Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

We Always Hurt The Ones We Love

2009-01-06T23:58:14Z

Deadspin noticed a very curious offhand remark in this AP story about Carmelo Anthony and his fractured hand:

With his right hand wrapped tightly in ice, Carmelo Anthony bounded around the locker room, elated over what he had just witnessed on the big screen.

Anthony's beloved Texas Longhorns stormed back in the final seconds to beat Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, temporarily dulling the pain he was feeling in his hand.

Beloved Texas Longhorns? Say whatnow? It's presented as common knowledge yet I've never heard anything about this apparent love for the team Carmelo dropped 33 points on in the 2003 Final Four en route to SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY'S 2003 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP^©.

As I do in every situation, I turned to Carmelo's NBA Profile for answers.

Is a fan of the Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Orioles and Texas Longhorns football.

Ahhhh...fan of Texas FOOTBALL. Well, that's fine. I certainly wouldn't require Carmelo to pledge allegiance to Syracuse Football. I'm not a sadist.

Also noticed this on Carmelo's Profile Page:

Filmed a scene from the upcoming Eddie Murphy movie “Nowhereland” alongside Allen Iverson and George Karl at the Pepsi Center in October, 2007.

Oops.

'Cause In College Coaching, You Fail Upwards

2009-01-06T22:46:12Z

Is it truly possible that I could soon be living in the same zip code as Greg Robinson? The only thing more common in January than USC winning the Rose Bowl is USC looking for new coodinators. Former DC Nick Holt is joining former OC Steve Sarkisian in Washington, leaving Pete Carroll with the task of replacing both coordinators yet again. He's already promoted from within to fill the OC role but as for the DC, well, it remains open.

Could Greg Robinson be the man for the job? Back in November I thought about the possibility of Greggers heading back West to his roots. Especially given the connection he has with Carroll:

Seriously, the guy's got a Rolodex that would put most people to shame, if they actually still used a Rolodex. That's part of the reason Greg's here in the first place and a huge part of the reason he's been hired at all of his most recent jobs. His hiring here at Cuse was thanks in large part to Pete Carroll's thumbs up. Carroll and Robinson coached together at Pacific back in the day. Prior to that Robinson parlayed the kind words of former bosses Dick Vermeil and Mike Shanahan into the Texas DC job and added Mack Brown to his list of supporters. That list of vouchers also includes [former UCLA coach] Terry Donahue and Lions OC Jim Colletto. His lack of recent success aside, any one of these guys seem happy to pick up the phone and sing Greg's praises to the next coach interested in hiring him.

I still felt that UCLA, where Robinson once coached and even interviewed for the head coaching gig at one point, would be the more logical fit. The local media would have a field day with Greggers if USC brought on a coach of his, um, reputation.

But it doesn't stop people from speculating. The OC Register threw it out there. So did the Press-Enterprise. Even Rivals' Tim Dienhart thought Greg was worth noting, though Dienhart thinks Robinson could be a fit for the Bruins.

Going back to my article in November, so did I:

If there any program in Division-1A that might be interested in Robinson's services, it could be UCLA. Greg coached at UCLA from '82-'89 in various positions under Terry Donahue. He's from Los Angeles and will certainly be looking for comfortable surroundings that are as far away from Syracuse as possible. Dick Vermeil is a UCLA guy, as is Jim Colletto. Not to mention the fact that Robinson was once under consideration to be head coach. for the Bruins in happier times. Athletic Director Dan Guerrero was the man in charge then and he still is now. It might have been even more likely had Karl not been fired after last season. Dorrell was a [Mike] Shanahan disciple.

Smart money is on Carroll promoting secondary coach Rocky Seto to DC before hiring from the outside. But if Greg Robinson made a call, I'm sure Pete would at least take it.

...Checked again today on receiver Mike Williams. No news. Classes for Syracuse start Monday."

2009-01-06T19:46:41Z

...Checked again today on receiver Mike Williams. No news. Classes for Syracuse start Monday."

Donnie Webb, revealing that once again Mike Williams is a cruel temptress.

