sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to World Trick Shot Day!
Trick shots are both entertaining and inspiring and are celebrated today with World Trick Shot Day. The Harlem Globetrotters, "the originators of the trick shot," created the day not only to celebrate the shots but to give fans the opportunity to showcase them. Globetrotters fans take videos of themselves performing their best trick shots and share them on social media for all the world to see. Throwing the ball underhanded from between the legs, over the back while facing away from the basket, from over a half court away from the basket, or while simultaneously jumping and spinning are just a few types of trick shots that might be seen on World Trick Shot Day.
SU News
Anshul Roy | Staff Photographer
Smith: Notre Dame win shows what Syracuse is capable of with Joe Girard, Jesse Edwards at their best (DO; Smith)
After 15 straight missed shots and 83 minutes and 34 seconds of game time, Joe Girard III finally found his rhythm. Girard received a pass on the right wing, took one dribble with his left hand and flicked his right wrist.
It was a perfect swish, his first made field goal since 16:41 left in the first half against Bryant on Nov. 26. There were no sighs of relief after this 3. No smile, no fist bump, no three fingers in the air. Just a jog back to the top of the 2-3 zone, and a few high fives. To the naked eye, Girard’s 3 was not major. Syracuse trailed Notre Dame 15-13 just seven minutes into the game. But for a guy who totaled only nine points in his last three games (all losses), this make was crucial.
Girard made eight more shots, finishing the game with 20 points (and the Orange needed every one of them in a 62-61 road win over Notre Dame). Jesse Edwards, who recorded 16+ rebounds for the third-straight game as well as a season-high 22 points — finally had the complementary piece Syracuse missed since its win over Richmond. Judah Mintz made two big shots late and Jim Boeheim’s defensive adjustments led to a bevy of missed ND second-half 3’s and an end to SU’s three-game losing streak.
The win displayed what Syracuse is capable of. Yes, we’ve seen the weaknesses — evident against Illinois and Colgate — but this team has plenty of strengths, and can compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference if it plays like it did Saturday. Everything, though, is dependent on Girard and Edwards. If those two play well, the Orange can beat good teams. If they don’t, they’ll lose to bad ones. If the first eight games are any indication, Girard and Edwards’ success will, like it or not, correlate with SU’s this season.
“They have to be the two guys we depend on,” Boeheim said of Girard and Edwards after the season-opening win over Lehigh.
The fact that Girard’s return to the statsheet Saturday coincided with a Syracuse win isn’t surprising. In SU’s four wins, Girard averaged 22.8 points, notching at least 19 in each. In losses, he’s averaging 5.8, only reaching double-digits against Colgate. You can look deeper into the stats — Girard shoots just 15% in losses, 48.5% in wins — but the simple truth is the Orange need their backcourt leader to do his part. Consistently.
Girard hasn’t been reliable so far this year. But after a strong game at ND, Girard has seven winnable games in front of him before the heat of ACC play.
“We needed Joe to bounce back,” Boeheim said postgame Saturday. “That was the difference in the game.”
Boeheim said Syracuse ran some plays for Girard against Notre Dame, with Edwards setting screens to create openings, but Girard was also very aggressive. On one play in the second half, Edwards tried to get position before setting a screen on Trey Wertz. Girard ran toward the corner, and Justin Taylor dished the ball to him, his shot softly falling through the net for a 50-48 SU lead.
Stephanie Zaso | Design Editor
Getting reliable scoring from Girard will take some pressure off Edwards, who has proven to be Syracuse’s best player this year. He leads the ACC in rebounds (11.6) and blocks (2.4) per game, in addition to registering nearly 15 points per game. Against Notre Dame, Edwards recorded his third double-double and played the full 40 minutes for the first time in his career. And Boeheim said Edwards should get the ball even more.
“I’m confident in myself and my team is confident in me to finish when I get inside,” Edwards said.
Saturday was the first time Edwards and Girard had both played well since SU’s Nov. 21 win over Richmond when Girard had a career-high 31 points and Edwards posted 10 points, eight rebounds and tied a career-high six blocks. Syracuse won that game in overtime, but lost the next night against St. John’s, which outscored it 11-4 in overtime. Edwards finished with 18 points and eight rebounds while Girard went a dismal 1-for-10.
Mintz is a talented player who can do things few recent Syracuse point guards could. He’s also shown at times why he’s just a freshman, fading late in that St. John’s game by turning the ball over six times (five coming after halftime) and going 3-for-16 against Illinois.
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Opponent Preview: What to know about Oakland in its 2nd-ever matchup with Syracuse (DO; Vasudevan)
Syracuse finally showed its best basketball in its win over Notre Dame — Jesse Edwards and Joe Girard III produced most of SU’s offense, combining for 42 points, while the defense improved on guarding the deep ball in the second half. The Orange won a back-and-forth battle 62-61, getting back to .500 on the year.
The Orange will return to the JMA Wireless Dome for the next six games, starting with the University of Oakland on Tuesday. The only teams the Grizzlies beat this season was Eastern Michigan, who’s not even in Ken Pom’s top-300 rankings, and Defiance College.
Here’s everything to know about Oakland (2-8, 0-2 Horizon) before the matchup:
The Grizzlies kept it close in the first half, but Buddy Boeheim went on to score 11-straight points to increase the Orange’s advantage. At the start of the second half, Elijah Hughes, who finished with a team-high 23 points, and Buddy nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Orange their biggest lead of the night.
“We haven’t been in too many close games like this,” head coach Jim Boeheim said postgame. “We made some good plays down the stretch, but we made some plays that we can’t make.”
The win over the Grizzlies kickstarted a three-game winning streak, which ended after a one-point loss to Notre Dame at home.
