SB Nation - Syracuse Orange

Jonny Who?: Syracuse 92, Oakland 60

Sean Keeley — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:18:12 -0000

More photos » by Kevin Rivoli - AP

Another blowout win, another new hero. This time? Freshman Brandon Triche, who scored 27 points in Syracuse's 92-60 win over Oakland.

Freshman guard Brandon Triche was a perfect 6- for-6 from three-point range, finishing with a game-high 27 points, as fifth- ranked Syracuse cruised to a resounding 92-60 win over Oakland at the Carrier Dome.

Wes Johnson registered a double-double for the Orange (12-0), scoring 19 points and hauling in 11 rebounds. Rick Jackson contributed 14 points and five boards, while Mookie Jones scored 13 in the lopsided triumph.

It was just what the Orange needed on a night when Arinze Onuaku played an extremely limited role due to his injury. That he was well enough to play at all was a good sign for Cuse.

The Orange had 24 assists on the night, quite a number for an SU team. In fact, they're the No. 1 team in the nation when it comes to passing for scores.

The Orange leads the nation in assists per game at 22.5. It is producing 4.5 more assists per game than any other Big East team. And it is doing so with regularity. SU’s lowest assist total this season came against Cornell when the Orange collected 16.

"I think they’re all unselfish. I don’t think anybody is looking to just try to score," SU coach Jim Boeheim said. "I think they’re all good passers. Andy’s a very good passer; Brandon’s a good passer, Scoop. Our guards are good passers. They look to pass first.

"I think Eric (Devendorf) and Jonny (Flynn) were more offensive minded. They wanted to score. They were looking to score more. Our guards can score more. But they look to pass the ball. Wesley is obviously a very good scorer, but he looks to pass. He’s a good passer. Ricky and Arinze are very good passers. So I think it’s the tools they have. They’re all good passers."

Check out some more highlights and recaps from the game below.

Syracuse-Oakland Recap...Brent Axe

MOVIN' EAST: With conference play looming, Orange maintains undefeated mark in romp over Oakland...Daily Orange

Triche to Fizz: I Told Ya So...Orange Fizz

How we won: Never a doubt...Cuse Country

Triche Leads Gang Assault on Oakland...Three Idiots on Sports

No. 22 Syracuse Cruises Past Delaware State, 72-20...SUAthletics.com

Kris Joseph and Brandon Triche talk to the press after the Orange win over Oakland University.

Post-game locker room with Kris Joseph and Brandon Triche

Syracuse University basketball coach Jim Boeheim talks about the Orange win over Oakland University.

Coach Boeheim on the Orange win over Oakland, 92 – 60

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Wednesday (12/23/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:31:20 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a few distractions. Today we're being brought to you by Březňák in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

It's the Day Before the Day Before Christmas and not a creature was stirring, except me...trolling the net for content below. The men are back in action tonight against a formidable #15 Ole Miss team. There will be an edition tomorrow and maybe something small on Christmas as well (I'm gonna play that one by ear and see what's happening). Something tells me I'm supposed to do something of importance on here a bit later today, but I'm not sure what it is. I'm sure it'll come to me. Think...think... The tips, suggestions and requests have been great, but more is always better. Let's get going....

What You May Have Missed:

WVU Football Season Honors - BlueGoldNews.com

All-Decade Varsity Sports Teams - MSNsportsNET.Com

Gator Bowl Report for Wednesday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Gold and Blue Report for Wednesday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Finally, a Good playoff/bowl simulation - SI.com/FanNation

Mountaineers in the NFL - WVIllustrated.com

Costly kick in the teeth to bowl teams - SignOnSanDiego.com
Thanks to JP Fanshawe for the find.

News of Note (FB):

Devine, Sanders share WVU offensive honor - Charleston Gazette

Catching up with Big East, Herd bosses - Charleston Gazette
Vingle's Notebook

Gator Bowl closing in on record ticket sales - Charleston Daily Mail

Big Sunday for Brown - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Stewart: WVU underdog in Gator Bowl - Times West Virginian

News of Note (BB):

Huggins to Nation - WVIllustrated.com
Huggs gives the best interviews, talks, etc. Video inside.

