sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to World Nutella Day!
World Nutella Day celebrates the sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread, Nutella. The day was established by American blogger Sara Rosso, on February 5, 2007. She wanted a day where people could learn about, and start eating Nutella, if they weren't familiar with it, and thought a day towards the beginning of the year would be a great time for it. In 2015, Rosso transferred oversight of World Nutella Day over to Ferrero, the makers of Nutella.
In Post War Europe, there was a shortage of cocoa. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and bakery owner from Alba, Italy, made a paste of hazelnuts (which were prevalent in the Piedmont region where Alba was located), sugar, and just a little cocoa. He made it into a solid block loaf that could be sliced and served on bread, and called it "Giandujot." He officially founded the Ferrero company in 1946. Two years after Ferrero's death, in 1951, Giandujot was transformed into a new product called SuperCrema; it was the precursor to Nutella, and was creamy instead of a solid block. In 1964, Pietro's son, Michele, created Nutella and gave it its name; he made it with the intention of marketing it throughout Europe. He was successful, expanding its reach to Germany in 1965, and to the French market by 1966. It is now eaten all around the world. Nutella is made from sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, skim milk, cocoa, soy lecithin, and vanillin. The sugar and palm oil account for over fifty percent of the ingredients, and hazelnut makes up about thirteen percent.
SU News
Syracuse struggles with mismatches in blowout loss to Wake Forest (DO; O'Brien)
If you couldn’t tell by the score, Syracuse was outmatched all night. Most of that had to do with SU’s inability to deal with mismatches created by Wake Forest.
In its 99-70 blowout loss to Wake Forest (14-7, 6-4 Atlantic Coast), an “unacceptable loss” according to head coach Adrian Autry, Syracuse (14-8, 5-6 ACC) allowed their opponent to shoot 66% from the field. Wake Forest’s 12 3-pointers were the most the Orange have conceded since a Dec. 2 blowout defeat on the road against Virginia. The Demon Deacons, particularly big forwards like Andrew Carr, were frequently able to create mismatches against SU.
Throughout the game, Carr, a 6-foot-11 forward, found himself matched up against guards like J.J. Starling, who is seven inches shorter, easily scored over him. Midway through the second half, with the game already starting to veer out of control for Syracuse, Carr worked from the left block and Starling as a switch defender. Carr just towered over Starling with the ball and scored to make the score 55-38.
But it wasn’t just against starting bigs like Carr. The Orange were even falling for switches against backups. As Hunter Sallis held the ball near the top of the key, he drew Starling and Maliq Brown — who initially was defending backup center Matthew Marsh.
With Brown now on Sallis, Marsh shuffled down low and leaped to catch a pass under the hoop. Justin Taylor and Chris Bell were both a step behind and hit each other while trying to deflect the pass. This left Marsh all alone for the easy layup to put the Demon Deacons up by double digits.
Carr said Wake Forest, who ended up scoring 57 points in the second half, got into a rhythm with its ball screen motions. He constantly came off screens and took advantage of mismatches. Carr used his combination of ball handling and size to hurt SU no matter who guarded him.
“In the first half they didn’t really know what they wanted to do, whether they were gonna switch when I set ball screens or not,” Carr said. “And then in the second half, they were switching a lot of things.”
While Carr offered a more detailed account of the Xs and Os, Autry on the other hand was much more blunt in his assessment of his team’s play. Autry was the most upset he had been all season in a postgame press conference, adding that the loss was the second time this season that the Orange didn’t “play well, respond well, play together and compete.”
When asked about the mismatches, Autry said his defense “didn’t play any defense at all.”
“We didn’t press the ball, we didn’t fight to get in front,” Autry said. “We didn’t do anything.”
SU’s double team switches showed what Autry was talking about in the postgame. With the score at 49-32 just over two minutes into the second half, Kevin Miller curled around the 3-point arc receiving a pass from Efton Reid, who set him a screen. The pick caused Brown and Judah Mintz to vacate the left side. Miller used his speed to draw the double team near the foul line before throwing a perfect pass to a wide open Sallis, who drilled a 3.
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Syracuse forwards Chris Bell (4) and Benny Williams (13) head back to the team's bench during Saturday's 99-70 loss to Wake Forest. (Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com) Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
ACC Power Rankings: How far did SU fall after back-to-back road losses? (PS; $; Waters)
Don’t look now, but the Virginia Cavaliers are back.
Virginia ran its win streak to six games this past week with wins over Notre Dame and Clemson. After a 2-3 start to conference play, the Cavaliers are now 8-3 in the ACC.
It would be easy not to notice Virginia’s rise as the North Carolina-Duke tilt on Saturday overshadowed virtually everything else within the ACC this week.
North Carolina’s win over Duke allowed the Tar Heels to maintain their hold on the top spot in the weekly ACC Power Rankings, but Virginia moved up four spots with its recent hot streak.
