I know this is a bit premature- and I'm sure there will be a "Where are we watching" post later- but does anyone have any information on bars that have ESPN3 available?  I will be out of town hanging with Snooki and The Situation- so I am spefically looking for an establishment in or around Wildwood, NJ.

I downloaded the ESPN mobile app to my iPhone (which works great) but I would rather not watch the game on a 2x3 inch screen.  Not sure how that would work with Doug Marrone's thighs and #SHAMARKO's biceps.

And now, to fill out my word requirement,,,

Syracuse 31- Wake 21

Nassib 21-34, 210 yds, 2 TD's, 1 INT

Bailey, 17 carries for 95 yds, 1 TD, 5 catches for 35 yards

Nick Provo, 6 catches for 45 yds, 1 TD

Jarrod West, 3 catches for 25 yds

Adrian Fleming, 3 catches for 30 yds, 1 TD

Jerome Smith, 5 carries for 15 yards, 1 TD'

In light of today's tweets that Jade Scorpion will be returning, I thought I would take this opportunity to offer my rebuttal to the negative comments and stupidity that  will surely follow this announcement.  First, let me state my opinion clearly.  In no way, shape or form would Syracuse be a better team next year without Scoop Jardine.  Now for the why.  Let's look at the typical Scoop-bashing comment one may hear on the radio or read on many a blog:

"Syracuse would be a better team if Scoop would just run the point!  He tries to do to much!  He makes such idiotic decisions!  He is Scooooopid!!!"

Yes.  Syracuse would be a better team if Scoop would just run the point.  However, this Orange squad is not put together in such a way that allows him to do that.  This year, Scoop was asked to keep his dribble for up to 20 seconds at the top of the offense while KrisJo and Triche ran off screens trying to get open.  If they failed, Scoop's next option was to dribble to one side of the court and try to dump it down to RIck Jackson who was double teamed because the Orange have no other inside threat.  Once options a and b fail, Scoop is then was asked to penetrate and get to the rim where he could dump it off to ...I'm not sure who.  If all else fails, Scoop can always jack up a deep three as the shot clock goes off.

The Orange simply do not have another player who can keep their dribble against pressure while remaining a scoring threat.  "But Yoda", you say, "Brandon Triche played point guard last year.  Give him the ball".  Yes- Brandon Triche can hold his own against pressure, but he hasn't proven that he can consistently break down defenders with the dribble and get to the rim (without charging, landing on his hip and sitting out the rest of the biggest game of the year).  "But Yoda", you say, "Give Kris Joseph the ball".  Yes- Kris Joseph can break down defenders off the dribble, but he hasn't proven he can handle the ball against pressure while creating for others.  In fact, he had fewer assists than Rick Jackson and committed the second most turnovers on the team. 

Lastly, you stay classy Syracuse.  Like it or not, Scoop is the face of the Orange right now.  He has been the most accessible Orange Man for the past three years and,  by all accounts, bleeds Orange more than any one of us on this blog does.  He is not DeShaun Williams, Eric Devendorf or even Paul Harris.  Criticize his play if you wish.  Mock his propensity for cheesesteaks and Chipotle if you must.  But let him play ball- he has earned that much.

I am not typically a basher of the Post Standard and I think that Mike and Donna due a pretty good job of covering the team.  That being said, coverage of Saturday's game was a joke.  I must have re-read the sports section 3 or 4 times thinking I was missing something.  I guess I can understand why so little print was given to the Dion Waiters situation.  Coach B has made it clear all week that he wasn't going to give out much info on that debacle.  But I saw no evidence that any reported challenged him on his BS answer why Dion didn't play.

The thing that really got my goat was the lack of James Southerland information.  And by lack of I mean that it was NOT MENTIONED IN ANY OF THE 6 STORIES written about the game.  Not even a little blurb stating if Coach was asked why he didn't play James.

As I said earlier- I normally have no problem with the PS's coverage of SU basketball.  I just found it unacceptable that so little coverage was given to the personnel issues currently plaguing this team.  When a player who started the team's previous game doesn't see the court in the next one- that's newsworthy.

On a related note- Coach Boeheim can't have the best reputation with the media these days.  Starting with the AO knee situation last year- Coach's answers to questions have been vague at best and dishonest at worst.  I say this with the upmost respect for Coach Boeheim and the program he has built.

