Syracuse Defeats Seton Hall: News, Notes & Whatnot

by Sean Keeley on Dec 29, 2011 12:43 PM EST

The No. 1 Syracuse Orange defeated the Seton Hall Pirates 75-49 on Wednesday night. You know all about Fabricio de Melo's big night, but what else happened?

So what's gotten into Fab anyway? Scoop Jardine knows the obvious answer:

"Coach Hopkins, Coach Hopkins, Coach Hopkins" Scoop Jardine said in response to that question before I could even get it out of my mouth after the game.

And Fab agrees:

"Me and Hop (Coach Hopkins) we work everyday. We work on my position on offense. That is how I am getting more points. I know my position better. Better positioning to get rebounds. I think it is working a lot and has got me better."

Kris Joseph didn't score in a Syracuse basketball game for the first time since he was a freshman. It was a BET game against Louisville and KrisJo played one minute.

Both Brandon Triche and Dion Waiters are dealing with thumb injuries. Waiters' injury is on his non-shooting hand and it got "smacked" during the Seton Hall game. Clearly, it's not cause too many problems. As for Triche, it's a thmb injury as well is but it didn't seem to bother him during free-throw (4-4) or otherwise.

Seton Hall's 49-point output was one of the lowest point totals ever in a Big East game and the fifth time SU has ever held an opponent under 50. Rutgers holds the distinction of the worst performance, losing 70-40 to us in 2009.

Syracuse was leading the nation in steals with 11.2 before the game. They had 17 steals Wednesday night.

Seton Hall scored 49 points Wednesday night. The Syracuse bench scored 40. And, as the D.O. pointed out, that was without James Southerland hitting a 3 and with Michael Carter-Williams scoring only two points.

Fab Melo leads the Big East in blocked shots with 41. Syracuse had 14 blocks Wednesday night.

While Seton Hall out-rebounded Syracuse 45-39, that's number's a bit-misleading as many of those SHU rebounds came off SU blocked shots.

And possibly my favorite stat of them all...

Syracuse is the leading scoring team in the Big East at 80.7 PPG but does not have a leading individual scorer in the Top 20 of the Big East Conference.

Finally, Bud Poliquin provides us with some glittery prose to send sweet Dion off into that gentle night:

Dion Waiters has morphed in front of our very eyes, becoming less of a thorn and more of a rose in terms of tone and temperament. But he remains a very competitive dude . . . and that, coupled with his elephant’s memory, helped make for a long night for the Seton Hall Pirates, who learned that payback can be painful.

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Comments

I want to quickly give MCW a bit of love.

He came in late and only scored 2 pts, but he made some nice passes and his back-to-back steals were excellent. If he can keep up his decent play and get PT throughout the year, he should become a pretty excellent PG by next year.

Also, did anyone else notice that Mookie seemed to be pandering with his unselfish play? The whole Dome was begging for him to shoot (it was more than obvious even over my Xbox Live feed) and he just kept trying to set up his teammates.

Clear eyes, full bologna sandwiches!

by NOLACuse on Dec 29, 2011 12:50 PM EST reply actions

Yes, I saw that about Mookie also. It looks like he is buying into the team concept hook, line, and sinker.

by Piety Hill on Dec 29, 2011 12:57 PM EST up reply actions

When I was a young 'un

I was bad at sports. When I was playing basketball, I’d get the minimum playing time required to keep my parents feeling their registration fee was not wasted. Every time I’d touch the ball people would yell for me to shoot it. I knew it was condescending at eight years old. Those nice people didn’t mean for it to be condescending, but it was. I knew it at eight years old. Mookie probably knows it, too.

by Mike I. on Dec 29, 2011 12:57 PM EST up reply actions

You're probably right.

In high school, as a junior, I was playing my first year of lacrosse and splitting time between JV and Varsity. During our first round playoff game that year we were winning by about 9 goals with 15 or 10 seconds left. I’d been in the game for a good bit of the 4th quarter at that point and hadn’t touched the ball much but got a pass with a pretty clean look at the goal. All the starters (on the bench during the end of a blowout) were yelling “shoot, shoot”. I didn’t for sort of the same reason you describe. (Also, jogging it out and having the ball in my stick at the end of a playoff victory was kind of a nice feeling at that point in my lax career.)

Clear eyes, full bologna sandwiches!

by NOLACuse on Dec 29, 2011 1:25 PM EST up reply actions

Dont you kinda wish you shot it though?

I remember I was called up to varsity hoops as a soph. Didnt play too much, but with 20 seconds left and us comfortably ahead I had the opportunity to shoot it with the whole bench screaming for me to do so. I did and made it. Great feeling! I’m not giving you crap by any means. But it was also real nice looking in that stat book and seeing my name.

by Mike Will is DoubleDown on Dec 29, 2011 1:29 PM EST up reply actions

Part of me does sure.

But I got more chances my senior season (which I knew I would because I knew I would be better and I would be a senior, so seniority). And I also didn’t feel the need to be run up the score at that point. If there had been a couple minutes left, I would have shot it, but with 10 seconds to go, nah.

Clear eyes, full bologna sandwiches!

by NOLACuse on Dec 29, 2011 1:37 PM EST up reply actions

MCW

Don’t need points from him right now, 11 minutes, 2 steals, 2 assists, 0 turnovers…that’s all he needs to do

by 5 1 on Dec 29, 2011 12:56 PM EST reply actions

That's potentially 12 points right there!