WVU coach says team lacking focus and intensity - Charleston Daily Mail

Ole Miss Preview - MSNsportsNET.Com

Preview: Ole Miss - BlueGoldNews.com

No. 6 WVU hosts No. 15 Ole Miss - Times West Virginian

No. 6 vs No. 15 at the Coliseum - WVIllustrated.com

WVU ready for Ole Miss pressure - Charleston Gazette

Mississippi to challenge WVU tonight - Parkersburg News and Sentinel

Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, Duke No. 1 seeds in Bracket Watch - SI.com

An in-depth look at the decade in college basketball - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

WVU Upends UMBC - MSNsportsNET.Com
79-45

Women's Basketball: WVU Up Two Spots in Rankings - MSNsportsNET.Com

Recruiting:

Troy Gloster Leads Stars - WVIllustrated.com

What's On Tap:

Mississippi Rebels vs. West Virginia Mountaineers - ESPN
Tonight at 7:30 from the Coliseum on ESPN2. The line has us by 11.

Harvard Crimson vs. Georgetown Hoyas - ESPN
Noon today from the Phone Booth in DC. Hoyas are giving 13.5.

Delaware Fightin Blue Hens vs. Villanova Wildcats - ESPN
Tonight at 7 from the Pavilion in Philly. Villanova is giving 29.

Around the League (and Beyond):

Nikita Mescheriakov latest Georgetown Hoyas player to transfer - SI.com (AP)

No. 11 Connecticut beats Maine 71-54 - SI.com

Syracuse men's basketball pounds Oakland (Mich.) - syracuse.com
92-60

Cincinnati Bearcats recover for victory over Winthrop - Cincinnati Enquirer
74-57

Strong plans to tap Sanford's mind to bring spread offense to Louisville football - Courier-Journal

Brown sparks Pitt's 74-49 win against Ohio - PPG

Rutgers men's basketball cruises past St. Peter's, 66-42, behind Mike Rosario and Hamady Ndiaye - Star Ledger

Leavitt enthused over JuCo recruits - Tampa Tribune

Videos of Interest:

Thanks to JP Fanshawe for the find again.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Lutz sent me this one.

And a Christmas Classic Clip:

Christmas Babes Gallery of the Day:

via www.gunaxin.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a gorgeous model of Czech background. She claims they're real, but I contend they fail the "shape changing when laying flat on the back" test. Still magnificent, nonetheless, she can keep me warm anytime. Here's Denise Milani.

via www.zastavki.com

Březňák image via www.restaurace-tivoli.cz

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- UK2K Becomes Reality

Truzenzuzex — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:17:53 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Party hearty, Wildcats!

Browse more photos »

Obviously, most of the linkage and news today is all about Kentucky's 2000 wins.

Winning the race to 2000 was a very big deal, and has provoked lots of commentary about what it all means. I think, from a fan standpoint, it means a lot more than it does in the context of college basketball. Yes, it is a significant milestone, and I am extremely proud and gratified to be a fan of the team who accomplished it.

To tell the truth, I am even more happy about the way in which it was accomplished -- by the young Wildcats playing their best basketball of the season in front of a huge home crowd that cheered their every move. Overall, it was a celebration of Kentucky basketball -- where we've been, where we are, and where we seem to be going.

Many non-UK fans will pooh-pooh the accomplishment as little more than a number, but that's fine. For UK fans, this is a very big deal, and as much as anything, an opportunity to celebrate a great, undefeated start to the season.

News after the jump.

Kentucky gets to 2,000 wins, but is it really that big a deal? - The Dagger - NCAAB Blog - Yahoo! Sports
He's right -- we didn't need 2000 wins for validation.
" BBL: Cats on the verge of a Big Blue 2K John Clay’s Sidelines
John Clay's Big Blue Links.
Newton feels no added bowl pressure | Vaught's Views
NCAA MEN: Kentucky hoops on verge of win No. 2,000 | jacksonsun.com | The Jackson Sun
CatsPause.com - Calipari, players reflect on chase to 2,000
"I'm such a small part of the 2,000 wins," Calipari said. "But there is a sense of responsibility when you are in this seat. There have not been many in this seat, but the guys that have been know there is a sense of responsibility that you feel to the state, university, former players and coaches.

