SWC75
Bored Historian
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THE SCHEDULE
(Quotes are from Athlon, Lindy’s or Street and Smith’s)
The Non-Conference Schedule
(What channel is Syracuse basketball on? How to watch on TV, live stream games )
Tuesday November 6 at 7pm in the Dome vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON TV: Watch ESPN
The Eagles went 20-15 last year. They lost their best player, conference Player of the Year Bogdan Bliznyuk and have no returning starter taller than 6-8. But they lost the POY from 2016 last year and replaced him with the next one and won 20 games anyway. Also, they have “a crop of veteran guards to pick up the slack…an arsenal of perimeter shooters, fitting to second year coach Shantay Legans’ preferred template of a quick team that can spread the floor….The Eagles return their next six scores who, remarkably, all averaged between 7.7 and 6.6 points per game.” The thing is, we can do the same thing this year with better athletes. Their 6-8 guy, Mason Peatting, figures to be their next star but he’s going to be surrounded by bigger guys in this game. Jacob Davison and Cody Benzel are the big threats outside.
They are used to playing big-time teams. Last season they lost to Washington by 10, beat Stanford by 6, lost to UNLV by 15 and Utah by 16. They lost to Montana in the Big Sky tournament and stayed home.
Saturday November 10 at 7pm in the Dome vs. MOREHEAD STATE TV: Watch ESPN
These Eagles went 8-21 last year. Their newly appointed coach, Preston Spradlin, had brought in ten new guys to add to three returning scholarship players and it showed. All five starters are back. Again, the strength is in the backcourt and there isn’t a starter taller than 6-7. Their best player is 6-0 guard Jordan walker (12.2 ppg). Three other starters averaged in double figure, two 11ppg and one at 10. AJ Hicks, also 6-0 is the point guard. The others are 6-7 forward Leamontrey Harris and 6-3 Djimon Henson. “6-4 freshman Malik Riddle” could help as could ‘intriguing’ Sasha Sukhanov, a 6-11 forward from Russia.
They lost to Xavier by 52 points and Virginia Tech by 33 last year.
Thursday, November 15 at 7pm in MSG vs. CONNECTICUT TV: ESPN2
The Huskies, national champion as recently as four years ago, have fallen on hard times. They won 32 game s that year, 30 in the last two years, including 14-18 last season. Kevin Ollie, despite having that national title on his resume, has bene fired. But new coach Danny Hurley, “Has intriguing talent across the roster”. Jalen Adams, (6-3 18.1ppg, 4.7apg) is the AAC’s best player. Christian Vital (6-2 14.9ppg, 5.4rpg ) is another backcourt threat. Duquesne transfer Alterique Gilbert (6-0) “missed nearly all of the last two seasons with shoulder woes and may be the first player in NCAA history to be named preseason conference Rookie of the Year three straight years”. He was a Top 50 recruit and “If he can remain healthy, his considerable talents will be game changers.” Tarin Smith, (6-2 12.4ppg 3.2apg) will give them more backcourt strength and they won those last two national titles from the backcourt.
“It’s the frontcourt where question marks rise. Josh Carleton (6-9 242, 4.4p 3.7r), showed skills as a freshman and Eric Cobb (6-9 280, 1/7p 2.7r) seems re-energized after clashing with Ollie. St. John’s grad transfer Kassoum Yakwe (6-7 210, 1.4p 1.9r) could be a shot-swatting presence.” UCONN may not have enough up front to beat us but if our backcourt is still limited by injury we could have a hard time dealing with their backcourt.
Friday, November 16 at 4:30 or 6:30PM IOWA or OREGON TV: ESPN2
IOWA: The Hawkeyes are coming off an off year: 14-19 and 4-14 in the Big Ten. They are hoping that that was a fluke as they have “several talented pieces, such as forward Tyler Cook, (6-9 255 15.3p 6.8r), center Luka Garza, (6-11 235 12.1p 6.4r 32 blocks) and point guard Jordan Bohannon (6-0 180 13.5p 5.4a)…Scoring around the basket wasn’t a problem last season and it shouldn’t be an issue this season. Where Cook and his cohorts struggle is on defense. They learned the hard way that trying to out-score opponents can be costly….Bohannon is well on his way to becoming Iowa’s most prolific 3 point shooter and its all-time leader in assists…..but like all of his teammates, he struggles on defense especially against lightning-quick point guards. ” How about hobbled point guards? The Hawkeye scored 79.5 points per game and shot 37.6 from the three point line. They will test our zone. But they gave up 78.7 ppg.
