My (belated) SU Basketball Preview

[SWC75]

We are coming off perhaps the most bizarre basketball season in Syracuse history. The year was over-shadowed by the Bernie Fine situation, (you can’t really call it a case because nobody got prosecuted for anything). Searching for a companion piece to the Jerry Sandusky scandal, ESPN unearthed an old allegation vs. Jim Boeheim’s’ long-time right hand man and the resulting publicity caused his firing. Boeheim’s initial defense of his friend caused a well-publicized law suit. A tape of a phone conversation between Fine’s wife and one of the accusers was played on the NBC Nightly News. When the dust settled, Boeheim was still the coach, Fine was living in Florida and no legal action was pending against anybody.

Despite these distraction, the SU basketball season had the greatest regular season in their history, going 30-1 overall and 17-1 in the Big East, the toughest conference in the country, losing only one game when their starting center and key to their defense was suspended for unspecified reasons believed to be related to his academic performance. Since academic suspensions are usually related to what happened in the previous semester, SU fans presumed that Fab Melo would be with the team the rest of the season after the suspension was lifted, (Boeheim said he had to complete something he hadn’t finished and that that was taken care of). Instead he was again suspended just as the NCAA tournament was about to start. The team still managed to fight their way to the “Elite 8” where they lost to Ohio State and a group of referees that sent the Buckeyes to the line 42 times and blew their whistle so many times, (48 fouls called) that a fast breaking team like SU was never allowed to get going.

All season long Kentucky and Syracuse had traded the #1 spot in the polls and a confrontation in the finals seemed inevitable. But due to circumstances we still don’t quite understand, it never came off. The Wildcats went on to win the national title and looked impressive in doing so. But they weren’t overwhelming- their Final Four wins were both by 8 points. I can’t claim we would have beaten them if we were full strength would I would very much have liked to have found out. Instead we had to be satisfied with a Big East regular season title and the best record in SU history: 34-3, the only Syracuse team to have won as many as 30 more games than they lost. The year we did win the national title- all of a sudden that‘s a decade ago- we were 30-5. We’ve had five teams in our history that have won 30+ games, two in the last three years. Both times we rose to the #1 ranking. Both times we lost our center just as the Big Dance was starting, (Arinze Onuaku got injured in the 2010 Big East tournament). We’ll always wonder if those teams could have gone all the way.

This year we are wondering if this SU team could go all the way, which is strange because we lost Melo for good and he was the center piece to our defense. He’s a Celtic now. We lost Kris Joseph, our leading scorer, who had been co-favorite for Big Eats player of the year before the season. He’s also a Celtic. We lost Dion Waiters, our best offensive player who came off the bench to be our second leading scorer even though he played 8 minutes a game less than Joseph. He’s now a Cleveland Cavalier and looking like a candidate for rookie of the years in the NBA. Then we lost our point guard, Scoop Jardine, who might have gotten a shot with an NBA team if he hadn’t hurt a leg just before the draft. At least he’s dating Michael Jordan’s daughter, (yes that Michael Jordan, not the one in the commercial).

Melo came as a freshman, overweight and out of shape and could only play a few minutes of at a time, both because of exhaustion and because he kept getting called for fouls. He’s grown up playing soccer but grew to 7 feet, 270 and moved to America to become a basketball player. He’d only been playing organized basketball for three years for a small school in Florida and had a lot to learn. He also had a lot to learn off the court, having reported trouble with the language and his studies and also with his relationship with a girlfriend. He got into trouble, (and hurt himself), ripping off the windshield wiper of her car in an argument, man achievement that is physically impressive but not otherwise.

He looked like he might be a memorable flop but came back slimmed down to about 250 for this sophomore year. He was much more mobile and was learning so much about how to play the game it was like watching a flower bloom in time-lapse photography. He seemed to improve with each game. He became the centerpiece to the whole SU defense, blocking shots, using his size to intimidate many more and block the lane. Many players drove into the lane and wound up almost in the fetal position with the ball, cowering under Fab‘s huge torso and outstretched arms. I’m not a fan of a center taking charges, (it takes him out of the play if he doesn‘t get the call), but Fab was good at it, “flopping” at just the right time and consistently getting those calls. His offensive game showed signs of developing as the season progressed and I feel that if he’d been able to come back for a third year we would have seen that side of his game blossom. But it wasn’t to be. He was suspended at the end of the first semester for reason the University wouldn’t specify and missed two games, one of which was out only regular season loss at Notre Dame. Then he was reinstated and we went on another winning streak. We finally lost a game with Melo in the line-up when Cincinnati went off from three point range in the Big East Tournament. Then, mysteriously, he was suspended again and never came back.

Dion Waiters was recruited by SU when he was only 15 years old and was considered one of the best guard prospects in the country. He had a disappointing freshman year, during which he seemed unwilling to use his superior speed and jumping ability and instead just floated around the perimeter jacking up three pointers. He was stuck behind a couple of veteran guards, Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche and didn’t get along with the coach very well. There was speculation he was dealing with some sort of an injury. He seemed to have made up his mind to leave and even Jim Boeheim public ally speculated that he wouldn’t be on the next year’s team.

