sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Bugs Bunny Day!
On April 30, 1938, a cartoon character known as "Happy Rabbit" made his debut in a short Warner Bros. cartoon titled "Porky's Hare Hunt." He was the prototype for Bugs Bunny, having a similar personality, but looking a bit different. It is on the anniversary of the release of this short film that we celebrate Bugs Bunny Day.
Bugs Bunny is an anthropomorphic gray hare with a relaxed and passive personality—but he is also a trickster. He became a cultural icon and is best known for starring in Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, short films that were made by Warner Bros. from the 1930s through the 1960s. He appeared in many other formats, such as feature films, comic books, and musical records. He has appeared in more films than any other cartoon character, and TV Guide listed him as the greatest cartoon character of all time. In 1997, he became the first cartoon character to appear on a postage stamp. He even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The name "Bugs" or "Bugsy" means crazy or loopy and was used as a nickname in the first half of the twentieth century. For example, mobster Benjamin Siegel is best known as Bugsy Siegel. Today the name survives in phrases such as "You're bugging me," and in Bugs Bunny.
SU News
Syracuse Basketball: Where Kiyan Anthony, 4-star recruits arrive in new 2025 rankings (PS; Adler)
In recent days, recruiting service and media outlet ESPN revealed its updated national rankings for the top-100 prospects in the 2025 class, and numerous Syracuse basketball four-star targets find themselves highly placed.
According to recruiting Web sites and social media posts, to date, the Orange coaching staff has offered scholarships to around 20 players in the high school junior cycle.
However, some of those offered by the 'Cuse are no longer considering the Orange, while Syracuse basketball coaches aren't heavily recruiting others.
As such, as far as I can tell, the 'Cuse coaching staff is prioritizing a handful of 2025 targets, based on these prospects having taken visits to the Hill, including Syracuse basketball in their list cuts, or other factors.
Full disclosure, though: the Orange staff may not be prioritizing all of those 2025 players listed below, and 'Cuse coaches could also be in pursuit of some high school juniors who didn't make the ESPN 100.
For one, Syracuse basketball recently offered a scholarship to 2025 big man Asher Elson out of South Shore High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., who for now is not nationally ranked by ESPN but is a fast-rising prospect, experts have told me.
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Syracuse men’s basketball: What’s left for the Orange in the transfer portal? (TNIAAM; Wall)
With Dakota Leffew deciding to transfer to the Georgia Bulldogs instead of the Syracuse Orange, it means Syracuse still has three open scholarships for next season.
We haven’t really heard much from Adrian Autry and the Syracuse staff in regards to others players who remain available, but with the May 1st deadline for players to enter the portal approaching, should Orange fans be concerned?
The addition of Hofstra point guard Jaquan Carlos addressed the biggest hole on the roster, but the Orange shouldn’t be content with how things stand. Let’s look at the scholarship players at each of the position groups:
Guard: Starling, Cuffe, Westry, Moore, Carlos
Forward: Bell, Freeman, Davis
Center: Lampkin, McLeod
A healthy Chance Westry is capable of sliding into a small forward spot, but as we saw this past season, it doesn’t take much to turn a stable situation into a problem. So, what should the Orange be looking for as the final players file into the portal?
To me, another shooter would be useful. The three transfer additions don’t project as outside shooting threats, which means Syracuse would be in a spot where they don’t have strong spacing on offense. Donnie Freeman and Elijah Moore will enter college with strong reputations in that area, but they are also unproven at this level.
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Someone’s Getting Left Out of Syracuse’s Rotation (orangefizz.net; Aitken)
Someone is going to get left out of Syracuse’s backcourt rotation next year. There’s plenty of guards, plus potential future additions in Ken Evans Jr., Braeden Smith, and others. With that much manpower, Adrian Autry won’t be able to put everyone on the court.
Before looking at who’s going to play, let’s first find out how many slots there are historically. Boeheim usually played three guards consistently, with one getting rotational minutes. Last year, though, says more about Autry specifically.
In 2023-24, SU had a two-headed monster at guard. Judah Mintz and JJ Starling each played 34 minutes per game. Then, Quadir Copeland played around 22 minutes per game. Rounding out the group was Kyle Cuffe, down at 11 minutes per game.
The complicating factor last season was the lack of size for Syracuse. Bell and Justin Taylor are arguably best described as taller shooting guards, although they were forced to line up as forwards last season. Going forward, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Bell play more as a guard. He’s 6’7”, but only 188 pounds and defends best in the backcourt. Plus, he’s not much of a rebounder, so guys like Jyare Davis might play more at the small forward position. As for Taylor, he’s headed to James Madison, so he doesn’t factor into this.
This year, there won’t be a duo like Mintz and Starling, so there could be more minutes to go around. Let’s do the math, though, using the 80 minutes per game at the two guard spots available.
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(youtube; radio; The 315)
With the news that Dakota Leffew is not coming to Syracuse, Brian plays everyone's favorite game of guessing the minute share and rotation again based on the current roster.
