sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Coffee Day!
...The history of coffee itself clearly goes back to 15th century Yemen. (Check out Dave Eggers’ recent book for a fascinating look at how it all went down.) As for Europeans, they got their first taste about 100 years later — with Venice leading the way. Per the National Coffee Association, it wasn’t a smooth ride: “Some people reacted to this new beverage with suspicion or fear, calling it the ‘bitter invention of Satan.’ The local clergy condemned coffee when it came to Venice in 1615. The controversy was so great that Pope Clement VIII was asked to intervene. He decided to taste the beverage for himself before making a decision, and found the drink so satisfying that he gave it papal approval.”
Mainland Europe’s first official coffeehouse (no, they didn’t serve lattes) opened in Venice around 1645.
Back in the U.S., if it weren’t for the Boston Tea Party in 1773, Americans may never have swapped tea for coffee. When the colonies revolted against King George III’s hefty tea tax, tea was out and coffee was in. Things really started to percolate in the mid 1800s when brothers John and Charles Arbuckle started selling coffee to cowboys in the American West. James Folger successfully introduced coffee to gold miners in California. Upon returning to San Francisco in 1865, Folger became a full partner of The Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills — which eventually became the J.A. Folger & Co. in 1872.
SU News
Peter Carey breaks down his commitment to Syracuse: ‘I saw so much opportunity for me there’ (PS; $; Waters)
Peter Carey, a 6-foot-11 center from Northfield Mount Hermon School in Gill, Massachusetts, committed to Syracuse on Tuesday.
Carey’s announcement ended a whirlwind recruiting courtship that began in May and concluded with an official visit to the Syracuse University campus this past weekend.
On May 22-23, Carey played in the Hoop Group Southern Jamfest, an event held at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, Virginia. Playing with the New York Lightning AAU team, Carey stood out in three games over the two-day tournament.
Shortly after the tournament, Carey talked to Syracuse associate head coach Adrian Autry.
“It was definitely nice to hear from them,’’ Carey said.
Up to that point, Carey had flown as far under the radar as an athletic 6-foot-11 high school prospect can. The coronavirus pandemic had prevented most college coaches from seeing his development during his junior year.
After the Jamfest, Carey had interest from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Creighton, California, Penn State and several other schools. But Syracuse maintained its interest.
“I would hear from Syracuse almost every week,’’ he said.
Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim extended a formal scholarship offer in July.
“I had a phone conversation with him and he told me how great of a place Syracuse is and how it would be great for me,’’ Carey said. “Early on, I had a good sense of how I would stand in the program.’’
Carey’s first face-to-face conversation with Boeheim would came at the end of August when Carey was among several high school recruits invited to Syracuse’s Elite Camp.
Carey’s mother accompanied him on the trip, which was an unofficial visit. He played against Justin Taylor, a 6-6 wing who had already committed to Syracuse. He briefly toured the campus.
He also had the chance to talk face-to-face with Boeheim for the first time.
“Before we played, he just introduced himself,’’ Carey said. Boeheim must have been impressed with what he saw.
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Mike Waters "On The Block" 9-28 (ESPN; radio; On the Block)
Syracuse basketball beat writer for Syracuse.com, Mike Waters joins the show to talk about the verbal commitment of Peter Carey as well as his expectations for the Orange.
Syracuse hoops holds first practice (localsyr.com)
The Syracuse men’s basketball team officially began practice on Tuesday, September 28, with an afternoon workout at the Carmelo K. Anthony Center.
Jim Boeheim, is embarking on his 46th season as head coach at his alma mater.
Syracuse has exhibition games scheduled with Pace on October 27 and Le Moyne on November 1. The regular-season opener is against Lafayette on November 9.
Analyzing Syracuse Basketball's 2022 Class After Carey's Commitment (SI; McAllister)
To say the 2022 recruiting cycle has been strange for Syracuse men’s basketball would be an understatement. Starting with the rollercoaster that was the Dior Johnson commitment, and continuing to Kamari Lands committing and then rethinking things, there have certainly been highs and lows for Jim Boeheim and his staff as they look to build for the future.
And while things may not be shaking out exactly as many had hoped - particularly with the early additions of Johnson and, later, Lands - there’s still plenty to like about the way this year’s class is shaping up.
Let’s cut right to the chase: for now, this year’s class lacks the big headliner. We all know this. Dior would have been the biggest headliner possible for the Orange, but while he’s currently committed to Oregon, it sure seems likely he’ll wind up foregoing the college hoops experience entirely. Kamari is a legitimate NBA talent and would have immediately been a star in Syracuse’s system, but that ship has sailed and Syracuse and its fans have moved on and accepted that separation.
