January 18, 2007
Syracuse 77, Cincinnati 76
So can anyone explain to me what just happened?
There I was at The Dome, enjoying a very easygoing sports evening with my dad, watching our team pummel a clearly inferior Big East squad, and feeling generally great about being a Cuse fan. After 12 minutes of play the Cuse were up 19 points, and my dad and I were feeling confident enough to say things like, "Cincinnati can't possibly be this bad..." and "I wonder when DiLiegro will get his minutes..." It was a fun night at the homecourt, and we were thoroughly enjoying the blowout victory.
Then, as if to reaffirm our ideas of the basketball situation, Coach Boeheim orders the players to begin working on their man-to-man defense, adding a little full-court press to keep the game interesting. It was almost as if the Orange had entered Scrimmage Mode, using the time to prepare for more difficult competition, when the press might be needed. After all, Jimmy B. didn't want to miss the opportunity to teach - he could work on his team's defense at game speed without any repercussions in the loss column. Then, as if on cue, Cincinnati reawakened and began to hit shots - five of their last eight before the buzzer, in fact, including four threeballs. Still, the Orange kept on running, and Nichols closed the half with five straight points to keep the margin at a very respectable 14.
As I read the halftime stats and listened to the new-and-improved Toshiba Dance Team's latest remix, I marveled at Syracuse's overwhelming supremacy in a game that should have been much closer. Sure, Cincinnati wasn't the best of the Big East coming into the Carrier Dome this year, but they couldn't really be as bad as their opening act had indicated. The Bearcats looked utterly confused on offense, often just tossing the ball back and forth outside the zone, perplexed as to how to move it inside to challenge Watkins and Roberts. Even when Cincy did manage to get it past the arc, the SU post men were ready for the challenge - Watkins spent most of his first half minutes amassing several of his 8 monstrous blocks.
At the other end of the floor Syracuse was confident and quick, often pushing the ball in transition to get easy hoops or running a play to the open man and knocking down practically every jumpshot they attempted (61% for the half, 6 for 11 from 3-point range). It seemed they knew exactly what they were getting from Cincinnati, and they had no problem exploiting every weakness.
This game was so out of hand before halftime that the scoreboard operator was repeatedly pleading with the fans to "Get Up" and "Make Some Noise" by the 6:00 mark, just so the players on the floor weren't distracted by Fast Eddie's Yo Momma jokes, who was sharing his "Greatest Hits" collection with the folks in Section 311 (his comedy album drops this summer).
Seriously. If you weren't there, believe me when I tell you this game was completely. over.
The win over the Bearcats was so certain that the hometown crowd didn't even realize that the visitors had fought their way back to a 67-68 deficit and Syracuse had just finished almost four minutes of zero-point basketball. Up to that point most fans were still discussing their plans for the weekend or which SU player would be most fun to date - anything but the actual action on the court. Meanwhile, the Bearcats had scored 10 straight and were looking to take the lead as soon as possible (which they eventually would, with just 1:12 to play in the game). Until that moment, when the oppostion was ready to take over the game, the Dome had been quiet enough for me to hear Boeheim shout instructions to J. Wright about passing to the correct teammate - something I can't ever recall experiencing from my usual spot in the stands, despite the Coach's impressive projection abilities.
Thankfully, the fans woke up and cheered loud enough to make it an exciting experience for everyone. In fact, it became so much more electric in The Loud House - whatever that is - that after Devendorf hit his free throws I nearly felt like celebrating on the court (he had no doubts about his shots - the kid was actually waving his arms at mid-court to pump up the crowd just seconds before stepping to the line and draining the tying bucket. Who does that? Devo. That's who).
I had gone from pleasantly bored to extremely concerned in a matter of a few minutes, and it had a strange effect on my disposition towards those Bearcats. They were suddenly tough to beat, and the Orange had just accomplished a great character-building victory. The place went nuts, and everyone went home talking about what a great game they had just seen.
Of course, it was only Cincinnati - a lowly bunch who caused me to consider whether Boeheim should have substituted Otto for Watkins in the first half to entertain me - but still, it made for a worthwhile evening in the cold.
January 07, 2007
Panthers Passed, Eagles Ahead
How do I know they're so good? Why am I suddenly reserving a spot in my Final Four bracket for the soon-to-be Big East regular season champs? Because on Thursday night I saw a very talented Syracuse Orange team play their best form of basketball for 20 full minutes - executing a Hall of Famer's game plan (run, run, run - beat those ultra-slow Panther big men down the floor before they can set their defense...then run some more) and sharing the ball in order to create a balanced attack - only to find themselves leading the visitors by a single point at the half, 34-33.
Fifteen minutes later the Panthers came out of their locker room and lit up the Syracuse defense for about two minutes, scoring seven straight to take a six point lead. The Cuse never fully recovered.
The Orange came so very close Thursday night - there were times during the first half when I think they actually had the home crowd convinced they'd be rushing the floor to celebrate (without the students) before the digital thermometoclock ticked 9:30. It didn't actually happen, of course, but for a few moments it definitely seemed more than plausible. Devendorf was getting minutes again and on top of his game, and though J. Wright seemed to be moving at a different speed than his teammates (he was somewhere near Mach 3, - everyone else had yet to break the sound barrier) the offense was clicking pretty efficiently.
