sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Halloween!
Halloween is a holiday that is rooted in, and was influenced by, both pagan and Christian traditions. On one hand there are the influences of Celtic harvest festivals, such as the Gaelic festival Samhain, and on the other hand Halloween stems from All Hallows' Eve, which is the night before the Christian holiday of All Hallows' Day—or All Saints Day. Halloween traditions were culled from these influences, and from varied traditions that different countries celebrated. The amalgamation of these influences helped to create what we now know as Halloween in the United States.
SU News
Way-Too-Early Syracuse Basketball Player Previews: Judah Mintz – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Ezeir)
With November right around the corner, it’s time to preview the crew looking to resurrect Syracuse basketball from an abysmal 16-17 season last year. What better than doing it one-by-one and starting with the possible “1” guard to lead this team on the offensive side of the ball.
https://twitter.com/JonRothstein?re...tein2Fstatus2F1579952729187061760widget=Tweet
Jon Rothstein
@JonRothstein
Early prediction on Syracuse's 2022-23 starting five: Judah Mintz, Joe Girard, Chris Bunch, Benny Williams, Jesse Edwards
Welcome to the Judah Mintz era in Central New York. A borderline five star out of high school, Mintz represents the future of this program at the point guard position. From what is evident following his high school career and keeping tabs on his performance in the exhibition game against IUP, the Maryland native mirrors Tyler Ennis’s control of the offense and elite vision bringing the ball into the frontcourt. Mintz is speedy to the rim and his ten point second half in the Orange’s first exhibition game proved an added scoring prowess with the ball at the top of the key.
SU’s presumptive starting point guard is understandable, adaptable and willing to grow after each play. A sluggish first half Tuesday allowed for a burst in the final 20 minutes against IUP. Following the game, his maturity shined too, which is admirable for a freshman in a stacked conference where experience, more often than not, rules.
https://twitter.com/TheJuiceOnline?...line2Fstatus2F1585088954919161857widget=Tweet
“I think it’s just picking and choosing when to take my shot and when to make plays for others.” — Judah Mintz (@Jmintz10) after #Syracuse’s exhibition win https://t.co/FhlpNqLroK
https://twitter.com/TheJuiceOnline/...line2Fstatus2F1585088954919161857widget=Tweet
The challenge with Mintz is his authoritativeness and defense. Although the 6’3 freshman has showed his control at the “1”, the first half of the exhibition game against IUP exposed what could happen down the stretch or in late game situations, where Girard takes matters into his own hands. JG3 might be the leader, but Mintz has to take the ball away from the senior and establish his role early on. That allows for better spacing and offensive plays to materialize. Trust between the freshman and senior is pivotal to create a tight-knit backcourt willing to control and defer when necessary.
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SU basketball’s schedule: Lighter non-conference fare, and a brutal stretch in ACC play (PS; $; Ditota)
Syracuse stumbled out of the college basketball gate last season.
The Orange started 5-5, with losses to Colgate and Georgetown included in that spate of contests. Colgate went on to win the Patriot League and play in the NCAA Tournament, but the Hoyas could not win a single game in the Big East last year. They were 0-19.
This season, Syracuse faces just one team ranked in the preseason Top 25 before it meets the bulk of its ACC foes. Illinois, a team rebuilt with experienced transfers, looks like the toughest team on the Orange non-conference schedule. That game takes place in Champaign on Nov. 29 as part of the ACC/Big 10 Challenge. The Fighting Illini were ranked No. 23 in the AP preseason poll.
The Illini added Baylor transfer Matthew Mayer and Texas A&M transfer Terrence Shannon, Jr. to a roster that will likely have touted freshman point guard Skyy Clark running the show.
A few interesting tidbits about other non-conference opponents:
Syracuse plays a somewhat mysterious Richmond team in the opening game of the Empire Classic. The Spiders return scorer Tyler Burton but have revamped their roster from a season ago.
The big meeting could take place in the second game of that tournament. Shooting guard Khalif Battle, the brother of former SU star Tyus Battle, returns to Temple this season after spending most of last year on the disabled list with an injury.
Khalif Battle, a transfer from Butler, averaged 21.4 points per game before a broken bone in his foot shut him down in late December.
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Can 6 freshmen get SU back on a winning track? ‘Our freshmen are ready to play’ (PS; $; Axe)
Last year, Syracuse’s starting lineup featured a graduate student, two seniors and two juniors. The Orange’s starting five was older than some NBA teams. There was just one freshman on the roster.
