The Year 2007: An Orange Fan's Nightmare

As the year 2007 comes to a close, many Syracuse Orange fans can now look forward to the men's basketball team as they head into Big East Conference play. The talent of the freshman class has made it worth every penny spent at the Carrier Dome thus far. Hey, don't look now, but as I wrote before, the Orange women's basketball team is now on a ten game win streak as they defeated Siena in their last contest. The women are now 11-1 and are garnering some recognition in the national polls. Lacrosse is only two months away and both the men's and women's teams are ranked nationally. And in the last few weeks, Greg Robinson has put a little buzz back into the football program by snagging highly ranked recruits. But what Syracuse fan could forget the awful year their beloved Orange suffered, no matter what the sport?

As Orange fans, we have been spoiled with the success of the men's lacrosse program. Nine national titles, 22 straight Final Four appearances, and at least an annual appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Well, that last one went by the wayside this past season as the Orange missed out on the tournament for the first time since 1982. Worse than that, it was the first losing season for Syracuse since 1975. There are Orange fans out there, including myself, who had never seen either of these two things occur in our lives. It was quite a shock seeing the Orange struggle, especially when Cornell and Albany played so well. Ranked number 2 heading into the season, the Orange were expected to do great things. But that second game against Army was a sign of things to come. Syracuse struggled to control the ball, turning it over far too many times. The offense was not very fluid and took a while to develop over the season. The major weakness on the team was the defense, a unit which ranked 48th out of 57 teams. Adding to the problems on the field were the arrests of Patrick Perritt and John Carrozza. Overall, the team lacked a passion to play lacrosse and the famed number 22 should be put aside for now as the current holder does not live up to its standard of excellence. The streak had to end some time, but the way in which it ended rubbed me the wrong way. Heading into his tenth season as head coach, John Desko must shake things up to get the Orange back where it belongs in the lacrosse world.

Going over the struggles of the football program has pained me, as it has with many other Orange supporters. Head Coach Greg Robinson entered the 2007 year promising a much improved team, including the offensive line which surrendered 45 sacks the previous season. Andrew Robinson, although starting for the first time in his career, was GRob's quarterback for the west coast offense. The Orange defensive line was supposedly going to be the strength of the defense as senior Jameel McClain returned after posting 9.5 sacks (18th best in the nation) last year and garnered All-Big East second team honors. The anticipation mounted as the first game was to be televised to a national audience on ESPN. And then it all came crashing down in the Carrier Dome the very night of the opener. Washington exposed the Orange offensive line, recording seven sacks and scoring 42 points on a porous and slow Syracuse defense. The Orange followed that up by getting shut out by the Iowa Hawkeyes 35-0. In that game, Syracuse could not muster up a single first down in the opening half of play. These first couple of games were only a preview of what was to come later in the season. In a match up against rival West Virginia, the Orange had no hope as they allowed the most points by an opponent in the 28-year existence of the Carrier Dome.

The one miracle that took place during the year was the win at Louisville. It was only the second win over a Big East foe under Robinson and the win ended the Cardinals 20-game home win streak. In a break out offensive performance, Andrew Robinson threw for a career-high 423 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-35 shocker over the then 18th ranked Cardinals. But that is about as much excitement we had this season. The few bright spots on the team were the wide receiver tandem of Mike Williams and Taj Smith. Especially Williams, a sophomore who led the Orange in catches (60), yards (837), and touchdowns (10), earning him All-Big East second team honors. Those ten touchdowns included a streak of one TD reception in nine consecutive games, breaking the old mark held by SU great and future hall of famer Marvin Harrison. Freshman Max Suter shined on kickoff return duties as he broke the NCAA record with 1,299 return yards. Suter earned All-Big East first team recognition as a special teams standout.

But of course, this record was broken due to the number of points the Orange gave up. Syracuse was outscored by a total of 221 points (418 to 197). After saying the offensive line would be improved, the Orange gave up 54 sacks. The Carrier Dome crowds hit an all-time low as fans called for Robinson's firing. Daryl Gross decided to retain Robinson for another season, even though GRob has accumulated a 7-28 record with only two Big East wins in three seasons and guiding the program to its only two ten-loss seasons in the school's history. I watched every second of every game at the Carrier Dome and it was nothing less than depressing. It did not help that running back Delone Carter missed the entire season due to a dislocated hip and four-star recruit Jermaine Pierce was told he could never suit up for the Orange. Here's hoping the recent success in recruiting shows up on the field as well.

