Preview: No. 3 Syracuse vs. No. 14 Indiana State

The Orange are in Cleveland for this weekend of the NCAA Tournament, making them the best team in the city (sorry Cavs fans; your team has played 34 more games but has only half as many wins). Syracuse is the three seed in the East region, so it will take on No. 14 Indiana State. (9:57 PM ET, TruTV).

Significance: Win or go home. Self-explanatory. Also, the sooner Indiana State goes home, the sooner we stop seeing highlights of Larry Bird and the 1979 Indiana State team playing in short shorts.

Three Pointers:

1. Indiana State's offense vs. Syracuse's defense: As Kris Joseph so eloquently described, the Sycamores have some shooters. They are below-average from the field, hitting 43% of their shots, but a respectable 36.3% from three. If the zone defense can keep Indiana State from hitting a lot of threes, this should be an easy game for Syracuse.
2. Syracuse has a big advantage: Literally. The Sycamores don't have anyone over 6'8", which points to a huge day for Rick Jackson down low. Hopefully Fab Melo and Baye Moussa Keita can use that to their advantage as well.
3. Start and finish strong: The Orange want to avoid an early deficit, and put Indiana State away in the second half when they get the chance. If they fail to do so, they could suffer the same fate as Louisville.

Prediction: Indiana State will probably hang around for a while and keep the game interesting. The Orange might not blow them out, but they should win comfortably.

Syracuse 72, Indiana State 58

Ponderism: What if Jimmer Wore Orange?

Last night was another average night for BYU's Jimmer Fredette; he scored 32 points to lead the Cougars in their round of 64 win over No. 14 Wofford.

Fredette has played basketball for the past four years at BYU in Provo, Utah. Right now he's in Denver trying to lead the Cougars to the Sweet 16 in New Orleans.

But the Jimmer hails from Glens Falls, NY, just a three hour drive from Syracuse. In fact, four years ago Syracuse looked at the Jimmer, but didn't bite:

"I looked at Syracuse a little bit, and they looked at me a little bit. But they had Scoop Jardine and Jonny Flynn coming in the same year I was and were pretty much set."

The Orange let the Jimmer get away (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

It's somewhat depressing to think the Orange could've had the nation's leading scorer and top candidate for player of the year. Don't get me wrong, Scoop Jardine has been very good at Syracuse. But he hasn't earned the nicknames "Scoopid" and "Scoop being Scoop" for nothing.

Imagine this year's team, but with Jimmer Fredette instead of Scoop Jardine. Brandon Triche would play the point guard role he did last year. The burden to lead the team would be lessened for Rick Jackson and Kris Joseph.

Dion Waiters, who loves to chuck threes, could learn from one of the best shooters in the game. And the Carrier Dome would always be buzzing, just waiting to explode from one of those trademark long range bombs.

Instead, Jimmer Fredette is at BYU and the Syracuse Orange live and die with Scoop Jardine. The only way Syracuse could meet the Jimmer again is if they faced off in this year's national championship game.

Sigh.

Kris Joseph Provides Sycamores Fuel with "White Boys" Remark

We're all told to be polite to strangers (not the sketchy guy in the van selling candy...you know what I mean), but it appears Kris Joseph doesn't abide by those same guidelines.

When asked for his initial reaction to hearing Syracuse's opponent is Indiana State, Joseph was far from being politically correct:



Joseph described the Sycamores as "a bunch of white boys that could shoot," saying "I knew they weren't a team full of athletes."

To be fair, as you can see in their response, some of Indiana State's players are in fact white. And saying they can shoot is a compliment (and they can; the Sycamores shoot 36.3% from three). But to their team lacks athletes is belittling them.

Yet just seconds later, Kris Joseph said they should "not look past anyone in this tournament." Hmmm. Sounds a little hypocritical.

I wonder what Joseph will hear from Indiana State should any of those "white boys" start hitting shots.

