Orange Articles

Orange Heading to the Final Four

by James Finneral

When the NCAA Tournament field was selected many people thought Syracuse did not deserve to make the tournament. The Orange struggled in the ACC, but it did rack up a solid number of top twenty-five wins. Now Syracuse has made it to the Final Four and proved all of the naysayers wrong. Here is how the Orange have made it this far and a look into its matchup against North Carolina.

In the early rounds of the tournament Syracuse was in lockdown mode on defense. The Orange held Dayton to 51 points and Middle Tennessee to 50 points. The Orange held both of those teams to under 33% from the field. The length of Syracuse's 2-3 zone seemed to bother both Dayton and Middle Tennessee. Michael Gbinije, Malachi Richardson and Trevor Cooney all were solid producers on the offensive end. In these games the world saw a more poised Syracuse team. Ever since the tournament began they seemed to be playing with much more intensity. After two dominant wins in the tournament Syracuse still had its doubters, but they played even harder in the next two games.

Gonzaga was a true test for the Orange. Domantas Sabonis and Kyle Wiltjer both proved to be problems for the Orange defense. Sabonis was getting anything he wanted down low and Wiltjer was shooting well from three-point land. Despite not being able to stop Sabonis or Wiltjer, Syracuse was within striking distance towards the end of the game. Syracuse went on a 9-1 run to end the game and defeat Gonzaga 63-60. Michael Gbinije stepped up like a true senior leader and made big play after big play on the offensive end. Trevor Cooney may have been the true savior for Syracuse in this game, coming up with many big steals down the stretch. This big victory set up a terrific Elite 8 showdown with Virginia. Virginia had already defeated Syracuse earlier in the year and earned a number one seeding. The Cavaliers create many matchup problems for the Orange and they were the heavy favorites in this game. It looked all, but over for the Orange by the end of the first half as they went to the locker room down 16 points. Freshman, Malachi Richardson lead the humongous comeback for Syracuse in the second half, scoring 21 of his 23 points. Virginia could just not find an answer for Richardson, who was firing on all cylinders. Once again Syracuse was able to make all the right plays down the stretch and send Virginia packing by a score of 68-62.

 The next task for the Orange is defeating the only number one seed left in the tournament, North Carolina. North Carolina has defeated Syracuse twice already this year, but Syracuse only lost by five when they were playing in Chapel Hill. This North Carolina is loaded with talent. Starting off with two senior stars, Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige. Johnson is one of the most athletic players in the country who can score in the post and shoot from mid-range. Paige has an excellent basketball IQ and he is shooting the ball well in this tournament. Kenedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks and Justin Jackson are all tall and long guys who could cause trouble for the Orange. Joel Berry is also an excellent guard who the top of the 2-3 zone must contain. The real mismatch that North Carolina has on Syracuse is down low. North Carolina is a very big and strong team and Syracuse does not have very many strong post players. Syracuse will need Tyler Lydon and Tyler Roberson in for most of the game. The guards for Syracuse must rebound as well or else North Carolina will get many easy baskets off offensive rebounds. It seems improbable that Syracuse will win this game, but it also seemed improbable that the Orange would beat Virginia and go to the Final Four. Syracuse has proved people wrong time and time again in this tournament and if they play their best game they might just make it to the national championship game.  


What you can expect from the Orange this year

by James Finneral

There were many questions circulating around the Syracuse basketball team after its NCAA violations. With recruiting being limited no one was sure if the Orange could be a big time program in the country. The Orange proved all the doubters wrong early in the season, winning their first six games and taking home the championship at the Battle 4 Atlantis. They have defeated two ranked teams in Uconn and Texas A&M. After the Battle 4 Atlantis things have gone a little downhill for Syracuse. They are 3-3 after the Battle 4 Atlantis and sit at a 9-3 overall record.

 The Orange have not yet played a game in the ACC. The ACC is one of the most powerful conferences in college basketball featuring UNC, Duke, Notre Dame, Virginia, Louisville and other great programs. This will be a difficult conference for Syracuse to play in, but they have to talent to win some big games and build their tournament resume. I believe that Syracuse will wind up anywhere between 6th place and 10th place in the ACC.

This year's Syracuse team is headlined by senior, Michael Gbinije. After transferring from Duke to Syracuse for his sophomore year, Gbinije has worked his way up the depth chart. This year he is the leader of the team and the guy they rely on to score. He has started the year averaging 19 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds.

