Orangeyes Daily Articles for Thursday for Basketball

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Welcome to Halloween!

Halloween is a holiday that is rooted in, and was influenced by, both pagan and Christian traditions. On one hand there are the influences of Celtic harvest festivals, such as the Gaelic festival Samhain, and on the other hand Halloween stems from All Hallows' Eve, which is the night before the Christian holiday of All Hallows' Day—or All Saints Day. Halloween traditions were culled from these influences, and from varied traditions that different countries celebrated. The amalgamation of these influences helped to create what we now know as Halloween in the United States.

SU News

What Adrian Autry learned in his first year as Syracuse’s coach: ‘I’m more convinced of what I want’ (PS; $; Waters)

Adrian Autry settled into a chair at the ACC’s annual media tipoff event in Charlotte last month.

The first question posed to him focused on what he had learned in his first year as Syracuse’s head coach. Did he feel more prepared or comfortable entering Year 2?

Autry smiled and responded with approximately 30 seconds of pure coach-speak, answering the question with more than a hint of thoughtfulness in his tone.

Then he stopped and smiled.

“The one thing I am comfortable with is being able to duck or dodge questions,’’ he said, prompting laughter from the small group of reporters in front of him.

But in other settings Autry has said that he has changed certain things in his approach after guiding Syracuse to a 20-12 record in his first year following Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim’s retirement.

Don’t expect major changes in the Orange in Autry’s second year. He still plans on utilizing a man-to-man defense while keeping Boeheim’s patented 2-3 zone in the playbook for special occasions.

He wants the Orange to play at a faster pace, and he’ll use a deeper rotation, unless injuries dictate otherwise as they did last year.

Autry said fans won’t see some of his changes as they take place behind the scenes.
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CBB Analytics Expert Evan Miyakawa on Syracuse Basketball's Impact Players, National Standing (youtube; radio; Cuse Sports Talk)

Evan Miyakawa, college basketball analytics expert, joins Steve Infanti and Paulie Scibilia to discuss his projected highest-impact player for Syracuse basketball, and where he sees the team ranked nationally according to his metrics.

Centers — 2024-25 Syracuse Basketball Preview (r1vals.com; Schtechulte)

Syracuse's center group went a major facelift in the offseason, with three centers (William Patterson, Peter Carey, Mounir Hima) all entering the transfer portal.

The Orange in turn plucked Eddie Lampkin Jr. from the portal, and also added Euro center Peter Majstorovic to the mix to join with returning big man Naheem McLeod.

Eddie Lampkin Jr. Center• 6'11" | 265 lbs Senior @ Syracuse
https://n./content/athletes/eddie-lampkin-216382?view=cv
Like a couple other players new to the Syracuse program, Lampkin played for two other schools before transferring to the Orange. The big man spent three seasons with TCU, then last year with Colorado, starting 87 times in the last three seasons.
Lampkin has proven to be a solid offensive player in his time in college, averaging 8.2 points in the last three seasons and 10.6 per game last campaign. Lampkin also showed a significant improvement as a passer last season, handing out more assists (82) than in the three preceding seasons combined (55), and even put some of those skills on display in the first Syracuse exhibition game.
He is also an effective rebounder on both ends of the floor, posting an offensive rebounding rate of at least 11.8 and a total rebounding rate of at least 15.2 in each of his four seasons. Lampkin’s relative lack of athleticism, however, creates one area of concern, as he does not offer much rim protection for his size, as evidenced by him swatting just five shots in 1,029 minutes of play last season.