But like Fab Melo, he came back and did so with a vengeance. Now he was the aggressive, break-down-the-defense and drive-to-the-basket guard we’d heard about. He could also punctuate the game with the occasional three pointer. He could also run the floor on the break and finish above the rim. He was also an aggressive defender and clearly the most NBA-ready player on the team. He was still behind Jardine and Triche in the starting line-up but in reality it was a triumvirate and he accepted that role, actually playing more minutes than Triche and leading the team in points per 40 minutes with 21.0, compared to the nominal scoring leader, Kris Joseph, who averaged only 16.6 but who played 301 more minutes. He was arguably more effective coming off the bench than starting because of the instant offense and higher energy level he provided, the ideal 6th man. He also provided a service to this year’s team by advising a frustrated Michael Carter-Williams, who was seeing limited minutes behind Jardine, Triche and Waiters, to stick it out and come back when MCW expressed a desire to leave. But Waiters, who had two years left, felt it was time to play for pay and left with everyone‘s blessing. He‘s now starting for the Cleveland Cavaliers, (something he couldn‘t do for the Syracuse Orangemen), and averaging 14.5ppg opposite Kyrie Irving.

Kris Joseph was a fine college forward with all-around skills who just wasn’t great at anything. He could shot from outside. He could handle the ball and pass it. He could rebound. He could play defense when he put his mind to it. He just wasn’t real good at any of those things. He also had a series of nagging injuries and his intensity and concentration seemed to waiver. He was popular and well spoken, (he had a radio show with Scoop Jardine), and led the team in scoring. He just never became the great player some people though the was going to be. Pre-season he was a co-favorite to be Big East player of the year and he just wasn’t that type of player. Nonetheless in a talented line-up he was an important cog in the machine. Somewhat surprisingly, he was drafted by the Celtics and performed well in their summer league and camp. He’s now been sent to the developmental league along with teammate Fab Melo. The question is: do they have the work ethic to make it in the NBA? I think Fab has the body and talent. I’m less confident about Kris.

Scoop Jardine came in with Jonny Flynn. People said that he would be give Flynn a run for the point guard position. Many scoffed at that. Flynn was great as a freshman and won the position while Jardine had trouble with an injury and an uncle that showed up, getting in some trouble. The injury was a stress fracture in his left leg, which forced him to sit out a year while Flynn became a nationally known star guard for Syracuse and #6 overall pick in the NBA. Jardine finally emerged the next year, sharing the point guard spot with Triche, (he came off the bench as Waiters did last year), and then being the starter next to Triche the next two years. SU’s three year record with him in the backcourt was 91-16. That’s 30 wins a year. But like Ryan Nassib on the football team, he never seemed to get the credit he deserved for his contributions to the team and was the recipient of constant criticism. Every time he made a bad shot or turnover, that’s all anyone seemed to want to talk about. He had more than a few of both and they often seemed to come at exactly the wrong time. But his positive contributions certainly outweighed the negatives or we couldn’t have won all those games. In those three years, Scoop, (real name “Antonio”), per 40 minutes, he averaged 15 points, 8 assists, 2 steals and 4 turnovers a game. If Michael Carter-Williams does that well this year he’ll be heaped with praise for what a great young talent he is.

 

[SWC75]

THE PLAYERS

So how can a school replace four players like Fab Melo, Dion Waiters, Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine and still be a highly ranked team? It helps to be Syracuse. There will be nine scholarship players on this year’s team and they fit nicely into three position categories, although they will be used in different combinations.

CENTERS
We have three centers but will often be playing two of them at a time, which one switching to a sort of 4.5 position. They could go with the traditional formation with one guy in the middle or do high post low post, (which I love), or have the two guys on either side of the lane.

RAKEEM CHRISTMAS, (6-9 242 sophomore), was, in some assessments, the #1 high school big man in the country two years ago. He’s not the size of Fab Melo, (6-9 but up to 242 now), but was in better shape and more mobile. Still, he had a similar freshman year. Coach kept him the starting line-up- as a power forward next to Fab, but had him on a short leash. He would often be in there until his first mistake and then sit for the rest of the game in favor of one of the (small) forwards. Then, suddenly Fab was gone and he had to play center. He actually played better there because it was his natural position. After the loss to Notre Dame, he had a 4 point, 9 rebound 3 block game at Cincinnati as SU pulled it out, 60-53. Then Melo came back and it was no longer Christmas time- until Fab was suspended for a second time. Christmas and Keita held the fort down pretty well in the NCAAs, although their overall impact in the game was less than Melo’s would have been. In the finale vs. Ohio State. Rak and Baye had 9 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocks vs. Jared Sullinger and company. But Sullinger had 19 points and 12 rebounds and DeShawn Thomas had 14 points and 9 rebounds. Melo’s extra influence was that players didn’t try things against him that they were willing to try against Christmas and Keita. It’s like a football cornerback who gets a lot of interceptions because they keep throwing toward him or a baseball outfielder who gets a lot of assists because base runners keep taking chances when he has the ball. You have to get a reputation before that stops. In Fab’s case his massive body was his reputation. People stopped going at him. They kept coming at Rak and Baye. This year they will have to create their own reputations and it won’t be with their bodies. It will be with their play.