TopTenlinks

2009-01-06T19:15:21Z

Tony Fiammetta is getting ready for the Senior Bowl, Ryan Durand for the East/West Shrine Game...Donnie Webb
Yes, Syracuse deserves to be a Top Ten team...Cuse Country
Syracuse currently #15 in the RPI Rankings...Statsheet.com
SU lax # 2 in yet another preseason poll...SUAthletics.com
G-Mac is actually a "D-League free agent," free to sign with any team...Mike Waters
The SU Women's Team gets tested tonight against Rutgers...Syracuse.com
Still no word on highly-touted transfer Cody Jamieson at SU camp...FoxSports
No criminal charges filed against Marvin Harrison for last year's incident...Deadspin
So who is the team to beat in the Big East?...The Big Lead
Checking in on the state of the Big East so far...Three Point Land (Part II here)
Nick Freidell goes one-on-one with Cuse alum Bob Costas...Fourth Place Medal

The end of the 2006 Big East Tournament game against UConn? Sure, why not...

Marrone Wasn't Kidding About The NYC-Area Recruiting

2009-01-06T18:22:04Z

The first official recruit of the Doug Marrone Era has committed. Safety/running back Torian Phillips out of Port Richmond High in Staten Island has signed on the line that is dotted and chosen Cuse over Rutgers. Phillips is a two-star rated recruit by Rivals and Scout.

Phillips was named the All-City Player of the Year by FiveBoroSports.com by making easy work of defenses all season long:

Phillips was dangerous whenever the ball came his way – on screen passes, stretch plays and draws. He capped an unforgettable senior season by tearing apart a sound Fort Hamilton defense to the tune of 206 rushing yards and four touchdowns, tying the record set by Lincoln’s Clive Harding in 1981. He scored 34 touchdowns, compiled 1,586 total yards and even had 20 receptions.

“He’s as good as they come,” PR coach Lou Vesce said.

Phillips also led Port Richmond to its first city title in a 206-yard, 4 TD performance.

The recruiting dead period ended less than 24-hours ago and Marrone already has a quality NY recruit, not too shabby for the situation he walked into. Phillips has some areas of concern (lack of height and weight are most glaring) but it's a fantastic reboot to what has otherwise been a depressing recruiting season.

Keep'm coming, Douggers.

Keep Those Hands Where I Can See Them, Jim

2009-01-06T18:01:31Z

Head on over to The Orange Segment for a belated holiday treat as Jimmy B, Jonny, Arinze, Devo and a few other players put on their finest tights and dance the Christmas season away. I'm still trying to figure out why Arinze needed to put in his mouthguard, but then again who am I to question the art of the dance.

I did have one issue though. There's just something inherently creepy about this part:

Leave some room for the holy ghost, Jim!

Details Are Not Jon Wilner's Strong Suit

2009-01-06T02:16:00Z

Details Are Not Jon Wilner's Strong Suit

Yes, Syracuse is in Wilner's AP Poll this week at #10. But perhaps he was a little too focused on making sure the Orange got their due because he forgot to include Clemson.

You know, 14-0 Clemson. #12 Clemson.

Oh and if you read the comments on his blog...they've noticed.

Providence Still Plays Basketball???

2009-01-06T01:57:59Z

When I was a little kid, my uncle used to refer to Dunkin' Donuts as Dunkin' Dognuts. That killed me every time.

I'll be honest with you, I'm even smiling right now. It's gold, Jerry.

I say this for no reason other than that the Providence Friars play in the Dunkin' Donuts Center, excuse me, The Dunk (oy). And the Orange will be playing the Friars there on January 28th. And apparently, they don't like us very much.

Underneath all the accolades, championships, and achievements, there is a dark shadow that has been cast on Syracuse with Jim Boeheim as coach.

That's not Jim Boeheim, that's the lake effect. I'll have someone explain it to you sometime...cause I can't.

The only thing to trump such rap sheets are these players' stat sheets. Devendorf is a solid shooting threat and court leader for the Orange and has been named to All-Big East teams in the past; Flynn was co-Rookie of the Year in the Big East last season; Jardine and Jackson are reliable scorers that can start or play off the bench. Throw in a punk like Paul Harris (who repeatedly made boasting gestures to and threw his headband at the student crowd the last time SU played at the Dunk) and you have five players who put up a combined 60 points a game for the Orange.

Sir, I have met Paul Harris. Okay, I haven't ACTUALLY met Paul Harris. But I have paid close attention to him. He is without a doubt the greatest human being to ever walk God's green Earth and he is a bastion of hope and triumph the likes of which Providence shall never understand, nor shall you drinketh from his cup, which runneth other. And so on and so forth.

