sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Good Friday is a solemn day commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible. It takes place the day after Maundy Thursday and two days before Easter Sunday. It is believed to have been observed since around 100 CE.
There are a few theories as to why this Friday is called "Good." Some think the name comes from "God's Friday". Others think the "Good" stands for "holy." Still, others think the "Good" is referring to the belief that Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for humankind's sins.
SU News
Watch: Full Q&A from ‘Will to Win’ premiere with Jim Boeheim, Gerry McNamara, Kueth Duany, Josh Pace (PS; video; Staff)
Two scenes came to mind when Jim Boeheim was asked last week for the best example of his national championship team’s will to win in 2003.
Both occurred under the pressure of the win-or-go-home NCAA Tournament, the pinnacle of the college basketball season.
A gash opened on Gerry McNamara’s forehead after bumping heads with an Oklahoma State player in the Round of 32. Blood started trickling, and McNamara needed to leave the game and receive medical attention from trainer Brad Pike.
“I said, ‘Just get him back out here, now’ ” Boeheim recalled. McNamara returned with a big bandage, hit a 3-pointer, then nailed another 3 late in the game.
“Gerry wasn’t in there very long. He’s still dripping, there’s still blood there. That’s will to win.”
The second was Carmelo Anthony’s back injury that nearly sidelined the star freshman deep in the tournament when the team reached the Final Four in New Orleans.
Anthony played through the grueling injury to lead the Orangemen to the championship and earn the Most Outstanding Player Award.
“It was bad,” Boeheim said. “When you have the will to win you don’t think about those things, you go and you play until you can’t play anymore. That’s what this team did. They were not going to be denied.”
Boeheim’s heartfelt reflection came during a post-film Q&A panel following the March 29 premiere of the syracuse.com documentary film “Will to Win.”
Boeheim was joined on stage with McNamara, Kueth Duany and Josh Pace for the 40-minute discussion moderated by Mike Waters, the lead reporter on the film.
The conversation capped a memorable evening at the Landmark Theatre, where nearly 1,300 people attended an early screening of the film before the wide release last weekend on YouTube.
The film is packed with revealing interviews from the players and coaches involved in the most unforgettable period in SU basketball history.
Those attending the premiere also got a chance to hear directly from some of those players and coaches after the film.
Duany, the team’s senior captain, shared a personal story about the impact of his time in Syracuse.
McNamara spoke directly to members of the Syracuse women’s lacrosse team sitting in the audience, as the No. 1-ranked Orange chase its first national title this spring.
Pace couldn’t help but shower Boeheim with praise now that the coach is retired after 47 seasons.
At the end of the 40-minute discussion, Boeheim got the last word.
“I think about it all the time,” Boeheim said of the championship. “I’m just so proud of this group, how they came together, what they accomplished. It’s very hard to do.
“I remember thinking at the time about all our fans, all the players, all the coaches that have been here. You got a national championship, and every fan base doesn’t have that, so I’m very proud of that. I was very lucky.”
The full Q&A can be viewed in the video above.
https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/recruiting/donnie-freeman-official-visit-primer (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse basketball is hosting Donnie Freeman for an official visit that began on Thursday, April 6th and runs through Saturday, April 8th. Here is what to know about Freeman and his recruitment entering the visit.
Player: Donnie Freeman
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 6-9, 200 lbs.
School: St. John's College High School (Washington, D.C.)
First Offer: Syracuse
Other Notable Offers: Alabama, Iowa, Kansas State, LSU, Marquette, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Texas, Virginia Tech, Xavier
Previous Official Visits Taken: Alabama, Iowa, Texas
Ranking: On3: 4-star (#34) - 247Sports: 4-star (#35) - ESPN: 4-star (#33) - Rivals: 4-star (#54)
Recruitment Recap: Syracuse was the first school to offer Freeman years ago after he had a strong performance at an Elite Camp. The Orange has been involved ever since, with other schools ramping up their pursuit as Freeman made a name for himself on the recruiting trail. He took official visits to Iowa and Texas before issuing a top five in December of 2022. That top five included Iowa, LSU, Maryland, Rutgers and Texas. He would subsequently take an official visit to Alabama.
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Keeping Up With The 315 4-5-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian Higgins starts the show discussing the latest roster change for one Syracuse basketball team and analyzing the silence of one player on the other. Then, Brian is forced to stall for time in the most hilarious way possible while waiting for a scheduled interview with a Monster Jam truck driver. Later, Brian takes a couple of calls before reminiscing on ‘Cuse hoops on the 20th anniversary of a milestone victory for the Orange.
(youtube; video; M&L Tonight)
Justin Taylor was a sharp-shooting freshman for the Orange this past year, and I cannot wait to see him continue to develop into a starting shooting guard or small forward for the Orange in years to come.
What Can Jesse Edwards Do To Dominate The ACC In Year Five? (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
After two days away, Owen Valentine returns to talk the impact of Jesse Edwards coming back for a fifth year at Syracuse. How does this impact recruiting? What could the rotation be next season? What does Jesse need to do in the off-season to dominate? It's your Locked On Syracuse Thursday.
https://twitter.com/ED23HOOPS (twitter; podcast; ED)
The guys break down Judah Mintz's decision to test the Draft waters and what it means for him personally, as well as the Syracuse men's basketball team.
