Orange Look To Dump Friars Into The Fryer (Ugh)

by Sean Keeley on Feb 2, 2010 4:24 PM EST

"I don’t see a better team in the country. They are so much more improved that they were a year ago. They are more balanced on offense and are much, much better defensively."

That's Providence coach Keno Davis, spittin' truth. If that's true, I feel bad for him. He's got to play us twice in the next three weeks. The first go-round between the 21-1 Orange and the 12-9 Friars is tonight in the Dome.

Regardless of the records and rankings, Orange fans (and players) remember last year's battle in The Dunk, won by the Friars. Providence fans did their very best to rattle SU players. SU would love nothing more than to return the favor. The Friars haven't won in the Dome since '99 and the Orange will try to keep it that way.

The Friars are led by forward Jamine Peterson and guard Sharaud Curry. Peterson is the go-to scorer, averaging 18 PPG. Meanwhile Curry, along with Brian McKenzie and Marshon Brooks, can all shoot lights-out from time to time. As we know, this causes all sorts of issues for SU. (see Mike Waters' full scouting report for details).

Coming off the DePaul near-loss, the Orange have to be concerned about their propensity for digging huge holes. They've been able to dig themselves out against the Blue Demons and Hoyas, but sooner or later it's going to bite them in the tushy. Especially against a team that can keep up with the Orange in the scoring department.

The one thing SU should understand about PC is that the Friars can score. Their 81.3 points per game average ranks them second in the league in that category. PC is also draining nearly eight 3-pointers per game, also second-best among conference brethren.

But while the Friars can score, they have had trouble stopping opponents from doing the same. PC ranks last in the conference in defense. Opposing Big East teams are scoring 83 points against them. And teams are shooting at a .479 clip (No. 13 in the league) against the Friars.

For Syracuse, the initial push tonight will be to discourage the Friars’ inclination to score. And that, said Andy Rautins and Brandon Triche, will require that more attention is paid to the Providence shooters.

For some final thoughts on the game, Orange44 has a quick preview, Brian, myself and Dave from FriarBlog talked SU-PC in the latest podcast and the D.O. fellas break it down below.

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For Syracuse, the initial push tonight will be to discourage the Friars’ inclination to score.

Thank God he got that journalism degree or else he could have just said, “Syracuse should focus on defense.”

by Rocket Ship Science on Feb 2, 2010 4:40 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Syracuse by 20

This one won’t be close.

by Brian Favat on Feb 2, 2010 4:41 PM EST reply actions

Bad News

Bad New for friars fans…

Keno Davis looks like the younger brother of this guy:

http://blog.mlive.com/wolverinesfootball_impact/2009/01/medium_090120-greg-robinson-syracuse.jpg

I wonder if the friars know the little engine that could story…

by kingtidge on Feb 2, 2010 5:00 PM EST reply actions

Do they have enough want to?

As long as they don’t snowball into something that catches fire the cuse should be alright.

by Doc Gross's Phones on Feb 2, 2010 5:46 PM EST up reply actions

PC shouldn't expect....

… to sniff 80 points tonight. The 2-3 is getting ANGRY

by Bernie Fine is the Man on Feb 2, 2010 5:12 PM EST reply actions

Back in 1998, Providence jumped out to an 18-0 lead in the Dome. Let’s hope we don’t see another slow start along those lines tonight….

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Feb 2, 2010 5:13 PM EST reply actions

That was it!

We discussed that on the podcast and I couldn’t remember the year.

We stood, clapping like jackasses for about 7 minutes.

Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician - The Syracuse blog that cares.

by Sean Keeley on Feb 2, 2010 5:47 PM EST up reply actions

Yup

It got super ridiculous. I think my hands were cracked raw after that game.

Without Gerry McNamara we wouldn't have won 10 f-- games, not 10

by PoetryInMoten on Feb 2, 2010 6:12 PM EST up reply actions

Dare I say

we shut it down tonight?

by ryanwk628 on Feb 2, 2010 5:26 PM EST reply actions

Approved.

Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician - The Syracuse blog that cares.

by Sean Keeley on Feb 2, 2010 5:47 PM EST up reply actions

I had a great time at that game last year, despite the loss.

for this game. I’ll reiterate that everything the Providence fans did, we would have done, too, if we were them.

But we’re not.

Really, though, I was not int the student section, but the 100’s right across from the ’Cuse bench. Most of the Friars fans there were self-deprecating and enjoyable to jaw back and forth with as we jockeyed about team is the more lovable loser: the perennial average team that can score but not defend, or the perennial strong team that somehow finds a way to fall apart (except for years like ’87, ’96, ’03, and ’10).

I was housed at that game! I think I they sold Vodka in the Dunk? And I drank tons of it?

Walking into the arena was fun, too, as an ice storm hit that night. Nobody could walk on the sidewalks/streets across from the arena, as they were completely slicked over.

Then, after the game, I met up with some old college buddies and we ended up hopping from Union Station Brewery to a nice beer bar (I think Trinity?) where a picture of me was somehow taken with the many other ’Cuse fans in the bar, ending up the next day on… TNIAAM.

by TheRenegadePumpkin on Feb 2, 2010 5:33 PM EST reply actions