sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Mushroom Day!
National Mushroom Day celebrates edible mushrooms, which can be eaten plain, be stuffed, or be used in salads, soups, and sauces. Culinary mushrooms first began being cultivated in the early eighteenth century, in France. They were known as Parisian mushrooms by those outside of the country, and the English exported them to America by the end of the nineteenth century. It was mainly these white and brown Agaricus bisporus mushrooms that were cultivated and sold, none more so than cremini mushrooms. Beginning in the 1940s, many other types of mushrooms began being cultivated on a wider basis.
The following are some common varieties of mushrooms eaten today, some being cultivated and some being found in the wild:
- White button: most common edible mushroom, with 90% of mushrooms eaten in the United States being them; goes well with most ingredients; mild, but flavor intensifies when cooked.
- Cremini: also known as crimini, baby bella, and brown; similar to white button but a bit more robust of a flavor.
- Portobello: also known as portobella; really just a large cremini; can be up to six inches in diameter; meaty flavor—good veggie alternative for burgers; began gaining popularity in the 1990s.
- Shiitake: also known as black forest; frilly umbrella caps; meaty texture when cooked; woodsy flavor.
- Oyster: velvety texture; fluted caps; mild flavor.
- Enoki: also known as enokitake or enoke; originally from Japan; long stems; tiny caps; grows in clusters; high in potassium and fiber; used raw as a garnish with soups, salads, and Asian-inspired dishes.
- Morel: yellow and black varieties; wild mushroom; honeycomb crevices; nutty and earthy; commonly used in sauces.
- Truffle: most expensive mushroom; wild mushroom, but there has been some cultivation; robust flavor; sometimes infused in olive oils.
- Beech: crunchy texture; nutty flavor; usually cooked and used in stir-fries.
- Maitake
- Porcini: highly sought-after wild mushroom; meaty texture.
- Chanterelle: frilly; flavorful, with hints of apricot and almond.
Syracuse basketball: JJ Starling embracing leadership role (TNIAAM; Szuba)
When asked who the voice would be in the locker room leading the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team this season during an ACC Network interview from media day, head coach Adrian Autry answered by naming a quintet of upperclassmen. The question was posed by Seth Greenberg, the former Virginia Tech head coach who gave Autry his start at the division one level.
Of the five players Autry mentioned, the name he began with first was his junior guard and returning leading scorer who’s expected to take on a larger role this season.
JJ Starling, the homegrown talent who grew up alongside Autry’s son Trey, will take on a leadership position with Syracuse this year. Now a junior, Starling will use his voice to lead a new group at Syracuse.
“It’s definitely new, especially with the new guys,” Starling said of being a leader. “But it hasn’t been a hard acclimation for me. They made it easy. Whether I’m leading verbally or by example.”
Starling will continue to build off of what he did last season where he averaged 13.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He excelled at finishing around the rim and in the mid-range game in his first year as a member of the Orange. He put extra work in, he said, on his jumpshot in the offseason — an area of his game he and Gerry McNamara worked diligently on mid-season to correct his form and reclaim some of the outside shooting touch he displayed as a high school player at Baldwinsville. Starling shared how he plans to round out his game in the year ahead. The defensive end is of more interest to him.
“Now I’m really getting more into the playmaking role, facilitating and also buying in on the defensive end. I’m really honing in on using my length, speed and athleticism,” Starling said.
Starling played his first year of college basketball at Notre Dame, a season where he endured a torn meniscus and injuries to both shoulders. After Mike Brey retired at the end of that season he chose to come home and play for a coach he had known since he was seven years old. The former McDonald’s All-American has since enjoyed the opportunity to play in his hometown where family and friends can watch him play.
“I haven’t been able to do that since high school,” Starling said. “So being able to see my mom and my dad in the stands — whether I’m having a bad game or good game — they’re on me. … Those are the people I’m doing it for.”
Starling will lead a club that is decidedly older than a season ago. A group comprised almost entirely of sophomores is now a team of upperclassmen, however, that team brings in seven new faces. Syracuse will hardly be a one man army as Starling will have plenty of help. But with so many new faces and a longstanding relationship with Autry, he’s the most veteran Syracuse player not named Chris Bell.
“It’s a new role for me,” Starling said, “but I’m willing to do it because we all want to win.”