There,  I feel better.

A few observations from my seat high above Jim Boeheim Court.

• This Colgate team is easily the worst squad I have seen come through the Carrier Dome in my 7 years as a season ticket holder.  No talent and a surprising lack of hustle at times.
• Big win for the Orange Women yesterday.  I knew before I arrived at the game last night that I would be treated to the obligatory shot of Coach Q next to DOCTOR Daryl Gross on the big screen- the only question was how long would it take?  Well, we didn't even make it to the first media timeout.  Coach Q was introduced to the crowd about 1:30 into the game when Colgate called timeout.
• I was impressed with James Southerland's ball handling ability (NH) last night.  He pulled down a couple of boards and calmly moved the ball into the frontcourt.
• Nice to see Southerland and Brandon Triche show some confidence in their game last night.  Then again- I was feeling pretty confident about my game at halftime.
• I think Fab Melo's achilles tendon issues may develop into a real problem for this team.  Is it true he has been next to worthless this year?  Yes.  Will he finish the year averaging more fouls per game than points per game?  Probably.  But Syracuse will have a tough time getting through the Big East unless Melo can eat up at least 10-15  minutes per game.  If he can't go does Boeheim entertain the thought of bringing back Dashonte Riley in late January?
• No wave and no Cotton Eyed Joe from the crowd.  Sometimes it's a beautiful thing to just watch the game.

Orange Power Rankings (Hoya Suxa edition)- a season long rating of the Orange players with added emphasis placed on the most recent games (last game’s ranking in parentheses):

1. Rick Jackson (1)-  Ken Pomeroy is a wonderful resource for stat crazy fans.  But sometimes you have to actually watch a game, Ken.  Rick Jackson is listed as a "Role Player" by Mr. Pomeroy because he is only used on 16%-20% of offensive possessions.  Brilliant.
   
2. Antonio Jardine (2)-  Very efficient game for Scoop last night.  5-7 from the floor with no turnovers.  He is currently 9th in the nation in assist rate, assisting on 44% of SU's baskets when he is on the floor.  I still wonder about his shot selection at times.  Keep an eye on Scoop's  Boeheim WhatTheFuck's (BWTFs) per game average.
   
3. Kris Joseph (3)- Another uninspired performance.  Still leads the team in over the top celebrations after meaningless baskets (OTTCAMBs).
4. Dion Waiters (4)- Making a strong push to move into the top 3.  Unfortunately he flashed the dynasty signn after a basket last night which is -100 points on my rating system.  Curiously, neither Ken Pomeroy nor the Post Standard see any correlation between the flashing of the dynasty symbol and teams that grossly underachieve.
5. Baye Moussa Keita (5)- Looks like we are going to find out if Baye can cut it as the starting center.  He is listed as "Nearly Invisible" by Ken Pomeroy because he is used on less than 12% of offensive possessions.  I'm fine with him remaining "nearly invisible" on offensive as long as he continues to stay out of foul trouble and help Jackson out on the boards.
   
6. Brandon Triche (6)- Starting to make some noise.  In the Post Standard today Triche said it has been tough for him to get used to playing off the ball rather than manning the point.  According to Ken Pom he has left his point guard days in the past as he is currently #364 in the country in assist rate.
7. CJ Fair (7)-  Nothing spectacular from CJ- then again he doesn't have to be.  6 points and 7 boards a night works just fine.  Will likely see his minutes increase if Melo is shelved.
8. Fab Melo (8)- Now looks like Melo's may be hobbled all year by achilles tendonitis.  I hope I'm wrong about that.  Fab has helped Syracuse land in the top 5 in the country in one category- average height.  KenPom.com lists SU at #4.
9. Theodore Jones (9)- Typical game from Mookie- 9 points on 8 shots.  Unfortunately the switch to man defense further exposed his lack of agility.  Which makes this hard to explain- Mookie leads the team in steal percentage according to Ken Pom.
10. James Southerland (10)- May get more of an opportunity if Melo is unable to play for an extended period of time.  He's gotta make his move soon.  Actually leads the team in percentage of shots taken when on the floor.  Is that opposed to shots taken when on the bench, Ken?
    

A few observations from my seat high above Jim Boeheim Court.

