sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Rainforest Day!
Rainforest Day celebrates the positive impact of rainforests, brings awareness to their plight, and aims to reduce humankind's negative impact on them. Found in South and Central America, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia, rainforests make up just 2% of the Earth's surface area. They usually are lush, humid, and hot, with an average temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 68 degrees Fahrenheit at night. They tend to receive rain year-round, usually more than 70 inches. Not all rainforests are the same, however, with tropical, temperate, mangrove, and monsoon rainforests differing from each other.
Rainforests are essential because they absorb carbon dioxide from human activity, produce oxygen, provide fresh water, provide a home for half of the world's animal and plant species, are the source of medicines, and stabilize climate patterns. Their loss—of which approximately 40 football fields worth disappear each minute—threatens biodiversity and the overall health of the Earth.
SU News
SU basketball practices under Autry: longer, more intense, more detailed (PS; $; Ditota)
We’re a few weeks into the 2023-24 college basketball season.
The Syracuse men have a new coach for the first time in 48 years. So it seems only natural to inquire about the differences between the new regime and the previous regime, at least in terms of practice work. The Orange plays its first regular-season game on Nov. 6.
Jim Boeheim retired last winter after 47 seasons as SU’s head coach. Orange administrators elevated Adrian Autry to fill that spot. Gerry McNamara is now the new associate head coach. Allen Griffin is back as an assistant. And Autry added Brenden Straughn to his staff.
All of this, you knew.
During Friday’s media day at the Melo Center, returning Orange men were asked to evaluate the differences or similarities between last year’s practices and this year’s practices.
There were a variety of responses, but a few common denominators.
Players are running more.
Practices are longer.
And Autry has taken more time to explain various facets of what he wants accomplished.
The practice structure begins the same way, with players grouped with assistant coaches in charge of specific positions: guards (McNamara), forwards (Straughn) and big men (Griffin). But after that, players said, the team works on “concepts,” which are specific to the way Autry wants to play defense and offense.
The additional running, players said, started during the summer and has continued through the early season.
Quadir Copeland described summer ladder drills (or pyramid drills) on the track. Those drills build from shorter distances to higher distances, then scale back. There are relative jogging rest periods between sprints.
“It was really just running, mobility, building up to it. It was fun. It was us finding a way to compete,” Copeland said. “That’s what Coach at the end of the day wanted to get us into. He would say, ‘You gonna let him run by you like this?’ It makes the whole environment better.”
“More conditioning. We liked it,” Mounir Hima said. “Because man-to-man requires a lot of energy than zone. You have to talk, you have to switch, just a lot of energy that you have to engage.”
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The “Orange Tip Off” basketball team celebration at the JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY, Friday October 13, 2023 Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
How deep will Autry’s rotation be this season? (Mike’s mailbox) (PS; $; Waters)
As the college basketball season approaches, the focus in Syracuse is on the start of a new era.
Adrian Autry has taken over as Syracuse’s head coach following Jim Boeheim’s retirement after 47 seasons.
Judging from the questions being sent into the Mailbox, Syracuse fans are anxious to see what an Adrian Autry-coached team will look like. We’ve got a very Autry-centric Mailbox this week.
(If you have a question; follow-up or otherwise, for the Mailbox, email it to mwaters@syracuse.com).
Q: I’m wondering what you think about the depth this year. In the past Jim Boeheim didn’t run a deep rotation, do you think that could change this year?
Griffin B.
Mike: It’s definitely going to change. Adrian Autry has said so repeatedly. He said it again last week at Syracuse’s annual Media Day.
Autry wants to play more man-to-man defense. He also wants the Orange to play at a faster pace.
Those two elements will necessitate a deeper bench.
I think it’s pretty easy to see how nine players could get regular minutes. Judah Mintz, Chris Bell and Benny Williams are returning starters. JJ Starling is the likely backcourt starter alongside Mintz. Either Naheem McLeod or Maliq Brown will start at center.
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Former Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim Looking Forward To Joining ESPN (forbes.com; Zagoria)
Former Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim is finalizing a deal to join ESPN in November to broadcast college basketball games, he told me.
Boeheim, known for his sarcasm, surly takes and brutal honesty, will also broadcast some games for Westwood One, as first reported by Jon Rothstein.
“Looking forward [to] staying involved in our great game,” Boeheim, who turns 79 next month, said by text. “In spite of everything going on outside of our game we have more balance than ever before. The portal and NIL is largely responsible for this!”
Boeheim said in 2022 that Name, Image and Likeness rules are making college basketball stronger because it keeps some players in college longer.
“I think it’s inadvertently helping college basketball be stronger,” he said. “It’s good for college basketball.”