Still, Syracuse now has three very solid, high-upside players committed to its class of 2022 with the potential to bring in even more. Today, Syracuse landed the 6-foot-11 Peter Carey, who may be a little under the radar, but shows an incredible amount of promise and potential. Right now, that’s the common theme with Jim Boeheim’s current recruiting class.
Now, who is to say what will happen moving forward with the class of 2022. Obviously, until pen is put to paper, there’s no guarantee anyone currently committed will play for the Orange. And even when they do, there’s even less of a guarantee they’ll pan out as major contributors to the program’s success moving forward. But the potential is there. The talent is there. And there’s still plenty of meat on the bone for the coaching staff when it comes to rounding out this year’s class.
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Syracuse Basketball: 5-star target talks teams that he hears from the most (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball coaches recently made a trip to the powerhouse Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., to watch a couple of top-flight 2023 prospects, according to a tweet from Mike Waters of Syracuse.com.
One of those players was 6-foot-8 Taylor Bowen, a five-star wing and a consensus top-30 prospect across the country within this cycle.
The Orange coaching staff is pursuing a range of 2023 players who are rated in the top-25 to the top-50 nationally, including Bowen, who is a junior at the Brewster Academy.
I recently came across a couple of interviews with Bowen in which he detailed some of the college squads that he hears from the most. Let’s take a look.
Syracuse basketball faces intense competition for five-star wing Taylor Bowen.
In an interview with national analyst Jamie Shaw, Bowen says that the three groups reaching out to him the most frequently are Kentucky, Arkansas and former Big East Conference rival Connecticut.
In another recent interview, a Q&A with Pro Insight, Bowen said that the teams reaching out to him the most are UConn, Arkansas, Kentucky and Kansas.
Naturally, it would be better for the Orange’s chances if Bowen mentioned Syracuse basketball among the schools reaching out to him the most, but that doesn’t mean the ‘Cuse is out of the running for him.
Frankly, I can’t imagine that the ‘Cuse coaching staff would have recently traveled to the Brewster Academy to see Bowen if there wasn’t some level of interest among the Orange and him.
As a high-school prospect who just began his junior year, Bowen could certainly have a way to go in his recruiting process, so we’ll of course continue to monitor any and all involvement that he has with Syracuse basketball.
According to recruiting services and media reports, Bowen holds a range of high-major offers, from squads such as Dayton, Marquette, Southern California, Maryland, Penn State, Connecticut, LSU, Arkansas, Providence, Rutgers, Iowa, Vermont and George Mason.
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Syracuse Basketball: Here’s why big-man commitment is big time for SU (itlh; Adler)
After taking an official visit to the Hill this past weekend, the buzz on social media and in chat rooms was that we might see a commitment in the near future from 2022 high-priority target Peter Carey to Syracuse basketball.
And that’s exactly what has transpired. On Tuesday, the 7-foot big man took to social media to say that he has verbally committed to the Orange, which brings the team’s 2022 class to three members.
In late June, Syracuse basketball landed a commitment from four-star wing Justin Taylor. His good friend and teammate at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., four-star point guard Quadir Copeland, followed suit in August.
Now the ‘Cuse has added Carey, an extremely talented and under-rated prospect in the 2022 cycle who can play both power forward and center.
Syracuse basketball has its big man for the squad’s 2022 recruiting class.
With Carey in tow, the Orange has a point guard, a shooting guard and a versatile big man in this cycle, with ‘Cuse coaches continuing to pursue a four-star wing in Chris Bunch, as well as a four-star combo guard in Central New York native J.J. Starling.
In recent months, a trio of 2022 four-star big men who Syracuse basketball was recruiting opted for other destinations. One went the professional route, while the other two committed to Duke and Connecticut.
So getting Carey is critical to further solidifying the Orange’s 2022 class by acquiring a big man whose versatility would seem to be a strong fit for the ‘Cuse system, particularly the 2-3 zone defense.
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ACC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season (bustingbrackets.com; Anderson)
The race is on in ACC basketball for the top spot in the power rankings. With the 2021-22 season right around the corner, it’s never too early to get a projection of which teams are on the top, and bottom, of the rankings in the ACC landscape.
All eyes will certainly be on Duke basketball and head coach Mike Krzyzewski as he enters his final season on the sidelines coaching the college game, retiring at the conclusion of the year. He’ll certainly get the most of his guys this fall, but will it earn them the top spot?
That’s one of the million-dollar questions heading into a new year as it looks like the ACC basketball regular-season title will be a wide-open race. UVA basketball won last year’s title but with a ton of holes to fill on the offensive end of the floor, this could be a “down” year for them, figuratively speaking.