Malachi Richardson is a freshman from New Jersey who has made an immediate impact for the Orange. He is an athletic 6'6" swingman with a decent three point touch. Richardson has averaged 12 points and 4 rebounds a game for Syracuse. Senior, Trevor Cooney is stepping up both his offensive and defensive game. The three point marksman is averaging 13 points and 2 steals. The Orange will need him to keep up this production in order for them to be successful. Tyler Lydon is another talented freshman that has been a strong big man averaging 10 points and 7 rebounds. Lydon will have his hands full with the many powerful and talented big men of the ACC. Lastly junior, Tyler Roberson is a 6'8" forward who has been a beast on the glass this year for Syracuse. Roberson and Lydon work well together in the front-court.

Overall this Syracuse team is a little small compared to some ACC teams, but they are very athletic. They have enough talent to be in the NCAA tournament, but playing in the ACC will not be easy for them. The Orange will be on the cusp of making the tournament this year, they will just need to pull out some big wins.    

2015 Orange Awards

by James Finneral

Although this year was unsuccessful overall for Syracuse, we have to look at the positives. This year's team had some talented players, but they just could not come together as a team. Here are a couple of the Orange players that should be recognized for their performances.

Most Improved Player:  

Michael Gbinije transferred from Duke University and did not have a great season in 2013-2014. This year Gbinije was a starter for the Orange and played a pivotal role on the team. He was an all around guy for Syracuse and supplied athleticism which the Orange needed in the ACC. Gbinije played the second most minutes on the team and never missed a game. Gbinije's jump shot is coming along well and will probably improve even more by next season. Look for Gbinije to have a nice senior season and be a leader for the Orange.

Defensive/Offensive MVP:      

Rakeem Christmas was the heart and soul of Syracuse this year. The fourth year senior was the true leader of the team and performed on both the offensive and defensive end. He averaged the second most points in the ACC with 17.5 points per game. The Orange offense flowed around Christmas. They constantly tried to get Christmas the ball in the post where he could either go to work or dish it out to a shooter. His presence was also felt on the defensive end averaging 9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. These numbers are even more impressive when you take into account the other powerhouse big men in the ACC who guarded Christmas. Christmas was recognized for his efforts when he was named to the All ACC First Team. He completely deserved that achievement and he should also be recognized for keeping Syracuse afloat this year. It must have been a frustrating senior season for Christmas, but he did his best to help out the Orange.

A Down Year for the Orange 

by James Finneral

With early loses to mediocre teams it did not seem like the Orange would be big hitters in the NCAA this year. They had plenty of talent, but could not seem to pull out victories in big games. The struggles continued when freshman power forward, Chris McCullough went down with a knee injury which sidelined him for the rest of the year. McCullough has NBA potential and was just starting to get used to the program when he went down. Losing McCullough's presence down low was painful because the Orange could not just rely on Rakeem Christmas to match up with the tough ACC front-courts. Then the Orange lost to teams like Miami and Clemson. They still battled towards the end of the season defeating teams like #12 Louisville and  #9 Notre Dame. These late efforts were not enough to put the Orange inside the top 25 and they finished with 18-13 record. This is one of the worst records in recent years for Syracuse, but that was only the beginning of their problems.

The NCAA issued a nine game suspension for legendary Syracuse head coach, Jim Boeheim due to many rule infractions over the years. The NCAA believes that, "it's head mens basketball coach failed to monitor his program". Due to the many violations Syracuse will lose three scholarships per year for four years totaling to twelve overall. The Orange are also forced to remove the wins from the seasons where the violations took place which included 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012. This takes away 108 wins from Boeheim's grand total bringing him significantly down the list of the winningest coaches in college basketball history. Not that it maters with their record, but the Orange also self imposed a post-season ban which means they will not even compete in the ACC tournament. It is depressing to see the year end this way and these violations are going to hurt the Syracuse program in years to come.



This Year's Orange and a Look Ahead 

by James Finneral

After such a great start to the 2013-2014 season Syracuse was eliminated by Dayton fairly early in the NCAA Tournament. This year Syracuse is a brand new team losing many seniors and adding two freshman to their starting five.