I think that's right.
UK sets record after thrashing rival Cardinals 101-67 : The Kentucky Kernel
On Sunday the UK women’s basketball team (10-0) notched its 10th consecutive victory to start the season, which breaks the previous school record of 9-0 set in 1980-81, with a resounding 101-67 victory over the Louisville Cardinals (6-5). It was UK’s first win over the Cards since 2003.

Folks, that was a thumping.
Drexel's 'Bruiser' on Coach Cal: 'He's a fighter' | KentuckySports.com
Few coaches could be closer to John Calipari than Drexel's James "Bruiser" Flint.

The two talk daily.

Flint succeeded Cal at UMass, so I'm not surprised. "Once in the morning and then at night," Flint said when asked about their relationship. "I put it to you like that."
AP writer praises Knight, rips Calipari, UK | Vaught's Views
Larry Vaught continues to take the war to Calipari's detractors.
As Kentucky basketball nears win #2000, it appears now that John Calipari gets it | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
"We need to get to one before they get to seven," Calipari said. "You say, ‘Why?' Because this program has created a pride in this state from Eastern to Western to Northern to Southern Kentucky. People have a pride in their commonwealth's team, and it means something to them."

I think Calipari gets it.
Shooting from the Lip/Dec. 21
Ex-AD says truth is Calipari's best defense | KentuckySports.com
Marcum noted that the NCAA absolved Calipari of any personal culpability in the UMass case as it did the Memphis case. Then he added, "People are not interested in a statement by the NCAA. In it, they said the institution did not know and should not have known what happened with Camby.

Seems Bobby Knight got his facts wrong. Who could be surprised by that?
Hoops on Campus - NY Daily News
Rush The Court " Blog Archive " UK2K
Great, as always, from RTC.
Historical NCAA All-Time Wins Trends
Awesome work by Jon Scott. (Shameless plug) You can read more about Jon's coverage of the race to 2000 by purchasing your copy of Wildcat Tip-off 2009-10, while it's still on newsstands near you. [Mandadory disclaimer: I am the editor of Wildcat Tip-off and received compensation for my role. I receive no compensation from sales of the Annual]
2000 WINS. UK IS FIRST AGAIN - Big Blue Cats.com UK's BBC
Kentucky Sports Radio -- A Great Night in Rupp Arena
Wildcat Blue In a Sea of Orange: 2000! It's a celebration of the Wildcat spirit as UK dispatches Drexel 88-44
Tonight was a celebration of UK basketball and it was a perfect opportunity for a sometimes beleagured Wildcat Nation to stop worrying for once and enjoy the moment.

Indeed.
Wilmhoff's Wildcat Wrap: TWO THOUSAND!
No. 3 Kentucky beats Drexel to reach 2,000 wins - State - SunHerald.com
The Wildcats shot 53 percent, outrebounded the Dragons 45-22 and could have won even more emphatically if Calipari hadn't started substituting liberally with about seven minutes left.
Xavier deserved a final shot - Beyond the Arc - msnbc.com
Mike Miller says the Xavier/Butler game may have been done by the rules, but the rules suck.

I agree. The problem here is that if the proper amount of time had been taken off to begin with, it likely would have impacted how Butler ran their last seconds of offense, and there is no knowing what the outcome of that may have been. You can't go back ex post facto and take time off the clock like that and be fair. The officials' judgment was in error, in my opinion -- you can't play with time like that at the end of the game and still be sure the resulting process was fair. The timing error should have been ignored, and Xavier should have had 1.2 seconds to do whatever.

Would that have been fair to Butler? Sure, they got an extra second to get into their offense, which could have been critical to the outcome.
Around the Top 25: UK2K is pretty damn catchy, you must admit | College Hoops Journal
Hey, it’s a big milestone and could add to a very special season if John Calipari manages to get this team to a Final Four and doesn’t get it vacated in the process. (That’s not even a joke.)

