sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Opposite Day!
It is unknown when National Opposite Day started, or who started it. Some say it stems from a playground game where children trick each other with funny questions and opposite answers. There are some references to it having its roots in a statement President Calvin Coolidge made when he decided not to run for reelection in 1928, when he simply said, "I do not choose to run for President in 1928." The statement came as a shock to many in the public, which led them to wonder if he was really saying what he meant. Regardless of when or how the day started, today is for doing and saying the opposite of what is usually done, or saying the opposite of what is meant.
SU News
Syracuse Orange forward Cole Swider (21) with a corner jumper shot. The Syracuse Orange take on the Pitt Panthers Jan. 11, 2022 at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com
Syracuse basketball at Pittsburgh: What to know (PS; $; Waters)
Two teams coming off blowout losses will meet on Tuesday when Syracuse visits Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center.
Syracuse (9-10 overall, 3-5 in the ACC) got thrashed at Duke on Saturday, losing 79-59 in a game in which the Blue Devils led by as many as 31 points.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, lost 75-48 at Clemson on Saturday. The loss dropped the Panthers’ record to 7-12 for the year and 2-6 in the ACC.
This is the second meeting of the season between Syracuse and Pittsburgh. The Orange downed the Panthers 77-61 at the Carrier Dome on Jan. 11.
Buddy Boeheim led Syracuse with 24 points in that game, but on Saturday at Duke, Boeheim managed just seven points on 2-for-15 field goal shooting after being shut out for the game’s first 30 minutes.
Tuesday’s game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. on the ACC Network.
Here are five key things to know about the matchup:
The movable object vs. the stoppable force
The Syracuse-Pittsburgh game features the worst defense in the ACC against the worst offense.
Pittsburgh ranks last in the ACC in offense, averaging just 61.6 points per game. Meanwhile, Syracuse is 15th in the conference in scoring defense. The Orange gives up an average of 75.8 points per game.
So Pitt can’t score and Syracuse can’t stop anyone from scoring. What happens?
Well, in the teams’ first meeting, Syracuse’s defensive futility was no match for Pitt’s offensive woes. The Panthers managed just 61 points against the Orange.
Pittsburgh made just 38% of its field goal attempts in the loss at the Carrier Dome. Oh yeah, Pitt is last in the ACC in field goal percentage, too.
A Huge-ley problem
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Jeff Capel, Pitt Looking to Find Comfort in Rematch Against Syracuse Zone (pittsburghsportsnow.com; Michalowski)
Just two weeks after falling to Syracuse in the Carrier Dome, Jeff Capel’s Pitt Panthers are preparing to once again go up against the Orange, this time at the Petersen Events Center on Tuesday night at 8 p.m.
In that first matchup against the Orange, Pitt’s offense looked solid in the first half, but sharply took a turn for the worst in the second. In that second frame, the Panthers only made five of their 21 field goals, a 24% mark.
Pitt was led by a trio of 14-point scorers: Jamarius Burton, Femi Odukale, and Mo Gueye, who each played more than 37 minutes in the loss. While those three contributed with strong offensive efforts early, the team’s leading scorer on the year, John Hugley, went just 1 of 6 from the field, finishing with eight points in the game.
“We hope that he is more comfortable,” Capel said about Hugley facing Syracuse for a second time. “That was his first time ever playing against Syracuse. For most people, the first time you play against them, it’s different. It’s not a traditional zone. It’s not the zone that most people play or, in John’s case, a zone you maybe saw in high school. It’s very, very different. The way their movements are in it, the rotations in it, the length in it, and things like that. So we’re hopeful that he is way more comfortable this time. I hope our whole team is more comfortable this time against it than we were the first time.”
Heading into that last matchup in Syracuse, Pitt was riding a one-game winning streak after taking down Boston College at home. However, the 16-point loss to the Orange felt like a step backwards for a team that had shown fight in most of its losses all year.
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Beat writers agree Syracuse will sweep season series against Pittsburgh (DO; Staff)
Syracuse lost for the fifth time in seven games on Saturday against Duke, falling to the Blue Devils 79-59 and losing Symir Torrence to a knee injury in the game’s final minutes. On Tuesday, the Orange travel to Pittsburgh and will face the Panthers for the final time this season — attempting to build on a 16-point win in the Carrier Dome on Jan. 11.
Pitt, like Syracuse, has strung together just two victories in its last seven games, and the Panthers currently sit 14th out of 15 teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Forward John Hugley leads the Panthers in scoring with 15.8 points per game, and he’s scored at least 15 points in the three games since SU held him to eight two weeks ago.
Here’s what our beat writers think will happen when Syracuse (9-10, 3-5 ACC) faces Pitt (7-12, 2-6) at the Petersen Events Center.
Andrew Crane (13-6)
A brief escape
Syracuse 77, Pittsburgh 68
The most interesting question facing the Orange this week, and maybe for longer, is how their guard position reacts to Torrence’s injury. Is Cole Swider capable of handling the two spot? Can Paddy Casey really step in and play significant minutes? Who, out of Buddy Boeheim, Joe Girard III and Swider, handles the ball when defenses amp up their pressure? Jim Boeheim said on Monday that Torrence probably won’t play this week, and that’ll have a significant impact for Saturday’s game against Wake Forest, but I think SU can still cruise past the Panthers even without its reserve point guard.