OREGON: The Ducks were 23-13 last year, 10-8 in the Pac 12. They wound up in the NIT after being in the Final Four a year ago. They can score, too, 78.3ppg. They are a little more acquainted with defense: 72.4ppg. They have four returning starters and top 5 recruiting class that includes Bol Bol, Maunte’s 7-2, (7-8 wingspan), 235 son, who “is a much bigger scoring threat than his father.” Per his coach, Dana Altman, “He runs good, catches it great. He’s got a good touch and is a good passer”. They have another five-star forward, Louis King, (6-9 205), who is trying to get over an injury. He “possesses good passing ability and a solid jumper.” Francis Okoro (6-9 235), “gives the Ducks a physicality in the post that they missed last season.” Four-star Miles Norris (6-10 210) “has upside”. Kenny Wooten (6-9 220) blocked 92 shots. Paul White (6-9 235) averaged 9.4p/3.5r). So they have plenty of size to match our line-up, which was the tallest in the country last season.
They are no slouch in the backcourt, either. 6-2 guard Payton Pritchard (14.5p/4.8a) runs the show while “Bouncy sophomore” Victor Bailey, (6-4 (6.7ppg) exploded in the NIT for 23 points against Rider. “His athleticism is off the charts”. Grad transfer Kaleb Amin (6-4 200), led the nation in steals last year with 3.4. Will Richardson, (6-5), is a 4 star guy out of Oak Hill. “He’ll have a chance to contribute right off the bar, particularly is he can provide the consistent 3 point threat the Ducks lacked last season.” That may be the key to beating this team. I think they can be zoned. Then there’s their youth: Altman said “I love the talent of the new guys. I think they’re really good. But it’s going to take some time. They’re freshmen. They will adjust at different speeds.” Kind of like our team last year.
Wednesday November 21 at 7pm in the Dome COLGATE TV: Watch ESPN
Colgate set a school record for wins in a 19-14 season last year. They lost to SU by only 14 after years of 30+ blow-outs and to BC by only 4. They went to the Patriot League championship game and the College Basketball Invitational. They lost two double-figure scorers from that team, including their point guard but they still have a strong nucleus for a follow-up season. The Big three for them are forward Will Rayman, (6-8 205, 14.6p/6.7r), guard Jordan Burns, (6-0 11.9p/ 3.0a), and center Dana Batt (6-9 225, 7.0p 4.5r), who will bat a lot of balls away, (sorry, had to do it). Freshman swingman Tucker Richardson (6-4), “brings strong shooting touch and savvy”.
If we are in a funk after losing to, say Oregon in New York, Colgate won’t be the comfortable landing spot they have been in the past.
Wednesday, November 28 at 7:15 or 7:30pm at OHIO STATE TV: ESPN or ESPN2
Ohio State hasn’t been kind to Syracuse over the years. We are 2-5 against them and they have twice ended our season, including the year we had our best record ever. Now we have to travel to their place. They had a dip in recent years, falling to 17 wins in 2017. They brought in a new coach, Chris Holtmann, who turned things around to a 25-9 record, including 15-3 in the Big Ten. They finished second in the conference and beat Michigan State, the team that finished first, by 16 points. They got beat by Gonzaga in the Round of 32.
They lost the Big Ten Player of the year, Keita Bates-Diop and both starting guards. Holtmann: “We don’t have proven guys, which is what everybody looks at. There’s no question that we lost a lot but I’m excited to see what we can be.” Holtmann said he will run his offense through his center, the hefty Kaleb Wesson, (6-9 270, 10.2p/4.9r as a freshman). He “is ready to emerge as one of the conference’s best low-post players and top scoring option. However, he’ll need to overcome recurring foul difficulties….He has to keep his weight under control.” Freshman Jaedon LeDee (6-9 230) is a “rebounding East Carolina. The Buckeyes badly needed appoint guard last year and got CJ Jackson, (6-1 12.6p/3.9a) from Eastern Florida State, (?). He was “asked to be efficient. Between his 1.8 to 1 assist to turnover ratio, his 38% three point shooting and his 12.6 points per game, he delivered what the bucks needed. They now have a grad transfer from Wake Forest, Keyshawn Woods (6-3, 11.9p 37% three point shooting) to pair with him. “Really a high-level shotmaker and a guy who can make plays for others.”
