November 16, 2006
the showstopper
If you weren't there, it's too bad, because you missed it. It was a performance that ignited both the team on Jim Boeheim Court and the crowd surrounding it, practically causing mass-hysteria in a game that SU won going away. Last night, Paul Harris made his first official announcement: he's an Orangeman now, and he's here to make an impact.
In a contest during which the first 25 minutes were no more than a pilot episode of The Eric and Andy Show, Terrence Roberts owned both backboards throughout, and the Cuse dominated Northeastern 76-36 over the last 33 minutes, the only moment anyone will remember today was a single play created and finished by a certain freshman sensation, well after the outcome had been decided. No, I'm not referring to the Huskies' Matt Janning, who lit up the Orange for 16 points in his first NCAA experience and seemed he'd never missed a threeball in his life - last night was emphatically claimed by the Orange #11, with SU up 18 and only 6:03 showing on the clock.
This morning's Associated Press story will tell you all about how Syracuse was down 15 just seven minutes into the game, that the Orange's man-to-man defense was exposed as ineffective and underdeveloped, that the Cuse shot 48% from the arc without a certain departed long-range leader, and that their Hall of Fame coach jumped into 15th position on the career win list. The AP will also wrongly inform you that Harris finished the first half with a buzzer-beating, crowd-combusting slam dunk though it was actually FNNP Mike Jones who sparked the halftime chants and cheers from the orange-clad student section (give credit where it's due).
What the national recap of the game will not tell you is that despite Devo's game-leading 19 points and 8 assists, Roberts' 13 rebounds, and Rautins' take-charge 1st half assault from 20 feet, it was on the evening of November 15th that Mr. Harris presented Exhibit A in his case for Big East FOY.
With his team ahead by 16, the game virtually locked up, and only about 15,000 of the Syracuse faithful left in the building, the FNP (Freshman Named Paul) finds himself at the bottom of the Orange zone with Northeastern point guard Bobby Kelly bringing the ball up the court. Sensing a pass from Kelly to the Husky off guard across the top of the key, Harris makes a break for the rock from his station next to the low block and manages to poke it off course, back towards the Northeastern basket. With a quick burst of speed, the freshman brings the ball under control and sprints upcourt to his left, carving a path from the half court circle to a space just inside the 3-point arc.
Along with everyone else in attendance, Harris spies Kelly making a move from right to left across the paint to intercept him before he reaches the hoop. Devendorf, who had been trailing the play, also sees Kelly begin his run to the blocks and makes himself available on the foul line for an easy bounce & lay-in. Anticipating the pass, many fans in the arena jump to their feet and look for yet another bucket from Devo, who had been draining everything he put up all night long. To their surprise, though, Harris would have none of it. Instead of dishing, the 6'5" (more or less) blue-chipper from Niagara puts the ball in his right hand and leaps towards the basket. Kelly, a 6'3" senior, forever regrets his next move - if it were a bigger game, the posters would already be rolling off the press, Hakim-over-Ivey style.
Thinking he can contest the dunk, Kelly jumps to block Harris' attempt, pushing his left arm as high as it will go. Harris, who must see the bright red jersey flying towards him, simply ignores Kelly and powers the ball through the net, acting as if it were just a few feet off the ground and his opponent topped out no more than a yard high. He soars past Kelly as he does it, the length of his body nearly extending parallel to the floor, arm stretching to the rim. It's one of those explosive moments that can only be found in sports, much like a no-doubt 10th inning upper deck homerun at Yankee Stadium, or a thunderous inertia-reversing hit on a running back at the goaline. Those in the crowd who were sitting are suddenly on their feet, screaming and clapping for more. Those who were already standing find themselves with their hands raised above their heads, feeling just as dominant and powerful as the young Harris dunking over a man 3 years his elder.
Once he touches down, Harris runs the length of the floor, crossing halfcourt with wings out to each side, asking for the Dome crowd to give him more. He finds himself at the center of attention, receiving his first real Welcome-to-Cusetown reception. Bill Coen has no choice but to call timeout, extending the home crowd's appreciation of its new star for a couple extra minutes.
It was a play that defined the entire game - despite Northeastern's best efforts to stop them Syracuse dominated the contest with length and athleticism, moving the score from 7-22 to 81-58. Much like a hopeful Bobby Kelly, the Huskies acted as if they could out-hustle the Cuse to an upset and, much like a powerful Paul Harris, the Orange slammed the win back in their faces. It was the top play of the early season, and likely the first of many ovation-inducing moments for a freshman who has begun adapting to new surroundings. The win was the result of a team effort, with many significant contributions, but Paul Harris owned and defined the game with a single steal-to-breakaway finish. If you didn't see it, I'm sorry for your loss, but I'm sure there are many similar moments are soon to arrive. Just don't miss out next time.