Looking at the first couple of games Rakeem seems to have developed the beginnings of an offensive game. He hit a corkscrew lay-up and a sort of fade away hook shot and showed some athleticism around the hoop. JB seems to prefer using him at forward with Coleman in the middle, saying he can get blocked shots from the forward position. But Coleman’s struggles may cause him to go with Rak and Baye at center and two small forwards.
　
BAYE MOUSSA KEITA (6-10 215, junior), a native of Senegal who, like Fab Melo, came to America to pursue a basketball career, played at a much higher level in high school at the famous Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. He came to Syracuse with a much better knowledge than Fab of how to play the game and better instincts for it as well. What he didn’t have is Fab’s body. He’s skinny and can be knocked around. He’s shown a tendency to wear down as the season wears on. Like Christmas, he’s a purely defensive center, (JB said he’s the best defensive player on the team), although early last year he showed the beginnings of a back-to-the-basket game. You are likely to see him purely at center and in a back-up role but he can play significant minutes and the team won’t lose anything from Christmas. It’s harder to compare him to Coleman, who has a very different body and game and is a freshman who will have the ups and downs of a freshman big man.

Baye had a huge offensive game in the second game vs. Wagner with 15 points in 13 minutes. All the points were scored within arm’s length of the basket but Keita, who had struggled with a wrist injury the previous two seasons), did a good job of aggressively catching passes and putting the ball in the basket without hesitation and with strength. Both he and Christmas will benefit from Michael Carter-Williams, who has the best ability to pass from out front through the defense to a player under the basket, (as opposed to “feeding the post” with a bounce pass to someone who would then put on some back-to-the-basket moves to generate an opening), since Leo Rautins.

DAJUAN COLEMAN (6-9 288 freshman) is not Derrick Coleman’s son. He’s got his own father and a mother, too. But he’s a big guy like Derrick and there is some facial resemblance. And both can play basketball very, very well. DaJuan had led Jamesville-Dewitt to a couple of state championships and was a McDonald’s All-American. He’s listed at 288 but is probably 20 pounds less than that now. He’s clearly been in a college-level conditioning program for some time and looks ripped rather than chubby. He’s not a big-time shot blocker but and fill up the lane and play positional defense. Boeheim has been using him at power forward but whether he can cover the wing is a big issue. In the two exhibition games SU looked a lot better with Coleman in the middle and Christmas on the wing and JB said on his radio show that he’s actually rather have the shot blocker at forward in the zone rather than in the center of it, (which seems odd but the 30-5 team of 2009-2010 had that set up with Wes Johnson). Rick Jackson who was primarily a center and “inside” scorer, had an All-American year at forward two years ago so he is the template but whether Coleman can approximate Jackson’s senior year as a freshman is very doubtful. The exciting thing about Coleman is his offense. He can score inside. He can make jump shots. He can pass the ball. He’s a strong rebounder. But what I love the most is the Kevin Love-style outlet passes he can throw. We’ve always been a team that loves to run but we’ve tended to run off of blocks and steals. With Coleman, we could run off of rebounds. He can throw accurate passes from the backboard into the front court. If those passes go to Michael Carter-Williams, who can see the whole floor and thread the needle with bullet passes, the other teams aren’t going to know what hit them.

But Coleman has to be on the court to throw those passes and against San Diego State in the first “real” game he was unranked after missing a couple of bunnies early in the game and never played again. Against Wagner, he played for 19 minutes and kept trying to use the moves that had worked in high school, where he was bigger and stronger than anyone else. It didn’t work. He kept getting the ball slapped out of his hands and had 5 turnovers and was 1 for 4 from the field. He had 7 rebounds but none of those wonderful outlet passes. His transition to big-time college basketball will take some time.

FORWARDS
C. J. FAIR, (6-8 215 junior), is in the position Kris Joseph was two years ago. Kris had had success for the 09-10 team finding the cracks that opened up in the defense when they tried to cover our inside guys, Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson and our top shooters, Wes Johnson and Andy Rautins. Then, in 2010-11, Kris became the #1 option and the focal point of the defense. A lot of his quirky drives to into the paint resulted in charges or forced shots and a couple resulted in injuries. He came to rely more on his outside shot which was good but not great. He was a productive player but far from a great one. C.J. had Kris’ original role the last couple of years: being the guy the defense couldn’t account for as they defended several other threats. And now he becomes the closest thing we have to the “star of the team“. He’s listed at 6-8, (he’s probably more like 6-6 but is more athletic than Joseph: he probably had the team’s outstanding dunk last year. His jump shot is a work in progress, although he made a key early three in the opener vs. San Diego State. His greatest ability is simply that he always seems to know where the ball is. He’s an outstanding rebounder for his size. He actually held last year’s team in rebounding as a small forward coming off the bench, backing up Joseph and sometimes even playing power forward. His averages per 40 minutes were 13 points and 8 rebounds. He could well average that this year per game. He’ll have to deal with being the focal point of the defense. But he sure looked good against the Aztecs, keying the run to a double figure lead we never surrendered and tying MCS for the lead in scoring with 17 points. He’s not a superstar but he could well be our best player.

JAMES SOUTHERLAND, (6-8 215 senior) has been acknowledged as the best athlete and the best shooter on the team almost since he showed up on campus three seasons ago. He’s the best dunker in practice and has the best form in his jump shot. His first exhibition game he was 5 for 6 from three point range and scored 19 points. (It’s still his career high.) He can rebound and play defense. What’s not to like? He needed to like himself more. Every time he was given an opportunity at serious playing time his first two years, he seemed to deflate. His shots bounced off the rim and he would grow passive on defense and on the boards. Last year was the first year he was a consistent contributor all year. He got off to a fantastic start, scoring 55 points in 83 minutes in the first four games. After not being used much in two games in New York, he scored 19 points in 19 minutes vs. Eastern Michigan. He was 11 for 18 from three point range in those five games. His performance didn’t so much trail off as it normalized after that. But at the end of the year he scored 15 points in each of the first two NCAA games. This year he’s probably the one of the three forwards most likely to move in at the power forward spot when we don’t use two bigs.

