The Hits Just Keep Onnnnn Comin'

The Syracuse football team already lost Mike Williams, now they'll be without the services of starting defensive end Brandon Gilbeaux.

According to Donnie Webb, the 6-foot-3, 271 pound junior has been suspended by the university for academic issues. Yeah, the same reason that Williams was suspended by the school a few weeks ago.

Now losing Gilbeaux isn't on the same level as losing the best player on the team and arguably the top receiver in the Big East. But the Orange can't afford to be losing starters because well, there just isn't a whole lot of talent to choose from. Slated behind Gilbeaux in the post-spring depth chart is redshirt freshman Lamar Middleton.

Just when you thought things couldn't get worse for this team. Is there ever going to be something positive about this team in the news? Throw me a bone here. We're still more than two months from the opening of the season and I'm already discouraged.

I'm going to bang my head on the wall now.

That's Still $800K Guaranteed

For a few hours we all watched, and watched, and watched. Golden State came and went at #14 where ESPN mock draft expert Chad Ford had Green going. And he continued to slide down the board. But Donte' didn't get too concerned about the situation.

"It was long, but I never got worried," Greene said. "I never got down. I knew that whenever I got picked or wherever I went I knew I'd have to work hard."

Finally, with the 28th pick, the sorry Memphis Grizzlies selected the former Orange player that led the Big East in scoring at 17.7 points per game. It's a good thing that Donte' was not invited to the draft or else he would have looked like former Kansas player Darrell Arthur sitting in the green room. Here's what Ford thought of the selection...



Another value pick. Lots of scouts compare him to Rashard Lewis. Greene is a perimeter shooter who lacks a position or real game right now, and I'm not sure how he fits on Memphis, which already has Rudy Gay. But the Grizzlies have been shopping this pick, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Greene wearing another hat later tonight.

Now Donte' was probably relieved to have been selected, but he was going to the Grizzlies. Memphis is one of the least attractive places to go to as they've had back-to-back 22-60 seasons. Management practically begged the Lakers to take Pau Gasol off their hands. But then the Rockets swooped in and picked up the guy they wanted all along.

According to Mike Waters' story, the Houston Rockets were the only team to send personnel to Syracuse and inquire further about Green. Going to the Rockets seems like a good fit as they only have one true small forward in Shane Battier. SU assistant coach Rob Murphy agrees.

"I think it's a great situation for him. They obviously wanted him. I think it's a great thing for him."

I'm sure a lot of Syracuse fans are saying "I told ya so" and what not. But the fact remains that Donte' was drafted in the first round. While he didn't go as high as he probably wanted to go, he ended up with a good franchise in Houston. He probably cost himself a few million dollars, but he's still going to make a pretty good chunk of change. Green will make $800K in year one, $870K in year two, and then the Rockets must decide whether or not to pick up the team option for years three and four. If they do, Green will make about $1.5 million per year. Not bad for a 19-year-old. Not too bad at all.

How Much for Northeastern?

Today was the first day for Syracuse fans to buy individual game tickets. Just take a look at the announcement from SU Athletics.

Individual game tickets for Akron, Northeastern, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Connecticut are $36 for adults and $18 for youth (ages 12 and under). Individual game tickets for Penn State are $57 for adults and $30 for youth.

Now the $57 for the Penn State game may have caught your eye first, but I don't have a problem with that. Orange fans have wanted to see this game for many years. Its been 18 years since Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions played the Orange. And you know there's going to be a lot of Penn St. fans making their way up Route 81 for this one. Quite frankly, they could outnumber Orange fans come September 13. Daryl Gross would be stupid not to charge more for a high profile opponent.

That having been said, why should fans pay regular price to see Northeastern? Yes, that is the homecoming game, but they are a Division 1-AA...excuse me...Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision team. You remember Appalachian State's gigantic upset over Michigan. Well, Northeastern is nowhere near that level. They stink as they were 3-8 last season.

Who wants to go see this game? When SU announced this as the last opponent to fill out the schedule, I thought it was a joke because it's a 1-AA team. I certainly didn't imagine the SU athletic department charging full price for this game. Dr. Gross you're joking, right? You understandably jack up the price for the Penn St. game. Well, why can't you decrease the price for the less than thrilling match-up with Northeastern?