Saturday, December 1 at 8pm in the Dome CORNELL TV: ESPNU
This will be a Boeheim family reunion as Jimmy plays for Cornell while Buddy plays for his dad. Julie Boeheim will have to be neutral. But the big name in Ithaca is matt Morgan, a 6-2 guard who has led the ivy league in scoring three times and scored 1,646 career points. He averaged 22.5p/4.6r/3.2a last year and considered jumping to the NBA but elected to come back to college and get his degree. The Big Red lost a big one when 6-9 Stone Gettings (16.7p/6.6r) elected to become a grad transfer, (he’s now an Arizona Wildcat). Because of that Cornell will be hard-pressed to match last year’s 12-16 record. They lost to the Orange by 32, to Auburn by 21, to Colgate by 9 and the Northeastern by 18. They did beat Duquesne by 7.
Tuesday, December 4 at 7pm in the Dome NORTHEASTERN TV: Watch ESPN
The Huskies blew a 17 point lead in the Colonial tournament final or they would have been in the NCAAs. As it was, they finished a strong 23-10. They lost to Stanford by 14 and Ohio State by 25, Utah State by 4 and St, Bonaventure by 19. But they went 14-4 in their conference. Their star was point guard Vasa Puscia, (6-5, 17.9p, 5.1a) and he’s back. Coach Bill Coen: “He’s got incredible court vision. He’s able to make all the passes we need him to make to get others involved but he’s got elite level confidence that at the end of a shot clock or the end of a game, he knows he’s capable of taking over.” He hit 43% of this three pointers, as did Donnell Gresham Jr., (6-1 203, 9.ap 4.5r). George Washington transfer Jordan Roland, (6-1, 6.7p) shot 41%. Shawn Occeus (6-4, 10.8p) was the league’s defensive player of the year. Bolden Brace (6-6 227 7.9p/4.7r) was the conference’s 6th man of the year. They will often play four guards and could really test our zone.
Saturday, December 8 at 3:30pm in the Dome vs. GEORGETOWN TV: ESPN
Patrick Ewing surprised some people by going 15-15 and 5-13 in the Big East last year. That’s how bad things had gotten at our old rivals. But he’d got some talented players coming back and his name still means something to recruits and he brought in several interesting ones. The big question is: can he coach them out of their mistakes? “Ewing can still remember the turnovers committed, the rebounds missed and the frustrations endured. “This team has to learn from those mistakes and the incoming guys have to learn from films what they did wrong last year.”
Second leading scorer Marcus Derrickson opted for the pros but big Jesse Govan (6-10 270 17.9p/10.0r) is back. Last year he had 21/8 with three blocks against the skinny Chukwu, who also had 3 blocks but only2 points and 3 rebounds. We barely won in overtime. 6-8 Jamorko Pickett was a 6-8 match-up problem with three point range. Of course we had one of those, too in Oshae Brissett. In last year’s game, Pickett had 12/4 on 4 for 11 shooting- 1 for 6 from outside. Brissett had one of his best games with 25/14. He was 7 for 16 and 4 for 7 from the arc. He was also 9 for 12 from the line. Can Chukwu and Pickett narrow the gap on their opposite numbers?
Freshmen forwards Grayson Carter (6-8 200) and Josh LeBlanc (6-7 213) were four star recruits. “LeBlanc is an excellent defender and good rebounder who has some offensive versatility…Carter is a solid big man who could grow a couple inches before he’s done.” Antwan Walker (6-9 230) could “step forward to be an interior producer”.
Kaleb Johnson (6-6 205 7.9p/4.2t) shot 54% from the field last year and William and Mary transfer Greg Malinowski (6-5 215, 7.7p 40% form three), are potentially productive swing men. Javon Blair (6-3 189 9.0p) made the Big East all-freshman team. Junior Jagan Mosely (6-3 205 6.6p/2.9a) is the incumbent point guard.