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Edwards is among the nation’s best rebounders. He could use some help (PS; $; Ditota)
Jesse Edwards is flirting with historical Syracuse rebounding numbers so far.
Eight games into the season, the Syracuse center averages 12.0 boards per game. That number ranks fourth in the nation. Only Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky, 13.5), Zach Edey (Purdue, 12.8) and Joel Soriano (St. John’s, 12.3) are ahead of Edwards.
Edwards, too, ranks 62nd nationally in offensive rebounding percentage and 48th nationally in defensive rebounding percentage (kenpom.com). Those stats consider the amount of rebounds he could have gotten and compute the percentage.
No Syracuse player in a Kenpom era that reaches back to 2002 has performed better on the offensive and defensive glass than Edwards.
In his last three games, he is averaging nearly 15 boards per contest. The last Syracuse player to average at least 12 rebounds per game was Derrick Coleman (12.1) in 1989-90.
Last year, in his injury-shortened season, Edwards averaged 6.5 rebounds per game. He ranked 203rd in offensive rebounding percentage and did not grab a significant enough amount of defensive rebounds to achieve a ranking in that category.
It’s been quite a leap.
“I feel like it’s the intensity to go after them,” Edwards said after Syracuse beat Notre Dame on Saturday. “Many times on offense, I feel like I get a little bit better position now. And on the defensive end, wherever the shot’s coming from I’m going to just try to go after it.”
But for all of Edwards’ rebounding brilliance, his team still struggles to collect missed shots.
SU, as a team, ranks 280th in rebound margin. Last year, with Edwards averaging about half as many rebounds, SU ranked 258th as a team in rebound margin.
For Syracuse to improve from a mediocre rebounding team to a decent rebounding team, Edwards needs help on the backboards.
Jim Boeheim recites the rebounding stats after nearly every Syracuse game. He has been particularly pointed about Chris Bell, who has played 170 minutes at small forward this year and has eight rebounds to show for those minutes. He has not collected an offensive rebound all season.
Justin Taylor, for comparison purposes, has played about 40 fewer minutes than Bell and has 13 more rebounds.
Benny Williams is averaging 4.5 rebounds per game. The percentage of rebounds he’s getting on the offensive and defensive ends are similar (a bit less) to Jimmy Boeheim last season. Boeheim averaged more rebounds (6.2), but he also played more minutes last season than Williams is playing this season.
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SU basketball-Oakland features the 2 longest-tenured coaches in Division I (PS; $; Waters)
The Syracuse Orange, fresh off a much-needed win at Notre Dame on Saturday, returns to the JMA Wireless Dome to host the Oakland Grizzlies on Tuesday night.
The Orange snapped a three-game losing streak with the 62-61 win over the Fighting Irish. It also gave Syracuse an early win in ACC play.
Tonight’s game against Oakland is the first of four non-conference games in a row for Syracuse before the Orange hosts ACC rival Pittsburgh on Dec. 20 at the Dome.
Oakland (2-8) will be playing its seventh game away from home already this season. The Grizzlies are 0-3 in true road games and 0-3 on a neutral court. Oakland has lost five straight since edging Eastern Michigan, 92-90 in overtime, on Nov. 19.
The Syracuse-Oakland game is set to tipoff at 6 p.m. and will be televised on the ACC Network.
Here are five key things to know about the matchup:
It also showed just how dependent Syracuse is on its senior guard.
In Syracuse’s four wins, Girard is averaging 22.7 points per game. He is making 48.5% of his field-goal attempts, including a sparkling 15-for-36 (41.6%) from 3-point range.
In the Orange’s four losses, however, it’s been an entirely different story for Girard.
In losses to Colgate, St. John’s, Bryant and Illinois, Girard averaged 5.6 points on 15% field-goal shooting. That’s 6-for-40 from the field. And he was not much better from the 3-point line, connecting on 5-of-25 shots ― 20%.
Quick Hits: Edwards should be Syracuse's center of attention - The Juice Online (the juice; Stechschulte)
Syracuse edged Notre Dame on Saturday, 62-61. Here are some quick hits from the game:
5 things to watch for in Syracuse’s matchup against Oakland - The Juice Online (the juice; Sears)
Coming off its first ACC win of the season, Syracuse returns home to face Oakland on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. at the Carrier Dome (TV: ACC Network). Here are five things to watch for in the game.
Can Syracuse start a new streak?
Tuesday’s game marks a seven-game homestand for the Orange where they can potentially go on a winning streak. All of the teams SU faces, including Oakland, Georgetown, Monmouth, Cornell, Pitt and Boston College should be games SU is favored in. Winning all seven and jumping out to an 11-4 record heading into the heart of ACC play would put the Orange in a good position to, at the very least, stave of a second straight losing season for Jim Boeheim.
Is John Bol Ajak a mainstay in the rotation?
John Bol Ajak has patiently waited his turn. After two seasons where he appeared in just 22 games, averaging around 5.1 minutes in those appearances, Ajak has appeared to finally crack the rotation. The junior forward has upped his average minutes to 14.5 in four games, and had perhaps the best conference performance of his career in the win against Notre Dame. Aside from finishing with 2 points and 4 assists in 18 minutes, Ajak also made a key close out on Dane Goodwin’s potential game-winning shot from the corner. Ajak plays unselfishly, and with energy, and he’s earned the opportunity for additional playing time.
Can Joe Girard find the touch again?
Joe Girard snapped out of his funk against Notre Dame, finishing with 20 points on an efficient 50 percent shooting from the field. That said, Girard is still shooting just 32.8 percent from downtown, down from 40.3 percent in his junior season. He was just 2-10 against the Fighting Irish, adding to his struggles where he shot just 1-13 in games against Illinois, Bryant and St. John’s.
