sutomcat
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The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a symbol of pride, continuity, and tradition for New Yorkers and citizens across the United States. Located just outside of the 30 Rockefeller Plaza building, between West 49th and 50th streets and Fifth and Sixth avenues, in Midtown Manhattan's Rockefeller Center, it is usually put up sometime during November. Today, on the Wednesday after Thanksgiving, a ceremony is held and it is lit for the first time.
In 1931, a Christmas tree was put up at Rockefeller Center for the first time, during the center's construction. Demolition workers on the site gathered money together to purchase the tree—a 20-foot balsam fir—and placed it at the spot where they collected their paychecks. On Christmas Eve, they decorated it with handmade garland, strings of cranberries, and tin cans.
The first official Christmas tree, a 50-foot balsam fir, was put up at the spot in 1933, and the tradition of lighting it began. Since the early 1980s, it has exclusively been a Norway Spruce—one later in its life cycle, and usually at least 75 feet in height and 45 feet in diameter. (The tallest tree to date was 100 feet and came from Killingworth, Connecticut, in 1999.) The tree is customarily donated to Rockefeller Center, and usually makes most of its trip there on a truck bed, arriving with much pageantry, being decked with red bows and banners displaying holiday greetings. But the tree has sometimes made part of its trip by barge or plane. It has floated by barge down the Hudson River from Stony Point, New York, and in 1998 it was flown from Richfield, Ohio, on an Anatov 124.
SU News
Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer Chris Bell finished with eight points against No. 16 Illinois
Lack of secondary scoring hurts Syracuse in thrashing against No. 16 Illinois (DO; Smith)
It was a three-minute, 36-second stretch midway through the second half that sealed Syracuse’s fate Tuesday night at No. 16 Illinois.
The Fighting Illini, already up 11 with eight minutes left, hit a 3-pointer and made three free throws and 2-pointers before Chris Bell finally answered with a 3. The 12-0 Illinois run extended its lead to 23 and forced a Syracuse timeout. The lead only expanded from there, and what had been a game within reach for the Orange quickly turned into a messy blowout, a 73-44 loss.
During Illinois’ run, it was both Syracuse’s top scorer, Judah Mintz, and secondary options like Justin Taylor struggling to hit shots. Mintz missed an easy layup and recorded a turnover, while Taylor air balled a fadeaway jump shot. Jesse Edwards and Chris Bell also turned it over. With Mintz finishing 3-for-16 from the field and Joe Girard III held scoreless for just the second time in his career (the last in February 2021 against Duke), the Orange needed production from their other options.
The problem was, nobody stepped up. No SU player hit double-digit points, with Bell, Taylor and Benny Williams combining to shoot 7-for-22. Syracuse finished an abysmal 27.8% from the field in its worst loss — yet — in an already disappointing season.
“We’ve got some young guys who are trying to figure out what they have to do, and they didn’t figure it out very well tonight,” head coach Jim Boeheim said postgame.
If there was any consistent part of Tuesday night’s game, it was a lack of SU scoring. The Orange’s offense was sluggish from the start, making only one of their first seven attempts. There were several stretches without any points, including one that lasted nearly seven minutes between the end of the first half and start of the second. Syracuse finished the game with no points in the last 3:19, too.
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Rock Bottom Already: SU blown out by Illinois (Axe recap) (PS; $; Axe)
The Syracuse University men’s basketball team played a game of anything you can’t do, I can’t do better in Champaign, Ill. on Tuesday night in a 73-44 loss to Illinois.
Neither the Orange and Illini put up much of anything that resembled a competent offense in the first half. Syracuse trailed by just seven at the break (30-23). Illinois shot 32% in the first half, just a hair worse than SU’s 33%.
Illinois out-scored Syracuse 43-21 in the second-half, while shooting just 36% on the day, and waltzed to a 29-point win while SU did everything short of googling Dr. Naismith’s original rules of basketball to figure out how to score.
The way Syracuse played on Tuesday night, the Orange would have missed the peach basket too.
SU fell to 3-4 for the first time under Jim Boeheim in his 47-year tenure, adding to a growing and undesired list of “first time evers” under the Hall of Famer in recent years.
Syracuse has lost any chance of gaining a non-conference win of value for a rapidly fleeting postseason resume with losses to Colgate, Bryant, St. John’s and Illinois already recorded.
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Five Takeaways: Illinois 73 Syracuse 44 (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse basketball fell 73-44 at #16 Illinois Tuesday night. Here are five takeaways from the loss.
1. Offense
This was one of the worst offensive games for Syracuse basketball in recent memory. Some of it was due to Illinois pressure defense, but a lot of was missed shots either on the perimeter or at the rim. Syracuse lacked awareness in certain situations, such as the shot clock winding down, missed open looks, did not share the basketball very well and turned it over 17 times. It was an awful performance that Syracuse should forget and move on from.