So far this has not been the start the Orange were hoping for, losing to the two ranked teams they have played in Michigan and Villanova. They have also lost to California and St. Johns who are two solid non ranked teams. Syracuse's wins have been against sub par teams aside from the Iowa Hawkeyes who recently defeated Ohio State. Overall the Orange stand at a record of 10-4 and do not have an easy road ahead of them. Here is a look at some of the players on this years team.

PG: Kaleb Joseph, Fr:
Kaleb Joseph was one of the high profile recruits that the Orange brought in this year. They hoped to keep up the trend of developing young point guards into NBA caliber players. Joseph is extremely athletic and can score from both inside and outside. Thus far he has done a solid job for the Orange averaging 7 points and 5 assists. As the season continues Syracuse hopes that Joseph can be a leader and a floor general for this team much like Tyler Ennis last year.

SG: Trevor Cooney, Jr:
Trevor Cooney has worked his way up the ranks at Syracuse and is now a leader of this team who needs to perform well in order for the Orange to compete. Cooney is purely a shooter who shoots nearly 40% from beyond the three point arch. He is now the second leading scorer on the team averaging 13 points a game. Cooney is going to have keep his production up to help the Orange fight their way back in the tough ACC.

SF: Michael Gbinije, Jr:
Michael Gbinije, a former Duke Blue Devil is taking on a major role for Syracuse this season. This year Gbinije starts at the small forward and is depended upon to score and rebound the basketball. He is debatably the most athletic player for the Orange this year and can score from three point range as well as get to the basket. He is an X factor for the Orange and they need him to improve throughout the season.

PF: Chris McCullough, Fr:
It was evident from when he committed to Syracuse that Chris McCullough was going to be a major part of this year's team. At 6'10", 220 lbs McCullough is a force in the post, but his athleticism makes him even more of a threat. So far he has been great for the Orange averaging nearly 11 points and 7 rebounds. With McCullough alongside Rakeem Christmas the Orange have one of the best front-courts they have had in a while.

C: Rakeem Christmas, Sr:
As a four year senior Rakeem Christmas understands the system that Jim Boeheim runs at Syracuse. This year all of his hard work is finally paying off. After never averaging more than 6 points in his previous three seasons, Christmas is averaging 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks a game making him one of the top players in the ACC. He has dominated on both ends of the floor and leads the team in points and rebounds. If he keeps up the good work Christmas will cause havoc to just about every front-court the Orange face.

SF: Tyler Roberson, So:
Roberson comes off the bench for the Orange and effectively scores and rebounds the ball averaging 7 points and 5 rebounds. He is a great relief for Gbinije.

SF: B.J. Johnson, So: 
Johnson has the build of a small forward, but he can also play at the shooting guard. He is an exceptional shooter who can come into the game and give the Orange a spark.

G: Ron Patterson, So:
Patterson is an extremely athletic player who can get himself open shots off the dribble. He is an even better defender and can lock down guards in the ACC.

Looking ahead Syracuse has games against the likes of Duke, Louisville, Notre Dame, Virginia and UNC. Although these games will be tough they are not out of reach for the Orange. They have plenty of talent on their roster they just have to gel. I believe the Orange will pick up some quality wins in the ACC and may creep into the top 25. Syracuse is a NCAA tournament caliber team and are just as good as last year's team that was undefeated at this point. It is a tough road ahead and the will of this Orange team will be tested.

Commitment Catchup 

Class of 2015:

Malachi Richardson..... SG...... Hamilton, New Jersey...... Trenton Catholic Academy...... 6'6" , 190 lbs

*****

Tyler Lydon.....PF........ Pine Plains, NewYork........ New Hampton School......... 6'8" , 181lbs

****

Moustafa Diagne....... F......... Sparta, New Jersey....... Pope John XXIII High School........ 6'8", 230 lbs

****

Franklin Howard....... SG....... Washington, DC........ Paul VI High School........ 6'4", 170lbs

****

Class of 2016:

Matthew Moyer....... PF......... Columbus, OH........ Lincoln High School........ 6'7", 210 lbs

****

Two Players Who Could Make a Big Difference for the Orange

by James Finneral

Many people do not believe the Orange are bringing in any great talent next year, but what they do not know is that Syracuse has two players within the ESPN Top 100 coming in that could make a big impact in their freshman season.

