sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Groundhog Day!
Taking place almost halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, Groundhog Day is an annual event when groundhogs are brought outside and are observed to see if they see their shadow or not. If they see their shadow, it is said that there will be six more weeks of winter. If they do not, it means the weather will be mild in the upcoming weeks, and spring will come early.
In the past, days with similar meanings and celebrations have been held on or around the same time. The Celts celebrated Imbolc, a religious festival that anticipated the coming of spring, the birth of farm animals, and the planting of crops. The Christian festival Candlemas takes place on the same day. Some European Christians believed that if it was sunny on the day it meant there would be forty more days of winter.
SU News
Beat writers split on whether Syracuse will defeat Boston College (DO; Staff)
Syracuse rebounded from a dreadful defensive showing against Virginia Tech by almost defeating its stronger in-state rival, Virginia. The Orange didn’t back down from Virginia, but they couldn’t escape empty trips to the free-throw line and inopportune turnovers late in the 67-62 loss.
But there’s still a chance for SU to bounce back, especially in its next two games. Syracuse heads to Boston College, who dropped four-straight games at the start of January, first. The Eagles are coming off their best win of the year, upsetting No. 20 Clemson 62-54.
Here’s what our beat writers expect to happen in Chestnut Hill on Saturday:
Anish Vasudevan (19-4)
Fly Eagles fly
Boston College 70, Syracuse 65
Both Connor and Anthony will tell you how this game is coming at the perfect time for Syracuse. That is true. But it’s also the perfect time for Boston College. The Eagles are coming off their strongest win of the year, an upset over No. 20 Clemson, and are currently in their strongest stretch of 2023.
Quinten Post wasn’t much of a factor the last time Syracuse faced BC since he was in his first game back after a foot injury kept him off the court for all of November and most of December. But Post has been playing his strongest basketball lately, scoring 29 points against Notre Dame earlier this month and will be a force in Syracuse’s zone against the foul-prone Jesse Edwards.
BC did a good job of shutting down Joe Girard III and Edwards for a portion of the last matchup between both sides, and following a strong defensive showing against the Tigers, it could do that again.
Connor Smith (20-3)
Time to bounce back
Syracuse 72, Boston College 65
Syracuse basketball has been in the news a lot this week and not because it’s been winning basketball games. Benny Williams took a “personal day” and didn’t show up to the JMA Wireless Dome for the game against No. 6 Virginia on Monday, creating further questions about his future with the team. Jim Boeheim then questioned a student reporter’s “attitude” when asked about it postgame, earning him a spot in the national news. And Jalen Hurts randomly showed up at the Dome for a Monday night Atlantic Coast Conference basketball game the day after clinching a Super Bowl bid.
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Opponent preview: What to know about 11-12 Boston College. (DO; Vasudevan)
Syracuse is desperate for a bounce-back game. After a complete defensive collapse against Virginia Tech and a close loss to Virginia, the Orange have struggled through their hardest stretch of conference play.
Now, SU has the chance to catch its breath against Boston College, who’s two spots below it in the Atlantic Coast Conference rankings. The Eagles are hot off a commanding win over ACC leader Clemson and they’ve won three out of their last four games.
Here’s everything to know about Boston College (11-12, 5-7 ACC) before the matchup:
BC exposed the issue Syracuse has had when Joe Girard III and Jesse Edwards aren’t clicking offensively. It takes a while for the Orange to get third or fourth options involved in the offense, which was the case at the end of December. It took exactly 10 minutes for SU to get its first lead of the game.
Benny Williams, who took a “personal day” during Syracuse’s last matchup, took advantage of BC’s defensive strategy, which was focused on Girard and Edwards. He didn’t hesitate to take open shots and even showed a presence on the boards which had been absent for the entire year. Boeheim said postgame that this was the version of Williams he had seen outside of the JMA Wireless Dome.
“Benny is the best player in practice. Every day, at the forward position,” Boeheim said. “He is our best forward and I’m going to stick with him,” Boeheim said.
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When SU honors McNamara’s No. 3 jersey, what number will Mintz wear? (Mike’s Mailbox) (PS; $; Waters)
Syracuse has retired the No. 44 – in football.
But what about basketball? Could some player eventually don the number that is so closely associated with Orange legends Derrick Coleman and John Wallace?
And what happens when Syracuse honors past greats Gerry McNamara and Hakim Warrick later this season?
That’s where we start in this week’s Mailbox.
As always, if you have any college basketball-related questions, please email to mwaters@syracuse.com.
Q: With Syracuse raising Nos. 1 and 3 to the rafters for Hakim Warrick and Gerry McNamara in March, what will this mean for Judah Mintz’s jersey for the remainder of the season? Will he finish the season wearing a retired number or will a change be made?
Kyle M.
Mike: Judah Mintz can continue to wear No. 3 even though a No. 3 banner will be hung in honor of Gerry McNamara when Syracuse plays Wake Forest on March 4.
And the same goes for Maliq Brown, who currently wears Hakim Warrick’s No. 1.
That’s because Syracuse does not retire numbers. The player is simply given the honor of having his jersey raised to the upper reaches of the Dome.
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Benny Williams is back at Syracuse basketball practice after taking personal time off (PS; Ditota)
Benny Williams returned to Syracuse practice today after taking some personal time off from the Orange basketball program.
Williams, a sophomore forward, did not play in the Orange men’s loss to Virginia on Monday. SU coach Jim Boeheim said afterward that Williams took “a personal day” and would be back with the team on Wednesday. SU did not practice Tuesday.
