sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to International Stout Day!
International Stout Day celebrates stout beer around the world. "Stout" originally meant "proud" and "brave," but later gained the meaning "strong." The name became associated with any beer that was strong, regardless of if it was a dark beer or not. What we now know as stout beer is closely tied to porter beer. Porter, a dark ale, was first made in the early 1700s, and it gained its name after becoming a favorite of street and river porters, and other working-class people. The stronger porter beers that the London brewers made became known as stout porters, and eventually stout came to only be associated with dark porter beers. Some say a difference lies between stouts and porters, in that stouts use unmalted roasted barley, whereas porters use malted barley. The differences between the two are subtle, and even beer experts can't agree on the real differences.
SU News
Glens Falls shaped Girard, anointing him a legend. Now he’s returning to his scoring roots (PS; $; Ditota)
At the height of Girard hysteria, people had to buy tickets in advance of Glens Falls High School basketball games or face the prospect of watching on closed circuit televisions in the cafeteria.
College coaches regularly visited Glens Falls practices, sometimes just to watch Joe Girard shoot for an extra 45 minutes. He’d sneak out of school during a free period his senior year to get a haircut, and because people invariably engaged him in conversation, he’d be late for his next class.
In the gyms, girls held up signs issuing promposals. Kids made signs celebrating an upcoming scoring milestone, whether it be 2,000, 3,000 or the startlingly inevitable 4,763 points he amassed in his five years of varsity basketball. After games, fans would congregate around him for a photo or an autograph.
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Syracuse Orange center Jesse Edwards (14) gets two and a plus one. The Syracuse Orange take on North Carolina State in Raleigh N.C. Feb 2, 2022. . Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com
SU's centers: Edwards is the starter, but ‘those other two guys better be ready’ (PS; $; Waters)
Two years ago, Jesse Edwards wasn’t ready to be Syracuse’s emergency center.
Now, the 6-foot-11 senior from the Netherlands makes the center position one of the most reliable for Syracuse as the Orange enters the 2022-23 season.
“He’s a big piece to what we do,’’ Syracuse guard Joe Girard said of Edwards. “Obviously, he’s going to have a big year.’’
It’s difficult to fully grasp just how far Edwards has come in his development.
It was just two years ago when Syracuse center Bourama Sidibe went down with a knee injury in the Orange’s first game of the season. Rather than insert Edwards, then a sophomore, into the starting lineup, Jim Boeheim moved senior forward Marek Dolezaj to center.
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Box Score Analysis of Syracuse’s 72-58 Win Over Southern New Hampshire – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Frank)
Syracuse won its second and final exhibition game of the preseason on Tuesday night by 14 over Southern New Hampshire University. The Orange played a much crisper first half than last week and were leading by 20 at the break after trailing by one to Indiana University (PA) last Tuesday.
Yet, there is still a little cause for concern, as SU was outscored by six, 35-29 in the second half. Despite that, head coach Jim Boeheim was feeling a bit more confident about his group after the strong first half, but the second proved a little more cause for concern.
“The first half was an improvement…As a group, we have to rebound better,” Boeheim said after the game.
After a handful of guys scored in double-figures last week, only two SU starters reached the ten-point threshold. Joe Girard III had a game-high 15, went 9-9 at the foul line, and made two three-pointers. That is what you expect out of Girard on a nightly basis, if not more on the offensive end. Jesse Edwards followed him with 13 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. But, these aren’t the strongest numbers for someone who was six inches taller than any opposing player.
“His baskets last year came from screening for our shooters… he rolled and dunked it… [the post] is not his game,” Boeheim said. “If you can’t score against these guys, what are you going to do against seven-footers? He’s got to be better.”
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Our SU basketball predictions: Will Orange return to NCAA Tournament? (PS; Staff)
The 2022-23 Syracuse basketball season is scheduled to get underway Monday night vs. Lehigh.
That means it’s time for our staff predictions.
The panel includes Brent Axe, sports columnist; Donna Ditota, SU basketball reporter; and Mike Waters, SU basketball reporter.
Regular-season record
Brent Axe: 19-12
Syracuse has averaged 19 wins per season over the last five years, so this feels about right. The Orange’s non-conference slate is a little more forgiving this year, though who saw a 15-point loss coming to Colgate last year? Be ready for anything.
