The start of the Syracuse basketball season is always a joyous event that is eagerly anticipated. Recently it's been a way to forget the pain that football has inflicted and the consistent success James Arthur Boeheim delivers every year provides a comforting blanket that keeps us warm and happy all winter.
However, the joyous and unexpected success of the football team, combined with the fact that the World Series ended YESTERDAY, makes it a little hard to focus on basketball right now. However, the season has started and that's never a bad thing, so I took a break from watching election coverage to check out the team's exhibition win against Kutztown State. Here are some quick observations, keeping in mind that it's nearly impossible to glean much info from an exhibition game.
Quick Takes
- Brandon Triche changed his number from 25 to 20. His uncle Howard wore 25 when he played at SU, so maybe Howie didn't pass the potato salad at the summer barbeque or something.....or maybe he just wanted his own number.
- Speaking of Triche, he looks a little thinner this year. I could be wrong, he's still cut, but he seems to be a little leaner.
- The release on Scoop Jardine's jumper is approximately 1,257 times better than it was when he arrived at SU.
- Stolen from our friend Jake's facebook post - but deadly accurate: "C.J. Fair is a lefty who wears number 5 and a headband. He's Josh Pace." So I say, welcome to Josh Pace 2.0. Obviously Fair is a lot taller, but there are a lot worse people to be compared to. We loved us some Josh Pace.
- Baye Moussa Keita was active, but he's probably not strong enough yet for Big East competition.
- Mookie Jones hasn't forgotten how to shoot the ball. He has to be the team's best pure shooter, hopefully the rest of his game will continue to develop. If so, he could be an important part of this team.
- James Southerland -- plastic man.
- When in the game together, Scoop ran the point, Triche played the two.
- Kris Joseph and Rick Jackson are good. Games like this are chances for other guys to show their stuff, so there's not much to add on them.
- Dion Waiters didn't have a great game, but he certainly passes the look test. As my friend says, "you have to love tough Philly guards," and Waiters certainly qualifies.
- SU's warm up t-shirts. Un-finished business on the front and oooo yeah that's hot on the back. The problem, there's no hyphen in the word un-finished. Spell check fellas, spell check.
- Fab Melo passes the look test so far. Granted he was playing against guys half his size, but he'll bring athleticism, shot blocking, and 7 feet of trouble in the middle this year. Point production will come later, but this team has enough weapons they don't need to post the big fella up every time down.
- The Orange started in man to man, but primarily played zone the whole game. This team is filled with Boeheim type wing forwards. Skinny guys with long arms that can cover big areas of the floor. SU will be a little smaller at the top of the zone, but they can gamble more because Melo is an eraser in the middle - and Rick Jackson ain't small either.
This team has a ton of talent - sit back and enjoy the ride, we are looking at another fun basketball season this year.
However, the joyous and unexpected success of the football team, combined with the fact that the World Series ended YESTERDAY, makes it a little hard to focus on basketball right now. However, the season has started and that's never a bad thing, so I took a break from watching election coverage to check out the team's exhibition win against Kutztown State. Here are some quick observations, keeping in mind that it's nearly impossible to glean much info from an exhibition game.
Quick Takes
- Brandon Triche changed his number from 25 to 20. His uncle Howard wore 25 when he played at SU, so maybe Howie didn't pass the potato salad at the summer barbeque or something.....or maybe he just wanted his own number.
- Speaking of Triche, he looks a little thinner this year. I could be wrong, he's still cut, but he seems to be a little leaner.
- The release on Scoop Jardine's jumper is approximately 1,257 times better than it was when he arrived at SU.
- Stolen from our friend Jake's facebook post - but deadly accurate: "C.J. Fair is a lefty who wears number 5 and a headband. He's Josh Pace." So I say, welcome to Josh Pace 2.0. Obviously Fair is a lot taller, but there are a lot worse people to be compared to. We loved us some Josh Pace.
- Baye Moussa Keita was active, but he's probably not strong enough yet for Big East competition.
- Mookie Jones hasn't forgotten how to shoot the ball. He has to be the team's best pure shooter, hopefully the rest of his game will continue to develop. If so, he could be an important part of this team.
- James Southerland -- plastic man.
- When in the game together, Scoop ran the point, Triche played the two.
- Kris Joseph and Rick Jackson are good. Games like this are chances for other guys to show their stuff, so there's not much to add on them.
- Dion Waiters didn't have a great game, but he certainly passes the look test. As my friend says, "you have to love tough Philly guards," and Waiters certainly qualifies.
- SU's warm up t-shirts. Un-finished business on the front and oooo yeah that's hot on the back. The problem, there's no hyphen in the word un-finished. Spell check fellas, spell check.
- Fab Melo passes the look test so far. Granted he was playing against guys half his size, but he'll bring athleticism, shot blocking, and 7 feet of trouble in the middle this year. Point production will come later, but this team has enough weapons they don't need to post the big fella up every time down.
- The Orange started in man to man, but primarily played zone the whole game. This team is filled with Boeheim type wing forwards. Skinny guys with long arms that can cover big areas of the floor. SU will be a little smaller at the top of the zone, but they can gamble more because Melo is an eraser in the middle - and Rick Jackson ain't small either.
This team has a ton of talent - sit back and enjoy the ride, we are looking at another fun basketball season this year.
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