Prior to that disaster, Orange fans experience the shock of a life time when Syracuse was left out of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2001-2002 season. I, like many others, kept watching the field of 65 being unveiled on Selection Sunday, waiting to see who the Orange would play. But Syracuse was never announced and I sat there looking at the television screen with my jaw hanging. No words could describe the disbelief I had at that point in time. How could the Orange be left out of the tournament? Syracuse ended the year winning seven of their last ten games, eclipsed the twenty win mark with an overall record of 24-11, including a mark of 10-6 in a very difficult Big East Conference. In the statement game of the year, senior night at the Carrier Dome, the Orange took the bite out of the hated Georgetown Hoyas. Coming into that game, the Hoyas were on an 11-game win streak, and had come out victorious in 18 of their previous 20 contests. But the Orange came out and took it to their hated rivals, leading by as many as twenty points at one point. With that win, every Syracuse fan thought the Orange had earned itself another tournament bid.

Oh, but the NCAA Selection Committee had differing thoughts. Gary Walters, chairman of the selection committee, did not answer the question of why the Orange were passed over by such teams as Villanova. The Wildcats finished behind the Orange in the Big East, but were selected based on their better ranking in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). Is it not ludicrous to put a team in that finished behind the Orange in the same conference and split the two games played between each other? Head Coach Jim Boeheim was almost speechless at a press conference following the news that the Orange had not been invited to the big dance. The Orange seniors that had believed they played their final home game against Georgetown, had to return to the Dome to play in the NIT. Even worse, the Orange were not even a number one seed in that tournament because the selection committee for the NIT did not anticipate the Orange being left out of the NCAA Tournament.

As Orange fans, we were dejected. I couldn't bring myself to fill out my NCAA bracket for a pool until the day before the tourney began. There was that empty feeling in everyone, as feelings of shock turned into outrage. Fans voiced their opinions to one Gary Walters, whose e-mail box was so full he had to change his address. T-shirts were made that said the Orange got screwed, a picture of a big screw on the front. But then the Syracuse faithful decided to do something. No one could change the fact that the Syracuse basketball team was left out of the dance, but we could still cheer our team on. In the great testament to the Orange faithful, Syracuse fans showed why they are the best in the country. An NIT record crowd of 26,572 filled the Carrier Dome to cheer on their Orange. It was a great sight to see, the Orange faithful making the best of the situation. Hopefully we will be rewarded with a much better year in 2008.

Have a Happy New Year everyone. As always, GO ORANGE!

Orange Tame Huskies in 95-74 Victory

After a three game hiatus from the Carrier Dome, yours truly returned to the Loud House with a few friends from high school (shout out to my loyal readers Eric and Jeff). The Orange couldn't have ended the year any better, as they cruised to a twenty-one point win, their tenth of the year, over the Northeastern Huskies.

But the game was a contest for the first twenty minutes. The Huskies trailed by only two at the half as they shot 50 percent from three-point range (5-of-10) and 53.6 percent (15-of-28) from the field overall. Leading the way for the Huskies was Matt Janning who scored 15 points in the first half. Northeastern's triangle and two defense confused and slowed the Orange's leading scorer. Freshman star Donte Green was held to one three-pointer and only attempted two shots from the field. Thankfully for the Orange, Paul Harris picked up his offensive game.

Harris attacked the paint with drives to the basket, making contact and forcing the officials to blow the whistle. "Do-it-all-Paul" dropped in 12 points in the first twenty minutes of play, half of them coming from the charity stripe. In the second half, Harris continued to show great effort as he corralled 15 rebounds for the game, matching a career-high. For the game, Harris had 19 points, nine of them coming from the free throw line, which is where he should be a lot this year. In this game he played under control and did not take many jump shots. Instead, he attacked the rim and went to the free throw line. That is the Paul Harris we need to see. Last year he just took it to the paint and put it on the officials to make a decision. I know he wants to show everyone that he has a jump shot, but when we get into the Big East, were gonna need to have someone take it strong the hoop. That is what Harris does well. Harris' season-high 19 points and 15 rebounds give him the 14th double-double of his career. He also added seven assists, including a few sweet behind the back passes.