And he doesn’t even NEED to shoot!

Born in '87, Orange fan since '86
I guess I made a twitter, follow @StealthTurkey

by StealthTurkey on Dec 29, 2011 1:05 PM EST up reply actions

Agreed.

His assist:TO ratio is great. I think that’s what I like about the most right now. We have scorers on this team; MCW can be a valuable playmaker this year without scoring.

Clear eyes, full bologna sandwiches!

by NOLACuse on Dec 29, 2011 1:28 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Fab Melo is playing himself right into the NBA next year

I know it sounds crazy, but 7 footers are a hot commodity in the NBA. Add on to the fact that he is active, blocking shots like crazy and his jump shot has definitely improved AND he is only what, 19 years old? These are all what NBA GM’s dream over.

by Mike Will is DoubleDown on Dec 29, 2011 1:25 PM EST reply actions

So that comment about Hop...

Before this season it was Fine who handled the bigs for the most part correct? So I guess some of the other coaches, Hop included, are putting in extra duty to make up for that vacancy? If so, maybe some of what we are seeing is Hop’s enthusiasm rubbing off on these players.

Clear eyes, full bologna sandwiches!

by NOLACuse on Dec 29, 2011 1:31 PM EST reply actions

What I'm getting from that Hop comment is

that Bernie Fine really wasn’t doing a whole lot other than (supposedly) being JB’s right hand man. Kinda makes you wonder how our last few big men could have been if they were working with someone else.

Go Cuse!

by nymetsfan1226 on Dec 29, 2011 1:38 PM EST up reply actions

Thats kind of what I heard as well

That Hop was doing most the work. Definitely took over recruiting. I think Bernie kind of “gave up” so to speak when he wasnt assigned “coach in waiting”. For good reason i might add

by Mike Will is DoubleDown on Dec 29, 2011 1:46 PM EST up reply actions

I never got how a 5'9 65 year old who never played organized ball himself

could really successfully coach big men. Hadnt been there, hadnt done it…Hop seems to be taking a much more active role in BFines absence, and it seems to be paying dividends.

by Pinker on Dec 29, 2011 1:49 PM EST up reply actions

Bernie Fine is not 5'9".

Also, whether deserved or not, he got a lot of credit for getting a lot out of people like Rony, Etan Thomas, Conrad McRae. I could go on.

I'm getting ready to change my birthplace to Syracuse.

by Seadog on Dec 29, 2011 5:07 PM EST up reply actions

I didn't necessarily want to say it, but this:

Kinda makes you wonder how our last few big men could have been if they were working with someone else.

It is important to keep in mind that Fab is a true 7 footer with loads of talent though. He isn’t just a big body.

Clear eyes, full bologna sandwiches!

by NOLACuse on Dec 29, 2011 1:58 PM EST up reply actions

Still... Daryl Watkins? Terrence Roberts?

Both finally got it going in flashes their senior year,seemed to take forever for them to develop. Always outrbounded, outhussled, etc. Hmmmmm…….

by War4Cuse on Dec 29, 2011 3:13 PM EST up reply actions

Rick Jackson? AO?

Those two made significant progress through the years

by Mike Will is DoubleDown on Dec 29, 2011 4:44 PM EST up reply actions

Rick and AO improved statistically

But only due to getting more PT because there was no one better ahead of them. Not because their games improved any.

AO came to SU with exactly one post move; lower his shoulder, plow into the defender, dunk/layup. He left SU with exactly one post move. Rick, while never a really polished post scorer, had a couple more moves than AO. But he always, ALWAYS, went back to his left, rendering whatever moves he made useless. A good coach would have expanded the repertoires of the players under his tutelage. AO would have developed another move or two. Rick would have learned to use his right. Not to mention that neither ever showed an inkling of being any use outside 6 feet.

So, I mean, the numbers can be misleading. Yeah, Rick ended up being Mr. Double-Double. But mainly because of playing a load of minutes and losing 30 pounds, not because he improved his game any.

"If I ain't gonna be part of the greatest, I gotta be the greatest myself." Busta Rhymes

by FeloniousPhunk on Dec 30, 2011 10:21 AM EST up reply actions

Been saying this about Fine for awhile now

Yeah, Rony Seikaly and Etan Thomas turned into first round picks on his watch. But Craig Forth stayed Craig Forth. Terrence Roberts stayed Terrence Roberts. Billy Celuck stayed Billy Celuck. Jeremy McNeil stayed Jeremy McNeil.

I mean, look at Rick Jackson. Yes, he made tremendous statistical improvement over his career. But his game didn’t get any better, only his PT and his conditioning. A good coach would have told Rick, “Hey, big fella, if you want to make it into the league as a 6’9” F/C, you’re gonna need a 15 foot jump shot and to be able to use your right hand for more than grabbing boards." and such a coach would have told him this sometime prior to the month or so before the NBA draft.

There have been some great big man turnarounds while Fine was supposedly the big men’s coach. But I chalk their improvement up to the players’ own work ethic and talent rather than anything special Fine did. Otherwise more of them would have gone from “foul machine in the middle of the zone” to “serviceable big man” than actually did.

"If I ain't gonna be part of the greatest, I gotta be the greatest myself." Busta Rhymes

by FeloniousPhunk on Dec 29, 2011 3:25 PM EST up reply actions