What can you say? Some people will never let up, fairness be damned.
Quietly, Jemele Hill is forced to apologize to Kentucky for Charles Manson reference | College Hoops Journal
What can I say? HIll made a stupid, insensitive remark, and had to apologize. That seems right to me.

Bob Knight, on the other hand, insulted Calipari. Calipari chose not to take umbrage. That seems right to me.
Bank sues ex-Duke star Hurley over loan - Latest News - Kentucky.com
What is it about Duke players that makes them want to take out loans in Kentucky and then default on them. First Laettner, now Hurley. Hat tip: Rush the Court.
Kentucky stomps Drexel for program's 2,000th victory - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com
DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson scored 18 points apiece and the third-ranked Wildcats became the first team in NCAA history to reach the 2,000-win plateau with an 88-44 romp over Drexel on Monday night.
Kentucky impresses Drexel coach | Vaught's Views
PRP lineman following Pryor, Peters to Kentucky | Vaught's Views
I love getting players from Louisville.
FOX Sports airing 60-minute Calipari special | Vaught's Views
Bowl workouts offer UK look at young RBs | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
University of Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks has been hesitant to single out his younger players in preparation for the Music City Bowl, but much focus in practice has been on players not on this season's two-deep chart.
Eric Crawford | Bob Knight episode should put spotlight on ESPN, NCAA | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
On Nov. 19, 2004, the New York Daily news published an excerpt of a letter dated June 8 of that year from Tom Yeager, the chairman of the NCAA committee on infractions at the time, to Calipari. In part, it read, "The committee fully recognizes you had nothing to do with the violations of Marcus Camby during the 1995-96 season. In a sense, you were an innocent victim."

That doesn't fit the narrative, Eric. Shame on you.
Intentional Foul " DeMarcus Cousins Is Ready For Winter
Heh. Funny.
Intentional Foul " Double Alley Oops Are Always Fun
This one is worth revisiting.
A bunch of hoops nuggets
Jody Demling has a ton of stuff.
Tom Leach - Kentucky Football, Kentucky Basketball, UK Football, UK Basketball
Some new stuff over here, be sure to check it out.
Milestone belongs to Cats past and present | KentuckySports.com
"The fans are the ones I've heard talking about this," Kentucky forward Darius Miller says of UK2K. "They're the ones who told me about it, really. (Two-thousand wins) means a lot to them."
Mashburn makes return to Rupp | KentuckySports.com
Mashburn looks back fondly on his playing career for Kentucky. With UK on probation and banned from post-season play the following season, Mashburn took a chance signing with the Cats.

Then-coach Rick Pitino and his NBA background were the reasons. "What he was selling had to be his honesty," Mashburn said.

Great to see Mash back in Rupp.
The Big Blue Nation Report
Hypocrisy shows in Knight's criticism of Calipari | Sports - MassLive.com -
Heh. Some telling comments here.
South Bend Tribune: NCAA should listen to Knight this time
This is a perfect example of a writer who does not understand the concept of fairness. He is all about anything that will bring coaches into focus, regardless of their actual culpability. The reason? To "get" guys like Calipari.

I wonder how Knight feels being the poster child for logic-free expositions like this one? Hopefully, really bad.
Knight Preaching to Choir on Calipari Dirt -- FanHouse
Undeniably, he was a bully and a blowhard, an ogre who threw a chair, choked a player, head-butted another player, kicked his own son, said a woman should "relax and enjoy it" if "rape is inevitable," lost his job at Indiana when he grabbed a student's arm and berated so many referees and reporters that scorch marks were left in arenas across America. Yet there was one thing you never, ever could call Bob Knight.

A cheater.

Great pioint, Jay. You know what? You can't call Calipari that either. But you will, because you are an ethics-challenged, unfair person with an axe to grind. Grind away, just mind that the edge doesn't cut you.