Georgia Tech basketball surprised everybody in the conference tournament, earning the ACC’s automatic bid by winning their first conference tournament crown since 2013. Can they bounce back and shock the world once again this season?
Another season means another host of possibilities on the horizon in one of the best conferences in college basketball. Here’s a look at the preseason power rankings for ACC basketball heading into 2021-22.
15 EAGLES
Boston College basketball lost a ton of players to the transfer portal and they’ll have a new head coach in Earl Grant to get used to in 2021-22, so expectations shouldn’t be too high for them, just yet.
Grant has a track record of turning programs around, as he’s done at the College of Charleston, where he led them to three 20+ win seasons and the 2018 regular season and conference tournament championship.
He’ll have his hands full trying to turn things around for Boston College in ACC basketball but with Donald Hand Jr. already committed in their 2022 class, things could turn around quickly.
14 PANTHERS
Pittsburgh basketball had an up-and-down season in 2021-22 and with their top three scorers from a season ago gone to the transfer portal, it will be interesting to see how things fare for them in the ACC basketball landscape, though they’ve made moves in the transfer portal themselves.
The addition of graduate transfer Mouhamadou Gueye will certainly bolster their frontcourt presence. He earned AEC Defensive Player of the Year at Stony Brook, producing 9.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.1 bpg, and 2.0 apg in 2020-21.
They’re a squad looking for somebody new to step up in the lineup with the door of opportunity wide open. Femi Odukale is one name to keep an eye on in that regard.
13 DEMON DEACONS
Year 1 under head coach Steve Forbes went about as expected, with some growing pains for a young group, but they return their top two producers in Daivien Williamson and Isaiah Mucius and add 6-foot-10 big man Khadim Sy and 7-footer Dallas Walton.
Sy’s presence in the frontcourt should change things for them around the rim on both ends. Walton is another name out of Colorado who has developed into quite the defensive presence in the paint as well. If both can adjust, it
12 YELLOW JACKETS
Head coach Josh Pastner and his Georgia Tech basketball crew had quite the season in 2020-21, culminating in a 2021 ACC Tournament crown, their first since 1993, but to do that all over again could very well be a longshot.
2021 ACC Tournament MVP Michael Devoe will look to lead the way with Bubba Parham and Kyle Sturdivant back along with him but they’ll be very thin in the frontcourt once again.
It shouldn’t slow them down much with the addition of Deebo Coleman, Miles Kelly, and Jalon Moore. They’re some sizeable, athletic wings that should be prepared to play a ton of different positions in 2021-22.
11 FIGHTING IRISH
Things didn’t go quite as planned for Notre Dame basketball in 2020-21 and one would expect that head coach Mike Brey’s seat is heating up following an 11-15 season. Across the three seasons, Brey has compiled a record of 45-47 including a 3-15 finish in ACC basketball back in 2018-19.
On a bright note, they’ve got four of five starters returning for 2021-22 and Yale graduate transfer Paul Atkinson, a big man with solid footwork and instincts around the rim in the rotation. They’ll look to use their experience from a season ago to give them more of a boost this year.
10 HURRICANES
The 10th spot isn’t a bad landing spot in the early going for Miami basketball. They’re one team in ACC basketball that returns a bulk of their production in 2021-22 with their top three scorers from a season ago returning to the hardwood.
Isaiah Wong, Kameron McGusty, and Anthony Walker are the three leading names looking to make a splash as the Hurricanes look to become a top team in the ACC.
McGusty put up a career-high 13.3 ppg while Wong led the offensive attack with 17.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.4 apg, and 1.1 apg as an All-ACC third-team selection. Look for Wong to grow this season as should McGusty, given it’s his fifth year.
The Hurricanes will be without leading man Chris Lykes but add a similar player in Charlie Moore out of DePaul. Moore made a name for himself in the He finished ranked 7th in assists per contest and fourth in total steals (49) in Big East basketball, bringing quite the two-way presence to the Miami backcourt.
They’ve also got Wong (17.1 ppg) back along with four other new faces looking to make a splash in their rotation in 2021-22. Wong and Moore should be quite the backcourt duo and should carry the same “Upset Alert” presence that made Wong so dangerous in 2020-21.
9 ORANGE
The transfer portal gives and it takes away. That was the case this past offseason for Syracuse basketball as they lost Kadary Richmond, Quincy Guerrier, Woody Newton, and Robert Braswell to the portal but gained Cole Swider, Jimmy Boeheim, and Symir Torrence. But will the additions be enough to offset the losses?
Buddy Boeheim is back, giving them one top scorer from a season ago. He led the way with 17.8 ppg this past season while shooting 38.3 percent (2nd in ACC basketball) from 3-point range. That leaves just Joe Girard III as the only other returner with positive production in last year’s rotation, leaving things a bit scarce on the offensive side of the ball for 2021-22.