Donna Ditota: 19-12
Last season SU finished 16-17. That team did a lot of scoring but played a limited amount of defense. This season, the shooting and scoring numbers figure to decline. Will the defense be appreciably better? I think SU will probably defend a bit better but the question then becomes: Who will do the bulk of the scoring? JG3, I think, is made for the shooting guard spot, but Syracuse needs to build scoring support around him and I’m not sure who will provide all those points. The Orange, too, will be breaking in a new point guard. History tells us those experiments (except for the Tyler Ennis anomaly) take time to develop.
Mike Waters: 18-13
I write this with a lot of trepidation after seeing the Orange sink to 16-17 last season. Can Syracuse really lose three starters and get better? I think so, but it wouldn’t take much to turn 16-17 into 18-13. Syracuse frittered away several games last year, including disastrous endings at Wake Forest and Miami. Syracuse lost six out of nine games that Jesse Edwards missed. The non-conference schedule isn’t quite as daunting this year as it was last year. Syracuse also plays ACC heavyweights Duke and North Carolina just one time each. On the other hand, Syracuse will get two games against Boston College, Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech. Those teams were picked to finish 13th, 14th and 15th in the ACC this year.
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30 Minutes in Orange Nation 11-2 (ESPN; radio; Orange Nation)
Steve Infanti successfully talks Paulie Scibilia off the edge of panic after the second Syracuse men’s basketball exhibition game. Also on the show, the guys break down the first College Football Playoff rankings.
On The Block On Demand 11-2 (ESPN; radio; Axe)
Brent gives his five things that he thinks he learned from exhibition season. Later, Josh joins Brent for their weekly football props.
Keeping Up With The 315 11-2 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian Higgins puts a bow on exhibition season after the men’s basketball team beat Southern New Hampshire University 72-58. Later in the show, Marlowe Wax runs the 2-Minute Drill and Brian checks in on the state of Syracuse football’s defense after some key injuries.
An in-depth look at the 2022-23 Syracuse basketball roster - The Juice Online (the juice; Stechschulte)
Here is a look at each of the scholarship players on the Syracuse roster, including a key number for each of the returnees.
Jesse Edwards – senior center, 6’11”, 230 pounds
Edwards took a massive leap forward as a first-time starter last season, averaging just shy of 28 minutes per game while starting 24 games before his season was ended by injury. Most of Edwards’ work on offense was done near the basket, as he shot 69.5 percent from the floor and averaged 12.0 points per game. Edwards also snared 6.5 rebounds per game, including 2.5 offensive boards, and blocked 2.8 shots per game. The senior will be counted on to anchor the defense while adjusting to drawing more focus from opposing defenses by not sharing the floor with four capable three-point shooters.
KEY NUMBER: 12.4. Edwards’ impressive block rate underscores his effect on opposing players. He swatted just under one-eighth of all opponent two-point field goal attempts while on the floor.
Joe Girard III – senior guard, 6’1”, 190 pounds
It is no surprise that Girard posted career highs in scoring (13.8 points per game) and three-point shooting (89 threes made at a 40.3 percent clip) as a junior. However, he also showed savvy on the defensive end, leading the team with 53 steals by exhibiting a knack for playing passing lanes. Moving off the point to his more natural shooting guard position, Girard figures to be the focus of the Orange offense this season, looking for three-pointers both as a spot-up shooter and off screens and motion.
KEY NUMBERS: 49.4 percent and 44.8 percent. Those are Girard’s shooting percentages last season from the floor and from behind the arc when playing with at the two, respectively. Look for him to post career highs in both stats this season (yes, besting that 40.3 percent mark from three last year) as the SU offense aims to create open looks for him.
Symir Torrence – senior guard, 6’3”, 195 pounds
Torrence is the steady hand in the backcourt, capable of running the offense as long as needed. Torrance posted an excellent assist rate of 37.6 during his limited action, logging at least five assists in eight contests. While primarily looking to set up his teammates, Torrence also showed the intelligence to take advantage of open looks, making 21-of-35 shots from the field over a span of 15 ACC games.
KEY NUMBER: 3.4-to-1. The savvy veteran displayed near total control of the offense when called upon last season, posting this impressive assist-to-turnover ratio. Torrence also turned the ball over more than twice in just one game last season.
John Bol Ajak – redshirt junior forward, 6’10”, 216 pounds
Even with last season’s short frontcourt rotation, Ajak only saw very limited action, logging 62 minutes in a dozen games, the fewest among scholarship players. With the number of freshmen on the roster this season, it seems likely that Ajak spends even less time on the court this season.
KEY NUMBER: 6. Ajak is probably sixth (and last) in the pecking order of big men on the roster.