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Why John Bol Ajak Is Playing – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Simone)
John Bol Ajak has a fascinating story. From South Sudan to earning a basketball scholarship at Syracuse to now actually being a contributing piece, with a failed transfer mixed in as well. The forward has been an afterthought for essentially his entire SU career, but now, he is, at least at the moment, part of Jim Boeheim’s rotation.
A lot of Syracuse fans are wondering why that is. Ajak has taken the minutes that went to Maliq Brown at the beginning of the season as Benny Williams’ backup at power forward. Early on, Brown was eating into Williams’ minutes as the sophomore struggled. Now, it’s Ajak who’s challenging the former five-star.
So why is Ajak in this role? As Boeheim put it, he’s “smart.” Ajak is fantastic in the zone because he has a great understanding of it. Against Notre Dame, Syracuse brought Jesse Edwards up to take away the high post, thanks in part to ND’s lack of a presence down low.
However, that means that there is space behind the center for cutters to access and it’s up to the wings to rotate down and not allow easy layups. Williams still struggles with this, but Ajak is extremely effective in this situation. Even though he doesn’t have much game experience, only 22 games before this season, he’s been in the system for three years now, so he understands the intricacies.
The other element of the zone that is key for forwards is finding the balance between covering the wing and the corner. Sometimes the forward gets caught too far up towards the wing, in an area where the guard can get to if need be. When that happens, the corner is open and the only hope of contesting the shot is the center getting out there in time, which is difficult. Ajak does this well, again thanks to his high basketball IQ and experience in the system.
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Beat writers unanimously pick SU win over Oakland (DO; Staff)
Syracuse followed up a 29-point loss to No. 16 Illinois with a last-minute win on the road against Notre Dame. Led by a comeback game from Joe Girard and a double-double by Jesse Edwards, the Orange took down the Fighting Irish to win their opening Atlantic Coast Conference game to move back to .500. They now return home to face Oakland, kicking off a six-game home stand in which SU is predicted to win each game.
The Grizzlies started the season 2-8 and haven’t made it to a postseason tournament since 2017, when they made it to the second round of the National Invite Tournament. Oakland enters Tuesday night on a five game losing streak.
Here’s what our beat writers predict will happen when Syracuse faces the Grizzlies on Tuesday:
Anish Vasudevan (6-2)
Hey Joe
Syracuse 75, Oakland 64
I’m going to keep making Joe Girard puns as long as he keeps playing like the old Joe. Girard and Edwards combined for 42 against Notre Dame and should have a field day against an Oakland side that allows 56.0% of their opponent’s shots from inside the arc to fall while giving up an average of 38.8% from deep, according to KenPom.
Defensively, Syracuse shouldn’t have any issues, facing a team with an average height of 6-foot-2. There’s simply no way the Orange drop this game unless they come out the gates slow like they’ve done at home this season. Led by Girard, SU should breeze by Oakland and have some momentum into its next five straight home games.
Connor Smith (6-2)
Time to roll
Syracuse 80, Oakland 60
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Syracuse basketball versus Oakland odds, prediction and how to watch (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball went to Notre Dame last Saturday afternoon and scored a huge Atlantic Coast Conference triumph that snapped the Orange’s recent three-game setback streak.
Now the ‘Cuse moves back to its non-conference calendar, as the Orange prepares to host Horizon League member Oakland on Tuesday evening. The Golden Grizzlies (2-8), to date in the 2022-23 stanza, are struggling, as they have lost five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Syracuse basketball (4-4) got out of its funk over the weekend, with freshman point guard Judah Mintz hitting the game-winning layup with about 13 seconds to go in a 62-61 victory for the ‘Cuse.
In that ACC clash, senior guard Joe Girard III and senior center Jesse Edwards led the team’s charge. The Orange has a long way to go before it can begin to consider the possibility of post-season play, but the squad’s conquering of the Fighting Irish did represent the best win for the ‘Cuse at this juncture in 2022-23.
When Syracuse basketball and Oakland hit the court on Tuesday night, the two longest-tenured active head coaches in Division I men’s hoops will roam the sidelines for these two schools. The Orange, of course, is guided by head coach Jim Boeheim, while the Golden Grizzlies’ boss, Greg Kampe, is in his 39th year at the helm of Oakland.
Per ESPN statistics, the Golden Grizzlies do average 75.6 points per game on offense, which is better than the ‘Cuse. However, on defense, Oakland is not good, allowing a whopping 80.0 points per contest.
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Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: How Have Former Orange Transfers Fared This Season + Oakland Preview on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Matt Bonaparte and Owen Valentine discuss Syracuse Basketball's next opponent, Oakland. What are the keys to this game? What needs to be proven? What will the score be? Plus, a look at how former Syracuse players are fairing this season at the schools they transferred to. It's your Tuesday episode of Locked On Syracuse.
You can find episodes of the Locked On Syracuse podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy or wherever you get your podcasts. Please leave us a like and rating as we would leave to hear your feedback. Be sure to tell your friends if you enjoy the pod!
On The Block On Demand 12-5-22 (ESPN; radio; Axe)
Brent Axe discusses the two sides to Syracuse’s bid in the Pinstripe Bowl. Later, he reacts to Syracuse men’s basketball’s win over Notre Dame.
Newhouse At Night 12-5-22 (ESPN; radio; Newhouse at Night)
Bryce Gelman is joined by John Jastremski, host of the New York, New York podcast, to discuss MLB free agency, the NFL season, and the Knicks. Plus, Sam Reis and Adam Gotkin react to Syracuse men’s basketball’s win over Notre Dame.