A win against Pittsburgh won’t save the Orange’s chances at an NCAA Tournament bid, but a loss certainly would deflate those hopes even more. The Panthers could keep it interesting for a half with Hugley involved, but look for an offensive balance of Buddy and Jimmy Boeheim to help lift Syracuse over the Panthers and into a matchup against the Demon Deacons, where its depth issues will become more of a focal point.
Roshan Fernandez (11-8)
Got ‘em again
Syracuse 78, Pittsburgh 70
Syracuse should win its second game against Pittsburgh this season — this one should be straightforward, and the Orange aren’t going to get many more of those this year. Pittsburgh’s offense hasn’t topped 65 points in its last four contests, and its defense ranks 153rd, per KenPom. The Panthers aren’t good at defending the 3-point arc, either, and aren’t good at making 3-pointers.
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Opponent preview: What to know about Pittsburgh ahead of 2nd matchup with SU (DO; Fernandez)
On Tuesday in Pittsburgh, Syracuse will look to get back to .500 after Saturday’s 20-point thrashing at the hands of Duke. The Orange trailed by 14 at halftime and watched the Blue Devils continue to build on that — at one point, SU was down by 31 points.
The Blue Devils used a plethora of 3-pointers to open the floodgates before capitalizing in the paint against Syracuse’s porous zone. Now, head coach Jim Boeheim’s team has a chance to sweep Pittsburgh — one of the conference’s worst teams — after defeating it on Jan. 11.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Panthers (7-12, 2-6 Atlantic Coast) before they face Syracuse (9-10, 3-5 ACC) on Tuesday at 8 p.m.:
All-time series
Syracuse leads the all-time series, 74-47.Last time they played
Syracuse snapped a three-game losing streak with a 16-point victory over Pittsburgh on Jan. 11 in the Dome. The Orange held a comfortable first-half lead but blew it when they allowed a 13-0 run toward the end of the first frame. Buddy Boeheim’s four consecutive 3-pointers helped keep it close in the first half, SU’s head coach said afterward, and then Syracuse’s defense stepped up.The unit has been shaky all season, but Boeheim said after the game that it was “by far the best it’s been all year.” In the second half, Syracuse held Pittsburgh without a second-half field goal for the first nine minutes. The Panthers got to the free-throw line frequently but it wasn’t enough.
“Our offense has been good all year — it’s our defense that was good,” Boeheim said after the game. “That was the difference.”
KenPom odds
KenPom gives Syracuse a 66% chance of victory with a projected score of 73-69.Syracuse at Pittsburgh Preview: Five Things to Watch (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse and Pittsburgh square off for the second time this season, with the Orange winning the first meeting 77-61. Here are five keys to this meeting that will go a long way towards determining the outcome.
1. Battle of the Bigs
Pittsburgh's best player is center John Hugley. Hugley is averaging 16 points and eight rebounds per game. He also attempts nearly eight free throws per game. Jesse Edwards has become one of Syracuse's best players on both ends of the floor. He averages 12 points, seven rebounds and three blocks per game while shooting over 70% from the floor. In the first meeting, Edwards got the better of the two. Hugley was just 1-6 shooting and was held to half his season average. Edwards was right at his season averages with 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Pittsburgh needs to get Hugley going to have a shot, while Syracuse is hoping Edwards can neutralize him once again.
2. Outside Shooting
Pittsburgh is the worst three point shooting team in the ACC, while Syracuse is sixth. The two teams defend the three at about the same clip (allowing opponent's to shoot 34% from three). How each performs from beyond the arc will be critical. In the first meeting, Pittsburgh was 5-12 (42%) in the first half from deep, and trailed by only one. The Panthers were just 2-10 from distance in the second half, and was outscored by 15. The Pitt shooters Syracuse needs to keep an eye on are Jamarius Burton, Mouhamadou Gueye and Femi Odukale.
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Syracuse basketball odds: SU a weaker favorite over Pitt this time (PS; Herbert)
The Syracuse men’s basketball team is favored to beat Pittsburgh again, but not as strongly as in their first matchup.
SU is a 4.5-point favorite over Pitt for Tuesday night’s game, according to odds published by BetMGM, Caesars , DraftKings, FanDuel and BetRivers. The over/under is 139.5, according to most betting sites.
Note: Online/mobile sports betting is now legal in New York state, but wagers on in-state college teams, such as Syracuse University, are still prohibited for both home and road games even if played in another state.
The Orange were previously a double-digit favorite over the Panthers in their first game this season and delivered with a 77-61 win at the Carrier Dome on Jan. 11. But SU won’t have the home court advantage for the second meeting, traveling to Pittsburgh’s house at the Petersen Events Center.
Syracuse (9-10, 3-5 in the ACC) is currently below .500 again after a 79-59 loss at Duke on Saturday. SU will be shorthanded tonight at the guard positions as Symir Torrence will miss the game with a right knee injury.