• Overlooked in how poorly SU played was how well they took care of the ball- only 5 turnovers.  No way they win the game shooting 38% if they turn the ball over 10+ times.
•  Blacknight76- What happened?  I begged you and your fellow students to cease and desist with the Cotton-Eyed Joe.  Not only did you dance it again- you danced it WITHOUT MUSIC
• Gotta admit, I was a little disappointed not to see Sidney Lowe in his signature red coat.
• Slightly disappointing crowd of 22,334.  However, as we all know, size doesn't matter.  The crowd was in it from start to finish.
• Got a chance to spend a few minutes at the charity auction before the game.  One of the items available- spend a day with Carrier Dome announcer Mike Veley.  Starting bid was...wait for it...FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS!  I realize it was for charity, but still, five hundred dollars?

Orange Power Rankings (Anagram Edition)- a season long rating of the Orange players with added emphasis placed on the most recent games (last game’s ranking in parentheses):

1.   Cock Skin Jar (1)-  Fans have to be starting to take Jackson for granted at this point.  Rick put together another nice outing with no real help from Baye, Fab or CJ Fair.

2.   Jade Scorpion (3)- Another horrible shooting night from Scoop.  However, 23 points, 6 assists and only one turnover are enough to move him in front of Kris Joseph- who I'm not even sure actually played in this game.  

3.  Jokers Ship (2)- Maybe Matt Joseph actually did start this game. 

4.   Saint Weirdo (4)- Dion- saying you can shoot the three doesn't make it so.

5.   A Beauties Mask, Yo (5)- Looked like a freshman tonight.

6.  The Rabid Cornn (6)- Not playing like a rabid anything.

7.   CJ Fair (7)- I have an anagram for him- Josh Pace.

8.   Lamb Foe (8)- Started off like a lion in this one.  Of course you know what wolves do to lambs.

9.    Noisome Joke (9)- Honestly, if Mookie doesn’t get in the game when the opposition is playing zone and nobody on the team could throw it in the water from a boat, when is he going to get in a game?  Activate the  transfer alert.

10.  Jolt, A Hardness Emu (10)- Tough spot for 'Cuse fans.  The better CJ and Baye play the less Emu on the court.

A few observations from my seat high above Jim Boeheim Court.

• Why hello there Mr. Melo.  Safe to say Jim Boeheim would take 8 points and 7 boards a game from Fab Melo the rest of the way.  He's got a long way to go, and I would like to see a little more power and a little less finesse around the basket, but you have to start somewhere.
• Blacknight76- I implore you- please, please, please get the students to stop dancing the Cotton-Eyed Joe.  It is on par with the wave for lameness and makes me feel even older than I actually am.
• Some nice passing from Rick Jackson in the high post tonight.  Seems like SU has been struggling all year to feed the post,  Scoop and KrisJo don't seem to have the confidence to make that pass from the wings.  Unfortunately, if Rick is the one making the pass, who is he going to pass it to?
• Boeheim's comments may have been a little strong, but Scoop has been awful when trying to dish the ball in traffic over the past three games.  I wish he would go to the basket with the intention of scoring and dump the ball off if it is there, not the other way around.
• Play of the year so far by Rick Jackson and CJ Fair.  Fair's finish was so good it completely overshadowed the beautiful 50 foot bounce pass by Jackson which lead to the break.
• Any chance Coach B finds a way to get Dion Waiters, Brandon Triche and Scoop Jarding on the court at the same time?  I would love to see a little three man weave with dribble drive penetration ala the Edelin/McNamara/Pace or even Devendorf/Rautins/Flynn days.
• Rick Jackson appears to be on his way to having the finest rebounding season for anyone wearing Orange since Derrick Coleman.  He is currently averaging 13rpg.  Coleman averaged 12.1rpg during the '89-90 campaign.  Jackson is currently benefitting from the lack of another true rebounder on the Orange.  Baye does a decent job in spurts- but the majority of the time it is left up to Jackson to pull down the boards.  No more fighting with AO and Wes Johnson for rebounds.  Not to mention that SU's shooting percentage is down leading to many more rebounding opportunities.  The school record is held by Jon Cincebox who averaged an untouchable 16.4rpg in 1957-58.