The SDS game wasn’t his type of game but he played well vs. Wagner, showing an ability to create a shot off the dribble we hadn’t seen before. It’s not unusual these days to see SU players return the next year with abilities you didn’t realize, since they can use the Melo Center every day of the year to work out in.

JERAMI GRANT, (6-8 203 freshman), is a likely star of the future for SU whose playing time, like MCW’s last year and Dion Waiters’ the year before will be limited simply because of the players in front of him. He’s a classic Syracuse forward, “long”, meaning he’s tall, (6-8 and growing) with long arms. He’s also got a classic pedigree. His father is Harvey Grant who played on Oklahoma’s NCAA title game participant in 1988 and then for four NBA teams. His uncle Horace played for Clemson and the Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls teams. He could be a player who can do it all- shoot, drive to the basket, run the court, rebound, play defense. We’ll see a lot of him the early games. How he does then will determine how much we will see of him the rest of the year. In the future he might grow into a power forward, which his father and uncle were when they were in college.
Jerami has seen limited playing time so far and has looked talented but raw, scoring 5 points in 22 minutes on 2 for 6 shooting.

GUARDS

BRANDON TRICHE, (6-4 210 senior), will be the only senior starter. He has a chance to be the Kueth Duany of this team. Duany was one of the team leaders of our national championship team, the only senior they had. He was 6-6 and could a bit of everything, the classic “glue guy”. Triche is a bit shorter but stronger and true guard. He’s played the point but is a good outside shooter and the team’s best free throw shooter. He’s a good defender and has the size and strength to help out with the rebounding. With the spectacular sophomore Michael Carter- Williams next to him, he needs to be a steadying influence. I got the impression in the San Diego State game that he was sort of competing with MCW to see who could make more plays. He committed five turnovers doing that. I recall that when he was moved over to shooting guard so Scoop Jardine could be the point man, Brandon would tell anyone who would listen “I‘m a point guard“. I’m a little worried about him viewing MCW as a rival and disrupting the offense rather than steadying it.

Brandon has certainly put up some numbers, scoring 36 points with 6 assists but 7 turnovers. He’s used his size strength to get 10 rebounds. He seemed to relax more in the second half against Wagner and let the game come to him, rather than forcing plays.

MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS, (6-6 185 sophomore), in the face looks like he’s about 10 years old. But he has a body built for basketball. His arm span is 7 feet, the longest on the team, (arm span is normally about equal to height). When you place a guy like that at the top of the zone on defense, he’s like an octopus, making it almost impossible to penetrate the defense. But all that length could be a liability for a ball handler. Yet MCW is an excellent dribbler and passer, a guy can see the whole court and rifle passes other players would never attempt to teammates in scoring position. He’s great at the long-range passes on the fast break. He can also break down a defense off the dribble and use it to score or to set up teammates for passes as the defense collapses toward him. He has a decent outside shot but is not a real gunner, (the guy below is). MCW is just about the perfect point guard. But he’s young and fiery. He got in a shouting match with the coach last year when he was pulled from a game and, as noted, he was considering leaving school until Dion Waiters talked him out of it. He needs to mature and channel those emotions into his performance. At least this playing time is unlikely to be an issue. In the opener in San Diego he dominated the game with 17 points, 4 assists and 5 steals. Knowing that shooting from outside in the wind and sun was almost impossible both teams packed their defense in. But the Aztecs couldn’t penetrate ours, in park because of those long arms of Carter-Williams and we could penetrate theirs, thanks to combined efforts of Carter-Williams, Triche and Fair. That was the difference in the game. In game splayed under more normal circumstance, he could be even more productive. People are already noticing. He’s made the early list for the Wooden award for National Player of the Year. I doubt he’ll get that but he’s going to make plenty of noise this season.
Through two games, MCW has 23 points, 15 assists and 8 steals. He also has 7 turnovers.

TREVOR COONEY, (6-4 195, red shirt freshman), is a gunner of the first order. He played in the exhibition games last year and then red-shirted because we already had the Jardine-Triche-Waiters triumvirate plus MCW and the departed Mookie Jones ahead of him. He made 4 of 7 shots and scored 11 points in 10 minutes. Surprisingly he attempted only one three pointer. It was from about 25 feet out and comfortably settled into the basket, looking almost effortless. Dion Waiters said after the game that he knew it was in because “he never misses”. Our last couple of teams have had several guys who could make a three on them but nobody who was so good at it that the defense would have to bend itself out of shape to make sure somebody was on a three point shooter. We haven’t had a guy who could go off for 3-4 in a row at a key point of a game and complete change that game. We haven’t had a guy since Andy Rautins for whom we could run a play to free him for a three in a key situation and have him hit the dagger shot that gives us control of a game in the late going or breaks the other team’s momentum. Cooney will be that guy. And yet he’s not just a shooter. He has good size, can drive to the basket and score, (which Rautins and his predecessor, Gerry McNamara could not). His big problem will be getting into a game. We have only three pure guards on the team so he’ll get playing time. But how long do you want to go without Michael Carter-Williams on the court? And how long do you want to go without your senior leader, Brandon Triche?