The Orange (13-10) plays Boston College (11-12) at 5 p.m. Saturday in Chestnut Hill. In the teams’ first meeting this season, SU beat BC 79-65 at the JMA Wireless Dome. On Tuesday night, the Eagles upset visiting Clemson 62-54 at their home Conte Forum.
Syracuse basketball, in top 5, has great shot to land prolific-scoring 4-star (itlh; Adler)
As I anticipated, fast-rising four-star small forward Marcus Adams Jr. from the west coast included Syracuse basketball in his top five on Wednesday.
Via social media, the 6-foot-8 Adams said his top five is the Orange, Texas, UCLA, Oregon and Mississippi State.
Only a few days ago, this soaring high-school prospect took an official visit to the Hill, during which time he attended the ‘Cuse home game against No. 6 Virginia (Syracuse basketball fell by five points in that Atlantic Coast Conference battle).
Adams, who has the option to be a member of either the 2023 or the 2024 class, has proven one of the hottest high-school players around the country of late. You can check out his latest statistics for the 2022-23 season by clicking here.
Offered a scholarship by the Orange in late December, Adams attends Nathaniel Narbonne High School in the Harbor City area of Los Angeles. In recent weeks, he has put forth games of 40 points and 50 points, among other strong showings.
Syracuse basketball is in the top five for four-star small forward Marcus Adams Jr.
Adams’ recruitment has blown up, with his offer sheet growing to around 15 lately, according to some media reports. His other contenders still in the running pose serious competition for the Orange.
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse...ts-syracuse-top-five-discusses-official-visit (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse basketball has been in hot pursuit of forward Marcus Adams out of Narbonne High in California. Adams can be part of the 2023 or 2024 classes and has not yet made a decision on which he will be choose. Adams released a top five of Syracuse, Texas, UCLA, Oregon and Mississippi State on Wednesday, just days after officially visiting the Orange.
"I liked the coaches," Adams said. "Coach Griffin gave us a tour around campus. It's a great campus. We all ate dinner together and was talking. They treated me like I'm part of the team already, which was cool. I loved the atmosphere in the Dome, it was a crazy atmosphere. Maybe if I'm thinking about it, I hope to play there soon."
Part of the visit was also Adams meeting with the Syracuse coaches to discuss his skill set, how he would be utilized and how he fits into their system.
"I'd be a multi-level scorer," Adams said. "I could go make an impact when it comes to scoring, athleticism, shooting and rebounding. I could make a big impact on that. Defense and rebounding too."
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Syracuse Orange news: 5-star PG target on a tear, OL high on ‘Cuse, more (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse Orange basketball recruiting target Boogie Fland has produced some massive numbers lately for his high-school team in New York state.
Per a recent tweet from high-school hoops analyst Alex Karamanos, the 6-foot-3 Fland posted 28 points, eight rebounds and three assists in a game that his squad won on Friday night. Over the past few games, according to Karamanos, Fland is averaging nearly 30 points per encounter, which is extremely impressive.
Fland is a five-star point guard in the 2024 class. Several recruiting services rate him as the No. 1 point guard across the country in the junior cycle, and he’s also a top-10 national prospect.
A standout for Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, N.Y., Fland suits up for the Bronx, N.Y.-based PSA Cardinals in Nike’s EYBL league on the AAU circuit.
Syracuse Orange basketball coaches offered a scholarship to Fland last month. As I first reported, he has also recently received a major NIL offer from businessman, philanthropist and top SU booster Adam Weitsman.
Throughout his recruiting process, Fland has landed around 30 offers from teams such as Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Villanova, UCLA, UConn, Oregon, Indiana, LSU, Auburn, Michigan, Illinois, Maryland, Miami, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John’s, TCU, Virginia Tech, Georgetown, Louisville, Florida and Oklahoma, among others.
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Late-game miscues sink the Orange again, and a look ahead to the 2023 football season (youtube; podcast; Orange Zone)
Slow starts and miscue-filled finishes continue to plague Syracuse men's basketball and it's shown over the course of a three-game losing streak. On this week's episode of "The Orange Zone Podcast", presented by Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux, Tommy Sladek and Samantha Croston touch on the scenes postgame and head coach Jim Boeheim's response to a question every media member at the game had from tip off (00:00-06:00). The team then welcomes back SU legend Lawrence "Poetry in Moten" Moten to discuss the trends he saw continue in the Orange's loss to Virginia (06:00-17:57) what it means for the team's upcoming game against Boston College and their chances to make the NCAA Tournament field (17:58-23:40) and the state of SU's trademark zone defense (23:41-26:55). Meanwhile the team asks if they're seeing parallels from where the men stand in comparison to the women's basketball program as the home stretch of the season approaches (26:46-29:22).
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On The Block On Demand 2-1-23 (ESPN; radio; Axe)
Brent Axe is here to ponder if this Syracuse basketball team has another run in them down the stretch like last season. Plus, Syracuse callers are not happy with Head Coach Jim Boeheim.
Mike McAllister "On The Block" 2-1-23 (ESNP; radio; Axe)
Mike McAllister joins Brent Axe to give an update on the football and basketball recruiting trail, plus some NFL talk with his Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.
Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: Bones' Last Episode! Boeheim, Recruiting, and More... on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Matt Bonaparte and Owen Valentine discuss a multitude of topics on Bones' final episode. Should Boeheim stick around? Does Syracuse have a chance at Marcus Adams? That and more on your Thursday edition of Locked on Syracuse.
Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: MAILBAG: Syracuse Football Schedule + Impact Of Quincy Guerrier Not Transferring on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Owen Valentine takes to Twitter to answer your questions surrounding Syracuse Athletics. There's a look at the Syracuse Football Schedule, Judah NBA talk and a hypothetical lineup that could have made a big impact last year. It's your Locked On Syracuse Wednesday.