Keeping Up With The 315 12-5-22 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian Higgins starts the show hearing a little bit from Syracuse men’s soccer Head Coach Ian McIntyre as the team prepares for the Final Four. Then, Brian gets into this weekend’s Syracuse men’s basketball win before struggling to give away tickets to the Oakland game tomorrow. Later, he reacts to the news that the Orange will play in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Men’s basketball: ACC Power Rankings for the week of December 5th (TNIAAM; Wall)
The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team is back in action and that means we’re bringing back our weekly ACC Power Rankings.
Don’t ask us to explain our ratings system- just be grateful that Fake Nunes Statistical Index staff has steady work after football season. When you look at the ACC standings and see eight teams with two losses or less, you might think the conference is off to a better start than last season, but it’s not. Sorry not sorry but this could be another rough one when we talk about building NCAA Tournament resumes
Now let’s get to this week’s rankings...
1) Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia is up to #3 in the polls but the big news is that they are averaging 74.9 points per game. Five Hoos are averaging in double-figures including 62-year old Kihei Clark.
2) Duke Blue Devils
Hey did you know Coach K retired? Don’t worry every Duke game will feature sound bites from Coach K’s podcast and blurbs from Coach K’s Substack that he writes from the office that doesn’t really connect to Duke’s basketball facilities.
3) Miami Hurricanes
All the talk this summer was about what Nigel Pack got in NIL money to come to Coral Gables, but Norchad Omier is leading the Canes in scoring and rebounding right now. Mario Cristobal might want to try him at QB next Fall.
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Syracuse legend Moten reflects on career, Orange future (mytwintiers.com; video)
A Syracuse basketball legend reflects on his storied past.
Sunday, Syracuse men’s basketball’s all-time scoring leader Lawrence Moten was a special guest at the annual Collectorfest Convention at the New York State Fairgrounds. Moten signed autographs, took photos with fans, and took a few minutes out of his schedule for an interview with 18 Sports.
Moten, who played at Syracuse from 1991-95, holds the Orange’s career scoring record at 2,334 points. Lawrence then went on to play in the NBA for three seasons with the Vancouver Grizzlies after being drafted in the second round of the draft at 36th overall.
Other
Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
Onondaga Lake’s remarkable transformation: Once a cesspool, now at its cleanest in 100 years (PS; Coin)
Charley Driscoll and his friends hung out near Onondaga Lake in the 1960s and 1970s, when the heavily polluted lake was a national embarrassment.
“The lake was a cesspool,” recalls Driscoll. “It was horrible. Every time the wind would blow, you could smell the sulfide coming up from the sediments.”
Back then, 165,000 pounds of toxic mercury permeated those sediments, lingered in high concentrations in the water and accumulated to hazardous levels in the flesh of fish. Sewage flowed into the lake during even moderate rains; tangled mats of algae that fed on the sewage bacteria decomposed, emitting a stench that wafted far beyond the lakeshore.
Finally, emboldened by the string of laws spawned by the environmental awakening of the 1970s, New York state and a tiny citizens group in Syracuse hauled polluters to federal court.
It worked.
More than 30 years and $1.5 billion later, Onondaga Lake is clean, or as clean as the deals brokered by corporate lawyers and government regulators required. Mercury has almost disappeared from the water, and each year fish contain less mercury in their bodies. There’s so little bacteria and algae in the water that Onondaga County might open a beach.
Today, the lake is cleaner than it has been in 100 years.
It’s a remarkable story: a cesspool turned community asset, transformed by citizen gumption and government authority. Together they held a corporation and a county accountable, and reversed a century of treating Syracuse’s shoreline as an aquatic dump.
Now you can see postcard views of the Syracuse skyline rising above the water: From the new amphitheater, from overlooks along the bike trail, from the west side boat launch near where mercury once spewed.
“It’s worlds better than the lake we had a decade ago,” said Dave Matthews, director of the nonprofit Upstate Freshwater Institute, in Syracuse, which has studied the lake’s water quality.
The lake bottom is among only a few hundred Superfund sites in the U.S. that have actually cleaned up since the law was passed in 1980. In some ways, it’s the most improbable. Nobody drinks the water from Onondaga Lake. There are plenty of other places nearby to swim or fish or kayak. And the lake is relatively tiny: Lake Erie, the smallest of the Great Lakes, holds 3,000 times more water.
The lake’s small size -- its surface is just over 5 square miles -- made it easier to pollute but also easier to clean up. The county’s Metro wastewater plant contributes 20% of the inflow to the lake, so modernizing that plant had an outsized impact on improving water quality. A homegrown technology helped slash mercury levels in the water but hasn’t caught on elsewhere because it’s too expensive for larger bodies of water.
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Trick shots are both entertaining and inspiring and are celebrated today with World Trick Shot Day. The Harlem Globetrotters, "the originators of the trick shot," created the day not only to celebrate the shots but to give fans the opportunity to showcase them. Globetrotters fans take videos of themselves performing their best trick shots and share them on social media for all the world to see. Throwing the ball underhanded from between the legs, over the back while facing away from the basket, from over a half court away from the basket, or while simultaneously jumping and spinning are just a few types of trick shots that might be seen on World Trick Shot Day.
SU News
Anshul Roy | Staff Photographer
Smith: Notre Dame win shows what Syracuse is capable of with Joe Girard, Jesse Edwards at their best (DO; Smith)
After 15 straight missed shots and 83 minutes and 34 seconds of game time, Joe Girard III finally found his rhythm. Girard received a pass on the right wing, took one dribble with his left hand and flicked his right wrist.