Four star freshman guard James Akinjo is ”a tough combo with an attack mentality and the ability to score all over the court”. At 6-0 160, he’d better be tough. Fellow freshman Mac McClung (6-2, 175) is an internet sensation “who seems to want to dunk on the world”. I had to check him out:
“It’s still probably too early to say that the Hoyas are capable of reaching the NCAA tournament but this team was a couple of bounces from winning 7-8 Big East games last season. The Hoyas won’t be a pushover by any stretch….the Hoyas have some interesting pieces but many are still young and must prove they are capable of contributing steadily...Ewing’s bottom line in his second season: “Anything is possible.”
Saturday, December 15 at Noon in the Dome vs. OLD DOMINION TV: YES Network
The Monarchs reigned in 25 of 32 games last year, going 15-3 to finish second in Conference-USA. I still remember when they beat the best of the Louie and Bouie teams in 1980 on a basket that was after the buzzer but it was in their place so who cares? We gained revenge in the Dome the next year but somehow I feel we still owe these guys, or at least their school a beat-down. It might be hard to come by this year.
ODU was “known for physical guarding and tenancies rebounding” last season. They lost forward Trey Porter (13.2/6.9) as a grad transfer. They also lost senior Brandon Stith, (9.8/7.7). Coach Jeff Jones has brought in grad transfers to replace them: 7-1 290 Elbert Robinson III from LSU (2.1/1.4) and Dajour Dickens (7-0 220, 2.0/1.0) from Providence, (no, he didn’t play with Chukwu). 6-8 230 freshman Kalu Ezikpe “has a college-ready body and a solid skill set.”
Senior point guard Ahmed Caver, (6-2 170, 14.2p/6.2a), will be the star of the team along with senior shooting guard B.J. Stith (6-5 215, 14.2p/5.7r). Stith hit at least 3 treys 15 times last year. Caver had a 3-1 assist to turnover ratio last year and he’ll need to take care of the ball against us.
Tuesday, December 18 at 8pm in the Dome vs. BUFFALO TV: ESPN2
The Bulls took down mighty Arizona in the NCAA tournament last year. Most of the team that went 27-9 and 15-3 in the MAC is back, including conference sixth man of the year Nick Perkins, (6-8 250, 16.2p/6.0r). CJ Massenberg (6-3, 17.0/7.0, 40.3 from three) will be his leading completion for this year’s player of the year. Guard Davonta Jordan was defensive player of the year. Jeremy Harris (6-7, 15.5/5.90 is a 41.8% three point shooter. Jayvon Graves will take over at the point and will be “a break-out guy this year”. He’ll have a lot of scorers to get the ball to. Then there’s 6-5 JeeNathan, a four-star recruit.
Watch out for this game!
Saturday, December 22 at 2PM in the Dome vs. ARKANSAS STATE TV: YES network
The Red Wolves were a dismal 11-21 last year, 6-12 in the Sun Belt conference and they probably won’t be much better this year. They have one stablished player: 6-1, (Street and Smith’s has him as 5-11) senior point guard Ty Cockfield, (14.9p/2.8r/2.0a). They are bringing in some JUCO guys and a guy from Turkey, 6-6 Canberk Kus. They had the worst defense in the conference and 333rd worst in the country at 78.8ppg.
Saturday, December 29 at TBA in the Dome vs. ST. BONAVENTURE TV: ESPNU
The Bonnies beat us in the Dome last year, 60-57 in OT, when we couldn’t make a series of lay-ups in the final seconds of regulation. They went on to a 26-8 overall record, 14-4 in the A10 and a loss to Florida in the first round of the NCAAs. They lost Jaylen Adams, the conference co-player of the year. He averaged 19.1p/5.2a last year. They also lost Matt Mobley, who averaged 18.1 ppg and set the school record for 3 pointers. “You win with guards: it’s the reason we made the NCAAs” said coach Mark Schmidt.
The leading returning player will be small forward Courtney Stockard (6-5 204, 13.3p/6.3r)Their second best returnee is also a small forward, LaDarien Griffin, (6-8 215 8.8/6.3). Transfer Jaylen Poyser from UNLV, (6-4, 10.4ppg ) could help. They also got a player SU wanted, 6-10 190 stringbean Osun Osunniyi in a promising recruiting class that also includes 6-5 Dominick Welch, Western New York’s all-time leading high school scorer.