Syracuse men’s basketball: a January to forget for the Orange (TNIAAM; Wall)
Thankfully for the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team, the month of January is over.
During the 1st month of 2023, Syracuse had a 4-5 record- 2-2 at home and 2-3 on the road. The Orange had won 9 of 11 and we thought that maybe they would find a way to get back into NCAA Tournament discussion.
Since then, Syracuse has been able to only win 1 of the last 5 and now the question isn’t about getting back in the bubble, but it might be can the Orange avoid a second straight losing season?
Where has it gone wrong for the Orange? Well just like last season, the defense has failed the Orange. Opponents averaged 20 assists per game in January, while the Syracuse zone (and press) only forced 11 turnovers. Every Syracuse rotation player has a defensive rating over 100 in ACC play, which means that conference opponents are scoring over a point per possession. It’s also telling that Joe Girard, Judah Mintz, Benny Williams, Justin Taylor, Symir Torrence and Chris Bell all have defensive ratings of 108.5 or higher. The Orange are simply getting cooked on the perimeter no matter who is on the floor.
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Late-game mistakes show Syracuse's ‘big time shotmakers’ aren't being utilized (DO; Alandt)
Syracuse nearly did it. It nearly pulled off what would have been a major upset.
In a game against Miami two weeks ago, it was a turnover committed by Judah Mintz that gave the Hurricanes the chance to close out a last-second win. In the final moments facing North Carolina last week, it was a rebound and putback from Pete Nance that the Orange couldn’t stop off of a missed free throw. Then, on Monday night, it started with allowing another offensive rebound.
Ben Vander Plas faked out Jesse Edwards at the free throw line and got the center to jump past him. Vander Plas then drove down the lane and went up and under Maliq Brown for the layup attempt.
He missed, catalyzed by too much force from Brown going straight up at the rim. Justin Taylor swiped at the loose ball and missed and so did Joe Girard III. Vander Plas leapt back into position to regain the rebound and passed it out to Armaan Franklin, drawing Mintz out of position and leaving Kihei Clark wide open at the top of the key. Had Vander Plas made the initial layup, Virginia would’ve led 61-58. Had Syracuse corralled the defensive board, it’d only be down by one. Instead, Clark drained the wide open 3-pointer to extend Virginia’s lead to four points.
“I think we’ve struggled this year winning those close games. It hurts,” SU forward Chris Bell said.
Head coach Jim Boeheim can scoff at the question in postgame press conferences. Taylor can claim that “it’s just basketball,” but the fact remains that the Orange’s inability to close out games in the final few minutes has cost them multiple wins this season. Instead of Syracuse (13-10, 6-6 Atlantic Coast) competing for an NCAA Tournament spot as February hits, it sits near the bottom of the conference.
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Syracuse’s forward positions remain in flux with Benny Williams’ absence (DO; Smith)
Syracuse had just finished one of its biggest games of the season, nearly upsetting the nation’s sixth ranked team. But the first question Jim Boeheim received in his postgame press conference had nothing to do with what had just unfolded on the court.
That was because Benny Williams, who had started all but two games entering Monday, was absent from the JMA Wireless Dome. He wasn’t there for pregame warmups, nor for the game itself against Virginia. Williams wasn’t in the locker room afterwards either. Once seen as a candidate for a breakout season, Williams has seen his minutes diminished, only recording seven minutes against Virginia Tech on Saturday after starting on the bench for the first time all season.
Boeheim wasn’t happy with the question. “That’s the most important question you have?” he asked the reporter, before announcing that Williams had taken a “personal day” and would be back at practice Wednesday.
Williams’ season, and Syracuse’s season as a whole, has been an up-and-down one. The Orange dropped their third straight game, 67-62, against No. 6 Virginia on Monday, missing out on another opportunity for a marquee win that has eluded them as they drift further and further from the NCAA Tournament picture.
Williams sat alone, his hoodie pulled above his head, in the SU locker room after recording only 11 minutes against Notre Dame on January 14. Two days later, he bounced back with 12 points in 30 minutes against Miami. Boeheim said Saturday that Williams has been struggling in practice recently, and Maliq Brown started in his place against VT. His absence Monday sent the status of Syracuse’s forward positions further into flux, with Brown starting again, Chris Bell only receiving nine minutes and Justin Taylor shooting 2-for-6. What the future looks like for Williams, and SU’s forwards, still remains unclear.
“Obviously, it hurts not having one of our main guys with us,” Taylor said. “But we’re still a team, we’re still playing together. And no matter what happens, we’re still playing as a team and trying to get the win.”
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Jim Boeheim Is Officially Embarrassing Syracuse’s Program (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)
Jim Boeheim has been short with his answers in postgame pressers before. For better or worse, it’s something he’s known for. After Virginia finished off its season sweep of Syracuse Monday night, SU’s head man might’ve broken his own record for surliness-to-words ratio.
On his team hitting 11-of-18 free throws: “The free throws really hurt. 3-for-15. I think I mentioned that.” (Incorrectly, it should be noted.)
On Virginia guard Kihei Clark, who scored 12 and had 10 assists: “He’s really good. Okay?”
When pressed again on Clark: “It’s not him, they’re [Virginia] all good.”
Stat gaffes and grumpiness aside, it was Boeheim’s latest interaction with a student reporter that earned the program fresh embarrassment. Pregame reports that Benny Williams was not in attendance in the Dome prompted Boeheim to explain he would address the situation after the game. But postgame, Boeheim attacked a student for their “attitude” when asking that exact question.
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Axe: Nobody is cheering Jim Boeheim on after his latest press conference antics (PS; $; Axe)
Whether Jim Boeheim cares or not, the Syracuse basketball head coach should know his latest petulant pushback on a reporter’s inquiry isn’t playing well beyond his Orange bubble.
