SB Nation - Andy Rautins

Boeheim, Hopkins Talk Mookie Jones

Sean Keeley — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:07:16 -0000

Jim Boeheim appeared on the Doug Gottlieb show yesterday and Mike Hopkins stopped by Brent Axe's show and both touched on the touchy subject of Mookie Jones and his "demands" for more playing time. First up are Boeheim's comments on Mookie's PT:

He's concerned about playing time...and as I explained to him before and after the game, Florida, they're a pressing team and we were gonna go with our three best ball-handling guards. Mookie struggles handling the ball, he's a very good two-guard, shoots it well...he'll play, probably in most every game, just, he does struggle against pressure defense. But there's a lot of teams that don't press.

Did Boeheim take Mookie's comments personally?

No, not at all. I want guys to want to play. If [Mike Waters] had handled it right, he would have asked him "are you upset with your playing time," and he would have said "yeah, I wanna play." And I want everybody to wanna play. I don't want anybody sitting on my bench to think he can't play here at Syracuse. So I don't mind that.

The only problem was that we'd talked about it beforehand so he kinda knew what was gonna happen in the game and, you know, he's working in practice, he came back and had a good game the other night against St. Francis and I expect him to play in the next two non-conference games and I hope he keeps getting better.

The thing is, too, Doug, we redshirted him last year so he's still a freshman. But I think the one thing you see in college basketball...I saw a freshman that went home from South Florida in our league after two games. (Laughs) You know, he wasn't playing enough after two games...I think, you know, that's the problem in basketball today.

Freshmen used to have a little patience. You could kinda get a freshman through that year...by sophomore year if he'd was playing he'd be fine but it's pretty much "I wanna play right now."

As for Hopkins, he shared some stories that you hope have not been lost on young Mookie:

"One of the great things about this, especially with coach (Boeheim) is we have all been through this. Coach (Boeheim) came off the bench. Coach (Boeheim) was a walk-on officially when he first came to Syracuse. When I first came to Syracuse, I red-shirted. I was never supposed to play, I didn't play (laughs). Then you have Lazarus Sims. It took four years, then he led us to the Final Four. We have all been through this, we have a lot of guys on staff, Gerry McNamara has been absolutely terrific. The best way to respond to that, like with a case like Mookie, is to working harder, show them you do deserve to play, and that your potential goal is to get better."

So I guess you can put away your Mookie Jones TransferWatch Bingo card for now. The coaches know what they're doing. Make sure you listen to both interviews as they talk also about how the team is doing so well and the success of Andy Rautins, Wes Johnson and others.

10 from the 00s: "That was the best game ever, man."

SFBE.NF — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:47:56 -0000

I blog about, and therefore infrequently attend, college basketball games. I wasn't at last year's epic Syracuse-UCONN Big East Quarterfinal game. My recollection of one of the most fascinating four hours of television will probably sound no different from everyone else who tuned in, stayed up, got confused, witnessed history, and then tried to fall asleep with adrenaline racing through their body.

For a much more interesting perspective, I leave it to ESPN.com's Dana O'Neil. She was there are March 12, 2009 (and March 13). She saw it live, and is a much better writer.

The song is a lie.

That was the first thing that crossed my mind when I walked out of Madison Square Garden sometime near 4 a.m.

The city does in fact sleep.

Or at the very least power-naps.

Aside from a stretch of cabs lined up on Seventh Avenue, there wasn't much happening in New York City in the wee hours of March 13, 2009.

Maybe Gotham was just worn out after hosting what goes down as one of the most unforgettable college basketball games in memory.

Syracuse 127, Connecticut 117.

Six overtimes, three hours, 46 minutes, beginning at 9:36 p.m. on March 12, ending at 1:22 a.m. on March 13.

I remember everything and nothing all at once. I remember seeing Eric Devendorf hop on the press table just a few feet from me at the end of regulation, celebrating and gesturing at the crowd, convinced his 28-footer at the buzzer had won the game.