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Syracuse Basketball: Judah Mintz potential 1st-round draft prospect – scout (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball freshman guard Judah Mintz is a potential first-round NBA Draft prospect, according to an article from one of the top scouts out there.
In a recent piece, 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein dissected possible NBA Draft prospects out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and naturally, there are guys who suit up for Duke, North Carolina, Florida State and others mentioned in this story.
The 6-foot-3 Mintz, a combo guard who is expected to start at point guard when the Orange’s 2022-23 regular season commences at home on November 7 against Lehigh, is listed by Finkelstein in the category of potential 1st-round prospects.
Others in this same category include Central New York native J.J. Starling, a five-star guard in the 2022 class who had the ‘Cuse in his top five before committing to Notre Dame.
In the 2022 class, he was ranked as high as No. 33 overall by ESPN after having a stellar senior year for the powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va.
In a separate recent article, 247Sports national analyst Travis Branham said in part that “Mintz plays with an endless amount of confidence, a ton of energy, he’s loud, he’s animated and he gets buckets.”
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Judah Mintz joins Eric Devendorf to preview Syracuse Basketball season (youtube; podcast; The Scorer's Table)
The Scorer’s Table is back! Syracuse basketball freshmen Judah Mintz chops it up with Eric Devendorf ahead of his freshmen season for the Syracuse Orange. Subscribe to the Field of 68 today to stay updated on all things Syracuse Basketball and College Hoops!
Nothing ordinary about Bay City whiz kid Eric Devendorf’s rise to basketball fame (mlive.com; Thompson)
He had no interest in being ordinary.
No intention of being normal.
At a very young age, he knew how talents are developed, how dreams are realized and how legends are made.
That’s how a boy from Bay City became a high school basketball phenom, a college basketball icon and a professional basketball wizard.
That’s how Eric Devendorf became Eric Devendorf.
“I would take my basketball to school every day and, in second or third grade, there would be crowds of people watching me at lunch,” he said. “I’d hit 100 free throws in a row and the whole school would be watching.
“I guess I wasn’t a normal kid when it comes to that. But I was obsessed with basketball.”
With an over-the-top level of commitment to the game and an off-the-charts amount of passion for it, Devendorf became an all-time great at Bay City Central, one of the most prolific scorers in Syracuse University history and a seven-year professional.
And now the one-of-a-kind Bay City talent takes his place in the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame. He joins the induction class of 2022 that is being honored Nov. 13 at the DoubleTree hotel and conference center in downtown Bay City.
From a city that is decidedly not regarded as a basketball town, Devendorf set his hometown afire with hoops hysteria. He became Bay City Central’s all-time leading scorer with 1,224 points before moving to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia for his senior season, earning high school all-American honors while leading his team to the 2005 national championship.
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Southern New Hampshire vs Syracuse | NCAA Men Basketball 2022 (youtube; video; ESPN)
Southern New Hampshire vs Syracuse | NCAA Men Basketball 2022
Syracuse basketball has to vastly improve its shooting, clean up turnovers (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball may have triumphed 72-58 over Division II Southern New Hampshire in the Orange’s second and final exhibition tune-up on Tuesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome, but the ‘Cuse clearly has a lot of work to do as the 2022-23 regular season is nearly upon us.
In all fairness, the Orange does have a vastly remade roster that includes two returning starters and sophomore forward Benny Williams, along with a six-member 2022 class and a young big-man transfer.
So, as the 2022-23 regular season kicks off on November 7 when Syracuse basketball hosts Lehigh on the Hill, it’s understandable if the ‘Cuse is going to endure some growing pains and will have to play through some mistakes.
Yet if Syracuse basketball wants to drastically improve upon its 16-17 record a term ago, the Orange is going to have to perform a whole lot better than it did on Tuesday evening when the ‘Cuse battled Southern New Hampshire out of the Northeast-10 Conference.
Against Southern New Hampshire, though, Syracuse basketball tallied a sizable advantage in the first half, and the Orange led 43-23 at the break.
The Penmen, however, kept fighting and didn’t wither away in the second half. Southern New Hampshire methodically reduced its deficit, and the Penmen closed to within 10 points with about two minutes remaining in this encounter.
I started to feel a little nervous, frankly. But Syracuse basketball, which I believe can be lethal out in transition this coming season following deflections and steals in its zone defense, grabbed a few buckets to ultimately carve out a 14-point conquest.