Bob Knight is a jerk, behaved like a jerk, and treats nobody with respect. I think a reasonable person would reach the conclusion that he is an unfit messenger with a questionable message. You should read my comments on holding coaches accountable, because that isn't what you want -- you want to hold only the coaches you don't like accountable. That's reality.
John Calipari: Fact or Fiction. " …
Corey Graham takes Jay Mariotti, Jemele Hill and everyone else to task for the double-standard being applied to John Calipari. It's a long read, but absolutely worth the time and effort.
Kentucky Sports Radio " Josh Selby: Let’s Clear Things Up

The Can Ball Report's NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week - Dec 20

rbala — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:55:49 -0000

More photos » by Kevin Rivoli - AP

Syracuse's Kris Joseph took his high wire act all over the Zags this past weekend to earn NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week honors. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Browse more photos »

Like in that great movie/tv series from the later century The Highlander, there can only be one. And the Can Ball Report has finally come up with that player. Help us congratulate Montreal's own Kris Joseph of the Syracuse Orangemen as this week's Can Ball Report NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week.

Player of the Week

Kris Joseph (Montreal) – Soph., Syracuse

With most athletes cramming for the last exams before the winter break, there weren’t too many games being played last week. But in the one game that Syracuse’s Kris Joseph played this past Saturday, he had a great one helping the Orange defeat the visiting St Bonaventure Bonnies 85-72.

Increasing his role on the fifth ranked Orangemen over the last few weeks, Kris Joseph has made a case for being one of the most improved players on the team if not the Big East Conference. Coming off the bench, Joseph had a season high 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a blocked shot playing 33 very effective minutes for legendary coach Jim Boehiem. For the game, he shot 7 of 9 from the floor, also a season high, and made all three of his free throw attempts.

As an excellent candidate for the Big East Sixth Man of the Year, Joseph is currently averaging 10.2 points per game to go along with 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals on the season. He is the team’s fifth leading scorer, third leading rebounder and fourth in steals. Look for Joseph to build on this current success now for a brighter future come this March.

Honorable Mention: Andrew Nicholson, St Bonaventure – on Dec 19: 18 pts, 5 rbs, , 1 stl, 1 blk, 9 of 10 from the floor, 32 minutes.

Line of the Week

Gonzaga’s Canucks – Dec 19

In what can really only be classified as equivalent to a New York mugging, the Gonzaga Bulldogs got handled rather roughly by the Duke Blue Devils this past Saturday in Madison Square Garden. The final score was 71 – 41 in favor of Duke and if you had the (dis)pleasure of watching the game looking for a colossal fight, well you were disappointed with the outcome. So then why would we want to highlight this particularly bad game here? Well, primarily because our Canadians boys had a great collective game despite the mangling at the Garden.

Rob Sacre, Manny Arop, Kelly Olynyk and Bol Kong have all played significant roles on this year’s Zags team contributing to the success they have had to this point in the season and here is how they fared in the game:

Of the 41 total points scored by Gonzaga, our Canadian boys accounted for half (20) with nine coming Sacre who started at center. They accounted for a third of the rebounds (10 of 29) with Manny Arop coming off the bench to grab a team high six. They accounted for half (7 of 15) of the made field goal attempts and Sacre was responsible for half the Zags’ free throw makes (5 of 10). Is it a line to be proud of? Sure. It means that our boys down in Spokane are making meaningful contributions to a Top 25 team. But I’m sure they would have gladly given stats up for a better outcome in that forgettable game in the Garden.

Honorable Mention – Andrew Nicholson, St Bonaventure: 18 pts, 5 rbs, 1 stl, 1 blk, 9 of 10 FG, 32 mins. Vs. Syracuse.

The Herb Goldfarb Syracuse Sports Kibitz

Sean Keeley — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:30:37 -0000

A reader, Michael Goldfarb, came to me not too long ago and let me know that his grandfather, Herbert, was an outspoken, long-time Syracuse fan with a very unique view on the school and the sports program. I said if he can whip up some thoughts onto a recorder than I would be happy to share them with everyone as a way to bridge the gap between us youngens and the older generation of Syracuse fans.

Herb did just that and here it is, the first of what may be many episodes of Herb's Syracuse Sports Kibitz. I added some images to help tell the story and I hope you enjoy Herb's...interesting...view of the world and Syracuse athletics.