NCAA Tournament Day One Late Games Recap

The Big East was represented well, finishing 4-2 on the first (real) day of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Earlier, Pittsburgh and West Virginia both won, but Louisville was upset by Morehead State. Tonight, No. 6 Cincinnati beat No. 11 Missouri, 78-63, setting up a game against No. 3 Connecticut, which handled No. 14 Bucknell easily, winning 81-52.

No. 6 St. John's was not as fortunate. The Johnnies are going home already after losing to No. 11 Gonzaga 86-71.

Other notable winners tonight included No. 5 Kansas State and No. 7 UCLA, both of which fought off comeback attempts by their respective opponents. In a game that appeared it would never end, the Wildcats downed No. 12 Utah State, 73-68. And the Bruins held on against No. 10 Michigan State, 70-68.

For the latest updates, check the live bracket of this year's NCAA Tournament.

NCAA Tournament Update: Buzzer Beaters Abound on "First" Day of March Madness

Just half of today's games are completed and already we've seen four buzzer beaters and two upsets.

The first game winner came when No. 8 Butler's Matt Howard scored on a put back to give last year's Cinderella a 60-58 win over No. 9 Old Dominion.

Louisville was the first giant to fall. Morehead State's Demonte Harper hit a three with less than seven seconds left to give the 13th seeded Eagles a 62-61 victory against the No. 4 Cardinals.

Brandon Knight saved the Bluegrass State from a total meltdown, hitting a game winner, his only field goal of the game, against No. 13 Princeton, giving No. 4 Kentucky the 59-57 win.

Penn State's Talor Battle hit a deep three to tie the score against No. 7 Temple, but the Owls' Juan Fernandez hit a leaner at the buzzer, sealing the 66-64 win over the 10th seeded Nittany Lions.

Richmond pulled off the classic 12 over 5 upset, beating Vanderbilt 69-66 thanks to a late floater by Kevin Anderson.

The Big East saw two of its teams advance. No. 5 West Virginia beat No. 12 Clemson 84-76, and the top seeded Pitt Panthers handled No. 16 UNC-Ashville, 74-51.

Elsewhere in the Big East, No. 3 Connecticut is already underway against No. 14 Bucknell. Later tonight No. 6 St. John's will play No. 11 Gonzaga and No. 6 Cincinnati will take on No. 11 Missouri.

Breaking Down the Orange Brick Road

When the brackets were announced, I gave a brief overview of how far Syracuse could advance in the NCAA Tournament. Now let's delve a little deeper and look at some possible match ups round by round:

Round of 64 (which is what I will call it because calling it the second round just sounds stupid):

No. 14 Indiana State (20-13,12-6): The Sycamores were the 3 seed in the Missouri Valley Tournament but beat both teams above them, Wichita State and Missouri State, to secure an automatic bid. Indiana State does a solid job on defense, allowing 64.1 ppg, but they don't have enough offense to score against Syracuse's 2-3 zone.

Round of 32:

No. 11 Marquette (20-14, 9-9): The Golden Eagles can fill up the basket (76.1 ppg) but have really let down on defense in the second half of the season, giving up 77.9 ppg since Big East play began. On paper Syracuse is better, but the Golden Eagles beat the Orange before and they can do it again.

No. 6 Xavier (24-7, 15-1): We all know about Tu Holloway (20.2 ppg, 5.5 apg, 5.1 rpg) but the Musketeers have three others averaging over ten per game. This is a scary match up for the Orange, but I think they could pull through by winning the rebound and turnover battles.

Tu Holloway and Xavier could send the Orange home prematurely (Jeff Roberson/AP)

Syracuse a 3 Seed in the East Region

The 2011 NCAA Tournament field has been announced. It may be a surprise to some, but the Orange are the No. 3 team in the East Region. They will begin playing Friday in Cleveland against No. 14 Indiana State.

Should Syracuse win its first two games, the team will go on to Newark for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. And if they win the regional, the Final Four in Houston awaits.

