SB Nation - Eric Devendorf

Eric Devendorf Is A Reno Bighorn, Basically

Sean Keeley — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:16:32 -0000

There was no announcement. No press release I can find. Nor any note on their website other than the fact that he's listed (sans number) on their roster. But Eric Devendorf seems to have indeed joined the Reno Bighorns of the NBDL.

Devendorf stated earlier this month he expected to sign with the Bighorns, and while no details on the agreement have been made available, his name is currently listed on the team's Web site.

In his time since leaving Syracuse at the end of the 2009 season, Devendorf has been been back in Bay City, working out under the instruction of T.J. Newsham at JJKN Hoops.

Reno has been home to quite a few former SU stars, even featuring three at one time for a brief period last year.

The Bighorns take on the Rio Grande Valley Vipers tonight so perhaps we'll get our first glimpse at Devo in a uniform. Or at the very least, get that man a bio picture.

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 - 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). "

The 'Cuse is loose!

SFBE.NF — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:30:40 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

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Remember when Syracuse, sans a Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf, began their season with that ugly loss to LeMoyne? The LeMoyne Dolphins, a DII school located just minutes from Syracuse, a city far away from any salt water, and an area uninhabitable by Dolphins.

That debacle was a long time ago. Today Syracuse is making a case for being the top team in the country after last night's 85-73 win over Florida, in which Boeheim's boys were in control of from start to finish. They now sit at 9-0 and look tougher than at least a few of the six teams currently ranked ahead of them.

Wesley Johnson is an absolute stud, one of the few players in the college game who can iso his man and knock down the 15 foot jumper....whenever the hell his team needs a bucket. He finished with 17 and 10 and is slowly garnering more and more attention for not only the Big East, but national POY consideration.

As for Florida, let applaud their effort up to this point of the season. Already this team has overachieved, and boasts a nice duo of Kenny Boynton and Chandler Parsons. But you can't have Alex Tyus flopping around looking like Mikki Moore if you want to be taken seriously. Billy Donovan has a weak frontcourt, and will have to rely on quick hits and high schooting percentages if he expects to be a top 15 mainstay.

Is Reno In Israel Now? Devo Looking At NBDL Stint

Sean Keeley — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:44:03 -0000

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Last we heard, Eric Devendorf was heading to The Holy Land to pursue a basketball career and, perhaps, enlightenment in one of the many religions that call it home. Well...just kidding! According to MLive.com, Devo is on the verge of signing with our old friends, the Reno Bighorns.

Now, for the first time since his decision to forego his senior season and pursue a professional career, it appears that Devendorf has caught a break. While nothing has been finalized, he said he hopes to sign with the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League as early as Monday.

Landing in the D-League, the official minor league of the NBA, would not only get Devendorf back on the court but put him one step away from reaching his ultimate, lifelong ambition.

So what happened? Why did Devo take such a circuitous route to the obvious final destination? Turns out he made the unfortunate decision to trust the wrong person/persons.

"I definitely got some bad advice," Devendorf said. "But at the end of the day, it was my call and I have to live with the decisions I make. Now I have to focus on the task at hand."

Devendorf said he had offers to play overseas, but on the counsel of several mentors – including former Michigan State University star Mateen Cleaves – decided to stick it out in the States in hopes of eventually catching on with the D-League.

Along the way, he parted with his agent, further slowing the process. On Friday, he said he had a verbal agreement with a new agent, who quickly went to work finding Devendorf a spot in the D-League.

Devo's former agent was Chris Grier-Luchey. I remember noting that things sounded a little fishy when Devo signed with him.

Also, don't forget to follow the trail here. Devo's AAU coach is Will Smith (not that one). Smith runs the Michigan Hurricanes, which were formerly run by Chris Grier Luchey. Luchey is now the president of CGL Sports, the agency repping Devo. It's an incestuous business, that basketball.

Someone related to AAU who doesn't have the best interests of the player at heart? That's unpossible!

While he waits for the Bighorns to sign some papers, Devo is back in Michigan with his daughter taking classes to finish his degree (wait, I thought he graduated?). Hopefully he hears soon and can make a real run at the pros.

