sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Ball Point Pen Day!
Ballpoint Pen Day celebrates the achievement of László and György Bíró, two Hungarian brothers who were the architects of the ballpoint pen. The consensus is that Ballpoint Pen Day takes place on June 10th because it was on June 10, 1943, that László Bíró applied for a patent for his pen.
László Bíró first tried to stop pens from smudging by attempting to use newspaper ink in fountain pens. This proved ineffectual as the ink was too thick for the pens. With the help of his brother, Bíró then created the ball and socket for the ballpoint pen. A metal ball at the end of the pen sat inside a socket, which allowed it to rotate. Quick-drying ink rolled onto the surface the pen was placed on, while more ink was gathered on the side of the ball that faced the inside of the pen, which then rolled onto the surface, repeating the process. Bíró invented his first ballpoint pen in 1931, which he showcased at the Budapest World Fair that year.
Bíró aimed to produce his pens in Hungary with business partner Andor Goy, but with rumblings of World War II approaching in 1938, Bíró fled to Argentina after being unable to find refuge in Europe. He formed a company to manufacture his pens and applied for a patent for them in 1943. The pens were believed to work well not only on land but in the air, not leaking in flight as other pens did. They were demonstrated to the Royal Air Force in London and the U.S. Air Force in Washington, D.C., and then went into production for the Allies.
Ballpoint pens went into commercial production in 1945. The first commercial ballpoint pen was the Reynold's Rocket, which was first sold at Gimbels in New York City. Early pens were rather expensive, but their price dropped over time. Bíró sold his patent to Marcel Bich, who created Bic pens, further spreading the popularity of ballpoint pens around the world. Ballpoint pens eventually supplanted the fountain pen as the most popular pen. Today they are used all around the world and are considered to be affordable and reliable. Some ballpoint pens sell for mere pennies, and they are able to write about 50,000 words or 100 pages on average. In a nod to their creators, they are sometimes called "biro" pens. But the Bíró brothers not only have a pen named for them—they have a whole day dedicated to them today!
SU News
Jim Boeheim stands with his wife, Juli, their daughter, Jamie, and son Jimmy (not pictured) after the unveiling of 'Jim Boeheim Way.' June 7, 2024 (Mike Waters photo) Mike Waters
Syracuse unveils ‘Jim Boeheim Way’ street sign near JMA Wireless Dome (PS; Ditota)
Before he pulled the canvas to reveal the street sign for “Jim Boeheim Way,” the former Syracuse basketball coach had a few things to say during the ceremony to honor him.
The blue and white sign, at the intersection of East Raynor and Irving Ave, was unveiled Friday morning. Fans who walk to the JMA Wireless Dome will invariably encounter that intersection, which sits at the base of the dome.
“I think what’s gonna happen,” Boeheim said, “is when people get stuck in traffic right here, they’re gonna look at that sign and say, ‘Ugh, Boeheim again?’”
The line drew laughs from the gathered crowd, which included SU athletic director John Wildhack, SU men’s basketball coach Adrian Autry and his staff, Syracuse mayor Ben Walsh, Boeheim’s wife, Juli, and two of their three children, Jimmy and Jamie. Buddy Boeheim is in Detroit participating in summer workouts with the Pistons.
Former SU guards Eric Devendorf and Symir Torrence were there; so was current SU center Naheem McLeod, who is no longer in a walking boot post-foot surgery. Wildhack also made mention of several local politicians in the audience.
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Areas of target for Syracuse’s last two 2024-25 scholarships (orangefizz.net; Burstein)
The Orange landed another transfer portal target this week, as former Georgia Tech guard Lucas Taylor committed to Syraucse. Taylor is SU’s 11th scholarship player for the 2024-25 season, so there are two more available.
While it’s possible those spots remain vacant, there are a few spots that Syracuse could use help.
Point guard options
Replacing a second-team All-ACC player like Judah Mintz was never going to be an easy task. But Hofstra transfer Jaquan Carlos seems to be a good first step. The guard is an elite passer, and should be surrounded by some elite scorers (such as Chris Bell, JJ Starling and Donnie Freeman). But, he’s unproven at the Power Five level.
Additionally, if you look past Carlos, it’s a bunch of question marks. Kyle Cuffe has yet to maintain consistent minutes in the biggest games. And Chance Westry hasn’t seen actual game time in over a year.
