Every year Syracuse University hosts a Relay for Life event during the spring. If you don't know what Relay for Life is you can check out their website here, but cliff notes version is it's a charity event to help the American Cancer Society.
Different organizations across Syracuse University form teams of up to 15 people to raise money. Each team gets to camp out on the Dome turf for the night as one person must continue walking around the perimeter of the track during the entire event, some of which is during the night. Teams can win awards for best campsite, most spirit, and best banner.
Teams also raise money during the event through their own fundraisers. Otto's Army, the student section group raised money by pieing members of the group in the face.
I am an active member of Otto's Army and we have formed another team this year. The University wants to raise $300,000 as a whole. Otto's Army wants to raise at least $5,000.
Last year we raised almost $3400, third most for any group in the University.
If you want to help us attain our goal you can donate in the name of Otto's Army here.
CSTV interview my traveling companion, Gumby. I'm in the hunting gear, he's next to me. If the video doesn't work, you can watch it here.
I went to the Villanova game and just got back to the 'Cuse about an hour ago and as you know from A.J.'s post below, Syracuse played a great game to win this one 87-73.
I don't think the score really does justice for this game. Villanova was absolutely terrible after the first eight minutes or so. They came out and hit 10 of their first 11 shots and then after that went 16-47. Syracuse didn't show up on defense for those first eight minutes. The team made some quick adjustments and from there on out, 'Nova didn't look or play like a Big East team.
'Nova is vastly undersized which is 100% their biggest problem. Paul Harris is a solid player, but there is no reason he should be scoring 28 points. He had a field day against a front court that was only a little bigger than my high school front court.
Jay Wright needs to recruit big men because if he can't get the guards that have the talent of a Allen Ray, Randy Foye, and Mike Nardi, they won't win more than about seven or eight games in the Big East.
Syracuse dominated this game on the boards and down low all game. I am loving this front line of Kristof! Arinze Onuaku, and Donte' Greene. The 2-3 zone is best when you have long arms and solid rebounders.
Kristof! is that glue guy that puts everything together and showed that today. The Badass Belgian Waffle Baller put up 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, a block, and three steals.
The defense in this game for Syracuse was absolutely phenomenal after the first eight minutes. I understand you need to play a full forty minutes of defense, but the effort this team gave after being down 24-13 with 11:11 to play is what defines teams. This team has shown they will not give up, they will not back down. People called them a bunch of "AAU" ballers earlier this year, but you don't hear that anymore. This team plays like a team on both offense and defense.
The Orange also stayed out of foul trouble for the most part. A.O. picked up his fourth foul with a lot of time left in the game, but Rick Jackson proved to be a solid replacement. At that point, it didn't matter who was playing center for the Orange as long as he was big. As said above, the Wildcats just didn't have the size to match the 'Cuse.
Scottie Reynolds is a joke on defense. People criticize Donte' Greene for being out of position and getting silly fouls, which I admit he does, but was better today, but man was Scottie Reynolds bad today. Reynolds picked up several just terrible fouls because he got out of position. It resulted in Reynolds spending extensive minutes on the bench when his team was struggling. Jonny Flynn took him to school with crossovers and just breaking the one man pressure in the back.
Villanova's press was extremely uneffective which is why they stopped pressing after about three minutes. They got one turnover on I think the first possession, but after that Syracuse got a several easy layups because of the size of Donte' Greene in the middle of the court.
A few bad things I saw with this game. First, the referees didn't let the boys play once again. 51 fouls is way too many. Villanova had 32 fouls and nine players with at least three fouls. I thought the game was called a little uneven, but Villanova was definitely more physical with hand checks and pushes and paid for it. But then maybe it was a payback for the first meeting between these two teams this year when it seemed all the calls were going against the Orange.
Syracuse needs to stop turning the ball over. 18 turnovers is about three too many for my liking in a game played at such a fast pace.
Lastly its time for me to go on a rant. It's time to call out Villanova basketball fans. I have never seen a fan base so out of a game than I saw tonight. It seemed like Villanova fans didn't care and didn't want to be at that game. The fans got on their feet two, maybe three times all game. The student section was quiet. 'Nova Nation couldn't have had less energy. They jumped up and down crazily during....the dance cam during ever break. They had more energy by far during the breaks than the game.
The arena itself was empty. The attendance apparently was 19,866, which is a sellout, but that's how many tickets were sold. If I had to take a guess there was maybe 13,000 people there. Maybe 13,000. There were almost complete rows of empty seats in the bottom deck. The student section was about two-thirds full. If it wasn't for the fact the upperdeck was probably half Syracuse half Villanova, the attendance would have been about 10,000.