H/T: Ridiculous Upside

Know your March Madness Spoilers

SFBE.NF — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:34:26 -0000

Joe Lunardi resurfaced today on ESPN.com, and he wasn't kind to the little guy. This year, according to the original Bracketologist, only Xavier will qualify as a non-BCS, at-large tournament team. It's sad to think, but maybe true. I say we blame the economy!

Despite this sobering news, below are 10 players we reccommend you at least take heed of, so you're not Googling them when Greg Gumbel is singing their praises after an incredible first round upset in March.

Luke Babbitt; Sophomore, Nevada - So you're a McDonalds All-American and receive offers from nearly every Pac 10 school, Ohio State and Gonzaga...what do you do? Well, if you're Luke Babbitt, you stay close to home and go to Nevada. After initially committing to play for Thad Matta, Babbitt got cold feet and decided he wanted to remain near his parents. He's a pro prospect, but playing in a lesser conference seems to put more pressure on the sophomore, who will be expected to be great for the entire season, turn his "Freshman of the Year" award into "Player of the Year" and build upon his 17/7.3/1.3 stat line.

Marqus Blakely; Senior, Vermont - OK let's get this out of the way...America East is one of the least basketball-centric conferences in the country, so when a player catches our eye, he must be impressive. Blakely is a two-time American East player of the year and is going to have quite a burden on his shoulders, as the Catamounts graduated 35 percent of their scoring and it's all time assists leader Miki Trimboli. But at 6'5" 235, Blakely is an explosive scoring threat, and a feared shot blocker who probably will lead his team in all major categories.

Osiris Eldridge; Senior, Illinois State - Finishing a close third to Siena's Just-in'love Smith and Cal's Bak Bak, Eldridge holds claim to one of the baddest names in the college game. Last season ended on a sour note for Eldridge, as he missed a three pointer that would have forced a second overtime against Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Tourney Final. Expect the Redbirds to be matched-up against the Panthers once again when the precious NCAA Tournament berth is on the line. Also please take note of his nicely maintained Euro-hawk.

Kenneth Faried; Junior, Morehead State - Quick, who was second in the NCAA last season in double-doubles? No idiot, it wasn't Eric Devendorf, this title belongs to Faried, a New Jersey native who migrated to eastern Kentucky to serve as one of the most imposing players in Ohio Valley Conference. This guy probably plays harder, meaner and faster than any of his opponents, and just may be the country's most prolific rebounder by the end of this season.

Paul George; Sophomore, Fresno State - Come March, George's time as 'just a nice mid-major player' will likely be long gone. After a surprise freshman season (averaging 14 and 6) George often executes foolish dunks, strokes at a 45 percent clip from behind the arc, and is a legit NBA prospect drawing comparisons to Rudy Gay. Yeah, many BCS-schools are kicking themselves for missing this one.

Anthony Johnson; Senior, Montana - In his first season playing DI basketball as a JuCo transfer, Johnson lit up the Big Sky last year putting up scoring numbers not seen by the conference since Rodney Stuckey was killin it at Eastern Washington. Johnson is the reigning conference POY and as a 6'3" wing player, is very efficient . He shoots at 50 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from long range.

Johnathan Jones; Senior, Oakland - Last season's NCAA leader in assists, Jones dropped double-digit dimes (now there's some alliteration) in nine of the Grizzlies last 12 games. Starting every game since he's been on campus, and the only player to ever chalk up 1000 points and 500 assists in a career, Jones has already earned the title as the program's most decorated player. And with that darling Ben Woodside of North Dakota State moving on, Oakland is the favorite to win the Summit league as Jones will enjoy dishing out to three other returning starters all season long.

Larry Sanders; Junior, Virginia Commonwealth - No Eric Maynor, no Anthony Grant, no problem! The 6'10" junior who shares the same name as Gary Shandling's hit HBO show is still here! Sanders has a freakish 91 inch wingspan, and was 11^th in the country last season in blocks. While it's quite rare in college basketball, Sanders will be a triple-double threat this season if CAA players repeatedly try and shoot over this guy. NBA scouts like him, but will love him if he develops are more consistent offensive game this season. Nonetheless, first year coach Shaka Smith has a real asset in his frontcourt.

