Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Syracuse vs. UConn: Over 32,000 Expected To 'Welcome' Huskies

2012-02-10T23:03:34Z

The Connecticut Huskies are having a rough week. Their Hall of Fame coach is ailing. They got blown the F out on Monday by Louisville. Their program is under fire for being full of dummies. And now they have to play a basketball game in front of over 32,000 screaming lunatics in orange.

More than 32,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday’s game at the Carrier Dome, when the Syracuse Orange will take on the UConn Huskies.

It will be the first game of the season break the 30,000 attendance mark. The biggest crowd at home for the Orange so far this season was 28,740 on January 28, when Syracuse played West Virginia.

As you're well aware, the record is 34,616 and it looks like it should remain intact, but just barely. This will be the 69th time attendance has crossed the 30K mark in the Dome.

Stay hydrated, people. It's gonna be sweaty in there.

Without Gerry McNamara, Boeheimburg Wouldn't Have Ten F***ing Cups Of Coffee. Not Ten.

2012-02-10T22:31:18Z

Boeheimburg is alive and well for the second-straight game and our own Dan Lyons is holding court there (in a stylish hat).

The Syracuse Orange students have put in their time all week for the Georgetown game and now Saturday's visit from the Connecticut Huskies. All the big celebrities are coming out, including Unicycle Guy and, of course, SU assistant coach Gerry McNamara.

Gerry swung by Friday to sling some coffee and donuts for the chilly folks camped out.

Keep an eye on the #Boeheimburg festivities by following that hashtag or keeping an eye on the Otto's Army Twitterfeed.

Syracuse vs. UConn: Where Are We Watching?

2012-02-10T20:30:34Z

The No. 2 Syracuse Orange basketball team return to action Saturday when they host The Ghost of the Connecticut Huskies at 1:00 p.m. ET.

The game will be televised on CBS and your announcers are Verne Lundquist and Clark Kellogg.

Check the list below to see where Syracuse fans are gathering in your neighborhood and let me know anything needs to be changed, updated or added.

Use Foursquare? The Syracuse University iSchool has taken the official alumni spots below and compiled a handy list of spots in your city. Check in when you get there and find just one more way to prove you're a better Syracuse Orange fan than the one next to you.

Albany, NY - Jessica Stone's

Albany, NY - Barrel Saloon

Anchorage, AK - Peanut Farm

Astoria, NY - Daly's Pub

Atlanta, GA - Hudson Grille (Sandy Springs, official alumni spot)

Baltimore, MD - DogWatch Tavern

Boston, MA - Pour House (official alumni spot)

Buffalo, NY - Brick House Tavern (official alumni spot)

Burlington, VT - Ake's Place

Canastota, NY - Leandro's Restaurant and Sports Bar

Camarillo, CA - Ric's Restautant & Sports Lounge

Charlotte, NC - Dilworth Neighborhood Grille

Chicago, IL - Gamekeepers (official alumni spot)

Cicero, NY - Buffalo Wild Wings

Clarksville, TN - Buffalo Wild Wings

Columbus, OH - Buffalo Wild Wings

Denver, CO - Blake Street Tavern (official alumni spot)

Eastwood, NY - Chadwicks

Fairbanks, AK - Red Fox Bar & Grill

Fairport, NY - Shooter's

Fairport, NY - TR Noonan's

Fayetteville, NY - J.P. Mulligan's

Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Duffy's

Hoboken, NJ - Village Pourhouse

Houston - Buffalo Wild Wings (official alumni spot)

Huntersville, NC - Fox & Hound (Lake Norman)

Ithaca, NY - Uncle Joe's Sports Bar

Kansas City, MO - The Well

Liverpool, NY - The Retreat

Los Angeles, CA - The Parlor

Madison, WI - Junior's Bar & Grill

Manhattan, NY (East Village) - Village Pourhouse (Official alumni spot)

Manhattan, NY (Upper East Side) - East End

Manhattan, NY (Murray Hill) - Bar 29 (owned by Cuse grad)

Manhattan, NY (West Village) - Professor Thoms

Mattydale, NY - Woody’s Jerkwater Pub

Miami, FL (Davie) - Miller's Boca East Alehouse & Miller's Davie Alehouse

Nashville, TN - Beyond The Edge

Newport Beach, CA - Sharkeez

Northern NJ - Miami Mike's Sports Zone (official alumni spot)

Oceanside, CA - Wings, Pizza N Things

Old Forge, NY - TOW Bar

Penn Yan, NY - The Brew House

Philadelphia, PA - Tavern on Broad

Phoenix, AZ - Half Moon Sports Grill

Portland, OR - Macadam's Bar & Grill

Raleigh/Durham - Backyard Bistro (official alumni pre-game spot)

Richmond, VA - Home Team Grill

Rochester, NY - Anchor Bar

Salinas, CA - Big Joe's BBQ

San Diego, CA - Tony Roma's (official alumni spot)

San Francisco, CA - The Blue Light (official alumni spot)

San Francisco, CA - Pete's Tavern

Santa Monica - Barney's Beanery

Saratoga, NY - The Local Pub & Teahouse

Seattle, WA - Fremont Dock

Seneca Falls, NY - Dewey's 3rd Ward Tavern (hang with Kenny!)