Someone commented on LetsGoNova the other day complaining about teams bring caravans of fans into their stadiums and show their fans up. That was 100% the case today. Villanova was showed up by Syracuse fans. The Orange faithful came in droves and came to the Wachovia Center and made it the LoudHouse.
At the end of the game, there was maybe 4,000 people left and the majority were wearing Orange. The ESPN recap even mentions the Orange faithful:
The Wildcats also lost their second game in two Saturdays at the Wachovia Center, their off-campus where they were nearly invincible the last three years. This time, they were left to watch about 2,000 Orange fans wave, taunt and cheer in the waning moments.
As a CuseADELPHIA blog, with a the Adelphia standing for Philadelphia for anyone who hasn't realized that, I know Philadelphia fans are better than what they showed today. I know they are rowdy and love to make noise, so why doesn't that show in Villanova games?
Also, the Villanova student section flipped off my section of Syracuse fans near the end of the game. I mean like almost the entire student section turned around and gave us the bird. From what I've been told that was accidentally picked up on the ESPN broadcast. I'll have to watch that to see if ESPN picked up on it, or if someone could leave a message to confirm whether or not ESPN showed it.
One last note on Villanova basketball. Villanova is a basketball school. They are not a Division I-A football school which means the main sport at 'Nova is basketball. To see how far 'Nova has fallen in a few years is amazing. There's discussion now this team might not make the Big East tournament if teams like DePaul and Cincinnati don't drop off and play terrible like they were expected to.
Overall, Syracuse played a great game, Villanova did not. The Orange showed heart and determination, Villanova did not. The Cuse's fans showed up and cheered, Villanova's did not.
Syracuse has been a victim to a new college game. It's faster and more aggressive. Teams are shooting the three ball at an increasing rate and the pool of talent is growing.
The NBA rule change that forces high school kids to go to college has forced players that used to play for the top BCS schools now are going to their second tier of teams in the BCS schools and the top mid-majors. Conferences like the Big East and PAC-10 might be the deepest those two conferences have ever been. In recent years the CAA, the MVC, and the Atlantic 10 have played to the level of BCS schools.
Teams that recruit one and done players will not be able to win national championships unless that one and done player enters a team one step away from a national championship. The mid-majors win with experience and three point shooting. The long ball has leveled the playing field for teams that can't draw the big name. They beat teams by recruiting players that might not nearly be the kind of play makers that BCS conference schools have, but can shoot the rock better than anyone.
This change in college basketball is affecting Syracuse. The Orange have been on a downfall since their national championship in 2003. During the last five years they have become increasingly victim to the three point shot when they play their trademark 2-3 zone. More and more players can hit the three point shot which is the easiest way to beat the zone.
From 2004 to 2008 the median team in the percentage of a team's points that come from the three pointer has increased consistently by 2.3% over that time period. The team that scored the highest percentage of their points by the three point shot in 2004 was Samford at 44.1%. In the top ten there were just two teams from BCS conference, the first was Oregon who went 18-13 in 2004 and Florida State who went 19-14. In 2008, the highest percentage belongs to one of Division I's newest teams, Presbyterian at 47.8%.
Most of the BCS conferences stayed consistent in the percentage of the points they get from the three point shot, while the mid-majors and minor conference schools have increasingly become more dependent on the three point shot. Team's ability to shoot the three is also increasing. The median team in 2004 was 34%, in 2008 it's 2008. It's increased almost every year in between. In the top ten during each year there is consistently only one or two BCS schools.
The ability to shoot the three stops the 2-3 zone in three different ways. It first has a direct effect on it. Teams can just shoot over it at will with more success. The three point shot also forces teams in the 2-3 to stretch the zone further out past the three point line. This allows gaps in the zone to open up. The baseline and and the area around the free throw are more accessible to the offense if the defense is stretched. Teams can do many different things in these areas given enough room when the zone is stretched. Two defenders are usually forced to collapse on the baseline leaving someone open on the court. The last way the three point shot can attack the zone is the long rebounds that are typical of missed three point attempts. The defender usually has the inside position to get the rebound, but many misses go over the heads of the defender and into the hands of the offense. It is also harder to box out in the zone.
The three point will be pushed back by one foot for the 2008-2009 season. The 2-3 zone will again become relevant again because it will force teams into three point shots that will be much harder to hit. Players who used to be able to hit the three won't shoot it anymore. Forwards and centers that occasionally found themselves behind the arc for a shot won't be shooting it anymore. Opposing teams have consistently shot better against Syracuse during the past five years from behind the arc. In 2008, teams have shot 35.4% from three. In 2004, that number was 28.9%. It has gotten worse every year. It can be argued, the team was worse defensively every year, but it also goes hand and hand with the notion teams are shooting better from three. Teams have more and more players every year that have the range to hit shots from 19'9'' feet. That number will be cut down dramatically when the line moves back to 20'9''.