I remember Kemba Walker nearly scoring from midcourt at the second OT buzzer.

I remember the usher standing sentry in front of me during game breaks, sometime around the fourth OT, muttering, "Can't we just go to a shootout?"

I remember laughing the laugh of the overtired and punchy with my colleague Mark Blaudschun from The Boston Globe after Andy Rautins hit a tying 3-pointer, erasing what had been a Connecticut six-point lead in the third overtime.

Mostly, though, I remember the crowd. No one left the arena, and more, no one sat down. The groans when shots failed to fall to end the game in the first, second and third overtimes gave way to cheers when the game wasn't decided in the fourth and fifth extra periods, the basketball masochists among us clearly hoping the game would never end -- and no doubt recognizing this would be the ultimate "I was there" game to brag about to the poor suckers who didn't score a ticket.

Afterward we crowded into the tiny Syracuse locker room and around Jonny Flynn. He had just played 67 minutes, scored 34 points and dished out 11 assists. He looked like a dishrag wrung dry, with every bit of sweat and energy poured out of him.

I halfway knew how he felt -- minus, of course, the physical exertion, cramping, sweating, exhaustion and pressure.

I spent 14 hours in the Garden that day and night, arriving for the noon tipoff between Villanova-Marquette, a buzzer-beating Wildcats win that I was so sure would be the best game on the day that I quickly dashed to the computer to write it.

A few hours later West Virginia upset Pittsburgh, another great game.

And then the game that would go down in history.

When I finally opened my eyes the next morning, my father called me in my hotel room.

"Were you there?" he asked excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah I was," I told him. "I saw it."

And, I wanted to add, I saw the city, fast asleep.

ESPN Hearts Syracuse

Sean Keeley — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:37:47 -0000

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If you've been looking for the kiss of death now that Syracuse basketball is getting more hype than Balloon Boy, look no further than the fact that ESPN has officially taken hold of the reigns on the SU Bandwagon.

First up, Joe Lunardi has updated his Bracketology and look who went from 10-seed from 1-seed. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the fact that he has us playing the winner of the opening-round game means we're his top overall team. Oh boy. Though the fact that we're in the West Region instead of the East leads to believe that's not true. What the hell do I know... (Ed. Note - East Regional in Syracuse, so we can't play there. Got it!)

And then of course, there's the piece de resistance in knowing that any college basketball topic is mainstream...Dick Vitale's interns are writing about it.

Syracuse has demonstrated that it will be legit power in the Big East this season.

Let's go learn something from Dick.

Think about it, the Orange were picked sixth in the Big East preseason poll after losing Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf. Jim Boeheim has a team that has physicality in Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson, and versatility in All-Marco Polo Wesley Johnson.

Think about it? Think about what? This sentence is not an answer to a question you posed in the first one. It's a statement of facts following a separate statement of fact. There is nothing to think about nor did you imply that I needed to think about anything. ARGGGGG.

The former Iowa State star has been a prime-time performer (PTP'er) and combined with outstanding guard play from three-point shooting wiz Andy Rautins and solid point guard ability from Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine, they have proven they can compete with the best.

I love that in this paragraph he goes to the trouble of denoting what PTP'er stands for just after calling someone All-Marco Polo in the previous sentane and providing no frame of reference for that at all. Not that I don't know what he means because it's been burrowed into my skull ad nauseum, but either this is written for Vitale Junkies (ugh) or its not.

Am I being harsh on Dick? Absolutely. But tell me what you learned there? Anything? Was that worth spending the time to read? No, right? That's pretty much the same feeling you have when you listen to Vitale call a game too, isn't it?

Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate...

Daily Links - St. Francis'd

Sean Keeley — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:53:54 -0000

Three Idiots on Sports: Syracuse - St. Francis Observations
Syracuse spanked St. Francis Sunday, winning 75-51 in the Carrier Dome. The team wasn't nearly as sharp as they were in the huge win over Florida on Thursday, but they still came out and took care of business against an inferior opponent.

