sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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National Housewife’s Day sets aside November 3rd to recognize the millions of hardworking housewives. The day honors the stay-at-home moms who take care of the children and the home. It’s a 24/7 job that sometimes does not get the thank you that is much deserved.
The term housewife is an old term stemming from the days when most families were supported by one income. The father worked, and the mother stayed home to take care of the house and the children. These days, usually both parents work outside the home. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, in 61 % of households with children, both parents work outside the home.
SU News
Syracuse Orange forward Jimmy Boeheim (0) sets screen foe Syracuse Orange guard Joseph Girard III (11) in first half actionThe Syracuse Orange takes on the Le Moyne Dolphins in an exhibition game at the Carrier Dome Nov. 1, 2021. Dennis Nett
Our Syracuse basketball predictions: How will Orange fare in 2021-22 season? (PS; $; Staff)
The 2021-22 Syracuse basketball season is scheduled to start next week.
That means it’s time for our staff predictions. We’re going to come back and take a look at these at the end of the season.
The panel
Brent Axe, sports columnistChris Carlson, sports reporter
Mike Curtis, SU basketball reporter
Donna Ditota, SU basketball reporter
Mike Waters, SU basketball reporter
Regular-season record
Brent Axe: 24-7. Syracuse has averaged 20.8 wins per season since entering the ACC. If this team can survive a non-conference gauntlet -- and I think it has the goods to do just that -- it could roll to an above-average season once conference play begins.Chris Carlson: 20-11. The record might not jump out at you but, given the difficulty of the schedule, winning 20 games would be an achievement and put the Orange in the upper half of the ACC.
Mike Curtis: 21-10. It’s hard to predict a final regular-season record when you don’t know which teams Syracuse will face in the latter part of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, which features Michigan State, Connecticut and defending champion Baylor. The Orange will also play against Indiana, Villanova and several conference juggernauts like Duke, Florida State and Virginia. However, I expect SU to take care of the majority of its non-conference foes, along with a few upsets over fellow ACC opponents. Overall, Syracuse should find itself in the top third of the ACC standings by the end of the regular season.
Donna Ditota: 20-11. Difficult games dot the Orange schedule to begin the season and only one of those contests – Indiana – will be played in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse does get the benefit of Wake Forest (which will be improved), Pittsburgh and Boston College twice this season. Those teams were picked to finish 13-14-15 in the ACC this year. It also plays Duke, Florida State and Miami twice. All of those teams will be good. The key to SU’s success this season: Can they guard and can they rebound? We know they can score.
Mike Waters: 21-10. This prediction might look overly optimistic in early December. Syracuse has a really difficult stretch of games starting with the Battle 4 Atlantis. But if the Orange can navigate through the non-conference portion of the schedule, I think the ACC schedule breaks heavily in Syracuse’s favor. Maybe Syracuse fans won’t have to endure another finish to the season with the Orange on the NCAA bubble.
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Axe: 5 things I think I know after SU's exhibition games (PS; $; Axe)
The 2021-22 Syracuse men’s basketball season is less than a week away with two exhibition wins in the books for the Orange.
It would be foolhardy to write down anything definitive in ink based on two games against Division II teams where Syracuse mixed up lineups and didn’t go over the speed limit.
That said, seeing the Orange play has stirred up a few possibilities of what we may see this season.
So let’s not call these predictions.
How about five things I think I know about this team right now.
1. I think I know the Syracuse single-season record for 3-point shots made in a season is in jeopardy.
The current mark is 315 3′s made during the 2015-16 season (37 games) in which Syracuse made it to the Final Four.
It’s clear this version of the Orange is going to take a lot of 3′s with sharp shooters Buddy Boeheim, Cole Swider and Joe Girard III lurking on the perimeter. It wouldn’t be a good idea for opposing teams to leave Jimmy Boeheim open as well as he can stroke it from beyond the arc.
Syracuse made 237 3′as last season. The Orange will surely top that mark and make a run at a new record.
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Jim Boeheim tests out small-ball group with Jimmy Boeheim at C. 'I'm hoping we don't have to play that lineup' (247sports.com; Bailey)
At the 7:45 mark of the first half in Syracuse men's basketball's exhibition against Le Moyne on Monday night, Frank Anselem trotted off the court and sat down on the bench. Alongside him was the Orange's only other active center, Jesse Edwards, as Bourama Sidibe (knee) and John Bol Ajak (ankle) were not dressed due to injury.