(I'm still working on the conference schedule and will get it posted in the next couple of days)
(Quotes are from Athlon, Lindy’s or Street and Smith’s)
The Non-Conference Schedule
(What channel is Syracuse basketball on? How to watch on TV, live stream games )
Tuesday November 6 at 7pm in the Dome vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON TV: Watch ESPN
The Eagles went 20-15 last year. They lost their best player, conference Player of the Year Bogdan Bliznyuk and have no returning starter taller than 6-8. But they lost the POY from 2016 last year and replaced him with the next one and won 20 games anyway. Also, they have “a crop of veteran guards to pick up the slack…an arsenal of perimeter shooters, fitting to second year coach Shantay Legans’ preferred template of a quick team that can spread the floor….The Eagles return their next six scores who, remarkably, all averaged between 7.7 and 6.6 points per game.” The thing is, we can do the same thing this year with better athletes. Their 6-8 guy, Mason Peatting, figures to be their next star but he’s going to be surrounded by bigger guys in this game. Jacob Davison and Cody Benzel are the big threats outside.
They are used to playing big-time teams. Last season they lost to Washington by 10, beat Stanford by 6, lost to UNLV by 15 and Utah by 16. They lost to Montana in the Big Sky tournament and stayed home.
Saturday November 10 at 7pm in the Dome vs. MOREHEAD STATE TV: Watch ESPN
These Eagles went 8-21 last year. Their newly appointed coach, Preston Spradlin, had brought in ten new guys to add to three returning scholarship players and it showed. All five starters are back. Again, the strength is in the backcourt and there isn’t a starter taller than 6-7. Their best player is 6-0 guard Jordan walker (12.2 ppg). Three other starters averaged in double figure, two 11ppg and one at 10. AJ Hicks, also 6-0 is the point guard. The others are 6-7 forward Leamontrey Harris and 6-3 Djimon Henson. “6-4 freshman Malik Riddle” could help as could ‘intriguing’ Sasha Sukhanov, a 6-11 forward from Russia.
They lost to Xavier by 52 points and Virginia Tech by 33 last year.
Thursday, November 15 at 7pm in MSG vs. CONNECTICUT TV: ESPN2
The Huskies, national champion as recently as four years ago, have fallen on hard times. They won 32 game s that year, 30 in the last two years, including 14-18 last season. Kevin Ollie, despite having that national title on his resume, has bene fired. But new coach Danny Hurley, “Has intriguing talent across the roster”. Jalen Adams, (6-3 18.1ppg, 4.7apg) is the AAC’s best player. Christian Vital (6-2 14.9ppg, 5.4rpg ) is another backcourt threat. Duquesne transfer Alterique Gilbert (6-0) “missed nearly all of the last two seasons with shoulder woes and may be the first player in NCAA history to be named preseason conference Rookie of the Year three straight years”. He was a Top 50 recruit and “If he can remain healthy, his considerable talents will be game changers.” Tarin Smith, (6-2 12.4ppg 3.2apg) will give them more backcourt strength and they won those last two national titles from the backcourt.
“It’s the frontcourt where question marks rise. Josh Carleton (6-9 242, 4.4p 3.7r), showed skills as a freshman and Eric Cobb (6-9 280, 1/7p 2.7r) seems re-energized after clashing with Ollie. St. John’s grad transfer Kassoum Yakwe (6-7 210, 1.4p 1.9r) could be a shot-swatting presence.” UCONN may not have enough up front to beat us but if our backcourt is still limited by injury we could have a hard time dealing with their backcourt.
Friday, November 16 at 4:30 or 6:30PM IOWA or OREGON TV: ESPN2
IOWA: The Hawkeyes are coming off an off year: 14-19 and 4-14 in the Big Ten. They are hoping that that was a fluke as they have “several talented pieces, such as forward Tyler Cook, (6-9 255 15.3p 6.8r), center Luka Garza, (6-11 235 12.1p 6.4r 32 blocks) and point guard Jordan Bohannon (6-0 180 13.5p 5.4a)…Scoring around the basket wasn’t a problem last season and it shouldn’t be an issue this season. Where Cook and his cohorts struggle is on defense. They learned the hard way that trying to out-score opponents can be costly….Bohannon is well on his way to becoming Iowa’s most prolific 3 point shooter and its all-time leader in assists…..but like all of his teammates, he struggles on defense especially against lightning-quick point guards. ” How about hobbled point guards? The Hawkeye scored 79.5 points per game and shot 37.6 from the three point line. They will test our zone. But they gave up 78.7 ppg.
