sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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SU News
Recent Foul Trouble Threatens to End Christmas' Carrier Dome Career Early Against #2 UVa (DO; Dougherty)
Rakeem Christmas stood in place and stared down his one-way path to the Syracuse bench.
For the second time in five nights, Christmas picked up a fifth foul and sauntered down the length of the court to grab a front-row seat for the rest of the game.
In a five-point win over then-No. 9 Notre Dame on Tuesday, Christmas exited with 5:18 to play and the Orange managed to hold on without him. In a 19-point loss to No. 4 Duke on Saturday, he fouled out with 9:42 left and all but put the punctuation mark on a game Syracuse never gripped.
“He’s our leader offensively and defensively,” SU shooting guard Trevor Cooney said on Saturday. “And when we can’t get him going it’s hard to get the rest of us going.”
That becomes especially hard when Christmas is out of the game, which the Orange (18-11, 9-7 Atlantic Coast) can’t afford when it hosts No. 2 Virginia (27-1, 15-1) for a 7 p.m. game in the Carrier Dome on Monday night. To keep Christmas — who will be the only scholarship senior playing his last home game — out of foul trouble against the defensively savvy Cavaliers, SU’s guards said they have to protect him by stopping penetration from the perimeter.
...
Roberson Brings Efficiency, Knack for Capitalizing on Openings Heading into Final Week of Season (DO; D'Abbraccio)
Tyler Roberson, Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney tied to lead Syracuse with five field goals each. But Gbinije needed 20 attempts and Cooney tried 16.
Roberson took just nine.
As the rest of the Syracuse offense struggled — shooting 30.6 percent in its 73-54 loss to No. 4 Duke (26-3, 13-3 Atlantic Coast) on Saturday night — the Orange’s (18-11, 9-7) sophomore forward was efficient, leading SU with 16 points and nine rebounds, six of which came on the offensive glass.
“He was just playing aggressive,” sophomore forward B.J. Johnson said. “Whenever (Rakeem Christmas) got the ball they usually double from Tyler’s man, and whenever that happens he gets a good look at the basket for an offensive rebound and he did a pretty good job of that.”
Roberson tallied seven of Syracuse’s first nine points in the opening five minutes, cashing in on a pair of offensive boards and tacking a free throw onto an and-one.
...
Syracuse Looks to Improve Offense Against Historically Stingy Virginia Defense (DO; Dougherty)
The prevailing answer to Syracuse’s offensive futility on Saturday night was that the Orange has to “keep taking good shots.”
But the biggest problem in SU’s 19-point loss to Duke was that “good shots” were at a heavy premium. The Blue Devils’ man-to-man defense all but physically shrunk the court while holding Syracuse to just 19 makes on 62 attempts — with a focus on keeping drivers out of the paint and the ball out of Rakeem Christmas’ hands.
And if any team is built to duplicate, or even one up, Duke’s defensive clinic, it’s Virginia. The Orange (18-11, 9-7 Atlantic Coast) welcomes the No. 2 Cavaliers (27-1, 15-1) for a 7 p.m. game in the Carrier Dome on Monday night, when the conference’s best defense will meet one of its coldest offenses.
UVA holds opponents to a 35.2 percent shooting clip — the country’s second-best average behind No. 1 Kentucky — and the SU guards will need to step up after stumbling at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“We just have to move the ball better and really attack it better,” SU guard Trevor Cooney said after the Duke game of facing Virginia’s defense. “Our movement wasn’t there tonight and because of that our other stuff wasn’t there.
...
Syracuse Fans to Salute Rakeem Christmas (D&C; DiVeronica)
A lot of Syracuse basketball players take a big leap between their freshman and sophomore seasons. Rakeem Christmas did it between his junior and senior years, and on Monday night the Carrier Dome crowd says goodbye to the 6-foot-9 senior.
Fans will salute Christmas because if he hadn't improved so dramatically enough to carry the Orange who knows how much worse this troubled season would be. Syracuse (18-11, 9-7 ACC) hosts No. 2 Virginia hoping to knock off a third ranked opponent in 12 days and bounce back from Saturday's 73-54 beat down at No. 4 Duke.