Double Down 1-24 (ESPN; radio; Tommy & Michael)
Tommy and Michael recap the crazy weekend in the NFL and are joined by James Szuba to talk Syracuse-Duke and his nightmare trip down to Durham. Later, Scooter in Jamesville calls in to give some ideas for the show and Josh joins for the six pack.
Louisville falls to Virginia again, 64-52 (cardchronicle.com; Rutherford)
In a storyline that feels like it has played out a thousand times inside John Paul Jones Arena over the last seven years, Louisville fell behind big against Virginia early, made a furious run to keep things interesting in the second half, but ultimately fell by a decisive enough final margin of 63-51.
The loss dropped the Cards to 0-7 all-time in Charlottesville and 2-12 against Virginia since joining the ACC in 2014-15.
U of L was led by Jarrod West, whose hot shooting from Saturday against Notre Dame carried over into Monday. West came off the bench and drilled 4-of-7 shots from beyond the arc on his way to a team-high 14 points as well as a team-high three assists. West has now made eight three-pointers over Louisville’s last two games after having made just 12 through the season’s first 18 contests.
Matt Cross (11) and Malik Williams (10) also hit double digits for the Cards, who trailed by as many as 19 points in the first half before cutting the lead all the way down to four in the second.
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Film review: Analyzing Buddy Boeheim’s 9 3-point misses against then-No. 6 Duke (DO; Crane)
As Syracuse attempted to erase a game-long deficit against then-No. 6 Duke on Saturday, it did so without the boost of Buddy Boeheim, its leading scorer at 18.6 points per game. He finished with seven points on 2-of-15 shooting including 1-for-10 from 3 — his worst shooting percentage since he went 1-for-12 against Northeastern on Dec. 16, 2020, and his most missed 3s since he missed nine against Cornell on Nov. 20, 2019.
Florida State, Villanova and Miami held him to three single-digit outputs, but in those contests, they eliminated his 3-point attempts altogether, as the SU senior only attempted 15 during that span. Against the Blue Devils, he attempted 10, and head coach Jim Boehiem said postgame that Buddy “got to the shots” and found the open looks that he, and SU, wanted.
But Duke, keyed by Wendell Moore Jr. and Jeremy Roach, found ways to predict which shots Buddy would attempt and eliminate those opportunities. One tendency was called “floppy action,” where Buddy could essentially choose from two screeners stationed on the blocks and curl around to help create a shot. Moore said that he tried to take one of those options away by steering Buddy toward a certain side, while also making “every shot a tough shot,” including in transition.
“If you make it, you make it,” Moore said. “If not, I did my job.”
Before SU travels to face Pitt on Tuesday, The Daily Orange broke down the film on Buddy’s nine 3-point misses against the Blue Devils, with rushed shots, attempts early in the shot clock and open looks that fell short. None of Buddy’s misses occurred after “floppy action,” meaning that Duke eliminated that entirely.
Miss No. 1: 18:08 left in the first half
Buddy starts this play in the corner, just like Duke would often do against Syracuse’s zone, and Joe Girard III initially tries to dish the ball over after Buddy curled around a screen from Jesse Edwards on the wing. But Edwards can’t bump Moore, tracking Buddy’s path, and the Duke forward prevents Girard’s pass....
MBB: Even Been Ranked #1? (RX; HM)
MBB: Even Been Ranked #1?
Interesting tweet from Fox College Hoops:ACC basketball teams which have been ranked #1 by the AP at some point in history:
- Duke
- Georgia Tech
- Louisville
- NC State
- N Carolina
- Notre Dame
- Pitt
- Syracuse
- Virginia
- Wake Forest
Teams which have never been ranked #1 - yet - by the AP:
- Boston College
- Clemson
- Florida State
- Miami
- Virginia Tech
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Other
SU to pay city $11 million over 5 years for maintenance, public safety services (DO; Chouinard)
Over the next five years, Syracuse University will pay $11 million to the city of Syracuse for city services and city neighborhoods that are near the university.
SU will pay $500,000 to the city of Syracuse every year for the next five years, according to an agreement Syracuse Common Council passed today. Of the $500,000, 25% will go to the Syracuse Police Department to maintain safety and security in neighborhoods surrounding the university.
The remaining $375,000 will be used by the city for projects and services in the interest of residents near the university, SU students and the university itself. The allocation of the $375,000 must be approved by the University Neighborhood Services Agreement Advisory Committee, which will have one university representative as a voting member.
Additionally, the university will pay a total of $8.5 million over five payments to the city for city services over the next few years. The last payment for city services under this agreement is in August 2025.
The city will install new crosswalks along Ostrom Avenue, according to the agreement. The city will also provide Community Service Officers from SPD at Schine Student Center and on South Campus.
With the passing of the agreement, the university will maintain certain areas of Thornden Park. The university will also replace and maintain sidewalks along Ostrom Avenue near the park.
Additionally, SU will also be permitted to perform maintenance and operate events in Walnut Park as well. All repairs and maintenance within both parks maintained by the university will be paid for by the university.