OREGON: The Ducks were 23-13 last year, 10-8 in the Pac 12. They wound up in the NIT after being in the Final Four a year ago. They can score, too, 78.3ppg. They are a little more acquainted with defense: 72.4ppg. They have four returning starters and top 5 recruiting class that includes Bol Bol, Maunte’s 7-2, (7-8 wingspan), 235 son, who “is a much bigger scoring threat than his father.” Per his coach, Dana Altman, “He runs good, catches it great. He’s got a good touch and is a good passer”. They have another five-star forward, Louis King, (6-9 205), who is trying to get over an injury. He “possesses good passing ability and a solid jumper.” Francis Okoro (6-9 235), “gives the Ducks a physicality in the post that they missed last season.” Four-star Miles Norris (6-10 210) “has upside”. Kenny Wooten (6-9 220) blocked 92 shots. Paul White (6-9 235) averaged 9.4p/3.5r). So they have plenty of size to match our line-up, which was the tallest in the country last season.
They are no slouch in the backcourt, either. 6-2 guard Payton Pritchard (14.5p/4.8a) runs the show while “Bouncy sophomore” Victor Bailey, (6-4 (6.7ppg) exploded in the NIT for 23 points against Rider. “His athleticism is off the charts”. Grad transfer Kaleb Amin (6-4 200), led the nation in steals last year with 3.4. Will Richardson, (6-5), is a 4 star guy out of Oak Hill. “He’ll have a chance to contribute right off the bar, particularly is he can provide the consistent 3 point threat the Ducks lacked last season.” That may be the key to beating this team. I think they can be zoned. Then there’s their youth: Altman said “I love the talent of the new guys. I think they’re really good. But it’s going to take some time. They’re freshmen. They will adjust at different speeds.” Kind of like our team last year.
Wednesday November 21 at 7pm in the Dome COLGATE TV: Watch ESPN
Colgate set a school record for wins in a 19-14 season last year. They lost to SU by only 14 after years of 30+ blow-outs and to BC by only 4. They went to the Patriot League championship game and the College Basketball Invitational. They lost two double-figure scorers from that team, including their point guard but they still have a strong nucleus for a follow-up season. The Big three for them are forward Will Rayman, (6-8 205, 14.6p/6.7r), guard Jordan Burns, (6-0 11.9p/ 3.0a), and center Dana Batt (6-9 225, 7.0p 4.5r), who will bat a lot of balls away, (sorry, had to do it). Freshman swingman Tucker Richardson (6-4), “brings strong shooting touch and savvy”.
If we are in a funk after losing to, say Oregon in New York, Colgate won’t be the comfortable landing spot they have been in the past.
Wednesday, November 28 at 7:15 or 7:30pm at OHIO STATE TV: ESPN or ESPN2
Ohio State hasn’t been kind to Syracuse over the years. We are 2-5 against them and they have twice ended our season, including the year we had our best record ever. Now we have to travel to their place. They had a dip in recent years, falling to 17 wins in 2017. They brought in a new coach, Chris Holtmann, who turned things around to a 25-9 record, including 15-3 in the Big Ten. They finished second in the conference and beat Michigan State, the team that finished first, by 16 points. They got beat by Gonzaga in the Round of 32.
They lost the Big Ten Player of the year, Keita Bates-Diop and both starting guards. Holtmann: “We don’t have proven guys, which is what everybody looks at. There’s no question that we lost a lot but I’m excited to see what we can be.” Holtmann said he will run his offense through his center, the hefty Kaleb Wesson, (6-9 270, 10.2p/4.9r as a freshman). He “is ready to emerge as one of the conference’s best low-post players and top scoring option. However, he’ll need to overcome recurring foul difficulties….He has to keep his weight under control.” Freshman Jaedon LeDee (6-9 230) is a “rebounding East Carolina. The Buckeyes badly needed appoint guard last year and got CJ Jackson, (6-1 12.6p/3.9a) from Eastern Florida State, (?). He was “asked to be efficient. Between his 1.8 to 1 assist to turnover ratio, his 38% three point shooting and his 12.6 points per game, he delivered what the bucks needed. They now have a grad transfer from Wake Forest, Keyshawn Woods (6-3, 11.9p 37% three point shooting) to pair with him. “Really a high-level shotmaker and a guy who can make plays for others.”