And Syracuse? The Orange suffered two road losses, including an embarrassing 99-70 loss at Wake Forest on Saturday. Those will be reflected in this week’s Power Rankings.
1. North Carolina
Record: 18-4 (10-1)
Last week’s rank: 1
Last week’s results: Loss 74-73 at Georgia Tech; Win 93-84 vs. Duke
This week’s schedule: Tuesday vs. Clemson; Saturday at Miami
Why No. 1? The Heels stubbed their toe with a trap game loss at Georgia Tech, but then got the win they really wanted on Saturday. North Carolina continues to solidify its status as the No. 1 team in the ACC.
2. Virginia
Record: 17-5 (8-3)
Last week’s ranking: 6
Last week’s results: Win 65-53 vs. Notre Dame; Win 66-65 at Clemson
This week’s schedule: Monday vs. Miami; Saturday at Florida State
Why No. 2? How impressive is the Cavaliers’ six-game win streak? The next longest active streak in the ACC is just two games. Virginia also won at Clemson, which is as tough of a place to play as there is in the conference.
3. Duke
Record: 16-5 (7-3)
Last week’s rank: 2
Last week’s results: Win 77-67 at Virginia Tech; Loss 93-84 at North Carolina
This week’s schedule: Wednesday vs. Notre Dame; Saturday vs. Boston College
Why No. 3? The Blue Devils only drop one spot despite the loss at North Carolina. Before going to Chapel Hill, Duke got a nice win at Virginia Tech. The schedule eases up a bit this week for the Blue Devils.
4. North Carolina State
Record: 15-7 (7-4)
Last week’s ranking: 10
Last week’s results: Win 74-68 vs. Miami; Win 79-76 vs. Georgia Tech
This week’s schedule: Wednesday vs. Pittsburgh; Saturday at Wake Forest
Why No. 5? This is a bit of a course correction in terms of moving the Wolfpack up so many spots from last week. It’s also part of the Power Rankings, which is very much a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately proposition. N.C. State took down Miami and then beat the Georgia Tech that had just upset North Carolina. The Wolfpack is 7-4 in the ACC and deserved a nice boost.
5. Wake Forest
Record: 14-7 (6-4)
Last week’s ranking: 3
Last week’s results: Loss 77-72 at Pittsburgh; Win 99-70 vs. Syracuse
This week’s schedule: Tuesday at Georgia Tech; Saturday vs. N.C. State
Why No. 5? Wake Forest destroyed Syracuse on Saturday, but so has about half the conference at this point. This ranking is based on the Deacons’ 6-4 league mark and the losses that some other teams suffered this past week that were worse than Wake’s five-point road loss at Pitt.
6. Miami
Record: 15-7 (6-5)
Last week’s ranking: 7
Last week’s results: Loss 74-68 at N.C. State; Win 82-74 vs. Virginia Tech
This week’s schedule: Monday at Virginia; Saturday vs. North Carolina
Why No. 6? Looking back on it, Miami didn’t have a bad week. The Hurricanes lost to N.C. State in Raleigh and then got a nice win over a Virginia Tech team that’s part of the muddled mess in the middle of the ACC standings. Miami is now 6-5 in the conference and if it can ever get completely healthy could challenge for a Top 4 finish.
7. Pittsburgh
Record: 14-8 (5-6)
Last week’s ranking: 11
Last week’s results: Win 77-72 vs. Wake Forest; Win 70-60 vs. Notre Dame
This week’s schedule: Wednesday at NC State
Why No. 7? Pitt has lost twice to Syracuse, but the Panthers are playing much better now than they were just a few weeks ago. Pitt went 2-0 this past week. Virginia and N.C. State were the only other teams to avoid a loss last week. A win over Wake Forest looks pretty good now, too.
8. Clemson
Record: 14-7 (4-6)
Last week’s ranking: 4
Last week’s result: Win 70-64 vs. Louisville; Loss 66-65 to Virginia
This week’s schedule: Tuesday at North Carolina; Saturday at Syracuse
Why No. 8? Clemson poses a dilemma. It seems like the Tigers should be right behind North Carolina and Duke in terms of talent and experience. Instead, the Tigers are 4-6 in the ACC, having just dropped a home game to surging Virginia. We still dropped Clemson four spots in the Power Rankings.
Now, maybe Clemson will figure things out and start to play up to its potential, but there’s a foreboding schedule ahead with trips to North Carolina and Syracuse.
9. Georgia Tech
Record: 11-12 (3-8)
Last week’s ranking: 14
Last week’s results: Win 74-73 vs. North Carolina; Loss 79-76 at N.C. State
This week’s schedule: Tuesday vs. Wake Forest; Saturday at Louisville
Why No. 9? In the ACC’s standings, the Yellow Jackets are 3-8 and in 13th place. But the Power Rankings are different. Right now, Georgia Tech is playing much better than some teams with better records in conference.