While graduations, early departures and transfers all combine to turn old teams young again, Syracuse has hit the fountain of youth harder than Ponce de Leon.
Gone are grizzled veterans like Buddy Boeheim, Cole Swider and Jimmy Boeheim and in their stead are six freshmen plus an inexperienced sophomore transfer.
Six freshmen.
That’s the most first-year players in Syracuse history, tying other freshman classes from 1988 (Billy Owens, Dave Johnson, Mike Hopkins, Dave Siock, Richard Manning and Tony Scott) and 1991 (Lawrence Moten, Anthony Harris, Luke Jackson, Glenn Sekunda, J.B. Reafsnyder, Lazarus Sims).
The six freshmen in Syracuse’s 2022 recruiting class include Judah Mintz, Chris Bell, Justin Taylor, Quadir Copeland, Maliq Brown and Peter Carey. That’s one player at every position plus one.
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The new-look Syracuse basketball roster features six freshmen and a Division I transfer. Pictured, bottom left, is returning veteran Benny Williams, with Quadir Copeland, Chris Bell, Maliq Brown, Mounir Hima, Peter Carey, Judah Mintz and Justin Taylor.
SU basketball 2022-23 roster, bios: Get to know the new-look Orange (PS; Ditota)
Here’s a look at the 2022-23 Syracuse basketball team:
Guards
Quadir CopelandNo. 24
6-6, 203
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2021-22: IMG Academy (Florida)
Strengths: Copeland is fun to watch. He’s a skilled, inventive passer who can get into the lane and either find open teammates or finish at the rim. And he is a legit big guard with the kind of positional size that Michael Carter-Williams had when he played for the Orange. Syracuse recruited him as a point guard, but his size enables him to play a couple different positions.
Concerns: His jump shot. He worked hard during the offseason to make himself a better shooter. He’ll need to be able to convince defenses to guard him on the perimeter, which will help his first step to the basket. He was chided at times at IMG about not playing as hard as he could, but so far he’s been a key energy guy in college.
Joe Girard
No. 11
6-1, 190
Glens Falls, New York
2021-22 stats: 34.1 mpg, .392 field goals (142-362), .403 3-point shots (89-221), .882 free throws (82-93), 13.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.2 apg
Strengths: Girard is a natural-born scorer. He was somewhat limited in that capacity last season because he shouldered the burden of basically all of SU’s ballhandling and because his primary job was to get teammates the ball in positions to score. But through all of that Girard put up the best 3-point shooting numbers in his Syracuse career. He established a nice feel in the pick and roll with Jesse Edwards. Syracuse is likely to deploy many screens and other action to free Girard, who is almost certain to face a bigger, better defender this year than he did a season ago. This is a guy who scored a phenomenal, incredible amount of high school points. Syracuse needs him this season to be a high double-digit scorer as he moves off the ball to the shooting guard spot.
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Syracuse basketball may be ‘slight front-runner’ for 2023 big man – analyst (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball is in the top three for talented yet underrated 2023 big man William Patterson from New York City, and one national expert says the Orange may be a “slight front-runner” to land him.
The 7-foot Patterson, an emerging power forward/center in the senior class, has a final three of the ‘Cuse and two Big 12 Conference squads, Oklahoma State and TCU, according to a recent 247Sports article.
Several recent media reports have suggested that Patterson could make a commitment announcement in the near future, although I haven’t seen any sort of specific timetable regarding that.
Plus, national analyst Rob Cassidy wrote in a recent piece that Patterson could look to take an official visit to the Hill “this winter,” so an imminent decision from Patterson isn’t a guarantee at all.
Regardless, it does seem that the Orange has an excellent chance of landing Patterson. The ‘Cuse has offered more than 20 players in the 2023 class, and the team is still searching for its first commitment in this cycle.
Does Syracuse basketball have an edge for 2023 big man William Patterson?
Patterson, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., received a scholarship offer from the Orange in late August, around the time that he participated in the team’s annual Elite Camp.As a junior, he played for the Bishop Walsh School in Cumberland, Md., which is a member of the loaded 10-team National Interscholastic Basketball Conference.
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Jalil Bethea on Syracuse Visit: 'They Treated Me Like I'm One of Them' (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse basketball hosted 2024 shooting guard Jalil Bethea over the weekend for an official visit. Bethea plays his high school ball for Archbishop Wood and runs with Team Final during the AAU season.