I recognize that this was only an exhibition game, however, Southern New Hampshire outscoring the Orange by six points in the second half is unacceptable.
What’s more, the ‘Cuse offense appeared so stagnant after halftime. Not a lot of fluid ball movement, crisp passing or dynamic offensive sets.
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Preston Shumpert (right), here with his sons, Payton (left) and Preston Jr., is the new Liverpool JV boys basketball coach. Mike Curtis | syracuse.com file photo
Former Syracuse basketball star takes JV coaching job at Liverpool (PS; $; Lacy Jr)
Former Syracuse University basketball player Preston Shumpert is the new coach for the Liverpool JV boys basketball team.
Shumpert coached Liverpool’s freshman team last year.
“(With) his close relationship with (head coach Ryan Blackwell) — they were roommates in college for some time at SU — we just thought the timing was great for this,” Liverpool athletic director Ari Liberman said.
Blackwell has been the Liverpool varsity coach since 2015. He was named New York State’s coach of the year by USA Today after winning the state championship in 2018.
Liberman is friends with another former Syracuse basketball player, Lazarus Sims, who he said has helped connect SU players to the Liverpool program.
“(Sims) and I talk about potential people that would fit well with Liverpool in our programs,” Liberman said. “And I think about five years ago, Preston secured a spot with the district as a teaching assistant. He’s still here now and does a nice job here at the high school.”
Another former Syracuse star, Eric Devendorf, was slated to be Liverpool’s JV girls basketball coach last season but changed his mind.
Shumpert will take over the JV team a year after the varsity program won the Section III Class AA championship and finished its season 20-4. His coaching salary is $3,665.
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NBA championship ring belonging to Syracuse basketball legend Dolph Schayes up for auction (cnycentral.com; Lockman)
An NBA championship ring belonging to Basketball Hall of Famer and Syracuse legend Dolph Schayes is up for auction.
Schayes joined the NBA in its very first year, playing with the Syracuse Nationals. He hung around to see the game develop into one of the major American sporting institutions.
The ring, being auctioned by Grey Flannel Auctions, is consigned from the Schayes family and is accompanied by a family LOA.
Championship rings were not given to players in 1955 and the members of the Syracuse Nationals team were instead given an ice bucket to celebrate their championship.
In the following years, the NBA gifted these rings to the players to commemorate their championship.
According to Grey Flannel Auctions, this is the only known 1955 championship ring to enter the market.
Bidding begins at $5,000 and interested bidders may participate in the auction online HERE.
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Other
Syracuse City Hall Commons, located at 201 E. Washington St. in Syracuse. John Berry / The Post-Standard John BerryJohn Berry
Syracuse city offices exit downtown flatiron building, making way for developers (PS; Carlson)
The city of Syracuse plans to sell an historic downtown building that has housed government offices for more than 30 years to developers, who will re-purpose it into a combination of commercial space and housing.
The city announced its plans for the 153-year-old flatiron building that currently houses City Hall Commons on Wednesday.
The city plans to sell City Hall Commons to Hanover Real Estate Development for $850,000, and the developers said they plan to put $13.2 million into the building at 201 E. Washington St.
The building was built in 1869. Three more stories were added in 1894. A glass atrium was added in 1985.
The administration said selling the aging building to a developer makes more sense than attempting to make the upgrades itself, and that the sale will put the building back on the city’s tax rolls.
“We are taking another major step in our efforts to generate new income from city assets,” Mayor Ben Walsh said. “And we are achieving better uses for under-utilized, under-appreciated and under-invested-in city buildings. In doing so, we are focusing on our core business.”
In order to free up the building, the city plans to move several government functions to another office building.
The city’s permitting, code enforcement, neighborhood and business development, fire prevention and police office of professional standards will move to One Park Place, one of the city’s biggest office buildings. It plans to make the transition in the first quarter of 2023.
Adam Fumarola, one of two founders and partners at Hanover Real Estate, said the company intends to spend 2023 developing plans for the space. He said he envisions the flatiron building becoming a mixed-use space that has businesses on the ground floor and housing on the other six stories.
The sale of the building still requires Common Council approval.
Four Common Councilors attended an announcement for the city’s proposal. Those in attendance included Pat Hogan, Rasheada Caldwell, Amir Gethers and Jen Schultz.
