SWC75
Bored Historian
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- Aug 26, 2011
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- This will be the fourth Syracuse team to achieve a #1 ranking. The first time, in 1987, we opened at 31 and immediately lost to North Carolina. Nine days later, we lost again in Alaska to Arizona. We actually kept the #1 ranking for two weeks because they didn’t have the second poll for two weeks, but it was pretty meaningless #1. Two years later we didn‘t open #1 but UNLV lost before we played a game so we were #1 for our opener. This time we held onto it for a while, winning our first 9 games. We were #1 from November 27th to January 9th. Then two years ago we beat Villanova with Game Day in town to reach #1. We beat St. Johns and then took a trip to Louisville. It was fun while it lasted. All those teams lost in the Sweet 16. Our 1975 team was unranked until the made it to the Final Four and wound up #6 in a post tournament poll. Our 1986-1987 team reach #5 in the rankings. Our 1996 and 2003 teams were never ranked higher than 11th. So have fun being ranked #1 but remember that each poll is a frame of film- we don’t know how the movie ends until we get there.
- North Carolina State has spoiled a few parties for the Orange over the years- and in more than one sport. Their coach, Mark Gottfried, has, too. He was the Alabama coach when they beat us in the Sweet 16 to prevent a rubber match with Connecticut in 2004. Let’s enjoy the next week.
- Our outside shooting is still problematic: In the last three games we are 10 for 43, (.233). JB keeps warning us that we will have games against better completion where we don’t get all these steals and fast breaks and we’ll have to gut it out in the half-court set. There’s a difference between having a lot of guys who can shoot, as we do, and having a guy who’s really good at it, which we don’t.
- We again got out-rebounded, although 38-42 isn’t has bad as the 33-46 we had vs. Marshall. But we are bigger than these teams. That’s supposed to matter, isn’t it?
- James Southerland hustled , maybe too hard. His shots were true bricks- thrown too far and with too much force.
- Baye Moussa Keita seems to be fading. His numbers weren’t bad but he seems to be out of synch with what’s going on on the court. And his hands are terrible. At one point I felt he might eclipse Fab and move into the starting position. I sure don’t see that now.
- Maybe if we stood and clapped until the football team scored, it might help them out. Or maybe not.
- North Carolina State has spoiled a few parties for the Orange over the years- and in more than one sport. Their coach, Mark Gottfried, has, too. He was the Alabama coach when they beat us in the Sweet 16 to prevent a rubber match with Connecticut in 2004. Let’s enjoy the next week.
- Our outside shooting is still problematic: In the last three games we are 10 for 43, (.233). JB keeps warning us that we will have games against better completion where we don’t get all these steals and fast breaks and we’ll have to gut it out in the half-court set. There’s a difference between having a lot of guys who can shoot, as we do, and having a guy who’s really good at it, which we don’t.
- We again got out-rebounded, although 38-42 isn’t has bad as the 33-46 we had vs. Marshall. But we are bigger than these teams. That’s supposed to matter, isn’t it?
- James Southerland hustled , maybe too hard. His shots were true bricks- thrown too far and with too much force.
- Baye Moussa Keita seems to be fading. His numbers weren’t bad but he seems to be out of synch with what’s going on on the court. And his hands are terrible. At one point I felt he might eclipse Fab and move into the starting position. I sure don’t see that now.
- Maybe if we stood and clapped until the football team scored, it might help them out. Or maybe not.
