sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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All dog owners, remember that February 23rd is National Dog Biscuit Day! This day is also observed around the world as International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day.
Dog biscuits come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and flavors. They serve to reward a man’s best friend for good behavior as part of their training. Dog owners may also give a biscuit to show their canine companions just how much they love them, too. Sometimes, dog biscuits serve to deliver vitamins and medicines we may have difficulty getting our pooches to take otherwise.
SU News
Notre Dame's Blake Wesley (0) drives against Boston College's Gianni Thompson (24) during an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, in South Bend, Ind. (Michael Caterina/South Bend Tribune via AP)
Syracuse basketball vs. Notre Dame: What to know )PS; $; Ditota)
Syracuse hits the road to begin a daunting string of men’s basketball games over the next couple weeks.
The Orange begins the stretch at Notre Dame. It then plays Duke at home, travels to North Carolina before finishing with Miami in the Carrier Dome.
SU (15-12) takes on Notre Dame (19-8) at 7 p.m. Wednesday in South Bend. The Irish are 12-4 in the ACC and 6-1 in ACC home games. Their only conference home loss came against Duke last month.
The Irish sit in second place in the ACC right now, with games against Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Pittsburgh left on their schedule. Notre Dame struggled early in the year; at one point the Irish were 3-5 and reeling after an eight-point loss to Indiana at a neutral site.
But the Irish found their identity as the season progressed. They’ve now won eight of their last 10, though they are coming off a road defeat to Wake Forest. Notre Dame, with its NET ranking of 57 and its 6-7 record in Quad 1 and Quad 2, has a very real chance of making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years. Most bracketologists have the Irish on the 10 line. Notre Dame has a shiny win over Kentucky on its resume and no real glaring losses.
Wednesday’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPNEWS. Here are some things that could influence the outcome:
Syracuse and Notre Dame both rely on 3-point shooting.
The Orange had outshot its last six opponents from the 3-point line before Monday’s game against Georgia Tech. SU made one more 3 against the Yellow Jackets, but Georgia Tech converted a slightly higher percentage of them.
Making a good percentage of 3s does not completely foretell success for Syracuse. The Orange has lost games (Miami, Florida State) when it made a significant percentage of 3s. But a good shooting night obviously makes it much easier to win games.
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Mike Hopkins Hears the Syracuse Question Once More - Sports Illustrated Washington Huskies News, Analysis and More (SI; Raley)
University of Washington basketball coach Mike Hopkins regularly holds a virtual Monday media session that often involves only Seattle-Tacoma journalists, but every once in a while someone else joins in.
Such was the case on Monday when a Syracuse University student reporter took part and quizzed Hopkins about the long-term relationship between the Orange's Jim Boeheim and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski.
The veteran coaches are scheduled to meet one last time on Saturday night when their teams meet at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse before Krzyzewski walks away from the game and retires.
For that matter, Boeheim could step down at any time as he approaches the end of his fifth decade as coach.
The reporter knew that Hopkins played for Syracuse in that first matchup for the college basketball legends in 1989 and asked for his memories.
"Boeheim's time is obviously coming in the next few years," he said, pressing Hopkins some about his future. "Is returning to Syracuse something you thought about or something you'd be interested in?"
Hopkins didn't say no.
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Opponent Preview: What to know about Notre Dame (DO; Fernandez)
Notre Dame, which sits second in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s standings, is set to host Syracuse on Wednesday night. The Fighting Irish have won five of their last six contests, but their most recent was a five-point loss to Wake Forest on the road.
Here’s everything you need to know about Notre Dame (19-8, 12-4 ACC) before the Fighting Irish host Syracuse in South Bend:
All-time series
Syracuse leads the all-time series 31-22.Last time they played
Almost exactly a year ago, Notre Dame traveled to the Carrier Dome and lost 75-67 to Syracuse. Early on, the Orange’s 2-3 zone was torched by the Fighting Irish, which posted 32 points in 13 minutes. Then head coach Jim Boeheim turned to the full-court press, which he said worked really well.“I was hoping the press would work a little bit, it worked a lot better than that,” Boeheim said after the game.