Obviously, Georgia Tech pulled off its second big upset of the season, beating North Carolina to go on top of an earlier win over Duke. But then the Yellow Jackets went on the road and battled a rising N.C. State team all the way down to the final buzzer.
In terms of teams you don’t want to be playing right now, Georgia Tech’s feisty bunch is right up there.
10. Florida State
Record: 12-9 (6-4)
Last week’s ranking: 5
Last week’s results: Loss 101-92 at Louisville
This week’s schedule: Tuesday at Boston College; Saturday vs. Virginia
Why No. 10? Florida State is tied with Wake Forest at No. 5 in the ACC’s standings, but the Seminoles have lost two in a row, including a loss at Louisville on Saturday.
Louisville was missing two key players and still poured in 100 points against the Seminoles. All of which leaves us very confused.
11. Boston College
Record: 13-8 (4-6)
Last week’s ranking: 12
Last week’s results: Win 80-75 vs. Syracuse
This week’s schedule: Tuesday vs. Florida State; Saturday at Duke
Why No. 11? Yep. Boston College is ranked ahead of Syracuse and it’s not just because the Eagles defeated the Orange this past week. No, the difference is that the Eagles are proving to be a tougher out than the Orange. While Syracuse has lost seven of its eight games this season by 16 or more points, BC doesn’t make it easy for its opponents.
Boston College has lost to North Carolina by 10, Virginia Tech by 5, Wake Forest by 6, Clemson by 11, and N.C. State in overtime.
12. Syracuse
Record: 14-8 (5-6)
Last week’s rank: 8
Last week’s results: Loss 80-75 at Boston College; Loss 99-70 at Wake Forest
This week’s schedule: Wednesday vs. Louisville; Saturday vs. Clemson
Why No. 12? Syracuse had two key road games last week and lost them both. The Orange failed in its attempt to rally at Boston College and then completely collapsed on Saturday at Wake Forest.
The Power Rankings are a reflection of recent performances, and Syracuse’s performances haven’t been good.
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An angry Autry on his team’s performance: ‘Unacceptable. Won’t be tolerated’ (video) (PS; $; Ditota)
Adrian Autry addressed reporters after his Syracuse basketball team lost by 29 points to Wake Forest here and issued an immediate apology.
“I would like to apologize to our fans, to our university for that performance,” he said, his words clipped, his face contorted. “Unacceptable. Won’t be tolerated. Won’t allow it.”
In an extraordinary postgame from the first-year head coach that lasted 3 minutes and 49 seconds, Autry reeled off a litany of issues that contributed to his mood.
There was much to dislike after Saturday’s 99-70 loss. And Autry did not hesitate to identify the problems.
Asked what in particular had angered him, Autry said “the whole game.”
“Didn’t play well. Didn’t respond well. Didn’t play together. Just didn’t compete. That’s never happened,” he said.
“It’s happened twice this year. Too many times.”
The Orange surrendered 99 points this time. Wake Forest shot 66% overall and 63% from the 3-point line. Syracuse was outrebounded 36-23. SU was outscored in the paint 40-26.
The Orange, said Autry, “should not lose like this. It should not happen.”
He criticized his team’s body language. He described SU’s performance as “horrific.” He said SU “did not play any defense at all.”
The Orange didn’t pressure the ball, he said. SU players didn’t fight to get in front of their men.
Wake Forest “did what they wanted to do tonight,” Autry said. “Unacceptable.”
The Orange was coming off an equally disturbing defensive effort at Boston College. When asked about the preparation that led to Saturday’s game here, Autry bluntly replied:
“Whatever it was, it wasn’t good enough. It didn’t work. Didn’t work.”
Syracuse, now 14-8 overall and 5-6 in the ACC, returns to the JMA Wireless Dome to face Louisville on Wednesday night.
The Orange has lost seven games by double-digits this season and has been particularly bad in the state of North Carolina, where North Carolina, Duke and now Wake have outscored the Orange 288-203. Those three teams averaged 96 points against SU. The Orange lost by 36 to the Tar Heels.
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/basketball/five-takeaways-wake-forest-99-syracuse-70 (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse basketball was blown out on the road 99-70 at Wake Forest on Saturday. Here are five takeaways from the loss.
1. Forward
Syracuse is still lacking at forward and that was glaring against Wake Forest. Chris Bell struggled to shoot at 2-9 overall and 0-5 from three, and that bleeds into his defense. Justin Taylor was bullied inside by Andrew Carr, who got some easy buckets as a result. Offensively, Taylor had a nice spurt early in the second half where he scored eight quick points but was still just 2-7 from three point range. Benny Williams off the bench was just 2-9 shooting and had a few head scratching plays including picking up a technical in the first half for chucking the ball to nowhere in particular. Syracuse needs much more from its forwards than what it is getting. When Syracuse has had good teams, it usually has a forward who can create and score. That is not the case this season.
