SWC75
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THE SCHEDULE
We’ve already played four games, all in Italy in August:
On August 12, they beat “ALL STARS VARESE” 69-59
Hughes Leads Orange In Overseas Triumph - Syracuse University Athletics
I googled All-Stars Varese and there is no such team. There is a team called ‘Pallacanestro Varese’ or ‘Openjobmetis Varese’, based on its sponsor and they have quite a history in the ‘A’ level- the top level of Italian professional basketball. But I checked their current roster and it’s totally different from the team SU played. I googled some of the players and they seem to be mostly teenagers playing for Class B level teams, which is the third level, (there is an ‘A2’ level, basically a Division 1AA). It should also be noted that summer is the off-season for Italian teams, as well as for US teams, so this was a hastily put-together team of various Class B players who were not necessarily ‘stars’. They probably all come from the area of Varese, a city in Lombardy. But they played pretty well compared to the other Italian teams.
On August 14, they beat “OXYGEN BASSANO” 103-54
Long-Distance Attack Helps Orange Win, 103-54 - Syracuse University Athletics
A sponsor called ‘Oxygen’ has several teams based on age. Three names in this box score played for their Under 18 team. One of them was on the Under 16 team. They probably all live in the area of Bassano del Grappa, a town near Venice. Again, this must have been a hastily put together team of players from various teams, in this case, very young players.
On August 17th, they beat the SIENA SUMMER SELECT TEAM 115-56:
cuse.com
One player plays for Palermo. Another plays in Latvia. They must have just called out for anyone who was free that day who wanted to play in this game.
On August 18, they beat TEAM VIRTUS ROMA 82-42.
cuse.com
Virtrus Roma is a former Class A relegated to A2 because there “was an insufficient budget to be competitive at the higher level, and the desire to restructure the club based on a youth policy”: Pallacanestro Virtus Roma - Wikipedia
I just have the Syracuse side of the box score and could not find an article naming any of the players on Virtrus Roma so I can’t confirm that was their team. It probably wasn’t their full team, based on how the others were put together.
So none of those games is particularly meaningful as far as how the team would do against American collegiate completion or certainly in the ACC. Judging from the reactions of Syracusefan.com posters, nobody has any illusions about that. It was just an opportunity to get glimpses of players and to see how this team might wish to play basketball this year. The biggest takeaways were that Bourma Sidibie looked healthy and mobile for the first time in his career here, that we have a lot of outside shooters, that Jalen Carey was quick and Quincy Guerrier muscular, that everybody had their moments and that we seemed to play faster with more defensive pressure and fast breaks, leading to hopes that would return to traditional Syracuse basketball. Also, there’s been a tendency for SU teams that took foreign trips to have better seasons than expected, especially better starts. The last time we took such a trip, (Canada in 2013), we started out the season 25-0 and achieved a #1 ranking. Nobody’s expecting that, especially against the schedule below. But there’s nothing wrong with a little shot of optimism. And August is a great time to be optimistic in basketball because you haven’t played any real games yet and you’ve had nothing to discourage you – yet.
There’s two more “exhibition” games before the season really gets going:
Saturday, October 26 in the Dome vs. DAEMON at 7PM TV: ACCNX (ESPN+) RADIO: TK 99/105
It’s close to Halloween but a ‘daemen’ is not a ‘demon’. It’s a guiding spirit: Daemon (classical mythology) - Wikipedia
But this Division II school near Buffalo is named after a nun, Mother Magdalene Daemen, who founded the order “Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity”. So we may actually be playing the “Little Sisters of the Poor”, (often used as a derogatory term for a weak opponent). But these ‘Wildcats’, (what would Mother Daemen think of that nickname?), were not a weak opponent last year, going 24-6 and ranking as high as #14 in the national polls before losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The only thing I’ve been able to find out about them this year is that they aren’t listed in the pre-season Top 25 but they have an excellent 6-9 center named Andrew Sischo who averaged 20.9ppg and 10.1rpg. No “Little Sister of the Poor” he. He may be able to school our young big men.
Tuesday, October 29 in the Dome vs. CARLETON at 8PM TV: ACCNX RADIO: TK 99/105
Carleton is traditionally the best team in Canada. They’ve won 14 nationals championships with streaks of 5 in a row 2003-2007 and seven in a row 2011-2017. They won another last year, easily beating Calgary 83-49. They’ve beaten several NCAA power conference teams in exhibitions:
Canadian powerhouse Carleton is destroying American college teams again
Interesting comment: “They play a pressing style that can be tough on a team just starting out its season.” SU beat them in Canada in 2013, 69-65 in OT, then beat them in the Dome in 2014, 76-68, a game where the Ravens had a 15 point first half lead and a 9 point halftime lead.