Orange::44: St. Francis (NY) - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR The Terriers Are Terrible
So this is how it's gonna be now? Syracuse can play amazingly against the likes of California, North Carolina, and Florida, and yet totally play down to a team like St. Francis? If so, maybe it's a good thing the Big East is so good. That should keep this team playing at a high level.

As Gerry McNamara is a graduate assistant, he no longer shoots threes. Rather, he counsels. | Bud Poliquin -
He’ll never be just another suit on the bench. Not in this town, he won’t. Not Gerry McNamara, who just might be the most popular player in the history Syracuse University basketball, a history that dates back to January of 1900.

Fifty years later, SU's football glory still shines (oh, and about that iconic Cotton Bowl bid . . .) | Bud Poliquin -
Remarkably, that Syracuse bunch defeated its 11 foes by a total of 340 points, beat three groups in the Top 20 and knocked out Texas before 75,504 in the Cotton Bowl’s de facto national title bout. And it did all of that after having begun the campaign unranked.

Mike's Mailbag: What's Andy Rautins' draft status? | Orange Basketball Blog - syracuse.com
I’ve talked to a few that have seen Syracuse play this season and they say that Rautins definitely has a chance to play in the NBA. One scout compared him to former Notre Dame guard Matt Carroll. That’s a realistic comparison. Rautins could be a second-round pick or an undrafted free agent, but he’ll get a shot.

Allen Griffin back at St. Francis, Syracuse | Orange Basketball Blog - syracuse.com
Now in the second year of his second stint with St. Francis, Griffin will return to the Carrier Dome this afternoon as the Terriers (3-5) play the seventh-ranked and undefeated Syracuse Orange.

Will 'Cuse turn out like '05-06 Gators? - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN
It’s official: Syracuse is the team that everyone missed on this season.

3-Pointers: Long way to go, but Syracuse looks like a contender - Mike DeCourcy - College Basketball - Sporting News
"If the tournament started right now, they might win the whole thing," Dykes said. "But I'm still a big believer in Kansas. They're going to get better as the year goes along."

A Safe Bet? Carrier Dome displays Turning Stone ads | Orange Basketball Blog - syracuse.com
"We’ve been so cautious about doing everything right in this relationship," Syracuse University athletic director Daryl Gross said. "The folks at Turning Stone are great partners. They’re classy and professional. It’s a big property in this region, and we’re not going to ignore that they’re there."

Rush sign recently acquired Powell to new contract
The Edmonton Rush signed forward Ryan Powell to a contract on Friday. Powell was acquired by Edmonton last month in a three-way trade involving Colorado and Minnesota.

Face-Off Lacrosse Yearbook: 2010 All-Name Team | IL Blog Central
Zeppy O’Geen, Ronjohn Dadd and Brogin VanSkoik among the NCAA lacrosse All-Name Team members.

Mikey Powell highlights? Mikey Powell highlights.

Daily Links - Big Win Leftovers

Sean Keeley — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:42:14 -0000

Leftover thoughts from Syracuse's big win over Florida | Orange Basketball Blog - syracuse.com
Andy Rautins - "We’re a confident team. But we still go out every game like we have something to prove. Rankings mean nothing. We’re a very humble team. And we’re hungry. We’re hungry for every win."

Basketball Prospectus | Unfiltered
I’m hearing a lot about how good the sassy new-look larger-player Syracuse defense is this season. The numbers from the Orangemen’s 9-0 start are indeed quite gaudy (the ‘Cuse has allowed opponents to score just 0.82 points per trip), and after last night’s 85-73 win over Florida in Tampa, Pete Thamel proclaimed this D the best he’s seen from his alma mater in the last 15 years.

Pac-10, Syracuse Top College Basketball Christmas Naughty or Nice List - Blodic.us
The Big East coaches picked the Orange to finish sixth in the league. At this rate, the team that Bob Knight called the most impressive in the country might not finish worse than sixth in the country. Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson is a legitimate Player of the Year candidate.