A quick recap for those who haven’t taken in the latest Boeheim blast.
Boeheim was asked on Monday after SU’s 67-62 loss to Virginia why sophomore forward Benny Williams wasn’t in the JMA Wireless Dome for the game.
No reason was given to the media for Williams’ mysterious absence before the game. The school referred questions to Boeheim, saying the coach would address it at his postgame press conference.
Boeheim didn’t address Williams in his opening statement, then took the first question from reporters.
“Coach, what’s the status on Benny Williams?”
Boeheim’s annoyance level hit 11 immediately off the opening inquiry.
“Is that your question?” Boeheim said. “Is that the most important question you have?”
The reporter responded: “He was not on the court today.”
Boeheim: “Is that your most important question here?”
Reporter: “I’m just curious. He wasn’t on the court today.”
After a short pause and a stare down, Boeheim took one more jab: “Your attitude isn’t really good either.”
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Reliving 2003: Crowd rushes the Carrier Dome court twice as SU denies Pitt No. 1 in the polls (PS; Croyle)
Editor’s note: In a season-long celebration of the 20th anniversary of Syracuse basketball’s 2003 NCAA championship, Syracuse.com will relive the journey by republishing the game stories that ran in the Post-Standard through the title game victory vs. Kansas in New Orleans.
PITT STOPPED
WHAT A MCNIGHT FOR MCNEIL
By Mike Waters Staff writer
The celebration started. And stopped. Then it started again. And stopped again.
Finally, the largest crowd to witness a college basketball game in the country this season could celebrate Syracuse’s 67-65 victory over No. 2-ranked Pittsburgh at the Carrier Dome Saturday night.
The crowd first rushed the court after the clock ran out as Pittsburgh’s Carl Krauser fumbled away an inbounds pass following Jeremy McNeil’s tip-in of Gerry McNamara’s driving left-handed shot.
But the referees, after viewing the television replay, decided Krauser had called timeout with 0.8 seconds remaining. A horde of orange-clad crazies had to be ushered, pushed and shoved off the court.
Hakim Warrick reacts after dunking the ball in the second half against Pittsburgh on Feb. 1, 2003 at the Carrier Dome.
Pittsburgh’s Jaron Brown threw a pass to Brandin Knight, who was just over halfcourt. As the 6-foot Knight turned, he was met by Syracuse’s 6-8 forward Carmelo Anthony. Knight hesitated for just an instant and then let loose a 40-foot heave.
The ball hit nothing but net, but the crowd charged the court anyway. Knight’s shot seemed to have come after the final buzzer.
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/basketball/bleav-in-syracuse-episode-65 (SI; podcast; Bleav)
Bleav in Syracuse podcast episode 65, presented by Bet Online and Hofmann Sausage Company, is out! Mike McAllister, Josh Crawford, Emily Shiroff and Sammy St. Jean discuss Syracuse soccer news, the state of Syracuse men's and women's basketball, Jim Boeheim's Virginia postgame press conference, and expectations for Orange men's and women's lacrosse. You can subscribe and listen on your favorite podcasting platforms as linked below.
Apple Podcasts: LINK
Stitcher: LINK
Tune-In: LINK
Google Podcasts: LINK
iHeart Radio: LINK
Spotify: LINK
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Louisville-Georgia Tech preview: Battle for the bottom in the ACC (cardchronicle.com; Rutherford)
Louisville Cardinals (2-19, 0-10) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-13, 1-10)
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Location: KFC Yum Center: Louisville, Ky.
Television: Regional Sports Networks (Bally Sports South in Louisville)
Announcers: Tom Werme (play-by-play) and Mike Gminski (analyst)
Favorite: Georgia Tech by 2
Series: Louisville leads, 25-14
Last Meeting: Louisville won 84-74 on March 8, 2022 in the first round of the ACC tournament in Brooklyn
Series History:
Probable Starting Lineups:
Louisville
Other
The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters plans to triple the size of its carpenter training center off Buckley Road in Salina. (Google Maps)
With Micron coming, carpenters union announces $4M expansion of Salina training center (PS; Moriarty)
The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters has decided to triple the size of its Syracuse-area training center to meet an anticipated surge in demand for carpenters when Micron Technology begins building a giant computer chip fabrication plant in Clay.
The council announced plans Tuesday for a $3.6 million addition to the union’s training center off Buckley Road in Salina. The addition will bring the center, opened in 2018, from 6,000 square feet to 18,000 square feet.
Construction is scheduled to start this summer and take 10 to 18 months to complete.
The addition will feature 28-foot ceilings for training on how to erect scaffolding and rigging and build high concrete walls. It also will contain space to train carpenters on how to build and work inside clean rooms, the ultra-clean facilities that semiconductor makers like Micron use to fabricate their chips.
In addition to training carpenters, the center will train millwrights, who install and maintain industrial machinery and mechanical equipment.
Jim Mason, the council’s Central New York team lead and president of Carpenters Local 277, said the union had been planning to double the size of the center, partly in anticipation of the need for more carpenters as a result of the upcoming removal of Interstate 81 through downtown Syracuse.
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Taking place almost halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, Groundhog Day is an annual event when groundhogs are brought outside and are observed to see if they see their shadow or not. If they see their shadow, it is said that there will be six more weeks of winter. If they do not, it means the weather will be mild in the upcoming weeks, and spring will come early.
In the past, days with similar meanings and celebrations have been held on or around the same time. The Celts celebrated Imbolc, a religious festival that anticipated the coming of spring, the birth of farm animals, and the planting of crops. The Christian festival Candlemas takes place on the same day. Some European Christians believed that if it was sunny on the day it meant there would be forty more days of winter.