"I would definitely say one of the best things I got to do on the trip was workout with the team," Bethea said. "Work out and watch them practice, then hung out with the coaching staff and some of the players. Just building a bond with the players and stuff. Getting used to the playing style and just having fun."
The Syracuse players helped the Orange with its pitch to the talented guard.
"They said if I come to Cuse, it would be the best fit and all that," Bethea said. "That it fits my description of play. Just how if I come here, I'll be loved just how I'm loved at home."
The Orange coaches also went into detail about how they would develop his game.
"Coach G-Mac and coach Boeheim, they're both very experienced coaches," Bethea said. "They were just telling me how if I came to Syracuse that they'll let me have freedom and all that. Since I'm able to shoot the ball, I can just shoot (green light)."
A big highlight of the visit was experiencing a game day atmosphere in the Dome.
"The atmosphere was great," Bethea said. "Seeing them (fans) in the Dome and all that, just imagine playing in the Dome with that support for basketball. It's real crazy."
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Syracuse Basketball: 5-star player, nation’s No. 1 PG, puts Orange in top 6 (itlh; Adler)
I love it when I’m wrong about something, and it ends up being good news or a positive development for Syracuse basketball, and that has proven true in the case of 2024 five-star player Elliot Cadeau, who is ranked the No. 1 point guard across the country by some recruiting services.
On Friday night, I published a piece where I offered my opinion that I didn’t think the Orange would make the top six for the 6-foot-1 Cadeau, who had planned to trim his list on Saturday evening.
Now, I based my assumption on media reports and comments from national recruiting analysts in recent months. I just had a feeling that perhaps other suitors for Cadeau had moved to the forefront of his recruiting process.
Yay! I was wrong, as usual. Per a tweet and report from Alex Karamanos, who is a fantastic high-school hoops analyst, Cadeau has included the ‘Cuse in his top six, and that’s huge.
Syracuse basketball remains in the hunt for five-star point guard Elliot Cadeau.
According to Karamanos, the top six for Cadeau consists of the Orange, Texas Tech, Texas, 2022 national champion Kansas, 2022 NCAA Tournament runner-up and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference squad North Carolina, and another ACC member in Louisville.In an interview with Karamanos, Cadeau said of his six remaining suitors, “All these schools have shown me that I am a priority.”
Cadeau told Karamanos that he doesn’t have a specific timetable in mind for when he will make a college choice, however, he did say that he “would prefer to be committed before AAU starts, just so I can go out there and have fun and not worry about any colleges. I would like to be committed by then but if not, it is no rush.”
Syracuse basketball coaches got involved with Cadeau relatively early on in his recruiting process, offering a scholarship to him last November.
Earlier this spring, some reports suggested that three of the teams recruiting Cadeau the hardest were the ‘Cuse, Texas Tech and Tennessee. Texas Tech made his top six, while Tennessee didn’t.
Cadeau’s full offer sheet, besides Syracuse basketball, includes North Carolina, Texas, Baylor, Louisville, Georgetown, Norfolk State, Kansas, Maryland, Seton Hall, Providence, St. John’s, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Oklahoma State, TCU, UMass, Howard and Siena.
As a junior, Cadeau is suiting up for the Link Academy in Branson, Mo., which is a powerhouse prep-school squad. He runs on the AAU circuit with the New York City-based New Heights Lightning in Nike’s EYBL league.
Dating back to late September, Cadeau has taken official visits to Louisville, North Carolina and Texas Tech. We’ll certainly keep a close eye out as to whether he is going to travel to the Hill for an official visit.
I’m super stoked about Syracuse basketball making the top six for Elliot Cadeau, who is ranked in the top 10 nationally by multiple recruiting services. This gives the ‘Cuse a boost of nice recruiting momentum in the 2024 cycle.
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ACC News
Pitt Men’s Basketball Player Preview: Nelly Cummings (cardiachill.com; vftz)
Position: G
Height: 6’0”
Year: Graduate
Last Season (Colgate): 14.7 ppg, 3.4 apg, 36.0 3P%
Career Highs: Points 26 (12/06/21 vs Columbia), Rebounds 8 (1/28/21 @ Boston U), Assists 9 (2/2/22 vs Bucknell), Steals 5 (11/20/17 vs Lake Erie) Free Throws Made 9 (2x) Field Goals Made 9 (2x), Three Pointers Made 6 (2x)
After a stellar prep career, Cummings played one season at Bowling Green before suiting up for Colgate the last three seasons.