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International Stout Day celebrates stout beer around the world. "Stout" originally meant "proud" and "brave," but later gained the meaning "strong." The name became associated with any beer that was strong, regardless of if it was a dark beer or not. What we now know as stout beer is closely tied to porter beer. Porter, a dark ale, was first made in the early 1700s, and it gained its name after becoming a favorite of street and river porters, and other working-class people. The stronger porter beers that the London brewers made became known as stout porters, and eventually stout came to only be associated with dark porter beers. Some say a difference lies between stouts and porters, in that stouts use unmalted roasted barley, whereas porters use malted barley. The differences between the two are subtle, and even beer experts can't agree on the real differences.
SU News
Glens Falls shaped Girard, anointing him a legend. Now he’s returning to his scoring roots (PS; $; Ditota)
At the height of Girard hysteria, people had to buy tickets in advance of Glens Falls High School basketball games or face the prospect of watching on closed circuit televisions in the cafeteria.
College coaches regularly visited Glens Falls practices, sometimes just to watch Joe Girard shoot for an extra 45 minutes. He’d sneak out of school during a free period his senior year to get a haircut, and because people invariably engaged him in conversation, he’d be late for his next class.
In the gyms, girls held up signs issuing promposals. Kids made signs celebrating an upcoming scoring milestone, whether it be 2,000, 3,000 or the startlingly inevitable 4,763 points he amassed in his five years of varsity basketball. After games, fans would congregate around him for a photo or an autograph.
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Syracuse Orange center Jesse Edwards (14) gets two and a plus one. The Syracuse Orange take on North Carolina State in Raleigh N.C. Feb 2, 2022. . Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com
SU's centers: Edwards is the starter, but ‘those other two guys better be ready’ (PS; $; Waters)
Two years ago, Jesse Edwards wasn’t ready to be Syracuse’s emergency center.
Now, the 6-foot-11 senior from the Netherlands makes the center position one of the most reliable for Syracuse as the Orange enters the 2022-23 season.
“He’s a big piece to what we do,’’ Syracuse guard Joe Girard said of Edwards. “Obviously, he’s going to have a big year.’’
It’s difficult to fully grasp just how far Edwards has come in his development.
It was just two years ago when Syracuse center Bourama Sidibe went down with a knee injury in the Orange’s first game of the season. Rather than insert Edwards, then a sophomore, into the starting lineup, Jim Boeheim moved senior forward Marek Dolezaj to center.
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Box Score Analysis of Syracuse’s 72-58 Win Over Southern New Hampshire – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Frank)
Syracuse won its second and final exhibition game of the preseason on Tuesday night by 14 over Southern New Hampshire University. The Orange played a much crisper first half than last week and were leading by 20 at the break after trailing by one to Indiana University (PA) last Tuesday.
Yet, there is still a little cause for concern, as SU was outscored by six, 35-29 in the second half. Despite that, head coach Jim Boeheim was feeling a bit more confident about his group after the strong first half, but the second proved a little more cause for concern.
“The first half was an improvement…As a group, we have to rebound better,” Boeheim said after the game.
After a handful of guys scored in double-figures last week, only two SU starters reached the ten-point threshold. Joe Girard III had a game-high 15, went 9-9 at the foul line, and made two three-pointers. That is what you expect out of Girard on a nightly basis, if not more on the offensive end. Jesse Edwards followed him with 13 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. But, these aren’t the strongest numbers for someone who was six inches taller than any opposing player.
“His baskets last year came from screening for our shooters… he rolled and dunked it… [the post] is not his game,” Boeheim said. “If you can’t score against these guys, what are you going to do against seven-footers? He’s got to be better.”
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Our SU basketball predictions: Will Orange return to NCAA Tournament? (PS; Staff)
The 2022-23 Syracuse basketball season is scheduled to get underway Monday night vs. Lehigh.
That means it’s time for our staff predictions.
The panel includes Brent Axe, sports columnist; Donna Ditota, SU basketball reporter; and Mike Waters, SU basketball reporter.
Regular-season record
Brent Axe: 19-12
Syracuse has averaged 19 wins per season over the last five years, so this feels about right. The Orange’s non-conference slate is a little more forgiving this year, though who saw a 15-point loss coming to Colgate last year? Be ready for anything.
Donna Ditota: 19-12
Last season SU finished 16-17. That team did a lot of scoring but played a limited amount of defense. This season, the shooting and scoring numbers figure to decline. Will the defense be appreciably better? I think SU will probably defend a bit better but the question then becomes: Who will do the bulk of the scoring? JG3, I think, is made for the shooting guard spot, but Syracuse needs to build scoring support around him and I’m not sure who will provide all those points. The Orange, too, will be breaking in a new point guard. History tells us those experiments (except for the Tyler Ennis anomaly) take time to develop.