SU News
Beat writers split on whether Syracuse will defeat Boston College (DO; Staff)
Syracuse rebounded from a dreadful defensive showing against Virginia Tech by almost defeating its stronger in-state rival, Virginia. The Orange didn’t back down from Virginia, but they couldn’t escape empty trips to the free-throw line and inopportune turnovers late in the 67-62 loss.
But there’s still a chance for SU to bounce back, especially in its next two games. Syracuse heads to Boston College, who dropped four-straight games at the start of January, first. The Eagles are coming off their best win of the year, upsetting No. 20 Clemson 62-54.
Here’s what our beat writers expect to happen in Chestnut Hill on Saturday:
Anish Vasudevan (19-4)
Fly Eagles fly
Boston College 70, Syracuse 65
Both Connor and Anthony will tell you how this game is coming at the perfect time for Syracuse. That is true. But it’s also the perfect time for Boston College. The Eagles are coming off their strongest win of the year, an upset over No. 20 Clemson, and are currently in their strongest stretch of 2023.
Quinten Post wasn’t much of a factor the last time Syracuse faced BC since he was in his first game back after a foot injury kept him off the court for all of November and most of December. But Post has been playing his strongest basketball lately, scoring 29 points against Notre Dame earlier this month and will be a force in Syracuse’s zone against the foul-prone Jesse Edwards.
BC did a good job of shutting down Joe Girard III and Edwards for a portion of the last matchup between both sides, and following a strong defensive showing against the Tigers, it could do that again.
Connor Smith (20-3)
Time to bounce back
Syracuse 72, Boston College 65
Syracuse basketball has been in the news a lot this week and not because it’s been winning basketball games. Benny Williams took a “personal day” and didn’t show up to the JMA Wireless Dome for the game against No. 6 Virginia on Monday, creating further questions about his future with the team. Jim Boeheim then questioned a student reporter’s “attitude” when asked about it postgame, earning him a spot in the national news. And Jalen Hurts randomly showed up at the Dome for a Monday night Atlantic Coast Conference basketball game the day after clinching a Super Bowl bid.
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Opponent preview: What to know about 11-12 Boston College. (DO; Vasudevan)
Syracuse is desperate for a bounce-back game. After a complete defensive collapse against Virginia Tech and a close loss to Virginia, the Orange have struggled through their hardest stretch of conference play.
Now, SU has the chance to catch its breath against Boston College, who’s two spots below it in the Atlantic Coast Conference rankings. The Eagles are hot off a commanding win over ACC leader Clemson and they’ve won three out of their last four games.
Here’s everything to know about Boston College (11-12, 5-7 ACC) before the matchup:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 56-26.KenPom Odds
Syracuse has a 59% chance of winning with a projected score of 70-67.Last time they played
In the final hours of 2022, the same script from most of Syracuse’s games throughout the early season wrote itself again. The Orange fell behind early to a worse Eagles’ squad, but they came back and put the game away by the final 10 minutes of the second half.BC exposed the issue Syracuse has had when Joe Girard III and Jesse Edwards aren’t clicking offensively. It takes a while for the Orange to get third or fourth options involved in the offense, which was the case at the end of December. It took exactly 10 minutes for SU to get its first lead of the game.
Benny Williams, who took a “personal day” during Syracuse’s last matchup, took advantage of BC’s defensive strategy, which was focused on Girard and Edwards. He didn’t hesitate to take open shots and even showed a presence on the boards which had been absent for the entire year. Boeheim said postgame that this was the version of Williams he had seen outside of the JMA Wireless Dome.
“Benny is the best player in practice. Every day, at the forward position,” Boeheim said. “He is our best forward and I’m going to stick with him,” Boeheim said.
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When SU honors McNamara’s No. 3 jersey, what number will Mintz wear? (Mike’s Mailbox) (PS; $; Waters)
Syracuse has retired the No. 44 – in football.
But what about basketball? Could some player eventually don the number that is so closely associated with Orange legends Derrick Coleman and John Wallace?
And what happens when Syracuse honors past greats Gerry McNamara and Hakim Warrick later this season?
That’s where we start in this week’s Mailbox.
As always, if you have any college basketball-related questions, please email to mwaters@syracuse.com.
Q: With Syracuse raising Nos. 1 and 3 to the rafters for Hakim Warrick and Gerry McNamara in March, what will this mean for Judah Mintz’s jersey for the remainder of the season? Will he finish the season wearing a retired number or will a change be made?
Kyle M.
Mike: Judah Mintz can continue to wear No. 3 even though a No. 3 banner will be hung in honor of Gerry McNamara when Syracuse plays Wake Forest on March 4.
And the same goes for Maliq Brown, who currently wears Hakim Warrick’s No. 1.
That’s because Syracuse does not retire numbers. The player is simply given the honor of having his jersey raised to the upper reaches of the Dome.
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Benny Williams is back at Syracuse basketball practice after taking personal time off (PS; Ditota)
Benny Williams returned to Syracuse practice today after taking some personal time off from the Orange basketball program.
Williams, a sophomore forward, did not play in the Orange men’s loss to Virginia on Monday. SU coach Jim Boeheim said afterward that Williams took “a personal day” and would be back with the team on Wednesday. SU did not practice Tuesday.
The Orange (13-10) plays Boston College (11-12) at 5 p.m. Saturday in Chestnut Hill. In the teams’ first meeting this season, SU beat BC 79-65 at the JMA Wireless Dome. On Tuesday night, the Eagles upset visiting Clemson 62-54 at their home Conte Forum.