2. Rebounding
Syracuse was dominated on the boards 36-23, but the number is not as bad as it appears. Typically, when you miss a lot of shots as Syracuse did, there are more defensive rebounding opportunities for the opponent. While the Orange could have done better on the offensive boards, typically defense rebounds are easier to get and that can inflate the numbers. With Syracuse shooting just 40% compared to 66% for Wake, there were far more defensive rebounding opportunities for the Demon Deacons than the Orange. Still, Syracuse could have helped the offense with a better showing on the offensive glass they grabbed just seven on the night.
3. Defense
There is not much to say here. Syracuse allowed Wake to shoot 66% overall and 63% from three point range. The shooting percentage was over 70% for most of the second half until a few misses in garbage time brought the number down slightly. This is the second time in a row Syracuse has allowed a team to shoot over 60% from the floor. It is the third time in the last four games Syracuse has allowed 80 or more points. The offense was not great, but 70 points should be enough to keep you competitive. For a team that was supposed to hang its hat on defense, this is extremely an extremely disappointing trend.
4. Body Language
This team has had concerns with body language in previous games, especially as they get out of hand. It started showing early in the first half in this one and never went away. It could simply be that players are emotional and competitive, and hate losing. At the same time, they need someone to be a fiery leader to rally the troops when things start going south. I am not sure that player is on the current roster, which can lead to things snowballing as it did on Saturday.
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Syracuse Basketball: Top takeaways as 'Cuse gets embarrassed by Wake Forest on road (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball went 0-2 this past week in Atlantic Coast Conference road battles, both of which were opportunities for the Orange to boost its post-season resume, which at this point is hurting for some marquee wins.
Against Boston College this past Tuesday night, the 'Cuse held a lead in the first half, before the Eagles went on a massive run to turn a seven-point deficit into a 14-point edge that the Orange couldn't overcome. Syracuse basketball would lose by five points at Boston College.
On Saturday evening, things got really ugly for the Orange (14-8, 5-6 in the ACC) at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons (14-7, 6-4 in the ACC) manhandled the 'Cuse on the boards while shooting better than 60 percent from the field and beyond the arc.
The result: Wake Forest dismantled Syracuse basketball, 99-70, in an embarrassing performance for the Orange inside the LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.
My key observations and takeaways as Syracuse basketball loses big at Wake Forest.
•Coming into this ACC affair, the Demon Deacons were roughly an 8.5-point better favorite, per FanDuel, and I thought that was a large number. Boy, was I wrong. Wake Forest, it's true, is a good shooting team that is undefeated at home, while the 'Cuse isn't a great road squad. So I figured this would prove a tough game for Syracuse basketball to win. But losing by nearly 30 points is unacceptable. To me, the Orange is at a crossroads. The 'Cuse looked awful on Saturday night. It has three straight home games coming up - against Louisville, Clemson and highly rated North Carolina - and better regroup fast.
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Axe: Autry’s passionate postgame isn’t just a pivot point for this season (PS; $; Axe)
You knew things were vastly different as soon as Adrian Autry sat down in front of the microphone after Syracuse basketball’s 99-70 loss to Wake Forest on Saturday night.
The first-year Syracuse men’s basketball head coach didn’t bring his poker face to this press conference.
Frankly, he didn’t even have to open his mouth. Had Autry simply stared at the wall for three minutes and 37 seconds, it would have sent the message loud and clear.
He was ticked.
When Autry did speak, every syllable delivered its own jab to SU’s pitiful performance against the Demon Deacons.
“I would like to apologize to our fans, to our university for that performance,” Autry said “Unacceptable. Won’t be tolerated. Won’t allow it.”
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The Juice Online - Podcast: Syracuse loses again as NCAA hopes fade (r1vals.com; podcast; Cuse Juice)
Syracuse basketball suffered one of its worst losses of the season, losing on the road at Wake Forest, 99-70. We talk about the significance of the loss on today's Juice on the Cuse Podcast, presented by Rivals and Bleav.
The Orange's defense has slipped significantly over the past four games, with the Orange giving up 60 percent shooting in back-to-back games, and 80 points in three of their last four games. It has placed their NCAA hopes in serious jeopardy.
We also talk to 2024 quarterback AJ Miller on his commitment to the Orange earlier in the week. He picked Syracuse over Fordham and Connecticut, and talks about how the SU staff prioritized him later in the cycle.
We wrap up the show with a note on the men's lacrosse team, which opened the 2024 season with a 20-7 win over Vermont.
Axe: Will Autry's angry postgame help cure what ails SU basketball? (podcast) (PS; $; Axe)
Adrian Autry was ticked after Syracuse basketball’s 99-70 loss to Wake Forest on Saturday night.
“I would like to apologize to our fans, to our university for that performance,” Autry said. “Unacceptable. Won’t be tolerated. Won’t allow it.”
Will Autry’s message resonate and turn things around for the Orange in the second-half of ACC play?