Happy Hanukkah to you too, Herb.

OrangeTube 12/22

Sean Keeley — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:13:30 -0000

The latest videos related to Cuse. First up...let's watch Scoop shut it down in warm-ups.

The Best Highlights of C.J. Fair's Senior Year at Brewster Academy. Get giddy.

Some fan video and photos from Syracuse's recent game against "St. Frances." Good to see they're raising those kids right (FF to :38 for your Cotton Eyed Joe fix.)

Check out some highlights from Syracuse lax's fall ball showdown with Harvard.

Pep bands are used to pump up student sections all around the country. Palestra.net's Landon Stolar takes a look at how the Sour Sitrus Society pumps up the crowd at Syracuse.

Daily Links - Goodnight, Doc

Sean Keeley — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:05:52 -0000

Orange Fizz: Syracuse Orange Sports Blog, Recruiting and Podcasts.
Orange Nation probably only gave it a cursory glance when West Virginia assistant John "Doc" Holliday was announced as Marshall's new head coach. But SU fans should breathe a sign of relief.

Monday Look Back: Xavier fails at math, Gonzaga fails at basketball - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com
Wesley Johnson has long been declared the nation's most impactful transfer. He deserves that title.

As Greg Paulus may have his eyes on the NFL Draft, the yippers are about to yip some more | Bud Poliquin -
"Me? I loved the Paulus experiment. I believe it bought needed time for Ryan Nassib (if, indeed, Nassib is next in line as the Orange quarterback). I believe it added some pizazz to a program that had fallen somewhere between football dormancy and football irrelevancy."

Three Idiots on Sports: Stalking is a Crime Bud
Bud likes Greg more than Mel likes Flight of the Conchords. I fully expect Greg to be at the family home opening Christmas presents on Friday morning and Bud will be peering in the window taking photos. It's getting creepy at this point.

Mike Waters Podcast | The Axeman - Brent Axe -
What happens when you team up the beat reporter for SU Hoops for the Post-Standard and a lowly blogger/radio host? Podcast magic my friends. Podcast magic.

Orange Fizz: Home of the FizzCast " Blog Archive " FizzCast: Big Ten Expansion - FL Recruiting - St. Bonnie
Team fizz reunites for a Christmas fizzcast. Conroy and Couzens discuss the St. Bonaventure game, then bring DA in to talk about Big Ten expansion plans, and a potential opening of the Florida recruiting scene.

YouTube - Derrick Rose puts Donte Greene on a poster.
Derrick Rose puts Donte Greene on a poster.

Mike's Mailbag: Wasn't Nicholson's shot to Rautins the same as Oregon football player? | Orange Basketball Blog - syracuse.com
Was the Andy Rautins nut-punch akin to the LaGarette Blount punch? Eh...not quite.

Niagara Gazette - MEN'S BASKETBALL: Bona star Nicholson not suspended; Benn close to return
Andrew Nicholson, Bona’s star center, won’t have to serve a one-game suspension following his ejection from Saturday’s game for hitting Syracuse’s Andy Rautins in the groin, a team spokesman said Monday evening.

Vox Populi " The 10 best Georgetown-themed holiday gifts
A "Got Georgetown?" sticker is one of them? Are Georgetown people living in 1996?

Titans LB Keith Bulluck Tears ACL, Will Miss Rest Of Season - SB Nation
Bad news for the Tennessee Titans: linebacker Keith Bulluck will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL during last week’s win over the Dolphins, according to The Tennessean.

Even Derek Jeter wants you to Shut It Down (H/T: Coach Murph):

Syracuse Welcomes The Oakland (Dome) Raiders

Sean Keeley — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:52:11 -0000

via media.syracuse.com

View full size photo »

Mentioned this yesterday but if you want to see a mid-major team that schedules like every week is championship week, look no further than the Oakland (Mich.) Grizzlies.

Last year, Oakland played at Oregon, at Syracuse, at Iowa and at Kansas State. In consecutive games. The Grizzlies went on to play Michigan and Michigan State last season.