Chris McCullough, PF, Brewster Academy:
Chris McCullough is a a big time talent and one of the more underrated players within the top thirty. McCullough currently sits 24th on ESPN Recruiting Nation's Top 100 list. The reason he is underrated is that he is a model NCAA power forward standing at 6'10", 220 pounds.

McCullough's athleticism is what separates him from most players at his position. He is quick for his size and can go by defenders with ease. When he gets to the rim, McCullough can rise above the defense and have easy finishes near the basket. He has an extremely high upside coming into Syracuse. There is still room for him to develop his body and could become a real force down low in the ACC. With Jerami Grant and Baye-Moussa Keita leaving, the Orange are in need of some bodies down low. McCullough will fit the system well and can develop into a NBA caliber forward.

Kaleb Joseph, PG, Cushing Academy:

Kaleb Joseph is the second highly profiled player coming into the Orange program. He is ranked 50th in the nation for the class of 2014. He is a point guard standing at 6'3", 165 pounds to go along with a tremendous amount of athleticism.

Joseph is a facilitator on the court and is always looking to improve his teammates. Along with making plays for his teammates Joseph is a natural scorer as well. He can score both by using his quickness to blow by defenders as well as shooting from any range. Joseph could be an extremely quality player at the college level because of how Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse coaching staff have developed point guards in the last few years. Two years ago it was Michael Carter-Williams who was a standout in the Big East and went on to win Rookie of the Year in the NBA in 2013-2014. This past year Tyler Ennis blossomed into an excellent point guard and made the All-ACC Second Team. Joseph is equally as talented as Ennis so there is no reason why he cannot be successful in the ACC this year.

These two guys can drive Syracuse to another successful season, but they need to live up to their expectations.



2013-2014 Orange Tournament Recap and Tribute 

by James Finneral

#3 Syracuse defeats #14 Western Michigan:
Coming into the second round of the NCAA Tournament many people questioned Syracuse's stability after losing to teams that did not even make the tournament. In this game Syracuse looked like the team that defeated Duke, Pittsburgh, Villanova and other quality teams. From the start they played as if Western Michigan did not belong in the same gym as them. The offense was flowing early with buckets from Tyler Ennis and Jerami Grant as well as three point shooting from Trevor Cooney. Along with this Western Michigan has not faced a team of Syracuse's caliber all year and seemed to really struggle against the 2-3 zone. At the end of the first half the score was 40-21 with the Orange leading. In the second half the offensive flow continued with their four best players all continuing to score. Although they were able to score the Orange did let up a little on their defense after allowing 21 points in the first half they gave up 32 in the second. In the end they still beat Western Michigan in both half's and won by a final score of 77-53. It was an overall solid effort by Syracuse as Trevor Cooney lead all scorers with 18, Ennis and Grant had 16 and C.J. Fair had 14 and 11 rebounds. This was a nice first outing for Syracuse, but the round of 32 would be a much greater challenge.

#3 Syracuse loses to #11 Dayton: 
The Dayton Flyers have played very well throughout the whole season and were ready to take on Syracuse after defeating Ohio State in the second round. In the early going the Orange were hitting anything but the bottom of the net. They almost hit a 5 minute scoring drought. Thankfully their defense was strong enough to keep them in the game going into halftime only trailing by 2 points. The first half of this game was one of the lowest scoring games in the history of college hoops at 20-18. In the early second half it appeared to be the same as the Orange could not convert on jumpers or even layups. As the half progressed Syracuse showed some life going on runs and taking back the lead at times. Three point shooting from the Flyers was able to give them the lead coming into the last possession of the game. The Orange put the game in the hands of freshman Tyler Ennis who rimmed out on a last second three point jump shot for the win. This game ended the strangest season for Syracuse. C.J. Fair finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Ennis finished with 19 points and 4 boards.

In the preview article it stated that the key for the Orange in the tournament was their shooting. In their first game vs. Western Michigan they shot 50% from the field and right in the next game they shoot 38% and lose. This team was able to defeat big time programs by having four or more guys knocking down shots. Without that they have trouble against many teams because they are not freakishly athletic. A prime example was back when the Orange defeated Duke in the Carrier Dome. Many guys stepped up for Syracuse and it seemed that they could not miss down the stretch leading to their victory. Their second game against Duke when they are not supported by incredible shooting it opened the door for Duke to use their athleticism to seal the win.