Syracuse University football team receives academic honor | Orange Football Blog - syracuse.com
The Syracuse University football team is one of 41 to earn the 2009 American Football Coaches Association Academic Achievement Honorable Mention Award, marking the 18th time the Orange has been honored.

Syracuse University Athletics - SU Makes ESPN The Magazine's List Of The Year's Top Sports Stories
Syracuse is featured twice on ESPN The Magazine’s list of the top 100 sports stories of 2009. The list appears in the Dec. 14 issue and includes the men’s basketball team’s classic six-overtime BIG EAST Tournament victory against Connecticut (No. 29), as well as Kenny Nims’ game-tying goal with 4.5 seconds left versus Cornell in the NCAA men’s lacrosse national championship game (No. 90).

Ernie Davis Heisman 1959 Syracuse Championship Ring - eBay (item 220525056478 end time Dec-17-09 11:22:17 PST)
A Syracuse University 1959 National Championship Ring Salesman Sample for Ernie Davis is up for auction.

Boneyardpin - War Otto Pins
Get your very own War Otto pin.

Facebook | "Orange out" the Syracuse vs. Villanova game
Villanova beat us twice last year, including a game in the Dome. lets ORANGE OUT the dome and show the world the best fans in college basketball wear orange!

Earn a chance to win Bulldogs tickets - Sports - Daily Review
In what was originally shaping up as an already exciting Elmira Bulldogs season opener has just taken a even more sudden twist. A last minute addition to the game roster for the visiting Hudson Valley Hype is former Syracuse University star player Louie McCroskey.

Casual Communication: Where Amazing Doesn't Happen - Casual Hoya
You stay classy, Hoya fans..."For players, my favorite was for Syracuse guard Eric Devendorf, in light of his assault charges. It was a simple "You hit wo-men" (clap, clap, clap clap clap). "

Dick Weiss Was Right: Syracuse 85, Florida 73

Sean Keeley — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:56:52 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

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Dick "Hoops" Weiss was voted Syracuse the No. 1 team in the country for three week's running. Me thinks he might be on to something. The Orange withstood a three-point rally from the Gators and put forth an effort that reaffirmed everything we were hoping as No. 7 Syracuse beat No. 10 Florida 85-73. (boxscore)

Rick Jackson recorded 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Wesley Johnson added 17 and 10, as No. 7 Syracuse handled the 10th-ranked Florida Gators, 85-73, at St. Pete Times Forum.

Neither team was ranked entering the season but both were unbeaten coming into the game. Only Syracuse (9-0) left with a perfect mark, though, thanks to a 52.5 percent shooting effort and a 43-31 rebounding advantage.

Andy Rautins scored 16 points, while Kris Joseph chipped in 12 points and 10 boards for the Orange, who have won every game this season by double digits.

First of all, it's been a while since we've been able to root for a truly dominant team in football or basketball. It feels...strange. In a good way, mind you. But, now that we know for sure that the Orange truly can win every single game they play, it's a very different feeling.

Second, Florida has terrible fans. Here's what's going to happen...people who watched the game last night are going to say Syracuse didn't really have to play in front of a hostile crowd because there were so many SU fans there. You know why so many SU fans stood out last night? Cause there's was no one else there! Upper deck? Empty. Mezzanine? Spotty. If not for Syracuse fans traveling 3,000 miles that place would have been a graveyard. Florida fans apparantly couldn't make the two hour drive to watch their top-ten team play another top-ten team. It's not SU's fault it has good fans, so I don't want to hear it...got it, Katz?

Third, and here's the part that should scare the rest of the country...Wes Johnson had a so-so game The anointed savior and cult leader who has been destined since birth to lead us to glory had an everyman kind of evening. And we still beat the No. 10 team in the nation by double-digits. Yeah he scored 17 and grabbed 10 boards but he really didn't get rolling until the 2nd half. Florida had many an opportunity to run away from Cuse and couldn't do it. Yikes to everyone.