Naheem McLeod Center• 7'4" | 265 lbs Junior @ Syracuse

McLeod returns to health after missing just over half of last season with a foot injury. The former Florida State Seminole started each of the 14 games he played in last season and was a defensive force, as expected, blocking 27 shots while playing just over 14 minutes per game. Coach Adrian Autry protected McLeod in the first exhibition game, giving him just over five minutes of run in the game, all after the break.
A limited player on offense, McLeod showed an improving free throw stroke last season, making 71.4 percent of his attempts from the line. While it was a small sample, the big man had shot 45.6 percent from the stripe over the previous two seasons and the improvement is valuable, as McLeod had the highest free throw rate on the team as a result of being targeted as a poor shooter by opponents.
McLeod did use his height to handle his own on the glass, particularly as an offensive rebounder. McLeod had a 15.8 offensive rebounding rate while also boosting his defensive rebounding rate to a personal-best 16.3.
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Other

In this June 10, 2012 file photo, Phish performs during the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File) AP

Popular band raises more than $4 million for charity with Upstate NY benefit concerts (PS; Kiessling)

Phish, the fan-favorite philanthropic jam band, raised millions during their three-night residency at MVP Arena in Albany.

The weekend of concerts raised $4 million for Divided Sky, a nonprofit supporting addiction recovery based in Vermont, and its new residential program. It also served as a kick-off for a $10 million fundraising campaign for the organization.

“It’s hard to put into words how grateful we are to Phish and their fans for this generosity,” said Melanie Gulde, program director and co-founder of Divided Sky. “But this isn’t about words — it’s about action. And because of these concerts, we will be able to help many more people take charge of their lives and to recover from addictions.”

Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio and Gulde founded the new residential program to provide a nonclinical approach to addiction recovery. It is grounded in the 12 Steps, mindfulness practices and emotional sobriety and is housed in a newly remodeled former hotel that can accommodate up to 46 individuals in Ludlow, Vt.

The concerts donated 100% of net profits from tickets and merchandise to Divided Sky as well as funds raised during a pre-show reception organized by The Waterwheel Foundation, Phish’s nonprofit arm. Drummer Jon Fisherman’s stage outfit, adorned with Divided Sky’s logo, will be auctioned at a later date to raise additional money. All funds will support capital improvements, staff expansion and future property acquisitions, plus a scholarship fund to keep the program accessible to those in need.

Fishman is a Syracuse native and a member of the Syracuse Area Music Hall of Fame.
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Can we get an encore? Upstate NY’s fall foliage is putting on one last show (PS; House)

After eight brilliant weeks, Upstate New York’s fall foliage season has faded to a muted end.

I LOVE NY, the state’s tourism website, just dropped its final foliage report of 2024. It brings bittersweet tidings: Fall colors are past their glorious peak across nearly all of Upstate, where the shades of red, orange and yellow that adorned trees at the start of autumn have been mostly replaced by brown monochrome and bare branches.

But while “past peak” is the prevailing condition across much of the upper Empire State, there are still a few spots determined leaf peepers can catch a final glimpse of vibrant fall colors Upstate.

Between Oct. 30 and Nov. 5, travelers seeking fall glory can expect to find peak foliage at Niagara Falls — one of the world’s most beloved tourist destinations. Observers for I LOVE NY report a “fall color mix” at the famous waterfall.

Leaf peepers can also expect to find more beautiful foliage in parts of Western New York, including in Albion, Brighton and Geneseo.

While Upstate’s fall foliage season is nearly over, autumn colors are just peaking in New York City and Long Island.
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Earl Lloyd Credit: Courtesy of West Virginia State University

On this day in 1950 (PS; Mitchell)

Earl Lloyd became the first of three Black players (Chuck Cooper and Nat Clifton were the other two) in the National Basketball Association, paving the way for other African Americans who would follow.

A native of Alexandria, Virginia, the 6-foot-6 phenom became a defensive star at Parker-Grey High School, nicknamed “Moon Fixer.” He received a scholarship from West Virginia State, whom he led to two tournament championships. He became an All-American, and in 1947-48, his Yellow Jackets were the only undefeated team in the nation.

Nicknamed “The Big Cat,” he played his first game on Halloween. “The game was totally, unequivocally uneventful except for the date — Oct. 31,” he recalled later. “Maybe they thought I was a goblin or something.”

The Korean War interrupted his career before he returned to the hardwood, first with the Harlem Globetrotters and then back with the NBA. In 1955, he helped the Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers) defeat the Fort Wayne Pistons for the NBA Championship.
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