More people than just Syracuse fans saw how bizarre this season was for the Orange. They began the season 25-0 and things went south from their losing to Boston College. Georgia Tech, Duke and NC State in the ACC Tournament. Their stability was questioned heading into the big dance, but after their first game the Orange faithful hoped that the team that won all those games was ready to come back and win it all. They played well against Western Michigan, but then showed their inconsistency when they lost to Dayton in the round of 32. Midway through the season many people thought the Cuse were extremely hard to beat, but what few people realized is that many of their wins against teams outside the top 25 came by slim margins. It was only a matter of time until they slipped up and lost a few games it is just unfortunate that they happened to slip up at the wrong time. If their close call victories had come later in the season it could have ended much differently. It was obvious that they were not going to go deep into the tournament. Overall it was a successful season for the Orange, but I was much more proud of last years team that made a run to the Final Four.

Team Awards: 

Offensive Player of the Year: For the second straight year senior, C.J. Fair is awarded with the offensive player of the year. After deciding to return for his senior season Fair had a nice season that trailed off a little in the end. Still he was able to make the all ACC First team. He averaged nearly 17 points leading Syracuse in the scoring department. He found ways to score by driving or taking jump shots. He delivered for the Orange game in and game out on the offensive end and is very deserving off this award.

Defensive Player of the Year: There was no unanimous answer here, but freshman point guard Tyler Ennis receives the defensive player of the year. A stat that sticks out for Ennis is his steals with 2.1 a game. There are players on Syracuse that rebound and Rakeem Christmas blocks shots, but the challenge that Tyler Ennis was presented with makes him stand out the most. Ennis rose to the occasion having to guard some extremely skilled guards in the ACC. It is nearly impossible to shut down guys like Marcus Paige, Lamar Patterson, and Malcolm Brogdon, but Ennis took on the challenge and neutralized them. Ennis' play earned him a spot on the ACC 2nd team this year. He had an amazing freshman season and will be successful no matter what he decides to do next year.

Unsung Hero: The unsung hero this year is Trevor Cooney. Cooney became a large part of the Orange success this year after playing limited minutes the year before. His outside shooting sparked life in Syracuse's offense. He averaged 12 points a game and lead the Orange in three pointers made. A trend that I saw looking through his statistics each game is that his best games occurred at the beginning of the season when Syracuse was winning all their games. As the season wore on he fell off a little bit and his shots were not falling. At this same time is when Syracuse began to lose there games. Many people overlook Cooney's play, but he was a big difference maker and his lack of production late in the season may have lead to the Orange's demise.

Most Improved Player: The most improved player from last season to this one is sophomore forward Jerami Grant. Grant posted an incredible 2013-2014 campaign making his name known and becoming and real contributor to Syracuse's success on both ends of the floor. He went from averaging 4 points and 3 rebounds last season to averaging 12 points and nearly 7 boards this year. His incredible athleticism lead to many amazing blocks and slam dunks energizing the Orange in stretches. Grant has a boat load of potential and will likely declare for this year's NBA Draft. As he continues to work on his strength and jump shot he will make great strides each season whether in the NBA or NCAA.

Most Valuable Player: Many may disagree with me, but the MVP for this season is C.J. Fair. Tyler Ennis was phenomenal and will probably get drafted higher, but Fair was the heart and soul of this Orange team. His numbers were solid and he was honored with first team all ACC. Beyond that Fair was the most valuable player of this team because of his leadership as well. He could have gone to the NBA last year, but decided to give it one more run. Fair was able to step up in big games and mentor the younger players on Syracuse making their team chemistry even stronger. The Duke game at Syracuse really showed just how incredible Fair is. Matched up against one of the toughest teams in the country is where he stepped up the most. He knocked down big time jump shots and made strong drives to the bucket to lead Syracuse to victory. He finished the night with 28 points and 5 rebounds. People can have their opinions on whether Fair made the right decision or not, but he was a positive influence on the younger Orange players and will most likely be drafted and have a nice NBA career.

It was very fun to cover this team this year and I appreciate all the support from you guys reading my articles. I look forward to covering this team next year where the team is looking pretty good with some stud recruits coming in.

Thank you and look out for offseason articles!

GO ORANGE!!!!!