We discussed that and more on Syracuse basketball postgame presented by Crouse Health.
Brent also reacts to opinions and comments from Syracuse Sports Insiders about the game.
Syracuse Basketball Needs Jesse Edwards (orangefizz.net; Gotkin)
Syracuse basketball is in a very bad spot right now. Last night’s loss to Wake Forest was embarrassing. It was the worst loss of the season without a doubt. Worse than the North Carolina blowout, and worse than losing at home to Florida State. The Orange never had a chance and a large factor was that they got dominated on the glass. The Demon Deacons won the rebounding margin by 13. This wasn’t an outlier.
Syracuse is the worst rebounding team in the ACC. The Orange have the worse margin and give up more rebounds than anyone else. All of this would be different if Jesse Edwards didn’t transfer to West Virginia. The Dutchmen is exactly what the Orange need right now. A big who can be consistent on the glass and score in double figures every game. Maliq Brown has done a solid job considering his size, but in the ACC you just can’t have someone like Brown as your starting center.
The impact of what Edwards would have brought to this SU team extends off the court as well. The Orange are one of the youngest teams in college basketball without any true veteran leadership. Benny Williams is the teams longest-tenured player and he has had his fair share of issues. The experience that Edwards would have brought to this ‘Cuse team would have been a difference-maker.
The Orange knew in the offseason that bringing back Edwards was extremely important. It’s obvious watching the team that Autry was expecting to have a star center. Naheem McCloud started at the beginning of the year because the first-year coach knew he needed to have true size on the floor.
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Rick Pitino: NCAA enforcement arm ‘a joke,’ ‘of no value anymore,’ ‘should be disbanded’ (PS; AP)
With legal disputes escalating over the use of name, image and likeness compensation in the recruitment of college athletes, Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Pitino believes it’s time for the NCAA to stand down when it comes to policing member schools.
“It’s a very difficult time in college basketball, because it’s free agency. And now I think what’s going to happen is, they’re going to say everybody can transfer, and then if they don’t like it, they’re going to take ‘em to court,” the first-year St. John’s coach said Saturday.
“So, I think the NCAA enforcement staff just should be disbanded. It’s a joke. Not because I dislike them. But, they’re of no value anymore. Because just, Tennessee now will take ‘em to court, Virginia will take ‘em to court …”
The attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA on Wednesday that challenged its ban on the use of NIL compensation in recruiting, and in response to the association’s investigation of the University of Tennessee.
A judge will hear their request on Feb. 13 for a preliminary injunction that would put on hold NCAA rules banning recruiting inducements and pay-for-play, the court posted Friday.
The 71-year-old Pitino, who served as an assistant coach at Syracuse University for two seasons early in his career, volunteered his thoughts on the NCAA following his team’s 77-64 loss to top-ranked UConn at Madison Square Garden. His comments came at the postgame news conference in response to a reporter’s question about stoking a renewed rivalry with the powerhouse Huskies, the defending national champions, as he rebuilds the St. John’s program.
“The enforcement staff needs to go away,” Pitino continued. “We need to stop all the hypocrisy of NIL. We need to stop it. Because they can’t stop it. Whether I’m for it or against it doesn’t matter.
“They are professional athletes. Get professionally paid. It’s not going away. You can’t try to get loopholes, because they take you to court. That’s why I say — so I’m not knocking the enforcement staff — they’re going to get taken to court every time they try to make a rule. So it’s a tough time in college basketball right now. And for us, you can’t really build programs and a culture because everybody leaves.”
Pitino, who won national championships at Kentucky in 1996 and Louisville in 2013, has had his own history of run-ins with the NCAA.
The title at Louisville was vacated for NCAA violations, and another NCAA case related to the FBI’s investigation into corruption in college basketball recruiting led to him being fired by Louisville in 2017.
The final ruling from the NCAA’s outside enforcement arm on the FBI case came down in November 2022 and exonerated Pitino.
