Orangeyes Daily Articles for Wednesday - for Basketball | Syracusefan.com

Orangeyes Daily Articles for Wednesday for Basketball

sutomcat

No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
Joined
Aug 15, 2011
Messages
26,806
Like
117,105
image_a0685df0-bb27-45b7-a5de-695e55e5f47e.jpg


Welcome to Candy Corn Day!

Candy Corn Day celebrates candy corn, the corn kernel shaped candy often eaten during Halloween and throughout the autumn months. The candy is multicolored, with a broad yellow end, tapered orange middle, and white tip, and is usually made from sugar, corn syrup, confectioner's wax, coloring, and binders. It began being manufactured in the 1880's by the Wunderlee Candy Company, and was originally called "Chicken Feed." At that time candy corn was marketed to rural residents. Around the turn of the 20th century, the Goelitz Confectionery Company—now known as Jelly Belly—began making candy corn. Today's recipe for candy corn is basically the same as it was when it was invented, except at that time the candy was made by hand, which is no longer the case. There are variations of the candy corn for different holidays and occasions. "Indian corn" has a chocolate brown end instead of the yellow, and is popular around Thanksgiving. During Christmas, "reindeer corn" with a red end and green center is popular. With Valentine's Day comes "cupid corn", Independence Day has "freedom corn", and you can buy "bunny corn" during Easter. There have been variations on flavor such as caramel apple, green apple, s'mores, pumpkin spice, and carrot cake. It is estimated that over 20 million pounds of candy corn are sold annually.

SU News

KY6ZTU3UARA3PAUW6DITALEGAE.jpg

Syracuse guard Jaquan Carlos (5) watches his shot as teammates JJ Starling and Kyle Cuffe along with assistant coach Dan Engelstad look on during the Orange's exhibition game against Clarion at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com dennis nett | dnett@syracuse.com

Will Adrian Autry continue to juggle his lineup? What to look for in Syracuse’s second exhibition (PS; Waters)

Syracuse coach Adrian Autry used the Orange’s first exhibition game on Saturday to take a good, long, in-depth look at his team.

His entire team.

With seven new players, including four transfers and three freshmen, Autry wanted to get an idea of how the Orange’s rebuilt roster looked.

Autry used 10 different players and 12 different lineup combinations in just the first half of the Orange’s 101-73 win over Clarion (Pa.) University on Saturday. Only one player, transfer point guard Jaquan Carlos, played more than 21 minutes. The starting lineup included some surprises like Georgia State transfer Lucas Taylor and 6-8 freshman Petar Majstorovic.

Each of the 11 scholarship players who got into the game scored at least one basket.

Autry will get a second chance to see how his team looks against an opponent when the Orange hosts Slippery Rock University in an exhibition game at 7 p.m., Wednesday in the JMA Wireless Dome. It will be the final preseason test run for the Orange before the regular-season opener on Monday against Le Moyne.

Expect to see Autry continue to rotate lineups and dive deep into his bench in tonight’s exhibition. There are precious opportunities to do so as Syracuse’s early schedule puts just three games (Le Moyne, Colgate and Youngstown State) ahead of a daunting two-game set at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Nov. 21-22, when the Orange will face Texas the first night and then either Texas Tech or St. Joseph’s the following evening.

Wednesday’s exhibition against Slippery Rock will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra. Here are a few more to watch for:

The importance of a second 3-point threat

JJ Starling played only 17 minutes in SU’s exhibition against Clarion on Saturday, but the junior guard made the most of every second.

Starling, one of just two returning starters from last year’s team, scored 17 points on 7-for-9 field-goal shooting. He had five rebounds, one assist and no turnovers.
...


Meet Petar Majstorovic: European prospect added late to Syracuse roster making early impact (PS; $; Axe)

Name:
Petar Majstorovic
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: 6
Height: 6-8
Weight: 215
Previous team: Asvel (France U-21 team)
2023-24 stats: 9.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.9 spg, 23.6 mins, .624 FG% .679 FT%.