Some of Harris' energy rubbed off on to freshman guard Antonio "Scoop" Jardine. In only the third start of his career, Jardine put up a career best 18 points and dished out four assists. Jardine matched his previous career-high of eight points (against East Tennessee State University) in the first half. He knocked down 7 of his ll shots and added four free throws amid cheers of "Scoooooop!" from the Syracuse faithful. While Jardine can't fill injured Eric Devendorf's shoes, he certainly can do many good things. Scoop is great at getting into the lane and drawing defenders with him. While his jump shot is anything but pretty, he has a variety of runners and floaters that he can put on the rim. Jardine just finds a way to get the job done and that is all we can ask for from such a young player still learning on the job. Head Coach Jim Boeheim was also pleased with the freshman's defense as Jardine was matched up with Northeastern's Janning as the Orange switched to man-to-man defense. Janning connected on only 2-of-7 field goal attempts in the second half and finished with 26 points. Many of his teammates followed suit, as the Huskies shot a miserable 27 percent from the floor in the second half.

With the performances of Harris and Jardine, the Orange used a 25-11 second half run to stretch their lead to 16 points, which they held for much of the half, extending all the way to 22 at one point. Donte Green recovered from a sluggish start to score 17 points, including 4-of-6 shooting from beyond on the arc. Syracuse had six players in double figures, including a career-high ten points from Kristof Ongenaet off the bench. It is the third time the Orange have accomplished that feat this season. The Orange outscored the Huskies 51 to 32 in the second half, and Syracuse dominated the inside with a commanding 54-28 advantage with points in the paint. The Orange continues to display their offensive talent by topping the 90 point mark for the 5th time this season. The last Syracuse squad to do that was the 2003-2004 team, which included the likes of Gerry McNamara and Hakim Warrick. The win is also significant as Jim Boeheim moves into 11th place on the all-time Division I wins list with 760.

The Orange, now 10-3, enters the year 2008 on a four game winning streak. But now they must face the rough and tumble Big East. Now the bumps and bruises come over an extended eighteen game conference slate that begins Wednesday night against the Red Storm of St. John's. I'll be there for the Big East opener and look forward to yelling "Scoooooop!" many more times.

Orange Slices

Every now and then I'll post about happenings on The Hill under the title Orange Slices. Basically the post will talk about a number of stories involving SU Athletics. So, without further ado:

Greg Robinson adds another recruit to an already impressive class of 2008. Mikhail Marinovich of Milford Academy will play for the Orange. Marinovich, 6-foot-6, 22o pounds, has talked to the Syracuse coaching staff about playing a number of positions such as tight end, defensive end, outside linebacker and safety. Marinovich was lightly recruited out of high school, but after recording 15 sacks and displaying his 4.52 speed in prep school, he turned down offers from Miami, Pittsburgh, and North Carolina State to join the Orange. Robinson has shown why he is getting another shot to turn this program around. According to Scout.com, it's the first time Syracuse has received a commitment from the top New York state prospect since Scout.com's recruiting data base was created in 1998 (thanks to Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician).

Syracuse University Director of Athletics Dr. Daryl Gross is being sought after by two schools to fill vacancies in their athletic departments. The University of Miami is considering Gross for the AD position, but it seems Gross wants to stay at Syracuse. He said he has much left to do in an e-mail he wrote to Post-Standard football beat writer Donnie Webb. In his blog, Webb also reports that the University of Oregon contacted Gross about their AD position. Gross said he has no interest, but he does have ties to the west coast as he was an assistant athletics director for the University of Southern California.On the hardwood, the Syracuse women are making some noise. In his second season as head coach, Quentin Hillsman has guided his squad to a 10-1 record, their only loss on the road to the sixth ranked Tar Heels of North Carolina. In the latest contest against Saint Peter's, the Orange women out muscled their opponent, grabbing an astonishing 68 rebounds, one shy of the school's all-time mark. Leading the way was senior forward Fantasia Goodwin, who collected an SU record 25 rebounds and added 17 points for her third consecutive double-double. Remember that last year, Goodwin was the one who played while she was pregnant. The win gives the women nine straight, a feat only accomplished one other time in school history. Because of their recent success, the Orange women have received seven votes in the most recent Associated Press poll while the Syracuse men's basketball team garnered a total of zero votes. The last time the women made the NCAA Tournament was in the 2001-2002 season. Ironically, the men's team missed out on the tournament that season and had to settle for an NIT bid.