Syracuse, NY - The Saltine Warrior Sports Pub (official CNY alumni spot & TNIAAM gamewatch spot)

Syracuse, NY - Jake Hafner's

Syracuse, NY - Syracuse Suds Factory

Tampa, FL - The Tilted Kilt

Utica, NY - Nail Creek Pub & Brewery

Venice, FL - Bogey's Sports Pub

Virginia Beach, VA - Keagan's (official alumni spot)

Washington Mills, NY - Tony's Pizza and Sports Bar

Watertown, NY - The Tilted Kilt

Washington, D.C. - Sign of the Whale (official alumni spot)

Washington, D.C. - Ventnor’s Sports Cafe (owned by Cuse grad)

West Harrison, NY - 97 Lake Sports Cafe

Winston-Salem, NC - Bob’s Big Gas Subs and Pub

Marcus Sales' Brother Sentenced, So Will Marcus Sales Be Back In 2012?

2012-02-10T19:26:05Z

When Syracuse Orange wide receiver Marcus Sales got arrested in July for running a red light while driving without possession of a license and while also intoxicated in a car that contained baggies full of marijuana, Lortab tablets and, my personal favorite, "other baggies with devil, superman and pit bull insignias on them," you kinda figured his day with the Orange was done.

But then his passenger and brother Michael Sales took the fall for Marcus and all of a sudden Marcus was out of harm's way (somehow).

Since then we've heard very little about either. Friday, Michael was sentenced to five years' probation after pleading guilty on a felony count of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

County Judge Anthony Aloi told Michael Sales Jr., he had a "moral obligation" to his siblings not to involve them in trouble or do anything that would damage their reputations.

In lecturing Michael Sales about his obligation to his siblings, Aloi never mentioned Marcus Sales by name.

And so, that begs the question...what of Marcus? He was always suspended and never booted off the team altogether.

Last we heard from him it was early December and Sales' attorney was putting the pieces together for Marcus and Marrone to break bread and get him back on the team.

Sales’ attorney said the player is hoping to meet with Marrone soon, perhaps as early as Friday. Michael Vavonese said he and his client received official word today that an SU judicial board had reinstated Sales as a student in good standing. That means Sales can appeal to Marrone to be allowed to return to the Orange.

If I were a betting man, and I suppose since I do place bets from time to time that I am, then I would bet that No. 5 will be back in a Syracuse uniform this spring.

Jim Boeheim Lawsuit: Judge Denies Request To Name Players Over Laurie Fine Allegations

2012-02-10T19:02:08Z

Are we even still talking about Bernie Fine anymore? No, pretty sure we're talking about everyone EXCEPT Bernie Fine.

For example...

Friday, a judge denied a request from Bobby Davis and Mike Lang's lawyers, Gloria Allred and Mariann Wang, to make Syracuse University turn over information related to former basketball players who may or may not have slept with Laurie Fine during Jim Boeheim's time as head coach of the Syracuse Orange basketball team.

The judge said the information Wang sought was not relevant to a request from SU and coach Jim Boeheim for a change of venue.

The lawyers were attempting to get the venue of the lawsuit moved from Onondaga County to New York City. While Lang & Davis' lawyer continued to argue that many judges in Onondaga County would have an "unconscious" bias based of relatives or associates related to SU, a lawyer for SU said that a move to NYC is illogical since no one involved with the case is actually from there.

The judge came correct on the assertion that allegations against Laurie Fine were relevant:

"Let me stop you there...You're not suing Bernie Fine or Laurie Fine. You're suing Boeheim and the university. So let's assume he knew about Mrs. Fine having inappropriate relationships with basketball players. So what?"

The article also notes that the judge mispronounced Boeheim's name, which was either proof that it won't be an issue or a stroke of evil genius. The judge also openly asked if Wang was on a fishing expedition.

It's not over by a long shot but the momentum moves to Boeheim's side.

Syracuse Daily Links - The Rise Of Melo

2012-02-10T18:24:37Z

MBB | Heavyweights: Melo to square off with UConn's Drummond in matchup of Big East's top centers - Sports - The Daily Orange
"I mean, they try to make layups and dunk, but I was getting blocks," the sophomore center said. "I just felt like saying, ‘No. You're not going to go in there and get dunks over me.'"