If Paul Harris deemed it necessary to throw his headband into your student section, I would have to assume he had a perfectly sound and logical reason for doing so. I'm unaware of the admissions policies of Providence ~~University~~ College but if the quality of local student is akin to the types I see on the TV show Brotherhood, then I think I know everything I need to know.

Perhaps one of these students haphazardly handled a cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee during the game. As it spilled onto said student's lap, Paul Harris acted quickly and selflessly, by throwing his headband with reckless abandon and without reservation as to the sweat that would now sting his pristine eyeballs, into the crowd to act as a buffer between the poor, low SAT-scoring Providence student with bad motor skills and the free-falling coffee beverage.

I have no doubt in my mind that Paul Harris saved a life that day. You weep for your Providence student section, and you curse the Orange. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Paul Harris' perceived taunts, while uncouth, probably saved lives. And Syracuse University's existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at Big East Media Days, you want Syracuse on that court, you NEED Syracuse on that court. We use words like G-Mac, zone defense and Jim F***ing Boeheim. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent going to Final Fours. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a fanbase who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very conference reputation that Syracuse provides, and then questions the manner in which we provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way to the NIT, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a basketball, recruit some star players, and get seeded in March. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.

Now I call on you to continue a tradition that was started only two years ago for a game against the Syracuse Orange. The idea of a full black out was first utilized in March of 2007 when the Friars played SU on ESPN, and it was extremely effective. Ever since, I have asked students to BLACK OUT THE DUNK at every home game, and for the most part you have stepped up. I DEMAND that you BLACK OUT THE DUNK against Syracuse out of the sake of tradition and to create a ravenous, insane, and unmatched student section to make Syracuse regret ever stepping foot in Friartown!!

All due respect to the purveyor of Friar Blog, my college roommate Adam who hails from North Providence (and refused to alter his alligences in full to the Orange) and all Friar fans, but, bring on your little Black Out. Sounds cute. Makes it easier for Paul to find targets for his headband this time...

The Greatest Gregism - Finals

2009-01-05T23:08:40Z

And so it comes to this. What you've all been waiting for. The final battle to determine once and for all what the Greatest Gregism of All Time is. Let's not dilly-dally, it's go-time. Make your vote. You have until the end of the day on Tuesday, January 6th.

Finalist #1 was uttered on August 11th, 2008 in the heat of summer camp. Greg was being pressured to spill the beans on who his first-string players were going to be in the upcoming season. Not a man "about strings and all that," Greg ultimately decided to divert attention from the topic by confusing the hell out of each and every person he was talking to.

"Don't try to figure it out because it isn't figured out yet. That's really what I tell you. It is and it isn't."

It's like a riddle trapped in an enigma wrapped in a quandary. It's classic Gregismtry.

VERSUS

Finalist #2 needs little introduction. On August 28th, 2008, Greg was speaking on The Greg Robinson Show (whoda think) about the attitude of his team heading into the season. What happened next is lore that will be handed down for generations to come:

“It can maybe snowball into something that can catch fire...”

Every single one of you should be trying to work that into your daily discussions every day.

Cast your vote now, the fate of Gregisms depend on it.

Poll

Which is the Greatest Gregism of All Time?

"Don't try to figure it out because it isn't figured out yet. That's really what I tell you. It is and it isn't."

124 votes

"It can maybe snowball into something that can catch fire..."

227 votes

351 votes | Poll has closed

ElShamWowlinks

2009-01-05T20:09:57Z

Get more on Scott Shafer's official introduction as DC...SUAthletics.com
Gary Parrish would like to remind you be picked SU to be this good...CBS Sportsline
Early predictions for the 2009 Big East Football season...Brian Bennett
The almighty Mike Leveille hangs out at ESPNZone...YouTube
Did you watch the Orange Bowl? Me either. Neither did anyone else...EDSBS

The Shamwow Commercial. En espanol. And no, it's not dubbed...

H/T: Videogum

Cuse Attacks!!!

2009-01-05T19:59:30Z

Doug Marrone has one word for you and one word only. And that word is...ATTACK!!!!

"We're excited about the direction we're going to be going defensively," Marrone said. "I love it. I'm going to use one word. I'm going to use the word attack. We're going to attack, OK. That's how we're going to be offensively. All right. That's what we're going to be doing defensively."

Alright, Jesus, you're gonna attack. Got it, chief. Scott Shafer, new Defensive Coordinator and expert in local breakfast eateries, what do you have to say about this....what do you call it...attack?