While there may be snow on the ground, in a couple months lacrosse will return to the Carrier Dome. The men's team is ranked number nine by Lacrosse Magazine. They are also ranked the 11th best in the nation by Inside Lacrosse. The Orange returns eight starters from last year's squad, including three preseason all-Americans in Mike Leveille, Dan Hardy, and Steven Brooks. Head Coach John Desko looks to avenge last season's campaign in which the Orange missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1982 and suffered its first losing season since 1975. While the men came off one of its worst seasons, the women's program had its best. The Orange women tallied a school best 13 wins last season, won the inaugural Big East Tournament, and recorded its first NCAA Tournament win against Vanderbilt last season. Lacrosse legend Gary Gait looks to build on that success in his first season at the helm. The women are ranked fifth in Lacrosse Magazine's preseason top 20.

SU defeats Cornell 80-64

The Orange improves its record to 9-3 despite a lack luster second half. Syracuse jumped out of the gate quickly, led by freshman point guard Jonny Flynn's 15 first half points. This was one of Flynn's best games as he found the right balance between running the offense and dishing to others or when to find his own shot. A number of games this year, Jonny has had open looks from beyond the arc, but is so unselfish that he will drive into the lane and give the rock to his teammates. With Eric Devendorf out, Flynn needs to look for his offense a little bit more because he can be a scorer. I think he did a good job of that tonight and was still able to dish out 5 dimes.

Syracuse went into the locker room leading 49-30 and began thinking about holiday break a little too early. The second half was hard to watch as the Orange made only one field goal in the opening five minutes. The Orange missed a number of easy layups, but Cornell was just as cold from the field. Jonny Flynn was not as dominate as he was in the first half, but center Arinze Onuaku picked up the slack. Onuaku scored 11 points in the second half, finishing with a total of 18 on 8-for-10 shooting. The sophomore center has now converted 30 of his last 33 shots (90.9%) and has a shooting percentage of 69.1% for the year. If he continues to shoot like this, Onuaku could break a 28-year-old record which is held by SU great Roosevelt Bouie (65.4%). His latest performance also increased his scoring average to 13.8 points per game. That is the highest for an SU center since Otis Hill averaged 15.7 ppg during the 1996-97 season.

The only starter that played last season, Paul Harris, continues to struggle in the search for his shooting stroke. Head Coach Jim Boeheim pulled Harris out of the game a number of times to talk to his young player. This allowed junior college transfer Kristof Ongenaet to get some much needed playing time. Ongenaet took full advantage, diving on the floor for loose balls, blocking shots, and just flat out hustling on every play which many of his Orange teammates did not do last night. With Ongenaet's help on defense, the Orange held Cornell to 10-of-26 shooting from three point range. The Big Red came in as the 5th best 3-point shooting team, but made only 6 of their first 22 attempts before knocking down four consecutive treys to lessen the deficit. The Belgian's hard work earned him career highs in points (9) and rebounds (10) as he logged 22 minutes off the bench for the third consecutive game.

Perhaps the Orange struggled on offense due to Donte Green's lack of focus. The star freshman admitted he was thinking about his grandmother's cooking in Baltimore and just wanted to finish the game and go home. Green was an unspectacular 4-of-16 from the field, but did record his third career double-double, bringing down 10 rebounds. Green also had four assists, one of them a lob to the shorter Flynn who slammed it down for the highlight play of the game. Flynn finished with a game high 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting.

This game against Cornell told us about as much as the win over Colgate did, which is very little. The one positive was the play of juco transfer Kristof Ongenaet. This guy clearly is the scrapper on this team. He is willing to dive on the floor to keep plays alive. Now the Orange takes a few days off for holiday break before taking on Northeastern on Saturday, December 30 at 1 p.m. This is the final non-conference opponent for the Orange before Big East Conference play kicks-off on January 2 against St. Johns. I'll be at that game, wondering how the Orange will react to the challenge of facing a rugged Big East opponent. Until then, happy holidays to all and GO ORANGE!