Nelly Cummings is a tough competitor who seems to play his best against big opponents. Looking up his stats in 2 NCAA Tournament games and other games against P5 competition fits that description. His quickness allows him to get into middle of the lane against most defenders. Once there he has a decent floater or is able to slip a pass to an open big if he’s doubled.
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ACC preview: UNC on top, but Duke, Virginia and Miami lurk in deeper league (theathletic.com; $; Marks)
So long, #OneBidACC.
And good riddance. Say what you will about the Atlantic Coast Conference last season — plenty already has been — but good luck snickering at any league with the nation’s No. 1 preseason team and two other recent title winners in the top 18. Behold, The Athletic’s ACC men’s basketball preview:
Two dominant storylines
Is UNC’s March magic replicable?
No, you’re not misremembering: North Carolina really was the nation’s No. 35 team through Feb. 28, per BartTorvik’s efficiency rankings. The team was … fine? Just your normal, not-exceptional NCAA Tournament side. And then the calendar flipped to March, and all of sudden, wham: No. 1 team in the country, per those same metrics.So which UNC shows up this season? In other words, will Hubert Davis’ late-year adjustments — especially defensively — carry over? The team’s lofty preseason listing suggests widespread optimism, but replacing Brady Manek’s 3-point production won’t be easy, even if Northwestern transfer Pete Nance — who will start in Manek’s place — was a great portal pickup.
Coach K is gone, so what does Duke look like under Jon Scheyer?
This isn’t just harping on the blue bloods; it’s wondering what a blue blood looks like without its chief architect, the winningest coach in men’s college basketball history. Scheyer knows Duke inside and out from his decade-plus as a player and assistant coach, but he’s never called the shots before. How does he handle that — especially with 11 new players, seven of them freshmen? (Yes, it helps that those freshmen constituted the nation’s top-rated recruiting class, but still.) Scheyer is widely hailed as a basketball whiz; time to show it, all whilst laying a foundation for Duke’s future.Three players to watch
Armando Bacot, UNC: The ACC Preseason Player of the Year, for good reason. Bacot made NCAA history last season with his double-double dominance; now he’s gunning for UNC’s all-time rebounding record, which he should overtake in January. It’s not inconceivable he becomes the team’s first National Player of the Year since Tyler Hansbrough.Isaiah Wong, Miami: Perennially underrated, all Wong did last season was take Miami to the Elite Eight and earn All-ACC honors. The Hurricanes are a sneaky sleeper to win the league, and if that happens, we’ll be talking about him and Nijel Pack as one of America’s best backcourts.
Dariq Whitehead, Duke: Odd to highlight a player currently out with injury? Not when said player is a potential top-five pick and contender for national freshman honors. Whitehead’s fractured foot, depending on when he returns, could alter Duke’s season-long trajectory — for better, or for worse.
Top newcomer
Nijel Pack, Miami: Probably more famous for his (widely-advertised) six-figure NIL payment than his play at this point, Pack will soon show ACC fans why he commanded such a bag. He averaged 17.4 points and shot 43.6 percent from 3 last season for Kansas State, and he could be the country’s top transfer.Coach who needs to win
Kevin Keatts, NC State: Critical injuries, none-and-done recruits, and the pandemic-shortened season have cost Keatts dearly: in the win-loss column, but also perception-wise. He’s a player’s coach running an up-tempo offense, but another season in the ACC cellar would be too much for a proud Wolfpack program to overlook.Predicted league finish
1. North Carolina: Four returning starters, two potential All-Americans, a four-year stretch-forward with NBA lineage, and more depth than Hubert Davis could dream of last season. What’s not to like? If anything, the fact North Carolina hasn’t had expectations this high in five years.2. Virginia: Experience is the name of the game, and with five returning starters — including Kihei Clark, who may never stop playing college basketball — Virginia has plenty. The Cavaliers posted their worst defensive efficiency since 2011 last season, and Tony Bennett is too good of a coach to let that happen again. Adding stretchy-big Ben Vander Plas, from Ohio, was an underrated addition.