I give you the debut of the Orange Power Rankings- a season long rating of the Orange players with added emphasis placed on the most recent games:

1. Rick Jackson-  Solid.  Just solid.
2. Kris Joseph- Disappears for long stretches at times but remains the Orange's top offensive  
          weapon.
3. Antonio Jardine- Barely.  Another 0 point 4 turnover night and he's gonna have more to  worry about than being number 3 on my list.  Still, one of the few Orangemen
4. Dion Waiters- Clearly one of the most physically gifted players on the court every time he takes the floor.  I still worry about how he will react when he hits a cold streak and Coach Boeheim gives him the quick hook a few times.
5. Baye Moussa Keita- Provides energy and rebounding off the bench.  Too limited offensively and has probably peaked in the rankings for this year.
6. Brandon Triche- Edges out CJ Fair for the 6th spot based on his impact defensively and considerably greater playing time.  Ugly assist to turnover ratio of 1.04.
7. CJ Fair- Tonight's dunk alone was enough to put him above the last three on this list.  Very actively offensively with a nice mid-range game.  Needs to add some weight and muscle to compete on the boards in the Big East.
8. Fab Melo- Not much to choose from for the last three spots.  Melo slides in at #8 mainly because he remains in the starting lineup and, unlike Mookie and Southerland, will likely see action in every game this year.  6-8ppg and 5-7rpg seems to be the ceiling for Fab this year.  In my opinion, Cuse doesn't go deep into March unless he can average at least 20 minutes a game.
9. Theodore Jones- Mookie has the ability to win Syracuse a game this year with his shooting.  Unfortunately, he also has the ability to lose them a game with his defense, ball handling, passing, rebounding, decision making and ability to Tweet start a controversy at anytime.
10. James Southerland- Completely lost on defense.  No confidence in his shot.  Adding nothing on the boards.  I still believe in James.  But does Jimmy?

• Yoda says "...Unfortunate that you rushed to judge this team... incomplete is their training. Not ready for Spartans are they."

A few observations from my seat high above Jim Boeheim Court.

• First things first- the Orange narrowly averted a disaster on a scale not seen since the loss to Drexel in 2006.  Recent losses to Rhode Island (2007) and Cleveland St. (2008) would have looked good compared to this one.
• A nice 6 minutes of work from Mookie Jones.  3 points, 2 steals and 1 assist.  Bad sign that it wasn't enough to result in any second half minutes in a game where SU couldn't buy a basket.
• Gotta disagree with Coach Boeheim's comment that all 22 of SU's three point attempts were good shots.  Scoop rushed a bunch of 3's in the second half and finished 3-10 from long range.
• Safe to say Fab Melo and Dion Waiters will be on campus next year- assuming Dion doesn't take to twitter ala Theodore Jones.  Waiters continues to comment how difficult it has been for him to get used to coming off the bench...

"I build off every game," Waiters said. "You’re not going to always play good, but at least bring something to the table. I’m still getting used to coming off the bench. It’s a humbling experience. I never came off the bench. I just have to get myself mentally involved in the bench."

Keita for three?

• Yoda says "...potential matters not.  Judge the Orange by their potential, do you?  Hmm?  Hmm.  And well you should not.  For their ally is the 2-3 zone, and powerful ally it is.  Boeheim creates it, makes it grow.  Without it, they are nothing.  Shots they must make.  For missed shots are the path to the dark side."

A few observations from my seat high above Jim Boeheim Court.

• Excellent game for Antonio Jardine.  For a good chunk of the second half it was obvious that Scoop was the only option on offense and he was still able to get to the basket.
• This was a game where Mookie actually had a chance to make a difference.  Boeheim was searching for anyone who could hit an open jumper.  Unfortunately Mookie was unable to take advantage of the situation.  Jimmy gave him the hook when his poor lateral movement was exposed on a Detroit fastbreak late in the first half.
• Chant of the night from the student section- "Da-ddy's boy!  Da-ddy's boy!" to Detroit's freshman point guard Ray McCalllum, son of the head coach.
• I see Dashonte RIley is taking fashion tips from Scoop Jardine.  He sported a red and white striped hoody at the far end of the bench. 
• Fab Melo may not be in danger of losing his starting job anytime soon but it's obvious that he is not the polished player he was made out to be.  Keita has been great so far but the Orange have to get production (or at least minutes) out of Melo if they are going to make a run come March.  I think 8 points and 8 boards per game would be a success at this point.
• Dance team alert.  The squad has picked up another member and is back up to 13.  Enough to cancel the watch for the time being.  Now, if they could only recruit some...how shall I say this... "talent". 
• Another attendance (17,379) brought to you by DOCTOR Daryl Gross.  Pretty quiet at the Dome last night.  There weren't even any scalpers outside the gates.
• James Southerland was another player who had a chance to make a big impression last night.  Fail.  James looked as one dimensional as Mookie last night.  He was poor defensively and didn't do much on the boards.