They will have a new coach as the well-named Dave Smart retired after 21 seasons with an amazing record of 591-48. “Under the guidance of their own legendary hall-of-fame coach Dave Smart the Ravens played a Canadian record 59 games against NCAA teams from 1999-2018. The Ravens boasted an unreal and never to be broken 37-24 winning record against NCAA teams on Canadian soil but mustered-up only one victory in the USA — beating Providence 77-67 in October 28, 2017.” (Basketball Buzz) Taffe Charles, who coached the women’s team to a 23-0 national championship in 2018, will replace him. (Hmmm… a long time men’s coach retires to be replaced by the successful coach of the women’s team.)
I haven’t found anything discussing their players or prospects for this season. Their schedule does begin in August and this game is a mid-season game for them. As of this writing, (October 16th), they are 5-1 with three more games to be played before they visit the Dome. They haven’t really looked like a powerhouse this year, beating South Florida, (24-14 last year), 78-69, losing to Valparaiso, (15-18), 80-83, and beating Albany (12-20 last year) 90-77. They then beat Calgary 81-63 and Victoria 73-59.
Hopefully, we can leave October without suffering the “agony of defeat”. There will be plenty of opportunities to feel that in the coming months.
Then things get real:
(Quotes are from Lindy’s Athlon or Street and Smith’s)
Wednesday, November 6 in the Dome vs. VIRGINIA at 9PM TV: ACC NETWORK RADIO: TK 99/105
The ACC network in Syracuse is channel 388 on Spectrum, 329 and 829 on FIOS, 612 on Direct TV, 402 on Dish and 80 on New Visions:
What channel is the ACC Network on? How to find it on TV
The Cavaliers finally broke through and won the national title last year, only to lose four of their key players: De’Andre Hunter, Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and Jack Salt. But Tony Bennett still has 6-9 228 Mamadi Diakite, “a strong finisher inside and an effective rebounder who can block shots” 6-8 225 Braxton Key, who “showed that he could score in the mid-range and off the bounce and was the team’s leading rebounder” and Kihei Clark, a 5-9 159 guard who started 20 games and is “a tenacious on-ball defender who takes care of the ball well and can set up his teammates but needs to become a more accurate shooter”.
Bennett doesn’t get Duke-type recruiting classes but gets the players he needs for his system and has used them to win 4 of the last 6 ACC titles. He got 6-3 190 freshman Casey Morell “a tough guard who can help at both ends. He can shoot but needs work on his ball-handling.” He got 6-5 195 Tomas Woldetensea from the JC ranks. “He’s a versatile player who could see work at all three perimeter positons. UVA needs shooting and offense and he can provide that.” 7-1 232 Jay Huff, who “showed offensive versatility” is bigger than Salt and so is 7-0 233 Francisco Caffaro, “whose physical play will be an asset defensively and on the backboards. 6-11 200 freshman Kadin Shedrick “is skilled, active and picks things up quickly.” 6-8 225 Justin McCoy “has a college-ready frame”.
Virginia will be a step back from their last couple of teams. The last time they were rebuilding, (the two years before that), they went 52-19 overall and 24-12 in the conference. We’d love to have a record like that the next two years.
Wednesday, November 13 in the Dome vs. COLGATE at 7PM TV: RSN RADIO: TK 99/105
Last year the Regional Sports Network (RSN) was the “Yes” network which is 53 on Spectrum, 576 and 76on FIOS, 631 on Direct TV and 762 and 76 on new Visions. It’s not on Dish. What channel is Syracuse basketball on? How to watch on TV, live stream games
After taking on Carleton and Virginia, playing Colgate would normally be a soft place to land. We haven’t lost to them since before Jim Boeheim was a player here. Most of the games since then have been SU blow-outs. Last year it was 35-32 at halftime until SU pulled away to win 77-56. That Colgate team went 24-11 and lost to Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA tournament. They fell behind 30-42 at the half and lost their leading scorer but made 9 second half threes and actually took the lead before falling 70-77.
