Orangeyes Daily Articles for Thursday for Basketball

[sutomcat]

Welcome to Day of the Ninja!

Created by Ninja Burger, a parody website that claims to be a sect of ninjas that can deliver fast food meals in under a half-hour to any place at any time, Day of the Ninja is a day when people dress like ninjas, do things that ninjas would do, and share information about ninjas online. The creators of the day have said the day should be used to "plague your co-workers with ninja-ness and wear a ninja mask to work," but said those who don't have to work today should "run wild in the streets, or dress like a ninja at the mall." They encourage everyone to make posts about ninjas all over the internet, such as by making posts on YouTube, putting links about ninjas on websites, and sharing photos of yourself wearing ninja outfits. They say the most important thing that can be done is to tell others about the day so that they can celebrate as well. They aren't too picky about how people celebrate, saying, "Just show the world that YOU ARE NINJA!"

SU News

Beat writers agree Syracuse will lose ACC opener to Notre Dame (DO; Staff)

Syracuse suffered its most lopsided loss of the season, getting blown out 96-70 by No. 3 Tennessee Tuesday. It was SU’s first true road test of the season and it failed miserably. The defeat marked the Orange’s third straight to a Power Four opponent after losing to Texas and Texas Tech at the Legends Classic.

Following their drubbing in Knoxville, the Orange open up conference play with a road bout against Notre Dame Saturday. The Fighting Irish were also boat raced in their last contest, falling 69-48 at Georgia. They’ll be without star point guard Markus Burton, who suffered a knee injury last week.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (4-3, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) will fare in its conference opener against Notre Dame (4-5, 0-0 ACC):

Zak Wolf (7-0)
Luck of the Irish
Syracuse 63, Notre Dame 70

After Tuesday’s dreadful showing, Syracuse hasn’t shown me any reason why I should pick it to win Saturday. Against arguably the best team in the country without their leading scorer, J.J. Starling, the Orange showed no fight. Elijah Moore was the lone bright spot with a career-high 24 points, but the rest of SU’s guards failed to show up, combining to score nine points.

To win games in college, you need good guard play, and Syracuse just doesn’t have enough of that right now. Jaquan Carlos was brought in to stabilize the offense as a pure point guard, but the Orange’s scoring has been too inconsistent this season. Guys like Lucas Taylor and Kyle Cuffe Jr. are simply not good enough to help win games in the ACC.

Yes, Notre Dame has lost five straight games, but four of those teams are ranked inside KenPom’s top 75. Braeden Shrewsberry is a dangerous scoring threat at 15.2 points per game, and I think the Orange will have a tough time containing him. I think this game will come down to the wire, but SU’s lack of a go-to guy in the clutch, specifically at guard, will lead it to falter down the stretch.

Aiden Stepansky (7-0)
Where’s Rudy?
Syracuse 73, Notre Dame 77
Every time I think of Notre Dame, my mind moves to the 1993 hit “Rudy.” Rudy Ruettiger’s journey from being an underdog to a hero for the Fighting Irish is one SU’s men’s basketball team can pull inspiration from. Syracuse is down its star player and could use some positivity following a 26-point loss.

Unlike the movie, however, I don’t see anyone being carried off on their teammates’ shoulders. If Starling was playing, I’d be inclined to take the Orange. Burton’s absence diminishes the Fighting Irish’s offense largely. Still, SU has given me no reason to believe it can stifle any offense in the country right now.

As Zak pointed out, Moore has been exceptional recently. Adrian Autry has used him off the bench, but he might push his way into the starting lineup Saturday. Still, Syracuse can’t rely on 20-plus point games from the freshman to emerge victorious. The Orange need Chris Bell to have a standout day shooting from 3 and Donnie Freeman to use his length.

I foresee SU putting up some points due to ND’s defense not being the strongest unit, allowing 71.2 points per game. But in the end, Syracuse’s defense will again fall flat and allow Shrewsberry to get going from beyond the arc to lead the Fighting Irish to victory.

Justin Girshon (7-0)
The Losing Orange
Syracuse 71, Notre Dame 83

While both teams will be without its star guards in Starling and Burton, Syracuse’s matchup against Notre Dame should be a fun start to conference play. However, it’ll be more fun for the Fighting Irish when they secure a double-digit win.
...
How to watch, key storylines as Syracuse basketball travels to Notre Dame in ACC opener (itlh; Adler)
Two Atlantic Coast Conference squads that are struggling of late will collide on Saturday afternoon in the league opener for Syracuse basketball and Notre Dame.

The Orange, after getting blown out earlier this week by No. 3 Tennessee in the SEC/ACC Challenge, has lost three of four. The 'Cuse fell by a combined nine points to Texas and Texas Tech in Brooklyn, N.Y., and then Syracuse basketball defeated long-time local foe Cornell, at home, by 10 points.

