2012 NBA Draft: Syracuse's Scoop Jardine To Work Out For Knicks - SB Nation New York
The executive called Jardine "real clever and crafty and very good at using angles and has good vision.’’ However, Jardine is not considered particularly athletic or possessing the kind of speed Lin showed during his breakout two months. Still, NBA scouts see Jardine as a potential backup, after he averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 assists for the Orange as a senior.

SB | After standout season, Syracuse looks to build on elite status to advance farther in 2013 - Sports - The Daily Orange
"The best sign of a team after a season isn't the awards and accolades," said Ross. "It's that they never want to stop playing. It says a lot about the future make up of this team that they don't stop preparing, even a day after the season ends."

WLAX | Final four teams boast Tewaaraton finalists leading programs in NCAA tournament - Sports - The Daily Orange
Tumolo has arguably the best chance of any Syracuse player in the program’s history to win the Tewaaraton Trophy. The Big East Offensive Player of the Year scored 43 goals to go along with a team-leading 40 assists during the regular season. The attack is the Orange’s second Tewaaraton finalist, joining Katie Rowan in 2008.

Top Ten Moments of the Syracuse Basketball Season: #6 - Inside the Loud House - A Syracuse Orange Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
The Orange had yet to play a "true" road game through that point of the season, so the North Carolina State game was a great opportunity to show the country what they are made of.

Northwestern — 2012 Syracuse Football preview | The Juice Online
Syracuse will open its season at the Carrier Dome on Saturday, September 1 against Big 10 foe Northwestern. In preparation for the game, we spoke with Philip Rossman-Reich from the Northwestern football blog Lake The Posts to get a scouting report on the Wildcats.

Syracuse ESPN Radio affiliate to broadcast from Bristol, Conn. | syracuse.com
Syracuse's ESPN Radio affiliate will broadcast its afternoon show, Upon Further Review, live from Bristol, Conn., on Wednesday. The show, which runs from 3 to 6 p.m. on 97.7 FM, was one of a dozen ESPN affiliates around the nation chosen to broadcast from "Audio Avenue" on the quad at ESPN's headquarters.

Syracuse basketball ranks ninth in Sporting News' preseason top 25 (DeCourcy) | syracuse.com
Point guard Michael Carter-Williams could have changed his initials from MCW to DNP. He sat through 11 entire games as a freshman, but that was more about Scoop Jardine and Dion Waiters than Carter-Williams, who brings size, creativity and touch to his position. Remember when Thomas Robinson was a 15-minute backup for Kansas? Yeah, that’s hard to recall now, isn’t it?

Will not pushing for an 8-team college football playoff doom the ACC, Big East? | syracuse.com
Eight teams provide not just far more profit but also the opportunity for each of the six "major" conferences (ACC and Big East included) to get an automatic bid to the tournament. That guarantees access, revenue and power. Every major conference's regular season (and conference title game) now would matter more. (When was the last time the ACC title game had any national impact?)

C.J. Fair returned to Brewster Academy to play in an alumni game that included Will Barton (Memphis), Melvin Ejim (Iowa State), Mitch McGary (Michigan) and T.J. Warren (N.C. State).

Over on SBNation.com, Jason Kirk took a look at best and worst case scenarios for each of the conference in the murky conference realignment waters. I felt like doing the same, only focusing on what happens if the axe falls...

Alright, so, let's say...

The Florida St. Seminoles, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Clemson Tigers leave the ACC for the Big 12 where the Notre Dame Fighting Irish dip their toe in with non-football sports before finally going whole hog in 2016.

The SEC gobbles up the Virginia Tech Hokies and N.C. State Wolfpack (remember, they don't want to take schools in the same states as current members).

The Miami Hurricanes join somebody, somewhere.

What's left behind are the schools that value basketball, and may or may not have a football team that qualifies for bowl games every couple years.

The remaining ACC schools at that point are the Boston College Golden Eagles, Duke Blue Devils, Maryland Terrapins, North Carolina Tar Heels, Pittsburgh Panthers, Syracuse Orange, Virginia Cavaliers and Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

So what does the ACC do? Well, what it started with Syracuse and Pitt. It finishes off the Big East, or at least the Big East as anyone knows it.

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Here ya go with another Syracuse Orange football player. If you don't know this series or the point of this, you're either new (Hi there, welcome to the most awesome Syracuse blog EVER) or live under the same rock Marinatto lived under for the last decade.

Name: Carl Wright Cutler IV

Number: #43

Position: Fullback

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 250

Year: Senior

Hometown: Norwich, VT (I am still looking for the Cutler estate in England he must be in line to inherit.)

High School: Hanover (NH) HS

2011 Stats: For the second straight year, Cutler could not catch a break with his knee. He missed all of 2010 with a left knee injury and missed last season with a knee injury (you can tell when the athletic department put the Shroud of Shadows over the medical news).

2012 Projection: With the loss of Adam Harris to concussions, this would be Cutler's year to shine and become they starting fullback. Unfortunately, he too was on the injury list that included half of the Orange for Spring Practice. No news on how severe the injury is, but if it is enough to make him miss his third straight year, then this guy is officially the unluckiest athlete I've ever shared a city with.

How'd He Get Here? A tough nosed played from Rhode Island, Cutler was also considering Boston College and UConn before choosing the Orange. Syracuse was the early favorite and Greg Robinson offered him the scholarship to play for the Orange.

Scouts/Rivals: Two Stars, but that was as an undersized tight end. Marrone has and will probably use Cutler as a blocker/backfield safety net option rather than true tight end.

Money Quote: On his role during 2010 and what he wanted to do in 2011 due to knee injuries:

I was on the sideline. I was there helping as much as I could. As an older player I was able to bring along some of the younger players, and be there with advice

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Hi everybody! How's your boil doing? Ew, gross. Let's not be friends anymore.