Sales and Collier Commit to Orange

Just as I finished writing yesterday about the teammates from Harrisburg, PA committing to the Orange next season, another recruit decided to join the party. Marcus Sales (6-foot-2, 185 pounds), a wide receiver from Christian Brothers Academy, announced he was staying in New York to play for Syracuse. Sales led all receivers in Section III Class AA in receptions (43) and yards (639). He is rated the 27th best wideout by Scout.com and the 42nd by Rivals.com. Sales is considered to be the second best prospect in New York State.

The number one NY prospect, Averin Collier (below), has reportedly committed to the Orange as well. An official announcement will be made at a press conference later today, but according to Collier's high school coach Paul Dick, the running back will enroll in classes when the second semester begins in January. Not only is Collier the top prospect in New York, he is one of the most highly rated tailbacks in the nation. He is ranked as high as 10th by Scout and 25th by Rivals. Robinson has apparently told Averin's head coach a number of times that Collier is the biggest recruit ever landed by Syracuse under his watch.

This is a major win for Robinson, keeping the top talent from New York State. Along with Collier and Sales, Robinson has received an oral commitment from DeAndre Prester "who is definitely the best player in the Utica area," according to CBA head coach Joe Casamento. Other local talent snagged by Robinson include offensive linemen Ian Allport (Pulaski) and Nick Lepak (Auburn), tight end Chandler Jones (Endicott), and defensive end Matt Jones (Rochester).

Recruiting can be a crap shoot though, see Lobdell, Lavar. Lobdell was a four star recruit out of CBA who could have gone to Southern California. But in his time at Syracuse, he has done very little. In two years Lobdell has caught 13 passes for a total of 154 yards. But just look at the schools that some of Robinson's recruits just turned down for SU. Collier had offers from 19 schools including the likes of Alabama, Boston College, Clemson, Connecicut, Rutgers, and Virginia. Sales chose the Orange over Pittsburgh and North Carolina where former CBA quarterback Mike Paulus is a redshirt freshman. Tyrell Harris (cornerback, Pennsylvania) was being recruited by powerhouses Tennessee, Michigan, and Penn State. His teammate Mike Jones (tailback) had 40 schools to choose from, including Big East rivals West Virginia and Pittsburgh.

It is amazing to see how well GRob can recruit even after going 2-10 last season and with his job clearly riding on the 2008 season. He has three, 4-star freshmen coming to suit up for the Orange. Imagine the kind of players we could get if we won a few games.

Robinson Still Pulling in Recruits

After all the talk about firing Greg Robinson because of his 7-28 record as a head coach, no one can question his skill as a recruiter. You can question a number of his coaching decisions and hires in his three years on the hill, but one thing he's done consistently well is recruit.

Just look at Delone Carter, Mike Williams, Andrew Robinson, Max Suter,and Doug Hogue. When he was first hired by Syracuse in 2005 he only had a few weeks to put together a recruiting class. In that short period of time he was able to bring in Curtis Brinkley, Arthur Jones, Brandon Gilbeaux, and Patrick Shadle. He made a big splash at the time by snagging highly touted receivers Lavar Lobdell and Bruce Williams locally from Christian Brothers Academy.

Even in the midst of calls for his job, Robinson is luring more high school kids to play for the Orange next season. Robinson received commitments from two Harrisburg, PA recruits. Teammates Tyrell Harris (below, left) and Mike Jones are now part of the Class of 2008, which is shaping up as another good one for GRob. Harris is described as a physical corner who can run a 4.4 in the 40 yard dash. He turned down a scholarship offer from Tennessee and was being pursued by Penn State, Michigan, and West Virginia. Jones could also end up playing defense, but this past season gained 1,500 yards rushing, 500 yards receiving, and scored 11 touchdowns. Jones was also highly sought after, choosing Syracuse over 40 other offers which included Big East foes Pittsburgh and West Virginia.