They held Aaron Gray in check, swarmed to trap when they could, and hustled in transition for easy buckets - all signs that SU was prepared to stay with Pitt through the entire contest. Watkins, whose performance was sure to affect the outcome, played his heart out for the full forty and stayed out of foul trouble against a player who is assumed to be a much bigger talent - he also continued to improve his contributions, scoring 11 and picking up 4 offensive boards (he did drop one low bounce-pass from Rautins, though). Almost everyone had a good night, and they actually kept it much closer than the final score indicated - all they needed was one more push to get them over the second half slump.
It probably would've helped if the Panther guards didn't catch fire in the second half, but I suppose not every hex and voodoo doll can be effective. Really, the more I think about Ronald Ramon, the more I dislike the guy. By looking at the box score you would think he had a below-average game (4 of 8, 1 for 5 from three) but if you watched the last fifteen minutes you know that his lone threeball came when Pitt desperately needed to squash a mounting SU comeback. He hadn't hit anything all night, then he throws an absolute dagger just when Syracuse can't afford to give up those three points. Though he's basically a one dimensional player, Ramon kills Syracuse every single time. Man, I hate that guy.
I was happy with SU's performance through the majority of that game - they fell apart somewhat in the second half after Roberts caught a cheap shot with his lip, but overall I think they played at a much higher level than they have during the last month. If you put it in perspective, a semi-average shooting night from Nichols would've given the Cuse a legitimate chance to win in the second half. Sometimes it's hard to remember just how you feel about a loss until a few days have passed.
So, despite enduring the 8-point loss to Pittsburgh in their own house, I think Syracuse has a great chance to pick up a big win over Marquette tonight. I truly believe in Paul Harris' abilities as a defender, and if Dominic James begins to take over (as he could do so with ease) Mr. Harris will be able to stay with him man-to-man. The rest of the defense would suffer, but Marquette is hardly the same team without their All-America candidate scoring 20 every night. Heck, those "#15" Golden Eagles just lost big to lowly Providence, when James could only manage 11 points on 3 for 11 shooting.
Defense will win this game for Syracuse - it's key to limit James' shot selection, so if he gets hot from outside Jimmy B. may have to switch out of the zone and rely on the FNP to shut him down. Gametime's at 8pm our time, so be ready to watch as soon as football's Eagles and the Giants decide who's heading to New Orleans.
January 04, 2007
the real season begins
As of this evening, the Orangemen stand somewhere around 66th place on The Mystic Joe's sheet, just outside of the Tourney's Lucky 65. Granted, they deserve such lowly status when one considers the three losses-that-broke-my-heart in the non-conference schedule and an apparent inability to retain the same starting lineup through the first 14 games, but there will never be a day that I won't be immensely depressed over the prospect of SU hoopsmen finishing a season by hosting NIT contests against the likes of Drexel or Holy Cross, who would likely win, considering recent Dome history.
So, what's going on with the Orange that makes them unworthy of their annual single-digit seeding? The team has certainly had moments when it looks like it could beat Florida or UNC if they play their best, but there's also the ten minute in-game stretches when they lose focus and can't seem to come together and put points on the board. The only Syracuse player who's been able to keep his mind on the action through every game has been Nichols, the exception being his own version of the Senior Moment during the Wichita State game. At the opposite end of the spectrum are his teammates, who seem almost universally uninspired through long stretches of gametime - likely the result of a fairly serious string of injuries to starters and a few unmentionable behind-the-scene stumbles (Anyone else want to go home? If you do, please just say so right now... It's too bad Jones couldn't stick around, though - he would have been great over the next couple years. At least there won't be anymore "WHO?" chants. That was getting too annoying to bear much longer).
It's frustrating to watch this team at times - despite the NBA bid being put together by their suddenly dominant small forward - and the current 11-3 record scares me when I look ahead to the powers of the Big East. At the start of this season I would have predicted the Orange to be 13-1 by now, if not undefeated, simply by looking at the talent at Boeheim's disposal. They appear to have everything needed for a long run into the tournament - experienced senior leadership and raw talent from the sophomores and freshmen - but they haven't done what's been needed to win the important games thus far.
When I began writing this post my plan was to follow through on a request from Chicago Chad and give you a rundown on all the Big East teams and how they'll matchup with the Cuse this year. I've since nixed that plan, though, as I don't think it matters who these Syracuse Orange play - if they play their best, they will beat any team in this year's Big East. If they don't, they'll be slaughtered - there's going to be a fine line between success and failure. Instead of writing about Pittsburgh, Georgetown, and UConn, who should be atop the standings in the end, I'm going to list what I believe Syracuse needs to change in order to be a top contender in the conference.
How to Win in the Big East:
1) Get Devo involved.