Saturday, December 1 at 8pm in the Dome CORNELL TV: ESPNU
This will be a Boeheim family reunion as Jimmy plays for Cornell while Buddy plays for his dad. Julie Boeheim will have to be neutral. But the big name in Ithaca is matt Morgan, a 6-2 guard who has led the ivy league in scoring three times and scored 1,646 career points. He averaged 22.5p/4.6r/3.2a last year and considered jumping to the NBA but elected to come back to college and get his degree. The Big Red lost a big one when 6-9 Stone Gettings (16.7p/6.6r) elected to become a grad transfer, (he’s now an Arizona Wildcat). Because of that Cornell will be hard-pressed to match last year’s 12-16 record. They lost to the Orange by 32, to Auburn by 21, to Colgate by 9 and the Northeastern by 18. They did beat Duquesne by 7.
Tuesday, December 4 at 7pm in the Dome NORTHEASTERN TV: Watch ESPN
The Huskies blew a 17 point lead in the Colonial tournament final or they would have been in the NCAAs. As it was, they finished a strong 23-10. They lost to Stanford by 14 and Ohio State by 25, Utah State by 4 and St, Bonaventure by 19. But they went 14-4 in their conference. Their star was point guard Vasa Puscia, (6-5, 17.9p, 5.1a) and he’s back. Coach Bill Coen: “He’s got incredible court vision. He’s able to make all the passes we need him to make to get others involved but he’s got elite level confidence that at the end of a shot clock or the end of a game, he knows he’s capable of taking over.” He hit 43% of this three pointers, as did Donnell Gresham Jr., (6-1 203, 9.ap 4.5r). George Washington transfer Jordan Roland, (6-1, 6.7p) shot 41%. Shawn Occeus (6-4, 10.8p) was the league’s defensive player of the year. Bolden Brace (6-6 227 7.9p/4.7r) was the conference’s 6th man of the year. They will often play four guards and could really test our zone.
Saturday, December 8 at 3:30pm in the Dome vs. GEORGETOWN TV: ESPN
Patrick Ewing surprised some people by going 15-15 and 5-13 in the Big East last year. That’s how bad things had gotten at our old rivals. But he’d got some talented players coming back and his name still means something to recruits and he brought in several interesting ones. The big question is: can he coach them out of their mistakes? “Ewing can still remember the turnovers committed, the rebounds missed and the frustrations endured. “This team has to learn from those mistakes and the incoming guys have to learn from films what they did wrong last year.”
Second leading scorer Marcus Derrickson opted for the pros but big Jesse Govan (6-10 270 17.9p/10.0r) is back. Last year he had 21/8 with three blocks against the skinny Chukwu, who also had 3 blocks but only2 points and 3 rebounds. We barely won in overtime. 6-8 Jamorko Pickett was a 6-8 match-up problem with three point range. Of course we had one of those, too in Oshae Brissett. In last year’s game, Pickett had 12/4 on 4 for 11 shooting- 1 for 6 from outside. Brissett had one of his best games with 25/14. He was 7 for 16 and 4 for 7 from the arc. He was also 9 for 12 from the line. Can Chukwu and Pickett narrow the gap on their opposite numbers?
Freshmen forwards Grayson Carter (6-8 200) and Josh LeBlanc (6-7 213) were four star recruits. “LeBlanc is an excellent defender and good rebounder who has some offensive versatility…Carter is a solid big man who could grow a couple inches before he’s done.” Antwan Walker (6-9 230) could “step forward to be an interior producer”.
Kaleb Johnson (6-6 205 7.9p/4.2t) shot 54% from the field last year and William and Mary transfer Greg Malinowski (6-5 215, 7.7p 40% form three), are potentially productive swing men. Javon Blair (6-3 189 9.0p) made the Big East all-freshman team. Junior Jagan Mosely (6-3 205 6.6p/2.9a) is the incumbent point guard.