It was a perfect swish, his first made field goal since 16:41 left in the first half against Bryant on Nov. 26. There were no sighs of relief after this 3. No smile, no fist bump, no three fingers in the air. Just a jog back to the top of the 2-3 zone, and a few high fives. To the naked eye, Girard’s 3 was not major. Syracuse trailed Notre Dame 15-13 just seven minutes into the game. But for a guy who totaled only nine points in his last three games (all losses), this make was crucial.
Girard made eight more shots, finishing the game with 20 points (and the Orange needed every one of them in a 62-61 road win over Notre Dame). Jesse Edwards, who recorded 16+ rebounds for the third-straight game as well as a season-high 22 points — finally had the complementary piece Syracuse missed since its win over Richmond. Judah Mintz made two big shots late and Jim Boeheim’s defensive adjustments led to a bevy of missed ND second-half 3’s and an end to SU’s three-game losing streak.
The win displayed what Syracuse is capable of. Yes, we’ve seen the weaknesses — evident against Illinois and Colgate — but this team has plenty of strengths, and can compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference if it plays like it did Saturday. Everything, though, is dependent on Girard and Edwards. If those two play well, the Orange can beat good teams. If they don’t, they’ll lose to bad ones. If the first eight games are any indication, Girard and Edwards’ success will, like it or not, correlate with SU’s this season.
“They have to be the two guys we depend on,” Boeheim said of Girard and Edwards after the season-opening win over Lehigh.
The fact that Girard’s return to the statsheet Saturday coincided with a Syracuse win isn’t surprising. In SU’s four wins, Girard averaged 22.8 points, notching at least 19 in each. In losses, he’s averaging 5.8, only reaching double-digits against Colgate. You can look deeper into the stats — Girard shoots just 15% in losses, 48.5% in wins — but the simple truth is the Orange need their backcourt leader to do his part. Consistently.
Girard hasn’t been reliable so far this year. But after a strong game at ND, Girard has seven winnable games in front of him before the heat of ACC play.
“We needed Joe to bounce back,” Boeheim said postgame Saturday. “That was the difference in the game.”
Boeheim said Syracuse ran some plays for Girard against Notre Dame, with Edwards setting screens to create openings, but Girard was also very aggressive. On one play in the second half, Edwards tried to get position before setting a screen on Trey Wertz. Girard ran toward the corner, and Justin Taylor dished the ball to him, his shot softly falling through the net for a 50-48 SU lead.
Stephanie Zaso | Design Editor
Getting reliable scoring from Girard will take some pressure off Edwards, who has proven to be Syracuse’s best player this year. He leads the ACC in rebounds (11.6) and blocks (2.4) per game, in addition to registering nearly 15 points per game. Against Notre Dame, Edwards recorded his third double-double and played the full 40 minutes for the first time in his career. And Boeheim said Edwards should get the ball even more.
“I’m confident in myself and my team is confident in me to finish when I get inside,” Edwards said.
Saturday was the first time Edwards and Girard had both played well since SU’s Nov. 21 win over Richmond when Girard had a career-high 31 points and Edwards posted 10 points, eight rebounds and tied a career-high six blocks. Syracuse won that game in overtime, but lost the next night against St. John’s, which outscored it 11-4 in overtime. Edwards finished with 18 points and eight rebounds while Girard went a dismal 1-for-10.
Mintz is a talented player who can do things few recent Syracuse point guards could. He’s also shown at times why he’s just a freshman, fading late in that St. John’s game by turning the ball over six times (five coming after halftime) and going 3-for-16 against Illinois.
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Opponent Preview: What to know about Oakland in its 2nd-ever matchup with Syracuse (DO; Vasudevan)
Syracuse finally showed its best basketball in its win over Notre Dame — Jesse Edwards and Joe Girard III produced most of SU’s offense, combining for 42 points, while the defense improved on guarding the deep ball in the second half. The Orange won a back-and-forth battle 62-61, getting back to .500 on the year.
The Orange will return to the JMA Wireless Dome for the next six games, starting with the University of Oakland on Tuesday. The only teams the Grizzlies beat this season was Eastern Michigan, who’s not even in Ken Pom’s top-300 rankings, and Defiance College.
Here’s everything to know about Oakland (2-8, 0-2 Horizon) before the matchup:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 1-0.Last time they played
Syracuse coasted to a 74-62 win on Dec. 18, 2019, only struggling for the game’s first three minutes, notching just one point. After Girard scored from deep with 16 minutes left in the half, SU didn’t lose its lead for the rest of the night. The Orange won the turnover battle, committing just seven compared to Oakland’s 16, leading to 15 points for SU.The Grizzlies kept it close in the first half, but Buddy Boeheim went on to score 11-straight points to increase the Orange’s advantage. At the start of the second half, Elijah Hughes, who finished with a team-high 23 points, and Buddy nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Orange their biggest lead of the night.
“We haven’t been in too many close games like this,” head coach Jim Boeheim said postgame. “We made some good plays down the stretch, but we made some plays that we can’t make.”
The win over the Grizzlies kickstarted a three-game winning streak, which ended after a one-point loss to Notre Dame at home.
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Edwards is among the nation’s best rebounders. He could use some help (PS; $; Ditota)
Jesse Edwards is flirting with historical Syracuse rebounding numbers so far.
Eight games into the season, the Syracuse center averages 12.0 boards per game. That number ranks fourth in the nation. Only Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky, 13.5), Zach Edey (Purdue, 12.8) and Joel Soriano (St. John’s, 12.3) are ahead of Edwards.
Edwards, too, ranks 62nd nationally in offensive rebounding percentage and 48th nationally in defensive rebounding percentage (kenpom.com). Those stats consider the amount of rebounds he could have gotten and compute the percentage.
No Syracuse player in a Kenpom era that reaches back to 2002 has performed better on the offensive and defensive glass than Edwards.