"He's had an unbelievable year. He's played great," coach Jim Boeheim said of Christmas, who hasn't missed a start the past three years. "His numbers, his leadership has been tremendous for us."
He ranks among the ACC's top four in points, rebounds, blocks (2.5) and shooting percentage (58). His scoring and rebounding averages have jumped from 5.8 and 5.1 last year to 18.0 points per game and 9.3 boards this season.
"That is a tremendous credit to him and the Syracuse coaching staff ... I can't tell you how happy I am for the young man," said Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who watched Christmas terrorize his Cardinals for 29 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in the Orange's upset of the Cardinals. "When he was a freshman, unless he dunked the ball, you could leave him alone and he couldn't score."
...
Game Notes: Syracuse vs #2 UVa on Big Monday (augustafgreepress.com)
No. 2 UVA (27-1, 15-1 ACC) travels to Syracuse (18-11, 9-7 ACC) for an ACC contest on Monday (March 2). Tipoff at Carrier Dome is set for 7 p.m.
For Openers
Everything You Wanted to Know About Sideline Reporter Allison Williams, Who Will Be Covering the SU-UVa Game Tonight (heavy.com; Bennett)
Allison Williams is popping up more and more on ESPN as a sideline reporter for college football and basketball. In fact, you can catch her Monday night, February 2, on ESPN when Syracuse hosts No. 2 Virginia at the Carrier Dome at 7 p.m. Eastern.
She isn’t the only Allison Williams who is on television and the reporter says she often gets confused for the actress.
Williams got her start in front of the camera after college in south Florida. She hosted shows such as Miccosukee Sports Rap, The Jayson Taylor Celebity Golf Special and Ultimate Fan Experience, among others.
Here’s what you need to know about Williams:
...
ACC News
ACC Basketball Night in Review: Wake Forest Damages Pitt's NCAA Dreams (PS; Stevens)
Pittsburgh lost another road game.
Wake Forest finished conference play with a winning record at home.
That, plus a look at Monday's games, in the ACC basketball night in review.
NUMBERS OF NOTE
5-9
Record away from campus for Pittsburgh (19-11, 8-8 ACC), which damaged its already so-so at-large chances with a 69-66 loss at Wake Forest. The Panthers' victories away from the Petersen Events Center have come against Boston College, Chaminade, Duquesne, Kansas State and Syracuse.
5-4
Record for Wake Forest at home against conference teams. The Demon Deacons (13-16, 5-11) earned a winning record in league play at the Joel Coliseum by defeating Pittsburgh on Sunday. Wake Forest has also defeated Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State and Virginia Tech at home this season.
ONE WEEK UNTIL GREENSBORO
Updating how the ACC tournament would look if it started after the weekend's games. Everybody in the league except Florida State and Georgia Tech have two games remaining; the Seminoles and Yellow Jackets are both down to one contest.
First round
12. Georgia Tech (3-14) vs. 13.Boston College (2-14)
11. Wake Forest (5-11) vs. 14. Virginia Tech (2-14)
Second round
8. N.C. State (8-8) vs. 9. Pittsburgh (8-8)
5. North Carolina (10-6) vs. Georgia Tech/Boston College
7. Clemson (8-8) vs. 10. Florida State (7-10)
6. Miami (8-8) vs. Wake Forest/Virginia Tech
Quarterfinals
1. Virginia (15-1) vs. N.C. State/Pittsburgh
4. Louisville (11-5) vs. North Carolina/Georgia Tech/Boston College
2. Duke (13-3) vs. Clemson/Florida State
3. Notre Dame (12-4) vs. Miami/Wake Forest/Virginia Tech
Recent Foul Trouble Threatens to End Christmas' Carrier Dome Career Early Against #2 UVa (DO; Dougherty)
Rakeem Christmas stood in place and stared down his one-way path to the Syracuse bench.
For the second time in five nights, Christmas picked up a fifth foul and sauntered down the length of the court to grab a front-row seat for the rest of the game.
