What the Orange Lose while James Southerland is Investigated by the NCAA

Southerland in street clothes awaiting his verdict

As we all know, Syracuse senior, James Southerland, was ruled ineligible prior to their home game versus Villanova this past Saturday. The Orange went on to win that game 72-61 and extend their home winning streak to 34 (the longest current streak in college basketball), but that was after another mediocre first half – which is something of a common theme for the Orange this year.

Coach Boeheim has said that Southerland’s situation is "troubling", but that it is something that "could be resolved." That doesn’t sound very encouraging.

And the most recent rumors regarding the specifics behind his situation are that he got help from a tutor on a term paper or that the tutor actually wrote a term paper for him.  This is apparently what the NCAA is investigating, and given their track record of being anything but prompt with these situations, it could be a while before a ruling is made.

The loss of Southerland from the lineup, for however long this lasts (which could be season ending), is no doubt a negative for the Orange.  

This may not sound logical, but while the Orange are one of the best scoring teams in the nation (79.0 PPG which is 16th best in the country) they aren’t really a great scoring team. They force turnovers on 25.6% of their opponent’s possessions (10th best in the country) which leads to a plethora of easy points in transition. However, as a team they only shoot 45.6% from the floor (74th in the country) and 31.9% from three (238^th in the country).

Southerland, who hasn’t started a game all season but is the first man off the bench usually around the first media timeout mark, averages 26.3 minutes per game (fourth most on the team) and has played 61.8% of all available minutes this season. When in the game he is essentially noted as the team’s most lethal shooter, shooting 49.4% from the field and 37.5% from three, averaging 13.6 points per game, while taking 25.6% of the team’s shots when on the floor.

And standing at 6-foot-8, he is incredibly difficult to guard on the outside for most teams and he is absolutely deadly taking drop passes for Michael Carter-Williams in transition and burying threes.

But standing that tall also makes him an ideal fit in the 2-3 zone as he locks down the wings and corners.

The Orange are now pressed with the task to replace both his offensive production and defensive presence. Since obviously those usage minutes, shots and points won’t just go away, there will have to be a player or two that steps up.

It is clear that the beneficiaries of Southerland’s situation will be Jerami Grant and Trevor Cooney. Grant a freshman and Cooney a red-shirt freshman average 12.2 and 13.6 minutes, and 4.4 and 4.9 points per game respectively.

Ideally, Syracuse would want to mold these two into one player, which was exactly what Southerland was – being a sharpshooter from the outside which is all that Cooney is really supposed to be good at, in conjunction with being tall and instinctive enough to play down low a little bit along with fitting ideally into the zone like Grant does.

When Southerland was on the floor, Syracuse had an average plus/minus of +13.8 per game. That is fifth best on the team and 12^th best in the Big East Conference.

You don’t need me to tell you that the Orange are clearly losing significant production with Southerland out of the lineup. However, Syracuse is a very good team with a deep bench. Unfortunately for the first 15 games Southerland was far and away the best player off the bench which was indicative of why he was essentially getting starter minutes night in and night out. Now they will need one or two guys to step up in his place. This will be good enough on most nights, but I don’t believe a road game at Louisville that looms tomorrow is going to be a welcoming experience for them.

Last year’s loss of Fab Melo right before the NCAA Tournament was essentially a season-ending blow to the team.  They made it to the Elite 8, but that team was much better than that with Fab in the lineup.  The loss of Southerland isn’t on the same level, but it is a blow to the team’s talent level and depth.  Syracuse faithful and college basketball fans alike are just hoping that this issue is resolved at some point this season, but unfortunately for Orange fans - losing a key player in some shape or form on a good team is not uncommon in recent history.  

Twitter:  @shane_t_mac

Time to Get Back to Action

The busy holiday season has forced me to go over two weeks without blogging.  I’m not happy about that.  But in between traveling, eating, drinking, shopping, spending hours to wrap a handful of presents, more traveling, eating and drinking, I’ve found little time to sit down and write.  But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been watching Big East basketball; because I made sure to get my fill.  Well, in fairness, I watched the games that didn’t involve Alcorn St.

With the non-conference portion of the schedule over with (finally), and with every team getting at least one conference game in the books, it’s time for me to step it up.  With that, let’s go over what happened in the past two-plus weeks during my writing absence.  