Syracuse basketball, in top 5, has great shot to land prolific-scoring 4-star (itlh; Adler)
As I anticipated, fast-rising four-star small forward Marcus Adams Jr. from the west coast included Syracuse basketball in his top five on Wednesday.
Via social media, the 6-foot-8 Adams said his top five is the Orange, Texas, UCLA, Oregon and Mississippi State.
Only a few days ago, this soaring high-school prospect took an official visit to the Hill, during which time he attended the ‘Cuse home game against No. 6 Virginia (Syracuse basketball fell by five points in that Atlantic Coast Conference battle).
Adams, who has the option to be a member of either the 2023 or the 2024 class, has proven one of the hottest high-school players around the country of late. You can check out his latest statistics for the 2022-23 season by clicking here.
Offered a scholarship by the Orange in late December, Adams attends Nathaniel Narbonne High School in the Harbor City area of Los Angeles. In recent weeks, he has put forth games of 40 points and 50 points, among other strong showings.
Syracuse basketball is in the top five for four-star small forward Marcus Adams Jr.
Adams’ recruitment has blown up, with his offer sheet growing to around 15 lately, according to some media reports. His other contenders still in the running pose serious competition for the Orange.
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse...ts-syracuse-top-five-discusses-official-visit (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse basketball has been in hot pursuit of forward Marcus Adams out of Narbonne High in California. Adams can be part of the 2023 or 2024 classes and has not yet made a decision on which he will be choose. Adams released a top five of Syracuse, Texas, UCLA, Oregon and Mississippi State on Wednesday, just days after officially visiting the Orange.
"I liked the coaches," Adams said. "Coach Griffin gave us a tour around campus. It's a great campus. We all ate dinner together and was talking. They treated me like I'm part of the team already, which was cool. I loved the atmosphere in the Dome, it was a crazy atmosphere. Maybe if I'm thinking about it, I hope to play there soon."
Part of the visit was also Adams meeting with the Syracuse coaches to discuss his skill set, how he would be utilized and how he fits into their system.
"I'd be a multi-level scorer," Adams said. "I could go make an impact when it comes to scoring, athleticism, shooting and rebounding. I could make a big impact on that. Defense and rebounding too."
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Syracuse Orange news: 5-star PG target on a tear, OL high on ‘Cuse, more (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse Orange basketball recruiting target Boogie Fland has produced some massive numbers lately for his high-school team in New York state.
Per a recent tweet from high-school hoops analyst Alex Karamanos, the 6-foot-3 Fland posted 28 points, eight rebounds and three assists in a game that his squad won on Friday night. Over the past few games, according to Karamanos, Fland is averaging nearly 30 points per encounter, which is extremely impressive.
Fland is a five-star point guard in the 2024 class. Several recruiting services rate him as the No. 1 point guard across the country in the junior cycle, and he’s also a top-10 national prospect.
A standout for Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, N.Y., Fland suits up for the Bronx, N.Y.-based PSA Cardinals in Nike’s EYBL league on the AAU circuit.
Syracuse Orange basketball coaches offered a scholarship to Fland last month. As I first reported, he has also recently received a major NIL offer from businessman, philanthropist and top SU booster Adam Weitsman.
Throughout his recruiting process, Fland has landed around 30 offers from teams such as Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Villanova, UCLA, UConn, Oregon, Indiana, LSU, Auburn, Michigan, Illinois, Maryland, Miami, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John’s, TCU, Virginia Tech, Georgetown, Louisville, Florida and Oklahoma, among others.
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Late-game miscues sink the Orange again, and a look ahead to the 2023 football season (youtube; podcast; Orange Zone)
Slow starts and miscue-filled finishes continue to plague Syracuse men's basketball and it's shown over the course of a three-game losing streak. On this week's episode of "The Orange Zone Podcast", presented by Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux, Tommy Sladek and Samantha Croston touch on the scenes postgame and head coach Jim Boeheim's response to a question every media member at the game had from tip off (00:00-06:00). The team then welcomes back SU legend Lawrence "Poetry in Moten" Moten to discuss the trends he saw continue in the Orange's loss to Virginia (06:00-17:57) what it means for the team's upcoming game against Boston College and their chances to make the NCAA Tournament field (17:58-23:40) and the state of SU's trademark zone defense (23:41-26:55). Meanwhile the team asks if they're seeing parallels from where the men stand in comparison to the women's basketball program as the home stretch of the season approaches (26:46-29:22).
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On The Block On Demand 2-1-23 (ESPN; radio; Axe)
Brent Axe is here to ponder if this Syracuse basketball team has another run in them down the stretch like last season. Plus, Syracuse callers are not happy with Head Coach Jim Boeheim.
Mike McAllister "On The Block" 2-1-23 (ESNP; radio; Axe)
Mike McAllister joins Brent Axe to give an update on the football and basketball recruiting trail, plus some NFL talk with his Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.
Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: Bones' Last Episode! Boeheim, Recruiting, and More... on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Matt Bonaparte and Owen Valentine discuss a multitude of topics on Bones' final episode. Should Boeheim stick around? Does Syracuse have a chance at Marcus Adams? That and more on your Thursday edition of Locked on Syracuse.
Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: MAILBAG: Syracuse Football Schedule + Impact Of Quincy Guerrier Not Transferring on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Owen Valentine takes to Twitter to answer your questions surrounding Syracuse Athletics. There's a look at the Syracuse Football Schedule, Judah NBA talk and a hypothetical lineup that could have made a big impact last year. It's your Locked On Syracuse Wednesday.
Syracuse men’s basketball: a January to forget for the Orange (TNIAAM; Wall)
Thankfully for the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team, the month of January is over.