In a five-point win over then-No. 9 Notre Dame on Tuesday, Christmas exited with 5:18 to play and the Orange managed to hold on without him. In a 19-point loss to No. 4 Duke on Saturday, he fouled out with 9:42 left and all but put the punctuation mark on a game Syracuse never gripped.
“He’s our leader offensively and defensively,” SU shooting guard Trevor Cooney said on Saturday. “And when we can’t get him going it’s hard to get the rest of us going.”
That becomes especially hard when Christmas is out of the game, which the Orange (18-11, 9-7 Atlantic Coast) can’t afford when it hosts No. 2 Virginia (27-1, 15-1) for a 7 p.m. game in the Carrier Dome on Monday night. To keep Christmas — who will be the only scholarship senior playing his last home game — out of foul trouble against the defensively savvy Cavaliers, SU’s guards said they have to protect him by stopping penetration from the perimeter.
...
Roberson Brings Efficiency, Knack for Capitalizing on Openings Heading into Final Week of Season (DO; D'Abbraccio)
Tyler Roberson, Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney tied to lead Syracuse with five field goals each. But Gbinije needed 20 attempts and Cooney tried 16.
Roberson took just nine.
As the rest of the Syracuse offense struggled — shooting 30.6 percent in its 73-54 loss to No. 4 Duke (26-3, 13-3 Atlantic Coast) on Saturday night — the Orange’s (18-11, 9-7) sophomore forward was efficient, leading SU with 16 points and nine rebounds, six of which came on the offensive glass.
“He was just playing aggressive,” sophomore forward B.J. Johnson said. “Whenever (Rakeem Christmas) got the ball they usually double from Tyler’s man, and whenever that happens he gets a good look at the basket for an offensive rebound and he did a pretty good job of that.”
Roberson tallied seven of Syracuse’s first nine points in the opening five minutes, cashing in on a pair of offensive boards and tacking a free throw onto an and-one.
...
Syracuse Looks to Improve Offense Against Historically Stingy Virginia Defense (DO; Dougherty)
The prevailing answer to Syracuse’s offensive futility on Saturday night was that the Orange has to “keep taking good shots.”
But the biggest problem in SU’s 19-point loss to Duke was that “good shots” were at a heavy premium. The Blue Devils’ man-to-man defense all but physically shrunk the court while holding Syracuse to just 19 makes on 62 attempts — with a focus on keeping drivers out of the paint and the ball out of Rakeem Christmas’ hands.
And if any team is built to duplicate, or even one up, Duke’s defensive clinic, it’s Virginia. The Orange (18-11, 9-7 Atlantic Coast) welcomes the No. 2 Cavaliers (27-1, 15-1) for a 7 p.m. game in the Carrier Dome on Monday night, when the conference’s best defense will meet one of its coldest offenses.
UVA holds opponents to a 35.2 percent shooting clip — the country’s second-best average behind No. 1 Kentucky — and the SU guards will need to step up after stumbling at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“We just have to move the ball better and really attack it better,” SU guard Trevor Cooney said after the Duke game of facing Virginia’s defense. “Our movement wasn’t there tonight and because of that our other stuff wasn’t there.
...
Syracuse Fans to Salute Rakeem Christmas (D&C; DiVeronica)
A lot of Syracuse basketball players take a big leap between their freshman and sophomore seasons. Rakeem Christmas did it between his junior and senior years, and on Monday night the Carrier Dome crowd says goodbye to the 6-foot-9 senior.
Fans will salute Christmas because if he hadn't improved so dramatically enough to carry the Orange who knows how much worse this troubled season would be. Syracuse (18-11, 9-7 ACC) hosts No. 2 Virginia hoping to knock off a third ranked opponent in 12 days and bounce back from Saturday's 73-54 beat down at No. 4 Duke.
"He's had an unbelievable year. He's played great," coach Jim Boeheim said of Christmas, who hasn't missed a start the past three years. "His numbers, his leadership has been tremendous for us."
He ranks among the ACC's top four in points, rebounds, blocks (2.5) and shooting percentage (58). His scoring and rebounding averages have jumped from 5.8 and 5.1 last year to 18.0 points per game and 9.3 boards this season.
