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?

Orange Car Wreck

After losing 42-12 at home against a Washington Husky team led by a redshirt freshman, how could it possibly get any worse? Well, try losing 35-0 and playing some of the worst offensive football one can imagine.

Right from the beginning, whether watching on television or listening on the radio, every SU fan knew the Orange were in for a long night. Syracuse went three-and-out on six consecutive possessions to open the game. On the other hand, Iowa scored four touchdowns with their six opening possessions. Iowa quarterback Jake Christensen found TE Tony Moeaki who ran 52 yards for the score as safety A.J Brown missed a tackle and was chewed out by head coach Greg Robinson afterwards.

Quarterback Andrew Robinson threw his first interception of the year on the next SU drive, which turned into six more points when Iowa running back Albert Young went untouched for a 36 yard touchdown on a screen pass. The Hawkeyes added two more touchdowns, one on the ground and the other through the air in the second quarter. The rushing score came on a fourth down as Iowa did not have to fear the Orange offense at all. In fact they were probably laughing at the display put on by SU's offense.

Talk about offensive ineptitude, during the entire first half, the SU offense could not muster up one first down. Not one measly first down. Robinson was 2-9 passing for 15 yards and was sacked three times. His receivers didn't help either, as the Orange had four dropped passes. But it was all gravy for Iowa. QB Jake Christensen threw for 192 yards on 15-24 passing and had three touchdowns. The Orange's only opportunity for points, a Patrick Shadle field goal attempt, was blocked. Score at halftime, Iowa 28 Syracuse 0.

While Iowa only scored one touchdown in the second half, it was a near formality. This may have been the most disappointing game under the Greg Robinson era, and that is not a good sign. I think we all thought last week qualified in that category, but this one clearly topped it. A worse performance by a Syracuse football team does not come to my mind right now. This game could only be described as a disgrace to the university and central New York.

For the game, Syracuse rushed 30 times for an average of 0.8 yards per carry. Robinson finished 7-20 for 79 yards with one interception. Syracuse was out gained by 305 yards on offense, and only had a total of five 1st downs, all picked up in the second half. Iowa QB Jake Christensen had a terrific game, going 23-32 for 278 yards with 4 TDs and only 1 INT. The TE Tony Moeaki had a career game, catching eight balls for 112 yards including three touchdowns. Out of 13 offensive drives, only four lasted more than three plays and five possessions ended with the offense losing yardage.

We all thought that going 1-10 a couple years ago was the worse feeling we could experience as Syracuse football fans. But I don't think we have felt so let down so early on during the season. We had high hopes for this team, not a bowl game but at least more improvement in the offense. After tonight's game, the offense took a step back to the 2005 version. Even more disappointing is the defense, which has deteriorated over Robinson's three seasons at the helm.

As I write this, South Florida just defeated the Auburn Tigers on the road in overtime. Only a few years ago South Florida wasn't even on the map. This win is a legitimate program building win and signals to the nation that USF is for real. Talk about two programs going in opposite directions. I ask the question again, could SU play any worse? I guess we'll find out that answer on Saturday against Illinois. Of course, that is if you dare to watch.

Big East Schedule Released

Thanks to Syracuse Post-Standard Mike Waters for the information. The 2007-2008 Big East Conference basketball schedule was released today. Boeheim usually complains about the Saturday and Monday games because they are close together. This situation only occurs twice during the Big East portion of the schedule.

Of course this year the conference slate has been expanded to 18 games, including three home-road series with Georgetown, Villanova, and South Florida. The Big East is always tough and no game is ever easy, but at least SU isn't playing Connecticut or Pittsburgh twice this year. With all the scheduling at the mercy of televison executives, SU faired pretty well.


Here are five must-watch games at the Carrier Dome for this upcoming season:


Villanova - After an incredible freshman year, guard Scottie Reynolds will look to showcase his talents at the Carrier Dome. Last year, Reynolds was named Big East Rookie of the Year, only the second Wildcat to receive that honor (Tim Thomas is the other). Last year the two teams split the two games against each other, both winning their home games. Reynolds had 14 points (4-15 FG) in the loss but scored 22 points (6-19 FG) in a tight 78-75 victory.



Connecticut - Probably the most hated rival of the Orange in recent years, both teams had somewhat of a down season. The Huskies failed to make the NCAA like the Orange, but they also did not qualify for the NIT. Don't get used to that though. A young team last season meant growing pains but this year that could translate into success on the court. After finally playinga full season of basketball, point guard A.J. Price looks to lead the Huskies along with undersized but talented big man Jeff Adrien. SU and UConn split their two meetings, each winning on their home court. This could be one of the most athletic and exciting games of the season.


Georgetown - Hoya Paranoia is in full effect after Georgetown won the Big East Tournament and advanced all the way to the Final Four. Only one half of the big man duo returns, seven-footer Roy Hibbert. His teammate Jeff Green opted to stay in the NBA Drafy and was selected 5th overall by the Boston Celtics, then traded to Seattle. Green was the Big East Player of the Year and averaged 14.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.2 asssists. The rivalry between the Orange and Hoyas had been resparked by Georgetown's recent success. In the last 20 games Georgetown played leading up to the Final Four, they only lost once. That was to the Orange in a game where SU dominated the Hoyas, leading by as many as 20 points in a 72-58 triumph. Of course everyone thought that win put SU in the tournament. A lot will be riding on this meeting.