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MBB: Latest RPI 2024 Feb 4th (RX; HM)
MBB: Latest RPI 2024 Feb 4th
After this weekend's chaos, RPI is giving us some strange results. First, here are the top 100 teams ranked by RPI:
| Men's Basketball - Team RPIs (2023-2024) | |||||
| Rank | School | W-L | RPI | Conf. | W-L |
| 1 | Purdue | 16-1 | 0.7445 | B1G | 8-1 |
| 2 | Tennessee | 13-4 | 0.6881 | SEC | 6-1 |
| 3 | Dayton | 16-3 | 0.6693 | Atl-10 | 6-1 |
| 4 | Houston | 14-2 | 0.6599 | BigXII | 3-2 |
| 5 | Kansas | 12-3 | 0.6597 | BigXII | 3-2 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 11-4 | 0.6586 | B1G | 6-1 |
| 7 | Utah St. | 12-2 | 0.6512 | MWC | 6-1 |
| 8 | Alabama | 14-4 | 0.6489 | SEC | 6-1 |
| 9 | S. Diego St. | 8-4 | 0.6459 | MWC | 2-2 |
| 10 | Marquette | 14-3 | 0.6449 | BigE | 7-1 |
| 11 | Colorado St. | 8-3 | 0.6434 | MWC | 0-2 |
| 12 | Northwestern | 11-5 | 0.6406 | B1G | 4-4 |
| 13 | Auburn | 13-4 | 0.6375 | SEC | 5-2 |
| 14 | South Carolina | 18-0 | 0.6356 | SEC | 7-0 |
| 15 | Florida Atlantic | 15-3 | 0.6334 | Amer | 6-1 |
| 16 | St. Mary's | 6-3 | 0.6304 | Wcc | 2-0 |
| 17 | Indiana St. | 17-2 | 0.6303 | Mvc | 9-0 |
| 18 | Creighton | 15-3 | 0.629 | BigE | 6-2 |
| 19 | New Mexico | 9-1 | 0.6289 | MWC | 3-0 |
| 20 | Arizona | 12-4 | 0.6283 | Pac-12 | 4-2 |
| 21 | Gonzaga | 7-1 | 0.6248 | Wcc | 2-0 |
| 22 | Syracuse | 11-8 | 0.6242 | ACC | 4-6 |
| 23 | Mississippi | 16-3 | 0.6225 | SEC | 4-3 |
| 24 | N. Carolina | 14-4 | 0.6207 | ACC | 8-1 |
| 25 | Connecticut | 15-2 | 0.6207 | BigE | 7-1 |
| Rank | School | W-L | RPI | Conf. | W-L |
| 26 | Clemson | 10-4 | 0.6155 | ACC | 3-3 |
| 27 | Baylor | 10-4 | 0.6135 | BigXII | 3-2 |
| 28 | Princeton | 14-3 | 0.6114 | Ivy | 4-2 |
| 29 | Illinois | 10-5 | 0.6114 | B1G | 4-3 |
| 30 | Texas A&M | 9-6 | 0.6091 | SEC | 3-2 |
| 31 | Utah | 9-4 | 0.607 | Pac-12 | 2-2 |
| 32 | Nebraska | 12-3 | 0.6063 | B1G | 4-2 |
| 33 | Memphis | 13-5 | 0.6061 | Amer | 4-3 |
| 34 | Mississippi St. | 12-5 | 0.605 | SEC | 2-4 |
| 35 | BYU | 12-3 | 0.6042 | BigXII | 3-2 |
| 36 | Grand Canyon | 15-1 | 0.6008 | Wac | 7-0 |
| 37 | Virginia | 14-5 | 0.6001 | ACC | 7-3 |
| 38 | Xavier | 11-7 | 0.5965 | BigE | 5-3 |
| 39 | Yale | 10-5 | 0.5962 | Ivy | 4-0 |
| 40 | Richmond | 14-5 | 0.5953 | Atl-10 | 7-1 |
| 41 | St. John's | 12-7 | 0.5937 | BigE | 4-4 |
| 42 | Cornell | 14-3 | 0.5933 | Ivy | 5-0 |
| 43 | Bradley | 11-6 | 0.5932 | Mvc | 5-3 |
| 44 | Samford | 15-3 | 0.591 | South | 8-1 |
| 45 | Drake | 13-5 | 0.5901 | Mvc | 5-3 |
| 46 | Texas | 13-5 | 0.59 | BigXII | 3-3 |
| 47 | Cincinnati | 10-4 | 0.5869 | BigXII | 4-2 |
| 48 | Boise St. | 6-3 | 0.5868 | MWC | 2-1 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | 13-4 | 0.5854 | BigXII | 3-4 |
| 50 | Miami (FL) | 12-3 | 0.5849 | ACC | 5-2 |
| Rank | School | W-L | RPI | Conf. | W-L |
| 51 | Colorado | 10-5 | 0.5849 | Pac-12 | 2-3 |
| 52 | UMass | 13-5 | 0.584 | Atl-10 | 4-3 |
| 53 | Stanford | 7-3 | 0.5832 | Pac-12 | 3-2 |
| 54 | Appalachian St. | 14-3 | 0.5825 | SBC | 7-1 |
| 55 | Duquesne | 12-6 | 0.5812 | Atl-10 | 3-4 |
| 56 | Duke | 14-5 | 0.5808 | ACC | 6-3 |
| 57 | Providence | 11-6 | 0.5805 | BigE | 3-4 |
| 58 | Kentucky | 10-6 | 0.5799 | SEC | 3-4 |
| 59 | George Mason | 14-6 | 0.5784 | Atl-10 | 4-4 |
| 60 | Seton Hall | 9-7 | 0.5782 | BigE | 4-4 |
| 61 | Iowa St. | 10-4 | 0.5768 | BigXII | 3-2 |
| 62 | Akron | 12-4 | 0.5767 | MAC | 7-1 |
| 63 | Florida | 14-6 | 0.5767 | SEC | 5-3 |
