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The Raut Is On

All season we've wondered what would happen if Demetris Nichols was non-existent and other players had to step up when it mattered. Would anyone step up? Would anyone make a play when they needed to? Much to our surprise...they did.

Darryl Watkins had 17 but it was Dandy Andy Rautins and his 15 points, all from 3-pointers, that put away the Bulls 70-53 on a night when Big East leading scorer Demetris Nichols crapped out at 8 points. It was a particularly interesting outcome when you consider that not only Nichols but also Terrence Roberts and Eric Devendorf all had sub-par games in terms of shooting.

Tight at halftime, the Orange blew off the doors down the stretch and turned in a nice road win. It might have been against one of the lower teams in the conference but it was the first Syracuse win in a long time when I thought to myself "That went how it was supposed to go."


The problem with rooting for this team, once again, is that they're tempting us. They looked like they were out of the NCAAs but now they're back to "teetering" status (Joe Lunardi has Cuse back as a
"Last Four Out" pick). They looked like they were a lock for a first-day game at the Big East Tournament but now they're a few good breaks away from getting a bye. I'm not saying its gonna happen but this team knows exactly how to torture its fanbase...keep the hope alive. And we buy in...cause we're easy like that.

Now that we've got a second chance though, we'll see what the UConn game says about our sense of urgency.