San Diego was also not the right type of game for Cooney. Against Wagner in the Dome, he wowed the crowd by bobbling a pass, turning to secure the ball, then launching an apparently off balance three point shot that barely rippled the net as it went through. But more impressive was the way he played the passing lanes, securing no less than 6 steals in 20 minutes. He wasn’t picking pockets. He was intercepting passes because he knew when they would be thrown and where. He’s showing great court awareness and a high basketball IQ. His role on the team could grow but he’s got tow of our three best players ahead of him.

OVERALL: The most exciting thing about this team is it’s defense. With Carter-Williams out front backed by Christmas or Keita, the zone will be very difficult to penetrate, (San Diego State, the nation’s 20th ranked team, found it impossible). Triche, Fair and Southerland are also good defenders. The one defensive concern is Coleman trying to guard the wing with his heft.

Offensively, even without Cooney, Fair, Southerland, Triche and Carter-Williams can all hit from outside. They all can also drive to the basket to score. The one thing we were missing on offense last year, besides a Cooney-like gunner, was a strong inside scorer. Coleman can give us that as well as a strong rebounded and unreal outlet passer. I can’t wait to see the fast break when we really get it going. But can Coleman stay on the court or is her going to struggle like so many big men do? How long will his development take?

I think we’ll be at least very good and possibly great but I worry a little about chemistry on this team with a possible rivalry between Triche and Carter-Williams.

 

[SWC75]

THE PRE-BIG EAST SCHEDULE

I’m behind schedule in doing this preview so two exhibitions and two regular season games have already been played. Unlike the LeMoyne game a few years ago, we had no difficulty blowing past Division II Pace, 99-63 on November 1st and Bloomsburg , 103-60 on November 4th. Then, in a defensive struggle played in the sun and wind, we subdued #20 San Diego State 62-49, blowing out to a 17-4 lead and never leading by less than double figures after that. They were the smaller team more dependent on perimeter shooting and had never seen a zone defense like Syracuse’s. The key stat: we were 1 for 4 from three point range. They were 1 for 18. Then we came home to beat Wagner, 88-57. This, too was an impressive win. Wagner is a “mid major” in basketball who had won 25 games last year, including a win at Pittsburgh. They had 4 of 5 starters back and their fifth guy was a Michigan State transfer who had been Michigan’s “Mr. Basketball” in high school. But our defense held them down while our offense struggled a bit in the first half and we built up a 36-23 halftime lead. In the second half we started hitting outside shots and became more patient on offense and the lead just steadily grew to the 88-57 final.

Here is the rest of the schedule, first the remaining pre-Big East games and then the conference schedule, with dates, locations and time and TV information as it is currently known as listed on the SU Athletics website, as well as a brief description of each team from multiple sources.

Wednesday, 11/21/2012 7PM Carrier Dome Time Warner Cable
PRINCETON: The Tigers are famous for their patient offense, based on three pointers and back-door lay-ups. Their star is Ian Hummer, the son and nephew of former Princeton stars. “Hummer led the nation in Possession Percentage last year, which measures the percent of a team's possessions that a player consumes while he's on the floor.” he’s 6-7 230 and averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists a game, classic Princeton forward. They also have good size with 6-11 and 6-9 guys up front. They were 20-12 last year and finished 3rd in the Ivy League. This could be a frustrating opponent for a young Syracuse team to play.

Sunday, 11/25/2012 1PM Carrier Dome Time Warner Cable
COLGATE: To play Colgate is to beat Colgate. SU has now done it 46 times in a row. Two years ago it was 46-8 at halftime and wound up 100-43. Last year it was 52-19 at halftime and finished 92-47. They’ve lost 3 starters from an 8-22 team. This one is just for old-time sake.


Friday, 11/30/2012 8:30PM road game ESPN
ARKANSAS: This is part of the two-year Big East-SEC challenge, a tepid affair that didn’t have the smarts to match Syracuse and Kentucky in either year. I’d love to see a challenge between the top 8 teams, (from the previous year), of the Big Six conferences each year, with the opponents alternating on three successive weekends each year. But this two year event is it. The Razorbacks were 18-14 last year, (we were 34-3). But they have a good program and will be dangerous. They lost their last seven games last year, (not unlike our football team) and are anxious to get back on the winning track. 6-3 guard BJ Young flirted with the NBA after averaging 15 a game but decided to come back. He shoots 50% from the floor and 41% from the three point line. In six games against ranked teams his numbers were 20/53%/48%, so he rises to the occasion. He was second on the team to fellow guard Mardracus Wade who hit 70 threes. This could be the kind of road game where the other team goes off from three and the crowd goes crazy. Also, Arkansas is traditionally a great pressing team, which will be a challenge for MCW. Forward Marshon Powell scored 39 points in two games before his season ended with a knee injury.

Monday 12/3/12 7PM Carrier Dome ESPNU
EASTERN MICHIGAN: Two years ago DaShonte Riley was an Orangeman. He is a 7 footer with good shooting and passing skills and he filled in for Arinze Onuaku when he got hurt late in the 2010 season. But when SU assistant Rob Murphy got the job of head coach at Eastern Michigan, Riley decided to transfer there. He had to sit out a year and was ineligible when SU played Eastern Michigan last year, (we won 84-48). He was able to play in the second semester produced a modest 4 points and 4 rebounds a game, indicating he wouldn’t have played much at Syracuse. Neither would his teammates on a 14-18 team. But they did well in conference, winning the MAC west at 9-7 after being predicted to finish last. Two other transfers, Glenn Bryant from Arkansas and Daylen Harrison from Wyoming, become eligible this year. However, no returning players averaged in double figures.