Mike Waters: 18-13
I write this with a lot of trepidation after seeing the Orange sink to 16-17 last season. Can Syracuse really lose three starters and get better? I think so, but it wouldn’t take much to turn 16-17 into 18-13. Syracuse frittered away several games last year, including disastrous endings at Wake Forest and Miami. Syracuse lost six out of nine games that Jesse Edwards missed. The non-conference schedule isn’t quite as daunting this year as it was last year. Syracuse also plays ACC heavyweights Duke and North Carolina just one time each. On the other hand, Syracuse will get two games against Boston College, Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech. Those teams were picked to finish 13th, 14th and 15th in the ACC this year.
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30 Minutes in Orange Nation 11-2 (ESPN; radio; Orange Nation)
Steve Infanti successfully talks Paulie Scibilia off the edge of panic after the second Syracuse men’s basketball exhibition game. Also on the show, the guys break down the first College Football Playoff rankings.
On The Block On Demand 11-2 (ESPN; radio; Axe)
Brent gives his five things that he thinks he learned from exhibition season. Later, Josh joins Brent for their weekly football props.
Keeping Up With The 315 11-2 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian Higgins puts a bow on exhibition season after the men’s basketball team beat Southern New Hampshire University 72-58. Later in the show, Marlowe Wax runs the 2-Minute Drill and Brian checks in on the state of Syracuse football’s defense after some key injuries.
An in-depth look at the 2022-23 Syracuse basketball roster - The Juice Online (the juice; Stechschulte)
Here is a look at each of the scholarship players on the Syracuse roster, including a key number for each of the returnees.
Jesse Edwards – senior center, 6’11”, 230 pounds
Edwards took a massive leap forward as a first-time starter last season, averaging just shy of 28 minutes per game while starting 24 games before his season was ended by injury. Most of Edwards’ work on offense was done near the basket, as he shot 69.5 percent from the floor and averaged 12.0 points per game. Edwards also snared 6.5 rebounds per game, including 2.5 offensive boards, and blocked 2.8 shots per game. The senior will be counted on to anchor the defense while adjusting to drawing more focus from opposing defenses by not sharing the floor with four capable three-point shooters.
KEY NUMBER: 12.4. Edwards’ impressive block rate underscores his effect on opposing players. He swatted just under one-eighth of all opponent two-point field goal attempts while on the floor.
Joe Girard III – senior guard, 6’1”, 190 pounds
It is no surprise that Girard posted career highs in scoring (13.8 points per game) and three-point shooting (89 threes made at a 40.3 percent clip) as a junior. However, he also showed savvy on the defensive end, leading the team with 53 steals by exhibiting a knack for playing passing lanes. Moving off the point to his more natural shooting guard position, Girard figures to be the focus of the Orange offense this season, looking for three-pointers both as a spot-up shooter and off screens and motion.
KEY NUMBERS: 49.4 percent and 44.8 percent. Those are Girard’s shooting percentages last season from the floor and from behind the arc when playing with at the two, respectively. Look for him to post career highs in both stats this season (yes, besting that 40.3 percent mark from three last year) as the SU offense aims to create open looks for him.
Symir Torrence – senior guard, 6’3”, 195 pounds
Torrence is the steady hand in the backcourt, capable of running the offense as long as needed. Torrance posted an excellent assist rate of 37.6 during his limited action, logging at least five assists in eight contests. While primarily looking to set up his teammates, Torrence also showed the intelligence to take advantage of open looks, making 21-of-35 shots from the field over a span of 15 ACC games.
KEY NUMBER: 3.4-to-1. The savvy veteran displayed near total control of the offense when called upon last season, posting this impressive assist-to-turnover ratio. Torrence also turned the ball over more than twice in just one game last season.
John Bol Ajak – redshirt junior forward, 6’10”, 216 pounds
Even with last season’s short frontcourt rotation, Ajak only saw very limited action, logging 62 minutes in a dozen games, the fewest among scholarship players. With the number of freshmen on the roster this season, it seems likely that Ajak spends even less time on the court this season.
KEY NUMBER: 6. Ajak is probably sixth (and last) in the pecking order of big men on the roster.
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Syracuse Basketball: Judah Mintz potential 1st-round draft prospect – scout (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball freshman guard Judah Mintz is a potential first-round NBA Draft prospect, according to an article from one of the top scouts out there.