Pittsburgh - The Panthers have been a thorn in the side of the Orange over the last few years. Jaime Dixon and his predecessor Ben Howland turned this team into one of the elite programs not only in the Big East, but of the nation. The aggressive and intense defensive style of Pittsburgh always makes this a great game to watch. Well, maybe not to watch scoring wise. Remember that game when the final score was 42-39 in an overtime win for the Orange. Make that a fun defensive battle, which is a good test to see how the young Orange players react as the season closes out with the postseason (NCAA Tournament) hopefully on the horizon.


Marquettee - Senior day at the Dome, although there is only one senior on the team (Josh Wright). And there is a big question mark next to Wright's name entering the season. As a starter last year, Wright only showed flashes of brilliance with his quickness. But that quickness is what holds him back from becoming the player he could be. Wright plays to fast for his own good. He tries to make the flashy pass, causing him to lose control and turn the ball over. Freshman Jonny Flynn could be the starter, but hopefully Wright will contribute throughout the season. It should be a good matchup of the guards, as the Golden Eagles boast Jerel McNeil and star Dominique James.




Here is the complete schedule for the 2007-2008 season:

Sun., Nov. 4, College of St. Rose, 2 p.m. (exhibition)

Wed., Nov. 7, LeMoyne, 7 p.m. (exhibition)

Mon., Nov. 12, NIT vs. Siena, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Tue., Nov. 13 vs. St. Joseph's/Fairleigh Dickinson, TBA

Fri., Nov. 16, Fordham, 7 p.m.

Wed., Nov. 28, Massachusetts, 7 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 1, Tulane, 7 p.m.

Wed., Dec. 5, at Virginia, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Sat., Dec. 8, Rhode Island, 7 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 15, East Tennessee State, 7 p.m.

Tue., Dec. 18, Colgate, 7 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 22, Cornell, 7 p.m.

Sun., Dec. 30, Northeastern, 1 p.m.

Wed., Jan. 2, St. John's, TBA

Sat., Jan. 5, South Florida, TBA

Wed., Jan. 9, at Cincinnati, TBA

Sun., Jan. 13, at West Virginia, TBA

Wed., Jan. 16, Rutgers, TBA

Sat., Jan. 19, Villanova, Noon (ESPN)

Mon., Jan. 21, at Georgetown, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Sun., Jan. 27, Providence, TBA

Wed., Jan. 30, at DePaul, TBA

Sat., Feb. 2, at Villanova, Noon (ESPN)

Wed., Feb. 6, Connecticut, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Wed., Feb. 13, at South Florida, TBA

Sat., Feb. 16, Georgetown, Noon (ESPN)

Mon., Feb. 18, at Louisville, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Sun., Feb. 24, at Notre Dame, 2 p.m. (CBS)

Sat., March 1, Pittsburgh, Noon (ESPN)

Wed., March 5, at Seton Hall, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Sat., March 8, Marquette, 2 p.m. (ESPN)

News About SU Opponents

This Saturday the Syracuse Orange visit the pink locker room of the Iowa Hawkeyes. But there has been some interesting news about Iowa, and it's not related to the football field.

About 20 players on the Hawkeye football team have pictures showing them either drinking or posing with open containers of alcohol. Other pictures reveal players holding bottles and flashing large amounts of cash. All these pictures were posted on the player's Facebook profiles and viewable to the Iowa University community.

Not only were the pictures disturbing, so were the messages that the players posted. One player wrote, "She can't say no if her mouth is taped shut." Another said, "If you send me back to jail, I'll rape your family." One of the more despicable pictures have two players standing in front of a person vomiting.

Two Iowa receivers, Dominique Douglas and Anthony Bowman were arrested on charges of unauthorized use of credit cards where they charged more than $2,000 worth of merchandise. Both have been suspended indefinitely by head coach Kirk Ferentz.

Syracuse plays against the Hawkeyes this Saturday 8:00 p.m. The game will be televised on the new Big Ten Network. Good luck trying to find it, as I believe it is only provided by DirecTV.

Other Orange football news includes a report that Syracuse is in the midst of serious talks with Hawaii. The topic of conversation is about a possible match up on the gridiron in 2008. Hawaii has had trouble scheduling a team to come play them in Hawaii. SU had an opportunity this year but passed as there is a conflict of interest.

Hawaii's quarterback, all-America and Heisman Trophy candidate Colt Brennan, was very close to becoming a member of the Orange football squad. But when his records were checked, a past sexual assault case prevented his enrollment at the university. Playing against him would be quite awkward and he would be looking for revenge as he tries to break the record for most touchdown passes.

I'm sure the Orange are glad to avoid that situation with Brennan. The game that is being negotiated is scheduled for December 6, 2008. What a great opportunity for fans in central New York to escape the cold of winter and enjoy the beautiful Hawaiian sunshine. But as Coach Jim Boeheim says, "Hawaii is just like Syracuse in the summer."