Thursday 12/6/12 8PM Carrier Dome ESPN2
LONG BEACH STATE: The 49ers are coached by Dan Monson, who first brought Gonzaga to national prominence before turning the program over to Mark Few. He struggled to bring Minnesota back to prominence after some scandals under the previous head coach and then too the Long Beach State job in 2007. He had a breakthrough there last year with a 25-9 season. He lost four starters from that team but he’s brought in transfers from Arizona State, West Virginia and DePaul to shore up the team. Forward James Ennis, (6-6) scored 10ppg last year.

Saturday 12/8/12 7PM Carrier Dome Time Warner Cable
MONMOUTH: “The Hawks will play a brutal non-conference schedule against teams such as Syracuse, Maryland, Villanova and Notre Dame. Wins could be hard to come by.” They were last year in a 12-20 season. Their best player is 5-8 guard James Steele, who scored 13 points and handed out 4 assists a game.

Saturday 12/15/12 7PM Carrier Dome Time Warner Cable
CANISIUS: The Golden Griffins have had good teams in the past but they are coming off a dismal 5-25 season. They do have a couple of excellent guards: Harold Washington (6-1), scored 17 a game and Alshawn Hymes (6-2) scored 15 a game. Coach Jim Baron has also brought in some transfers to fill in the gaps but it’s unlikely they will be enough to beat Syracuse.

Monday 12/17/12 7PM Carrier Dome ESPNU
DETROIT: Three starters return from a 22-14 team. They also get back 6-9 Nick Minnerath back from an early injury. They also have a productive backcourt: 6-2 Ray McCallum scored 15 a game and dealt 4.5 assists and 6-2 Jason Calliste scored 10 a game. This will be one of the better teams we’ll play before the conference season begins.

Saturday 12/22/12 12PM Madison Square Garden ESPN2
TEMPLE: The Owls were a strong 24-8 overall and 13-3 in the Atlantic 10. It was their third A-10 title in four years. They lost three starters, two guards and their center. But like Syracuse, they don’t get bad. 6-4 Khalif Wyatt scored 17 a game and was the conference Player of the Year.

Saturday 12/29/12 7PM Carrier Dome Time Warner Cable
ALCORN STATE: The Braves went 10-22 last year but were happy because it was their best record in five seasons. They have a tall backcourt with 6-4 Anthony Nieves and 6-5 Twann Oakley. Both scored in double figures. 6-2 Marquiz Baker missed last year with an injury but is back after scoring 16 a game two years ago.

Monday 12/31/12 3PM Carrier Dome ESPNU
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: These Blue Devils were 13-16 last season and lost their top two scorers. But Kyle Vinales, a 6-1 guard, scored 18 a game himself. This team likes to run and I’m sure we will accommodate them.

OVERALL: Princeton will be interesting. The Arkansas game will be like the NC State game last year. I hope we are as “on” as we were then. Long Beach State and Detroit should be good teams but are unlikely to beat us in the Dome. The best team we will play in the pre-Big East schedule will likely be Temple. In the previous four years we are 51-1 in the Pre Big East games with the one loss on a 70 foot desperation shot against Cleveland State in 2009. The current streak, with this year’s games is SU’s favorite number: 44. I don’t think it will be broken this year, (which would make it 55), but if it is, I think Arkansas, if they get hot, could be the team to do it.

 

[SWC75]

THE BIG EAST SCHEDULE

Wednesday 1/03/2013 7PM Carrier Dome Big East Network/ MSG / TWC
RUTGERS: The Scarlet Knights were 14-18 overall last year and 6-12 in the Big East. But they beat two Top Ten teams, Florida and Connecticut. Four starters are back and they’ve added Wally Judge, a top 15 high school player who went to Kansas State and then transferred to Rutgers. He’s 6-9 and 250 an will be a force inside. Eli Carter, a 6-2 guard, is the leading scorer with 14ppg but was turnover prone.

Sunday 1/6/2013 12Noon road game Big East / SNY/ TWC
SOUTH FLORIDA: The Bulls have risen from the bottom of the Big East to become a contender. Last year they were 22-14 and 12-6 in the conference. Stan Heath has them playing very aggressive defense and they made it all the way to the Sweet 16. They only gave up 57 points a game. But they only scored 59. They had no double-figure scorers. Point guard Anthony Collins is still their best player. Heath has brought in some transfers and freshman to try to find an offense. He also has a giant freshman center, Jordan Omogbehin, (Oh, My God!) who is 7-3 and 291.

Wednesday 1/9/2013 7PM road game Big East / SNY/ TWC
PROVIDENCE: The Friars limped along to a 15-17 record, only 4-14 in the conference. On top of that, three players transferred out. Coach Ed Cooley has a highly rated recruiting class but their academic standing is a problem in some cases. “By the time everything shakes out, this could be a huge year or an epic mess.” They have an excellent backcourt with Vincent Council (16 points and 7.5 assist per game) and Bryce Cotton, (14ppg). The question is: what else do they have?