It will be interesting to see how the Orange adjusts to the changes on their roster. They’ll have some interesting pieces out of the portal that will have to adjust, especially defensively given their style of play.
Benny Williams, the lone name in their 2021 recruiting class, that’s a freshman at least, is one player to keep an eye on with his athleticism and strength. He has the ability to play multiple roles and make an impact right away in their patented 2-3 zone.
8 CAVALIERS
The Virginia Cavaliers were the ACC Regular Season champions in 2020-21, but returning there in 2021-22 could be a long, uphill battle for them.
The departures of Sam Hauser, Trey Murphy and Jay Huff leave a lot of holes in the returning production for the Cavaliers. The trio accounted for 59 percent of the Virginia scoring offense a year ago, which ranked 11th in ACC basketball.
What should help are the acquisitions of Armaan Franklin (Indiana) and Jayden Gardner (East Carolina) on the transfer market.
Franklin went for 11.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per contest in the Hoosiers backcourt in 2020-21. His presence in the Cavaliers’ rotation will certainly boost the offensive scoring attack.
Gardner should make quite the impact in the frontcourt. He put up 18.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 50.1 percent across the past three seasons while at East Carolina. He should be quite the paint presence in 2021-22.
Another intriguing name is the lone signee in their 2021 recruiting class: New Zealand native Taine Murray. He held offers from California, Colorado, Creighton, Maryland, Purdue, and Stanford before choosing the Cavaliers. He’s a 6-foot-4 shooting guard to keep an eye on on the perimeter.
Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman will certainly have their hands full in the backcourt in 2021-22, that’s for sure. For now, Virginia enters the preseason ranks at the third spot.
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This 2019 file photo shows an actor at the CMC Haunted House in Cicero, N.Y. Katrina Tulloch | ktulloch@syracuse.com
Haunted houses in Syracuse and CNY: 2021 Halloween events, hayrides, ghost tours, and more scary fun (PS; $; Herbert)
Looking for some scary fun in Syracuse and Central New York? We’ve got a list of haunted houses, spooky hayrides, trails of terror and more bone-chilling Halloween things to do for October 2021.
Many Halloween events were canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but lots of attractions are back this year. Some, such as indoor scares, may still have Covid-19 restrictions; we’ll include them wherever possible. Visitors should also know that some places are not recommended for younger audiences and may require cash only.
Here’s the list of Halloween attractions in Syracuse and CNY:
Frightmare Farms Haunted Scream Park
What: Frightmare Farms’ Haunted Scream Park, located half an hour outside of Syracuse, feature a haunted house, twisted labyrinth (”blood moon rising”), a condemned mine trail and a haunted hayride.When: Fridays and Saturdays in October from 7-10 p.m., plus Sunday Oct. 10 from 6:45-9 p.m.
Where: 4816 State Route 49, Palermo, N.Y. 13069
Price: $17 for one attraction, $23 for two, $33 for three, $40 for four; or $65 for VIP admission (skip the line) to all four attractions. Get $2 off with valid Military, Police, Fire, EMS, or college student ID.
Covid-19 info: Unvaccinated guests are asked to wear a face mask indoors and when unable to social distance.
More info: frightmarefarms.net
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Fright Nights
What: Formerly known as “Fright Nights at the Fair,” the expanded location in an 82,000 square foot factory near Carrier Circle features five haunted attractions. The “greatest haunt on earth” was named one of the 20 best haunted attractions in the Northeast by USA Today.When: Fridays and Saturdays, 7 p.m. to midnight; Sundays, 7-11 p.m. Oct. 1 thru Oct. 31
Where: 1 LePage Place, Syracuse, N.Y.
Price: $30 for all 5 houses
Covid-19 info: Masks are recommended, but not mandatory.
More info: thefrightnights.com or 315-416-3995
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The Last Ride
What: A Haunted Hayride takes brave souls through the cursed woods of Parish; a Haunted House features “2,000 square feet of hell”; and a Hearse Ride with open casket seats make the last ride you’ll ever take. Wait times may be longer this year due to Covid-19 restrictions; all attendees must wear masks, stay in their own groups and practice social distancing.
When: Fridays-Sundays, now through Oct. 31; Fridays & Saturdays from 7 p.m. to midnight, Sundays from 7-10 p.m.
Where: 291 Johnson Rd, Parish, N.Y. 13131
Price: $15 for hayride, $15 for haunted house; $25 for house and hayride; $15 for hearse ride; $25 for house and hearse
More info: Facebook, thelastridepalermo.com or 315-529-0320
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