"The quarterback is the marquee player in every program. We need to hit the hell out of that quarterback. We need to see what he's made of. We need to see what their No. 2 is made up. That's what I mean by attacking."

Syracuse Football 2009: Giving Your Starting Quarterback A Brain Hemorrhage If At All Possible. I like it...catchy.

Now I hear the fans talking...what about the stats, Coach Shafer? We firmly believe that stats provide the be-all and end-all on whether or not we're doing well. Do you agree, sir?

Stats are for losers.

I but...yeah but....no but...

Um...elaborate please, Coach Shafer...

"You don't have to be the biggest. You don't have to be the strongest. You don't have to be the brightest. But if we get 11 guys playing as hard as they can, with great passion and respect for the game, we'll make changes that you'll be able to see. It may not show up statistically in a hurry. Stats are for losers. We find a way to win. We hold them to less yards. I don't care. We hold them to less points. I do care. That's No. 1."

Fair enough. But you're treading dangerously close to "want-to/have-to/fightin' the fight" ground right now. We just ask that you steer clear of that for now. If you need to know why, just ask DOC Gross.

Eric Devendorf Seen In Some Sort Of Yet-To-Be-Determined Protective Bodywear

2009-01-05T19:46:07Z

Syracuse.com is busy investing its resources into the local bowling-related scandal so no word from them yet onhow Eric Devendorf is holding up with his hip problems. Thankfully, News 10 Now is there for some very specific, very factual and very detail-oriented reporting:

At practice on Sunday, Paul Harris looked like the stitches in his finger are no longer bothering him, and he should be able to play in the next game.

As for Eric Devendorf he looked like he was wearing some kind of protection on that hip pointer he suffered against USF Friday, he worked out for a while, but then left the court looking like he was in pain.

Some kind of protection? Are we talking about a gauze wrap or a suit of chain mail armor? Cause I'll be honest with you, I think the armor would seriously hamper his ability to pivot and cut.

The good news is, we already know we can win without Devo. So even if he shows up on Wednesday in an astronaut suit, we can work around him if need be.

Don't Look Now But Cuse Is Top Ten

2009-01-05T19:05:57Z

I always preface this by saying the polls mean nothing and then I always say but...

BUT...

Syracuse basketball is in the Top Ten again.

On the same week when the Big East's Pitt took hold of the #1 spot in the Coaches Poll, the Orange move up to #9 thanks to wins over Seton Hall and South Florida as well as some losses by other top teams.

Crazy. It's been so long since SU has been in this position so it's a little...weird. You don't want to get too attached to it cause we could lose very soon and it'll be over. But it's a nice validation for the program and sends a very clear message that in this, the year of the Big East, Syracuse is part of that upper echolon, not one of the middling teams.

Speaking of the conference, we're about three weeks away from having all 16 Big East teams in the Poll. But in the meantime, we have...

#1 Pitt, #5 UConn, #9 Cuse, #10 Georgetown, #13 Notre Dame, #15 Marquette, #17 Villanova, #21 L'ville and #22 West Virginia. Whew.

AP Poll should be out shortly. SU was #13 in that last week...they should move up a couple spots but might fall a little short of their #9 place in the Coaches. We'll see.

Update: Cuse is #11 in the AP. Behind Georgetown. Fech.

Lotterylinks

2009-01-05T05:07:23Z

Could UConn's Terry Richardson be Syracuse's next RB Coach?...The Dangerfield Division
Hey if the Boston College coach gets fired for talking to the Jets, we better have someone waiting outside every BC recruit's house...ESPN
No matter what, Syracuse will always have a Kimmel on the football roster...PressConnects.com
Donte Greene is high on the Ravens...The Orange Segment
Arinze Onuaku is, um, less-than-proficient at the free throw line...Donna Ditota
The Big East goes 4-2 in bowls. Could be worse...we could be The Big Ten...The Big Ten Report
The women's BB team drops their Big East opener (yuck) to Georgetown (double yuck)...SUAthletics.com
Is Jonny Flynn a lottery pick?...The Orange Segment

The Biggest Little Shooting Guard In The World

2009-01-05T04:27:28Z

The NBA Developmental League thought it was done with Gerry McNamara but Gerry McNamara wasn't done with it. Bakersfield Jam faithful are about to be up in arms when they see Gerry in a Reno Bighorn jersey, which could happen some time in the next week.

