Bad End to a Good Year

Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. 18 of them, 12 in the first half.

Rick Jackson was only credited (blamed?) with three of them but it sure seemed like more. It felt like every time he got the ball he got nervous and would lose it, telegraph his pass or chuck it into a crowd. It almost would have been better had he fouled out because at least they wouldn't have tried to get the ball inside if DeShonte Riley had been in there.

Wes Johnson played another good game but he may lack the killer instint, the necessary selfishness to be an absolute take-over "give me the ball and go to hell" type of player in the NBA. We needed him to go be the inside in the inside-outside games with Rautins but he didn't really get himself into the low post.

But all those first half troubles aside SU came back and took the lead at 40-39 and then again at 54-50. It was at that time I started to believe. We were hitting every shot and suffocating Butler and I thought we were close to breaking their spirit.

But then the ghost of Jim Boeheim reared its ugly head, up 4 with the ball Scoop killed 25 seconds of clock the chucked up a three without a pass or an attempted drive. Too early to waste a trip.

The next three possessions were a jacked 3 by Rautins, a drive into the defense by Scoop and the drive where Rautins got stripped and instead of going after the ball he went after the foul call. He got neither.

Over that span Butler hit a 3 when Scoop didn't get out on the shooter, Howard spun around Jackson and then another 3 from the corner off the backboard. That's the way the ball bounces sometimes.

it's a shame to see Andy Rautins go out like this. He was a great player and a fan favorite, and as much as I love Wes Johnson and Carmelo Anthony for the one year we had them there's something special about seeing a scrawny 18-year-old boy and watching him grow into a man over five years to become a pretty awesome player.

It seems like scouts think Rautins is a late second round pick at best with a marginal NBA career but I think he could turn into a decent pro. He can shoot, he can pass, he has decent size for a 2 guard and his quickness might be questionable I think he's gotten strong enough to play NBA caliber defense.

This loss was also a shame for Arinze Onuaku who also blossomed into a pretty good player (if you don't count that he shoots free throws like a 3rd grade girl) during his time at SU. I'm still a little puzzled why he wasn't able to go if it was just a muscle strain. We definitely could have used him to at least post up and kick out for the shooters.

I love Scoop Jardine. Yes he makes some bad plays at times but he has a decent outside shot but he can also get to the basket and for the most part he knows when to do what.

Scoop will lead next year's team along with his NBA Jam partner Kris Joseph and his high school sweetheart Rick Jackson. Brandon Triche will probably play point but I really don't see a lot of potential. They'll be joined by a couple good recruits including 7-foot Fab Melo.

I bet DeShonte Riley ends up transferring this summer or next. I just don't see how Boeheim is going to find playing time for 2 7-footers and Rick Jackson.

To sum up the year, the 2009-2010 season was sort of like "Full Metal Jacket." You weren't expecting anything, it started off great and had a puzzling and incredibly disappointing ending. But when we talk about them we remember the good lines/good times and realize we may have to wait a very long time to see another movie/team as good as this one again.