A.J. Slaughter; Senior, Western Kentucky - He's still eligible? That's right, after two years of playing along side Courtney Lee, Tyrone Brazelton and Orlando Mendez-Valdez, Slaughter is still kicking around and arguably the top player in the Sun Belt. Along with Steffphon Pettigrew, Slaughter will lead a team that returns four starters and itching to get back to the dance after being on the wrong side of one of last season's plays of the year.

Edwin Ubiles; Senior, Siena - For what it's worth, Edwin Ubiles has won more NCAA Tournament games than recent college basketball notables Nick Calathes, Eric Gordon, and Greg Monroe combined. After a dramatic victory over Ohio State last season, Siena comes in this season as the trendy mid-major looking to be a Top 25 mainstay this season- and Ubiles will be the man to lead them. Georgia Tech aside, the Saints schedule is pretty benign, so the selection committee will leave little wiggle room for this program to be an at-large bid candidate. Ubiles' athleticism is on par with the top players in the country, and if he develops any sort of outside game he could be an NBA draft pick.

Eric Devendorf In The Holy Land, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Sean Keeley — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:17:50 -0000

No one has officially written it yet but during tonight's Syracuse-Robert Morris broadcast, the announcers mentioned that Devo, who was in the house, will be leaving shortly to play professional basketball in Israel. Hopefully he's got some Matisyahu in his iPod now to get ready.

That's right, there's an outside chance that the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict could be ended by Eric Devendorf. Pretty decent chance, actually. But you know, he's gonna have to get one of those tattoos updated...

No word yet on which team he'll be playing for but he'll be the best former Syracuse player to dribble in the Holy Land since Terrence Roberts.

For his and Jeremy Tyler's sake, let's hope he's not going to play for Maccabi Haifa. More details as they come in.

Photo: Alex O.

Paul Harris & Eric Devendorf, Come On Down...Hopefully (Updated)

Sean Keeley — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:34:52 -0000

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The NBDL Draft is tonight at 7pm EST. And to answer your first question...no, I'm not kidding.

Here's what's so great about the age we live in. There's a sports blog dedicated solely to the NBDL and if you want coverage or analysis of tonight's event, you need not look any further.

Syracuse fans might be particularly interested in the draft because there's a reasonable chance that at least one Orangeman's name will be called. Both Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf has tried to catch on with an NBA team but nothing has stuck, leaving this as their last, best option other than playing abroad. Harris played summer ball with the T'wolves and went into camp with the Jazz but an ankle injury put the kibosh on that.

According to Matthew Brennan at the NBA's Prospect Watch, Harris is among the top prospects available tonight.

Harris was a top-high school recruit and earned All-BIG EAST honors during his three-year tenure at Syracuse. The 6-5 Harris is a bit undersized for an NBA forward, but his outstanding athletic ability should help make him a top player in the NBA D-League. Harris was with the Utah Jazz in training camp but was hampered by injury and should now be raring to go for whatever team selects him on Thursday.

In fact, it's already a foregone conclusion that Harris will go in the first round according to friends and a certain SU legend:

Friends of Harris, including former Niagara Falls High School basketball assistant Sal Constantino, and former Syracuse basketball player John Wallace, have fielded calls this week from D-League coaches who have said Harris will likely be a first-round pick.

Constantino said Harris has been classified as an A player, meaning he’ll get the highest possible salary for a D-League rookie.

Harris is quoted in the story as saying "Right now, I wouldn’t go play in Europe if they paid me a million dollars," due to his desire to make it in the NBA. We shall see on that one.

The folks at Ridiculous Upside peg Harris as a good fit for our old friends, the Bakersfield Jam. The Franchise that Gerry McNamara Built (Not Really) pick fourth overall.