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Syracuse Basketball Alumni to Watch in the 2024-25 NBA Season (bvmsports.com; SpportsDesk)
Syracuse basketball alumni are gearing up for the 2024-25 NBA season, which starts on October 22. Leading the pack is Jerami Grant, entering his 12th season and the owner of a lucrative $160 million contract. He averaged 21.0 points per game last year but faces challenges as the Portland Trail Blazers enter a rebuild. Other notable alums like Cole Swider, Nahziah Mintz, and Oshae Brissett are navigating their respective paths, with varying degrees of success in the league.
By the Numbers
- Jerami Grant averaged 21.0 points per game on 45.1% shooting in the last season.
- Cole Swider posted 24.9 points per game in the G-League for the Miami Heat last season.
While Grant's contract indicates Portland's belief in his value, the team's poor performance raises questions about this investment. Swider's struggle to transition from the G-League to the NBA highlights the realities faced by younger players, affecting their long-term prospects.
State of Play
- Jerami Grant's future with Portland remains uncertain as the team focuses on rebuilding.
- Cole Swider is competing for a roster spot with the Indiana Pacers after earning a non-guaranteed deal.
Grant may be traded before the deadline to a contending team if Portland decides to proceed with a rebuild strategy. Swider's performance in training camp will determine if he secures a place with the Pacers or faces another G-League season.
Bottom Line
The prospects for Syracuse alums in the NBA hinge on proving their worth in the coming months, particularly for younger players like Swider and Mintz, who must make significant strides to solidify their careers.
Former Syracuse basketball center Will Patterson is now at a junior college (PS; $; Ditota)
Will Patterson, the former Syracuse basketball center, is now playing for Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluffs, Missouri.
Patterson was on the Syracuse roster last season, but did not appear in any games. SU coach Adrian Autry had talked over the course of the year about preserving Patterson’s ability to count 2023-24 as a redshirt season.
The 7-foot-2 big man out of Brooklyn announced last April that he was entering the transfer portal. On June 6, he announced on Twitter that he was committing to High Point, which has built a top program in the Big South Conference. The school got a vote this week in the AP Top 25 preseason poll.
But when High Point officially announced its roster in late August, Patterson’s name was not on it. Back then, High Point’s basketball spokeswoman did not return phone calls and Patterson could not be reached for comment.
By then, he had already landed at Three Rivers. The school put out a scouting report in mid-July that included Patterson.
Three Rivers coach Robert Kirby is in his first season as the head coach at his alma mater. He explained Monday afternoon how Patterson arrived on his roster.
“I have a lot of history in Power Fives as a coach,” Kirby said in a brief phone conversation. “Through my connections over the years, people I’ve recruited out of New York and the people my assistant knows, we found out about him and contacted him and he chose to come here instead of High Point.”
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MBB: Preseasn AP Poll 2024 Oct 14 (RX; HM)
MBB: Preseasn AP Poll 2024 Oct 14
Men's Basketball Preseason AP Top 25 Rankings
| Rk | Team | Conf |
| 1 | Kansas | XII |
| 2 | Alabama | SEC |
| 3 | UConn | BigE |
| 4 | Houston | XII |
| 5 | Iowa St | XII |
| 6 | Gonzaga | WCC |
| 7 | Duke | ACC |
| 8 | Baylor | XII |
| 9 | N Carolina | ACC |
| 10 | Arizona | XII |
| 11 | Auburn | SEC |
| 12 | Tennessee | SEC |
| 13 | Texas A&M | SEC |
| 14 | Purdue | B1G |
| 15 | Creighton | BigE |
| 16 | Arkansas | SEC |
| 17 | Indiana | B1G |
| 18 | Marquette | BigE |
| 19 | Texas | SEC |
| 20 | Cincinnati | XII |
| 21 | Florida | SEC |
| 22 | UCLA | B1G |
| 23 | Kentucky | SEC |
| 24 | Ole Miss | SEC |
| 25 | Rutgers | B1G |
| Others receiving votes: | ||
| 26 | llinois | B1G |
| 27 | St. John's | BigE |
| 28 | Xavier | BigE |
| 29 | Texas Tech | XII |
| 30 | Wake Forest | ACC |
| 31 | Kansas St | XII |
| 32t | Michigan St | B1G |
| 32t | Ohio St | B1G |
| 34 | Michigan | B1G |
| 35 | BYU | XII |
| 36 | Oregon | B1G |
| 37t | McNeese St | Southland |
| 37t | Miami | ACC |
| 39t | Boise St | MWC |
| 39t | St Louis | A10 |
| 39t | Clemson | ACC |
| 39t | Providence | BigE |
| 43t | Mississippi St | SEC |
| 43t | VCU | A10 |
| 45t | Wisconsin | B1G |
| 45t | Saint Mary's | WCC |
| 47t | Louisville | ACC |
| 47t | UAB | AAC |
| 49t | Ark Little Rock | OVC |
| 49t | Grand Canyon | WAC |