Former Syracuse basketball 5-star center target in portal after one UK term (itlh; Adler)
Ugonna Onyenso, who was a former Syracuse basketball five-star recruiting target, is entering the NCAA’s transfer portal after his freshman season at blue-blood program Kentucky, according to media reports from 247Sports national analyst Travis Branham and others.
The 6-foot-11, 225-pound power forward/center didn’t play all that much during the 2022-23 season for the Wildcats. Per ESPN statistics, Onyenso appeared in 16 games, averaging 6.9 minutes per contest.
Onyenso tallied averages of 2.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per encounter, while connecting on 52.9 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from the charity stripe.
Coming out of high school, national recruiting analysts and scouts noted that Onyenso possessed strong athleticism and length, with solid defensive instincts and a prowess for blocking shots.
Syracuse basketball offered a scholarship to Ugonna Onyenso in February of 2022.
Not too long after the ‘Cuse coaching staff offered Onyenso, I did come across a few reports suggesting that Orange coaches were in regular communication with him.
Onyenso was a fast-rising prospect last spring as he played well on the AAU circuit, where he was affiliated with the Team New England Basketball Club as well as the NY Jayhawks in the Adidas-sponsored league.
Prior to committing to Kentucky, Onyenso, who hails from Nigeria, attended the powerhouse Putnam Science Academy in Putnam, Conn.
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Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Syracuse men’s basketball: dispelling one of your NBA Draft myths (TNIAAM; Wall)
While the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team waits on Judah Mintz’s decision on his future, I wanted to address some consistent responses that appear in our comments.
A lot of people speculate that Mintz is deciding between returning to Syracuse or playing in the G League because he’s projected as a second-round pick in most mock drafts. There are also comments about him returning to college and make himself a lottery pick in 2024.
While there is a lot of time for Mintz to improve his draft stock during team workouts and the NBA Combine, there is also ample evidence that bring a second-round pick doesn’t mean a player is unlikely to make a roster.
Last year’s second round produced the following results (Milwaukee and Miami forfeited picks):
31. Pacers draft Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)- 72 games played
32. Magic draft Caleb Houstan (Michigan)- 48 games played
33. Raptors draft Christian Koloko (Arizona)- 55 games played
34. Thunder draft Jaylin Williams (Arkansas)- 48 games played
35. Lakers draft Max Christie (Michigan State)- 39 games played
36. Blazers draft Gabriele Procida (Fortitudo Bologna) — Traded to DET Playing in EuroLeague
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ACC News
Friedlander: Intraconference transfers are the new norm in the ACC - Saturday Road (saturdayroad.com; Friedlander)
I woke up Saturday morning to a frantic text from a friend, who happens to be a North Carolina fan.
It was accompanied by a screenshot of a Tweet that screamed “Breaking News: Caleb Love will transfer to former rival Duke.”
My first reaction was OMG!
Then I realized what day it was, April 1, and I immediately knew that it was just the work of a social media prankster.
And yet, before I hit the send button on a reply text telling my friend he’d been April Fooled and to come down from the ledge, I did a little checking just to make sure. Because the way things are going with the portal and the NCAA’s relaxed rules regarding transfers these days, you just never know.
It used to be nearly impossible for athletes to transfer from 1 ACC school to another because of a restrictive conference rule. As recently as 2017, Pittsburgh fought vigorously to block Cameron Johnson’s attempt to play for North Carolina without having to sit out a year.
ACC bylaw 2.6.2 was finally rescinded in 2021, opening the door for intraconference transfers to become part of the ACC’s new norm. There have already been 3 such moves announced in just the past few weeks, with more likely to come now that the basketball season has reached its conclusion.
All-Rookie team guard JJ Starling has left Notre Dame for Syracuse, UNC forward Tyler Nickel has moved to Virginia Tech while NC State big man Ebenezer Dowuona will continue his career at Georgia Tech.
And while the shock value isn’t quite the same as if Love really did choose Duke – Michigan, Missouri and Indiana are his most frequently mentioned as his potential landing spots – another Tar Heel expat Dontrez Styles has another Triangle school – NC State – among the finalists for his new home.
The movement within the conference has been even greater in football, with at least 17 players joining an ACC rival since the end of the 2022 season – including high profile quarterbacks Brennan Armstrong and Phil Jurkovec.
The fact that a lot of players are transferring is hardly breaking news.
According to NCAA research, approximately 40% of all Division I basketball players coming out of high school will end up at another school by the time they finish their sophomore season. There are more than 1,000 names currently in the transfer portal.
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Other
A nearly full moon hangs over Schoellkopf Field at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. on April 19, 2016. Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com
See meteor shower, a ‘pink’ moon, Mercury and more this month in New York (PS; House)
From shooting stars to a pink moon, the night sky will be filled with delights aplenty this month for sky-gazing New Yorkers.
April’s first celestial wonder is happening now: This month’s full moon appears in the sky on April 6 and will look full through Friday morning, according to NASA. It’s widely known as the Pink Moon — a nickname meant to honor phlox, one of spring’s early blooms.
Next, two planets are expected to make a notable appearance.
Mercury will be most visible between now and April 11, when the rising planet reaches its highest point of the year, NASA reported in its monthly “What’s Up” blog. To see the planet, the agency recommends looking low and west shortly after sunset.
Like Mercury, Venus is set to appear in the evening sky on April 11. Look for the planet in the west near the Pleiades star cluster, NASA suggested.
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