Saturday 1/12/2013 12PM Carrier Dome Big East / SNY/ TWC
VILLANOVA: A perennial power under Jay Wright but fell on hard times last year with a 13-19 record, 5-13 in the league. Two players jumped to the pros and third transferred to another school. Wright brought in Wake Forest transfer Tony Chennault who averaged 9ppg and 3 assist for the Deacons. Ryan Arcidiacomo was a top guard recruit and the Cats still have 6-10 Mouphtaeo Yarou inside.. He averaged 11 points and 8 rebounds. This was a perimeter-oriented team that couldn’t shoot last year.

Saturday 1/19/2013 4PM road game ESPN
LOUISVILLE: We finally found a way to beat Louisville last year- and did it twice. JB didn’t have to hear why he couldn’t beat Rick Pitino seven times in a row. But it was the Cardinals that made it to the Final Four, losing to in-state rival and eventual national champion Kentucky. They went 30-10 but only 10-8 in the conference. Peyton Siva is a top point guard and pre-season favorite for Big East player of the year but he only averaged 9 points and 6 assists a game. Gorgui Deng is a 6-11 rebounder and shot blocker. Rick Pitino used to be known for a run-and gun style but at Louisville his teams have concentrated on aggressive defense. The result has been affective in winning games but tends to make for ugly basketball. You aren’t going to look good against his teams but you hope you can survive.

Monday 1/21/2013 3:30PM Carrier Dome ESPN
CINCINNATI: This was one of three teams that best us last year. They did it in the big East Tournament with a first half three point barrage, (8 for 13). They finished 26-11 overall and 12-6 in the conference and made it to the Sweet 16. They beat 8 top 25 teams, more than anyone in the country. 6-4 Sean Kirkpatrick scored 14 a game and made 92 three-pointers. Casmire Wright averaged 11 points and 5 assists. Jaquan Parker averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds as a third guard. Shaquille Thomas at 6-7 177 is no Shaq but he’s an outstanding wing prospect who sat out last year. He can shoot from outside or drive to the basket. Their big inside guy, Yancy Gates, is gone.

Saturday 1/26/2013 11PM road game ESPNU
VILLANOVA: (See January 12, above)

Saturday 2/2/2013 12PM road game ESPN
PITTSBURGH: Another perennial conferencing nemesis that fell on hard times last year, the Panthers went 22-17 overall but only 5-13 in the Big East. It’s a hard row to how if your blade isn’t sharp. They actually lost 8 games in a row at one point. They salvaged a bit of pride by winning something called the “college basketball invitational”. They lost their leading scorer and rebounded but get back Tray Woodall, probably their best all-round player who missed 11 games. He’s only 5-11 but averaged 12 points and 6 assists. Trey Ziegler is a 6-5 transfer from Central Michigan who scored 16ppg for them and grabbed 7 rebounds a game. He was a Top 25 recruit who only went to CMU to play for his father. They also have a 7 foot freshman from New Zealand, Steven Adams, who “has a versatile offensive game”.

Monday 2/4/2013 7PM Carrier Dome ESPN
NOTRE DAME” The Irish were the only team to beat us during the regular season last year. It was the first game of the first Fab Melo suspension but they played so well they might have won anyway. They went 22-12 and a strong 13-5 in the conference. They have all five starters back. To this Mike Brey, who got a 10 year contract extension, has added 6-10 Michigan State Transfer Garrick Sherman and 6-7 Cameron Biedschied, a high scoring small forward who was Missouri’s top high school player. Scott Martin is a 6-8 guard so they can shoot over people- even tall guards in a zone. Starting guards Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant, (Jerami’s brother), both averaged 12ppg and forward Jack Cooley averaged 12.5 and 9 rebounds. This figures to be one of the best teams in the conference and the country.

Sunday, 2/10/2013 1PM Carrier Dome ESPN
ST. JOHN’S: Coach Steve Lavin spent most of last season recovering from prostate surgery. He watched his young team go 13-19 overall and 6-12 in the conference. But everyone acknowledged there was a lot of talent on the team. Lavin had been dong some major recruiting for the former power, trying to regain it’s past glory. He continued that recruiting in the off-season, bringing in 6 more players, five from high school and one transfer. He had to because Moe Harkness a 6-8 forward who was the Big East rookie of the year, jumped to the NBA. The best returning player if D’Angelo Harrison, a 6-3 guard who averaged 17ppg. They lacked an inside presence last year and the well named Jakar Sampson could alleviate that.

Wednesday 2/13/2013 7PM road game ESPN2
CONNECTICUT: For the first time since 1985, Connecticut will not be coached by Jim Calhoun who abruptly retired before the season. Assistant Kevin Ollie, a former player, replaced him. He’ll have a tough job, The Huskies went 20-14 but only 8-10 in the conference last year and lost four players who transferred out after UCONN ran afoul of the NCAA‘s Academic Progress Rate regulations and was banned from post-season play in 2013. Ollie will now have to pick up the pieces. Their one returning starter and best player is Shabazz Napier, their point guard who averaged 13 points and 6 assist last year. They brought in a top recruit despite all the problems, 6-6 Omar Calhoun, (no relation) from New York. Michigan State may have under-rated this team in losing in the season opener at an Air Force base in Germany. We need to avoid the same mistake.