The Raiders have four starters and their top five scorers back from that team: 6-10 255 Rapolas Ivanauskas (15.9p 7.8r 43% from the arc), 6-8 210 Will Rayman (13.1p/6.5r), 6-5 205 Tucker Richardson (8.1p/4.24), 6-0 175 Jordan Burns (16.3p, 5.7a – 32 points against the Vols) and 6-2 175 Jack Ferguson (7.2p/1.9r). They’ve added Bowling Green transfer Nellie Cummings, (6-0 180 3.6p/1.0a), a former three star recruit.
They are the overwhelming favorites to win the Patriot League. Someday Colgate might even beat the Orange and it could be this year if we are less than our best. (At this point in the season we won’t even know what our best is.)
Saturday, November 16 in the Dome vs. SEATTLE at 7PM TV: ACCNX RADIO: TK 99/105
ACCNX is an internet streaming service available on ESPN+:
Get ACCN | ESPN
Once upon a time Seattle was a national power. They were the Gonzaga of the 1950’s. Led by Eddie and Johnny O’Brien and later Elgin Baylor, they went 227-53 from 1951-59 with the high point reaching the NCAA title game in 1958, where they lost to Kentucky:
That announcer you hear may well have been a young Keith Jackson:
Keith Jackson - Wikipedia
They even beat the Harlem Globetrotters:
Fifty years ago tonight, Seattle U. upset the mighty Globetrotters
Seattle University tops the Harlem Globetrotters, 1952
They remained a major college through 1980 and had seasons of 21-8 in 1963, 22-6 in 1964 and 20-8 in 1969 while sending players like Eddie Miles, Tom Workman and Clint Richardson to the NBA. Due to financial problems, they decided to reduce all their athletic programs to the level of the NAIA for the 1980-81 school year, ending a storied era. Seattle rejoined the NCAA in 2001 and competed in Division III for a year, then in Division II from 2002 to 2009. They returned to major college status in 2010 and are a member of the WAC, (which is a very different conference from what it once was). They’ve been unable to attain their former status and last year went 18-15, 6-10 in their conference.
They have four starters back from that team, all of them double-figure scorers. The best is 6-1 175 Terrell Brown, who averaged 14.1p/6.8r/4.5a. 6-3 175 Morgan Means averaged 14.0/4.3r. 6-5 195 Delante Jones averaged 12.0p/3.0r. 6-9 230 Myles Carter averaged 12.9p/7.9r. Their other starter, Matej Kavas, transferred to Nebraska. He was a double figure scorer, too, which illustrates that they had quite a starting line-up and no depth. But they may have some glory ahead for them for a change.
Wednesday, November 20 in the Dome vs. CORNELL at 7:30PM TV: ACCNX RADIO: TK 99/105
The Big Red were a middling 15-16 last year and lost their high scoring guard, Matt Morgan. Jimmy Boeheim, 6-8 235 – heavier than any of our players - who averaged 11.8p/3.4r 35% from three, may become their star player. Josh Warren, 6-8 223, (9.7p/4.3r) is the other returning starter. This might be a year Colgate could beat Syracuse but it’s not a year Cornell will beat Syracuse.
The next three are part of the NIT Season Tip-Off:
Saturday, November 23 in the Dome vs. BUCKNELL AT 7pm TV: ACC NETWORK RADIO: TK 99/105
Bucknell has had the best program in the Patriot League for years, (they tied Colgate at 13-5 last year and were 21-12 overall. They’ve won 8 of the last 9 championships in this league. They lost their top two scorers. But “Senior Bruce Moore is a solid interior threat while junior point man Jimmy Sotos will pile up the assists. Expect senior Avi Toomer to blossom into a high-scoring wing and sophomore Andrew Funk has the potential to be a dangerous long-range shooter.” Moore is 6-8 223 (9.6p/4.8r). Sotos is 6-3 192 (8.2p/6.1a). Toomer is also 6-3 192 so they have good height in the backcourt and he averaged 8.7p/3.7r. Funk is 6-5 180 and averaged 4.7p/1.5r. They’ve added 6-3 180 freshman Zander Rice, King Rice’s son, (don’t you feel old now?) Just as with Colgate, if we aren’t at our best, we could be vulnerable in this one. The Bison beat us 69-74 on 11/22/05.