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Syracuse Basketball: Analyzing SU's 2024-25 roster, assessing biggest remaining needs (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball coaches are likely nearing the finish line as it pertains to finalizing their roster for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
A few days ago, the Orange staff added another versatile guard for the next term when Georgia State junior Lucas Taylor, a four-star prospect, said he would transfer to the 'Cuse for his senior year.
That development gives the Orange a total of 11 scholarship players when I wrote this article. Eight guys from the 2023-24 campaign are gone, with seven hitting the portal and sophomore point guard Judah Mintz pursuing a professional career.
Five players from last season are expected to return. The Syracuse basketball 2024 recruiting class includes two high school seniors and four college transfers. This means that Orange coaches still have two open scholarships available for 2024-25.
Let's analyze the Syracuse basketball roster and discuss what potential needs remain.
Here is the current 2024-25 roster:
Guards
Sophomore J.J. Starling
Sophomore Chance Westry (likely can also play small forward)
Redshirt sophomore Kyle Cuffe Jr.
Junior Jaquan Carlos, a transfer from Hofstra
Incoming freshman Elijah Moore
Junior Lucas Taylor, a transfer from Georgia State (likely can also play small forward)
Forwards
Sophomore Chris Bell
Senior Jyáre Davis, a transfer from Delaware
Incoming freshman Donnie Freeman (could possibly play spot minutes at center)
Centers
Senior Eddie Lampkin Jr., a transfer from Colorado
Junior Naheem McLeod
On paper, the 'Cuse backcourt is filled with depth and versatility. Starling, a starter in 2023-24, can play both point guard and shooting guard. Westry, who didn't play at all last season because of an injury, can likely suit up at both guard spots and at small forward. The same applies to Taylor.
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Syracuse basketball 2024 class, after pledge by 4-star Lucas Taylor, No. 10 nationally (itlh; Adler)
Following the recent commitment by four-star transfer guard Lucas Taylor to Syracuse basketball, the Orange's 2024 class checked in at No. 10 nationwide when I wrote this article, according to the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking.
While it's true this off-season that the 'Cuse has seen seven players from its 2023-24 roster hit the portal, and sophomore point guard Judah Mintz is pursuing professional aspirations, the Orange staff has compiled a strong-six member 2024 recruiting cycle that includes two high school seniors and four college transfers.
Both of the team's high school senior pledges are rated at least four stars, and one of them, Donnie Freeman, is five stars across the board. Every one of the squad's transfer commits is ranked four stars by at least one recruiting service, if not more than that.
Now, it remains to be seen how Syracuse basketball's significantly overhauled roster will fare on the court in the upcoming 2024-25 campaign, but from my perspective, 'Cuse coaches have done a stellar job with their 2024 class.
Let's review various team and individual rankings for the Syracuse basketball 2024 class.
Here is the Orange's 2024 recruiting cycle, when I wrote this story:
High School Level
Incoming freshman Donnie Freeman, a power forward from Washington, D.C.
Incoming freshman Elijah Moore, a shooting guard from New York City
Transfer Portal
Georgia State junior guard Lucas Taylor
Hofstra junior point guard Jaquan Carlos
Delaware senior forward Jyáre Davis
Colorado senior center Eddie Lampkin Jr.
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Syracuse Basketball: Might be long shot, but trio of 5-star bigs in 2025 would be lethal (itlh; Adler)
This column about Syracuse basketball recruiting is purely hypothetical and probably a pipe dream on my part. I wanted to get that across at the onset.
Still, it's fun to dream, right? Okay, so here's the deal. One of the Orange's 2024 commits at the high school level is five-star power forward Donnie Freeman from Washington, D.C. The 6-foot-10 Freeman is rated as high as No. 6 nationally in his class and is also deemed the top-ranked power forward in the 2024 cycle by several recruiting services.
Looking ahead to the 'Cuse 2025 class, in late May, the Orange picked up a massive verbal pledge, the first in this cycle for the squad, when Sadiq White Jr. from Charlotte, N.C., verbally committed to Syracuse basketball over six other finalists.
At the time of this writing, the industry-generated 247Sports Composite placed the 6-foot-8 White as five stars, in the top 25 overall, and in the top 10 at power forward.
Could Syracuse basketball have a trio of five-star big men in 2025? We'll see.
This brings me to fast-rising 2025 prospect Chris Cenac Jr. A few days ago, the 6-foot-10 power forward/center said via his X page that he had received a scholarship offer from the Orange coaching staff.
