Tournament Thoughts: #10 Syracuse vs. #15 Middle Tennessee

Let's Go Orange!

Michael Gbinije drinks pickle juice? And grape pedialyte? I actually read something about the company marketing pedialyte to adults as a hangover cure.

I liked Reggie Upshaw more when he had the Kid N Play haircut.

DaJuan Coleman: foul machine. Not even a minute in and Boeheim yanks him.

When Franklin Howard has the ball in his hands something bad is bound to happen. I actually thought he was going to make a shot, before he committed an offensive foul.

When Cooney gets hot he is tough to stop. And there were a couple possessions where he threatened a deep shot and was able to pass and get an open lane for a driver.

Huge swing on that waved off 3-pointer, it was close but waving it off was the right call.

Can't give Roberson the ball. He's basically had it twice and committed offensive fouls both times. If he gets in foul trouble and has to come out of the game SU won't get a single rebound.

1 for 7 from the line in the first half. Typical Syracuse. But that is not going to get it done if they want to make the Sweet 16.

31-27 at the half. It was 30-28 vs. Dayton before Syracuse came out line a house on fire.

As much as I tend not to say it, Syracuse does do a good job defending the 3, percetage-wise. But if they are lazy closing out on shooters, that's when they get open shots and pick apart the zone.

You knew that Middle Tennessee wouldn't be able to keep up their level of play and shooting accuracy they had against Michigan State, probably a once in a lifetime performance for that team. But Syracuse played great defense, other than a few lapses, and got the ball inside and worked the offense, and came out with another big second half run.

I've also been critical of Tyler Lydon's ability to play the middle of the zone. But he has stepped up the aggressive, two strong blocked shots in a short sequence. He's almost too aggressive. He almost killed Tyler Roberson with overaggressive pursuit of a rebound.

Great victory. It often happens that a team no one thinks should be gets a win, a favorable draw and then they are shoving it up everyone's ass in the Sweet 16. And they have a great chance to advance to the Elite 8 though Gonzaga with Wiltjer and Sabonis will be a tall task. Literally.

Let's Go Orange!