This game should be treated like an NIT basketball game at the Carrier Dome. Make the ticket price $10 for every seat. It would interest people who don't normally go to football games and would have others excited to get a seat on the first level. At least the athletic department would be honest with the SU fan base. It would be a little token of appreciation for the fans who have watched a program take a mighty tumble down the food chain.

But instead of showing SU football still has a little pride and tradition, Dr. Gross says nonsense to lowering the ticket price. If this team starts the year 0-3 god forbid, I'm afraid to see the crowd at that game. If there's even a crowd to see.

Stick This In Your Pipe and Smoke It Gottlieb

Ah yes, I'm referring to the much maligned and Syracuse basketball hater Doug Gottlieb.

The man has a vendetta against head coach Jim Boeheim and takes every opportunity to bash the Orange's soft non-conference schedule. The most frequent criticism is that the 'Cuse don't play on the road or leave New York State until late January.

Well that won't be the case for the 2008-09 season. While the full schedule won't be released until late August or early September, Syracuse Post-Standard beat writer Mike Waters says the Orange will play at Memphis on December 20.

Now Memphis probably won't be as good as this past season's Final Four team, but Tigers head coach John Callipari has brought in four top 100 recruits according to Scout.com. And in a pre pre-season top 25, ESPN.com college basketball writer Andy Katz ranks Memphis number 7 and believes they have a chance to make another deep run in the tournament.

The Tigers will have a legitimate shot to reach a third-straight Elite Eight with Robert Dozier, Antonio Anderson and Shawn Taggart anchoring a team that brings in a stellar recruiting class led by Tyreke Evans and the latest pickup in former Nebraska signee Roburt Sallie. Losing Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey will change the moxie of this team -- and its primary scoring options -- but the Tigers are still the team to beat in Conference USA.

Of course Gottlieb will still find a way to get under the skin of every Orange fan. For the record, Jimmy B doesn't like him either.

"They don’t know what they’re talking about so I don’t pay much attention to them. … One guy in particular was in our league for a minute or two but he couldn’t play in it. He seems to do the most talking, probably because he wasn’t a very good player and he’s not very smart about basketball."

We all know who that 'one guy' is.

Donte' Green's Stock Falling

People questioned his decision, but it looked like Donte' Green was going to be drafted in or just outside of the lottery. Now that may not be the case.

Syracuse Post-Standard beat writer Mike Waters says Green has not been invited to attend the NBA Draft held in New York City Thursday. Now this doesn't mean that Green won't be drafted in the lottery. All it really means is that he won't be able to shake hands and look ridiculously tall while posing for pictures with commissioner David Stern.

But of course it isn't good news either. And on ESPN.com NBA writer Chad Ford's most recent mock draft is certainly telling of Donte's falling draft stock. Ford has the Houston Rockets selecting Green with the 25th pick. Only last week Ford had Green going to the Toronto Raptors at number 17. Here's what Ford thinks about the former Orange...

This seems like an unbelievable fall for a player with as much upside as Greene. Indeed, teams like the Kings and Warriors will look at him in the lottery, and likewise for the Raptors in the mid-first round. But if he slips past them, he could be on a free fall. He's a great shooter with upside, but he's not ready yet.

The last sentence sums up what most people around here think about Donte'. He has tremendous potential, but most people would say he could have used that extra year to mature and build up his body a little more. But mock drafts are just speculation anyways and should be taken with a grain of salt. Trying to project the first 30 picks of a draft is an inexact science to put it lightly.

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas has a breakdown of Donte' Green on video and I think he's right on the money. Bilas is one of the best basketball analysts, period.

Anthony Named to Olympic Team

Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony was named as one of 12 players to represent the United States in the summer Olympics held in Bejing, China August 8-24.

In 2004, Anthony was a part of the disappointing U.S.A. team that only managed to bring home a bronze medal. But their most recent participation in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship showed the U.S. senior national team may be back on track. The team went 10-0 and captured gold en route to qualifying for the upcoming Olympic games. Anthony averaged a team-high 21.2 points per game during the ten games.