During the 1st month of 2023, Syracuse had a 4-5 record- 2-2 at home and 2-3 on the road. The Orange had won 9 of 11 and we thought that maybe they would find a way to get back into NCAA Tournament discussion.
Since then, Syracuse has been able to only win 1 of the last 5 and now the question isn’t about getting back in the bubble, but it might be can the Orange avoid a second straight losing season?
Where has it gone wrong for the Orange? Well just like last season, the defense has failed the Orange. Opponents averaged 20 assists per game in January, while the Syracuse zone (and press) only forced 11 turnovers. Every Syracuse rotation player has a defensive rating over 100 in ACC play, which means that conference opponents are scoring over a point per possession. It’s also telling that Joe Girard, Judah Mintz, Benny Williams, Justin Taylor, Symir Torrence and Chris Bell all have defensive ratings of 108.5 or higher. The Orange are simply getting cooked on the perimeter no matter who is on the floor.
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Late-game mistakes show Syracuse's ‘big time shotmakers’ aren't being utilized (DO; Alandt)
Syracuse nearly did it. It nearly pulled off what would have been a major upset.
In a game against Miami two weeks ago, it was a turnover committed by Judah Mintz that gave the Hurricanes the chance to close out a last-second win. In the final moments facing North Carolina last week, it was a rebound and putback from Pete Nance that the Orange couldn’t stop off of a missed free throw. Then, on Monday night, it started with allowing another offensive rebound.
Ben Vander Plas faked out Jesse Edwards at the free throw line and got the center to jump past him. Vander Plas then drove down the lane and went up and under Maliq Brown for the layup attempt.
He missed, catalyzed by too much force from Brown going straight up at the rim. Justin Taylor swiped at the loose ball and missed and so did Joe Girard III. Vander Plas leapt back into position to regain the rebound and passed it out to Armaan Franklin, drawing Mintz out of position and leaving Kihei Clark wide open at the top of the key. Had Vander Plas made the initial layup, Virginia would’ve led 61-58. Had Syracuse corralled the defensive board, it’d only be down by one. Instead, Clark drained the wide open 3-pointer to extend Virginia’s lead to four points.
“I think we’ve struggled this year winning those close games. It hurts,” SU forward Chris Bell said.
Head coach Jim Boeheim can scoff at the question in postgame press conferences. Taylor can claim that “it’s just basketball,” but the fact remains that the Orange’s inability to close out games in the final few minutes has cost them multiple wins this season. Instead of Syracuse (13-10, 6-6 Atlantic Coast) competing for an NCAA Tournament spot as February hits, it sits near the bottom of the conference.
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Syracuse’s forward positions remain in flux with Benny Williams’ absence (DO; Smith)
Syracuse had just finished one of its biggest games of the season, nearly upsetting the nation’s sixth ranked team. But the first question Jim Boeheim received in his postgame press conference had nothing to do with what had just unfolded on the court.
That was because Benny Williams, who had started all but two games entering Monday, was absent from the JMA Wireless Dome. He wasn’t there for pregame warmups, nor for the game itself against Virginia. Williams wasn’t in the locker room afterwards either. Once seen as a candidate for a breakout season, Williams has seen his minutes diminished, only recording seven minutes against Virginia Tech on Saturday after starting on the bench for the first time all season.
Boeheim wasn’t happy with the question. “That’s the most important question you have?” he asked the reporter, before announcing that Williams had taken a “personal day” and would be back at practice Wednesday.
Williams’ season, and Syracuse’s season as a whole, has been an up-and-down one. The Orange dropped their third straight game, 67-62, against No. 6 Virginia on Monday, missing out on another opportunity for a marquee win that has eluded them as they drift further and further from the NCAA Tournament picture.
Williams sat alone, his hoodie pulled above his head, in the SU locker room after recording only 11 minutes against Notre Dame on January 14. Two days later, he bounced back with 12 points in 30 minutes against Miami. Boeheim said Saturday that Williams has been struggling in practice recently, and Maliq Brown started in his place against VT. His absence Monday sent the status of Syracuse’s forward positions further into flux, with Brown starting again, Chris Bell only receiving nine minutes and Justin Taylor shooting 2-for-6. What the future looks like for Williams, and SU’s forwards, still remains unclear.
“Obviously, it hurts not having one of our main guys with us,” Taylor said. “But we’re still a team, we’re still playing together. And no matter what happens, we’re still playing as a team and trying to get the win.”
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Jim Boeheim Is Officially Embarrassing Syracuse’s Program (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)
Jim Boeheim has been short with his answers in postgame pressers before. For better or worse, it’s something he’s known for. After Virginia finished off its season sweep of Syracuse Monday night, SU’s head man might’ve broken his own record for surliness-to-words ratio.
On his team hitting 11-of-18 free throws: “The free throws really hurt. 3-for-15. I think I mentioned that.” (Incorrectly, it should be noted.)
On Virginia guard Kihei Clark, who scored 12 and had 10 assists: “He’s really good. Okay?”
When pressed again on Clark: “It’s not him, they’re [Virginia] all good.”
Stat gaffes and grumpiness aside, it was Boeheim’s latest interaction with a student reporter that earned the program fresh embarrassment. Pregame reports that Benny Williams was not in attendance in the Dome prompted Boeheim to explain he would address the situation after the game. But postgame, Boeheim attacked a student for their “attitude” when asking that exact question.
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Axe: Nobody is cheering Jim Boeheim on after his latest press conference antics (PS; $; Axe)
Whether Jim Boeheim cares or not, the Syracuse basketball head coach should know his latest petulant pushback on a reporter’s inquiry isn’t playing well beyond his Orange bubble.