Syracuse assistant Brendan Straughn: “He can score around the basket, he can play away from the basket, he can pass. Obviously with him being a post player in a European setting, he’s accustomed to playing 5-out basketball, playing in pick and rolls. And then he moves well,” Straughn told syracuse.com. “He wasn’t like this big, lumbering kid. He’s not a tremendous athlete, but he’s a functional athlete. He can finish around the basket, run the floor, play on the perimeter. And he has a skill set in the front court with his body type and a little bit of ruggedness.”

Petar Majstorovic’s impact: Majstorovic may have been the last addition to the 2024-25 Syracuse basketball roster in August, but his name was listed in SU’s first starting line-up of the season in an exhibition game against Clarion at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday. Majstorovic played 14 minutes, scoring eight points on 4-of-6 shooting.

“I was surprised a little bit, but we work every day as a team,’’ Majstorovic said. “Sometimes it’s going to be me; sometimes it’s going to be somebody else. But it’s going to be good.’’

Majstorovic, 19, comes to Syracuse after playing in France’s Under-21 pro league last season. Majstorovic was one of three players to appear in all 34 games for Asvel, where he shot 62.4% from the field.
...

Meet Elijah Moore: Syracuse’s freshman guard is ‘more than just a shooter’ (PS; $; Ditota)
Name:
Elijah Moore
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: 8
Height: 6-4
Weight: 176
Previous school: Cardinal Hayes/Our Saviour Lutheran
2023-24 stats: 16.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals

Adrian Autry on Moore: “We know he can shoot. The biggest improvement has been on the defensive end. And he still has a ways to go but that’s typical for freshmen. What I love about Elijah as well is he’s a tough young man and he tries and he wants to be good. He’s gotten better.”

Moore won the 2024 High School 3-point shooting contest at a national competition in Saguaro High School (Arizona) last March. Among the players he beat was Kon Knueppel, an acclaimed freshman who will play at Duke this season.

Moore’s size and his shooting ability made him an interesting prospect in a game that relies so much on stockpiling shooters.

“Obviously,” he said, “a big part of my game is the ability to shoot.”

But his teammates and his coaches say Moore has grown his game beyond his 3-point accuracy. Naheem McLeod said early this fall that Moore will surprise Syracuse fans with his versatility.

Autry said SU coaches have put the ball in Moore’s hands during practices to help him develop the next phase of his game. His ability to pass the ball, to get past close-outs with his dribble, will help the Orange.

Last summer, he played for Rod Wave Elite on the OTE circuit. Those games, which feature a lot of free-flowing offense, allowed him, he said, to have fun with the game. He used the summer, too, to add muscle to his freshman frame.

Moore spends hours in the Melo Center, partly to improve his shooting stroke and partly, he said, to escape any pressures or any issues that weigh on him.
...


Forwards — 2024-25 Syracuse Basketball Preview (r1vals; Stechschulte)

Syracuse's forwards have changed significantly in the offseason. Gone are Benny Williams, Malik Brown and Justin Taylor, who all left via the transfer portal.

Though Chris Bell remains, he is joined by a five-star McDonald's All-American and a veteran transfer from Delaware, now on his third school.

Here is a full breakdown of each forward on the SU roster.


Jyare Davis

Power Forward•
6'7" | 215 lbs
Senior @ Syracuse
Davis came through the portal from Delaware, where he was a two-time All-CAA Second Team selection after being the CAA Rookie of the Year. The Blue Hens were not his first collegiate team, as Davis redshirted as a freshman at Providence before transferring out.
Davis proved to be a reliable scorer at Delaware, averaging 16.2 points per game in his two years as a starter, while also improving his rebounding, lifting his defensive rebounding rate from 14.8 to 19.3. While not an impact defender, Davis also developed his playmaking ability, averaging 2.5 assists per game in those two starting campaigns.
Listed at 6’7”, Davis may be a little undersized to be the power forward his past production suggests in the ACC. While his deep perimeter shot still needs additional work (25.8 percent on 3-pointers the last two seasons), Davis’ improvement to 81.4 percent at the foul line last season and shooting above 40 percent on two-point jump shots each of the last two seasons suggests he can make a three here and there.
...