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The Ostrom Avenue Podcast Episode 155: Where Does SU Stand Now? (waer.org; podcast; Ostrom Avenue)
Ethan Frank and Jordan Leonard react to Syracuse football's 41-3 loss at No. 4 Florida State and just how demoralizing the contest was. Then, Tom Luginbill of ESPN and SiriusXM joins the show to discuss what he's seen from the SU program, how they can build a sustainable winner, how the Orange fit in the current college football landscape, and more. Finally, Jordan and Ethan close it out with some breaking news about Jim Boeheim and his new media roles, plus some big questions regarding Syracuse men's basketball with the season just around the corner.
Isaac Schade "The 315" 10-18-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Locked on College Basketball Host Isaac Schade hops on to discuss where Syracuse stacks up in the ACC, who the top teams are going to be in the conference and in the nation this year and much more.
Keeping Up With The 315 10-18-23 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian begins the show discussing the news that Jim Boeheim will be joining the ESPN and WestWood One Broadcast team this season. Then, he goes over the names that will be in attendance at ACC Media Day, including an old friend. Lastly, Brian takes a closer look at the end of season schedule for football.
Syracuse Basketball: Please pair Jim Boeheim, Sean McDonough at ESPN (itlh; Adler)
Former long-time Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim recently said that he was eyeing a potential move into broadcasting, and it looks like that is coming to fruition.
College basketball insider Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, citing a source, reported on Wednesday that the Hall of Famer Boeheim “is finalizing an agreement to join ESPN for the 2023-24 season.” At ESPN, Boeheim’s duties are expected to include working in the studio as well as calling games, which is awesome.
Additionally, Rothstein reported, citing a separate source, that Jim Boeheim “will also join Westwood One as a radio analyst for the 2024 NCAA Tournament and could do some additional games during Championship Week.”
The 78-year-old Boeheim, this past March, retired as the head coach of the Orange after 47 seasons at the helm of the ‘Cuse. He handed over the reins to former Syracuse basketball player and long-time assistant Adrian Autry, who in early November will begin his first campaign as the Orange’s head coach.
At the beginning of October, in a chat with famed sportscaster Bob Costas, who attended Syracuse University, Boeheim said he’s “just thrilled to leave the (‘Cuse) program where it is.”
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse...ns-womens-basketball-embracing-new-beginnings (SI; Mascetta)
Anticipation is ramping up for the Syracuse Orange’s basketball season, as both the men’s and women’s teams conducted their first media day of the year this past weekend. From new recruits joining the teams to seasoned veterans making their returns, it looks like an exciting season is underway.
However, there was a notable absence at the women’s media day. Head coach Felicia Legette-Jack was absent due to an undisclosed medical procedure. No timetable for her return was given.
The event still offered an opportunity to meet fresh faces on Syracuse’s squad.
For incoming graduate student Dominique Camp, joining the Orange isn’t just a new beginning. It’s reuniting with an old friend. Camp played under Coach Jack at the University of Buffalo during the 2021-2022 season. While Coach Jack headed to Syracuse the following year, Camp transferred to the University of Akron. Now she’s one of five former Buffalo players to rejoin Coach Jack, a group that includes Dyaisha Fair, Georgia Woolley, Saniaa Wilson, and Cheyenne McEvans.
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Syracuse Basketball: Benny Williams showing expanded inside/out game (itlh; Adler)
On numerous occasions in recent months, Syracuse basketball first-year head coach Adrian Autry has said that junior forward Benny Williams is poised for a big 2023-24 season.
Autry echoed that sentiment last Friday in his press conference on the Orange’s annual media day. He says that the 6-foot-9, 210-pound Williams has gotten a lot stronger and has been working hard on expanding his game.
To that end, Autry said that Benny Williams is displaying an even better long-range shot, while improving his ability to finish in the paint. If Williams is adept in scoring on the perimeter and in the interior, I have every confidence that he’s going to shine as a junior.
The ‘Cuse head coach noted that Williams had some nice performances toward the end of the 2022-23 term, when SU went 17-15 overall, and Autry believes that Williams can carry that forward into the upcoming term, which officially starts in early November.
Adrian Autry expects big things out of Syracuse basketball forward Benny Williams in 2023-24.
Williams, a native of Bowie, Md., was in the starting rotation of former head coach Jim Boeheim for much of his sophomore year. Williams appeared in 30 games in 2022-23, averaging 22.3 minutes per contest.
He averaged 7.2 points and 4.1 rebounds a game, while hitting on 44.7 percent from the field, 39.6 percent from the 3-point line and 65.0 percent from the charity stripe.