While Harris' name keeps popping up, Eric Devendorf's name has not. A few weeks back Devo's agent say he was still mulling his options, which include the NBDL. Given the apparant lack of interest, he might not have a choice but to go International. There are 128 potential spots up for grabs tonight...if Devo doesn't get asked to be one of them, Latvia here we come!

Update 1: Paul Harris is off the board and heading to Maine! He's the first pick of the Maine Red Claws (8th overall). The Claws are in their inaugural season and are affiliated with the Celtics (makes sense) and Bobcats (huh?). Our good friends over at the CMSB have all the Red Claw news and notes you could care for. FYI, their head coach is Austin Ainge, son of Danny.

Your obligatory Big East primer

SFBE.NF — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:26:57 -0000

Based on last year's Conference RPI ratings, the Big East finished fourth overall. But when you put two teams in the Final Four (Nova, UCONN), another two in the Elite Eight (Louisville, Pitt), have the top overall team coming into the tournament (Louisville again), and host one of the greatest games of attrition in college basketball history (Cuse-UCONN), you shouldn't let Jerry Palm and the like tell you otherwise. Common sense whispered in my ear and said this was the best conference in college basketball last season. It's odd though...seven months removed from that epic season, the Big East isn't facing as much of a hangover as you would expect.

West Virginia will be a lot of fun to watch. Devin Ebanks and Da'Sean Butler know how to score on their own terms, and Bob Huggins knows how to win...on his own terms.

Villanova is going to run, and run until their opponent concedes defeat. They have a great balance of experience and young guns in Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek. The majority of their rotation will consist of guards, but I have always been a believer that having talented guards is remarkably more important in college basketball than having a solid front court.

UCONN is UCONN. They remain freakishly athletic, and you can't blindly discount a Jim Calhoun team until they prove their mediocrity on the court.

Syracuse loses 55 percent of their scoring but will ease into the season with their, as expected, paltry non-conference schedule (Colgate and Cornell and Columbia!!!). Oh Jim Boeheim you're so wise. Meanwhile, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris will get to watch all of this from afar, wondering what was in that sticky stuff they smoked last spring, which told them to "go pro."

And of course there's still Luke Harangody, who is bound to break at least a few scoring records this season and is a leading candidate for all those national player of the year awards.

Yup, the Big East is still our favorite conference. So much so that even your dreadful Providence-Depaul match-up is something we can stand to watch.

A breakdown is after the jump.

Tourney teams (in order of conference finish)

1.      Villanova
2.      West Virginia
3.      UCONN
4.      Syracuse
5.      Georgetown
6.      Notre Dame
7.      Louisville
8.     Cincinnati

*and maybe, just maybe, Seton Hall sneaks in here

All Conference Team

Jerome Dyson, UCONN
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati

Most overrated - Louisville's backcourt. Karen Sypher.

Most underrated - Cincinnati. Stanley Robinson.

Notable non-conference match-ups:

12/6 - Villanova vs. Maryland
12/9 - UCONN vs. Kentucky (MSG)
12/12 - Georgetown vs. Washington
1/1 - West Virginia @ Purdue
1/2 - Louisville @ Kentucky

Five story lines to keep tabs on:

Cincinnati. Has Mick Cronin finally turned the corner? He has three scoring threats in Deonta Vaughn, Yancy Gates and Lance Stevenson. The Bearcats may breakout this season.

Guard U. How will Jay Wright handle a team that has three bonafide guards, two elite incoming guards, and a Reggie Redding who is suspended for the fall semester but will spend most of his time on the wing once he returns.

Luke Harangody. For the few who play fantasy college basketball, he's your number one pick. With transfer Scott Martin tearing his ACL last month, the Irish are now even that much thinner. Gody currently ranks 8^th on the programs all-time scoring list, and if he just replicates his 23.3 ppg output from last season, he will supplant Austin Carr as the most prolific scorer in Irish history.

Louisville. How do they hold up now that they are down this season and their in-state counterparts have catapulted back into the Final Four picture?

Depaul. Do they win a Big East game this season? They're 2-28 in their last 30 Big East regular season games dating back to January 2008.