Syracuse basketball’s Chris Bell on being the best shooter in ACC: ‘Without a doubt’ (TNIAAM; Szuba)

The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball program returns one of the best shooters in the ACC from last season. Chris Bell knocked down 84 triples as a sophomore at a 42.0 percent clip, a shooting percentage good for second in the league. Asked if he thought he was the best shooter in the league this season, much like his shooting release, Bell didn’t hesitate.

“Without a doubt,” Bell responded swiftly.

While working on his jumpshot is always a focus, Bell added weight to his frame over the course of the summer, focusing on lifting and ball handling. He “stayed in the gym” with his trainer and returned to Syracuse for the second summer session.

“As well as he shot the ball, he’s shooting it better now and he’s actually making plays better now. He’s getting more rim twos. He’s gotten stronger. The biggest thing what we talked about, he’s been able to grow and mature and be able to get to the next play,” Adrian Autry said on an ACCN interview.


Bell’s three-point shooting percentage from a season ago trailed only Pittsburgh’s Blake Hinson in the ACC by a tenth of a percent. Hinson is now with the Golden State Warriors organization. Bell was tied for fourth in the league in threes made per game with 2.63. Among the top five ACC players in that category, only RJ Davis returns to the league along with Bell. The Syracuse sharpshooter made eight triples on two separate occasions last year, one of those performances coming in a single half (at NC State).
...


Syracuse Basketball NEEDS 2nd Half J.J. Starling to Make NCAA Tournament | Syracuse Orange Podcast (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)

Syracuse Orange Basketball narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament last season. This year, Syracuse Head Coach Adrian Autry's squad is relying on returning shooting guard J.J. Starling to perform like he did in the second half of 2023-24. Jaquan Carlos appears to be a true floor general, which is something the Orange didn't have with Judah Mintz as the point guard last season. And, Chance Westry, Elijah Moore, Kyle Cuffe, and Lucas Taylor will all have varying roles for Syracuse this upcoming season.

Jackson Holzer goes over the Syracuse back-court on this edition of the Locked On Syracuse Podcast.
0:00- J.J. Starling X-Factor
11:30- A True Floor General
20:08- Backup Guards

Analyzing Syracuse Basketball's Backup Guards | Syracuse Orange Podcast (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse; premieres at noon EST)
Syracuse Orange Basketball narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament last season. This year, Syracuse Head Coach Adrian Autry's squad is relying on returning shooting guard J.J. Starling to perform like he did in the second half of 2023-24. Jaquan Carlos appears to be a true floor general, which is something the Orange didn't have with Judah Mintz as the point guard last season. And, Chance Westry, Elijah Moore, Kyle Cuffe, and Lucas Taylor will all have varying roles for Syracuse this upcoming season.

Jackson Holzer goes over the Syracuse back-court on this edition of the Locked On Syracuse Podcast.


images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F177%2F01jbcn318xb94tmtsnqc.jpg

Syracuse basketball fans may soon know whether four-star shooting guard Kiyan Anthony will don a 'Cuse uniform in the future. / Jean Catuffe/GettyImages

Syracuse Basketball: A decision by 4-star Kiyan Anthony could arrive any day now (itlh; Adler)

Anxious Syracuse basketball fans may not have to wait too much longer to find out whether the Orange has secured a commitment from 2025 priority target Kiyan Anthony from New York City.

The four-star shooting guard, who is down to a final three that includes the 'Cuse, has said in various interviews that he's eyeing a college decision in early November, before his senior season commences at the powerhouse Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y.

The 6-foot-5 Anthony, the son of Syracuse basketball legend, long-time NBA star and future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony, disclosed via social media at the beginning of October a top three of the Orange, Big Ten Conference member Southern California and Auburn out of the Southeastern Conference.


Kiyan Anthony has officially visited both the 'Cuse and USC, but to my knowledge, he has not taken a trip to Auburn.
...

Former Syracuse basketball 5-star big-man target Nikola Bundalo reopens recruitment (itlh; Adler)
Former Syracuse basketball 2025 five-star target Nikola Bundalo had recently been down to a final four of Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State and two-time defending national champion UConn.

But that doesn't appear to be the case any longer. The 6-foot-10 power forward, who did receive a scholarship offer from the Orange staff in May of 2023, apparently is reopening his recruitment, according to several recent comments by recruiting insiders.