Wednesday, November 27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn vs. OKLAHOMA STATE at 7PM TV: ESPN2 RADIO: TK 99/105
The Cowboys have given us plenty of trouble over the years. Led by point guard Doug Gottlieb, they bounced us from the NCAA tournament in 1999, 61-69. They jumped out to a 27-10 lead over our national champions in 2003 before we made an epic comeback to win 68-56. They beat us 60-74 in New York in 2004 and did it again in 2007, 68-72.
They were only 12-20 last year and 5-13 in the Big 12. They could have been a lot better but four players were dismissed from the team in January, reducing the team to 7 recruited players. (They’d won 21 games the year before.) They have all five end-of-season starters back and seven newcomers. “Optimism has returned to Stillwater.” 6-7 220 Cameron McGriff averaged 12.3p/7.4r. 6-10 225 Yor Anei surprised people as a freshman with 7.7p/4.8r. He’s “an elite rim protector who averaged 2.7 blocks per game.” Lindy Waters is a big guard, 6-6 210 who averaged 12.2p/4.2r. Thomas Dziagwa, 6-4 180, averaged 11.7p/3.1r. He hit 105 treys last year. The point guard is Isaac Likelele, still another big guard at 6-4 210 (8.7p/4.8r/3.9a.
They brought in Chris Harris (6-3 195), a four star guard from Texas and “an offensive-minded player”. 6-6 210 Marcus Watson is a shooting guard from Georgia. Avery Anderson, 6-2 170, also from Texas “is a talented combo guard”. They signed Tulsa twins Kalin, (6-9 200) and Keylan (6-8 190) Boone. They were “two of the top three prospects in Oklahoma”. Grad transfer Jonathan Laurent (6-6 215) averaged 9.5ppg on 47% three point shooting at UMASS.
This appears to be a totally different team than last year’s under-populated bunch. And they always seem to give us problems.
Friday, November 29 at the Barclays Center vs. either MISSISSIPPI or PENN STATE at either 7PM or 9PM TV: ESPN2/ESPNU RADIO: TK 99/105
Mississippi: (Sorry I hate the fact that they are always referenced as “Ole Miss”. The pre-season magazines have them under ”O”. They are the University of Mississippi so that’s what I’m going to call them. End of rant.) The Rebels have a bit of history against us, too. In 2017 they bounced us out of the NIT. Last year they were 20-13 and 10-8 in the SEC. They made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015.
They are proud of their backcourt. 6-2 179 Breein Tyree averaged 17.9p/2.9r/2.8a and hit 37.5% of his treys. 6-2 192 Devontae Shuler averaged 10.3p/4.2r/3.0a and shot 40% form the arc. He’s a “top-notch defender”. Freshman Austin Crowley (6-6 185) was a four star recruit. 6-3 180 Bryce Williams was a 3 star. They are “athletic shooters with size”.
6-7 Blake Hinson has lost twenty pounds and is now 230. He “plays inside and outside, thriving as an attacker on the wing….Post defense and spot-up shooting are his strong suits.” KJ Buffen gained 10 pounds and is 6-7 225…is a “scrappy defender and an emerging scorer”. Khadem Sly is 6-10 240 and started 28 games as a freshman at Virginia Tech as a four star prospect. He averaged a double-double in junior college. He’s “a rangy shot blocker who is expected to provide athleticism and consistency in the post”. 6-10 220 Bahamian Sammy Hunter “will be able to rebound and create his own shot”. (Of course you can do that by missing your own shot and rebounding it.) 6-11 235 Carlos Curry “redshirted and added muscle. He’s strong and has first dibs on starting at center”. 6-7 210 Antavison Collum is “not an overwhelming scorer but his strength, toughness and competitiveness make it difficult to keep him off the floor”.
PENN STATE: The Nittany Lions were 14-18 and 7-11 in the Big Ten last year. But Lamar Stevens (6-8 230) was one of the best players in the conference last year, (19.9p/7.7r). Mike Watkins (6-9 254, 7.8p/7.4r), comes back from a knee injury. Myles Dread (6-4 215, 8.3p/2.8r) joins grad transfer Curtis Jones, (6-4 185, 8.1p/3.1r) from our pals at Oklahoma State will be in the backcourt.
An 0-2 visit to the Big Apple punched a hole in last season. We can’t let that happen again. AND DON’T LOSE TO PENN STATE!
The days when we’d get off to a 13-0 start thanks to weak non-conference schedule are gone. Cornell is the only team that seems like an obvious win. If we can get through November with no more than 1-2 losses, we’ll be in pretty good shape.