A few observations from my seat high above Jim Boeheim Court.

• Good to see Scoop get back into the action this afternoon.  He continues to struggle with his outside shot but he did a nice job of beating his defender and dishing the ball as well as running the break in the second half.
• You would have to think that inconsistency is going to be a consistent issue for Dion Waiters this year.  Great game against Northern Iowa on Friday.  Not so good today.
• Looks like Kris Joseph is struggling with how to fit his new found shooting ability into his game.  Everytime he catches the ball he appears to hesitate, deciding whether he should shoot or take the ball to the basket.  That little hesitation is all it takes for the defense to recover and shut down his lane to the basket.
• Dance team alert.  Back up to twelve members today but only 7-8 participated in the dances.  Must be coach Katie Lappin has been talking to Jimmy B about the best way to manage her roster.  The watch continues...
• I've been to a couple of football games this year and it seemed like PROFESSOR Veley had toned it down behing the mic.  Not so for basketball.  Just as many swishes by Triche and shoves from above as ever.
• Nice to see Fab Melo tone down his act with the officials today.  It looks like the coaching staff got to him and told him to cool it after his display vs. Northern Iowa.  He appeared to catch himself several times and went from his "What, me?" pose to clapping very quickly.  Of course none of that kept him from fouling out- at which point he walked over to the sideline and kicked a chair over.  So maybe he has a ways to go...
• The announced attendance of 22,200 was a joke.  Decent crowd for a football Sunday in November, but not 22,000.  The student section was about half the size it was for Northern Iowa.  I'd say the attendance was closer to 15,000.
• Nice outing for Baye Moussa Keita who finished with 15 boards.  Probably not this nice though:

“ wouldn’t have won tonight without him. That’s how important he is. He made a couple good plays in the first half when we really needed baskets. When we were struggling to get a basket, he made two. He was just really good. I said in the preseason he’s been the biggest surprise on our team."

James Arthur Boeheim after the game

• Coach Boeheim has had it with the hype and all of the recent talk about how deep the team is.  Of course he failed to mention that he was the main source of the hype surrounding this team.  He now refers to his team as "the most overrated team I've ever had."

A few observations from my seat high above Jim Boeheim Court.

• Excellent showing from the students tonight.  I don't remember seeing students in the third level for a game this early in the season before.
• Scoop goes 0 fer Friday night, Triche scores 5 and the Orange beat a solid opponent by 22?  Nice.
• Fab Melo did not make a good first impression with Tim Higgins tonight.  I realize he is a passionate Brazilian but he needs to tone down his body language when he doesn't agree with the call.  I bet Fab even argued this call.
• I'm not worried about SU's 3-point shooting.  I think Triche, Joesph, Mookie, Shoutherland and Waiters all have the ability to be better than average shooters from deep.  The trick is going to be finding the guy with the hot hand each game.
• What's with the dance team?  Has there been a mutiny?  16-17 girls for the Kutztown game.  12 for Lemoyne.  11 tonight.  I smell a trend.
• I'm already sick of Unfinished Business.  Get Coach Murphy back in the studio ASAP.
• Gotta say I was a little worried in the first half.  Especially when Johnny Moran started channeling his inner Brandon Plavich.
• Please don't tell Coach Q that, despite his halftime speech, I didn't stay for the women's game.  He scares me.
• Baye Moussa Keita may not play big minutes once the Big East season gets underway.  But he certainly looks more ready to contribute than Dashonte Riley did at any time last year.
• Cue the transfer watch for Mookie.  He didn't get off the bench until the 8 minute mark of the second half.  Theodore did earn a Jim Boeheim clap for his assist on a CJ Fair bucket late in the game.

