will last,” Pomeroy said, “but it would be wild if it did.”

The combined conferences are winning 57.4% of their home games thus far, Pomeroy said. In the Big 12, for example, home teams are 17-22 in league games. In the Patriot League, which is playing only conference games, the home teams are 19-23. In the Big Ten, home teams are 41-27.

ACC coaches, during Monday’s weekly Zoom, tried to make sense of all their collective home wins.
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Syracuse AD discusses plan for fans in Carrier Dome (PS; $; Carlson)

John Wildhack discusses plan for fans in Carrier Dome; public likely will wait until lacrosse - syracuse.com
Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack said the school has developed a plan in which it believes it could safely bring back 1,500 fans to the Carrier Dome for sporting events during the coronavirus pandemic. The plan would require both local and state approval before fans are allowed.

Wildhack said the protocol could be utilized quickly, although it likely would be applied to students first. If the effort to bring students back was successful, he said, it could then be used on the general public. Wildhack said it probably could be applied to the general public during lacrosse season.

Wildhack made his comments on Monday during an appearance on the “On the Block” radio program on ESPN Radio Syracuse.

“We’ve spent a lot of time and had a lot of conversations,” Wildhack said. “We’ve built a very comprehensive protocol by which we think we could comfortably host around 1,500 people or so. We would probably start with students initially. ... If we start with students, hopefully that would lead to opportunity, and this would probably be for lacrosse, but to see if we could get some outside fans in the stadium as well.”
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Syracuse Has Strong Relationship with Justin Taylor and Family (SI; McAllister)

One of Syracuse basketball's top targets in the 2022 class is St. Anne's-Belfield wing Justin Taylor. The Charlottesville (VA) native has been a priority for the Orange since he was offered last July. Taylor says the communication with Syracuse has been frequent.

"The contact has been the same, very consistent," Taylor said. "Usually coach G-Mac, but I'll hear from coach Boeheim every now and again. We have good conversations. It's just constant communication. Talking about the recruiting side, life, and how much they want me. How I'm their top priority in my class. How they think I can make an impact right away.

"I actually had a really long conversation with him a couple of days ago after they played UVA. That was a good conversation. Obviously they didn't play well against UVA, but just talking through everything. That was good."

The fact that Jim Boeheim is reaching out regularly is further evidence of how much Syracuse has prioritized the versatile 6-6 player. Developing a relationship with him has been important for Taylor.

"Whenever you hear from the head coach, you know that you're a top priority for them," Taylor said. "To hear from him definitely means a lot. It obviously makes it even better because of his resume. He's a Hall of Famer and just all of his basketball knowledge. To hear from him, it gives that much more assurance that I'm a high priority for them. He talks to my mom as well so he's definitely built a connection with my whole family as well. Not just me. It's a lot of fun talking to him and understanding where I could stand with them if I decide to go there."
...


Syracuse Basketball: Four-star J.J. Starling upsets Roddy Gayle Jr. team (itlh; Adler)

Syracuse basketball 2022 target J.J. Starling has absolutely crushed things so far at the 2021 Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament in Montverde, Fla., where he is averaging more than 22 points per game while facing a trio of top-10 teams.

This past Saturday afternoon, Starling and his teammates at the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., squared off against the Wasatch Academy out of Mount Pleasant, Utah, a group whose roster includes former Orange 2022 target Roddy Gayle Jr., a four-star shooting guard who has committed to Ohio State.

In the latest MaxPreps top-25 poll, the La Lumiere School checked in at No. 19, and the Wasatch Academy was No. 8. Starling paced his squad with 23 points on stellar shooting from beyond the arc, and the La Lumiere School knocked off the Wasatch Academy, 67-65.

Per statistics from legitstats.com, Starling logged 32 minutes against the Wasatch Academy. He connected on 7-of-15 from the field, an impressive 6-of-8 from deep and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe.

Like i’ve said repeatedly, I love the game of four-star junior JJ Starling. Has instantly become a vital piece of this @LaLuBasketball program and scored 23 points in a nice win over Wasatch.
Big reason he’s being prioritized by plenty of programs.
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) January 30, 2021
...