No official word on the team website. Then again, no official word on anything since October on the team website, so, that's that. Once it is official, Gerry will join fellow SU alum Damone Brown on the Bighorns. Brown's doing pretty well in the D-League, averaging 17.5 PPG and 8.3 RPG for the 1-12 Reno team in their 1st season. (Speaking of, make sure you vote for him for the D-League All-Stars).

The Bighorns are affiliated with the Kings (makes sense) and the Knicks (huh?). Gerry made a pretty good impression with the Jazz this summer...about as good an impression as you can make without actually making the team. Not that you ever want to root for anyone to get injured, but...well if that happens Gerry won't be far away, Jerry Sloan.

The next chapter in Gerry's pro career will begin soon...8th time the charm?

All Your Iowa's Co-Eds Are Belong To Us

2009-01-05T03:24:40Z

Clearly the women of the University of Iowa are not familiar with the reputation that precedes the Syracuse basketball team when it comes to "female relations":

Looks like the team had a little down-time while in sunny Tampa. Just so happened that some Hawkeye Ladies (Hawkettes? Hawkeyecandy?) were in town for Iowa's drubbing of South Carolina in the Outback Bowl as well. And since our men's basketball team can't go anywhere or do anything without attracting members of the opposite sex, the twain met (Facebook login required).

It's nice to see that the Big Ten and Big East can coexist, if even for a brief moment in time. Friendships were made. Memories were shared. So were pieces of clothing, apparently.

So if you're looking for reasons as to why Jonny Flynn might not have been as focused on the South Florida game as you'd expect him to be...well...now you know. Don't hate.

It's good to be Paul Harris.

H/T: Scott

Scott Shafer Is In Search Of A Quality Breakfast Nook, Amongst Other Things

2009-01-04T22:19:24Z

Some tidbits worth noting about newly-hired Syracuse DC Scott Shafer.

First off, the Shafers will need your help in determining their favorite breakfast spot once they arrive in Syracuse. What good is a high-profile college football coaching gig if you can't get your kids a quality Mickey-Mouse shaped pancake on Sunday morning?

Ten-year-old Elsa preferred a place in Palo Alto, Calif.

Fourteen-year-old Wolfgang was partial to a restaurant from their year in Champaign, Ill.

Shafer's wife, Missy, picked a view of the ocean in Monterey, Calif.

The Shafers were supposed to be finished with new breakfast hubs. Ann Arbor's omelets were to be the dish of choice for a while.

Until Tuesday, when Shafer resigned as defensive coordinator of the University of Michigan's football program after one 3-9 season.

Personally, I can't think of a decent place that isn't a chain or doesn't end in "Hall" or "Student Center." Breakfast was never my strong suit in college so I wasn't the adventurous type. Any suggestions?

No word on where the Shafers will be living but hopefully SU helps them out in a similar fashion to how Standford did when they hired Shafer two years ago. Of course, something tells me the Syracuse housing market is not quite as robust as Palo Alto.

More notably and recent, there was this note from MLive.com's Graham Couch who wished the coach well but also wondered about his true feelings on the UM situation:

...Rich Rod and the folks in Ann Arbor made Shafer sign an agreement that he wouldn't say anything negative about the school, the football program or any of its people. When you're worried about that sort of thing, especially with a guy like Shafer, you're hiding something.

When I spoke to Shafer a couple weeks ago, reading between the lines, it was pretty clear about how he felt about his time at U-M (though he was careful not to come out and say everything, per his agreement). Again, if you're a decent guy, running a sound program, you don't worry about what former employees say.

Well, that pretty much says everything I need to hear about Shafer's time at UM and if we should be worried about a DC coming off such a poor season. If anything, this makes me believe that SU just got a steal of a up-and-coming DC who now has a chip on his shoulder to prove himself once again.

Shafer also shared a bit of his recruiting strategy with Couch and it says a lot about how he was able to get quality kids to come to smaller schools:

"When I'm recruiting, I always tell players it's not about the buildings, it's not about the stadiums. It's all about the people," Shafer said. "You know that, but it just got to the point where you say, 'Bigger is better.' Sometimes you've got to remember to listen to your own advice.

"The whole reason I came to Michigan was because it was Michigan. I probably should have taken more time to get to know the people to make sure it fit, or I fit. I just didn't fit."

And as for what Shafer's priorities were in the hunt for a new gig?

"I've got to find a place for the four of us as a family, find another great place ... find another place to work with people I really respect," Shafer said. "Some of our best years were under coach (Bill) Cubit at Western Michigan."