2. Judah Mintz
Mintz returned after getting ejected in the previous game and had his worst game of his young career. Mintz finally looked like a freshman, playing out of control, missing shots and turning it over. He appeared as if he was trying to make up for missing last game and, as a result, overplayed in most circumstances. It was an awful performance, but that does not change Mintz's immense talent. He will learn from this and be better for it. Performances like this happen to most freshmen. Do not expect it to be a trend.
3. Joe Girard
Joe Girard is in the midst of the worst shooting slump of his career. He had another poor shooting night and did not score. There were a few nice passes mixed in and he was better defensively at times, but if Girard cannot hit open shots, it is a major detriment to the Syracuse offense. Not only that, shooting ability is the primary asset he brings to the table. While even when he is struggling from the floor defenses still have to pay attention to him, so it can open things up for others, it is hard to keep him out there for as many minutes as he typically gets when he is shooting like this. That is why he only played 20 minutes against Illinois. For Syracuse to turn things around and start racking up wins, he needs to get things going.
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Girard’s mystifying struggles amplify SU's lack of perimeter firepower (PS; $; Ditota)
The perimeter shooting was going to be a likely issue this season.
Syracuse graduated three of its top four shooters. It brought a half-dozen young players into the program to restock.
But college basketball, generally, is not kind to freshmen. Aside from the handful of obvious superstars that prove their high school pedigrees, rookies mostly struggle to find success against bigger, older, more experienced players.
Syracuse was supposed to have one ready-made perimeter threat this year.
Joe Girard shot 40.3% from that distance last season. And through SU’s first four games, Girard connected on 17-of-38 shots from the 3-point line. He made 44.7% of his 3s. He scored 31 points in SU’s win over Richmond in the Barclays Center just eight days ago.
And then, something happened in SU’s last three games.
Girard is 1-for-13 from the 3-point line during those games, all Syracuse losses. Tuesday night here, against a good Illinois defensive team, he looked like a shell of his former Logo Joe self.
He took a total of three shots in about 20 minutes of game action. He did not aggressively hunt shots. He passed up opportunities he would have gladly taken only a week ago. He looked lost.
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Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, right, talks with Justin Taylor (5) and a teammate during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, in Champaign, Ill.
Hawkins has triple-double, No. 16 Illinois thumps Syracuse (wrvo.org; AP)
Coleman Hawkins had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double, and No. 16 Illinois thumped Syracuse 73-44 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Tuesday night.
Neither team shot well, but Illinois (6-1) hit six of its 15 3-point attempts in the second half to send the Orange (3-4) home with their third straight loss.
Terrence Shannon Jr. had 17 points on 5-of-17 shooting for the Illini. All of his makes were 3s. RJ Melendez scored 15 points.
Jesse Edwards had nine points and 17 rebounds to lead Syracuse, and Judah Mintz also scored nine.
Hawkins sent a lively crowd into a frenzy by securing his 10th rebound to complete the triple-double with 1:34 to go and Illinois up 68-44.
"I just kind of filled in the spots, found the gaps (in the zone)," Hawkins said. "I knew my teammates would be in certain spots. I was kind of just patient with it."
Coach Brad Underwood said the triple-double — the fifth in Illinois history — was a credit to Hawkins' preference for creating opportunities for teammates.
"He would rather make a pass than a shot," Underwood said. "And yet, he's a very good shooter. He's very unselfish that way."
Syracuse collapsed in the final stretch, missing nine of its last 10 shots and failing to score in the final 3:19.
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Other
"It’s A Wonderful Binge," a Christmas-themed sequel to "The Binge," is the latest movie filmed in Syracuse by American High. Pictured: Nick Swardson, left, and Marta Piekarz. (Photo by: Brett Roedel/Hulu)
Let’s binge: American High to show new Christmas movie on big screen in Syracuse for free (PS; Herbert)
American High is inviting Central New York to binge-watch some movies on the big screen.
The Liverpool-based film studio will celebrate its new Christmas movie, “It’s a Wonderful Binge,” with a double-feature screening at The MOST (Museum of Science and Technology) in downtown Syracuse on Friday, Dec. 9. The 2020 film “The Binge” will be shown in the MOST’s National Grid ExploraDome at 7 p.m., followed by a red carpet entrance at 8:30, and the premiere of “It’s a Wonderful Binge” at 9.
Jordan VanDina, who wrote both films and makes his feature-length directorial debut with the sequel, will be flying into Syracuse for the premiere and participate in a Q&A after showing “It’s a Wonderful Binge.”
The event will also include a “festive reception” at 6:30 p.m., a party mixer with beer and a DJ at 11 p.m., and an after-party starting at midnight at 3 Lives Arcade Bar.
Admission is free, but attendees are required to RSVP in advance by filling out this online form.
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