Robinson has to be pleased with this news, but he is still awaiting the decision of two more recruits. New York State's top two football recruits according to scout.com will announce their choices later today. They include wide receiver Marcus Sales of CBA and running back Averin Collier of Churchville-Chili High School in Rochester. Sales will choose between Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and North Carolina. He may favor the Orange as he is close to former CBA stars Lavar Lobdell and Bruce Williams. As for Collier, it has come down to Syracuse or Pittsburgh. His older brother Kevin is a back-up running back at Pittsburgh. But Collier has become close friends with Sales, which helps the Orange. If these two choose the Orange, Greg Robinson will have another group of talented players coming in. But the trouble hasn't been with recruiting. The problem has been cultivating that talent to produce results on the field.

Here is a link to the 19 recruits that are part of the 2008 recruiting class.

Life Without Devendorf

As Syracuse sports fans, we all were looking forward to the basketball season after the football team compiled a 2-10 record and again brought the program to new lows. Even with the loss of Andy Rautins to a torn ACL and MCL, the incoming group of freshman ignited our excitement for basketball to begin.

And that anticipation was worth it as Donte Green and Jonny Flynn have shown why they were selected as McDonald's High School All-Americans. While they may struggle to play defense, the talent of this squad is undeniable, especially on the offensive end as the Orange averages 86.3 points per game. Losses to Massachusetts and Rhode Island may have frustrated us but hell, the games were still fun to watch.

After that loss to Rhode Island I'm sure many were enjoying the pummeling of East Tennesse State, as was I. Everything was clicking in the first half, Green had 20 points and looked like he could pull up from anywhere on the floor and drain a shot. Guard Eric Devendorf was playing very much the same, adding 17 points which included five 3-point field goals. But then on a rather inconspicuous play, all the fun was sucked out of that night.

Another torn ACL, another shooting guard out for the year, the only leader on this team of young pups was now confined to a seat on the end of the bench. Following that game head coach Jim Boeheim informed us that the lone senior, point guard Josh Wright, had essentially disappeared, failing to even take his final exams. Not that Wright had done much this season, but he could have contributed to this team.

With the absence of Devendorf, Rautins, and Wright, the young Orange squad was able to defeat the Colgate Raiders 87-59 last night. But what exactly did we learn from that game other than the fact that Donte Green continues to look like a lottery pick for the NBA draft? Antonio 'Scoop' Jardine only had four points but did dish out five assists in his first career start. Along with Jardine, I believe fellow Neumann-Goretti High School teammate Rick Jackson must pick up their play if this team has any chance of surviving the Big East and making the NCAA Tournament.

Jardine has great play-making ability and can drive into the lane just as well as Devendorf. But of course he doesn't have the shooting touch you'd expect a two guard to have. The best comparison I've heard is that to former Orange man Josh Pace in regards to Jardine's interesting shooting technique. As long as Jardine plays within his shooting abilities, he can help this team tremendously with his penetration as he can kick it out to Green or Flynn for jump shots. Or he can dish it underneath to Onuaku (converted 22 of last 23 FG attempts) and fellow freshman Rick Jackson.

Personally, I love the way Jackson plays. He is the old school post player that SU has been lacking for years. Terrence Roberts never had a back-to-the-basket game, but Jackson does. He just hasn't had enough minutes to showcase his talents. But in consecutive games against Rhode Island and East Tennessee State, Jackson scored 13 points in each and pulled down a total of 16 rebounds. The lack of depth on the bench will now give Jackson more playing time as Boeheim must shuffle the lineup.

Last night's lineup of Flynn, Jardine, Harris, Green, and Onuaku is probably the best solution after Devendorf's injury. I'm always worried when Harris plays at the two guard because he seems to feel the need to shoot the basketball. While his jumper has improved, it isn't as fluid as I'd like it to be. It isn't a quick trigger, as he must gather himself in mid-air prior to the release. He needs to go back to what he did last year which was drive it down the opponents throat, take the contact, and go to the free throw line. Plus Jardine can create for others and keeps the floor open for studs like Green and Flynn. Of course another possibility is moving Harris to SG, Green to SF, and insert Jackson into the PF position. This isn't a bad alternative, just as long as Harris knows his limitations as a shooter.

With only two games remaining in the non-conference schedule, SU basketball fans won't know the effect of Devendorf's absence until the Big East schedule gets underway. That is on January 2 against the Red Storm of St. Johns. A new Orange team for the new year. How good will they be?