Fourth...Rick Jackson, ladies and gentlemen. 21 points and 11 rebounds. Welcome to the bigtime, Rickles. And for SU fans, we can add Rick to the list of players more than happy to step up and be a leader for us when needed.

Fifth, speaking of leaders...Andy Rautins! The cajones on Andy when he hit the three in the 2nd half to kill Florida's rally. He immediately turned to his teammates, started up a "let's do this" mantra and did what we've come to expect of him.

Seventh, want to know what the "official" rotation is going to look like? Now you do. Boeheim played seven guys (Jackson, Onuaku, Johnson, Rautins, Triche, Scoop & Joseph). That's it. Mookie, deal with it or do not.

Eighth, Chandler Parsons looks like an anime character.

Ninth, "I think, just on what I’ve seen of Syracuse, they are capable of winning the national championship. I think Bobby Knight made a comment (Wednesday) night that he thought they were the best team in the country. I haven’t seen everybody play so I can’t comment on that. But I would be hard-pressed to say there were three or four teams better than them. They can beat you in a lot of ways." - Billy Donovan

The Orange improve to 9-0, should grab a couple more first-place votes and could move up a spot or two in the next rankings. It's official, everyone. The realz, we haz them. Until someone shows me otherwise, we're the best team in the nation as far as I'm concerned. Hells yeah I'm biased...but I'm pretty sure Dick Weiss and I are right.

Links and vids after the jump.

FUN IN THE SUN: Syracuse improves to 9-0 after beating No. 10 Florida...Tyler Dunne
Jackson defies gameplan, scores career-high 21 points...Tyler Dunne
Orange hurts Florida on the backboards...Donna Ditota
Syracuse makes big plays to defeat Florida and stay unbeaten...Donna Ditota
Donovan has experience with Triche family...Bud Poliquin
SU-Florida Recap...Brent Axe
Syracuse basketball dumps Florida, stays unbeaten...Donna Ditota
Gator-Skinned: Syracuse-Florida Observations...Three Idiots on Sports
Florida Gets RickRolled, Orange Comes Through In Tight Spots...CuseOrange
Roll: This Game Should Scare Out Future Opponents...Cuse Country
A Win over Florida...OrangeHoops
Donovan: Orange Title Contenders...Orange Fizz
Syracuse big men bully Florida Gators...Adam Beasley, Miami Herald

Game Highlights

Some live action (and Cuse fan head nods) from the game

Handy Syracuse Basketball Stat Update

Sean Keeley — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:05:13 -0000

More photos » by Kevin Rivoli - AP

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A quick look at various stats and notes showcasing where the Orange stand individually.

Andy Rautins is currently averaging four steals per game, tied for second in the nation and tops in the Big East.
Arinze Onuaku is tied for fifth in the nation with a .709 FG%. He leads the Big East in that category.
Scoop Jardine is second in the Big East with 5.9 assists/game, Andy Rautins is tied for fourth with 5.0.
Rick Jackson is fifth in the Big East with 2.4 blocked shots per game.
Wes Johnson is seventh in the Big East in scoring (18.4 PPG), third in FG% (.598), third in steals (2.3), ninth in blocks (1.9), tied for eighth in total rebounds (52) and second in three-point field goal % (.552).
Mookie Jones leads the nation in forlorn, post-game social media diatribes (1.3 FPGSMDPG).
Wes Johnson leads the nation in Making Fans Say "Holy F***balls!" Per Dunk % (.725)
James Southerland is tied for seventh in the nation in times he last name has been misspelled by bloggers (a.k.a. Sutherland) (245).
Brandon Triche is tied for third in the Big East in Number Of Mean Mugging Self Portraits On Facebook Profile (11)
Brandon Reese is sixth in the Big East in Excited Bench High-Five % (.842)
Andy Rautins is second in the nation in Instances Of Writhing On The Floor Grimacing While Holding On To Ankle That Is Held Together By Polly-O String Cheese & Wishes (0.89/Game)
Rob Murphy leads all Big East coaches in Shutting It Down Percentage (.929)
Wes Johnson leads the nation in being better than everyone else at everything (1.000 %)

Syracuse Doesn't Want To Fall Into The Corn-hole

Sean Keeley — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:34:24 -0000

Arinze, KrisJo, Andy, Wes & Brandon talk about the week that was and tonight's Cornell game.