Wait, before you hobble out of here with that disgusting, friendship-ending boil (seriously, it's icky), let me tell you something really important: Roy Colsey and Tim Nelson, two of the best offensive players that Slugger Simmons ever let roam free in the Carrier Dome, are going to get busts of their somewhat-likeness placed at the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. That's fancy.

Nelson and Colsey will join 22 former Orange -- including Jim Brown and Oren Lyons -- already enshrined among the greats that have ever wielded a stick and mercilessly beat the tar out of their opponents. While that seems like a lot of Syracuse folks populating the wings of the Hall of Fame, Johns Hopkins actually has 65 honorees, so screw those guys.

Colsey, the current head coach of Ridgefield High School in Connecticut, was a four-time All-America (three first-team selections) for Syracuse in the early- and mid-1990's. He was national midfielder of the year in his senior campaign, winning the McLaughlin Award and steak for life at Delmonico's on Erie Boulevard. He holds two national titles during his time on The Hill -- 1993 and 1995 -- and also had one of the nastiest rips you've ever seen. His seven goals against Loyola in 1995 ranks eighth all-time in Syracuse history for most goals scored in a game.

Nelson, a transfer from North Carolina State, joined the Orange in 1983 and instantly turned Syracuse into a member of the national elite. In his time under Slugger, Nelson earned three first-team All-America nods and, even more impressively, pulled home three consecutive Turnbull Awards as the nation's top attack. The Orange doesn't win the first of its 11 national titles without Nelson in 1983 and his fingerprints remain all over the Syracuse record books:

• Nelson holds the top-three spots in Syracuse's record book for assists in a season.
• Nelson remains Syracuse's career assists leader with 187 in his three seasons. John Zulberti, who was a hell of a player in his own right, lags significantly behind in second place with 158 over his four-year tenure.
• There have been 17 games in which an Orange has helped on at least seven goals. Nelson appears seven times on that list.

Congratulations, fellas!

The ten best things about Syracuse Orange football coach Doug Marrone's appearance on Quick Bites with Mike Quick and Jimmy Cavallo on MSG Varsity.

1. This.

2. Doug Marrone was the prototype for Finn in GLEE, basically.

"My senior year, I played the leading role in Damn Yankees. I played Stephen Douglass' role, Joe Hardy, which was awesome. I loved it. [I had to] sing, dance, take lessons, all of it at a young age."

3. He pronounces Onondaga as "Onondawger."

4. Doug Marrone: State Trooper

"I was this big ol' kid from the Bronx...I really wasn't inspired to go to college and graduate. I was just gonna graduate high school and then probably be a state trooper...I wanted to be a Nassau County police officer or Suffolk County police officer."

From the standpoint of speeding, you were doing a tremendous 85 in a 65.

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Belly up to the bar all you college football fans, let's get drunk on realignment in college football! The nonstop mind-melting fun discussions on who's going where makes for a great night at the bar, well it at least makes for 'a' night at the bar, right?

First round is on me and while we're waiting, the Big East is inviting... oh hell, I don't even know what schools are, or will be, apart of that damn league. Seriously, did you guys see that Navy is coming in soon? Meh.

I'm done with trying to keep up with it, anyone up for some pitchers?

It's not even just the Big East, there's the Atlantic Coast Conference, which could see Florida State jump ship to the supposed greener grasses of the Big 12. That would set of a chain reaction of events that could reshape that conference too.

I mean wasn't the summer of 2010 when all of this was supposed to happen? I think that homeless dude out front was drinking moonshine, hold on, I'll be right back.

Yes, I know Syracuse is, at some point sooner than later, doing their own jumping of ship to that very ACC. So, if that league loses the 'powerhouse' Seminoles, does that mean doom for Syracuse? Will the Orange athletic programs become the Screech of college sports? Not good enough for the cool kids (the SEC, Big 12, Big 10, or Pac-12) and shun by the nerds (whatever is left of the Big East)

(By the way, what the hell is up with Lisa Turtle lately?)

So why I am not worried? Well, for one, at this point I'm blacking out and all I want is to eat frozen Hot Pockets and find a place to sleep. Secondly, Syracuse isn't in the driver's seat when it comes to this greed truck in college athletics, but they at least have a seat in the very back!

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Let the Gettin' To Know continue as we get to know Jerome Smith.

Player: Jerome Smith

Number: #45

Position: Running Back

Year: Junior

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 213

Hometown: Bear, DE

High School: Pencader Charter

2011 Stats: Smith saw playing time in all 12 games last season, garnering 37 carries for 134 yards and a touchdown. He scored the touchdown in the Pitt game, which was his best of the year (10 carries, 56 yards). In fact, Jerome saw his touches increase as the season wore on. Maybe some of that had to do with wear and tear on Antwon Bailey as well as PTG's injuries, but certainly Smith earned his spot.

2012 Projections: With Bailey gone, it's now Jerome and Prince Tyson Gulley's show. And so far, Smith is in the driver's seat. He's the No. 1 RB on the depth chart, ahead of Gulley, the injured Steve Rene and the enigmatic Ashton Broyld. Chances are that Smith and Gulley still have some sorting out to do and we'll see both on them on the field when the season begins. From there, one will likely step up to claim the bulk of the carries.

How'd He Get Here?: Smith attended one of SU's one day camps, which led to a scholarship offer, which he quickly accepted. Jerome chose Syracuse over Wisconsin.

What'd Scout/Rivals Say?: Scout gave Smith a 2-star rating, while Rivals was a bit more generous, and deemed him a 3-star recruit.

Money Quote: "They told me they like to call all their running backs super backs so they can do everything...Whatever that means, I'm ready to do it." - Smith after being recruited by SU. He's beginning to figure it out, too.

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