Kevin Ollie Received a Contract Extension

It was 12 games into his one-year trial that Kevin Ollie deservingly received a five-year contract extension from the University of Connecticut.  The deal is supposedly worth ~$7 million, but more importantly brings stability to the program.  Recruiting and retaining players should be much easier now that they know who they are playing for.  Ollie has done an excellent job coaching a team that essentially has nothing to play for at the end of the season.  This team could have easily rolled over with no conference tournament or NCAAs in their future, but they have gotten out to a 10-3 start, led by their superb guard play.  Congrats to Ollie and kudos to the Huskies for standing strong.

Boeheim Passes Knight

In Syracuse’s Big East conference opener at home on January 2, the Orange beat Rutgers 78-53 to propel Coach Boeheim to number 2 on the all-time wins list.  Most impressive about the accomplishment is that he achieved every single victory at Syracuse - a feat that we will likely never see again.  He now trails Coach Krzyzewski by 37 wins.  But with Coach K still coaching and thriving at Duke, it will be difficult for Boeheim to cut into the deficit any time soon.  

Dieng Returns and the Cards Beat Kentucky

The Louisville Cardinals had been playing without their center, Gorgui Dieng, since Thanksgiving, when he broke his wrist at the Battle 4 Atlantis.  However, he returned on December 29^th, the day of their much anticipated game with interstate rival Kentucky.  Dieng came off the bench and only played 20 minutes, but he made his presence felt on the defensive end by snatching seven boards and recording two blocks.  KenPom ranks Louisville as the second best defensive team in the country and Dieng will be a key reason why that will continue.  

Syracuse Loses in Their Second Home

Temple had just come off a home loss to Canisius (Go Griffs!); while Syracuse was cruising through their non-conference portion of the schedule looking to enter Big East play undefeated.  But on Saturday, December 22nd in Madison Square Garden, the Owls had different plans.  Khalif Wyatt went off for 33 points, seemingly hitting everything in the second half, while the Orange missed 15 free throws.  Temple attempted two more free throws than Syracuse did (36 vs 34), but they only missed seven.  This proved to be the difference as the Orange fell uncharacteristically in the Garden to a non-conference opponent 83-79.

Todd Mayo Returns for Marquette

Prior to the season kicking off, Todd Mayo was ruled academically ineligible, and it sounded as if his time at Marquette had come to an end.  However, out of nowhere seemingly, he was reinstated as soon as the first semester was complete.  Some find this suspicious as the Golden Eagles were coming off an embarrassing loss at the hands of Green Bay, and feel they were desperate to improve the team, even if that did mean not honoring team discipline practices.  Who knows if that was the case?  Mayo may have propelled himself to becoming Marquette’s most upstanding student in the entire university for all I know.  However, what I do know is that Marquette is 4-0 since his return, including two close but impressive wins at home over UConn and Georgetown to start 2-0 in conference play. 

No Un-Beatens Entered Big East Play

Louisville fell way back in November to Duke (albeit without Dieng on the court), but it looked as if one or two teams would reach Big East play without a blemish on their resume.  As already mentioned, Syracuse fell to Temple on a ‘neutral’ court, but it looked as if Cincinnati might pull it off.  However, the Bearcats lost to New Mexico at home 55-54 in their last non-conference game before Big East play started.  

Twitter:  @shane_t_mac

Coach Boeheim Grabs Win #900

Coach Boeheim became the third coach in men’s basketball history to top 900 wins tonight, joining Mike Kryzewski and Bobby Knight in the exclusive club.  However, Boeheim is the only coach of the three to obtain all 900 wins with a single school. 

Boeheim is currently in his 37^th season after taking over the head coaching role in 1976.  But even before that, he was a player from 1962-66 and an assistant coach from 1969-75.  In total, he has had his hand in well over 1,000 wins with the Syracuse program. 

And there’s no sign of him walking away anytime soon. 

He’s won over 30 games five times in his tenure, while finishing with less than 20 wins only twice.  He has led the Orange to the NCAA Tournament 29 times with two Final Fours and one National Championship. 

The 900 Club looks like this:

Mike Kryzewski – 936 wins (1975 to present)

Bob Knight – 902 wins (1965 – 2008)

Jim Boeheim – 900 wins (1976 to present)

Considering that Coach K is still cranking out wins at Duke and also giving no hints of calling it quits anytime soon, it seems unlikely that Boeheim will catch him (unless Coach K retires before Boeheim obviously).  However, considering that Boeheim has averaged over 26 wins per season over the last ten seasons, reaching 1,000 wins seems possible.  And next year Syracuse is shifting to the ACC.  You can’t tell me Boeheim won’t want to grab a few conference titles after dominating the Big East for all these years before hanging it up.  

But for now Boeheim is coaching a very good [national championship good] Orange team that is currently ranked #3 in the AP Poll.  Boeheim has never been one to talk about himself, but has always given credit and focus first to his coaching staff and players.  His recipe has proven successful, and he knows there’s a lot more to be accomplished.  But it’s one game at a time, one possession at a time.  This could end up being another special season for Boeheim and his Orange, but for now – Congrats Coach Boeheim.

Twitter:  @shane_t_mac

Big East Preview: #2 Syracuse Orange

Previewing all 15 teams from #15 to #1

By:  Shane McCarthy

Even after losing four significant contributors from last year’s squad, the Orange enter the 2012-13 campaign in the preseason top 10.  Needless to say, there is a bit of optimism surrounding this year’s team.  And rightfully so - they have veteran starters, skilled [young] role players from last year primed to step up, and another talented recruiting class.  The hype is warranted for their last year in the Big East, now it’s about delivering.

Who’s Back:

C.J. Fair –F– Junior – 26.4 Min, 8.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0.9 apg

Brandon Triche –G– Junior – 22.5 Min, 9.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.6 apg

James Southerland –F– Senior – 16 Min, 6.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.4 apg

Baye Keita –F– Junior – 12.3 Min, 2.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.1 apg

Rakeem Christmas –F– Soph – 11.5 Min, 2.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.2 apg

Michael Carter-Williams –G– Soph – 10.3 Min, 2.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.1 apg

Trevor Cooney –G– Redshirt Freshman 

Incoming Recruits:

DaJuan Coleman - [Center] – 6 foot 9, 275

ESPN’s 14^th ranked player and 6^th ranked Center

Rivals.com’s 26^th ranked player and 5^th ranked Center

McDonald’s All-American

Jerami Grant – [Power Forward] – 6 foot 7, 190

ESPN’s 37^th ranked player and 11^th ranked Power Forward

Rivals.com’s 64^th ranked player and 15^th ranked Power Forward

Who’s Out:  Kris Joseph, Scoop Jardine, Dion Waiters, Fab Melo

Overview:

I’m still disappointed that we didn’t get a Kentucky vs. Syracuse national championship last year.  Granted it would have only been a good game if Fab Melo was playing, but he is also the reason they didn’t get that far.  Damn you Fab.  That would have been a treat, as the Orange were probably the only team in the country that could actually match up with the Wildcats.

This year’s team is deep, a nine man rotation deep - very similar to last year.  That gives Boeheim the flexibility to tinker with combinations to exploit opponents and keep his guys fresh.

Brandon Triche, who has remarkably started every game of his Syracuse career, returns for his senior year.  Triche will continue to be the steady and solid player that he has been throughout his career.

C.J. Fair, James Southerland and Baye Keita also return to provide upperclassmen experience.  Fair will start and get the most playing time of the three as he has molded into a solid forward/wing player.  He isn’t the most dominating low-post player, but he picks his spots and is an excellent shooter.  Southerland is primarily a three point threat while Keita will provide front court depth.

Joining Fair in the front court will be Rakeem Christmas and freshman DaJuan Coleman.  Neither are the true center that Fab Melo was nor will they be the defensive force that he morphed into last year (earning him Big East Defensive Player of the Year recognition), but both are better all-around players than he was.  The combination of Christmas, Coleman and Fair will wear down opposing front courts and keep penetrators at bay.

Most of the buzz entering this year is over Michael Carter-Williams, and rightfully so.  MCW didn’t find the court much as a freshman, but will now take over the driver’s seat and assume the starting point guard role.  There isn’t a thing I can say about him that hasn’t been discussed all summer long: he’s long and fits into the 2-3 zone perfectly, has incredible handles, great vision, deep range, lightning quick slashing ability and can throw it down.  Pretty much – he will be the most exciting player on the court no matter who the Orange are playing.  And it seems plausible that the Orange will go as far as he takes them.

The rotation will be rounded out by Trevor Cooney, a redshirt freshman, and Jerami Grant, an incoming freshman. Cooney has been labeled as a sharpshooter, but Boeheim insists he is more than that.  While Grant is a tall, lanky forward who will factor in the front court/wing rotation.  Both these guys will likely be counted on to be more than role players, and will see extended minutes each game.

For their last year in the Big East, Boeheim has once again reloaded this team to compete for a championship.  On paper, this team looks to be very talented, Final Four worthy talented.  But of course there will be questions as this team will have a very different look from last year and will be counting on a number of young guys to contribute.  They likely won’t repeat their 17-1 conference mark from last season, but another big year looks to be on the horizon for the Orange.

Twitter:  @shane_t_mac

Big East Offseason Topics

By:  Shane McCarthy

I am bringing the blog back this year, this time for the entire season (as I started more than halfway through last season), with a new look and with a lot more effort hopefully.

Before Big East Media Day this upcoming week and the quickly approaching games (November 9), let’s take a look at the off-season story lines heading into the upcoming campaign. 

Jim Calhoun Announces his Retirement

After 873 wins (625 with UConn), four Final Four appearances and three national championships – Coach Calhoun has decided to hang it up.  He has been dealing with health issues of late and will hand the reigns off to Assistant Coach and former UConn player Kevin Ollie.  Over the course of his 26 year tenure as head coach at UConn, Calhoun built the Huskies from an irrelevance to a national power-house.  Now the team will embark on its next chapter with the same expectations that Calhoun assembled at the university. 

UConn Ineligible for Postseason Play

Not only will Kevin Ollie have the difficult task of replicating the success of Coach Calhoun, but he’ll have to begin his journey with a season in which his team is not eligible to play in the Big East Tournament or the NCAA Tournament.  The postseason ineligibility is due to the NCAA’s retroactive application of the Academic Progress Rate (APR).  Ollie will also have to deal with a flood of talent that left the program.  Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond were lottery picks in the NBA draft, and Alex Oriakhi and Roscoe Smith transferred.  The Huskies still have a talented backcourt (Shabazz Napier, Ryan Boatright, and Omar Calhoun), but there are question marks elsewhere.  And how motivated will this team be knowing their season is already over once conference play comes to an end?

Farewell Tour for Syracuse and Pittsburgh

Syracuse was a founding member of the Big East Conference in 1979 and Pittsburgh joined quickly after in 1982.  The two schools combined for seven Big East Tournament championships (Syracuse 5, Pittsburgh 2).  Now both teams will play their final season as members of the Big East before they jet for the ACC next year.

Three Big East Teams to Play on a Ship on Opening Day

On Friday, November 9^th, three Big East schools will play on the deck of an aircraft carrier:

Georgetown vs. Florida – off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida

Marquette vs. Ohio St. – off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina

Syracuse vs. San Diego State – off the coast of San Diego, California

Notre Dame Announces Their Move to the ACC

Like Syracuse and Pittsburgh, Notre Dame has also announced their intentions to head for the ACC.  But unlike the Orange and Panthers, this is not expected to be their last year in the Big East.  Anything can happen, but the general consensus is that the Irish will spend two more seasons in the Big East. 

Jim Boeheim is set to Enter the 900 Club

Coach Boeheim will be entering his 37^th season as the head coach of the Syracuse Orange.  Over the course of his career he has racked up 890 wins and owns a 74.5% winning percentage.  In mid-December he is expected to do what only two other coaches have done – eclipse 900 wins.  Those two other coaches are Bob Knight (902 wins) and Mike Krzyzewski (927 wins).  Expect to see the Dome flooded with ‘900’ signs in December to celebrate this astonishing feat.   

National Championship Expectations for Louisville

The Cardinals return their full arsenal save Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith from last year’s Final Four team.  They were nice pieces and provided necessary leadership, but were not at the talent level of the rest of the team.  In the middle of the season it seemed safe to say that Louisville was far from a Final Four caliber team – I mean they did lose by 31 to Providence – but they were injured and lacked an identity at the time.  As the season progressed they became a defensive powerhouse, but remained extremely erratic on the offensive end (in both the scoring and turnover department).  If the defensive intensity and intelligence remains (as it should) and they improve on the offensive end (which should be expected of Chane Behanan, Wayne Blackshear and Gorgui Dieng), then a trip to the Final Four is not only possible, but will be expected.  

Twitter: @shane_t_mac