I know there's something unofficial going on with Devendorf's playing time, especially considering "fan favorite" Andy Rautins has been starting ahead of the team's best guard, so Jimmy B. must have his reasons (and I doubt they involve the Dinosaur Barbecque). I also realize there's a significant portion of the fanbase who are turned off by #23's bravado and seemingly poor attitude (see the specially-cropped photograph that's been circling SU Fan emails) but this team needs his abilities on the floor. Worth noting: In SU's three losses, Devendorf averaged 14.6 minutes and 3 points. In SU's 11 wins, he's at 29.3 and 14. There's something there, whether the haters like it or not - he's an Orangeman, and the team needs him to play if they're going to win these games.
2) Lessen Nichols' load
This could be known as the Kobe Rule, as described by Marc Iavaroni of the Phoenix Suns in Jack McCallum's latest must-read for the NBA fan, :07 Seconds or Less: the more shots a superstar takes during a game, the less involved are his teammates, and the better chance his team loses the contest. In Demetrius' case, he's not taking an excessive number of shots at this point, but he has been trying to play the role of the savior ever since the Notorious Lay-Out. This can be great when a player is lights-out, as he can be at times, but it's terrible for the team if they get too accustomed to waiting for their top scorer to shoot. Nichols has shot the ball 17 times per loss, as opposed to just 13 per win. When the other players pick up some of the offensive slack, it helps the team as a whole (this also relates to #1).
3) Stay healthy.
Really, #3 goes without saying, but it's going to be even more important once the truly physical matchups get underway. If Terrence and Darryl can't stay healthy through the Big East portion of the schedule, the Cuse is guaranteed to lose a few more than usual. Who's going to fill in under the bucket if Roberts stays on the bench with a bad knee? Can you really see Stormin' Gorman matching Big Boy Roy blow-for-blow when Georgetown comes to play? I'm sure his Orange County-esque blond locks will distract the 7-footer for a few plays, but I honestly can't imagine Gorman succeeding for 40 minutes in that effort. The SU training staff needs to be at their best during this year without Arinze - Roberts and Watkins have never been more valuable.
4) Find a jumper for Paul or find another way
Mr. Harris has certainly been entertaining in his first games wearing orange and he's still the conference FOY, but the man truly has no range. He can drive, he can rebound, he can handle the ball, he can energize the crowd - he cannot shoot. The FNP has taken 16 three-point shots this year, only finding net once -- yes, one time. I realize that the other team is leaving him open anytime he has the ball outside the arc, which makes the shot so tempting, but he has to either learn to shoot or learn to pass. When it comes to driving the lane and making something positive happen, he's among the best on the team - there have been several games that Harris has taken over because of his ability to draw fouls or create lay-ups for himself, and he should stick with that particular skillset until he is able to knock down a 19-footer at least 25% of the time.
5) 40 minutes of intensity, every game
This has been the most vexing problem for this team thus far. For some reason, the Orange have moments during games when they simply cannot play with the same tenacity they exhibit when they are at their best. These are the moments in which losses are created, as they've fallen behind by double digits to inferior teams more than once already during the year. I don't know who's responsibility this is - the coaches' or the captains' - but someone has got to get this team ready to play for a full 40 minutes. When they do, they can be among the best in the country. This may have become the Syracuse mantra over the last few years, but it's more true now than ever.
When I look at the talent on this team, it's clear that the Orange have the ability to do all things on a basketball court - I'm actually amazed at how many different ways they can score, always adapting to what the opposition is willing to give them. In the past it seemed the Cuse was limited to a certain set of plays or relied too much on one or two players to carry them to victories. In 2004 Syracuse seemed to have an unstoppable inside-outside combination in the form of McNamazing and Hak. This year's team takes that idea of offensive versatility and jacks it up another level - everyone can score, not just two guys. Whether it be knocking down a trey (four players currently shooting better than 38% from the arc) or utilizing their quickness to get into the lane, Wright, Devo, and Harris have been the catalysts to an offense that can break down any D. The frontcourt has been consistently finding themselves open under the hoop, finishing anything tossed their way (unless they get to the line, of course) - the team has even found a reliable presence in the Center Formerly Known as Stonehands.
The defense has been shaky in some games, but it's also shown some flashes of brilliance - Watkins, Roberts, and Nichols block more shots than any big conference team in the nation, giving the top of the zone the solid backbone we haven't seen since the days of Etan Thomas. Paul Harris gives the team the type of defensive stopper necessary to win big games, while Original Hype Man himself, Stormin' Gorman, can jump-start the intensity with a little recklessness in the lane.
The Cuse have all the parts needed for a quality run through the Big East's regular season - it's just a matter of putting them together. Hopefully they can get started tomorrow night against the Panthers, and Joe Lunardi will have to kick some other team out of his Top 65 come January 10th.
January 03, 2007
the devo pic
I received this picture recently through email. If you've gotten the same message, disregard the implications. If you'll look more closely at the picture, you'll notice that Boeheim only has the players who are on the floor for him gathered in the huddle - there are no walk-ons, no Mike Jones, no Terrance Roberts in this photo. Devendorf could be upset he's not in the game, or he could be upset the team is losing. Either way, the picture is trying to portray him in a bad light. Just making it public.