For the next 5:49, SU played Cornell transfer Jimmy Boeheim in the middle of the zone. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound Boeheim headed up a small-ball unit that also included the team's three top perimeter shooters -- Buddy Boeheim, Joseph Girard and Cole Swider -- as well as dynamic freshman forward Benny Williams.
"I don't think we'll play that lineup that much," head coach Jim Boeheim said after the 90-50 win. "We practice it. We'll have it. Let's say this: I'm hoping we don't have to play that lineup."
The results on Monday were unspectacular in a very small sample size. Syracuse was outscored 7-6 with the small-ball lineup on the floor and outrebounded 9-2 as the Dolphins grabbing four offensive boards. But players spoke confidently about the potential of the grouping, particularly in terms of offensive potency.
Jimmy Boeheim said they've been practicing the unit "very sporadically" through the summer and into the preseason, well before Sidibe suffered the knee injury that led to him getting surgery last week. It's a squad that has similarities to the ones SU leaned on primarily last year, featuring Marek Dolezaj at center. The slender Slovakian served as the trigger man on most offensive sets while the also-gone Quincy Guerrier made up for the loss of traditional size on the glass.
"Last year, Marek was the best option to win games, purely," Jim Boeheim said. "If he was here right now, he'd probably be the best option still, but I didn't want to put him through another year of playing center."
Buddy Boeheim believes they can many of the actions that were so effective last March, freeing him up for his red-hot streak to close the year. But Jimmy's shooting ability, coupled with the presence of Swider -- a stretch-four who Jim Boeheim called his best-shooting forward in recent memory earlier this year -- could create even more versatility as well as space in the paint.
"I think it definitely can be effective, on the offensive end, especially," Buddy Boeheim said. "Just having Jimmy as our five-man to stretch the floor. It's a pretty dangerous lineup. We have five guys who can really shoot the three well. If we need it, we'll use it. Jesse and Frank have obviously gotten a lot better so you never know if we'll need it. But I think it can be very dangerous."
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https://www.audacy.com/podcasts/loc...king-the-oranges-zone-defenders-113-905873932 (audacy.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse Basketball 10 Thoughts: What Kind of Leap Will Jesse Edwards Take and Ranking the Orange's Zone Defenders 11/3
The Juice on the Cuse 11-3-21: With ESPN/SNY's Tim Welsh (player.fm; podcast; Cheng & Welsh)
ESPN/SNY's Tim Welsh previews the 2021-22 Syracuse basketball season with host Wes Cheng on The Juice on the Cuse Podcast hosted by SNY.tv. Editor in chief Brad Bierman then calls in to discuss the football team's win over Boston College.
On The Block On Demand 11-2 (ESPN; radio; Axe)
Brent goes player by player to give you his takeaways from SU’s exhibition win over Le Moyne. Then, he checks in with a longtime caller before reacting to Coach Boeheim’s postgame remarks.
Could Cole Swider Be This Season’s Breakout Performer? – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)
Two exhibition games into Syracuse’s 2021-22 men’s basketball season, we’ve certainly seen our fair share of offensive production. The Orange put up 79 and 90 points in two games against Pace and Le Moyne, respectively. Those two are certainly softer competition, but ‘Cuse showed off a sharpshooting pedigree that hasn’t been present the past couple of years. Even against lesser teams, you still have to put the basketball in the hoop.
Across the two games, SU did just that. The Orange shot 54.1% against Le Moyne and 54.5% against Pace. The point distribution was decently spread out over those two games, but one name in particular impressed with his play in both outings: senior forward Cole Swider.
When the 6’9, 225 lb Swider transferred to Syracuse in late March, the move didn’t exactly make waves. In an ACC offseason dominated by the departure of Roy Williams and Coach K’s soon-to-be retirement tour, SU’s addition of Swider wasn’t very heralded. You’d be forgiven if you thought the addition of a third Boeheim or a highly-ranked freshman in Benny Williams served as more intriguing storylines. Heck, Swider barely eked out a win as this year’s Best Newcomer on the Fizz’s Preseason Awards List. However, all Swider’s done since then is tear up the court on the offensive end.
