Syracuse basketball gets a U.S. budget deal done

If you didn’t hear already, Syracuse Orange basketball helped get a U.S. government budget agreement done between Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell. This would be our most significant legislative accomplishment to-date if not for our claims to Joe Biden. Way to go, Syracuse basketball, for pulling through when elected lawmakers could not.

No word on whether or not Syracuse’s win over Louisville had anything to do with the deal being finalized. We’ll assume it did.

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Schumer, McConnell clinch deal with invite to Louisville-Syracuse basketball game (Syracuse.com)

Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate Democratic leader, invited McConnell, R-Ky., the majority leader, to join him at the Carrier Dome next year for a basketball game between the Syracuse Orange and Louisville Cardinals, a Schumer aide confirmed Thursday. Both men are avid fans of their home state teams and have decorated their respective offices with Syracuse University and Louisville basketball memorabilia.

Syracuse ‘first team out’ in latest bracketology update (ESPN.com)

No. 69? Nice.

Babers restructures Syracuse football staff (Cuse.com)

Mike Lynch has been elevated to offensive coordinator and running backs coach. Assistant head coach Kim McCloud will mentor the Orange cornerbacks. Justin Lustig continues as Syracuse’s special teams coordinator and will coach the outside receivers. Tight ends coach Reno Ferri adds overseeing the inside receivers to his list of duties, while Nick Monroe will lead the Syracuse safeties.

Syracuse’s Tiana Mangakahia an assist machine (AP)

Mangakahia has been doing that since the start of the season. She had 10 or more assists in her first eight games, and as the regular season winds down leads the nation by a long shot with 244, an average of 10.2 per game. (The Division I record for assists in a season is 355, set by Penn State’s Suzie McConnell in 1987).

The Bilas Index, Volume III: Still searching for a truly great team (ESPN.com)

39. Syracuse Orange The Orange play very good defense but are 0-4 against AP ranked teams this season. Syracuse is ranked in the bottom third of Division I in 3-point shooting and effective field goal percentage and has fallen to 4-6 in ACC play heading into Big Monday against Louisville. Syracuse has only two wins against teams ranked in The Bilas Index (Maryland and Virginia Tech). With a terrific offensive performance from Frank Howard and Tyus Battle, the Orange put together a really good road win at Louisville.

How former walk-on Braedon Bayer became Syracuse’s 1st guard off the bench (Daily Orange)

Kings trading Malachi Richardson to Toronto for Bruno Caboclo (Sactown Royalty)

‘Majority’ of Syracuse players expected to wear helmets in 2018 season (Daily Orange)

Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers agree on record five-year deal (NFL.com)

SHAPING UP: Danny Varello has spent his whole life trying to shape himself into a faceoff specialist (Daily Orange)