sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Cow Appreciation Day!
On Cow Appreciation Day, people wear cow costumes—or even any sort of cow apparel—and head to Chick-fil-A to receive free food. Adults receive a free entrée, and children receive a free kids meal. In 2017, about 1.8 million people participated at over 2,200 restaurants. Why cows? The day honors Chick-fil-A's "Eat Mor Chikin" Cows. They were introduced in 1995 on a billboard, where a cow was sitting on the back of another cow and painting "Eat Mor Chikin." The cows have since been used in advertisements using mediums such as television and the internet, and have even been on water towers.
SU News
Syracuse men’s basketball: taking stock of the Orange’s current strengths and weaknesses (TNIAAM; Chiappone)
Barring any out-of-the-blue changes, the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team will enter the 2024-25 season with a complete roster makeover.
Only five players remain from last year’s squad, with eight total departures offset with Adrian Autry bringing in (to date) four new transfers plus the services of class of 2024 prospects Donnie Freeman and Elijah Moore.
One crazy offseason later, and the Syracuse roster is left looking something like this:
- Returners: J.J. Starling, Chris Bell, Naheem McLeod, Kyle Cuffe Jr., Chance Westry
- Departures: Judah Mintz (NBA draft), Maliq Brown (Duke), Quadir Copeland (McNeese State), Justin Taylor (James Madison), Mounir Hima (Howard), Peter Carey (Siena), Benny Williams (UCF), William Patterson (High Point)
- Incoming prospects: Donnie Freeman, Elijah Moore
- Transfers: Eddie Lampkin Jr. (Colorado), Lucas Taylor (Georgia State), Jyare Davis (Delaware), Jaquan Carlos (Hofstra)
Let’s break it all down:
Roster strengths
Experience — Next year’s team will certainly be one that has seen a lot of time on the court. Autry’s four transfer portal additions each bring at least three years of collegiate experience. Collectively, they’ve got 343 games, including 255 total starts, under their belts entering 2024-25. Both Starling and Bell are playing in their junior years and coming off some pretty productive campaigns in 2023-24. Ditto for McLeod and Westry, each looking to overcome injuries and carve out sizable roles on the team. Together, that should really help to build a solid foundation around Freeman and Moore, but also avoid some of the “rookie mistakes” that came with last year’s younger roster.
Versatility — Pretty much every new player on next year’s Orange can play at least two positions, and specifically the ability for the guards and wings to move up-and-down the positional ladder will give Autry more to work with. Last year’s team was plagued by a combination of injuries and players being forced to guard/generally play out of position. That should be much of an issue this time around.
Diversified scoring — Losing an All-ACC scoring guard like Mintz is always tough, but that production should trickle-down across the roster. Starling (13.3 PPG in 2023-24) and Bell (12.0 PPG in 2023-24) will both see the ball more in their hands. Lampkin (10.6 PPG last year), Davis (15+ PPG in back-to-back years), Taylor (14.5 PPG last year) and Carlos (10.4 PPG last year) can all put the ball in the basket. Freeman and Moore each have some offensive upside of their own.
Better roster balance — A lack of depth at certain positions was one of the major concerns from last year. A lot depends on how the transfers and incoming prospects will fare, but at each position, there’s at least two quality options should Autry need to make an adjustment due to an injury or some specific matchup. Carving out the rotation should be an interesting task for Autry.
Roster weaknesses
Legit playmaking — similar to when we address scoring, there’s plenty of players who can move the ball. Can they do it in a higher-usage role and command the attention of the defense? Starling averaged below two APG last year, while Bell was at 0.7 APG. Carlos (6.3 APG) is probably the best passer on the team, but how much that translates remains a question. Can Syracuse build up enough chemistry to the point that Autry can have an egalitarian-style passing offense, or will turnovers and a lack of a clear number-one option factor in at all?...
Syracuse Basketball: 4-star Matt Gilhool, who had officially visited SU, names top 7 (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse basketball is not a finalist for 2025 four-star big man Matthew Gilhool from Philadelphia.
On Monday afternoon, via his Instagram page, the talented 6-foot-10 power forward/center disclosed a top seven of Iowa, Utah, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Alabama and LSU.
While not privy to the inner workings of Gilhool's recruitment, I have to say, I'm a bit surprised that the Orange didn't make his list of finalists.
Gilhool has visited the Hill at least three times, including an official visit to the 'Cuse in late September of last year.
In late June, according to top national analyst/scout Jamie Shaw of On3, Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry was on hand to watch Gilhool at the DMV Live event during a scholastic live period where prospects suited up for their high school programs.
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Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: Why Syracuse Basketball Could Use A Big in its 2025 Recruiting Class | Syracuse Basketball Podcast on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse Basketball in 2025-26 will probably not have a returning big man on its roster. Eddie Lampkin and Naheem McLeod won't have any years of NCAA eligibility left and Donnie Freeman projects to be in the NBA. Adrian Autry could really use a commitment from Matthew Gilhool or Chris Cenac.
Jackson Holzer tells you why Cuse could use a big man in its 2025 recruiting class.
Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: Syracuse Basketball Likely Getting Visit From 2026 FIVE-STAR Jordan Smith + Matthew Gilhool Update on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse Basketball 2026 recruiting target Jordan Smith recently told On3 Senior Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw that he will probably visit the Cuse. The five-star has unofficially visited Georgetown, Villanova, and Maryland. 2025 four-star recruit Matthew Gilhool is also on Adrian Autry's radar. Gilhool is expected to trim his list of schools today.
Jackson Holzer provides a Cuse Basketball recruiting update on this edition of the Locked On Syracuse Podcast.
Judah Mintz and Buddy Boeheim meet in NBA summer league opener: How did the former Syracuse stars do? (PS; $; Waters)
The NBA’s summer league in Salt Lake City opened play on Monday with a meeting between two former Syracuse players.
Judah Mintz made his NBA summer league debut with the Philadelphia 76ers while another former Orange player, Buddy Boeheim, opened up a new chapter in his professional career with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Sixers won the game, 102-92, and both Syracuse players got a chance to show their skills in their shared hopes of making an NBA team’s roster next season.
Mintz scored six points during his 16 minutes of action for Philly. He went 3-for-5 from the field, missing the only 3-pointer he took. The 6-foot-3 guard also finished with two assists, two steals and one turnover.
He spent most of his court time playing alongside former Duke guard Jared McCain, who was the Sixers’ first-round pick in the NBA’s recent draft. Mintz’ defense stood out the most, including one play where he harrassed a Thunder guard into a turnover and converted it into a breakaway dunk off a pass from McCain.
Boeheim took the court in an Oklahoma City uniform for the first time since recently signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the team. Boeheim spent his first two years as a pro player in the Detroit Pistons’ organization, splitting time between the G-League and the NBA.
In Monday’s game,Boeheim scored six points in nine minutes. He knocked down a pair of 3-pointers on four attempts from beyond the arc. He also grabbed two rebounds.
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Where are former SU basketball, CNY players in NBA summer leagues? (PS; Waters)
The NBA’s 2024 Summer League in Las Vegas will open this Friday, but summer league action has already started in California and begins today in Salt Lake City.
And there are Syracuse connections in each of the three sites for NBA summer league action.
While the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is the largest of the three summer leagues and, thus, gets most of the attention, but the games in California and Salt Lake City are just as important to the players involved as they look to earn either a contract with an NBA team or an invite to a team’s training camp or maybe a chance to play professionally overseas.
The California League began on Saturday with teams playing in San Francisco and Sacramento. Former Syracuse player Cole Swider is playing for the Miami Heat in the California League.
On Monday, two more former Syracuse players will begin play in Salt Lake City. Buddy Boeheim, who is now with the Oklahoma City Thunder, will go up against Judah Mintz, who is an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers. That game will tip off at 7 p.m. tonight on ESPN.
Here is a rundown of each former Syracuse University player participating in the NBA’s summer leagues plus another player from the Syracuse area.
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Other
Cooks work the grill at the St. Elias Middle Eastern Festival. This year's edition begins on Thursday. Michael Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.comMichael Greenlar | mgreenlar@syr
Middle Eastern Festival, Jason Aldean, Pizza and Pasta Fest: 13 things to do this week in Central NY (PS; Croyle)
Gyros, falafel, pizza, pasta, and the music of Jason Aldean and Jimmy Buffett are just the start of what is a busy summer week in Syracuse.
The St. Elias Orthodox Church Middle Eastern Festival is back for another year. Food, traditional dancing, contemporary Arabic music are the highlights of the four-day festival.
The Inner Harbor is hosting its inaugural Pizza and Pasta Festival on Saturday, with 25 vendors cooking up many Italian favorites.
Skaneateles’ annual Curbstone Festival is back with vendors, a book sale, and live entertainment.
Country music star Jason Aldean is playing at the Amp and “Parrotheads” are invited to the Cortland Repertory Theatre’s “Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville.”
This week also has this month’s CNY Folksmarch at Cato and Meridian, the Red Oak Music Festival in Cortland, and the 57th annual Syracuse Gem, Mineral, Fossil, and Jewelry Show at the New York State Fairgrounds.
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
“Escape to Margaritaville”
The Cortland Repertory Theatre encourages you to put on your parrot shirts, slide into your flip flops, and set your watches to island time, as Jimmy Buffett’s “Escape to Margaritaville” takes the stage at Little York Lake Theatre and Pavilion in Preble. The Pavilion will be transformed into a tropical paradise “where love and laughter are the keys to ‘growing older but not up.’” Meet Tully, the “mayor” of Margaritaville, a part-time bartender, part-time singer, and full-time charmer who’s got life all figured out until a beautiful tourist steals his heart and makes him question everything. The energetic musical features many of Jimmy Buffett’s classics, including “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Fins,” “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere,” and many more. Tickets are available here for this week’s shows.Where: 6799 Little York Lake Road, Preble
When: Tuesday-Friday at 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. matinees on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
How much: Adult tickets start at $46.28, seniors, military, first responder start at $44.02, and youth tickets are $29.30.