Is Dion Waiters prepared to come of the bench for at least two and possibly three years at SU? Assuming he does not supplant Scoop or Triche in the lineup this year- you would think that he wouldn't do so next year either. Two years from now, when Scoop graduates, do you move Triche back to the point and start Waiters at the two spot or does MCW step right in as the starting point guard (I can't see Waiters starting at the point)?

That leads me to this- assuming Mookie stays- SU will have Scoop, Triche, Waiters, Jones, MCW and Trevor Cooney at the guard position next year. Even if Boeheim goes small and plays three guards playing time is going to be at a premium for the freshmen (and non-existent for Mookie).

Obviously this is a nice problem to have. It shows the strength of recent recruiting classes. But this isn't Duke- Boeheim plays 8 guys and players come here expecting to in the top eight. If someone like MCW ends up 9th on the depth chart we could start to see a run of transfers like we had a few years back.

Spent some time browsing Rivals.com today looking at the SU hoops recruiting situation.  In addition to the players signed for next season (Rakeem Christmas, Trevor Cooney and Michael Carter-Williams) SU has offers pending to the following members of the class of 2011:

Offers pending to the class of 2012 include:

Not to jump onto basketball season after one bad football game- but I was listening to Axe the other day and he was having a discussion regarding an article published naming the 50 greatest dunks in NCAA history. Three SU dunks made the list including Jonny Flynn over/through Mike Rosario, Hakim Warrick over Royal Ivey and Hakim Warrick over Dennis Lattimore of ND (kind of a strange choice). So I decided to link to a few of my favorites.  Unfortunately, a few of the all-time greats don't seem to exist on the interwebs.  Post-em if you got 'em.

• Sherm long snaps to Stevie Thompson

• Kristof!

•  AO takes down the backboard at midnight madness

• Dave Johnson off the tip vs. Duke 

• Hakim Warrick over Dennis Lattimore

• Flynn/Rosario

• Paul being Paul  

• Hak serves some tea

• Onuaku goes coast to coast

• Jonny finishes off USF

• Jonny to Paul

• A little bit of Wesley

• Jonny to Donte

#5-  Lebryan Nash, SF, 6'7", 212-  Dallas,TX

#9-  Anthony Wroten Jr., PG, 6'4", 180- Seattle, WA

#42- LaQuinton Ross, SF, 6'8", 195- Burlington, NJ

#70- Derrick Wilson, PG, 6'1", 185- Lakeville, CT

#121- Trevor Cooney, SG, 6'3", 180- Wilmington, DE (has verbally committed to Syracuse)

Suprised I am, that more big men being recruited are not.  If leave early, Fab Melo does, thin at center the Orange will be.

Suffered a significant blow in their attempt to land a top notch wide receiver, looks like the orange may have.  Coleman's apparent top choice, even more unfortunate is...

Scout.com reported Thursday that Bishop McNamara wide receiver Brandon Coleman has a clear leader in his recruitment.

The Scarlet Knights now lead solidly for wide receiver Brandon Coleman over Syracuse and Maryland. "It’s just a comfort level I have with Rutgers,” Coleman said. “I like everything about them.”

 His column today, Pat forde grudgingly gave Syracuse some respect in, he did.  Who the hell says dotage anyway? 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=4838196 (sorry- can't get my link button to work).

Scheduled to participate in an online chat at 3pm, Forde is.  Nice if a few of us could pay him a visit-, it would  be.

Syracuse (16).

Why we used to care: The Orange won 28 games last season, earned a No. 3 NCAA tournament seed and played one of the great games in college basketball history, the six-overtime extravaganza with Connecticut in the Big East tournament.

Why we stopped caring: Cuse lost its top three scorers (Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris), leading rebounder (Harris) and top distributor (Flynn) from that team. The Orange were picked sixth in the Big East preseason poll.

Why we care now: With revelatory transfer Wesley Johnson leading the way, Syracuse is 18-1 and ranked fifth nationally. Cuse is enjoying addition by subtraction, with some players more amenable to coaching than last season. Jim Boeheim isn't grouching off into his dotage just yet.

Update:

dot·age : a state or period of senile decay marked by decline of mental poise and alertness

Uh oh.  As flatering as I thought they were- maybe his comments weren't quite.  I think not, you want to go down this road Pat.