Swider’s 39 points across the two exhibitions led the entire SU team. That’s taking Joe Girard’s 20-point showing against Le Moyne into account. Buddy Boeheim totaled just 20 points across the two games. Meanwhile, Swider was racking up baskets and doing it efficiently. The Villanova transfer hit 15 of 22 (!) shots across the two games, including 9-15 from deep. The same guy who said he “didn’t want to waste anybody’s time” during the transfer process hasn’t wasted any time showing off his skillset as a perimeter threat. That’s big news for Jim Boeheim and company.
Last year, the Orange were a solid three-point shooting team – they ranked 67th in the nation in three-pointers made per game – but they were not efficient from beyond the arc. SU hit just 35% of its three-point shots to rank a more mediocre 119th in the country. That team wasn’t hesitating to take outside shots, but they weren’t making them enough. Adding to the problem is that only two ‘Cuse players averaged two or more three-pointers made per game last year: one was Buddy Boeheim, and the other is Alan Griffin, who now plays for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League.
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SU men's basketball impresses vs. Le Moyne in final warmup (thenewshouse.com; Green)
The Syracuse men’s basketball team dominated Le Moyne, 90-50, in its final exhibition contest Monday night.
Junior guard Joe Girard III led the Orange with 20 points and nine assists in the victory. Senior forward Cole Swider pitched in 18 points and five assists of his own.
“I thought Joe was really confident tonight,” coach Jim Boeheim said.
Syracuse blitzed Le Moyne with a 19-4 start, playing lockdown defense by drawing charges and forcing Le Moyne into shot clock violations. On the offensive end, the Orange started off hot by hitting six of their first eight attempts from beyond the arc.
The Orange got into the bonus at the 9:49 mark of the first half, making it difficult for the Dolphins to get back into the game. Syracuse’s lead grew as high as 19 before settling into a 41-25 score at halftime.
After Le Moyne hit a three to begin the second half, Syracuse promptly went on a 17-0 run. The Dolphins did not get back on the scoreboard until there was 13:39 left.
“Start of the second half, our ball movement was better; we got better looks,” Boeheim said. “I think overall, our defensive movement was better.”
The gap continued to grow as the second half progressed, with the Orange doubling Le Moyne’s point total at times. Syracuse’s biggest lead was 42 points, ultimately finishing with a 40-point margin of victory.
With the blowout win, Boeheim was able to get most of his reserves in the game. Starting center Jesse Edwards remained on the floor until near the end to get extra work in. He paced the Orange on the defensive end with six rebounds and three blocks.
“In the second half, Jesse got going,” Boeheim said. “When he makes an effort, that’s something we have to have every night from him.”
Jimmy Boeheim (0) goes up for a slam dunk in the second half of Monday's exhibition game. Photo by Gavin Liddell
Syracuse Basketball: Joe Girard III, facilitating and scoring, stellar in romp (itlh; Adler)
It may have only been an exhibition game, and Le Moyne isn’t the same kind of opponent that Syracuse basketball will encounter during its 2021-22 regular season, but junior point guard Joe Girard III still had himself some kind of performance in the Orange’s 40-point blow-out of the Dolphins on Monday night inside the Carrier Dome.
The 6-foot-1 Girard, who looks to bounce back after an up-and-down sophomore campaign a stanza ago, put forth a brilliant effort in not only scoring against Le Moyne, but also in setting up his ‘Cuse teammates.
Girard, according to cuse.com, finished with 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field. Equally as important, he dished out nine assists.
Additionally, Girard picked up two steals and only committed two turnovers, per statistics posted on Syracuse.com. Look, I get that Le Moyne is a Division II squad, but these are still fabulous numbers produced by Girard.
Syracuse basketball guard Joe Girard III was the star in a demolition of Le Moyne.
Late last month, when the ‘Cuse held a scrimmage and some skills events on the Hill, Girard was phenomenal in the team’s 3-point challenge.
During the scrimmage, and I acknowledge that it was only a scrimmage, he seemed to have regained some confidence and swagger that may have been missing a tad in the 2020-21 term, and let’s not forget that Girard had to deal with a Covid-19 infection.
We’ll have to wait and see how Girard and his teammates fare in the 2021-22 regular season, but I’m certainly excited about what Girard did versus Le Moyne.