We’ve already played four games, all in Italy in August:
On August 12, they beat “ALL STARS VARESE” 69-59
Hughes Leads Orange In Overseas Triumph - Syracuse University Athletics
I googled All-Stars Varese and there is no such team. There is a team called ‘Pallacanestro Varese’ or ‘Openjobmetis Varese’, based on its sponsor and they have quite a history in the ‘A’ level- the top level of Italian professional basketball. But I checked their current roster and it’s totally different from the team SU played. I googled some of the players and they seem to be mostly teenagers playing for Class B level teams, which is the third level, (there is an ‘A2’ level, basically a Division 1AA). It should also be noted that summer is the off-season for Italian teams, as well as for US teams, so this was a hastily put-together team of various Class B players who were not necessarily ‘stars’. They probably all come from the area of Varese, a city in Lombardy. But they played pretty well compared to the other Italian teams.
On August 14, they beat “OXYGEN BASSANO” 103-54
Long-Distance Attack Helps Orange Win, 103-54 - Syracuse University Athletics
A sponsor called ‘Oxygen’ has several teams based on age. Three names in this box score played for their Under 18 team. One of them was on the Under 16 team. They probably all live in the area of Bassano del Grappa, a town near Venice. Again, this must have been a hastily put together team of players from various teams, in this case, very young players.
On August 17th, they beat the SIENA SUMMER SELECT TEAM 115-56:
Six Score In Double Digits, Orange Win 115-56 - Syracuse University Athletics
SIENA, ITALY – Six players scored in double digits and Syracuse's defense stymied Siena Select in a 115-56 triumph for the Orange. The win improved the te...
On August 18, they beat TEAM VIRTUS ROMA 82-42.
Orange Finish Italy Trip Undefeated - Syracuse University Athletics
ROME, ITALY – Syracuse completed its four-game exhibition tour of Italy with an 82-42 victory against Virtus Roma. Redshirt junior forward Elijah Hughes had ...
I just have the Syracuse side of the box score and could not find an article naming any of the players on Virtrus Roma so I can’t confirm that was their team. It probably wasn’t their full team, based on how the others were put together.
So none of those games is particularly meaningful as far as how the team would do against American collegiate completion or certainly in the ACC. Judging from the reactions of Syracusefan.com posters, nobody has any illusions about that. It was just an opportunity to get glimpses of players and to see how this team might wish to play basketball this year. The biggest takeaways were that Bourma Sidibie looked healthy and mobile for the first time in his career here, that we have a lot of outside shooters, that Jalen Carey was quick and Quincy Guerrier muscular, that everybody had their moments and that we seemed to play faster with more defensive pressure and fast breaks, leading to hopes that would return to traditional Syracuse basketball. Also, there’s been a tendency for SU teams that took foreign trips to have better seasons than expected, especially better starts. The last time we took such a trip, (Canada in 2013), we started out the season 25-0 and achieved a #1 ranking. Nobody’s expecting that, especially against the schedule below. But there’s nothing wrong with a little shot of optimism. And August is a great time to be optimistic in basketball because you haven’t played any real games yet and you’ve had nothing to discourage you – yet.
There’s two more “exhibition” games before the season really gets going:
Saturday, October 26 in the Dome vs. DAEMON at 7PM TV: ACCNX (ESPN+) RADIO: TK 99/105
It’s close to Halloween but a ‘daemen’ is not a ‘demon’. It’s a guiding spirit: Daemon (classical mythology) - Wikipedia
But this Division II school near Buffalo is named after a nun, Mother Magdalene Daemen, who founded the order “Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity”. So we may actually be playing the “Little Sisters of the Poor”, (often used as a derogatory term for a weak opponent). But these ‘Wildcats’, (what would Mother Daemen think of that nickname?), were not a weak opponent last year, going 24-6 and ranking as high as #14 in the national polls before losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The only thing I’ve been able to find out about them this year is that they aren’t listed in the pre-season Top 25 but they have an excellent 6-9 center named Andrew Sischo who averaged 20.9ppg and 10.1rpg. No “Little Sister of the Poor” he. He may be able to school our young big men.