Four star freshman guard James Akinjo is ”a tough combo with an attack mentality and the ability to score all over the court”. At 6-0 160, he’d better be tough. Fellow freshman Mac McClung (6-2, 175) is an internet sensation “who seems to want to dunk on the world”. I had to check him out:
“It’s still probably too early to say that the Hoyas are capable of reaching the NCAA tournament but this team was a couple of bounces from winning 7-8 Big East games last season. The Hoyas won’t be a pushover by any stretch….the Hoyas have some interesting pieces but many are still young and must prove they are capable of contributing steadily...Ewing’s bottom line in his second season: “Anything is possible.”
Saturday, December 15 at Noon in the Dome vs. OLD DOMINION TV: YES Network
The Monarchs reigned in 25 of 32 games last year, going 15-3 to finish second in Conference-USA. I still remember when they beat the best of the Louie and Bouie teams in 1980 on a basket that was after the buzzer but it was in their place so who cares? We gained revenge in the Dome the next year but somehow I feel we still owe these guys, or at least their school a beat-down. It might be hard to come by this year.
ODU was “known for physical guarding and tenancies rebounding” last season. They lost forward Trey Porter (13.2/6.9) as a grad transfer. They also lost senior Brandon Stith, (9.8/7.7). Coach Jeff Jones has brought in grad transfers to replace them: 7-1 290 Elbert Robinson III from LSU (2.1/1.4) and Dajour Dickens (7-0 220, 2.0/1.0) from Providence, (no, he didn’t play with Chukwu). 6-8 230 freshman Kalu Ezikpe “has a college-ready body and a solid skill set.”
Senior point guard Ahmed Caver, (6-2 170, 14.2p/6.2a), will be the star of the team along with senior shooting guard B.J. Stith (6-5 215, 14.2p/5.7r). Stith hit at least 3 treys 15 times last year. Caver had a 3-1 assist to turnover ratio last year and he’ll need to take care of the ball against us.
Tuesday, December 18 at 8pm in the Dome vs. BUFFALO TV: ESPN2
The Bulls took down mighty Arizona in the NCAA tournament last year. Most of the team that went 27-9 and 15-3 in the MAC is back, including conference sixth man of the year Nick Perkins, (6-8 250, 16.2p/6.0r). CJ Massenberg (6-3, 17.0/7.0, 40.3 from three) will be his leading completion for this year’s player of the year. Guard Davonta Jordan was defensive player of the year. Jeremy Harris (6-7, 15.5/5.90 is a 41.8% three point shooter. Jayvon Graves will take over at the point and will be “a break-out guy this year”. He’ll have a lot of scorers to get the ball to. Then there’s 6-5 JeeNathan, a four-star recruit.
Watch out for this game!
Saturday, December 22 at 2PM in the Dome vs. ARKANSAS STATE TV: YES network
The Red Wolves were a dismal 11-21 last year, 6-12 in the Sun Belt conference and they probably won’t be much better this year. They have one stablished player: 6-1, (Street and Smith’s has him as 5-11) senior point guard Ty Cockfield, (14.9p/2.8r/2.0a). They are bringing in some JUCO guys and a guy from Turkey, 6-6 Canberk Kus. They had the worst defense in the conference and 333rd worst in the country at 78.8ppg.
Saturday, December 29 at TBA in the Dome vs. ST. BONAVENTURE TV: ESPNU
The Bonnies beat us in the Dome last year, 60-57 in OT, when we couldn’t make a series of lay-ups in the final seconds of regulation. They went on to a 26-8 overall record, 14-4 in the A10 and a loss to Florida in the first round of the NCAAs. They lost Jaylen Adams, the conference co-player of the year. He averaged 19.1p/5.2a last year. They also lost Matt Mobley, who averaged 18.1 ppg and set the school record for 3 pointers. “You win with guards: it’s the reason we made the NCAAs” said coach Mark Schmidt.
The leading returning player will be small forward Courtney Stockard (6-5 204, 13.3p/6.3r)Their second best returnee is also a small forward, LaDarien Griffin, (6-8 215 8.8/6.3). Transfer Jaylen Poyser from UNLV, (6-4, 10.4ppg ) could help. They also got a player SU wanted, 6-10 190 stringbean Osun Osunniyi in a promising recruiting class that also includes 6-5 Dominick Welch, Western New York’s all-time leading high school scorer.
(I'm still working on the conference schedule and will get it posted in the next couple of days)