Because this ‘Cuse roster has multiple threats from 3-point land besides Girard, whether it’s senior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim or senior forward Cole Swider, I’m hopeful that this takes some pressure off of Girard to continually hoist up attempts from deep.
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Syracuse Basketball: Just wasn’t in the cards with 4-star Chance Westry (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball has a stellar five-member 2022 class that will contend for a top-10 to a top-15 national ranking, but that Orange cycle will not feature long-time target Chance Westry.
The 6-foot-5 Westry, a 2022 four-star guard, has selected Auburn out of the Southeastern Conference. This decision by Westry doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as a flood of national analysts and recruiting insiders had projected Westry to those Tigers of late.
It’s also no surprise whatsoever that Westry, a consensus top-40 player in his class, isn’t going to don a ‘Cuse uniform down the road. The word on social media and in chat rooms is that Syracuse basketball coaches hadn’t recruited Westry hard for a while now.
Still, I’m bummed about this. Of all the 2022 prospects that the Orange offered but didn’t land, Westry is the one whom I most wanted. I’m sure that he will shine at Auburn.
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Villanova Schedule Preview: Big 5, Syracuse, and Baylor (vuhoops.com; Ryan)
Yesterday, we opened up our season preview with Villanova’s first five games - most notably, a match-up with UCLA and the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic at the Mohegan Sun Arena. For me, seeing those games mapped out really sent home the absolute marathon Villanova will be running in just the first two weeks of the season. Well, it doesn’t get much easier.
After the Wildcats return from Connecticut, they will kick off their Big 5 slate against LaSalle, UPenn, and St. Joe’s, head to Madison Square Garden to take on the Syracuse Orange, and then fly to Waco, Texas for a Sunday afternoon tilt between the defending champion Baylor Bears. Hey, why not?
La Salle University Explorers
Head Coach: Ashley Howard (4th season)Previous Season Record: 9-16, 6-11 A10 — Lost to St. Joe’s in A10 tournament
Key Players: Jhamir Brickus, Jack Clark, Sherif Kenney, Christian Ray, Clifton Moore
Key Departures: David Beatty (transferred to North Carolina A&T), Jared Kimbrough (transferred to Hartford), Scott Spencer (transferred to Tulane)
New Additions: Josh Nickelberry (transfer from Louisville), Mamadou Doucoure (transfer from Rutgers)
Date: Sunday, November 28, 6:00 p.m. (Palestra)
Preview: Villanova will open Big 5 play against Ashley Howard’s La Salle Explorers, a team that was all over the map last season. With impressive wins against Dayton and St. Louis - and miserable performances against Fordham and St. Peter’s - the Explorers have struggled mightily to string together consistent performances so far under Howard.
The main culprit has been La Salle’s defense, which ranked 245th in the country last year and dead last in the A-10. Put simply, La Salle couldn’t stop a nose bleed last season - particularly inside the arc. There is no reason to think the La Salle defense will be markedly improved this year though Clifton Moore, a big man transfer from Indiana, should benefit from another year in the system and will be asked to essentially plug what has become a gaping hole at the rim.
On offense, sophomore point guard Jhamir Brickus is back for his second year and will be asked to pilot an offense that was sub-150 in nearly every offensive category last year. The additions of Josh Nickelberry and Mamadou Doucoure will give the Explorers a much needed injection of talent but, put simply, La Salle will likely struggle again this year. However, we know the squad has the potential to maybe pull off a couple upsets during the season. It’s nearly impossible to imagine this being one of them though.
University of Pennsylvania Quakers
Head Coach: Steve Donahue (5th season)Previous Season Record: Season canceled
Key Players: Jordan Dingle, Max Martz, Lucas Monroe, Bryce Washington
Key Departures: AJ Brodeur, Devon Goodman, Ryan Betley (transferred to Cal)
New Additions: Colin Chambers, Michael Moshkovitz (JUCO transfer), Clark Slajchert
Date: Wednesday, December 1, 7:00 p.m. (Palestra)
Preview: The Penn Quakers did not play last season given the Ivy League’s cancelation of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than a year out from competition - and with a number of players returning from injuries - Penn is going to be a little rusty to say the least. Villanova will not be the first “real” team the Quakers will see - they open against Florida State and will be coming off a game against Arkansas when they face the Wildcats.