It's great to see Carmelo on the Olympic team after the rampant trade rumors surrounding him. It was reported over the weekend that Anthony and his agent were meeting with Nuggets' management to discuss a possible trade. But in this story, Anthony's agent Calvin Andrews says he is with Anthony due to the all-stars pending DUI case.

I'm going there to be supportive of Carmelo," Andrews said. "If he's charged, there will be a penalty and I'll talk with the Nuggets about that. If the trade situation comes up, we'll talk about it, but there is no meeting planned to discuss trades."

Today 'Melo discussed his situation with the Denver Post saying he wanted to stay in Denver and wanted the Nuggets to be upfront with him.

"I kind of get insulted when people say 'He took a step back' or things like that, because I feel like I've put in a lot of hard work to be where I'm at right now," Anthony said.

Its been an interesting few days for the former Orange star. And can you imagine if he was traded, what would have happened to that Nuggets/Suns game at the Carrier Dome? For now, it appears Orange fans will see 'Melo flash that bright smile again.

Guess Who's Back...Or is He?

About three weeks ago Syracuse wide receiver Mike Williams was suspended from the university over accusations of cheating multiple times. But in a recent interview, Williams says he may be coming back.

Paul Peck of WIVB-TV in Buffalo recently caught up with the suspended wideout at a basketball tournament. During the interview Williams states,

"They took it to (university) court, and the decision had been changed. I'm not sure. That's what my head coach (Greg Robinson) had been telling me. It looked like I'm there in August. They tell me to come to summer school July 6th, and in order to come to summer school I gotta be there."

But that is news to the Syracuse Athletics department. According SU Sports Information, Williams' status at the university remains unchanged and he has not been reinstated. SU assistant director of athletics for communications Sue Edson said head coach Greg Robinson is helping Williams enroll for summer classes at Onondaga Community College, not at SU. This would make sense since Williams said he needed to be back in Syracuse by July 6. Summer classes at OCC begin on July 7. Syracuse University's summer school begins on June 30.

Williams also addressed the multiple allegations of cheating...

"It wasn't no cheating situation. Syracuse is a private school. When you take exams you got to do exactly what they say. It was the beginning of the exam and the notes was out. He said I was looking at my notes. That's what he said. That's what happened."

Syracuse Post-Standard football beat writer Donnie Webb still believes Williams was suspended for cheating. The only way Williams could return is if the allegation were completely dismissed. It doesn't look like that's the case though. If Williams is to return to SU, he can appeal the suspension handed down by judicial affairs. He may seek reinstatement, but university guidelines say there is a mandatory semester suspension. This means Williams could return to school for the spring semester, but wouldn't be on the football field until the 2009 season.

Clearly there seems to be some miscommunication between Williams and Robinson. Williams is under the impression he is going to be playing for the Orange in 2008, but that is unlikely because of university rules that state a student must miss a semester for cheating before reinstatement. The one good thing out of all this is that it appears Williams wants to be with the Orange. But he may have to wait until 2009.

Former Orange Men

Some former Orange men are moving on while another will be returning.

Lacrosse player Mike Leveille keeps adding to his long list of accomplishments. Member of the 2008 national championship team, Tewaaraton Trophy winner, Lowes Senior Class Award Winner, first team all-america as an athlete and student, drafted 3rd in the Major League Lacrosse draft. How could it get better than that? Well, now you can add an endorsement as Leveille's now a member of the Warrior Players Club.

While Leveille is already playing professionally, Donte' Green is preparing for the NBA Draft held on June 26. Green has had private workouts for a number of lottery teams, the most recent being with the New Jersey Nets. While there, Green gave an interview and talked about his decision to enter the draft and how the Syracuse fans have treated him. Which we all know hasn't been very well after the announcement.

Even I wanted Donte' to stay, but folks get over it. If millions of dollars were staring you in the face, would you turn them down? Didn't think so. He is guaranteed to go in the lottery or just outside of it. Just how much his stock would have improved if he stayed another year is debatable. What's not is that he is a good player and person, and I wish him the best of luck.