Here's a recent post on X from the account HS Top Recruits: "Just got word on Bundalo. ... He will be reopening his recruitment fully. He will not be considering UConn, Ohio St or Michigan St. UNC is the only maybe but got a 'probably not.'"

Candidly, I have no idea whether the 'Cuse coaching staff may decide to pursue Bundalo, who is ranked as high as No. 17 nationally in the senior class by On3. Perhaps this is something to monitor, though.
...

Syracuse Welcomes Slippery Rock For Final Exhibition - Syracuse University Athletics (cuse.com)


Game Details:
Wednesday, Oct. 30, Syracuse, N.Y., 7 p.m.
Live Video: ACC Network Extra
Live Coverage: LiveStats
X (Twitter): @Cuse_MBB | @Cuse
Facebook: Syracuse Orange
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule
Slippery Rock Links: News | Roster | Schedule

Syracuse plays its final exhibition game of the season on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. as the Orange will host Division II Slippery Rock at the JMA Wireless Dome.

Setting The Stage
Syracuse won its 28th straight exhibition contest on Oct. 26 against Division II Clarion, defeating the Golden Eagles, 101-73.

Wednesday's game will be Slippery Rock's first appearance of the season. Slippery Rock is coming off a 16-14 campaign in 2023-24 that included a 13-9 mark in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). Slippery Rock was tabbed to finish second in this year's PSAC preseason poll.

Slippery Rock is led by head coach Ian Grady, who is entering his seventh year leading the program. He is yet to have a losing season and has a career record of 84-62.

Efficient Attack
Syracuse produced a balanced offensive performance in its exhibition debut against Clarion on Saturday. Four players scored in double figures, led by J.J. Starling
Skip Ad

, who went 7-of-9 from the field in a 17-point outing. Donnie Freeman and Chris Bell both scored 16 points with Jaquan Carlos (14) close behind.

Syracuse shot over 50-percent from the field and connected on 12 3-pointers in the victory. Bell led the effort from beyond the arc with four triples, with Starling (3) and Elijah Moore (2) also making multiple treys.

Six Syracuse players made at least four baskets against the Golden Eagles, with 12 Orange finding the scoresheet.
...


Rock set for exhibition at Syracuse - Slippery Rock University Athletics (rockathletics.com)

In its final dress rehearsal for the upcoming regular season, the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team will travel to the historic JMA Wireless Dome 7 p.m. Wednesday for an exhibition game against Syracuse University.

TICKETS
Fans can purchase single-game tickets for Friday's game HERE.

LIVE COVERAGE
Wednesday's game is being carried on ACC Network Extra, the ACC's video streaming service. Click HERE for information on ACC Network Extra. Live in-game statistics will also be provided at the link below.

ABOUT ACC NETWORK EXTRA
What it is

A digital platform for additional live ACC events

How to access
Available through ESPN.com, the ESPN app, or if your cable or streaming service provider carries the ACC Network

Cost
Included at no extra cost if you already have the ACC Network

Providers
Available through many cable and streaming services, including Spectrum, Cox, DirecTV, Dish, Hulu, Optimum, SlingTV, Verizon, and YouTubeTV

How to watch
Log in to ACCNX using the account with your cable provider or streaming service

GAME DETAILS
Opponent:
Syracuse University
Date: Wednesday – 7 p.m.
Location: Syracuse, New York
Venue: JMA Wireless Dome
Live Video (ACC Network Extra): Link
Live Stats: Link
Tickets: Link
In-game Updates: X (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: N/A
Last Played: N/A

SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
Roster: Link
2023-24 Stats: Link
2023-24 Overall Record: 16-14
2023-24 PSAC West Record: 13-9
2023-24 PSAC West Finish: 3rd
2023-24 Postseason: PSAC Tournament (Quarterfinals)
2024-25 PSAC West Preseason Poll: 2nd
Head Coach: Ian Grady | Seventh season (84-62)

THE OPENING TIP
• Accompanied by four returning starters and on the heels of five consecutive winning seasons, Slippery Rock head coach Ian Grady has assembled what has the chance to be one of the deepest teams in program history.

