Day 4 Look Back: MSU, Purdue display plenty of pride in wins - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com
Rick Jackson got his third foul barely nine minutes into a one-point game, which was a potentially devastating development for Syracuse considering Arinze Onuaku was sidelined with an injury. Turns out, it didn't matter one bit because Wesley Johnson was dominating (31 points and 14 rebounds) and Andy Rautins was making shots (5 of 9 on 3-point attempts). That made for an easy 87-65 victory over Gonzaga that'll send the Orange to the Sweet 16 with tons of confidence and momentum regardless of whether Onuaku returns.
Yeah, sure. Offense sells tickets and defense wins games. But offense wins games, too.
"Our defense is our staple," said Andy Rautins on Sunday afternoon. "What separates us from other teams is our ability -- our willingness -- to play defense."
Sweet 16: Butler basketball coach offers praise for Syracuse | syracuse.com
"They play incredibly hard, and they're incredibly well-coached, stating the obvious," Stevens said of Syracuse's 87-65 victory. "The scary part is, anybody that watched them today, they looked terrific and the stats back up how they looked today. It's not like it's a one-time thing. They are as good a team as there is in the country."
DaShonte Riley makes some plays in Syracuse's win over Gonzaga | syracuse.com
On Sunday, Riley stuck his finger in the dam of a potential Syracuse foul disaster. He entered the game with 8:58 left in the first half. SU clung to a 22-21 lead. The injured Arinze Onuaku was not an option. And Gonzaga clearly wanted to bang the ball inside to its 7-foot center Robert Sacre.
I stand before you in awe - Cuse Country
I realize Gonzaga is not a top ten team, and that the final margin was only 22, and that we’ve beaten better teams at more important moments in the past (2003, duh) — but never have I seen the kind of performance in the face of obvious disadvantages that SU put on yesterday.
The Big Orange Bloggers: What We Learned On Twitter Today-March 21, 2010 (Debut Edition)
OK class, in light of Syracuse stomping Gonzaga today, I wanted to try and debut this thing on a positive note. Many among the Syracuse Twitter family were very vocal about their excitement.
Orange Fizz: Syracuse Orange Sports Blog, Recruiting and Podcasts.
In the end, the term "starter" ended up being thrown away with this team because of the "seven-starter mentality." And to Scoop's credit, he downplayed the role all season long.
OrangeHoops: Wesley Johnson Takes Over
A strange thing happened over that nearly nine minutes stretch. The Orange pulled away from the Bulldogs to take a 47-32 half time lead. How did that happen?
Three Idiots on Sports: NCAA Jam
Brandon Triche, it's nice to see you again. After struggling through almost all of February the freshman has saved his best for last. He's got confidence in his jump shot again, and more importantly, he took the ball strong to the rim and remained under control.