Green's future peer Carmelo Anthony is returning to the Carrier Dome after a five year absence. Anthony, the beloved ex-Orange star who led the 'Cuse to it's first national title in 2003, is coming back as a full fledged NBA star. The two-time all-star will be in the Dome playing an exhibition game as the Denver Nuggets take on the Phoenix Suns. What a great opportunity to see some other stars as well such as Allen Iverson, Shaq, and Steve Nash. Hopefully Anthony is still on the Nuggets by that time. He has been the subject of many trade rumors, but for now he's staying put in Denver.

I went to the exhibition game in 2003 when the Nuggets played the Detroit Pistons. It was great to see Anthony back on the floor after winning the national championship that year. While Anthony has made some poor decisions in the past few years, I will definitely be there to show my appreciation once again.

Time Set for SU-Penn State Game

How many people will be going to the Dome to watch football after today's news? Well, the news didn't really do much because attendance was already going to be low. For those fair-weathered SU fans, maybe a visit from Joe Pa will get you to come.

The Syracuse Athletics department has released the time of the September 13 contest between the Orange and the Nittany Lions. The two east coast rivals will face each other for the first time since 1990 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC. For the record, Syracuse is 14-24-2 when playing on ABC. The last appearance came on September 9, 2006 against Iowa. Yes, the game where the Orange were held at the goal-line and lost 20-13 in double overtime.

Syracuse and Penn State met every year from 1922-1990. The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series with a 40-23-5 record. The last meeting at Penn St. ended in a 34-12 loss for the Orange. The last win for the 'Cuse over Penn St. was in 1988 and the last victory at the Dome came the year before.

Let's hope that Joe Paterno is still alive by the time that game rolls around.

Hopeless Already?

Woke up this morning and turned on the computer to read the latest sports news. Little did I know I would see the headline news that Mike Williams was suspended for academic issues. What? No, this can't be happening.

Williams hasn't been a stranger to academic problems. In Williams' freshman season in 2006, Head Coach Greg Robinson suspended him for the final game at Rutgers. The suspension was due to an academic related issue. But this violation seems to be much more serious. WTVH-5 is reporting that Williams was thrown out of school for cheating in a class. Williams is no longer enrolled at the university, but apparently completed the spring semester.

The leading receiver from last season, Williams entered his junior year as the clear number one weapon after the departure of Taj Smith who entered the NFL Draft. Last season Williams led the Orange with 60 receptions (tying a school record) for 837 yards (13.9 yards per catch) and 10 touchdowns. He ended the season having caught touchdown passes in nine consecutive games, a school record.

Ever since Greg Robinson arrived, he has had to deal with a number of unfortunate incidents. Now his most prized weapon is almost certainly gone for the entire season and unlikely to return. Listed on the post-spring practice depth chart as starters are Lavar Lobdell and Donte Davis. Lobdell's shortcomings have been well documented. The 6-3 junior is criticized for having bad hands and certainly has not lived up to the hype as a five star recruit out of Christian Brothers Academy. We don't really know much about Davis. The sophomore only played in one game last season at Iowa after suffering an injury to his arm. He was granted a medical hardship waiver.

Other guys listed behind those two are: Dan Sheeran (6-3, 217 So.), Chaz Cervino (5-10, 180 RFr.), and Van Chew (6-1, 165 Fr.). The only one out of this group to see the field is Sheeran and he has seen very little at that. Of course Robinson did snag four star recruit Marcus Sales from CBA. Sales and company certainly will have an opportunity to impress the coaching staff and earn playing time. Coach Robinson may consider moving Bruce Williams or Da'Mon Merkerson from the secondary back to wideout. Merkerson played WR last year and was moved to corner during spring practice due to the lack of depth at that position. Switching him again would leave a gaping hole there.

Regardless, the loss of Williams is huge. He's an impact player who could take some pressure off ARob and the offense. Yes, he would have seen plenty of double coverage from opponents. But we are talking about Mike Williams. He is one of the best receivers in the country, certainly at the top of the Big East receiving crop. New offensive coordinator Mitch Browning has enough trouble trying to establish a running game. Now he won't have Williams to release the pressure.

Greg Robinson's job just got a lot more difficult. And his job is clearly on the line this season. Good luck GRob, you are going to need it. Unfortunately, it's already looking like a long season is ahead and it's only June. Oh boy.