• In what is becoming a rarity in the current college basketball landscape, Slippery Rock returns the bulk of its roster from a season ago in which SRU went 16-14 overall, including a 13-9 record in conference competition, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the PSAC Tournament.

• In total, Slippery Rock's 2024-25 roster features 12 returners from a season ago as well as six newcomers in the form of three transfers and three freshmen.

• Wednesday's game will serve as the program's 21st exhibition against a Division I opponent since 2005 and the first since traveling to the University of Iowa prior to the start of the 2021-22 season.

Head Coach Ian Grady on playing Syracuse: "This is an exciting opportunity for our program. To have the opportunity to play at a college basketball venue like the JMA Wireless Dome against an upper echelon team from the ACC is a perfect way to get our guys prepared for the season."

SLIPPERY ROCK IN DIVISION I EXHIBITIONS
Slippery Rock has played 20 exhibition games against Division I opponents dating back to the 2005-06 season. Included in the games is a win against Navy in 2012-13 and relatively close games against St. Bonaventure (2007-08), Pittsburgh (2009-10, 2017-18), Southern Mississippi (2013-14) and Townson (2014-15). A full breakdown of SRU's results against D1 teams can be found HERE.

16 YEARS OF SUCCESS
Slippery Rock has recorded winning records in 14 of the last 16 years dating back to the 2008-09 season with 13 postseason berths occurring over that stretch. Across the 17-team Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, only Indiana (Pa.) and East Stroudsburg have produced more winning campaigns than The Rock over the last 16 seasons.

Winning Seasons By PSAC Teams (Since 2008-09)
1: Indiana (Pa.) - 16
2: East Stroudsburg - 15
t3: Slippery Rock - 14
t3: West Chester - 14
t5: Gannon - 12
t5: Gannon – 12

ROCK PICKED SECOND IN PSAC WEST PRESEASON POLL
Slippery Rock received three first-place votes and was picked to finish second in the PSAC West this season, the league office announced recently with the unveiling of its annual preseason poll.

The second-place prediction marks The Rock's highest placement in the conference's preseason poll since the 2019-20 season and is the fourth time in the last 16 years that SRU has been prognosticated to take second in the daunting PSAC West.

California (Pa.) was tabbed to win the division after earning five first-place votes. Following the Vulcans in the top half of the poll was The Rock, Gannon and Indiana (Pa.). Making up the back half of the predicted order was Seton Hill in fifth place with Pitt-Johnstown, Clarion and Edinboro rounding out the list.

A BRIEF LOOK AT LAST YEAR
Slippery Rock's 16-14 record last year served as the program's fifth winning season under head coach Ian Grady. Included in the run was a PSAC Tournament victory over Seton Hill for what was not only Grady's first postseason victory, but the programs first such since 2017-18.

THE KEY RETURNERS
#1 Jomo Goings: 6-4 - Guard - Washington, D.C.

• Goings is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign in which he parlayed 13.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game into all-conference accolades. One of The Rock's most efficient scorers, Goings shot 47.1 percent from the field overall, 38.8 percent from 3-point territory and 84 percent at the foul line a year ago – all of which were team-highs.

#3 Ike Herster: 6-6 - Guard - Sharon, Pa.
• One of just two athletes to play in all 30 games for The Rock last season after transferring in from Gannon, Herster was an offensive spark plug for SRU. The long-range specialist scored 10 or more points in 23 of 30 games to close the year as Slippery Rock's second-leading scorer at 14.3 points per game.

• Herster's 57 made 3-pointers served as the 12th highest single-season total in program history. He also ranked sixth in the PSAC in free throw shooting percentage (.818), 11th in 3-pointers made per game (1.9), 12th in made 3-pointers, 17th in 3-point shooting percentage (.339) and 19th in scoring.

#4 Sheick Samoura: 6-6 - Guard - Fayetteville, N.C.
• Arguably Slippery Rock's top all-around athlete, Samoura made his collegiate debut last season after taking a redshirt in 2022-23 and promptly delivered 8.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 0.9 assists per game over 25 appearances. Samoura had 10 multi-block games en route to finishing tied for second in the PSAC in blocks per game.