Tuesday, October 29 in the Dome vs. CARLETON at 8PM TV: ACCNX RADIO: TK 99/105
Carleton is traditionally the best team in Canada. They’ve won 14 nationals championships with streaks of 5 in a row 2003-2007 and seven in a row 2011-2017. They won another last year, easily beating Calgary 83-49. They’ve beaten several NCAA power conference teams in exhibitions:
Canadian powerhouse Carleton is destroying American college teams again
Interesting comment: “They play a pressing style that can be tough on a team just starting out its season.” SU beat them in Canada in 2013, 69-65 in OT, then beat them in the Dome in 2014, 76-68, a game where the Ravens had a 15 point first half lead and a 9 point halftime lead.
They will have a new coach as the well-named Dave Smart retired after 21 seasons with an amazing record of 591-48. “Under the guidance of their own legendary hall-of-fame coach Dave Smart the Ravens played a Canadian record 59 games against NCAA teams from 1999-2018. The Ravens boasted an unreal and never to be broken 37-24 winning record against NCAA teams on Canadian soil but mustered-up only one victory in the USA — beating Providence 77-67 in October 28, 2017.” (Basketball Buzz) Taffe Charles, who coached the women’s team to a 23-0 national championship in 2018, will replace him. (Hmmm… a long time men’s coach retires to be replaced by the successful coach of the women’s team.)
I haven’t found anything discussing their players or prospects for this season. Their schedule does begin in August and this game is a mid-season game for them. As of this writing, (October 16th), they are 5-1 with three more games to be played before they visit the Dome. They haven’t really looked like a powerhouse this year, beating South Florida, (24-14 last year), 78-69, losing to Valparaiso, (15-18), 80-83, and beating Albany (12-20 last year) 90-77. They then beat Calgary 81-63 and Victoria 73-59.
Hopefully, we can leave October without suffering the “agony of defeat”. There will be plenty of opportunities to feel that in the coming months.
Then things get real:
(Quotes are from Lindy’s Athlon or Street and Smith’s)
Wednesday, November 6 in the Dome vs. VIRGINIA at 9PM TV: ACC NETWORK RADIO: TK 99/105
The ACC network in Syracuse is channel 388 on Spectrum, 329 and 829 on FIOS, 612 on Direct TV, 402 on Dish and 80 on New Visions:
What channel is the ACC Network on? How to find it on TV
The Cavaliers finally broke through and won the national title last year, only to lose four of their key players: De’Andre Hunter, Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and Jack Salt. But Tony Bennett still has 6-9 228 Mamadi Diakite, “a strong finisher inside and an effective rebounder who can block shots” 6-8 225 Braxton Key, who “showed that he could score in the mid-range and off the bounce and was the team’s leading rebounder” and Kihei Clark, a 5-9 159 guard who started 20 games and is “a tenacious on-ball defender who takes care of the ball well and can set up his teammates but needs to become a more accurate shooter”.
Bennett doesn’t get Duke-type recruiting classes but gets the players he needs for his system and has used them to win 4 of the last 6 ACC titles. He got 6-3 190 freshman Casey Morell “a tough guard who can help at both ends. He can shoot but needs work on his ball-handling.” He got 6-5 195 Tomas Woldetensea from the JC ranks. “He’s a versatile player who could see work at all three perimeter positons. UVA needs shooting and offense and he can provide that.” 7-1 232 Jay Huff, who “showed offensive versatility” is bigger than Salt and so is 7-0 233 Francisco Caffaro, “whose physical play will be an asset defensively and on the backboards. 6-11 200 freshman Kadin Shedrick “is skilled, active and picks things up quickly.” 6-8 225 Justin McCoy “has a college-ready frame”.
Virginia will be a step back from their last couple of teams. The last time they were rebuilding, (the two years before that), they went 52-19 overall and 24-12 in the conference. We’d love to have a record like that the next two years.
Wednesday, November 13 in the Dome vs. COLGATE at 7PM TV: RSN RADIO: TK 99/105
Last year the Regional Sports Network (RSN) was the “Yes” network which is 53 on Spectrum, 576 and 76on FIOS, 631 on Direct TV and 762 and 76 on new Visions. It’s not on Dish. What channel is Syracuse basketball on? How to watch on TV, live stream games
After taking on Carleton and Virginia, playing Colgate would normally be a soft place to land. We haven’t lost to them since before Jim Boeheim was a player here. Most of the games since then have been SU blow-outs. Last year it was 35-32 at halftime until SU pulled away to win 77-56. That Colgate team went 24-11 and lost to Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA tournament. They fell behind 30-42 at the half and lost their leading scorer but made 9 second half threes and actually took the lead before falling 70-77.