Syracuse basketball showed fight and grit in N.C. State comeback win (itlh; Adler)

Beating N.C. State inside the Carrier Dome on Sunday evening didn’t do much to boost the Syracuse basketball post-season resume. However, a loss to the Wolfpack would have proven damaging to the Orange’s March Madness hopes.

The ‘Cuse defense got absolutely shredded by N.C. State in the first half as the Wolfpack built up a double-digit advantage and went into the intermission up by nine points.

Credit Syracuse basketball for hanging around and not giving up. The Orange’s 2-3 zone clamped down on N.C. State in the second half, and the ‘Cuse did just enough to squeak out a 76-73 victory.

The Wolfpack (7-6, 3-5) suited up in this Atlantic Coast Conference clash minus its leading scorer, and N.C. State played an inspired game.

For Syracuse basketball (10-5, 4-4), holding serve at home against a comparable bubble squad was imperative if the Orange wants to entertain any thought of dancing in March.

The ‘Cuse, with this outcome, gets to .500 in ACC competition and managed to regroup after a pasting at the hands of Virginia on the road last Monday night.

Syracuse basketball could ill-afford a setback on the Hill to N.C. State.

Throughout the 2020-21 campaign, the Orange offense by and large hasn’t had an issue producing points, save for a few games, including the Cavaliers debacle.

...

ACC Roundup - Syracuse Escapes NC State (DBR; King)

The bright side: NC State went to Syracuse without its two leading scorers and still nearly won.

The not-so-bright side: State started 6-1 and is now 7-6 and has only won one of its last five games.

So losing to Syracuse hurts.

The Pack is without Devon Daniels, who is injured, and now without DJ Funderburk.

Earlier in his career, Funderburk was suspended after getting multiple tickets and then getting four boots on his car and then trying to drive the damn thing. The last thing he needed was a suspension as a senior, supposedly a team leader, and it’s certainly the last thing his team needed.

The only reason given was “university policies” and apparently State coach Kevin Keatts was blindsided.

Under the circumstances, State did very well to nearly win this game. Alan Griffin saved it for Syracuse, hitting two free throws with :04 left to give Syracuse a 76-73 lead.

With the loss, State falls to 11th place in the conference. And while it’s fair to say that State’s struggling, just about everyone deserves an asterisk after a season like this.

More interestingly, look at the teams below State: Notre Dame, Wake Forest and Miami have all shown that they are capable of competing with anyone and Boston College, just 3-10, has certainly had its moments, notably losing to Duke by just one.

But BC has been shut down and has had to postpone its last four games.
...


ACC Power Rankings: Syracuse men’s basketball has lots of climbing to do in season’s final full month (PS; $; Carlson)

The ACC’s two best teams lost last week, providing at least one bubble team a huge boost on its NCAA Tournament resume.

And yes, it’s time to start talking about the bubble again with one month of regular-season games remaining.

Despite splitting its games last week, Georgia Tech was likely the week’s biggest winner, coming away with a rare win over Florida State. Pittsburgh was the big loser, suffering a home loss to Note Dame,

Here’s this week’s effort at ranking the ACC.

1. Florida State

Record: 10-3 (6-2)

Last week’s ranking: 1

Last week’s results: Win 81-59 vs. Miami; Loss 76-65 at Georgia Tech

This week’s schedule: Tuesday at Boston College; Saturday at Pittsburgh

Why No. 2? Florida State’s road loss followed five consecutive wins, so I’m considering it a blip. The Seminoles had to try to finish at Georgia Tech without leading scorer M.J. Walker, who fouled out with six minutes remaining.

Walker has faded a bit, averaging 7.8 points over his last four games, and FSU could certainly benefit from having a go-to scorer. Still, there’s enough depth of quality players that the Seminoles should find success most nights by riding the hot hand and their athletic defense.

2. Virginia

Record: 11-3 (7-1 ACC)

Last week’s ranking: 2

Last week’s results: Win 81-58 vs. Syracuse; Loss 65-51 at Virginia Tech

This week’s schedule: Wednesday at North Carolina State; Saturday vs. Louisville

Why No. 1? Another blip. Virginia had won seven consecutive games before getting blitzed on the road by their rivals.