The pressure forced Notre Dame into mistakes, and it didn’t score for over six minutes in the second half. SU used a 14-0 run to turn a 20-point deficit into a eight-point home victory. Buddy Boeheim posted 29 points on 6-of-10 shooting from deep, and Marek Dolezaj added another 18. A loss to the Fighting Irish likely would’ve ended Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament hopes, but the win kept the Orange alive.
KenPom odds
KenPom gives Notre Dame a 66% chance of winning with a projected score of 76-72.The Notre Dame report
Syracuse may have won six of its last seven games, but Notre Dame has won five of its last six. The loss came in the Fighting Irish’s most recent contest on Saturday, when they fell by five points to Wake Forest on the road.
A Flourish chartThe Fighting Irish lost three straight games early in the year when they fell to Texas A&M and Illinois during nonconference play and then lost their ACC opener to Boston College. They slipped below .500 at the time, but they haven’t lost consecutive games since then.
Notre Dame is one of the most balanced teams in the conference, with its adjusted offensive efficiency ranking 51st in the nation and its adjusted defensive efficiency ranking 78th, per KenPom. They’re a strong 3-point shooting team too, making 36.8% of their trifectas, a clip that’s good for 38th best in the country. Dane Goodwin’s 45.8% clip from deep is the 24th best nationally.
How Syracuse beats the Fighting Irish
Four of Notre Dame’s five starters scored double-digits in its loss to Wake Forest on Saturday. Syracuse’s defense has looked better against Georgia Tech and Boston College, but those were two of the conference’s worse-ranked teams. The Orange’s defense will have to step up and defend the 3-point line against Notre Dame, or they could pay.And beyond that, SU’s had trouble defending the paint as of recent (since it lost Jesse Edwards to a season-ending injury). Bourama Sidibe has provided significant minutes for Syracuse in the last two contests, but this will be his biggest test yet of how healthy, and how ready, he is.
Boeheim said he’ll continue to rotate between Sidibe and Frank Anselem depending on who’s playing well, and one will need to have a big night on Wednesday against Notre Dame. They both got into foul trouble against Georgia Tech, which nearly cost their team.
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Beat writers split on if Syracuse can beat Notre Dame on the road (DO; Staff)
With six wins in seven games, Syracuse appears to be on a roll as the season winds down. Up next, though, is the Orange’s toughest stretch of the season. First, is a trip to South Bend, Indiana, on Wednesday night to take on Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are second in the Atlantic Coast Conference at 12-4 and provide a chance for SU to get its first Quadrant 1 win of the season.
Notre Dame was on a five-game winning streak but lost to Wake Forest on Saturday. The Fighting Irish have lost more than two games in a row just once this season.
Here’s what The Daily Orange’s beat writers think will happen when the Orange meet up with the Fighting Irish:
Andrew Crane (19-8)
Missing their Q(uadrant 1 wins)
Notre Dame 83, Syracuse 75
Maybe the poor shooting performance against Georgia Tech was an outlier, but Syracuse’s offense hasn’t looked convincing since Jesse Edwards’ season-ending injury. Neither Frank Anselem nor Bourama Sidibe provide the same elements that Edwards did, and Edwards had unlocked open shots that just haven’t materialized for the guards, or not to the same degree, since. After months of lapses and instances where it was the primary reason for a loss, the defense has outplayed the offense, and that’s concerning.
Against an offense like Notre Dame’s — boosted by the 38th-best 3-point percentage in the country, per KenPom — a similar flow to the Virginia Tech game could surface, with the Fighting Irish attempting 3 after 3 and inevitably hitting some. And at this point, it’s difficult to pick the Orange here because they either won’t defend the 3 and allow double-digit makes from beyond the arc, or they won’t be able to hit their own shots to keep up. This just isn’t a game Syracuse wins.
Roshan Fernandez (17-10)
Running it back
Syracuse 76, Notre Dame 74
Last season, Syracuse knew that if it lost to Notre Dame, its NCAA Tournament hopes would probably vanish for good. The Orange trailed by 20 points at one point during the game but held the Fighting Irish without a bucket for over six minutes and came back for an eight-point victory. This season’s scenario isn’t quite the same, but if Syracuse does want to work its way back toward the NCAA Tournament bubble, it’ll need to steal its first Quadrant 1 win of the season. The Orange are 0-6 in Q1 games so far, and with Notre Dame ranked 57th in the NET rankings, SU is running out of opportunities to earn big wins.
All that being said, I don’t think Syracuse shoots as poorly as it did against Georgia Tech. The defense saved that win for the Orange, which is a good sign of progress, and I think it’s capable of stepping up.
Gaurav Shetty (16-11)
The end is near
Notre Dame 80, Syracuse 74
The Orange have gone on a nice run after some called their season over after a loss to Pittsburgh. Apart from Wake Forest, however, all of the wins really should’ve been expected. The season just got lighter at the right time for SU, and the team was able to take advantage of that. But these next four games will probably end SU’s chances of a postseason tournament barring a miracle run in the ACC Tournament. Notre Dame is second in the conference, but the team is good, not great, with the Fighting Irish ranked 58th on KenPom. If this game was in Syracuse, I may have been convinced to pick the Orange, but I don’t trust SU’s defense in a road test without Edwards.
Georgia Tech was poor from 3, with Michael Devoe shooting 4-for-12, but Notre Dame is ranked 38th on KenPom in 3-point percentage, so I trust the Fighting Irish to make just enough 3s to top SU in South Bend.
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Syracuse Orange vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Live Score and Stats - February 23, 2022 Gametracker (cbssports.com; FLM)
Notre Dame has its eye on an Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title and the NCAA Tournament, while Syracuse is still hoping against hope just to reach the Big Dance.
The ACC foes will square off in their only regular-season meeting Wednesday night, in South Bend, Ind.
The Fighting Irish (19-8, 12-4) appear to be in solid position to make the NCAA Tournament despite a loss to Wake Forest in their most recent game Saturday. Notre Dame trails first-place Duke by one game in the league standings with four regular-season games remaining.
Notre Dame lost to Wake Forest 79-74 even after making 14 of 31 3-pointers, led by Blake Wesley's 6-of-11 effort and 24 points.
"What a waste of bullets," Irish coach Mike Brey said. "You make 14 (threes) and you can't get out of here (with a win)."
Part of the problem was that Wake Forest attempted 19 more field-goal attempts than Notre Dame, thanks to 16 offensive rebounds. The Irish had only two offensive boards.
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Schayes & Higgins 2-22 (ESPN; radio; Schayes & Higgins)
Danny and Brian recap All Star Weekend as well as Syracuse’s wins against Boston College and Georgia Tech. Later, they are joined by two time NBA all-star Archie Clark.
Buddy Boeheim "On The Block" 2-22 (ESPN; radio; Axe)
Buddy Boeheim joins Brent to recap last night’s big win against Georgia Tech and discuss the quick turnaround before tomorrow’s game against Notre Dame.
Syracuse basketball has to pound the glass to upset Notre Dame on road (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball took care of business in recent Atlantic Coast Conference contests on the Hill against Boston College and Georgia Tech.
The Orange (15-12, 9-7) really needed to come away with triumphs in those two encounters if the ‘Cuse hopes to have any chance, albeit a tiny one, of reaching the 2022 Big Dance.
The 2021-22 regular season is winding down, and Syracuse basketball has four ACC clashes left on the docket. The ‘Cuse suits up at Notre Dame this Wednesday evening, followed by meetings with Duke, North Carolina and Miami.
As we’ve noted in other recent columns, that quartet represents the top-four squads for the time being in the ACC standings. So Syracuse basketball will possess several opportunities in the near future to pick up marquee successes, and that commences on Wednesday night versus the Fighting Irish (19-8, 12-4) from Purcell Pavilion.
Let’s take a deeper dive on the next Syracuse basketball foe.
Notre Dame has proven a pleasant surprise within the ACC at this juncture in 2021-22. In the non-conference slate, the Fighting Irish upset a top-10 Kentucky group.Other notable victories for Notre Dame include over Miami, North Carolina and Virginia. The Fighting Irish’s resume is pretty solid and doesn’t contain many bad setbacks.
In its most recent outing, Notre Dame did fall by five points, 79-74, at Wake Forest this past Saturday. That result snapped a five-game winning streak for the Fighting Irish, although it remains near the top of the ACC standings.
Notre Dame’s offense, at 71.2 points per contest, will thoroughly challenge the Orange zone defense. The Fighting Irish shoots quite well, connecting on 45.7 percent from the field, 37.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 75.1 percent from the charity stripe.
Fighting Irish players also take care of the ball effectively, only committing 10.4 turnovers a game. Notre Dame also has a credible defense that gives up just 66.6 points per affair.
When I penned this piece, the Fighting Irish was within the ACC’s top five in scoring defense as well as 3-point field-goal percentage defense.
Earlier this week, Syracuse basketball squeaked out a 74-73 overtime win against Georgia Tech, and the Orange didn’t shoot well from the field.
The ‘Cuse will have to fare much better in this arena if it wants to upset Notre Dame on the road. Speaking of that, the Fighting Irish is stellar at home in 2021-22, succumbing to only one defeat, at the hands of top-10 Duke.
Where I think that Syracuse basketball has to prevail is on the boards. Even without junior center Jesse Edwards available due to an injury, the Orange big men have to pound the glass.
Notre Dame collects just 33.6 rebounds a game, which is toward the bottom of the ACC. Syracuse basketball will likely have to notch some easy buckets via the offensive glass to keep pace with the Fighting Irish away from the Carrier Dome.
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On The Block On Demand 2-22 (ESPN; radio; Axe)
Brent addresses the good and the bad that came from Syracuse’s overtime win against Georgia Tech last night. Later, Brent recaps what was an extraordinary day of lacrosse at the Dome on Sunday.
Syracuse-Notre Dame basketball odds: Can SU win 3rd game in 5 days? (PS; Herbert)
Can the Syracuse men’s basketball team win its third game in five days?
Notre Dame is currently a 5-point favorite over SU for tonight’s game in South Bend, according to odds published by DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars , PointsBet and BetRivers. The over/under is 145.5, 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.
Syracuse (15-12 overall, 9-7 in ACC) has won six of its last seven games, including a 74-73 overtime thriller over Georgia Tech on Monday. The Orange were originally scheduled to face Notre Dame on Tuesday, but the ACC moved the game back one day to allow room for Monday’s rescheduled game against the Yellowjackets.
Notre Dame (19-8, 12-4) is the No. 2 team in the conference and will have home court advantage. The Fighting Irish are 6-1 in ACC home games, only losing to Duke last month.
Today’s game (Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022) will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNEWS. Here are the local channel numbers for ESPNEWS in Central New York:
- Spectrum: Channel 302 (SD & HD)
- Verizon Fios: Channel 572 (HD) and 72 (SD)
- DirectTV: Channel 207 (SD & HD)
- Dish Network: Channel 142 (SD & HD)
- New Visions: Channel 758 (HD) and 71 (SD)
If you don’t have cable, ESPNEWS is also available on fuboTV (FREE TRIAL), Sling, Vidgo (FREE TRIAL) DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV (FREE TRIAL) and YouTube TV (FREE TRIAL).
2021-22 MBB on TV (so far) (RX; HM)
2021-22 MBB on TV (so far)
Admittedly, discussing about one million viewer MBB games feels like pocket change compared to football season's viewership numbers, but it's what we have going on this time of year...From CSNBBS: 2021-22 Men's Basketball TV Ratings Thread
Conference Games Over 1 Million:
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ACC Roundup - Miami Has A Dominant Win At Pitt (DBR; King)
In Wednesday’s ACC play, Miami beat Pitt handily, 85-64.
This one was all Miami, with the ‘Canes shooting out to a 14-2 lead and hitting 55 percent from the floor.
Pitt shot well at 48 percent, but 20 turnovers makes life hard.
Like a lot of teams, Pitt sent John Hugley right at Miami’s soft middle and he shot 7-9 for 20 points and had seven boards too.
For Miami, it keeps NCAA hopes alive. They’re certainly not projected as a high seed and aren’t likely to go very far, but with a solid backcourt they would have a chance at a few wins.
For Pitt, the loss drops them to 11-18 and the question at that point is does a team keep competing? We think Pitt will and certainly will be ready when Duke comes to town soon.
Wednesday sees four games: Boston College visits NC State, Syracuse heads out to Notre Dame, Wake Forest is at Clemson and the nightcap is the Battle of the Techs down in Hotlanta.
We’re really curious to see if BC can build on the momentum they’ve had lately. You look at their record and think: huh? But toss out the second Syracuse game and despite the losses, they've shown some real progress and spirit. They’re a dangerous team now and you take them lightly at your peril.