In 2023-24, Autry has said that he’s going to play a lot of man-to-man defense, while sprinkling in some zone schemes. Historically, while playing the 2-3 zone, the Orange has struggled on the defensive glass, and Benny Williams will be a key player in this regard during the upcoming stanza.
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Other
John Boyd Thacher State Park on Oct. 18, 2023. Jess | @jessicatabs on Instagram
Fall foliage in Upstate NY: Finger Lakes and Central NY to see peak autumn leaves (PS; Hernandez)
Though the mountains may be past-peak, fall colors are still popping all over Upstate New York.
I LOVE NY, the state’s tourism website, has released its sixth fall foliage report of the 2023 leaf-peeping season. From Buffalo to Saratoga, peak fall colors are beginning to engulf the landscapes.
Top spots to visit this weekend for the best colors are Labrador Hollow Unique Area in Tully, Watkins Glen State Park, Taughannock Falls State Park, Thacher State Park and Letchworth State Park.
Here are the color change predictions around Upstate New York for the week of Oct. 18-24, 2023:
Hudson Valley
- Hudson, 75 percent
- Beacon, 45 percent
- Bear Mountain State Park, 40 percent
- Orange County, 50 percent
Central New York
- Chenango County, past peak
- Cortland County, 70 percent
- Oswego County, peak
- Onondaga County, peak
- Oneida County, 65 percent
- Otsego County, 55 percent
- Madison County, peak
- Montgomery County, 30 percent
- Broome County, peak
- Schoharie County, more than 50 percent
- Herkimer County, 60 percent
- Tompkins County, 80 percent
- Syracuse, 50 percent
- Utica, 50 percent
- Auburn, 75 percent
Finger Lakes
- Steuben County, 60 percent
- Cayuga County, 50 percent
- Chemung County, 75-80 percent
- Livingston County, 55 percent
- Tioga County, 60 percent
- Canandaigua, peak
- Rochester, 55-60 percent
- Brighton, 60 percent
- Ontario County, 70 percent
- Wayne County, 65 percent
- Yates County, 45 percent
- Rushville, 50 percent
- Schuyler County, 70 percent
Capital-Saratoga
- Fulton County, 75 percent
- Thacher State Park, 70 percent
- Cohoes Falls, 70 percent
- Saratoga Springs, 40 percent
- Rensselaer County, peak
Greater Niagara
- East Aurora, 80 percent
- Genesee County, 50 percent
- Letchworth State Park, 80 percent
- Erie County, 75 percent
- Buffalo, 60 percent
- Niagara Falls, more than 60 percent
- Orleans County, 60 percent
Adirondacks
- Queensbury, 95 percent
- Ticonderoga, 50 percent
- Crown Point, 60-85 percent
- Queensbury, 70 percent
- All other places past peak
Catskills
- Belleayre Mountain Ski Area, peak
- Forestburgh, peak
- Walton, peak
- Downsville, near peak
- Greene County, 50 percent to peak
- Kingston, 55 percent
- Liberty, peak
- Higher elevations, past peak
Thousand Islands-Seaway
- Alexandria Bay, peak
- Ogdensburg, 20-25 percent
Winter Realms will open on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Lake George, N.Y. Made by the makers of Ice Castles, the event was created to be a more "weather-resistant winter experience" that can go on even if winter weather fails to appear. Rendering courtesy of Ice Castles
Ice castles of Lake George replaced with ‘weather-resistant’ event (PS; House)
Goodbye, Ice Castles. Hello, Winter Realms.
Towering ice castles melted into puddles last January when the Adirondacks were besieged by days of relentless rain and unseasonably warm temperatures.
The lack of winter weather led Ice Castles, the company behind the Elsa-worthy ice palace, to push back the Lake George event’s opening date twice. But a cold snap gave artisans a chance to finally finish constructing the fortress, allowing the ice castles to open in early February in Charles R. Wood Park.
This year, Ice Castles is being replaced by an event that is a little less reliant on the whims of Mother Nature.
Lake George’s famous ice castles will be replaced by a new magical celebration: Winter Realms. The event is the brainchild of Ice Castles, the Utah-based company behind the beloved ice palaces that have drawn visitors to Lake George since 2022.
The new Winter Realms will offer igloos, an ice bar, ice skating, a sculpture park, “dazzling lights”, a Santa’s Village and more whimsical fun. It is meant to be a more “weather-resistant” experience, Ice Castles said.
“Journey to an otherworldly landscape drenched in the radiance of Northern Lights,” Ice Castles wrote on the event’s website. “Discover an immersive winter wonderland where fairytale adventure lurks at every turn.”
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