The Quakers are led by guard Jordan Dingle, the 2019-2020 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, and forward Max Martz. Both Dingle and Martz are strong shooters and incredibly mature for just sophomores. Penn plays intelligent, deliberate ball with an emphasis on efficiency and protecting the rock. As the Ivy League finally returns to action, Penn projects to challenge Yale for the conference crown.
St. Joseph’s University Hawks
Head Coach: Billy Lange (2nd season)Previous Season Record: 5-15, 3-9 in A10 - lost to Massachusetts in A10 tournament
Key Players: Jordan Hall, Taylor Funk, Dahmir Bishop, Cameron Brown
Key Departures: Ryan Daly
New Additions: Ejike Obinna (transfer from Vanderbilt), Charles Coleman (transfer from East Carolina)
Date: Saturday, December 4, 12:00 p.m. (Finneran Pavilion)
Preview: We can start by noting that Ryan Daly is finally gone. Good. Last year, St. Joe’s opened the season with 8 straight losses - including a 20 point loss to Villanova - before finally squeaking by #240 Albany...before then losing 6 straight games. Inexplicably, the Hawks then picked off Dayton and Richmond - the A-10’s top squads - before losing to Massachusetts by 40. Like, what?
Anyway, the Hawks do not project to be much better this year. With Daly gone, St. Joe’s will lean heavily on Taylor Funk and Jordon Hall - a player who tested the NBA waters/committed to transfer before returning to the Hawks. ‘Nova fans will remember that St. Joe’s attempts to run an offense similar to Villanova’s - space the floor, shoot threes - but does not have the personnel to make shots. With Daly gone, Funk will have to do the heavy lifting on that end.
The chuck-and-duck nature of St. Joe’s offense led to miserable performances on the defensive end - especially in transition. The Hawks’ defense finished 308th in effective FG% and 341th in Block% - translation: not a soul was minding the store. In 20 games last year, the Hawks gave up 80+ points in 14 of them. Villanova will have absolutely no issue whatsoever scoring points in this one and - without a real deep threat (beyond Funk) - it’s hard to see St. Joe’s being able to keep up.
Syracuse Orange
Head Coach: Jim Boeheim (46th season)Previous Season Record: 18-10, 9-7 in ACC - lost to #5 Houston in NCAAT as 11 seed
Key Players: Buddy Boeheim, Jimmy Boeheim, Joseph Girard, Jesse Edwards
Key Departures: Marek Dolezaj, Quincy Gerrier, Alan Griffin, Kadary Richmond (transferred to Seton Hall)
New Additions: Benny Williams, Cole Swider (hey, we know him!)
Date: Tuesday, December 7, 9:00 p.m. (Madison Square Garden - Jimmy V Classic)
Preview: The Wildcats will face their old conference foe - the Syracuse Orange - in the late game of the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. Is this the Cole Swider revenge game?
The buzz around Syracuse this year is the squad’s deep shooters - Buddy Boeheim, Joe Girard and yes, Cole Swider - make up a dangerous trio of outside threats. But, as we saw with Swider at Villanova, the stroke is meaningless if you can’t get off...amirite? Basically, while the talent is there, Boeheim will have to find a way to effectively space the floor to free up his shooters, all without a real facilitator.
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16 men's basketball national player of the year candidates, according to Andy Katz (ncaa.com; Wittry)
The 2021-22 college basketball season kicks off on Tuesday, Nov. 9 and March Madness correspondent Andy Katz ranked his top 16 men's basketball national player of the year candidates on the latest March Madness 365 (#MM365) podcast, where he was joined by several of the candidates, including UCLA's Johnny Juzang, Syracuse's Buddy Boeheim, Illinois' Kofi Cockburn and Gonzaga's Drew Timme.
Katz seeded these players 1-16 in preparation for a fan voting contest that will begin on November 4 on March Madness' official Twitter account.
You can listen to the latest #MM365 podcast below.
Here are Katz's top 16 national player of the year candidates in the preseason.
1. Johnny Juzang, UCLA
In his first season at UCLA, Juzang led the Bruins to the Final Four as a No. 11 seed, while finishing as the leading scorer in the 2021 NCAA Tournament with 137 points in six games, which was an average of 22.8 points per game. For the season, Juzang averaged a team-high 16 points per game, along with 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, while shooting 50.7 percent from 2-point range and 3.53 percent from three.He was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection as a sophomore.