Brazilian Bully: How SU’s Fab Melo Went from Liability to High Ability Overnight : Orange Fizz
So in just one year Fab has gone from an out of shape non-factor to irreplaceable force for one of the best teams in the country. If Syracuse plans to cut down the nets in New Orleans it’s going to need even more from Fab. When he’s playing his best SU has a real shot at the title. If Fab wears down, it could be another early exit in the NCAA Tournament.

Syracuse Orange Basketball - Big Recruiting Weekend For The Orange
Syracuse basketball recruiting has been in a "golden age" of sorts with the consistent top-notch recruits committing to wear Orange. So while most of the focus on Saturday will be on the court as Syracuse takes on rival UConn, remember that things going on off the court could be just as important.

Big East Basketball: Notebook - Courant.com
"There is no dominant team. There's really good teams that are probably better than the teams behind them, but there are also teams that could lose a game on the way to the Final Four."

The Bud and Brent Show: Looking back at Syracuse-Georgetown basketball; looking ahead to UConn | syracuse.com
If Wednesday's game was the final Big East men's basketball game between Syracuse and Georgetown at the Carrier Dome, was it a fitting end? Will the rivalry continue once the Orange are in the Atlantic Coast Conference? Just how dangerous is this year's Connecticut men's basketball team? And if the Orange play Rutgers twice in football this season, should one of those games be in Yankee Stadium?

Syracuse University lacrosse team's starting attack will get a longer look Sunday vs. Maryland | syracuse.com
The Syracuse University lacrosse team’s most experienced unit this season is attack, where seniors Tim Desko, Tommy Palasek and Collin Donahue return after getting plenty of playing time last season. Desko and Palasek started in Sunday’s scrimmages vs. Hofstra and Le Moyne, flanking sophomore Derek Matlz, who is being groomed to replace departed crease attacker Stephen Keogh. Donahue came in off the bench.

Syracuse recruiting update: Jerami Grant will play on national TV | syracuse.com
DeMatha (21-3, 12-2) hosts Gonzaga (D.C.) today at 7:30 p.m. in a game being televised by ESPN2. Gonzaga is the No. 15 team in the country, according to the USA Today Super 25 rankings.

Lots of Pulp: Destroying the Hoyas - One GIF at a Time
Did you have a good time watching Georgetown get spayed by Kris Joseph on Wednesday? Would you like to watch the highlights again, this time in looping, entrancing videos? I know your answer. So here they are. A special GIFs to celebrate beating Georgetown:

Syracuse University Athletics - Scott Leads Record 28 Academic Honorees
The Orange football program leads the BIG EAST with a school-record 28 student-athletes on the 2011 BIG EAST All-Academic Football Team. Team co-captain Kevyn Scott leads the way for Syracuse as a four-time honoree, while seven earned the recognition for the third time in their Syracuse career. A student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average and have completed at least 18 credit hours to be considered.

Syracuse University Athletics - Jamieson To Start NLL All-Star Game
Former Syracuse men’s lacrosse standout and current Rochester Knighthawk Cody Jamieson has been named to the East Division starting lineup for the 2012 National Lacrosse League (NLL) All-Star Game. The league announced the starters for both the East and West Divisions on Monday, Feb. 6.

Syracuse University Athletics - SIFE-DOT Awareness at the UConn Game
The Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) non-profit organization will be promoting its ongoing DOT campaign at the Syracuse vs. Connecticut game this Saturday afternoon at the Carrier Dome.

If there's one group that could accurately describe the 2011-2012 Syracuse University men's basketball team, it would be Otto's Army (Hi Dan!):

Jim Boeheim Is Not Happy With Rebounding - And He Shouldn't Be

2012-02-10T17:15:18Z

"There is just no excuse the way we are rebounding right now. It's a team effort; it's everybody, it's not one guy. Right now, I don't think we're a good basketball team because we can't rebound." - Jim Boeheim, after the Georgetown game Wednesday.

I say this as a Syracuse University fan, alum, and basketball fan in general: The Orange will not win a national championship this season if they cannot rebound.

By now we all know the gory details. In the loss to Notre Dame, the Orange were outboarded by a gruesome 37-24 margin. These are the same Fighting Irish who lost their best player, 6'8" forward Tim Abromaitis, to a season-ending knee injury. This is a team who only has one legitimate big man in their regular rotation, "The Grinch" Jack Cooley. (You see, because he tried to destroy Christmas… ahem.)

But more on Cooley in a minute.

They righted the ship, at least temporarily, against Cincinnati. However, that was a slim 36-35 edge that looks more like an aberration than a positive sign as that game gets further in the rearview mirror.

SU then resumed their rebounding slump against West Virginia, losing that battle 41-20. Yikes. They coulda-shoulda lost the game as well, but we all know what happened there.

The Orange looked to bust out of their board slump against a very young St. John's squad, and rightfully did so with a 38-25 advantage. SU's domination of the glass led to several exciting fast breaks, including a dunk by Michael Carter-Williams that fans are still talking about.