In his last three games, he is averaging nearly 15 boards per contest. The last Syracuse player to average at least 12 rebounds per game was Derrick Coleman (12.1) in 1989-90.
Last year, in his injury-shortened season, Edwards averaged 6.5 rebounds per game. He ranked 203rd in offensive rebounding percentage and did not grab a significant enough amount of defensive rebounds to achieve a ranking in that category.
It’s been quite a leap.
“I feel like it’s the intensity to go after them,” Edwards said after Syracuse beat Notre Dame on Saturday. “Many times on offense, I feel like I get a little bit better position now. And on the defensive end, wherever the shot’s coming from I’m going to just try to go after it.”
But for all of Edwards’ rebounding brilliance, his team still struggles to collect missed shots.
SU, as a team, ranks 280th in rebound margin. Last year, with Edwards averaging about half as many rebounds, SU ranked 258th as a team in rebound margin.
For Syracuse to improve from a mediocre rebounding team to a decent rebounding team, Edwards needs help on the backboards.
Jim Boeheim recites the rebounding stats after nearly every Syracuse game. He has been particularly pointed about Chris Bell, who has played 170 minutes at small forward this year and has eight rebounds to show for those minutes. He has not collected an offensive rebound all season.
Justin Taylor, for comparison purposes, has played about 40 fewer minutes than Bell and has 13 more rebounds.
Benny Williams is averaging 4.5 rebounds per game. The percentage of rebounds he’s getting on the offensive and defensive ends are similar (a bit less) to Jimmy Boeheim last season. Boeheim averaged more rebounds (6.2), but he also played more minutes last season than Williams is playing this season.
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SU basketball-Oakland features the 2 longest-tenured coaches in Division I (PS; $; Waters)
The Syracuse Orange, fresh off a much-needed win at Notre Dame on Saturday, returns to the JMA Wireless Dome to host the Oakland Grizzlies on Tuesday night.
The Orange snapped a three-game losing streak with the 62-61 win over the Fighting Irish. It also gave Syracuse an early win in ACC play.
Tonight’s game against Oakland is the first of four non-conference games in a row for Syracuse before the Orange hosts ACC rival Pittsburgh on Dec. 20 at the Dome.
Oakland (2-8) will be playing its seventh game away from home already this season. The Grizzlies are 0-3 in true road games and 0-3 on a neutral court. Oakland has lost five straight since edging Eastern Michigan, 92-90 in overtime, on Nov. 19.
The Syracuse-Oakland game is set to tipoff at 6 p.m. and will be televised on the ACC Network.
Here are five key things to know about the matchup:
As Joe goes, so goes the Orange
Joe Girard snapped out of his recent shooting slump to score 20 points in Syracuse’s 62-61 win over Notre Dame on Saturday. The end of Girard’s slump coincided with the end of Syracuse’s recent three-game losing streak.It also showed just how dependent Syracuse is on its senior guard.
In Syracuse’s four wins, Girard is averaging 22.7 points per game. He is making 48.5% of his field-goal attempts, including a sparkling 15-for-36 (41.6%) from 3-point range.
In the Orange’s four losses, however, it’s been an entirely different story for Girard.
In losses to Colgate, St. John’s, Bryant and Illinois, Girard averaged 5.6 points on 15% field-goal shooting. That’s 6-for-40 from the field. And he was not much better from the 3-point line, connecting on 5-of-25 shots ― 20%.
The country’s two longest-serving head coaches
...Quick Hits: Edwards should be Syracuse's center of attention - The Juice Online (the juice; Stechschulte)
Syracuse edged Notre Dame on Saturday, 62-61. Here are some quick hits from the game:
- It hardly needs mentioning that the Orange should continue to focus on getting the ball to Jesse Edwards in pretty much every game, not just those when he has a size advantage. His size, length, dexterity, and skillset are a lot for anyone to handle and when he demands double teams, it opens up other options for the offense.
- Early in the game, Notre Dame’s less intense defensive effort than most Syracuse opponents led to self-created open looks for Joe Girard III. This is not meant to rip Notre Dame, but to underscore that against other opponents who will play more aggressively on defense, the Syracuse offense needs to manufacture opportunities for Girard with screens and movement. Girard’s cuts for backdoor lay-ups are just one wrinkle SU needs to implement into their regular offense when defenses are overly aggressive.
- Syracuse committed just four turnovers on the day, their lowest mark of the season. That tied the mark for their lowest total since edging Georgia Tech last February, 74-73.
- That low turnover total helped the game move by at a brisk pace. The first half was particularly quick-moving due to the two teams combining for just four fouls and seven turnovers.
- Judah Mintz made three of his final five shots from the field, hopefully putting his 6-for-31 shooting stretch to bed for good.
- While still limited offensively (his basket midway through the second half gave him seven points on the season), John Bol Ajak’s willingness to make the simple play gave him four assists for the second time in three outings. When combining that smart passing with his defensive energy and length, it is easy to see Ajak remaining in the rotation for a while.
5 things to watch for in Syracuse’s matchup against Oakland - The Juice Online (the juice; Sears)
Coming off its first ACC win of the season, Syracuse returns home to face Oakland on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. at the Carrier Dome (TV: ACC Network). Here are five things to watch for in the game.
Can Syracuse start a new streak?
Tuesday’s game marks a seven-game homestand for the Orange where they can potentially go on a winning streak. All of the teams SU faces, including Oakland, Georgetown, Monmouth, Cornell, Pitt and Boston College should be games SU is favored in. Winning all seven and jumping out to an 11-4 record heading into the heart of ACC play would put the Orange in a good position to, at the very least, stave of a second straight losing season for Jim Boeheim.
Is John Bol Ajak a mainstay in the rotation?