Keeping Up With The 315 4-29-24 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian Higgins begins the show by reacting to the latest Transfer Portal Watch news regarding the point guard position. Then, he guesses as of today what the minute share will be for each SU rotation player next season. Lastly, a caller chimes in with some questions on the state of scholarships and roster spots for Syracuse football in the midst of their transfer portal search.
30 Minutes in Orange Nation 4-29-24 (ESPN; radio; Orange Nation)
Steve Infanti and Paulie Scibilia start the show reacting to Dakota Leffew’s decision to commit to Georgia and discussing whether or not Syracuse will add any more contributors from the portal. Then, Paulie gets annoyed with fans clamoring for Adrian Autry to go after Kadary Richmond. Later, the guys lay out what they’re still concerned about with the roster before a caller has a question about the schedule.
Syracuse Basketball Transfer Portal Update | Ken Evans Jr. New #1 target for Coach Adrian Autry? (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse Basketball appears to be going after Jackson St. Four-Star transfer Ken Evans Jr. Adrian Autry's new target is a 6'5" combo-guard that ranks higher than Dakota Leffew. Eddie Lampkin and Naheem McLeod have been recruiting Evans to join the Orange.
Pondering a Kadary Richmond reunion in Syracuse and analyzing SU's backup QB's with Charley Loeb (youtube; podcast; Axe)
On the latest episode of Syracuse Sports, Brent Axe opens by pondering a potential return to Syracuse basketball for former guard Kadary Richmond, who is in the transfer portal. What are the advantages and disadvantages of bringing Richmond back and could SU pull it off? Brent also opines on how Syracuse women's lacrosse just can't past a nemesis that has now beaten the Orange six straight times.
Barstool Syracuse on Instagram: "Block Party 2024 "
814 likes, 4 comments - barstoolcuse on April 29, 2024: "Block Party 2024 ".
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Cuse Sports Talk on Instagram: "Why did Dakota Leffew pick Georgia over Syracuse? @mike_mcallister explains what he heard made the difference. Catch the full interview where the guys discuss where the Orange go from here, chances of Kadary Richmond
11 likes, 0 comments - cusesportstalk on April 29, 2024: "Why did Dakota Leffew pick Georgia over Syracuse? @mike_mcallister explains what he heard made the difference. Catch the full interview ...".
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Cuse Sports Talk on Instagram: "How we feeling about the current Syracuse starting five/rotation? @brianhigginssu guesses the minutes share for each player as things stand right now. Watch the full segment on the CuseSportsTalk YouTube page or at
10 likes, 0 comments - cusesportstalk on April 29, 2024: "How we feeling about the current Syracuse starting five/rotation? @brianhigginssu guesses the minutes share for each player as things st...".
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Cal Transfer Rytis Petraitis on Joining the ACC: `Hopefully We Can Surprise Everyone' (SI; Faraudo)
Rytis Petraitis, who committed to Cal basketball on Sunday, was impressed by coach Mark Madsen’s commitment to a family atmosphere, his ability to develop players, the impact he had on the Bears' program in one year and his background as an NBA player.
“His resume is amazing,” said the 6-foot-7 small forward transfer from the Air Force Academy.
Petraitis’ father, Ramas, has a different perspective on Madsen.
Ramas Petraitis played at Oregon State at the same time Madsen and Stanford were running roughshod over the Pac-10.
“I vividly recall playing him. I just remember him being a strong presence in there — as strong as a horse,” Ramas Petraitis said. “I was just another guard at Oregon State. Stanford was very, very good at that time.”
“Crazy,” Rytis Petraitis said. “Basketball’s a small world.”
Ramas and his wife Reda, who also played basketball at Oregon State, are thrilled with their son’s decision to attend Cal.
“He definitely picked a great place,” Ramas said. “He felt like Cal is his home.”
And Madsen?
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Other
Wells College was established as a women's college in 1868 by Henry Wells, founder of Wells Fargo and the American Express Company.
Wells College to close after 156 years, citing financial strain (PS; Weiner)
The leaders of Wells College said today the 156-year-old college will close at the end of the spring semester after failing to weather a financial crisis amid declining enrollment.
The college, an anchor in the village of Aurora in Cayuga County since 1868, broke the news to students, alumni and staff in a public letter posted on its website this morning.
Board Chair Marie Chapman Carroll and President Jonathan Gibralter said that college officials determined the school will not have enough revenue to achieve financial stability in the years ahead.
“As trustees, we have a fiduciary responsibility to the institution; we have determined after a thorough review that the college does not have adequate financial resources to continue,” Gibralter and Chapman Carroll wrote in the letter.
“As you may be aware, many small colleges like Wells have faced enormous financial challenges,” the letter said. “These challenges have been exacerbated by a global pandemic, a shrinking pool of undergraduate students nationwide, inflationary pressures, and an overall negative sentiment towards higher education.”