There you go Syracuse. You just need to be as good as Kalamazoo. You up to it?

Eric Devendorf Is...Weapon X

2009-01-04T18:46:31Z

When Coach Boeheim saw his team's huge lead over South Florida evaporate, he knew he had to do something. With Paul Harris out of action, Jonny Flynn sputtering and Kristof! attempting strange lay-ups, there was only one player who could take control of the game, and quite possibly, the universe as we know it. Boeheim made the signal:

And when the signal was received, there was no turning back. Eric Devendorf became what he was always intended to be. Not a man. More than that. A weapon. More deadly than anyone could have predicted. Especially to any women in the vicinity. He became...WEAPON X...

Schnikky Schnikky Snarll!!!

Photo Credit: Gloria Wright, Syracuse.com & Chris O'Meara, AP

No More Games In Tampa, M'Kay?

2009-01-04T18:11:14Z

Doug F***ing Gottlieb was more than happy to get on TV this weekend and talk about how the Orange aren't winning as well as they should be. SU's 59-54 win over South Florida was his lead example, and although there is some truth to it, he's still a dick for taking so much pleasure in it.

Anyway, a capacity crowd of 8,350 were on hand to watch the Orange survive the Bulls and sneak out with a win. Up 16 at the half the Orange watched their lead disappear. It wasn't until 7 seconds remaining that they were able to claim the victory. So what happened?

1. No Paul Harris, for starters. Jesus Incarnate did not play due to the injury on his finger. Kris Joseph got the start instead en route to 7 points. We also learned that Kris Joseph has a nickname:

"It was sore so basically we were just resting it," Harris said. "Some of my teammates stepped up - Kris Jo(seph) got an opportunity to start."

KrisJo? Yawn.

2. Andy Rautins, despite leading the team in scoring yet again, was held in check. The Bulls for ready for him on the outside, cutting off his ability to shoot three's. He still managed four of them, in fact he managed all of the three-pointers the Orange had on the day, and ended the day with 14 points.

3. Devo played hurt.

The Syracuse University shooting guard said he "hit hips" with South Florida's Mobolaji Ajayi early in Friday's basketball game at the Sun Dome.

That contact resulted in a hip pointer so painful that Devendorf said he struggled to run up and down the court.

"After that, the whole game, it bothered me," he said. "I never had nothing like this. This pain is crazy. On a scale of 1 to 10, to play it's like an 8."

He ended the game with only 8 points and 4 rebounds.

4. Jonny Flynn is playing like a mere mortal. Another ho-hum performance from Jonny with 11 points, 3 assists and 6 rebounds. Not terrible but not spectacular, and Flynn has been playing on a good-enough level for a few games now. This would have been a perfect opportunity to break out and take over the game.

Arinze Onuaku was the glass half-empty/half-full player of the game. On on hand he scored a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. On the other hand, he was an abysmal 1 of 9 from the free throw line. In fact the Orange were 7-18 from the line overall. I don't need to tell you that's going to get us into some real trouble very soon.

It was a return to the patented Jim Boeheim 7-man rotation as the aforementioned players plus Rick Jackson and Kristof! were the only ones to see playing time. Jackson hit a rough patch, scoring only 4 points in 18 minutes. As for Kristof!, I defer to Axeman:

He isn't out there to score and you can attribute this to a lack a playing time perhaps, but Kristof is just awkward around the basket offensively lately. Its painful to watch sometimes. He had so many easy looks that he just flat-out missed out there. And what in holy heck was up with that reverse lay-up he tried with no one guarding him?

A win's a win, I suppose. Especially in the Big East. The Orange move to 14-1 (2-0) and may very well be looking at a Top Ten ranking when the polls come out tomorrow. Justified or not, the bullseye keeps getting bigger. The Orange are going to need to stop playing down to their competition, and hitting their free throws, if they want to continue being taken seriously.

Next game is DePaul at home on Wednesday. Both Harris and Devo expect to be healthy enough to play. Good.

(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Feelin' Bullish About This One

2009-01-03T01:00:06Z

If Paul Harris was told that he had two choices...to sit out the rest of the year for finger-gash surgery or amputate the finger and play right away...do you think he would amputate the finger because he knows it would grow back like Russell Crowe's in Virtuosity?

I think so, too. Someone make sure there's a buckey of glass near the bench at all times. In fact, make Justin Thomas carry it around it neck.

Leave your pre-, in- or post-game comments below...