Wednesday
Syracuse Crunch Garage Sale
The Syracuse Crunch will be holding an offseason garage sale at the Upstate Medical University Arena on Wednesday and Thursday. Crunch season tickets holders get first chance on Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. and the public gets their shot on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7. The sale will feature merchandise and novelty items from 2023-24 and previous seasons, such as bobbleheads, trading cards and more. The team will also have new and used player equipment, including, but not limited to, skates, sticks, gloves, helmets, and pads along with team-issued and team-used clothing. Game-used and game-issued jerseys and socks will also be available for purchase. Fans are asked to enter the Upstate Medical University Arena through the S. State St. lobby and continuing straight to the arena floor.Where: 800 South State Street, Syracuse.
When: Wednesday for season ticket holders from 4-8 p.m. Open to the public on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7.
How much: Free to attend.
Thursday
Jason AldeanCountry music superstar Jason Aldean is the latest big act to perform at the Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview. Tickets have sold fast but there are still a few choice spots left. Aldean is known for country hits like “Big Green Tractor,” “Dirt Road Anthem,” “Burnin’ It Down,” “Tonight Looks Good on You,” and “You Make It Easy.” Tickets are available at Live Nation and resale options can be found at VividSeats and StubHub. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. with openers Hailey Whitters, Chase Matthew, Austin Snell, and Dee Jay Silver.
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The view from the summit of Big Slide Mountain in the Adirondack Park, July 2, 2024. Sunny Hernandez | ahernandez@nyup.comSunny Hernandez | ahernandez@nyup.com
You can thank the Adirondacks for summer vacations in America (PS; Hernandez)
The beauty of the Adirondacks has been admired by humans for hundreds of years. With sprawling forests, pristine lakes, and majestic mountain ranges, these rugged landscapes first captured the imagination of 19th-century city dwellers seeking respite from urban life.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, it is in that “forever wild” land that the summer vacation was born in America.
A book titled, “Adventures in the Wilderness” by William H.H. Murray, was published in the spring of 1869 as one of the first guidebooks to a wilderness area. While excursions in nature were then thought of as treacherous endeavors, Murray described the Adirondack Mountains as a place that could be enjoyable to spend leisure time in. He claimed its unsullied nature could be the cure for those living in crowded, hectic cities.
The story of this utopia, whose scenery “rivaled Switzerland,” Murray said, became a bestseller, selling 10 editions in four months. A new train line to the mountains had also opened a year prior, making this magical world accessible from New York City or Boston if you were willing to travel 30-40 hours.
Summer of 1869 saw an influx of Gilded Age city slickers traveing to the Adirondacks, woefully underprepared for the rustic outdoors, from the way they dressed to being frightened of deer and bear tracks.
For some men, it was even worse, women were making the trip into the forest to camp.
The hotels, who saw mainly a few hunters each summer, were overwhelmed by the crowds and the weather was rainy and abysmal that year. Black fly season lasted into August, biting raw the skin of the summer throng.
Despite the critics, Murray held fast to his prediction that the Adirondacks would become America’s “great Summer resort.” And it did.
According to the Smithsonian, by 1900, the Adirondacks’ summer population had risen to around 25,000 from 3,000 in 1869.
It would be an annual pilgrimage, where the New York City elite would “vacate” their densely packed, overheated homes for their private summer retreats in the Adirondacks. Soon, the term “vacation” replaced the British “holiday” in everyday vocabulary.
As America became more industrialized, the middle class grew and it was more than just the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers who could enjoy the luxury of a break from work and everyday life.
And thus, the American vacation was born.
Covid cases, hospitalizations increase in NY; ‘high’ levels in multiple counties (PS; $; Herbert)
Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations are increasing across New York state, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Saturday.
Hochul said new variants, including “FliRT,” are increasing across the U.S., as well as New York state. Covid is also spreading due to a rise in social gatherings during the summer and high temperatures pushing people indoors, the governor added.
“While we are well below the figures seen during the pandemic, we are closely monitoring activity regarding the latest variants,” Hochul said. “By following the guidance and taking simple precautions, New Yorkers can continue to enjoy a safe and healthy summer.”
On July 3, 2024, the seven-day average for newly reported Covid hospital admissions statewide was 0.72 per 100,000 residents. That’s more than double the same time period last year (0.31 per 100,000 residents), but well below the same week in 2022 (1.66 per 100,000 residents).
According to the Democrat & Chronicle, emergency room visits for Covid averaged 181 per week at the end of June with a total of about 750 patients hospitalized. During the same time period last summer, ER visits averaged 80 per week with 410 hospitalizations.
“We are seeing an increase in admissions to hospitals, yet below prior year increases. As people move indoors to escape the heat, transmission does increase,” New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. “This is a good opportunity to remind people to improve indoor ventilation whenever possible.”
Wastewater detection levels are also “high” in 11 counties across New York state, according to the Department of Health’s most recent data. Cayuga, Erie, Lewis, Nassau, Niagara, Otsego, Seneca, Steuben, Suffolk, Tompkins and Washington counties all had more than 50 cases per 100,000 population in the past week, according to a June 30 report.
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