In a recent piece, 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein dissected possible NBA Draft prospects out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and naturally, there are guys who suit up for Duke, North Carolina, Florida State and others mentioned in this story.
The 6-foot-3 Mintz, a combo guard who is expected to start at point guard when the Orange’s 2022-23 regular season commences at home on November 7 against Lehigh, is listed by Finkelstein in the category of potential 1st-round prospects.
Others in this same category include Central New York native J.J. Starling, a five-star guard in the 2022 class who had the ‘Cuse in his top five before committing to Notre Dame.
Syracuse basketball freshman guard Judah Mintz is getting some early NBA Draft buzz.
Coming out of the 2022 cycle, the consensus four-star Judah Mintz committed to the Orange at the end of March after originally giving a verbal commitment to Pittsburgh.In the 2022 class, he was ranked as high as No. 33 overall by ESPN after having a stellar senior year for the powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va.
In a separate recent article, 247Sports national analyst Travis Branham said in part that “Mintz plays with an endless amount of confidence, a ton of energy, he’s loud, he’s animated and he gets buckets.”
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Judah Mintz joins Eric Devendorf to preview Syracuse Basketball season (youtube; podcast; The Scorer's Table)
The Scorer’s Table is back! Syracuse basketball freshmen Judah Mintz chops it up with Eric Devendorf ahead of his freshmen season for the Syracuse Orange. Subscribe to the Field of 68 today to stay updated on all things Syracuse Basketball and College Hoops!
Nothing ordinary about Bay City whiz kid Eric Devendorf’s rise to basketball fame (mlive.com; Thompson)
He had no interest in being ordinary.
No intention of being normal.
At a very young age, he knew how talents are developed, how dreams are realized and how legends are made.
That’s how a boy from Bay City became a high school basketball phenom, a college basketball icon and a professional basketball wizard.
That’s how Eric Devendorf became Eric Devendorf.
“I would take my basketball to school every day and, in second or third grade, there would be crowds of people watching me at lunch,” he said. “I’d hit 100 free throws in a row and the whole school would be watching.
“I guess I wasn’t a normal kid when it comes to that. But I was obsessed with basketball.”
With an over-the-top level of commitment to the game and an off-the-charts amount of passion for it, Devendorf became an all-time great at Bay City Central, one of the most prolific scorers in Syracuse University history and a seven-year professional.
And now the one-of-a-kind Bay City talent takes his place in the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame. He joins the induction class of 2022 that is being honored Nov. 13 at the DoubleTree hotel and conference center in downtown Bay City.
From a city that is decidedly not regarded as a basketball town, Devendorf set his hometown afire with hoops hysteria. He became Bay City Central’s all-time leading scorer with 1,224 points before moving to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia for his senior season, earning high school all-American honors while leading his team to the 2005 national championship.
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Southern New Hampshire vs Syracuse | NCAA Men Basketball 2022 (youtube; video; ESPN)
Southern New Hampshire vs Syracuse | NCAA Men Basketball 2022
Syracuse basketball has to vastly improve its shooting, clean up turnovers (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball may have triumphed 72-58 over Division II Southern New Hampshire in the Orange’s second and final exhibition tune-up on Tuesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome, but the ‘Cuse clearly has a lot of work to do as the 2022-23 regular season is nearly upon us.
In all fairness, the Orange does have a vastly remade roster that includes two returning starters and sophomore forward Benny Williams, along with a six-member 2022 class and a young big-man transfer.
So, as the 2022-23 regular season kicks off on November 7 when Syracuse basketball hosts Lehigh on the Hill, it’s understandable if the ‘Cuse is going to endure some growing pains and will have to play through some mistakes.
Yet if Syracuse basketball wants to drastically improve upon its 16-17 record a term ago, the Orange is going to have to perform a whole lot better than it did on Tuesday evening when the ‘Cuse battled Southern New Hampshire out of the Northeast-10 Conference.
Syracuse basketball, in the first half, built a big lead against Southern New Hampshire.
In its first exhibition game, the Orange actually trailed Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the second half before pulling away for an 86-68 win in Central New York.Against Southern New Hampshire, though, Syracuse basketball tallied a sizable advantage in the first half, and the Orange led 43-23 at the break.
The Penmen, however, kept fighting and didn’t wither away in the second half. Southern New Hampshire methodically reduced its deficit, and the Penmen closed to within 10 points with about two minutes remaining in this encounter.
