After two disappointing seasons when they missed the NCAA Tournament (the only time that happened under Jim Boeheim) the Syracuse Orange trying not to make it three in a row.
Unfortunately despite initially indicating he would come back, Donte Greene left for the NBA. That leaves the Orange with a deep team, but not one with an ascendant talent. Jonny Flynn is probably the best player on the team, and his Niagra Falls buddy Paul Harris showed great strides at the end of last year. The frontcourt will be manned by Arinze Onuaku with some help from Rick Jackson.
Eric Devendorf is coming back from a serious injury to provide some fire and hopefully some veteran leadership.
Andy Rautins (also back from injury), Scoop Jardine (talented but inconsistent) and a group of promising freshman round out the bench.
I think Onuaku can be a dominant inside force as most teams don't have a big guy of his size and agility.
But SU also has the horses to run, with Harris and Devendorf on the wings and Flynn pushing the ball.
But the most important thing is that they play heady ball at the end of games. Too many times SU chokes away leads with scared late-game play. A lot of this comes from Jim Boeheim who plays not to lose in tight situations.
But avoiding the turnover, or hitting the free throw, those are things the players control, and if they could do them just a little better, they would have made the tournament both years.
And remember, before the two years of NIT play, SU had two major disappointments in the tournament, first round losses to #13 Vermont and #12 Texas A&M. SU hasn't won a tournament game since 2004, the year after the title that now seems so long ago.
While this team is full of talent, Boeheim has once again given them a tough non-conference schedule to boost their postseason resume. Unfortunately, what Boeheim seems not to understand (judging by his constant complaining), is tough games do you no good if you lose them all. And that's what SU does consistently, beat the bad teams, pull off one victory against a good team, and stockpile 8 to 10 losses against RPI top-50.
This year SU gets Florida (they could be decent), then either Washington or Kansas (big difference there) in the O'Reilly Auto Parts classic.
Also looming on the schedule is Memphis (greatly diminished from last year) as well as conference games against Louisville, Connecticut and Pittsburgh.
If SU can't figure out how to get a couple victories in those tough games the Jim Boeheim Era could possibly end with 3 straight trips to the NIT.
Monday, November 17, 2008
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It seems like Devendorf has been there for about 9 years. And he's not even a senior yet.
Eric Devendorf - Scholar and a Gentleman
SYRACUSE, NY -- The Syracuse Police Department submitted a summons application seeking the arrest of Eric Devendorf, a junior guard starting on the SU basketball team, Sgt. Tom Connellan, speaking for Syracuse police, said. Devendorf has not been arrested.
In a news release, the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office said the matter has been referred to the Syracuse University Judicial Affairs Office. It said any further decision by the DA's office will be deferred pending the outcome of the university proceedings.
Kimberly Smith, 20, said she was driving her 2007 Honda about 3 a.m. in the 900 block of Walnut Avenue when several people began kicking her car, Connellan said.
Smith told police she got out of the car to get the people to stop. Eric Devendorf walked up to Smith with a closed fist and struck her, Smith told police.
Devendorf shouted obscenities and told her to get back in the car, Connellan said.
Syracuse police first became aware of the incident when they were called in the early morning Nov. 1 to University Place and Comstock Avenue on a harassment complaint, Connellan said. SU Public Safety officers were on the scene as well, he said.
Smith told police she couldn't identify the people kicking her car but that she could identify Devendorf, whom she knew, Connellan said.
Devendorf lists Smith as a friend on his MySpace page, Connellan said.
Yet another case of the white man trying to keep the white man who wants to be a black man down.
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