For the Fighting Irish, it raced out to a 4-0 start to the 2024-25 campaign, but Notre Dame has lost five in a row. In this week's SEC/ACC Challenge, the Fighting Irish also lost big, on the road, to Georgia.

x.com

twitter.com

Interestingly enough, in the ACC's preseason media poll, Notre Dame was projected to finish at No. 10 in the conference standings, with the Orange one spot behind the Fighting Irish, at No. 11.

How to watch Syracuse basketball at Notre Dame this weekend.

The 'Cuse (4-3) and the Fighting Irish (4-5) will go toe to toe on Saturday, Dec. 7, with the tip-off scheduled for 12 pm inside Purcell Pavilion. The CW will televise this ACC clash.
...
Tennessee’s Rick Barnes on Adrian Autry and the struggling Orange: ‘They’ve got the right guy there’ (PS; $; Waters)
Tennessee faced Syracuse last season with the Vols dispatching the Orange 73-56 in the first round of the Maui Invitational.

As the two teams were set to meet again this season in the ACC/SEC Challenge, Tennessee assistant coach Gregg Polinsky went through his usual film breakdown of the Vols’ opponent.

Polinsky noticed a difference in the Orange. Or, more specifically, Adrian Autry, who was in his second year as Syracuse’s head coach.

“Gregg’s been around the game a long, long time,’’ Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “He came in and the first thing he said to me, he said, ‘You can tell Coach Autry’s really gotten comfortable with who he is and how he wants to play.’’

The 70-year-old Barnes, now in his 10th year at Tennessee, told the story in the moments after his third-ranked Vols had once again handed Syracuse a beatdown, this time by the score of 96-70 at the Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday night in Knoxville.

But during the game, Barnes said he saw what his assistant had told him about Autry and the Orange.

“The fact is I can look at him now and I can see his conviction in what he believes in on the court,’’ Barnes said.

What Barnes, and Polinsky, both saw in Autry on tape and in person, is noteworthy because so far Autry’s second year as the successor to Syracuse’s Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim hasn’t gone as well as the first.

Last season, Autry led Syracuse to a 20-12 overall record and an 11-9 mark in the ACC. To put that in perspective, the 20 regular-season wins were the most for Syracuse since the 2013-14 season.

This year, Autry remade his roster, replacing seven departing players, including six transfers, with three freshmen and four transfers. The results have been less than stellar. The Orange is 4-3, but the wins have included narrow victories over Le Moyne (86-82), Colgate (74-72) and Youngstown State (104-95 in 2OT).

To make matters worse, Syracuse’s leading scorer, junior guard JJ Starling, broke his left hand in practice on Monday.

Barnes understands Autry’s situation. He’s got 814 career wins under his belt now, but in 1989-90, he was a second-year coach at Providence and drawing unfavorable comparisons to Rick Pitino and Dave Gavitt.

“Back when I got my first coaching job a long time ago,’’ Barnes said, “I went to a lot of people that I really respected and every one of those guys told me, it’s going to take you five years, five years to figure out exactly how you think you want to play this game.
...
Syracuse men’s basketball: Chance Westry makes debut in road romp at Tennessee (TNIAAM; Szuba)
Redshirt sophomore guard Chance Westry made his Syracuse debut during Tuesday night’s blowout loss at Tennessee. With Syracuse trailing 86-61, Westry checked in with 2:46 remaining in the contest, marking the first time he’s competed in a game in almost two full years.

“Chance has been working. He’s gotten himself in better shape.” Adrian Autry said post-game. “He probably can’t go for long stretches.”

Westry transferred to Syracuse in the summer of 2023 following his freshman season at Auburn, which interrupted due to a knee injury which required arthroscopic surgery. In his first season with Syracuse, a preseason practice injury to his opposite knee required him to miss the entire 2023-24 season.

Westry was cleared for basketball activities this summer. He returned to action for the summer sessions at Syracuse, but an illness in the preseason set him back. Westry, a versatile 6-foot-6 guard, is capable of playing the point guard, shooting guard and small forward positions. A former top-40 recruit, Westry finished his night at Tennessee with an assist to Elijah Moore.

The Orange expect to be without leading scorer and starting shooting guard JJ Starling indefinitely due to a broken left hand. With Starling out, Syracuse is down a player capable of playing point guard behind Jaquan Carlos.

“We don’t have a ton of ball-handlers now,” Autry said, “that’s why being able to get Chance going is vital and going to be important for us.”

Elijah Moore Needs To Start For Syracuse (orangefizz.net; Gotkin)

Last night was rough for Syracuse basketball. Sorry, that’s an understatement. The ‘Cuse was embarrassed by #3 Tennessee. Without JJ Starling, the offense looked extremely stagnant. JaQuan Carlos isn’t a scorer. He never has been and Adrien Autry has said that he doesn’t need to be one (I don’t understand how you can have a starter at the power 5 level who isn’t a big threat to score). Lucas Tayor just doesn’t have it offensively right now, as good as he may be on defense. Against the Vols, SU’s starting backcourt had a whopping seven points. Again, I know Starling was out but that is just unacceptable and that isn’t a way to win basketball games.