Orange Preview Heading Into the Tournament


by James Finneral

This year has been interesting to say the least for the Syracuse Orange. Starting off 25-0 and ending the season 27-5 does not happen all that often. The Orange this season have been unpredictable defeating high rank teams such as Duke, Villanova, Baylor, UNC and Pittsburgh. In the same season they lost to Boston College and Georgia Tech. The point here is that Syracuse has the potential to beat any team in the tournament but they can also lose early on.

Last year if you read my preview you would see that Syracuse was a team of runs and I thought they would catch fire in the tournament and reach the Final Four and they did. This year I believe it is a little different. Their seeding is good at 3, but they lie in a tough South region consisting of Florida, Kansas, UCLA, VCU, Pitt, Ohio State and New Mexico. I do not believe the Orange will lose in their first round matchup to Western Michigan because the Broncos have not played a team of Syracuse's caliber and will have trouble matching up. After they advance they could run into some trouble in the round of 32 whether they meet Ohio State or Dayton. Especially if Ohio State defeats Dayton the Orange could have a tough time. With senior leader Aaron Craft and Lenzelle Smith Jr. in the back court they are already a dangerous team. Combine that with LaQuinton Ross and Amir Williams and the Buckeyes are a threat to any team in the tournament. I still believe Syracuse will pull off a close victory and advance to the Sweet Sixteen. In this next game I believe they will go down to a very strong and talented Kansas team. Syracuse can actually matchup with them except at the center position. If Joel Embiid is healthy for this game the Orange will go down because neither Rakeem Christmas or Baye Keita will be able to handle him along with Perry Ellis down low. As much as I would like to be proved wrong, I do not see Syracuse making it any further than this.

The key to the Orange success in this tournament is their shooting. They have multiple threats that can score from any range such as Trevor Cooney, C.J. Fair and Tyler Ennis. Many college teams now are transferring to zone which means if these guys are locked down from outside it will make their offense come a lot easier. Cuse has the potential to go extremely far in the tournament, but they have to buckle down and play hard.

C.J. Fair

#4 Syracuse Falls to #12 Virginia 

by James Finneral

The Orange coming off recent studies headed down to John Paul Jones Arena to play the streaking Virginia Cavaliers in a heavy weight battle to determine the ACC regular season champion. This was marked as one of Syracuse's most difficult games of the season. From the opening tip of the game Virginia attacked the Orange zone on all cylinders getting the ball inside to their bigs leading to many dunks and offensive rebounds especially from Cavalier big man, Akil Mitchell. Despite these issues Syracuse was able to head into halftime with a one point lead. In the second half things just completely fell apart for Cuse. They could not get into and offensive rhythm forcing many three point shots that were not falling for them. On the other end Virginia had completely figured out the 2-3 zone and was able to score on the inside as well as shoot the lights out from behind the arch. The Orange could have had a chance to stick around in the game, but with Virginia shooting both 50 percent from three point range and overall field goals gave Cuse no chance. Mike Tobey of Virginia was a handful down low finishing with 11 points and 8 rebounds. Also Malcolm Brogdon in the back-court actually outplayed Tyler Ennis scoring 19 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds. C.J. Fair did not play poorly with 13 points and 6 rebounds, but most likely eliminated any hopes he had of chasing down Doug McDermott of Creighton for the John R. Wooden Player of the Year. Syracuse ended up losing the game by a final score of 75-56.

This loss leaves many people questioning true heart of this Syracuse team where they start undefeated then lose three out of four games. This is not the way Syracuse wants to be ending their regular season. They have no momentum going into the conference tournament and need to pick things up if they want to make it far in both the ACC and NCAA tournaments. They end their regular season against Georgia Tech and Florida State and if they were to lose to either of those teams many people will concerned for this team coming into the post season.

Trevor Cooney

A Thriller in the Carrier Dome

by James Finneral

One the 1st of February 2014 one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the college basketball season was played. This game feature the Syracuse Orange and the Blue Devils of Duke University. The Carrier Dome was filled to the brim with over 35,000 fans. There were a good amount of Duke fans in attendance, but they were barely noticeable with the amount of Orange faithful cheering on New York's College Team.

 From the start it was obvious that this game was going to be a hard fought battle till the end. Amir Jefferson lead the offense for Duke in the first few minutes with many buckets down low. He was answered by an overall strong effort by the starting five for Syracuse. As the first half ended the Orange lead 38-35.