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Is Duke a true national title contender, and what's at stake for Virginia against the Blue Devils? (ESPN; Medcalf & Borzello))
Imagine it (or fear it): Mike Krzyzewski lifting the NCAA championship trophy on April 4, a storybook ending to a legendary college basketball coaching career that has spanned 47 seasons and would, in this scenario, include a sixth national title. And his Duke Blue Devils could just deliver it to him. The 2021-22 version of Coach K's team is currently at the top of the ACC standings -- and a projected 3-seed come Selection Sunday.
Before the postseason march begins, Wednesday night's trip to Charlottesville to face the Virginia Cavaliers (7 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN App) represents a chance for revenge for the Blue Devils, who lost to UVa by just a point at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Feb. 7. For Tony Bennett's squad, meanwhile, this game is mission critical for the NCAA tournament hopes of the 2019 champs, who are also mathematically alive for what would be their fourth ACC title in five years.
With that in mind, ESPN's college basketball team of Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello, John Gasaway and Joe Lunardi made their predictions for Wednesday's Sonic Blockbuster matchup, and they also offered their assessment of both teams' postseason viability.
Where is Duke on your current short list of national title contenders? Which single Blue Devil do you think will be most critical to this team's title push over the next six weeks?
Medcalf: For me, Duke could win the national championship. But I don't think they're in the top group yet.The list of teams that could win a national championship is a lot shorter than it was a month ago. The ones with a serious shot: Kentucky, Gonzaga and Arizona are beginning to separate themselves from the pack. Duke, Auburn and Purdue are next. I think the national champion will probably emerge from that collection of teams. Nothing against Baylor and Kansas, but I think both could fall short of a Final Four run this season.
I think the most important player for Duke will be Paolo Banchero. When we think about the NCAA tournament, we focus on the stars. The role players matter and sometimes lead their teams on big runs, but this is a critical moment for the projected top-10 pick in this summer's NBA draft. Duke will go as far as Banchero can take them. Oscar Tshiebwe, Ochai Agbaji, Chet Holmgren, Bennedict Mathurin, Jabari Smith and Jaden Ivey could all stand between him and the Final Four. Banchero just has to match that star power and show up when the lights come on in March to give Duke a shot at ending Coach K's reign with a national title.
Borzello: I think Gonzaga, Kentucky and Arizona are probably my top tier of title contenders, and then Duke headlines that next group, that second tier. The Blue Devils' ceiling is as high as any team's in college basketball because of their next-level talent, their ability to defend the ball and the rim and the presence of Banchero. I also think they've found something that works with Trevor Keels and Wendell Moore Jr. handling most of the playmaking duties and AJ Griffin in the starting lineup instead of Jeremy Roach. Moore and Keels are capable initiators and ball handlers, while Griffin is an elite shooter. It also gives Duke one of the bigger lineups in college basketball.
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Other
Jason Thomas from Papa Gallo serves his chili at the chili cookoff at Heritage Hill in Pompey.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com
CNY chefs to reconvene in charity chili cookoff (PS; Miller)
A year ago, chefs from 10 popular Central New York restaurants competed in a chili cookoff to raise nearly $15,000 for struggling restaurants that had been forced to temporarily close during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Many of the same the cooks from that sold-out event and a few new faces are gathering next Sunday, March 6, to do again. This time, though, some of the money will go to a local charity.
The Chillin’ in ‘Cuse event at Heritage Hill Brewhouse in Pompey is noon to 6 p.m. Tickets are sold for two-hour blocks (noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.). Adult tickets are $20, which get you cups of chili from all 10 restaurants and a beer. Children tickets are $10. You can buy tickets here.
The restaurants competing this year are: Heritage Hill Brewhouse, Shifty’s, Kasai, Limp Lizard, Chelsea’s, The Brasserie Bar & Bistro, Papá Gallo, Jake Hafner’s, The Cider Mill and Three Lives.
Last year, Papá Gallo won the People’s Choice Award for its pork poblano green chili. Chelsea’s Restaurant and Bar took the top prize by the panel of judges for its South of the Border Chili.
Judges include Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, Syracuse Mets General Manager Jason Smorol, Christie Casciano and Andrew Donovan from WSYR-TV9, syracuse.com food writer Charlie Miller and local dining industry consultant Bud Loura.
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