Cenac, whose offer sheet has ballooned of late, stars for the Isidore Newman School in New Orleans and runs with the Dallas-based YoungGameChangers in the PUMA-sponsored PRO16/NXT league on the AAU circuit.
When recruiting service and media outlet On3 recently updated its 2025 rankings, Cenac arrived as five stars, No. 6 nationwide, No. 3 at power forward and No. 1 in Louisiana.
Now here comes my wildly hypothetical discussion. What if Syracuse basketball saw Freeman come back for a second season, and the Orange secured a commitment from Cenac, giving the team in the 2025-26 term a trio of Freeman, Cenac and White?
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(youtube; podcast; No Destination)
We sat down with Syracuse Basketball Legend, Buddy Boeheim, to discuss Basketball, Family, Syracuse, and more!
Quick Syracuse Basketball 2025 Recruiting Update podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse Basketball has already secured 2025 247sports Five-Star Recruit Sadiq White. The Orange are also now in the lead for London Jemison, according to On3's Prediction Machine. Kiyan Anthony looks to schedule visits with Indiana, Auburn and Ohio St plus Tyler Jackson still remains an option for Adrian Autry's squad.Jackson Holzer gives you a quick 2025 recruiting update.
Syracuse University on Instagram: "Where’s your hidden gem on campus? "
syracuseu on June 7, 2024: "Where’s your hidden gem on campus? ".
www.instagram.com
Other
Workers at West Herr Chevrolet of East Syracuse help pull a little kitten out of the engine compartment of a Silverado pickup truck on Thursday, June 6, 2024.Photo Courtesy of Shawn Cathcart
His pickup was meowing. Two hours and eight mechanics later… (PS; $; Cobb)
Shawn Cathcart was approached by a security guard in a Syracuse parking lot Thursday morning about a strange noise coming from his truck.
Your truck is meowing, the person said. I think there is a cat under your hood.
Cathcart, who lives in New Haven in Oswego County, said he was at Crouse Hospital for a doctor’s appointment when the meowing was discovered. He and others worked for an hour trying to get the cat out. A worker from the hospital brought out a ladder to climb up and look down into the engine area, but no luck.
Suddenly for 20 minutes, the meowing stopped. He thought the cat had somehow run off. But as he started to drive, the meowing started again.
Cathcart brought his Silverado pickup to a Chevrolet dealership in East Syracuse, about a 12-minute ride down Interstate 690.
He said no one laughed at him when he pulled into West Herr Chevrolet of East Syracuse off Bridge Street. Instead, eight mechanics and others jumped into action.
James Gustina, a service adviser, said everyone could hear the meowing.
He and three technicians pulled out their flashlights and searched throughout the truck trying to find the cat.
“I could hear it meowing, but we couldn’t figure out where it was,” Gustina said. “I was just thinking that it was getting burnt.”
They finally found the cat near the plastic cowl that goes over the window wiper transmission
Cathcart said he doesn’t know how the cat got there. He said it’s possible it rode all the way from Oswego to Syracuse, about a 37-mile trip
In order to get to the cat, Gustina asked Cathcart if he was ok with taking the truck apart.
“The first thought was tear it apart, do what you need to do,” Cathcart said. “I didn’t want the cat to be hurt. It had ridden a long way in the engine compartment, and I didn’t want to scare it anymore or have the darn thing get hurt.”
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Hanson performs at the Taste of Syracuse in Clinton Square, Saturday, June 8, 2024, in Syracuse, NY. (Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com)
Hanson packs Clinton Square headlining Taste of Syracuse (photos) (PS; photo gallery; Schild)
Nineties pop nostalgia had people of all ages bouncing around Clinton Square on Saturday night.
The Taste of Syracuse featured Hanson on the main Clinton Square Stage. Fans packed in and climbed up on structures to gain a peak of the now fully grown brothers.
Hanson rose to stardom and heartthrob status when their debut album “Middle of Nowhere” topped pop music charts in 1997, including the hit “MMMBop.”
See photos from the concert above.
This is CNY on Instagram: "Thousands of people filled downtown Syracuse's Clinton Square to see @Hanson's free show at the Taste of Syracuse on Saturday night. Hanson rose to stardom when their debut album “Middle of Nowhere” topped pop music charts
274 likes, 4 comments - thisiscny on June 9, 2024: "Thousands of people filled downtown Syracuse's Clinton Square to see @Hanson's free show at the Taste of Syracuse on Saturday night...".
www.instagram.com