The rest of the 2007-2008 season will bring struggles to the Orange, but things will be better in 2009. The zone will once again rise to be a dominating form of defense. At least for the first year of the new distance for three, teams will struggle trying to figure out the 2-3 zone when their players don't have the kind of accuracy to beat it from three.
Your program is suppose to be one of the leading programs and ambassadors of women's basketball. Instead you represent your program by acting like an arrogant jerk. What I saw at the game your Huskies played at the Carrier Dome was a disappointment.
You showed up to the game without a tie and looked very unprofessional. I haven't watched enough of your games to know if this is common, but you do not go on the ROAD and not wear a tie. Many middle school teams of any sport require their kids to wear ties on days of road games. You are one of the two most well known coaches in women's basketball and you can't show Syracuse respect by showing up with a tie?
Secondly, your comments about the Carrier Dome were uncalled for. How dare you question a program's decision to play at the Carrier Dome. The program is trying to take a step forward and draw in recruits with the lure of playing in the Carrier Dome. What girl wants to play in some old musty field house when the men get to play in the LoudHouse?
Why does UCONN women's basketball play some of their games in Hartford away from the campus? Easy answer: to make the program look better by playing in a larger venue. You should be equally criticized for making it more difficult for your school's students to go to games by making them go to Hartford.
You said you wanted 15,000 in the Dome because it would be awesome. Coach Auriemma, you'll get that some day if you can keep your program at the top because Syracuse is coming for you. Coach Quentin Hillsman is bringing in big name recruits and to be honest I can confidentially say, biased or unbiased, he out coached you. Syracuse made UCONN play their game most of the game and it beat you. Your team was able to speed it up in the last part of the second half and that was the difference. You won that game because you're UCONN and have bigger, stronger, and faster players.
Thirdly, I would like to address the behaviors of some of your players. Several times after questionable calls, your players yelled, stared, and showed up referees. Why a few times they weren't called for technicals I'm not sure. You're the leading women's basketball program in the country, an example for girls everywhere. They come to see your players excel with good sportsmanship, but I didn't see a lot of that with some of your players.
There was one situation when one of your players thought there should have been a traveling call on an S.U. player, but wasn't called. Your player went out of her way to run in front of the referee before heading down court to play defense, making a traveling sign while starring at the referee. Sorry Coach Auriemma, that is inexcusable.
Lastly, why won't you play Tennessee anymore? I'll be honest, before this year, I didn't watch a lot of women's basketball, but I did usually watch a few marquee games, one of them being Tennessee-UCONN. From what's been reported by the media, it seems you are the one that stopped the rivalry. Bring it back Coach, it's what's best for your girls, the program, and women's basketball as a whole.
Sincerely, Jameson Fleming
P.S. Is the bench decorum not in existence in the women's game because you jumped out of your little coach's box several times.
This year several of the Big East's top teams played a really pathetic schedule, so now I'm going to take a look at every team's non conference schedule and call those out who scheduled "like Syracuse" this year. Even though I don't really care about the rankings anymore and too much of the early season bracketology, I'm tired of seeing teams in the Big East get more votes and more praise than they deserve. I hate seeing teams get more national spotlight because they are like 11-2 out of conference because they played nobodies when there are teams that have 3 or 4 losses that went out and played people but couldn't beat them all and are paying the price for it. Each Big East team will fall into three categories: Jim Calhoun's for pathetic scheduling, Jamie Dixon for okay scheduling, and John Calipari for really challenging your team and getting them ready for conference play.
The Jim Calhoun's of the world: First and foremost Jim Calhoun- UCONN has played two quality teams this year. Memphis and Gonzaga on neutral courts much closer to UCONN than their opponents. Guess what, they lost both. They are the only two opponents in the Huskies non-conference (NC) slate to have an RPI better than 100. If this team doesn't win at least 11 games in the Big East, they won't be dancing. The selection committee will look at their resume and see no quality wins before the Big East and see a NC strength of schedule below 100. Their best win in the NC? RPI 104 Central Florida which was their only road game of the NC.
Tom Crean of Marquette- They have two solid games in Wisconsin and Duke, winning one of those games. Those two games look nice, but after that the list of teams they played is mind-boggling. RPI 326 Sacramento State, 267 IPFW (a cookie to the first person who tells me what that stands for), 256 Savannah St., 172 and 1-11 Coppin St., 226 Utah Valley State. They have no other games than Duke and Wisconsin that are top 100 RPIs.