The Raiders have four starters and their top five scorers back from that team: 6-10 255 Rapolas Ivanauskas (15.9p 7.8r 43% from the arc), 6-8 210 Will Rayman (13.1p/6.5r), 6-5 205 Tucker Richardson (8.1p/4.24), 6-0 175 Jordan Burns (16.3p, 5.7a – 32 points against the Vols) and 6-2 175 Jack Ferguson (7.2p/1.9r). They’ve added Bowling Green transfer Nellie Cummings, (6-0 180 3.6p/1.0a), a former three star recruit.
They are the overwhelming favorites to win the Patriot League. Someday Colgate might even beat the Orange and it could be this year if we are less than our best. (At this point in the season we won’t even know what our best is.)
Saturday, November 16 in the Dome vs. SEATTLE at 7PM TV: ACCNX RADIO: TK 99/105
ACCNX is an internet streaming service available on ESPN+:
Get ACCN | ESPN
Once upon a time Seattle was a national power. They were the Gonzaga of the 1950’s. Led by Eddie and Johnny O’Brien and later Elgin Baylor, they went 227-53 from 1951-59 with the high point reaching the NCAA title game in 1958, where they lost to Kentucky:
That announcer you hear may well have been a young Keith Jackson:
Keith Jackson - Wikipedia
They even beat the Harlem Globetrotters:
Fifty years ago tonight, Seattle U. upset the mighty Globetrotters
Seattle University tops the Harlem Globetrotters, 1952
They remained a major college through 1980 and had seasons of 21-8 in 1963, 22-6 in 1964 and 20-8 in 1969 while sending players like Eddie Miles, Tom Workman and Clint Richardson to the NBA. Due to financial problems, they decided to reduce all their athletic programs to the level of the NAIA for the 1980-81 school year, ending a storied era. Seattle rejoined the NCAA in 2001 and competed in Division III for a year, then in Division II from 2002 to 2009. They returned to major college status in 2010 and are a member of the WAC, (which is a very different conference from what it once was). They’ve been unable to attain their former status and last year went 18-15, 6-10 in their conference.
They have four starters back from that team, all of them double-figure scorers. The best is 6-1 175 Terrell Brown, who averaged 14.1p/6.8r/4.5a. 6-3 175 Morgan Means averaged 14.0/4.3r. 6-5 195 Delante Jones averaged 12.0p/3.0r. 6-9 230 Myles Carter averaged 12.9p/7.9r. Their other starter, Matej Kavas, transferred to Nebraska. He was a double figure scorer, too, which illustrates that they had quite a starting line-up and no depth. But they may have some glory ahead for them for a change.
Wednesday, November 20 in the Dome vs. CORNELL at 7:30PM TV: ACCNX RADIO: TK 99/105
The Big Red were a middling 15-16 last year and lost their high scoring guard, Matt Morgan. Jimmy Boeheim, 6-8 235 – heavier than any of our players - who averaged 11.8p/3.4r 35% from three, may become their star player. Josh Warren, 6-8 223, (9.7p/4.3r) is the other returning starter. This might be a year Colgate could beat Syracuse but it’s not a year Cornell will beat Syracuse.
The next three are part of the NIT Season Tip-Off:
Saturday, November 23 in the Dome vs. BUCKNELL AT 7pm TV: ACC NETWORK RADIO: TK 99/105
Bucknell has had the best program in the Patriot League for years, (they tied Colgate at 13-5 last year and were 21-12 overall. They’ve won 8 of the last 9 championships in this league. They lost their top two scorers. But “Senior Bruce Moore is a solid interior threat while junior point man Jimmy Sotos will pile up the assists. Expect senior Avi Toomer to blossom into a high-scoring wing and sophomore Andrew Funk has the potential to be a dangerous long-range shooter.” Moore is 6-8 223 (9.6p/4.8r). Sotos is 6-3 192 (8.2p/6.1a). Toomer is also 6-3 192 so they have good height in the backcourt and he averaged 8.7p/3.7r. Funk is 6-5 180 and averaged 4.7p/1.5r. They’ve added 6-3 180 freshman Zander Rice, King Rice’s son, (don’t you feel old now?) Just as with Colgate, if we aren’t at our best, we could be vulnerable in this one. The Bison beat us 69-74 on 11/22/05.