| 51t | Arizona St | XII |
| 51t | San Diego St | MWC |
| 51t | Princeton | Ivy |
| 54t | High Point | BigSouth |
| 54t | Maryland | B1G |
Duke men's basketball 2024-25 player preview: Maliq Brown (dukechronicle.com; Walley)
As basketball season approaches, the Blue Zone provides a detailed preview of each player on Duke men's basketball's 2024-25 roster. We’ve already looked at Cameron Sheffield, Patrick Ngongba II, Darren Harris, Isaiah Evans and Mason Gillis. Next up is junior forward Maliq Brown:
Maliq Brown
Year: Junior
Height: 6-foot-9
Position: Forward
2023-24 stat line: 9.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 2.2 SPG
Game breakdown: As the Blue Devils’ most notable incoming undergraduate transfer in years, Brown enters the program with a solid resume. The Culpeper, Va., native played his first two seasons of college basketball with Syracuse. Brown’s sophomore year was his best, as he led the Orange in rebounds per game and earned ACC All-Defensive honors. Ironically, his best performance last season came against Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium, when he scored an efficient 26 points in a loss.
While officially listed as a forward, Brown has looked comfortable playing as a small-ball five, as was often the case at Syracuse. His calling card is his agility as an on-ball defender; Brown totaled 71 steals in the 2023-24 season, the most in the ACC. That immediately makes him one of the Blue Devils’ best in that department.
“He has a chance to be the best defender in college basketball this year,” sophomore guard and teammate Caleb Foster said at ACC Media Day Oct. 9.
On offense, Brown’s vertical and size allow him to feast on efficient shots at or near the rim, with his career 69.8% field goal percentage reflecting that. These abilities are just the tip of the iceberg for Brown — he has also shown excellent court awareness as a secondary playmaker and offensive rebounder. Simply put, he does many things well, and his jack-of-all-trades style should fit well in the big-man focused Blue Devils.
Role on the team: That being said, carving out his exact timeshare on the team will be tricky, as Duke has no shortage of talent this season at the frontcourt. Brown should undoubtedly receive significant playing time as one of the most experienced players on the Blue Devils’ roster, and it would not be a surprise if the junior gets called up to start. Regardless, he will be best utilized as a small-ball center or even at the four to rotate with freshman phenom Cooper Flagg.
NBA comparison: New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones shares a surprising number of traits in common with Brown. The two have similar measurables, especially in their seven-foot wingspans. This trait, combined with attentive defense, has produced comparable steal and block numbers for Brown and Jones. Additionally, both players are strong playmakers for their position, and Jones played some minutes as an undersized center in Nate Oats’ system at Alabama. Beyond playstyle alone, both have been described as selfless. Jones has referred to himself as a “glue guy,” and the Blue Devils seem to have found their own in Brown.
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Other
Parts of Upstate New York saw their first accumulating snowfall of the year today, primarily in the Adirondacks. This photo shows snowfall at the base of Whiteface Mountain, elevation 2,016 feet, by noon today.New York State Mesonet
Parts of Upstate NY see first accumulating snowfall of the season (PS; $; Coin)
Snow season has officially begun in Upstate New York.
A couple of inches of wet snow stuck to the ground today in parts of the Adirondacks and North Country, mostly at elevations of 1,800 feet or higher.
“Parts of northern New York are seeing their first accumulating snow of the year!,” the State Weather Risk Communication Center posted on the social media platform X.
The center also posted photos taken from the New York state Mesonet, a network of 126 automated weather stations around the state. Both the weather center and the mesonet are based at the University of Albany.
Some snow was also expected on the Tug Hill plateau. The National Weather Service in Buffalo, which forecasts for counties along Lake Ontario, issued a special weather alert late this morning for sloppy snow in Jefferson, Lewis and Oswego counties.
“Snow accumulations of a coating to 2 inches will be possible through the morning, mainly on grassy and elevated surfaces,” the alert said. “Snowfall accumulations will be heavily dependent on elevation, with lower elevations seeing little to no snow and the higher terrain changing over to all snow at times through the morning.”
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