#5 Maceo Austin: 6-5 - Guard - Sharon, Pa.
• Austin who more than lived up to the lofty expectations the former consensus three-star recruit brought with him as a transfer from Duquesne University a year ago.

• Austin started all 27 games he dressed for on the way to posting per game averages of 16.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks while shooting 45.2 percent from the field.

• A three-time PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week honoree, Austin finished 2023-24 tied for third in the PSAC in blocks per game while also ranking eighth in the conference in offensive rebounding, eighth in steals, ninth in overall rebounding, 13th in scoring and 13th in field goal percentage.

#12 Luke Howes: 6-0 - Guard - Fairview Park, Ohio
• Pound-for-pound one of the toughest players on the roster, Howes came to SRU a season ago as a transfer from Walsh and wasted no time taking the reins as The Rock's starting point guard. The only athlete to start all 30 games, Howes was on the court for 30 minutes a game and led the team in assists (2.8) while also contributing 7.6 points and 1.2 steals a night.

#20 Bobby Clifford: 6-3 - Guard - Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Further adding to The Rock's stable of guards is redshirt senior Clifford, who has elected to use his final season of eligibility while finishing his MBA. A veteran presence who has been with the program since 2019-20, Clifford has played in 87 games over the last three seasons and ranks 21st in program history in minutes played (2,021) as well as 24th in blocks (39).

#21 Alex Griggs: 6-1 - Guard - Wexford, Pa.
• After redshirting last season, Griggs will be back in uniform to form what should be a promising point guard rotation with Howes. During his true freshman season in 2022-23, Griggs served as The Rock's backup point guard to four-year starter Amante Britt and went on to appear in all 29 games as a rookie.

GRADY SET FOR YEAR SEVEN
The 2024-25 season will mark Ian Grady's seventh year as head coach of the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team and his 16th overall season as a coach inside the program.

Yet to have a losing season as The Rock's head coach, Grady has had a great start to his head coaching career as he will enter the upcoming season holding a career record of 84-62 (.575) with five PSAC Tournament appearances. Since taking over the program, Grady has mentored 10 All-PSAC West honorees including one All-Atlantic Region choice.

Perhaps most importantly, after ranking in the bottom half of the PSAC in team GPA for much of the decade preceding his appointment as head coach, Grady-led teams have recorded team GPAs of no worse than 2.91 for five consecutive years - including three seasons above 3.0.

The Rock have had 25 athletes secure professional basketball contracts during Grady's entire tenure as an assistant and head coach at SRU.

NEW BEGINNINGS
Among Slippery Rock's six newcomers for 2024-25 are three transfers who all be leaned on heavily.

#2 Day Waters: 6-4 - Guard - Silver Spring, Md.
• While new to The Rock, guard Waters is plenty familiar to the rigors of the PSAC following a two-year stint at Millersville where he started 40 of 53 games played while averaging 9.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field overall, 40.9 percent from distance and 76.3 percent at the foul line. Waters ranked third in the PSAC a season ago in 3-point shooting percentage at .421 (67-for-159).

#10 O'Meech Wilson: 6-5 - Forward - Brooklyn Park, Md.
• Wilson was a key component of a successful Howard Community College program over the last two seasons. He helped to lead the Dragons to a 48-15 record and back-to-back NJCAA Tournament appearances. While at Howard, Wilson started 36 of 59 games played with per game averages of 7.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.01 steals per game in addition to shooting an efficient 59.7 percent from the field.

#22 Michael Moore: 6-9 - Forward - Hermitage, Pa.
• A veteran of 28 Division I games played, 6 feet 9 inches tall forward Moore comes to SRU after two seasons at Winthrop University. Before committing to Winthrop, Moore played prep basketball at the IMG Academy.
...


MBB: Fix the Narrative in 2024-25! (RX; HM)

MBB: Fix the Narrative in 2024-25!
The first ACC basketball games tip-off next Monday... what level of play can we expect to see?

From NYTimes: ACC basketball’s middle class holds the key to reversing its negative narrative

There's been a lot of discussion about what the ACC needs to do to return to basketball greatness.