Wells College, established as a women’s school, had struggled with enrollment problems for years. It began accepting men in 2005 in an effort to boost enrollment.
The school was placed on probation in 2019 by an accrediting agency because of concerns over whether it had adequate financial and human resources to keep its doors open. The probation was lifted two years later after the college strengthened its finances.
The school’s more than 300 undergraduate students will be offered an opportunity to transfer to Manhattanville University in Westchester County as part of an agreement with Wells College, the officials said.
“Manhattanville is developing dedicated housing for Wells students and will be partners in supporting our students with transfer plans,” Gibralter and Chapman Carroll said. “Manhattanville has also expressed interest in developing a legacy agreement that would integrate the Wells College name and history into the Manhattanville community.”
Wells College is making similar “teach-out agreements” with Le Moyne College in Syracuse, Excelsior University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Keuka College, Mercy University and SUNY Brockport, the officials said.
Wells College becomes the second small college in Central New York to close in the last two years.
Cazenovia College in Madison County permanently closed after its spring 2023 semester. The small, private college cited shrinking enrollment levels. Since its peak with nearly 1,000 students on campus, Cazenovia’s enrollment declined by more than 40%.
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Two adult gobblers (male) wild turkeys. A female turkey is called a hen, and it is quite different from its flamboyant male counterpart.
NY’s turkey populations are low but stable as spring turkey hunting season opens May 1 (PS; Featherstone)
The regular spring turkey season opens May 1 and runs through May 31 in Upstate New York north of the Bronx-Westchester County line, and also in Suffolk County on Long Island. The bag limit is two bearded birds, one per day.
New York’s spring turkey harvest averages between 16,000 to 18,000 birds, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation. But that number varies based on the number of hunters afield, as well as turkey productivity in the previous few springs.
This spring, DEC expects an improved turkey harvest compared to last year. Since hunters prefer to take toms (two+ year-old birds), there’s typically a two-year lag between summer productivity and spring take.
Turkey population trends
Overall, the state’s turkey populations are lower compared to the early 2000s. But population estimates that rely solely on hunter harvest data are “not the best way to manage wildlife,” said Joshua Twining, a postdoctoral research scientist at Cornell University.
Twining is leading a five-year DEC study with the goal of providing more accurate estimates of NY’s wild turkey, whitetail deer, red and gray fox, coyote, and bobcat populations. The study is based on millions of photos taken from a network of nearly 3,000 camera traps—trail cameras, essentially—placed across much of upstate NY between 2014-2021.
Twining’s initial analysis of the camera trap data confirms what most CNY hunters already know: turkeys are harder than ever to find.
“Occupancy is low,” Twining said, using a term that refers to the complex algorithm his team employs to estimate the probability that an animal lives in or ‘occupies’ a particular area.
“Basically what we see here is consensus between anecdotal data about how turkeys are doing in the state, and our more robust estimates, which is very low occupancy and relatively stable population.”
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Crawfish Fest, Mountain Goat kick off downtown festival season: 19 things to do this week in Central NY (PS; Croyle)
We flip the calendar into May this week and enter “festival season.”
This weekend finds festivals all over Central New York, a sign that summer is right around the corner.
The Clinton Square festival schedule gets started with Operation Northern Comfort’s annual Crawfish Festival. Expect Cajun favorites, hot dogs, live music, and more, with proceeds going towards a great cause.
The Great Swamp Conservancy in Canastota will once again be hosting its Spring Migration Festival on Sunday, as birds return after the long winter.
And two new festivals get debuts this weekend.
The Folkus Project is presenting their first ever Family Music and Dance Festival at Camp Talooli’s Nokomis Lodge and the First Annual Cayuga County Cheese Festival takes place at the Ward W. O’Hara Agricultural and Country Living Museum in Auburn.
Both take place on Saturday.
Know of an event you would like to see on this list? Email us at least two weeks in advance at features@syracuse.com.
Tuesday
An Evening with Project Trio
Enjoy an evening of innovative music featuring NYC musicians, Project Trio, on Tuesday at Grant Middle School. Bassist Peter Seymour, beatbox flute player Greg Pattillo and saxophonist Daniel Berkey will push the boundaries of traditional chamber music with their unique fusion of classical, Jazz, hip-hop and world music influences. The Trio has amassed a significant following on YouTube, amassing over 100 million views and 100,000 subscribers. The concert is free and open to the public. It starts at 7 p.m.Where: 2400 Grant Boulevard, Syracuse
When: Tuesday at 7 p.m.
How much: Free
Elin Hilderbrand
Known as the “Queen of the beach read,” Elin Hilderbrand is an American writer widely known for her romance novels. She has sold roughly ten million books and her 2019 novel “Summer of ‘69” was a nine-week No. 1 New York Times bestseller. She will be speaking on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater. Click here to purchase tickets.
Where: 411 Montgomery Street, Syracuse
When: Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
How much: Tickets start at $44.35 plus fees.
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