John Bol Ajak has patiently waited his turn. After two seasons where he appeared in just 22 games, averaging around 5.1 minutes in those appearances, Ajak has appeared to finally crack the rotation. The junior forward has upped his average minutes to 14.5 in four games, and had perhaps the best conference performance of his career in the win against Notre Dame. Aside from finishing with 2 points and 4 assists in 18 minutes, Ajak also made a key close out on Dane Goodwin’s potential game-winning shot from the corner. Ajak plays unselfishly, and with energy, and he’s earned the opportunity for additional playing time.
Can Joe Girard find the touch again?
Joe Girard snapped out of his funk against Notre Dame, finishing with 20 points on an efficient 50 percent shooting from the field. That said, Girard is still shooting just 32.8 percent from downtown, down from 40.3 percent in his junior season. He was just 2-10 against the Fighting Irish, adding to his struggles where he shot just 1-13 in games against Illinois, Bryant and St. John’s.
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Why John Bol Ajak Is Playing – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Simone)
John Bol Ajak has a fascinating story. From South Sudan to earning a basketball scholarship at Syracuse to now actually being a contributing piece, with a failed transfer mixed in as well. The forward has been an afterthought for essentially his entire SU career, but now, he is, at least at the moment, part of Jim Boeheim’s rotation.
A lot of Syracuse fans are wondering why that is. Ajak has taken the minutes that went to Maliq Brown at the beginning of the season as Benny Williams’ backup at power forward. Early on, Brown was eating into Williams’ minutes as the sophomore struggled. Now, it’s Ajak who’s challenging the former five-star.
So why is Ajak in this role? As Boeheim put it, he’s “smart.” Ajak is fantastic in the zone because he has a great understanding of it. Against Notre Dame, Syracuse brought Jesse Edwards up to take away the high post, thanks in part to ND’s lack of a presence down low.
However, that means that there is space behind the center for cutters to access and it’s up to the wings to rotate down and not allow easy layups. Williams still struggles with this, but Ajak is extremely effective in this situation. Even though he doesn’t have much game experience, only 22 games before this season, he’s been in the system for three years now, so he understands the intricacies.
The other element of the zone that is key for forwards is finding the balance between covering the wing and the corner. Sometimes the forward gets caught too far up towards the wing, in an area where the guard can get to if need be. When that happens, the corner is open and the only hope of contesting the shot is the center getting out there in time, which is difficult. Ajak does this well, again thanks to his high basketball IQ and experience in the system.
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Beat writers unanimously pick SU win over Oakland (DO; Staff)
Syracuse followed up a 29-point loss to No. 16 Illinois with a last-minute win on the road against Notre Dame. Led by a comeback game from Joe Girard and a double-double by Jesse Edwards, the Orange took down the Fighting Irish to win their opening Atlantic Coast Conference game to move back to .500. They now return home to face Oakland, kicking off a six-game home stand in which SU is predicted to win each game.
The Grizzlies started the season 2-8 and haven’t made it to a postseason tournament since 2017, when they made it to the second round of the National Invite Tournament. Oakland enters Tuesday night on a five game losing streak.
Here’s what our beat writers predict will happen when Syracuse faces the Grizzlies on Tuesday:
Anish Vasudevan (6-2)
Hey Joe
Syracuse 75, Oakland 64
I’m going to keep making Joe Girard puns as long as he keeps playing like the old Joe. Girard and Edwards combined for 42 against Notre Dame and should have a field day against an Oakland side that allows 56.0% of their opponent’s shots from inside the arc to fall while giving up an average of 38.8% from deep, according to KenPom.
Defensively, Syracuse shouldn’t have any issues, facing a team with an average height of 6-foot-2. There’s simply no way the Orange drop this game unless they come out the gates slow like they’ve done at home this season. Led by Girard, SU should breeze by Oakland and have some momentum into its next five straight home games.
Connor Smith (6-2)
Time to roll
Syracuse 80, Oakland 60
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Syracuse basketball versus Oakland odds, prediction and how to watch (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball went to Notre Dame last Saturday afternoon and scored a huge Atlantic Coast Conference triumph that snapped the Orange’s recent three-game setback streak.
Now the ‘Cuse moves back to its non-conference calendar, as the Orange prepares to host Horizon League member Oakland on Tuesday evening. The Golden Grizzlies (2-8), to date in the 2022-23 stanza, are struggling, as they have lost five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Syracuse basketball (4-4) got out of its funk over the weekend, with freshman point guard Judah Mintz hitting the game-winning layup with about 13 seconds to go in a 62-61 victory for the ‘Cuse.
In that ACC clash, senior guard Joe Girard III and senior center Jesse Edwards led the team’s charge. The Orange has a long way to go before it can begin to consider the possibility of post-season play, but the squad’s conquering of the Fighting Irish did represent the best win for the ‘Cuse at this juncture in 2022-23.
When Syracuse basketball and Oakland hit the court on Tuesday night, the two longest-tenured active head coaches in Division I men’s hoops will roam the sidelines for these two schools. The Orange, of course, is guided by head coach Jim Boeheim, while the Golden Grizzlies’ boss, Greg Kampe, is in his 39th year at the helm of Oakland.
Per ESPN statistics, the Golden Grizzlies do average 75.6 points per game on offense, which is better than the ‘Cuse. However, on defense, Oakland is not good, allowing a whopping 80.0 points per contest.
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Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: How Have Former Orange Transfers Fared This Season + Oakland Preview on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Matt Bonaparte and Owen Valentine discuss Syracuse Basketball's next opponent, Oakland. What are the keys to this game? What needs to be proven? What will the score be? Plus, a look at how former Syracuse players are fairing this season at the schools they transferred to. It's your Tuesday episode of Locked On Syracuse.