2. Drew Timme, Gonzaga
As a sophomore, Timme earned second-team All-America honors and he won the Karl Malone Award, which is given to the best power forward in the country, after he led the 31-1 Bulldogs in scoring (19.0 points per game) and rebounding (7.0 rebounds per game), while shooting 67.7 percent inside the arc.Gonzaga's second, third and fourth-leading scorers from last season — Corey Kispert, Jalen Suggs and Joel Ayayi — have since moved on, so Timme will unquestionably be the team's best returning player and he'll be joined by another potential All-America candidate, freshman Chet Holmgren, in Gonzaga's frontcourt.
3. Kofi Cockburn, Illinois
Cockburn elected to return to Illinois for his junior year after he was named a consensus second-team All-American as a sophomore when he nearly averaged a double-double at 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 65 percent from the field. At 7 feet and 285 pounds, Cockburn is a load to deal with in the post, as he drew an average of 7.5 fouls per 40 minutes, which ranked fifth nationally, per kenpom.com.4. Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
In a Big Ten Conference that's loaded with frontcourt talent, Dickinson is as good as any big man in the league. As a freshman, he was a consensus second-team All-American and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, while leading Michigan in scoring (14.1 points per game) and rebounding (7.4 rebounds) on the way to a No. 1 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. He averaged four free throw attempts per game and he took almost 4.3 free throws for every 10 field goal attempts, which boosted his offensive efficiency.5. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Think about this: Jackson-Davis is fifth on Katz's list but he's the third-highest ranked Big Ten big man. Jackson-Davis returned to Bloomington to play for former Hoosier Mike Woodson in his first year at the helm of his former school. The forward almost averaged 20 and 10 last season — 19.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, to be exact — while averaging almost 1.5 blocks per game. He'll be the centerpiece of an Indiana team that's searching for the program's first NCAA tournament appearance since 2016.6. Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
Gonzaga's frontcourt will be loaded this season with Drew Timme (No. 2 on this list) and Holmgren sharing the floor together. The Zags could have the best power forward (Timme) and center (Holmgren) in the country and with departed starters Kispert, Suggs and Ayayi vacating roughly 30 shots per game, the opportunity is there for Holmgren to be a star immediately.The advanced analytics site barttorvik.com projects Holmgren to average 18.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, while posting an offensive rating of 130, which would put him among the most efficient players in the country.
7. Paolo Banchero, Duke
Going back to barttorvik.com, Banchero is projected to average 17.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while posting the highest usage rate on the Blue Devils, so if the talented freshman can deliver upon those projections, then he would likely find himself on All-America lists next spring.8. Collin Gillespie, Villanova
Gillespie was named Co-Big East Player of the Year last season after averaging 14.0 points, 4.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game, while helping the Wildcats win another regular-season title in the Big East. With shooting percentages of 48.5 percent from two, 37.6 percent from three and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line, Gillespie posted an offensive efficiency rating of 118.9, which ranked 124th nationally, per kenpom.com.9. E.J. Liddell, Ohio State
Liddell was a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore, when he averaged 16.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per game for an Ohio State team that earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.10. Buddy Boeheim, Syracuse
Buddy Boeheim led a Sweet 16 run for No. 11 seed Syracuse last season. He averaged 17.8 points per game in the regular season, 29 points in two ACC tournament games and 22.3 points in three NCAA tournament games, while shooting 14-for-32 from deep in the big dance....
Boynton's direct involvement in recruiting leads Syracuse transfer Newton to OSU (stwnewspress.com; Hart)
Mike Boynton’s recruiting style distinguished Oklahoma State from the rest of Woody Newton’s potential destinations.
Newton, a sophomore guard on the Cowboy basketball team, said he heard from other schools’ assistant coaches after he entered the transfer portal, but head coaches rarely reached out to him.
Boynton was different.
Soon after Newton decided to transfer from Syracuse, Boynton called him. When Newton and his family arrived on OSU’s campus, Boynton acted as the tour guide. Once, around midnight, Boynton took some time out of his busy schedule to send a text message to Newton. That small but thoughtful gesture made a lasting impression.
“He texted me like, ‘What’s going on, Big Guy? You ready to come to Oklahoma State?’” Newton said. “...I thought that was big.”