Saturday 2/16/2013 8PM road game Big East / SNY/ TWC
SETON HALL: The Pirates have had an up-and-down history in the conference but they were “up” last year, sort of, going 21-13 and 8-10. They lost their best players, Herb Pope, who averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds and Jordan Theodore, who scored 16ppg. Coach Kevin Willard brought in a guy bigger than Pope, gene Teague a 6-9, 290 transfer from Southern Illinois. He also brought in Georgia tech wingman and Iona guard Kyle Smith to shore things up. The best returning starter is Fuquan Edwin, a 6-6 swingman who scored 12.5ppg.

Wednesday 2/20/2013 7PM Carrier Dome ESPN2
PROVIDENCE: (See 1/9/13.)

Saturday 2/23/2013 4PM Carrier Dome CBS
GEORGETOWN: The Hoyas were one of the stronger teams in the league last year at 24-9 and 12-6 in the conference. But they lost their top three scorers and have no returning player who scored in double figures. But that was the case last year, as well. Like Syracuse, Georgetown doesn’t run out of talented players. Guard Maskel Starks is the best returnee: he’ll be the point guard and D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, a 2-guard is the top new-comer. “The Hoyas are loaded with 6-8 and 6-9 types who can be mixed, matched and moved all over.”

Monday 2/25/2013 7PM road game ESPN
MARQUETTE: Marquette has been one of the strongest teams in the conference in recent years and last year was a good example: 27-8 and 14-4. They lost their two best players, Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder but will be good again. 6-11 275 Chris Otule and 6-8 290 Devante Gardner are a huge pair inside. Arizona State transfer Trent Lockett averaged 13 points and 6 rebounds before transferring.

Saturday 3/2/2013 12Noon Carrier Dome CBS
LOUISVILLE: (See 1/19/13)

Wednesday 3/6/2013 6PM Carrier Dome Big East / SNY/ TWC
DEPAUL: The conference’s perennial doormat got a little better last year, improving to 12-19 but still finishing 3-15 in the conference. Believe it or not, those three league wins matched their total for the previous three years. But Oliver Purnell has put together a nucleus of three players to build around: forward Cleveland Melvin (17 points, 7 rebounds a game), point guard Brandon Young(14.5 points, 4.5 assists), and 6-6 guard Moses Morgan, who made 54 three pointers. They have a transfer from Texas A&M who set a record for steals there. They will be better but it’s a pity that the last Big East game in the Carrier Dome couldn’t be the next one.

Saturday 3/9/2013 12Noon road game ESPN
GEORGETOWN: (see 2/23/13)

OVERALL: Syracuse benefited from the fact that three of the normal conference powers, Villanova, Pittsburgh and Connecticut, all had bad years last season. I don’t think any of those will be fully “back” this year, even if they get better. Louisville is the pre-season conference favorite but I’m not that impressed with them overall. They are the sort of team that doesn’t impress you. They just beat you. But I think South Florida, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Marquette could be as good.

I think we can be the best team in the conference if the young players mature quickly and the team’s chemistry is good. I don’t expect to be 30-1 at the end of the regular season but it wouldn’t shock me to have 30 wins again by the end of the year. We are due for another Final Four run, but that doesn’t mean it will happen this year.

 

[armory]

Holy god SWC you deserve a medal... Or even a beer at Dome prices. Bravo.

 

[SoBristol]

Just amazing. As I watch some of the other real good teams in early season, I realize we don't play any ranked team until we meet Louisville in mid-January. Arkansas & Temple may be OK, but not likely to provide top 15 match-ups. It may be a while before we know how good this SU team can be. We know some of our guys are better this season (Rak, JS, Baye -- obviously MCW), but how much better? We have some unusual dimensions to this team. Our guards are big, and can rebound or score inside. They will be tough match-ups for many teams. JS can shoot with range from the top, and seems to have added a new dimension as he can put it on the floor, and hit a pull up. Not a PF as much as a scorer who can hit from the outside or from the lane. We got defense from Fab and Rak last year, but rarely any offense. Rak and Baye look like they have figured out some ways to score inside -- big difference for this team if true. (Can't expect Baye to put up double figures regularly.) My sense is that we don't have first team all-league players -- Triche and MCW can be real good, but there are other guards in the league who might be better. What we have is unusual balance through our top 7 players. Having real good 6th and 7th guys (Southerland & Keita this year) has been a mark of recent Boeheim teams. Southerland isn't Dion Waiters, but not many teams will have a match for him off the bench.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Holy god SWC you deserve a medal... Or even a beer at Dome prices. Bravo.

I look forward to this every year. I believe it was last year I sent SWC a message asking if he was going to continue this tradition as he used to write them as "Letters to his dad and later on, Letters to his brother". Very well done and well worth the price of admission.

 

[CuseTroop]

Thanks SWC. You're the man.

 

[Meatball56]

Very well done and well worth the price of admission.

If you enjoy this you should see his write ups on the pay site.

 

[Sufran]

If you enjoy this you should see his write ups on the pay site.

Pay site?

Great write up, I am a fan.

 

[OttoMets]

...MCW expressed a desire to leave. ...

Is this true?

Great write-up, had been waiting for this. Especially like (and agree with) the last line about Scoop's numbers and Mike's potential production. It's all about perception.

 

[SWC75]

Is this true?

Great write-up, had been waiting for this. Especially like (and agree with) the last line about Scoop's numbers and Mike's potential production. It's all about perception.

I can't find the link but it was mentioned in SI's college basketball preview edition.

 

[OttoMets]

I can't find the link but it was mentioned in SI's college basketball preview edition.

Hmm, thanks, didn't know that. Kind of surprising - he knew who was in front of him when he came in.