| 64 | Wake Forest | 14-6 | 0.5761 | ACC | 6-3 |
| 65 | Michigan St. | 10-7 | 0.5759 | B1G | 4-4 |
| 66 | Charlotte | 11-6 | 0.5759 | Amer | 5-1 |
| 67 | Louisiana Tech | 11-4 | 0.5758 | C-USA | 4-1 |
| 68 | NC Wilmington | 10-6 | 0.5756 | Coln | 5-3 |
| 69 | Vermont | 14-5 | 0.5753 | AEast | 6-0 |
| 70 | Texas Tech | 13-4 | 0.5735 | BigXII | 4-2 |
| 71 | Nevada | 9-2 | 0.5723 | MWC | 1-1 |
| 72 | South Florida | 11-4 | 0.5711 | Amer | 6-1 |
| 73 | Boston Coll. | 11-6 | 0.5703 | ACC | 3-4 |
| 74 | High Point | 14-3 | 0.5695 | BSou | 6-0 |
| 75 | Oregon | 9-4 | 0.5685 | Pac-12 | 3-2 |
| Rank | School | W-L | RPI | Conf. | W-L |
| 76 | Charleston | 13-6 | 0.5682 | Coln | 6-2 |
| 77 | St. Joseph's | 14-5 | 0.5656 | Atl-10 | 5-3 |
| 78 | Washington St. | 8-5 | 0.5652 | Pac-12 | 3-3 |
| 79 | Morehead St. | 11-5 | 0.5636 | Ovc | 7-1 |
| 80 | Pittsburgh | 13-5 | 0.5635 | ACC | 5-5 |
| 81 | Missouri St. | 13-7 | 0.5633 | Mvc | 5-4 |
| 82 | Ohio St. | 11-8 | 0.5633 | B1G | 3-7 |
| 83 | Georgia | 12-8 | 0.563 | SEC | 2-5 |
| 84 | McNeese St. | 10-3 | 0.5624 | Sland | 6-1 |
| 85 | Butler | 13-7 | 0.5613 | BigE | 5-5 |
| 86 | UCF | 9-8 | 0.5601 | BigXII | 2-5 |
| 87 | Oregon St. | 6-5 | 0.5592 | Pac-12 | 1-3 |
| 88 | SMU | 12-5 | 0.5589 | Amer | 4-3 |
| 89 | Oakland | 12-8 | 0.5579 | Horiz | 7-2 |
| 90 | Wyoming | 10-7 | 0.557 | MWC | 5-2 |
| 91 | VCU | 12-6 | 0.5568 | Atl-10 | 5-2 |
| 92 | Indiana | 10-6 | 0.5556 | B1G | 4-3 |
| 93 | TCU | 11-6 | 0.5556 | BigXII | 3-4 |
| 94 | N.C. State | 11-3 | 0.5556 | ACC | 5-3 |
| 95 | Loyola Chicago | 11-6 | 0.5555 | Atl-10 | 5-1 |
| 96 | Weber St. | 9-5 | 0.5553 | Bsky | 4-2 |
| 97 | Eastern Wash. | 8-5 | 0.554 | Bsky | 5-1 |
| 98 | Davidson | 8-7 | 0.5536 | Atl-10 | 1-4 |
| 99 | Virginia Tech | 10-8 | 0.5528 | ACC | 3-5 |
| 100 | Toledo | 12-6 | 0.5515 | MAC | 7-2 |
Strange Days!
1. RPI says Syracuse is actually the best men's basketball team in the ACC - but not by much. UNC and Clemson are close on their heels.2. It also says the ACC is probably a 4 bid league -- but Duke isn't one of them!
3. In fact, RPI has Duke as the 6th best team in the conference after their loss to UNC, a few spots behind Miami and even Stanford.
4. Wake Forest, Boston College, Pitt, NC State and Virginia Tech round out the top 100, along with SMU.
5. Four ACC teams aren't even in the top 100: Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, and Notre Dame.
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Other
Luke Bryan’s 2023 “Country on Tour” show at the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, Syracuse, N.Y., Thursday June 15, 2023. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
Live Nation selling lawn pass (with a new name) for Syracuse, SPAC, Darien Lake concerts (PS; $; Herbert)
Want to see a bunch of concerts for a discounted price?
Live Nation is bringing back its lawn pass (with a new name) to three Upstate New York venues, including the Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse, Darien Lake Amphitheater near Buffalo and the Broadview Stage at SPAC (Saratoga Performing Arts Center) in Saratoga Springs.
Now known as the “Lawnie Pass,” the deal includes admission to most shows in the 2024 season for $239 (plus taxes) at the three amphitheaters. The “all-in” price is similar to last year’s listed price of $199, which did not include fees; a New York law passed in 2022 requires online ticket sellers to now show complete “all-in” prices without hidden costs.