The Cavaliers fell apart offensively after center Jay Huff committed his fourth foul and never recovered.

Huff’s Ken Pomeroy-calculated offensive rating is currently 133.0, which would be the highest ever recorded on the website (dates back to 2004) for an ACC player who uses at least 24 percent of his team’s possessions. The current best with at least that usage rate is Zion Williamson’s 129.2.

There is no comparing the two players’ abilities or impact given Williamson’s status as the go-to option for the Blue Devils in 2019, but Huff is one of the ACC’s best shot blockers and one of its most efficient scorers both inside (67.9 percent) and outside the 3-point arc (50 percent).
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Miami Socks Duke In The Mouth (DBR; Sumner)

Duke’s road woes continued Monday night as the Blue Devils dropped a 77-75 game to an undermanned but game Miami team, a Miami team that dominated the first 15 and final 15 minutes of the game in delivering a huge setback to Duke’s nascent revival.

Miami used an 8-0 run in the middle of the second half to take a 57-51 lead and nursed it down the stretch with key free throws to hold on for the upset.

Duke wasn’t especially good in any particular area and reverted to some bad habits on offense. Duke had only eight assists and only got to the foul line 13 times, albeit making 12. But Duke still scored enough points to win, especially against a Miami team that has struggled to put points on the board. But Miami consistently got the ball inside off the dribble and knocked down 7 of 13 from beyond the arc, a stunning 53.8 percent for a team that came into the game shooting 28 percent on 3-pointers.

“They hit some big shots,” Wendell Moore II said, “but at the same time the shots they did hit, they were pretty open. That comes from us not rotating and also our communication defense at the beginning. If we had come out more energetic at the beginning . . . we wouldn’t have been in that position.”

Ah, the beginning.

It wasn’t an absolute disaster. But the number one rule of beating an underdog is not to let them hang around.

Duke let them hang around.

Jalen Johnson had two turnovers, a foul on a Miami three-point play and was stuffed on a lay-up, all in the first two minutes, setting an ominous tone.
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Other

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No more beer at the Circle K? Maybe it’s just temporary (PS; $; Cazentre)

No more beer at the Circle K? Maybe it’s just temporary - syracuse.com
What’s up with beer sales at the Circle K stores in Central New York?

During the past weekend, the gas station / convenience market chain offered huge discounts to liquidate its beer inventory at many of its local locations. That prompted customers to line up and haul away bargain 6-packs and cases. The deal ended at midnight Sunday.

Today (Feb. 1) the State Liquor Authority web site shows about 40 Circle K locations in Central and Northern New York with expired liquor licenses. In almost all cases, the expiration dates on the previous licenses were Jan. 31, 2021.

A Circle K spokesman late today called it an “administrative error” that should be corrected soon.

“Our Circle K management teams in NYS are currently working with the state to address an administrative error that occurred with the current licensing for our stores in the area, which, in turn, required us to liquidate product that was onsite,” spokesman Brian Ridgeway said in an email late today. “We expect to be re-licensed and begin to sell beer again soon at all Circle K locations that were affected in NYS.”


Ridgeway did not specify the issue, but it may stem from a change at most of the stores from the Nice N Easy brand to Circle K within the last few years.

CST Brands of San Antonio purchased the stores in Central and Northern New York in 2014, shortly after the death of Nice N Easy founder John MacDougall. A division called CST New York LLC operated them for several years under the Nice n Easy name. They were later rebranded as Circle K stores.
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There is nothing "happy" about a groundhog. They are seriously nasty animals.
Please do not think that the days I pick are endorsements of any kind. I just try and pick the most interesting or notable option available. I am groundhog neutral, but if cto doesn’t like them, I don’t either!
 
Please do not think that the days I pick are endorsements of any kind. I just try and pick the most interesting or notable option available. I am groundhog neutral, but if cto doesn’t like them, I don’t either!
I was responding to Ozone, not to you. He's the one who said "Happy Groundhog Day."
 

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