Elijah Moore has shown that he is the best pure scorer on this team over the last two games. The freshman is the best pure shooter on this team. He is a lights out three point shooter and can create for himself better than anyone else on the squad. Dan Papillo gave him an A+ for a reason in his report card after yesterday’s disaster. His defense still has to improve but he’s a freshman and that’ll just take time. He is too good of a scorer to now be on the floor.

What I really don’t understand was Autry’s in game decisions with Moore. Especially coming out of halftime, it made absolutely no sense for his best offensive player to be on the bench. The freshman led the game in scoring and had double the amount of points of any other SU players. Yet, Lucas Taylor who didn’t even attempt a shot went back on the floor and the Orange fell apart. In the national championship year, Jim Boeheim started two freshmen, Carmelo Anthony and Gerry McNamara. Red Autry needs to do the same now and start Donnie Freeman and Elijah Moore.
...

Top expert has Syracuse basketball 5-star commit Sadiq White, IMG at No. 1 nationally (itlh; Adler)

Syracuse basketball 2025 commit Sadiq White Jr., a five-star forward and a top-15 national prospect who hails from Charlotte, N.C., resides on the nation's top-ranked high school program this week, according to one expert.

On Monday, ESPN recruiting director Paul Biancardi unveiled his latest top 25 for the current season in high school hoops, which is just getting underway. Sitting at No. 1 is the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where White is spending his senior year.


The Ascenders are off to a strong start in 2024-25. At a recent showcase called the 5 for the Fight National Hoopfest, which was held in Pleasant Grove, Utah, IMG defeated a pair of top-10 foes, the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., and the AZ Compass Prep School in Chandler, Ariz.

Brett Friedlander & Luke Neer on ACC Football, ACC Basketball - Cville Right Now (cvillerightbnow.com; podcast; The Best Seat in the House)

Brett Friedlander & Luke Neer on ACC Football, ACC Basketball
MBB: 2024 ACC/SEC Challenge, Day Two (RX; HM)

MBB: 2024 ACC/SEC Challenge, Day Two
Day Two, and the horror persists...

Virginia 69
#13 Florida 87​

Cavs fall to 5-3; Gators are 9-0, by the way.

#10 Alabama 94
#20 N Carolina 79​

Tar Heels fall to 4-4 (ouch!) This is not your Daddy's Tar Heels team!

#18 Pittsburgh 57
Mississippi St 90​

Pitt's a good team. Mississippi State crushed them.

Texas 63
NC State 59​

The Wolfpack hung close the whole way... if you're into moral victories

Vanderbilt 80
Virginia Tech 64​

Revenge for the football game? Eh, no.

#2 Auburn 78
#9 Duke 84​

I was beginning to wonder if ACC teams were allowed to win big games against SEC teams.

Syracuse Men's Basketball on Instagram: "We will host our Alumni Day honoring the 1975 Final Four team on Feb. 8 when we host BC at the Dome. #CuseFamily "
...

Other

Grand marshals Jim Walsh, center, and William Walsh, his father, at the start the 1988 St. Patrick's parade. Future Syracuse mayor, Ben, is on the left. (File photo by Tim Reese)Syracuse Post-Standard

Syracuse names its first-ever third-generation St. Patrick’s Parade grand marshal (PS; Miller)

Sure, working in Syracuse City Hall as a deputy commissioner for six years right out of college was a decent line for the resume. And then being elected the city’s first independent mayor was pretty cool.

But for Ben Walsh, today tops both.

“For an Irish guy from the West Side of Syracuse, it doesn’t get any better than this,” he said. “This is the top of the mountain.”

At 10 a.m. today, Walsh was named the grand marshal for Syracuse’s 43rd St. Patrick’s Parade on March 15, 2025. The announcement was made at a brief ceremony in the back dining room of Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub.

The grand marshal is awarded to an “Irish American of Syracuse who has made a significant contribution to the entire community,” according to the parade committee.

Walsh has attended nearly every parade in his lifetime, even before he could walk. In 1988, he marched alongside his father, former Congressman James Walsh, and grandfather, former mayor and Congressman William Walsh, when they served as co-grand marshals.

Ben Walsh was 9 that day.
...
NYS is releasing 2,160 pheasants for late-season hunting in these CNY counties (PS; Featherstone)
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is releasing 2,160 pheasants throughout December for enhanced hunting opportunities in Region 7.

DEC will release the pheasants on lands open to public hunting in Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Madison, Onondaga, Tioga, and Tompkins counties.

State pheasant stocking efforts take place from late-September through mid-November. Based on hunter feedback collected during a statewide survey, DEC is implementing December releases at the following locations:

• Cayuga-Tompkins Cooperative Hunting Area, Cayuga and Tompkins counties
• Long Pond State Forest, Chenango County
• Michigan Hill State Forest, Tioga County
• Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Onondaga County
• Tioughnioga WMA, Madison County
• Whitney Point Multiple Use Area, Broome County

The table below lists stocking dates and the number of birds anticipated for release for each site. Stocked pheasants come from DEC’s Reynolds Game Farm in Ithaca.
...

 

[Ozone!]