At the beginning of the second half Syracuse sophomore, Jerami Grant took over, scoring at will and grabbing many rebounds. The Orange offense was on, but Duke was matching them with scoring from Rodney Hood and Jabari Parker.

Once the ten minute mark hit C.J. Fair took over the game with drives to the bucket, baseline jumpers, and forceful finishes at the rim. Despite his ten point effort in five minutes the Blue Devils still hung around with three, three pointers from Tyler Thornton. With time winding down Cuse was able to hold the lead by three with five seconds remaining. Then Duke's Rasheed Sulaimon took the ball the length of the court and hit a three pointer at the buzzer to send it into overtime.

In overtime it was still a hard battle, but after Amir Johnson and Jabari Parker fouled out Duke could not finish the job. As they were down Duke fouled and the Orange foul shooting was able to ice the game by a final score of 91-89.

C.J. Fair lead all scorers with 28 points and 5 rebounds. Jerami Grant stepped up on the big stage with 24 points and 12 rebounds and freshman Tyler Ennis continued his amazing campaign 14 points and 9 assists with clutch free throw shooting down the stretch.

This was an amazing game to kick off what is sure to be one of the most heated and competitive rivalries in the NCAA. This game was great for the new ACC and could be a preview to the ACC championship later this year. These two teams square off again at Duke on February 22nd where the Blue Devils will be out for revenge. This was a great game to watch and to start this new rivalry.



#2 Syracuse Rolls Against Virginia Tech

by James Finneral

Syracuse took a road trip down to Virginia to play the Hokies of Virginia Tech. They are not known as one of the elite teams across the country, but they were able to defeat Miami who nearly beat Syracuse. As the game began the Orange were calm and control of the game. In the first half they hit many jump shots with two early threes from Trevor Cooney and some nice takes by Jerami Grant. The 2-3 was not stifling, but it did hold Virginia Tech to 29 points in the first half as they lead 35-29. The second half was pretty similar and Syracuse's consistent efforts drove them to victory. Grant had an absolute monster block to go along with his 12 points and 10 rebounds. C.J. Fair played another very solid game dropping 17 points and 6 rebounds. Tyler Ennis continued his impressive freshman campaign with 13 and 7 dimes and Michael Gbinije poured in a solid 8 points off the bench. Overall this game was not very exciting which was to be expected. The one main area of concern for the Orange is their poor foul shot percentage shooting a measly 54% at the line against Virginia Tech. With some of the challenging games on their schedule those foul shots will become a lot more important and may be the difference between winning and losing. They are home against a very strong North Carolina team lead by the tremendous guard-forward duo of Marcus Paige and James Michael-McAdoo.

Player of the game and X Factor for the Orange, Jerami Grant

#2 Syracuse Triumphs in A Huge Victory Over #8 Villanova

by James Finneral

On December 28th 2013 Syracuse faced their largest test of the year against the #8 Villanova Wildcats. The Carrier Dome was a sea of orange ready to cheer on New York's college. Coming into the game Syracuse had their work cut out for them facing out against a very physical Wildcat team with the likes of JaVaughn Pinkston and James Bell. From the start it seemed like Villanova had the Orange all figured out as they jumped to a 25-7 lead early on. An insane turn of events occurred as the first half progressed as Syracuse held Nova to their 25 points until they took the lead from them. Tyler Ennis and Trevor Cooney were the main contributors to the insane run. The first half came to an end with Syracuse leading 38-34. It was much of the same in the second half. Syracuse maintained control of the game with big time plays by C.J. Fair and outside shooting from Cooney. The Cuse defense was in lockdown mode in the second half holding Villanova to 28. The game concluded with a 78-62 victory for the Orange. The victory showed how resilient this team is. Being down by nearly 20 to start the game and then they are able to come back and nearly win by 20. When you are watching them play now and they are losing reflect back to this game and never count them out no matter how bad it seems. Cooney lead the way in scoring with 21 points alongside 3 steals. Tyler Ennis played very well with 20 points and 4 rebounds and C.J. Fair played his game with 17 points and 6 boards. Jerami Grant also had a notable performance with 11 points and 6 rebounds. This win finally shows that Syracuse can defeat a top 25 ranked team. This is a great win for the Orange, but they have many more challenging games coming up.

Trevor Cooney, 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals