Syracuse would’ve appreciated Wisconsin boycotting 2016-17 basketball game

Former Wisconsin Badgers standout Nigel Hayes recently revealed that he and other players were contemplating a boycott during the 2016-17 campaign — and as luck would have it, that game would’ve been their 77-60 drubbing of the Syracuse Orange as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Hayes has been outspoken about fair player compensation, and a move to boycott that specific game (two nationally-ranked teams on ESPN) would’ve been a major part of that ongoing conversation around paying NCAA athletes. If the Orange hadn’t joined in on the boycott, it might have also helped their resume.

As you remember, Syracuse was the first team out in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Playing the Badgers didn’t necessarily hurt them, but a big loss certainly didn’t help either. Who knows how the committee would’ve counted the game if the boycott had just been awarded as a victory for SU.

It’s also debatable whether or not a win by forfeit is really worth compromising what you believe in. We don’t necessarily know how Orange players felt at the time, but if they’d opted to take the W over standing in solidarity with Hayes and his Badgers teammates (if they agreed with them), that’s probably a net-negative. Though obviously we’d love to just erase that ugly game anyway.

The rest of your Syracuse-related links below:

Nigel Hayes: Wisconsin players discussed boycott of game vs. Syracuse basketball (Syracuse.com)

“I knew 90 percent of the guys were on board from the get-go, before I asked the question,” Hayes told USA TODAY Sports after the panel discussion. “But I let them know that if one of you guys says no, we won’t do it because, obviously, we’re a team and we’re going to stick together.

Why is Syracuse basketball target Robert Braswell listed as only a 2-star recruit? (Syracuse.com)

“He came here near the end of his 9th grade year,’’ Blythewood coach Zeke Washington said. Braswell stood 6-foot-4 at the time. He’s now 6-foot-9, but he retains the traits of a guard and a player who learned the game overseas. ”He came up in that international basketball culture,’’ Washington said. “He’s a multi-skilled player. He’s a very good shooter, he passes well and he’s a willing defender. He’s almost position-less.’’

Winners and Losers of College Basketball’s 2018 Recruiting Cycle (SI.com)

Bazley’s decision is a test case for future recruits who could consider following his path, but it’ll also have the more immediate effect of weakening a formidable Syracuse squad with a high ceiling. Had he stuck with the Orange, Bazley would have bolstered a long, seasoned rotation that played top-five defense last season, according to Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted efficiency metric...

Theta Tau responds to criticism: Videos must be viewed in context (Syracuse.com)

We write in response to the Editorial Board’s view, ”Confront Syracuse University frat’s racist speech; question climate that fed it,” (April 27, 2018). Several members of the Tau Chapter of Theta Tau have been charged with violations of the student Code of Conduct as a result of the release of videos to the Daily Orange. The board chooses to ignore the explanation for the videos’ content and, like Syracuse University, focuses on the videos in a vacuum without contextualization.

ACC Men’s Lacrosse Individual Honors Announced (TheACC.com)

Desko’s Syracuse squad posted a perfect 4-0 record in ACC play for the second straight season with one of the youngest teams in program history. The Orange’s current starting lineup features just two seniors, the fewest in Desko’s watch. Conversely, two true freshman have started the last-eight games in the Orange, which combine for the most freshman starts under Desko.

Bracketology: ‘Bad Losses’ vs. ‘Good Wins’ on the Bubble (US Lacrosse Magazine)

College Crosse Bracketology 4.0: And then what happened? (College Crosse)

Sapakoff: Ranking SEC and ACC football coaches 1-28; Saban and Swinney still at top, Muschamp moves up (The Post and Courier)

Carmelo Anthony lacks awareness of his declining status (NewsOK.com)

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