November 15, 2006
The Northeastern Huskies have gotten a bit cocky. After playing a Final Four team twice last year - nearly winning once - and posting a solid 12-6 record in a conference that sent two teams to the NCAA's, the small Boston-based university has decided to up the ante, scheduling four of their first dozen games this season against Top-20 competition. It seems to me that this program, armed with its new coach from Boston College, has its sights set on using an improved strength of schedule and a little national exposure to make a push towards the Big Dance, despite returning just two starters to its lineup. The Huskies may not be good enough to get a seed just yet, but you should expect them to be in the mix with George Mason when the Colonial Athletic Association's automatic bid is decided in early March.
For this reason Syracuse should not take them too lightly tonight, despite nearly being a triple touchdown favorite. Northeastern's new coach, former Eagle assistant Bill Coen, pulled some strings with his old buddies from the Big East and scheduled SU, Pitt, UConn, and BC to discover exactly what his players are made of. The Huskies early-season experience against such top programs is bound to pay off when they play the likes of Towson, Delaware, and Georgia State down the stretch - Coen is using SU to get ready for his conference, just as Jimmy B's using Northeastern to prepare for the speedier teams of his own league.
When you go to the game tonight you'll notice how much smaller the Huskies are than the Cuse at all positions - Coach Coen will most likely play a 3-guard lineup with two forwards, as he has no true center on his ballclub. The only real big man on Northeastern's roster last season, Shawn James, transferred to Duquesne during the off-season, bringing his other-worldly 7.9 rebounds and 6.5 blocks per game with him. The coach will have to compensate for this loss by speeding up the tempo with smaller players and force the larger Orange frontcourt to chase instead of defending the post man-to-man.
Just as UTEP helped Syracuse get ready for big, bruising teams like Georgetown and Pittsburgh, Northeastern should help the Orange prepare for small, speedy teams such as West Virginia or Villanova. Boeheim knew what he was doing when he put this game on the schedule, and will use it as practice for the future. As a fan, I'm excited to see how the Cuse handles Bobby Kelly and the Huskies in the half-court set - can the Orange play zone effectively and keep Northeastern's guards out of the lane? I doubt tonight's opponent will be faster than Syracuse in the open floor, but it will be interesting to see just where the team is in terms of their defensive development.
On Sunday we learned they have a little moxie - the Cuse definitely aren't scared to go body to body with a physical club. Maybe tonight we'll see just how well they can use their superior athleticism to play with a team that relies on jumpshots and quick passes to break down defenses instead of elbows and head butts.
November 12, 2006
getting back in the groove
Welcome back to A Sporting Word - it's been far too long since my last post, a problem which I will remedy as the basketball season continues to progress.
Unfortunately I've been unable to watch the team play very much thus far, only catching the first exhibition against Bryant of Division II. Initially I wasn't encouraged at all by the team's first effort, as they were perpetually out-muscled and out-rebounded by a much smaller (and inferior) squad throughout the entire game, just managing to squeak out a 6-point victory. The only significant thought I could take home from that game was the fact that Paul Harris is way shorter than his bigger-than-basketball reputation would lead you to believe. He only looks about 6'3" to me, but that really just makes his abilities that much more impressive: he's definitely a gamer who can play the defense Jimmy B. loves so much, and he's bound to have an immediate impact on Syracuse basketball this year. Watch for him to live up to (or surpass) the hype - it won't show in his nightly scoring average, but you'll notice how much better the team seems to be when he's on the floor, especially as he's out-jumping 6'7" forwards in the paint. That first exhibition was ugly, but I do believe the Orange will have a shot at reaching the top of the Big East standings this year, perhaps using a #1 or #2 seed to get into the Big East Championship game for the third time straight.
Like I said, I haven't been able to watch anything but Joe Burns and Bryant University so far, leaving me to get most of my information from Fast Eddie, who's been lucky enough to attend each game and also seems to think the Orange could be very dangerous this year. The box scores indicate that they're spreading the ball around, finding spots for everyone to get their shots and making sure that the FNNP (Freshmen Not Named Paul) put in enough minutes to get that ever-important pre-conference experience (Jones looks like he can play while Brennan-McBride is a project, just as the scouting reports first indicated). Of course J-Wright still needs some work at the point - it's not a track meet, #30 - but Boeheim has enough ballhandlers to provide some classtime on the bench when necessary. Overall, it looks like this team's depth will allow it to do very well this year as long as the Big Three can hold their own during crunchtime - the go-to guy has left the country, and it will be up to Roberts, Nichols, and Watkins to figure out what to do next.
As for the tonight's game versus the Miners of Glory Road, I will be working too late to get through the turnstiles in time, missing what could be a quality contest for the Orangemen. Fortunately, there's always 95X, and I'll be listening while the rest of you watch Devo drop 25 and Stormin' Gorman (which is suddenly in use on the Carrier Dome scoreboard) pick up another 4 blocks. Enjoy the game this evening, and the OrangeJuice will be back much sooner this time.