I started to feel a little nervous, frankly. But Syracuse basketball, which I believe can be lethal out in transition this coming season following deflections and steals in its zone defense, grabbed a few buckets to ultimately carve out a 14-point conquest.
I recognize that this was only an exhibition game, however, Southern New Hampshire outscoring the Orange by six points in the second half is unacceptable.
What’s more, the ‘Cuse offense appeared so stagnant after halftime. Not a lot of fluid ball movement, crisp passing or dynamic offensive sets.
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Preston Shumpert (right), here with his sons, Payton (left) and Preston Jr., is the new Liverpool JV boys basketball coach. Mike Curtis | syracuse.com file photo
Former Syracuse basketball star takes JV coaching job at Liverpool (PS; $; Lacy Jr)
Former Syracuse University basketball player Preston Shumpert is the new coach for the Liverpool JV boys basketball team.
Shumpert coached Liverpool’s freshman team last year.
“(With) his close relationship with (head coach Ryan Blackwell) — they were roommates in college for some time at SU — we just thought the timing was great for this,” Liverpool athletic director Ari Liberman said.
Blackwell has been the Liverpool varsity coach since 2015. He was named New York State’s coach of the year by USA Today after winning the state championship in 2018.
Liberman is friends with another former Syracuse basketball player, Lazarus Sims, who he said has helped connect SU players to the Liverpool program.
“(Sims) and I talk about potential people that would fit well with Liverpool in our programs,” Liberman said. “And I think about five years ago, Preston secured a spot with the district as a teaching assistant. He’s still here now and does a nice job here at the high school.”
Another former Syracuse star, Eric Devendorf, was slated to be Liverpool’s JV girls basketball coach last season but changed his mind.
Shumpert will take over the JV team a year after the varsity program won the Section III Class AA championship and finished its season 20-4. His coaching salary is $3,665.
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NBA championship ring belonging to Syracuse basketball legend Dolph Schayes up for auction (cnycentral.com; Lockman)
An NBA championship ring belonging to Basketball Hall of Famer and Syracuse legend Dolph Schayes is up for auction.
Schayes joined the NBA in its very first year, playing with the Syracuse Nationals. He hung around to see the game develop into one of the major American sporting institutions.
The ring, being auctioned by Grey Flannel Auctions, is consigned from the Schayes family and is accompanied by a family LOA.
Championship rings were not given to players in 1955 and the members of the Syracuse Nationals team were instead given an ice bucket to celebrate their championship.
In the following years, the NBA gifted these rings to the players to commemorate their championship.
According to Grey Flannel Auctions, this is the only known 1955 championship ring to enter the market.
Bidding begins at $5,000 and interested bidders may participate in the auction online HERE.
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Other
Syracuse City Hall Commons, located at 201 E. Washington St. in Syracuse. John Berry / The Post-Standard John BerryJohn Berry
Syracuse city offices exit downtown flatiron building, making way for developers (PS; Carlson)
The city of Syracuse plans to sell an historic downtown building that has housed government offices for more than 30 years to developers, who will re-purpose it into a combination of commercial space and housing.
The city announced its plans for the 153-year-old flatiron building that currently houses City Hall Commons on Wednesday.
The city plans to sell City Hall Commons to Hanover Real Estate Development for $850,000, and the developers said they plan to put $13.2 million into the building at 201 E. Washington St.
The building was built in 1869. Three more stories were added in 1894. A glass atrium was added in 1985.
The administration said selling the aging building to a developer makes more sense than attempting to make the upgrades itself, and that the sale will put the building back on the city’s tax rolls.
“We are taking another major step in our efforts to generate new income from city assets,” Mayor Ben Walsh said. “And we are achieving better uses for under-utilized, under-appreciated and under-invested-in city buildings. In doing so, we are focusing on our core business.”
In order to free up the building, the city plans to move several government functions to another office building.
The city’s permitting, code enforcement, neighborhood and business development, fire prevention and police office of professional standards will move to One Park Place, one of the city’s biggest office buildings. It plans to make the transition in the first quarter of 2023.
Adam Fumarola, one of two founders and partners at Hanover Real Estate, said the company intends to spend 2023 developing plans for the space. He said he envisions the flatiron building becoming a mixed-use space that has businesses on the ground floor and housing on the other six stories.
The sale of the building still requires Common Council approval.
Four Common Councilors attended an announcement for the city’s proposal. Those in attendance included Pat Hogan, Rasheada Caldwell, Amir Gethers and Jen Schultz.
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