"That is a tremendous credit to him and the Syracuse coaching staff ... I can't tell you how happy I am for the young man," said Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who watched Christmas terrorize his Cardinals for 29 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in the Orange's upset of the Cardinals. "When he was a freshman, unless he dunked the ball, you could leave him alone and he couldn't score."
...
Game Notes: Syracuse vs #2 UVa on Big Monday (augustafgreepress.com)
No. 2 UVA (27-1, 15-1 ACC) travels to Syracuse (18-11, 9-7 ACC) for an ACC contest on Monday (March 2). Tipoff at Carrier Dome is set for 7 p.m.
For Openers
- UVa ranks first nationally in scoring defense at 50.1 points per game, which is the third lowest average in the shot clock era (since 1986).
- UVa is first in the ACC at 15-1, while Syracuse is sixth at 9-7.
- Virginia’s 27-1 record ties its best start in school history (27-1 start in 1981-82).
- Virginia has 15 or more ACC wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.
- UVa has held its opponents to fewer than 50 points in five of the last seven games.
- UVa guard Justin Anderson fractured a finger on his left hand on Feb. 7 and is out 4-6 weeks.
- UVa guard London Perrantes suffered a broken nose and mild concussion vs. Florida State (Feb. 22) and missed the game at Wake Forest (Feb. 25). He returned to the lineup vs. Virginia Tech (Feb. 28).
- The Virginia-Syracuse game will be televised on ESPN and streamed online at WatchESPN.com.
- The game will be broadcast on the Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Athletics mobile app on iTunes or Android.
- Live statistics will be located on VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app
Everything You Wanted to Know About Sideline Reporter Allison Williams, Who Will Be Covering the SU-UVa Game Tonight (heavy.com; Bennett)
Allison Williams is popping up more and more on ESPN as a sideline reporter for college football and basketball. In fact, you can catch her Monday night, February 2, on ESPN when Syracuse hosts No. 2 Virginia at the Carrier Dome at 7 p.m. Eastern.
She isn’t the only Allison Williams who is on television and the reporter says she often gets confused for the actress.
Williams got her start in front of the camera after college in south Florida. She hosted shows such as Miccosukee Sports Rap, The Jayson Taylor Celebity Golf Special and Ultimate Fan Experience, among others.
Here’s what you need to know about Williams:
...
ACC News
ACC Basketball Night in Review: Wake Forest Damages Pitt's NCAA Dreams (PS; Stevens)
Pittsburgh lost another road game.
Wake Forest finished conference play with a winning record at home.
That, plus a look at Monday's games, in the ACC basketball night in review.
NUMBERS OF NOTE
5-9
Record away from campus for Pittsburgh (19-11, 8-8 ACC), which damaged its already so-so at-large chances with a 69-66 loss at Wake Forest. The Panthers' victories away from the Petersen Events Center have come against Boston College, Chaminade, Duquesne, Kansas State and Syracuse.
5-4
Record for Wake Forest at home against conference teams. The Demon Deacons (13-16, 5-11) earned a winning record in league play at the Joel Coliseum by defeating Pittsburgh on Sunday. Wake Forest has also defeated Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State and Virginia Tech at home this season.
ONE WEEK UNTIL GREENSBORO
Updating how the ACC tournament would look if it started after the weekend's games. Everybody in the league except Florida State and Georgia Tech have two games remaining; the Seminoles and Yellow Jackets are both down to one contest.
First round
12. Georgia Tech (3-14) vs. 13.Boston College (2-14)
11. Wake Forest (5-11) vs. 14. Virginia Tech (2-14)
Second round
8. N.C. State (8-8) vs. 9. Pittsburgh (8-8)
5. North Carolina (10-6) vs. Georgia Tech/Boston College
7. Clemson (8-8) vs. 10. Florida State (7-10)
6. Miami (8-8) vs. Wake Forest/Virginia Tech
Quarterfinals
1. Virginia (15-1) vs. N.C. State/Pittsburgh
4. Louisville (11-5) vs. North Carolina/Georgia Tech/Boston College
2. Duke (13-3) vs. Clemson/Florida State
3. Notre Dame (12-4) vs. Miami/Wake Forest/Virginia Tech
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