(via ericmandelkern)

However, against Georgetown Wednesday night, it was more of the same old. Even though they pulled out the win in overtime, the Orange got smeared all over the Carrier Dome glass to the tune of a whopping 48-30 deficit. That's -18 rebounds. I know this because I stared at that number for about ten minutes before starting to write this column.

"It's been a problem all year - rebounding," SU forward Kris Joseph said. "We're just going to have to do a better job of locking on that."

Joseph said that to the Post-Standard's Donna Ditota on January 21, after the Notre Dame game. So it isn't like this issue is news to them.

It was easy for SU fans to blame the ND loss on Fab Melo's absence. Volumes have been written about why # 51 is important to the Orange on both ends of the floor. But I'm going to let you in on a dirty little secret.

They would have lost that game with or without him.

Melo averages 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, so if you do the math you know that he wouldn't have singlehandedly made up for the 13 board deficit against the Irish. The aforementioned Mr. Cooley - and after the way he manhandled the Orange last month, he deserves to be called "Mr." - put 17 points and 10 rebounds on Melo's replacements, an increase over his season averages of 11 points and 8.6 rebounds. Even at a listed 6'9" and 250, Cooley is not nearly the caliber of athlete as Rakeem Christmas, Baye Keita, or C.J. Fair. But there he was, bullying his way into the paint and seemingly doing whatever he wanted under the basket. Even though Melo provides a larger post presence than any of his teammates, I'm not convinced he would have been able to turn the tide. Why? Because of our second dirty little secret.

Like Boeheim said, rebounding is a team effort.

One man does not make a great rebounding team. That goes double for teams who play zone defense. You know, like SU. The Orange could trot out Dwight Howard and Kevin Love and still lose the battle on the boards if everyone else doesn't pitch in. Because defenders guard places and not people in a zone defense (and I'm generalizing here), it is commonly accepted that zone teams have a tougher time rebounding than man-to-man teams. The zone makes it more difficult to find an offensive player and box him out.

Difficult, but not impossible.

Rebounding is hard work. You have to be willing to sacrifice for the common good of the team. Bumps and bruises are a way of life in the paint. A player may have to put a body on an opponent so his teammate can freely secure the possession. Guards might have to drop down and mix it up with much larger players in order to come away with the ball. But rebounding is the ultimate team-first act in basketball. There are no selfish rebounds. No one will complain if a player gobbles up all of the loose balls. You just have to want it more than the other guy.

There is a tremendous upside to good rebounding. It generates extra possessions. It starts fast breaks, which are the heart of SU's offense. It creates mismatches and easy shots. Guards who rebound get a head start down the floor. Big men who rebound are rewarded for their efforts.

I think this year's team is capable of rebounding, but time is running out for them to prove it.

Rick Jackson made a respectable career off of rebounding. Derrick Coleman had more than anyone else in Big East history. SU coaches know what it takes for rebounding greatness. Now it's up to the players to show how badly they want to be the best team in all the land - and rebounding will be the key.

Jeremy Ryan is a writer and editor for CNYcentral.com in Syracuse. You can follow him on Twitter @JeremyRyan44.

Syracuse Women's Basketball Orders Double Serving Of McDonald's All-Americans

2012-02-10T17:13:10Z

For the first time in program history, two women's basketball signees have been named McDonald's All-Americans. Brianna Butler of Brooklyn, and Brittney Sykes of Newark were among 24 players named to the team for the annual game in Chicago.

Butler and Sykes headline a five-player recruiting class, that is ranked #6 by ESPN Hoopgurlz. Butler is a five-star combo guard, who is ranked 13th overall by ESPN Hoopgurlz, and Sykes is also a combo guard, and ranked 30th overall by Hoopgurlz. The Orange were able to land three Top 100 players in this class.

The two superstar recruits are only the third and fourth All-Americans to play at SU, joining Erica Morrow (2007) and Juanita Ward (2005).

As a point of comparison, Baylor, Notre Dame, UConn, Duke, and Texas A&M were the only other schools to land multiple All-Americans this year. They are currently ranked 1, 2, 3, 5, and 15 this year. Syracuse is unranked and 15-10 (4-7). I would say this class puts us in elite company.

This is a watershed moment for women's basketball at Syracuse. After having only one winning season from 1990-2006, the Orange have been 113-74 since. The popularity and prestige of the men's program has never translated into recruting success for the women's team. A recent Post-Standard article discussed the attendance issues the women face, and noted that Syracuse hold the dubious honor of having the largest gap between men's and women's basketball attendance figures.

Iasia Hemmingway, the leading scorer this season for the Orange, is the only senior of note who will be departing. The Orange should return an experienced team for 2012-13, and when coupled with the best recruiting class in history, should be primed for a great season in the ~~Big East~~ ~~ACC.~~