The Syracuse Basketball Team

Arinze Onuaku is EXCITED about Syracuse basketball!!! Can you feel it? Though obviously this is the best part of the video:

Loving this whole Andy The Leader thing. "I'd rather be unranked." Mr. Senior is not buying into his own hype...good stuff. And hopefully the rest of the team is feeling the same way as Cornell comes to town this evening.

The name of the game will be shutting down Cornell's outside shooters, specifically senior Ryan Wittman. Wittman's 33 against the Orange last year were the most any player scored against SU in regulation. But Wittman isn't the only weapon in the Big Red arsenal, they've got a whole bunch of talented players:

Point guard Louis Dale, a two-time first team All-Ivy performer and 2007-08 Ivy player of the year, returns to Cornell for his final season. Ryan Wittman, the sweet shooting wing player, joins Dale as a two-time first-team All-Ivy honoree. Foote, the 7-foot center, is the reigning All-Ivy defensive player of the year. Dale, Wittman, Foote and fellow seniors Alex Tyler and Geoff Reeves form the nucleus of a mid-major team seeking major college basketball respect.

What Cornell lacks in athleticism or talent they make up for in chemistry and senior leadership. Ask Wittman and he'll tell you "This is the best (team) I’ve been on here. We’ve got loads of experience and a ton of depth. We’re really familiar with each other and really excited for this year." So...you know.

Cornell coach Steve Donahue praises what he's seen from the Orange so far, saying this year's squad "plays together better than any team, offensively and defensively, that (Boeheim's) ever had since I've been here." He doles out the big praise especially for Wes Johnson, who gets the ultimate Cuse comparison:

"Wes Johnson, to me, looks like a lottery pick type of kid," Donahue said. "I think he's someone that gives Syracuse something that Carmelo Anthony gave them, an inside-outside guy. Can he be as good as Carmelo Anthony? Well, he's older and he's long and athletic and he really shoots it."

Last year the Big Red gave the Orange a game. SU had to rally from 16 points down in order to win. If the Orange let Wittman and his pals shoot lights out again, they could find themselves in the same hole. The target is officially on Syracuse's back now, let's see how they play when they're expected to win.

Introducing Scoop Jardine, Wes Johnson & The Rest Of The Syracuse Orange

Sean Keeley — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:57:10 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

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Last year Syracuse played the defending National Champion (Kansas) in a preseason tournament with a hostile crowd and came away victorious. It's deja vu all over again, except this time the Orange should have a bit of a crowd advantage when they take on the No. 2 North Carolina Tar Heels tonight.

First, let's make sure we recap last night's win. Or as I like to call it, The Night All The College Basketball Experts Jumped Back On The Syracuse Bandwagon.

So...Scoop Jardine was on the front page of ESPN.com last night. That's crazy.

We like us now very much, thanks.

For ‘Cuse, It’s Jardine At The Gard-ine...Cuse Orange

The Dangerfield defense: Syracuse's zone earns respect in win over California...Mike Waters

Orange is off and running at the Garden...Donna Ditota

Jardine was pinned to a corner of the Syracuse locker room Thursday night as reporters closed in and asked questions.

SU coach Jim Boeheim wandered past.

"What the hell are they talking to you about, Scoop," he joked.

"I don’t know, Coach," Jardine said.

Syracuse guard Andy Rautins re-injures ankle...Mike Waters

"I rolled it again and it’s swollen," Rautins said. "I’ll get some treatment for it tonight and (Friday) morning. Hopefully, it’ll be fine."