Boynton found success with his consistent, intentional efforts to make Newton feel like he belonged at OSU. Newton committed to the Cowboys on April 16, and nearly seven months later, he is preparing to begin his OSU career with a home exhibition game against the University of Central Oklahoma on Friday.
A flurry of changes has surrounded Newton since he transferred from an ACC school in New York – Boynton’s home state – to a Big 12 program in Oklahoma.
Newton had to make new friends. His daily schedule is more rigid. After building his college basketball fundamentals in Jim Boeheim’s signature 2-3 zone defense at Syracuse, Newton has been thrown into Boynton’s Eddie-Sutton-esque, in-your-face man schemes. Newton said he struggled at first, but Boynton has given him reasons to believe in himself.
It started during the recruiting process, when Boynton provided Newton with examples of athletes’ transformations.
“He was telling me (to) look up players’ stats and how they’ve progressed and stuff like that,” Newton said. “And he was telling me that that could be me, so I’m like, if he really believes in me and (is) telling me this, it’s gotta be true, so why not go to a coach and a program that truly believes in you?
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From Mike Krzyzewski to Buddy Boeheim: 10 storylines that will dominate ACC basketball this season (PS; $; Carlson)
With the college basketball season set to start, the Atlantic Coast Conference will provide one of the biggest stages in the sport, with a number of storylines set to dominate the hoops landscape.
From Mike Krzyzewski’s retirement to the Boeheim family reunion, Duke’s newest freshman phenom to Notre Dame’s veteran team, here’s a look at 10 of the most important storylines across the conference this year.
Mike Krzyzewski is retiring
The storyline that will dominate the season – and that you’ll get tired of fastest – is the impending departure of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski after the season. His farewell tour will include his last visit to a number of locations, retirement gifts and an effort to end his basketball story with a 13th Final Four.
He’ll be replaced after the season by assistant coach Jon Scheyer, and Duke appears as if it will continue to return just fine without him, landing verbal commitments from two of the top five players in the Class of 2022.
Still, there’s no telling whether Duke basketball will remain anywhere near the national power that it was under Krzyzewski, and teams will be eager to try to land their final shots against a program that has become the sport’s standard.
Four tickets to the final UNC-Duke game with Krzyzewski on the sidelines recently fetched $1 million in a charity auction. Syracuse will get two cracks at the Blue Devils this season, and tickets for the Feb. 26 game in the Carrier Dome should be the area’s hottest ticket this year.
Roy Williams has already retired
After both of the conference’s bluebloods struggled last year, the two head coaches decided their careers are winding toward an end.
While Krzyzewski gave himself one more year to try to leave on a successful note, Williams decided that he wasn’t getting the job done and it was time to hand up his whistle.
The Tar Heels will be led by former UNC and NBA player and longtime Williams assistant coach Hubert Davis. Unlike Scheyer, Davis isn’t killing it on the recruiting trail yet.
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These ACC teams could make deep runs come March Madness (ncaa.com; video; Katz)
See which teams Andy Katz predicts will make the 2022 NCAA tournament and which have deep-run potential in this ACC conference preview.
Other
NY state feasibility study backs Buffalo Bills in bid to build new stadium (PS; AP)
The Buffalo Bills’ bid to land a new, taxpayer-backed stadium has been narrowed to two sites, with renovating their existing facility essentially being ruled out as being cost-prohibitive.
A feasibility study financed by the state of New York that was released Tuesday backs the Bills’ proposal to build a new 60,000-seat stadium either near their existing home or downtown.
The study estimates that a new stadium at the team’s proposed location, across the street from its current home in Orchard Park, would cost $1.354 billion. Building one downtown would, at a minimum, add $750 million because of the need to acquire land and make necessary infrastructure upgrades.
Multinational engineering and consulting firm AECOM recommended against renovating the 48-year-old Highmark Stadium, projecting it would cost about $862 million. AECOM cites “a tipping point” when the cost of renovations exceed 60% of building a new facility.
AECOM based its findings on the proposal the Bills submitted to the state government this summer. The findings align with the team’s projections, which estimated a new stadium in Orchard Park would cost about $1.4 billion.
AECOM’s study did not recommend either preferred site. That decision will be left to the state, Erie County and the Bills in negotiations, which are expected to resume shortly.
The key issue is how much money the state and county will be required to commit, with the Bills anticipating taxpayers will be asked to bear more than 50% of the cost
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