Wednesday, November 27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn vs. OKLAHOMA STATE at 7PM TV: ESPN2 RADIO: TK 99/105
The Cowboys have given us plenty of trouble over the years. Led by point guard Doug Gottlieb, they bounced us from the NCAA tournament in 1999, 61-69. They jumped out to a 27-10 lead over our national champions in 2003 before we made an epic comeback to win 68-56. They beat us 60-74 in New York in 2004 and did it again in 2007, 68-72.
They were only 12-20 last year and 5-13 in the Big 12. They could have been a lot better but four players were dismissed from the team in January, reducing the team to 7 recruited players. (They’d won 21 games the year before.) They have all five end-of-season starters back and seven newcomers. “Optimism has returned to Stillwater.” 6-7 220 Cameron McGriff averaged 12.3p/7.4r. 6-10 225 Yor Anei surprised people as a freshman with 7.7p/4.8r. He’s “an elite rim protector who averaged 2.7 blocks per game.” Lindy Waters is a big guard, 6-6 210 who averaged 12.2p/4.2r. Thomas Dziagwa, 6-4 180, averaged 11.7p/3.1r. He hit 105 treys last year. The point guard is Isaac Likelele, still another big guard at 6-4 210 (8.7p/4.8r/3.9a.
They brought in Chris Harris (6-3 195), a four star guard from Texas and “an offensive-minded player”. 6-6 210 Marcus Watson is a shooting guard from Georgia. Avery Anderson, 6-2 170, also from Texas “is a talented combo guard”. They signed Tulsa twins Kalin, (6-9 200) and Keylan (6-8 190) Boone. They were “two of the top three prospects in Oklahoma”. Grad transfer Jonathan Laurent (6-6 215) averaged 9.5ppg on 47% three point shooting at UMASS.
This appears to be a totally different team than last year’s under-populated bunch. And they always seem to give us problems.
Friday, November 29 at the Barclays Center vs. either MISSISSIPPI or PENN STATE at either 7PM or 9PM TV: ESPN2/ESPNU RADIO: TK 99/105
Mississippi: (Sorry I hate the fact that they are always referenced as “Ole Miss”. The pre-season magazines have them under ”O”. They are the University of Mississippi so that’s what I’m going to call them. End of rant.) The Rebels have a bit of history against us, too. In 2017 they bounced us out of the NIT. Last year they were 20-13 and 10-8 in the SEC. They made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015.
They are proud of their backcourt. 6-2 179 Breein Tyree averaged 17.9p/2.9r/2.8a and hit 37.5% of his treys. 6-2 192 Devontae Shuler averaged 10.3p/4.2r/3.0a and shot 40% form the arc. He’s a “top-notch defender”. Freshman Austin Crowley (6-6 185) was a four star recruit. 6-3 180 Bryce Williams was a 3 star. They are “athletic shooters with size”.
6-7 Blake Hinson has lost twenty pounds and is now 230. He “plays inside and outside, thriving as an attacker on the wing….Post defense and spot-up shooting are his strong suits.” KJ Buffen gained 10 pounds and is 6-7 225…is a “scrappy defender and an emerging scorer”. Khadem Sly is 6-10 240 and started 28 games as a freshman at Virginia Tech as a four star prospect. He averaged a double-double in junior college. He’s “a rangy shot blocker who is expected to provide athleticism and consistency in the post”. 6-10 220 Bahamian Sammy Hunter “will be able to rebound and create his own shot”. (Of course you can do that by missing your own shot and rebounding it.) 6-11 235 Carlos Curry “redshirted and added muscle. He’s strong and has first dibs on starting at center”. 6-7 210 Antavison Collum is “not an overwhelming scorer but his strength, toughness and competitiveness make it difficult to keep him off the floor”.
PENN STATE: The Nittany Lions were 14-18 and 7-11 in the Big Ten last year. But Lamar Stevens (6-8 230) was one of the best players in the conference last year, (19.9p/7.7r). Mike Watkins (6-9 254, 7.8p/7.4r), comes back from a knee injury. Myles Dread (6-4 215, 8.3p/2.8r) joins grad transfer Curtis Jones, (6-4 185, 8.1p/3.1r) from our pals at Oklahoma State will be in the backcourt.
An 0-2 visit to the Big Apple punched a hole in last season. We can’t let that happen again. AND DON’T LOSE TO PENN STATE!
The days when we’d get off to a 13-0 start thanks to weak non-conference schedule are gone. Cornell is the only team that seems like an obvious win. If we can get through November with no more than 1-2 losses, we’ll be in pretty good shape.
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