Scoop came to the Garden, he saw in the Garden and he conquered in the Garden...Bud Poliquin

Cuse's two-headed PG effective vs. Cal...Andy Katz

Before tipoff, [Jonny] Flynn sent a text message to Jardine.

"It really helped me out," Jardine said. "He said 'Let's Goooooo.' I wrote him back and said, 'I got you.' And he said, 'Go show them what you've got.' I played against him for two years. I knew that if I was backing up Jonny or Brandon like I'm doing now, I had to lose weight and work on my shot. Coach Boeheim and Coach Hop didn't lose faith in me. I've got to give them credit for sticking with me.

Wes Johnson makes his Garden debut memorable...Donna Ditota

Syracuse - California Postgame Reactions OR Upset? Not Us...Orange44

Syracuse rolls past California...CuseConfidential

SU-California Recap...Brent Axe

Wes could be on the brink of having a very exciting all around season for this team. He is gaining a reputation for a strong work ethic, something noted by ESPN's Doris Burke during the game, and is proving to be a smart, steady player on the floor in addition to his terrific athleticism. The funny thing is one of his biggest highlights of the night may even be a play he didn't make in missing a dunk where he soared towards the basket with about 13:00 to go in the first half. Had he connected on that, and he isn't going to miss many of those, we are talking # 1 play on the Sportscenter Top 10 material.

Some video highlights after the jump.

Syracuse 9500, Cal 73: Bears Faceplant on the Road

Avinash — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:40:41 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

The refs weren't the only thing that caused Mike Montgomery frustration in Cal's 95-73 loss.

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We can talk about officiating all we want, but this one came down to defense.The Bears did not rotate to their men, did not help well, did not play great off the ball, while Syracuse did, in almost every measure. Cal's offense looked sloptastic, mostly because of the zone, partly because everyone seemed to throw their passes off-target and get into set shots, and more because the Orangemen athletes were just better.

On almost every level, the Orangemen were the better team. Hopefully this trend for every Cal loss this season ends soon.

It's hard to say how much of an effect Theo would've had in this game. It would've been far more competitive than it actually was.
Jerome Randle and the rest of his starting lineup is starting to remind me a little too much of Jahvid Best and the offensive line. Hopefully Randle doesn't start racking up the minutes as the season goes on.
Jamal Boykin again doing all the little underrated things. But other than Boykin and Randle, rest of team shot 30 percent. Yuck.
Every Orangeman shot over 50 percent. Double yuck.
Wesley Johnson looks like a pro.
We could've used Kamp on Onuaku. Just saying.
Patrick Christopher must've catched a late flight, because he wasn't really showing anything until the final minutes. It's becoming hard to discern if he really has any talents other than slashing and an occasional 3 point shot.
Salvage a split tomorrow and it's still a good trip. Not many of us thought we'd go 2-0, so hopefully a good rebound tomorrow will put us back where we need to be.

This is your postgame thread. Feel free to watch the Ohio State-North Carolina game to see who we end up facing, or the Thursday Night game (Colorado 14 Oklahoma St. 10 right now), or whatever else catches your fancy this Thursday night.

nickle had a good postgame comment that I wanted to share here.

In the end, the result of this game doesn’t really matter (well not too much, it still sucks). Lavin and co. might be surprised at the result of this game but I don’t think any of us are. Biggest surprise is Theo being out at the last second, and along w/ Kamp’s injury, we didn’t have a chance from the start. If we get those two back it’s a completely different team.

Cal didn’t schedule these games primarily to build an impressive resume, although that woulda been a huge plus had we won today. But we got a real good look at the Syracuse zone and this experience will help tremendously when it counts most in the tournament (assuming we don’t pull an epic fail this season). Throw that in with the matchup tomorrow against either a very very experienced team or a very very athletic team and we’re getting a huge dose of what to expect from what will be our toughest competition from here on out.

Not a great outing by the bears, but I think it was fine. PC really needs to find a way to get his own shots though.

I think we’ll be fine. I hope…