...from 2015 through 2019, the ACC reasonably could claim it was college basketball’s premier conference. During those five seasons, it produced three separate national champions, had four other teams make at least one Elite Eight, finished no lower than third in KenPom’s conference rankings and received more NCAA Tournament bids (38) than any other league.
But since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, that perception has taken a nosedive. The ACC hasn’t finished better than fourth in KenPom’s conference rankings since 2021, fully bottoming out in 2023 when it somehow finished seventh... Its NCAA Tournament bids... 15 total invites during the past three seasons [its fewest in a 3-year span in a decade].

Yes, the perception of ACC men's basketball has dropped - a lot!

Despite those sagging postseason invites, despite any analytics woes, the league has performed when it matters most — in March. Even with just 15 lowly bids during the past three seasons, the ACC has the most NCAA Tournament wins of any conference — even more than the Big East, despite Connecticut’s consecutive national championships — and the most Final Four teams (four).

Obviously, the top ACC teams are still as good as ever, but the middle and bottom hasn't been. The ACC's basketball depth has eroded - but there's hope for 2024-25.
Louisville, which went 12-52 in two seasons under Kenny Payne and hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament or produced a first-round NBA draft pick since 2019, has a new coach, Pat Kelsey.
Wake Forest, alma mater to NBA greats like Chris Paul and Tim Duncan, but hasn’t won an NCAA Tournament game since 2010, is showing signs of improvement.
Syracuse won 20 games under new coach Adrian Autry in his debut season and appears to be even better this year.
Georgia Tech has gone from bottom to middle under new coach Damon Stoudamire.
Notre Dame should be much improved in coach Micah Shrewsberry’s second season.
...


Other

EF7IYH635VB5BD6N2WD5ATR764.JPG

Andrew Branch outside his driving school in 1998.Rami Maalouf / The Post-Standard

RIP Andrew Branch: His driving school taught 800,000 people how to drive in Syracuse (PS; Croyle)


Hard work was instilled into Andrew Branch at an early age.

His father, Andrew Sr., worked at the Geddes Street railroad yards, moving trains and engines while his mother, Ethel, worked housekeeping at Syracuse’s Crouse Irving Hospital where she saved old newspapers.

After a few weeks, she had her son pull his child’s wagon up a hill from their home in the old 15th Ward to collect the papers and then stack them in the garage to sell later to a junk dealer.

“She saved that money and used it,” Branch told former Post-Standard columnist Dick Case in 2006, “to buy a house, a four-family house on Thomas Street.”

“That taught me you can’t do things unless you see things,” he said.

Branch passed away on Sept. 19 in Camden, South Carolina at the age of 91.

His family is holding a Memorial Service in his hometown on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 11 a.m. at Hopps Memorial CME Church, 1110 South State Street, Syracuse.

The service will remember a city success story.

Andrew Branch was born on July 28, 1933 in Syracuse. He was the seventh child in a family of nine.
...

Syracuse lawmakers approve protecting mansion that SU once targeted for demolition (PS; $; Boyer)
The Syracuse Common Council has completed a months-long process to bestow preservation protections on a former fraternity house that Syracuse University believes has no historic value.

The council on Monday unanimously approved designating the mansion at 727 Comstock Ave. as a locally protected site. The designation means the university, which owns the vacant structure, must obtain a certificate of appropriateness from the city’s historic preservation board before making exterior changes or attempting to demolish it.

The university fought the designation for months, arguing that the house had fallen into too much disrepair and lacked historical integrity. SU sought a permit last spring to demolish the 1905 structure to make room for a wing of a new dorm it is building to the rear on Ostrom Avenue. After encountering resistance from the city, neighborhood residents and historic preservationists, the school withdrew the demolition application in late August and downsized the dorm project from 703 beds to 570.

The council’s unanimous vote this week followed two sets of recommendations to protect the site from the Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board and the City Planning Commission. After holding public hearings during the summer, both boards approved recommendations saying the property meets the requirements for protection under the city’s historic preservation law.
...
 

Forum statistics

Threads
170,847
Messages
4,912,501
Members
6,008
Latest member
jimk80

Online statistics

Members online
264
Guests online
2,424
Total visitors
2,688


...
Top Bottom