3. Duke: With Whitehead and Dereck Lively II — the nation’s top two freshmen — currently out with injuries, plus a new head coach, we might not see the best version of Duke until conference play. But there’s too much talent in Durham for the Blue Devils to fall far, especially with junior point guard Jeremy Roach running the show. If he plays like he did in March, Duke will be as lethal as ever.
4. Miami: It wouldn’t be shocking if the Hurricanes made a surprise run at the conference crown, fueled by Wong, Pack, and Arkansas State transfer Norchad Omier. Jim Larrañaga always designs his offense around his personnel, and he quite possibly has more firepower than last season.
5. Florida State: Injuries and inconsistency led to an abnormally down season in Tallahassee, but Leonard Hamilton has enough long, lanky bodies to create the defensive havoc he desires. Matthew Cleveland didn’t go one-and-done, but he has all the tools to be a breakout star as a sophomore, assuming he’s regained confidence in his outside shot. But perhaps the most intriguing player on the roster is Spanish freshman Baba Miller, a 6-foot-11 forward with guard-like skills who chose FSU over Gonzaga. Unfortunately for the Seminoles, he will be suspended for the first 16 games.
6. Notre Dame: That whole “surround four vets with one stud freshman” tactic worked wonders last season, so run it back, right? In comes five-star guard J.J. Starling to fill the void left by Blake Wesley, and he’ll fit nicely next to Notre Dame’s longest-tenured trio of Cormac Ryan, Dane Goodwin, and Nate Laszewski. Given the sheer offensive talent at Mike Brey’s disposal — defense, shmefense — Notre Dame feels like the last semi-lock from the league to go dancing.
7. Virginia Tech: Keve Aluma — the literal and figurative centerpiece of Virginia Tech’s offense the last few seasons — is finally gone, meaning offensive guru Mike Young gets to go back to the drawing board. More will be asked of Justyn Mutts and Hunter Cattoor, two key contributors from last season’s ACC tournament title team, but getting this group back to the Big Dance would be Young’s most impressive feat thus far in Blacksburg.
8. Syracuse: Both Boeheim brothers are gone; could their famous father be next? Jim Boeheim — the oldest active coach in the men’s game, turning 78 in November — has given no indications this will be his last season, but he has to walk away at some point … right? Joe Girard and Jesse Edwards are the known quantities here, but the Orange’s tournament hopes hinge on what Boeheim gets out of stud freshman guard Judah Mintz and athletic-but-raw sophomore Benny Williams.
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2022-23 ACC Basketball Preview: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (SI; Odjakjian)
Head Coach: Josh Pastner (7th season)
2021 Year in Review
Record: 12-20 (5-15)
ACC Finish: 14th Place
KenPom Ranking: 156 (225 offense, 110 defense)
ACC Tournament: 84-74 L vs Louisville
Expectations weren’t very high for this club coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance and ACC Tournament Championship because of the departures of stars Moses Wright and Jose Alvarado. Michael Devoe and Jordan Usher were back, but it would be a tall task for those guys to carry on the team’s success.
And a tall task it was. The Yellow Jackets struggled throughout the season and failed to win back to back games against D1 competition after the month of November. They lost nine ACC games by double digits. It was a year to forget for Josh Pastner and company.
2022 Outlook
Who’s Out: Michael Devoe, Jordan Usher, Khalid Moore (Fordham)
Who’s In: Lance Terry (Gardner-Webb), Javon Franklin (South Alabama), Freds Bagatskis, Cyril Martynov
Projected Starting Lineup:
Sr. G Kyle Sturdivant (6-3, 196 lbs)
Gr. G Lance Terry (6-2, 200)
So. Dallan “Deebo” Coleman (6-6, 218)
Sr. Ja’von Franklin (6-7, 214)
Sr. Rodney Howard (6-11, 256)
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CRIMSON HAWKS DROP BASKETBALL GAME AT ACC’S MIAMI (wccsradio.com)
IUP closed out its two-game exhibition schedule with another matchup against an ACC power, dropping an 89-55 game against the Miami Hurricanes yesterday. Miami was an Elite Eight team in last year’s NCAA Tournament and is picked fourth in the ACC this year.
The Hurricanes sprinted to a 13-0 lead at the start of the game but IUP countered with an 8-0 run. They kept the game at single digits for most of the first half but trailed 40-29 at the half. But Miami stretched the lead in the second half as the Hurricanes shot 54.4 percent from the field while the Crimson Hawks were limited to 30 percent.