Bob Huggins of WVU- I'm guessing Huggins didn't put a lot of this schedule together since he joined the team during the off-season, but man did they play a lot of bad teams. The good games they played are enough to get into the Jamie Dixon category, but the number of RPI 300s games they played is too high. They've played four games against teams 300 or worse, but they tried to still boost their schedule by going to Radford (323) and Canisus (320). They do have several decent games in the NC against Tennessee and Oklahoma, but they lost both of those.
John Thompson III- HAHAHA. HAHA. HA. That's what most people will do when they look at Georgetown's schedule. They played Memphis and lost, Alabama and won. Those are the only two games this year Georgetown could have any chance in the world of losing. The rest of their conference games come against teams 170 or worse in the RPI. If they want a one seed in the NCAA tournament, they'll need about a 16-2 record in the Big East.
Jay Wright- NCST, George Mason, and Temple. Those are the three best teams 'Nova played in the NC. Temple wasn't much of a road game and they played George Mason at home (ed. note. George Mason was a neutral court closer to GM. My mistake, the site I was using didn't specify it was neutral court.) After that, seven games against teams 150 or worse in the RPI.
Rick Pitino- They played two games against BCS schools RPI 226 Kentucky and 117 Purdue. Their four best games came against mid-majors and they lost two of those. This team's best win came against UNLV. With no marquee wins on the resume and several injuries, making the NCAA tournament could be tough for the Cardinals if they don't start winning lots of games in the Big East early.
Fred Hill of Rutgers- Another joke of a schedule. This team is trying to rebuild, but at least play a few a teams. Recruits are going to want to play a few tough games somewhere. They have two decent games- at UNC and at Florida- two games they have no shot to win. If they are going to schedule games against BCS schools with top 100 RPI's at least schedule games against someone they can beat. They also have seven games against teams 250 or worse in the RPI, one of which they lost to St. Peters.
The Jamie Dixon's of the world: Jamie Dixon of Pitt- Pitt went with the philosophy of, we'll schedule six ridiculous cupcakes and then play some people. I give them credit for then actually playing a few teams and being successful against them. They schedule three top 50 RPI teams and won of those against Duke and Duquesne as well as two more games against BCS schools in Washington and Ok-St. They have a solid NC resume which should help them get in should they falter significantly after losing two of their top four players.
Mike Brey of Notre Dame- They challenged themselves with games against Baylor, Kansas State, Georgia Tech, and Brown. They managed to go 2-2 against them which means they'll have a couple of quality wins on their resume.
Louis Orr (Ed. Note: Looked at the wrong roster, Bobby Gonzalez is the new coach) of Seton Hall- They played three games against top 100 teams and several more against top 150 teams. This program is trying to rebuild, so a moderate schedule like this was necessary. They could have gone out and scheduled maybe one more marquee game. They got lucky that St. Mary's College who they played turned into a very strong team this year.
The John Calipari's of the world: Jim Boeheim- In the past Jimmy B has been a Jamie Dixon and Jim Calhoun, but not this year. He went out and got this team in the preseason NIT and a road game at Virginia. He also got games on the NC schedule against some of the best mid-majors in the Northeast. In total, they have nine games against top-100 RPIs, going 6-3 against them. They also didn't play a single game against teams below 200 in the RPI.
Providence's Tim Welsh- Seven games against top-100 RPI schools in which they went 5-2 against. Plus a game against another BCS school South Carolina in which they lost. Welsh probably thought he had this team ready for conference play, but they opened 0-2.
South Florida's Stan Heath- This school is trying to build this program and go to at least the NIT. Heath built a schedule that will help them do that. They played six road games in the NC schedule and four games against top 100 teams. They went 2-2 in those games including a road win at number 40 Florida State.
St. John's Norm Roberts- Their SOS is ranked 27 after playing games against six top 100 RPI schools, unfortunately for the Red Storm they lost 5 of those. It was a solid schedule for a team trying to rebuild. None of those six games were against teams they didn't have a shot at. If this team was a little better, they could have had a solid resume going into conference play.
Jerry Wainwright of Depaul- Their SOS is ranked 11 after playing games against five top 50 RPI schools. They lost all five, with four on the road to Creighton, Mississippi, Clemson, and Kansas. This team lost their best players to the draft last year, so a tough schedule seemed a bit odd. It paid off though going into conference play. The Blue Demons won their first two conference games over Providence and Villanova before losing to Georgetown.
Mick Cronin- Their last five NC games were against top 60 RPI teams. Again this team looked prepared coming into conference play, upsetting Louisville in their opener.