You can find episodes of the Locked On Syracuse podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy or wherever you get your podcasts. Please leave us a like and rating as we would leave to hear your feedback. Be sure to tell your friends if you enjoy the pod!
On The Block On Demand 12-5-22 (ESPN; radio; Axe)
On The Block On Demand 12-5-22
Posted on December 5, 2022 by jcapozzi • 0 CommentsBrent Axe discusses the two sides to Syracuse’s bid in the Pinstripe Bowl. Later, he reacts to Syracuse men’s basketball’s win over Notre Dame.
Newhouse At Night 12-5-22 (ESPN; radio; Newhouse at Night)
Bryce Gelman is joined by John Jastremski, host of the New York, New York podcast, to discuss MLB free agency, the NFL season, and the Knicks. Plus, Sam Reis and Adam Gotkin react to Syracuse men’s basketball’s win over Notre Dame.
Keeping Up With The 315 12-5-22 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Keeping Up With The 315 12-5-22
Posted on December 5, 2022 by jcapozzi • 0 CommentsBrian Higgins starts the show hearing a little bit from Syracuse men’s soccer Head Coach Ian McIntyre as the team prepares for the Final Four. Then, Brian gets into this weekend’s Syracuse men’s basketball win before struggling to give away tickets to the Oakland game tomorrow. Later, he reacts to the news that the Orange will play in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Men’s basketball: ACC Power Rankings for the week of December 5th (TNIAAM; Wall)
The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team is back in action and that means we’re bringing back our weekly ACC Power Rankings.
Don’t ask us to explain our ratings system- just be grateful that Fake Nunes Statistical Index staff has steady work after football season. When you look at the ACC standings and see eight teams with two losses or less, you might think the conference is off to a better start than last season, but it’s not. Sorry not sorry but this could be another rough one when we talk about building NCAA Tournament resumes
Now let’s get to this week’s rankings...
1) Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia is up to #3 in the polls but the big news is that they are averaging 74.9 points per game. Five Hoos are averaging in double-figures including 62-year old Kihei Clark.
2) Duke Blue Devils
Hey did you know Coach K retired? Don’t worry every Duke game will feature sound bites from Coach K’s podcast and blurbs from Coach K’s Substack that he writes from the office that doesn’t really connect to Duke’s basketball facilities.
3) Miami Hurricanes
All the talk this summer was about what Nigel Pack got in NIL money to come to Coral Gables, but Norchad Omier is leading the Canes in scoring and rebounding right now. Mario Cristobal might want to try him at QB next Fall.
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Syracuse legend Moten reflects on career, Orange future (mytwintiers.com; video)
A Syracuse basketball legend reflects on his storied past.
Sunday, Syracuse men’s basketball’s all-time scoring leader Lawrence Moten was a special guest at the annual Collectorfest Convention at the New York State Fairgrounds. Moten signed autographs, took photos with fans, and took a few minutes out of his schedule for an interview with 18 Sports.
Moten, who played at Syracuse from 1991-95, holds the Orange’s career scoring record at 2,334 points. Lawrence then went on to play in the NBA for three seasons with the Vancouver Grizzlies after being drafted in the second round of the draft at 36th overall.
Other
Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
Onondaga Lake’s remarkable transformation: Once a cesspool, now at its cleanest in 100 years (PS; Coin)
Charley Driscoll and his friends hung out near Onondaga Lake in the 1960s and 1970s, when the heavily polluted lake was a national embarrassment.
“The lake was a cesspool,” recalls Driscoll. “It was horrible. Every time the wind would blow, you could smell the sulfide coming up from the sediments.”
Back then, 165,000 pounds of toxic mercury permeated those sediments, lingered in high concentrations in the water and accumulated to hazardous levels in the flesh of fish. Sewage flowed into the lake during even moderate rains; tangled mats of algae that fed on the sewage bacteria decomposed, emitting a stench that wafted far beyond the lakeshore.
Finally, emboldened by the string of laws spawned by the environmental awakening of the 1970s, New York state and a tiny citizens group in Syracuse hauled polluters to federal court.
It worked.
More than 30 years and $1.5 billion later, Onondaga Lake is clean, or as clean as the deals brokered by corporate lawyers and government regulators required. Mercury has almost disappeared from the water, and each year fish contain less mercury in their bodies. There’s so little bacteria and algae in the water that Onondaga County might open a beach.
Today, the lake is cleaner than it has been in 100 years.
It’s a remarkable story: a cesspool turned community asset, transformed by citizen gumption and government authority. Together they held a corporation and a county accountable, and reversed a century of treating Syracuse’s shoreline as an aquatic dump.
Now you can see postcard views of the Syracuse skyline rising above the water: From the new amphitheater, from overlooks along the bike trail, from the west side boat launch near where mercury once spewed.
“It’s worlds better than the lake we had a decade ago,” said Dave Matthews, director of the nonprofit Upstate Freshwater Institute, in Syracuse, which has studied the lake’s water quality.
The lake bottom is among only a few hundred Superfund sites in the U.S. that have actually cleaned up since the law was passed in 1980. In some ways, it’s the most improbable. Nobody drinks the water from Onondaga Lake. There are plenty of other places nearby to swim or fish or kayak. And the lake is relatively tiny: Lake Erie, the smallest of the Great Lakes, holds 3,000 times more water.
The lake’s small size -- its surface is just over 5 square miles -- made it easier to pollute but also easier to clean up. The county’s Metro wastewater plant contributes 20% of the inflow to the lake, so modernizing that plant had an outsized impact on improving water quality. A homegrown technology helped slash mercury levels in the water but hasn’t caught on elsewhere because it’s too expensive for larger bodies of water.
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