Shawndale Jones led IUP with 15 points. Tomiwa Sulaiman and Dave Morris each scored 14.
IUP will start its season November 12th with a game against Concord at Clarion.
Takeaways from UNC Basketball's Exhibition Win Against Johnson C. Smith - Chapelboro.com (chapelboro.com; Koh)
The No. 1 UNC men’s basketball team flexed its muscles all night in an impressive exhibition 101-40 win against Johnson C. Smith. Carolina took control from the outset of the game and never looked back.
Here are some takeaways from the Carolina win:
Caleb Love showed why he can win National Player of the Year. It’s just an exhibition, and Love’s backcourt-mate R.J. Davis wasn’t playing, but Love’s aggression off the dribble and court vision stood out. Head coach Hubert Davis challenged Love to lead the ACC in assists, and Love displayed great skill with long skip passes on the fast break. He finished with eight assists. Oh, and he scored, too. Love ended the night with 20 points on 7-14 shooting. One highlight saw Love dive to the floor for a loose ball, pass to a teammate, and then knock down a three-pointer on the same possession.
“That just shows his growth as a player,” Davis said. “Not only can he score, can he defend, can he distribute, but those energy and effort plays, those are the things that are difference-makers when you’re out there on the floor.”
Tyler Nickel and Seth Trimble can both contribute as freshmen. Trimble, the younger brother of former Tar Heel J.P. Tokoto, showed off his fraternal similarities with a soaring, two-handed dunk in the first half. He also displayed great quickness and skill around the rim on a breakaway layup in the second.
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ACC Roundup: Things Are Starting To Crank Up (DBR; King)
There hasn’t really been enough news to do roundups but that’s starting to change.
First up: Florida State picked up a really intriguing talent in Baba Miller but we won’t see him until the second semester: the NCAA has penalized him for a travel benefit.
FSU’s AD Michael Alford said this, which seems about right: “The decision seems disproportionate and inconsistent in today’s modern environment.”
You think? It just seems stupid. He’s lost his appeal so that’s that.
Kevin Keatts has a commitment from Dennis Parker out of Richmond. But what does he mean by this?
“I ultimately chose NC State because I feel like this is a place where I can walk in as a freshman and prove everyone wrong, about all the opinions they had of me in the past.” You motivate yourself how you please, but is he suggesting he’s been underestimated? Or that people have other questions about him?
By the way, Richmond is a vastly underestimated basketball town.
UNC won its exhibition game against Johnson C. Smith, which is no surprise obviously. The questions are how the returnees improve and how the newcomers, including Pete Nance, do. Sounds like things are going fairly well so far, but teams are not the same from year to year. Lots of questions for everyone this early.
Steve Forbes took his Demon Deacons on the road to take on Ohio State in West Virginia. He says he’s pretty happy with his backcourt: “The guards did a really good job of reading the ball screen progressions [and] roll across the midline and behind. We drove the ball with physicality. Limiting our live ball turnovers allowed us to set our defense. Our players are lean and they are in elite condition.”
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Other
Savion Pollard speaks to a fellow attendee at a Micron event hosting President Joe Biden at Onondaga Community College on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. (N. Scott Trimble | Strimble@syracuse.com)
Meet Savion Pollard: Micron’s first Central New York hire (PS; Hayes)
Syracuse University Vice Chancellor Michael Haynie wanted to impress visiting top Micron executives recently with the stories of talented military veterans attending the university that they could someday hire.
He told them about Savion Pollard, a 30-year-old student who worked as an engineer on Navy nuclear submarines. He is now studying electrical engineering. In his spare time, he is a big brother to a boy through a Syracuse organization.
Haynie, founder of SU’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, thought that meeting -- with other local leaders -- was just a chance to grab the attention of the Micron executives. But when they asked to see Pollard’s resume, he proudly obliged.
Pollard is now Micron’s first hire for their massive computer chip complex that is set to be built in Clay. Micron has committed to invest $100 billion over 20 years in the project that would eventually employ 9,000 people at its factories and create another 40,000 jobs in Onondaga County.
Pollard and hundreds of other people gathered at Onondaga Community College Thursday to celebrate the historic deal with top Micron officials and President Joe Biden. Pollard was honored by a Micron executive as the first of thousands of hires to come.
Pollard, who currently lives with his wife Enesa in Camillus, is in his second year at Syracuse University. He brought his “little brother” and the boy’s twin to meet the president Thursday.
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