Oakland (6-6) returns to the Carrier Dome again tonight. While most of Syracuse’s non-conference opponents point to the Orange as the season’s big game, the Grizzlies’ game against the 5th-ranked Orange is just another date on their schedule. This season, the Grizzlies have already faced Wisconsin, No. 1 ranked Kansas, No. 12 Michigan State, Memphis and Oregon.

They're battle-tested, if nothing else. And they probably stopped getting intimidated by large stadiums and raucous crowds a while ago. That's the bad news. The good news? It's not like they actually win any of those games. In fact they usually get blown out. So...that's good.

Syracuse takes on the Grizz tonight at 7pm as part of a Dome doubleheader with the women's team. SU is looking for their first 12-0 start since the 1999-00 campaign. The Orange lead the all-time series 1-0, an 86-66 win last year in the Dome.

The Orange will need a little good luck on their side, especially if Arinze Onuaku sits out to nurse that quad injury. He remains a gametime decision for the Orange. AO's absence would leave a big hole in the center of the court. SU has Rick Jackson, DaShonte Riley and others to fill in, but it's just not the same without the senior big-man.

The Grizz do feature some decent players, none more-so than Keith Benson. The 6-11, 225-pound center leads Oakland with 17.7 PPG, 11.1 RPG and 3.8 BPG. Like I said, NOT the best time to lose Arinze. Still, Jackson should be able to match Benson if it comes down to the two of them. He's averaging 16.6 points and 9.0 rebounds in Syracuse’s last three games.

Two Undefeated Syracuse Teams, One Dome To See Them In

Sean Keeley — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:41:05 -0000

View full size photo »

I don't know if there are other schools out there with still-undefeated men's and women's basketball programs. If there are others, it's not many. So let's take advantage of it while we can.

The 9-0 Syracuse Orange women's basketball team and 11-0 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team will both take to the Carrier Dome tomorrow in a double-header the likes of which these parts hasn't seen in, like, a long time...and stuff.

For the No. 22 women's team, they'll face off against 1-9 Delaware State at 2pm in an attempt to go 10-0 for the first time since 1974-75.

As for the gents, the No. 5 team in all the land will host the 6-6 Oakland Grizziles at 7pm. The Grizz have matched up with some solid opponents this season, losing to Kansas (89-59), Memphis (77-46) and Michigan State (88-57). Syracuse fans like to think this year's schedule is tougher than usual...we've got nothing on these guys.

SU doesn't know yet whether or not Arinze Onuaku will be joining them on the floor tomorrow night. AO sat out practice today with a "right quad strain" and is considered a game-time decision. Meanwhile Brandon Triche, another member of the suddenly walking-wounded, did practice on his injured ankle and will play tomorrow night for sure.

Paul Harris De-Claw'd

Sean Keeley — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:28:56 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Browse more photos »

Commenter Brando415 astutely noted today that Paul Harris no longer shows up on any NBDL player page nor does he show up on the Maine Red Claw roster. We know Paul's been injured and unable to play but I don't think we realized the extent of the injury. Back on December 11th, the Niagara Gazette noted that Harris probably wasn't going to see any playing time this season.

Late last week, Harris was told that he had a torn ligament that needed season-ending surgery. Harris sought a second opinion from one of the Boston Celtics’ team physicians and was told his initial injury had worsened, but could heal on its own with proper care.

Harris first hurt his ankle Sept. 22 playing pickup games with members of the Utah Jazz in preparation for training camp. When Harris was waived by the Jazz on Oct. 22, he thought he was a couple weeks away from a return to action, and started going to Niagara University to work on his shooting.

"I didn’t know at the time, but that made it worse," Harris said. "Now, all I can do is swim and get treatment until its 100 percent better."

Given the prognosis and the sparse roster space available to the Red Claws, who drafted Harris with their first pick in the past NBDL draft, they apparently came to a mutual agreement. The Claws waived Harris but retained his NBDL rights so that if he's ready to play at some point in the foreseeable future and there's roster space, he can rejoin the team. One Cuse player enters the NDBL, one leaves...

Shame. It's always something with Paul though, isn't it?

H/T: The CMSB