The package includes entry to multiple concerts at a single venue, one Fast Lane entry per concert, a personalized credential that acts as a ticket, and access to a purchaser presale for the following year. It does not include general parking at the Empower FCU Amphitheater, or admission to “pavilion-only events, special events, (and) third-party rentals or festivals.”
The lawn pass provided admission to 15 of 22 concerts at the Syracuse amphitheater last year. Eleven shows have been announced so far for this year’s Amp lineup, but the Lawnie Pass likely won’t include access to the sold-out Hozier concert on May 21 or the nearly sold-out Lainey Wilson performance on June 21. The “Impractical Jokers” comedy show also won’t be included as it is a pavilion-only event, with no lawn seats.
A full list of exceptions will be disclosed after the venue’s full schedule is released in the coming weeks.
If the other eight shows on the Empower FCU Amphitheater lineup are all included in the Lawnie Pass, the deal represents a savings of more than $100. It would cost at least $350 to buy lawn tickets for each concert, which range from $43 to $55 each for Judas Priest, Jason Aldean, Jordan Davis, Train/REO Speedwagon, ZZ Top/Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr., Rob Zombie/Alice Cooper, and Hootie & The Blowfish/Collective Soul/Edwin McCain. Additional shows added to the calendar would mean even more savings.
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CNY animal park expansion is back on. What has changed? (PS; $; Doran)
The owner of the popular Wild Animal Park in Madison County has revised his plans to expand the park into a wedding and event venue with lodging.
Jeff Taylor, who owns the park, had announced a major expansion of the park in early 2022. Back then, he said he planned to spend $10 million to create a wedding venue and luxury campground surrounded by exotic animals on more than 100 acres. He envisioned cabins with hot tubs and windows that looked out onto lions and a venue that could host up to 1,000 people, along with axe throwing, a brew pub, mini golf and a water park.
In July 2023, Taylor put the brakes on those plans. After investing in site plans and studies required by the town of Sullivan and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, he said he was having trouble getting the necessary permission and approvals from the town and state.
Not long after Taylor decided to abandon the expansion, he received his DEC permits in the mail. He also secured necessary approvals from the town of Sullivan.
“I decided to re-evaluate,’’ he told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard recently. He’s hired a management team and resurrected his expansion plans, with some changes.
Taylor’s new $4 million plan calls for a wedding/event center with a spa on the site. The wedding/event venue will be about 14,000 square feet. It will be able to host a wedding with seating for up to 450 people, and other events or concerts for up to nearly 1,000 people.
It’s being built on about 40 acres Taylor owns on New Boston Road about a mile from the Wild Animal Park. The venue will overlook the giraffe enclosure.
The venue should be completed soon, Taylor said. He’ll start taking reservations for weddings and other events in mid-March for 2025 weddings.
Town of Sullivan Supervisor Tom Daviau said the town planning board and town board officials have approved most of Taylor’s plans for the event center and rental units.
“We are very excited to have this project,” Daviau said.
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Upstate NY college gets their own Stewart’s ice cream flavor to celebrate 200th anniversary (PS; TMS)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) turns 200 this year, and Stewart’s Shops is helping to celebrate the bicentennial with a renamed ice cream flavor, available at Capital Region locations starting on Feb. 5.
Formerly known as “Fireworks,” the newly redubbed flavor will debut in stores throughout the Capital Region on Feb. 5 as “Quantum Freeze.” The name is a reference to RPI’s new IBM Quantum System One, which requires temperatures colder than outer space in order to operate properly. “Quantum Freeze” features a tart cherry swirl and red and blue Pop Rocks in vanilla ice cream.
Last November, RPI students, faculty, staff and alumni submitted more than 500 names for the ice cream, and Quantum Freeze won the final vote.
“The name Quantum Freeze is quite fitting for this moment,” RPI president Martin Schmidt ‘81 said in a news release. “It reflects both how far we’ve come as an institution and the exciting era of discovery ahead of us that will include quantum computing and much more. I’m pleased that people from our community will soon be able to go into their local Stewart’s Shop, get a scoop — or two — of Quantum Freeze, and celebrate the moment with us.”
“We are honored to partner with RPI on such an important milestone for the institution,” Stewart’s Shops marketing director Bill Majewski said in the release. “Stewart’s strives to be part of the fabric of the communities we serve and Rensselaer has been nurturing future leaders for generations. What sweeter way to celebrate than with ice cream?”
“Quantum Freeze” is just one of many ways RPI will commemorate its 200-year milestone. The school recently revealed its bicentennial tagline, “Foundations to Future: A 200-Year Reflection,” and its bicentennial logo. The logo features a mobius strip, a shape without a beginning or end, signifying RPI’s ongoing impact on the world since its founding. The mobius strip also lacks a boundary between inside and outside, representing RPI’s collaborative, discipline-bending, and adaptable ethos.
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