A quick recap for those who haven’t taken in the latest Boeheim blast.
Boeheim was asked on Monday after SU’s 67-62 loss to Virginia why sophomore forward Benny Williams wasn’t in the JMA Wireless Dome for the game.
No reason was given to the media for Williams’ mysterious absence before the game. The school referred questions to Boeheim, saying the coach would address it at his postgame press conference.
Boeheim didn’t address Williams in his opening statement, then took the first question from reporters.
“Coach, what’s the status on Benny Williams?”
Boeheim’s annoyance level hit 11 immediately off the opening inquiry.
“Is that your question?” Boeheim said. “Is that the most important question you have?”
The reporter responded: “He was not on the court today.”
Boeheim: “Is that your most important question here?”
Reporter: “I’m just curious. He wasn’t on the court today.”
After a short pause and a stare down, Boeheim took one more jab: “Your attitude isn’t really good either.”
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Reliving 2003: Crowd rushes the Carrier Dome court twice as SU denies Pitt No. 1 in the polls (PS; Croyle)
Editor’s note: In a season-long celebration of the 20th anniversary of Syracuse basketball’s 2003 NCAA championship, Syracuse.com will relive the journey by republishing the game stories that ran in the Post-Standard through the title game victory vs. Kansas in New Orleans.
PITT STOPPED
WHAT A MCNIGHT FOR MCNEIL
By Mike Waters Staff writer
The celebration started. And stopped. Then it started again. And stopped again.
Finally, the largest crowd to witness a college basketball game in the country this season could celebrate Syracuse’s 67-65 victory over No. 2-ranked Pittsburgh at the Carrier Dome Saturday night.
The crowd first rushed the court after the clock ran out as Pittsburgh’s Carl Krauser fumbled away an inbounds pass following Jeremy McNeil’s tip-in of Gerry McNamara’s driving left-handed shot.
But the referees, after viewing the television replay, decided Krauser had called timeout with 0.8 seconds remaining. A horde of orange-clad crazies had to be ushered, pushed and shoved off the court.
Hakim Warrick reacts after dunking the ball in the second half against Pittsburgh on Feb. 1, 2003 at the Carrier Dome.
Pittsburgh’s Jaron Brown threw a pass to Brandin Knight, who was just over halfcourt. As the 6-foot Knight turned, he was met by Syracuse’s 6-8 forward Carmelo Anthony. Knight hesitated for just an instant and then let loose a 40-foot heave.
The ball hit nothing but net, but the crowd charged the court anyway. Knight’s shot seemed to have come after the final buzzer.
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/basketball/bleav-in-syracuse-episode-65 (SI; podcast; Bleav)
Bleav in Syracuse podcast episode 65, presented by Bet Online and Hofmann Sausage Company, is out! Mike McAllister, Josh Crawford, Emily Shiroff and Sammy St. Jean discuss Syracuse soccer news, the state of Syracuse men's and women's basketball, Jim Boeheim's Virginia postgame press conference, and expectations for Orange men's and women's lacrosse. You can subscribe and listen on your favorite podcasting platforms as linked below.
Apple Podcasts: LINK
Stitcher: LINK
Tune-In: LINK
Google Podcasts: LINK
iHeart Radio: LINK
Spotify: LINK
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Louisville-Georgia Tech preview: Battle for the bottom in the ACC (cardchronicle.com; Rutherford)
Louisville Cardinals (2-19, 0-10) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-13, 1-10)
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Location: KFC Yum Center: Louisville, Ky.
Television: Regional Sports Networks (Bally Sports South in Louisville)
Announcers: Tom Werme (play-by-play) and Mike Gminski (analyst)
Favorite: Georgia Tech by 2
Series: Louisville leads, 25-14
Last Meeting: Louisville won 84-74 on March 8, 2022 in the first round of the ACC tournament in Brooklyn
Series History:
Probable Starting Lineups:
Louisville
- G El Ellis (6-3, 180, Sr.)
- G/ Mike James (6-5, 215, R-Fr.)
- Kamari Lands (6-8, 220, Fr.)
- Jae’Lyn Withers (6-9, 220, R-Jr.)
- Sydney Curry (6-8, 270, Sr.)
- G Deivon Smith (6-1, 176, Jr.)
- G Miles Kelly (6-6, 175, So.)
- G Dallan ‘Deebo’ Coleman (6-6, 218, So.)
- Jalon Moore (6-7, 209, So.)
- C Rodney Howard (6-11, 256, Sr.)
Other
The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters plans to triple the size of its carpenter training center off Buckley Road in Salina. (Google Maps)
With Micron coming, carpenters union announces $4M expansion of Salina training center (PS; Moriarty)
The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters has decided to triple the size of its Syracuse-area training center to meet an anticipated surge in demand for carpenters when Micron Technology begins building a giant computer chip fabrication plant in Clay.
The council announced plans Tuesday for a $3.6 million addition to the union’s training center off Buckley Road in Salina. The addition will bring the center, opened in 2018, from 6,000 square feet to 18,000 square feet.
Construction is scheduled to start this summer and take 10 to 18 months to complete.
The addition will feature 28-foot ceilings for training on how to erect scaffolding and rigging and build high concrete walls. It also will contain space to train carpenters on how to build and work inside clean rooms, the ultra-clean facilities that semiconductor makers like Micron use to fabricate their chips.
In addition to training carpenters, the center will train millwrights, who install and maintain industrial machinery and mechanical equipment.
Jim Mason, the council’s Central New York team lead and president of Carpenters Local 277, said the union had been planning to double the size of the center, partly in anticipation of the need for more carpenters as a result of the upcoming removal of Interstate 81 through downtown Syracuse.
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