So, what are Syracuse's chances of dancing from March into April? Let's see:

Best case scenario: The Orange handle the Sycamores easily, and get revenge against No. 11 Marquette, which beat Syracuse in January. In the Sweet 16, Jim Boeheim beats Roy Williams like he did the '03 title game as Syracuse downs No. 2 North Carolina to advance to the Elite Eight. The Orange punch their ticket to Houston by beating another storied program, No. 4 Kentucky, fresh off an upset win over No. 1 Ohio State.

We could see a finish like Hakim Warrick's sophomore season... (Stephen D. Cannerelli/The Post-Standard)

Worst case scenario: The Orange fail to get out Cleveland as the Ghost of Larry Bird wills Indiana State to victory and Syracuse loses to a 14 seed once again. Either that, or they fall to the Golden Eagles in the next round.

...or like Warrick's senior season (Dennis Nett/The Post-Standard)

Somewhere in the middle: Syracuse gets to Newark to face the UNC. The teams are evenly matched but the Orange catch a few bad breaks and can't hit free throws, falling to coach Williams and the Heels in the Sweet 16.

Role Reversal: Uconn Beats Syracuse in Overtime

Syracuse. Connecticut. Overtime. Nothing new here.

There were five more OT's the last time they met, but Syracuse (26-7, 12-6) and Connecticut (25-9, 9-9) still made it interesting. Scoop Jardine hit two clutch threes in the last 20 seconds of regulation to extend the game, but the Orange lost in overtime, 76-71.

Unlike when their meeting last month, this time Syracuse couldn't contain Kemba Walker:

• After the game he said, "I was mad when we went to the first overtime. I wanted to win and didn't want to go to another one and another one." A mad Kemba Walker isn't a good sign for Syracuse.

• Angry Kemba had a complete performance, going off for 33 points, 12 rebounds, 6 steals and 5 assists.

• Walker scored half of the Huskies' 8 points in overtime. He scored more than all of the Orange, who could manage only 3 points in the extra period.

• His 111 points through four Big East Tournament games is a record for most points scored in a single Big East Tournament.

Angry Kemba got revenge (Frank Franklin II/AP)

Syracuse vs. Connecticut Primer

So the Orange are going to play the UConn Huskies tomorrow night in the first semifinal of the 2011 Big East Tournament. ESPN is going to milk this game for all it's worth, so I figured I'd give you a head start. Let's travel back to 2009 and look at the game that inspired this great shirt. Steve Levy, take it away:

New York's College Team Prevails: Syracuse Downs St. John's

Shhh. Be quiet. Whatever you do, don't tell anyone that our Frankenstein may have come to life. Because if he's for real, Fab Melo could become Syracuse's big secret going into the Tournament.

Now, that isn't guaranteed by any means, but Melo gave a second straight impressive performance, playing a key part in Syracuse's 79-73 victory over St. John's (21-11, 12-6). How huge was the 7 footer? Consider:

• He was absolutely clutch in crunch time. In the last four minutes, Melo had two big layups, an assist and a block. 

• Furthermore, Boeheim kept Melo in at the end despite his four fouls. Looks like he trusts him now.

• Fab finished with 12 points, surpassing his previous career high of 10 he set last game, to go along with 4 rebounds and 2 blocks.

• In fact, Fab came out of nowhere so quickly that even Twitter was confused.

Finally, a reason for Fab Melo to smile (Dennis Nett/The Post-Standard)

Officials Cost Rutgers Win in Big East Tournament

St. John's defeated Rutgers today, 65-63, to advance to the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament. Check that; St. John's and the officials defeated Rutgers.

The Scarlet Knights had possession with 4.9 seconds and chance to tie or take the lead, but the inbounds pass was dropped and the Red Storm's Justin Brownlee picked up the loose ball. Here's where it got interesting.

Brownlee took three steps without dribbling, stepped out of bounds and tossed the ball into the air, all with time still left on the clock. See for yourself:



And prior to this, St. John's appeared to commit two fouls on consecutive possessions, but neither were called.

Notice how quickly the refs walked off the court. Checking for traveling or stepping out of bounds is not reviewable, but checking the game clock is. Was the game over when Brownlee threw the ball in the air? No.

And who were those refs? Tim Higgins, Jim Burr, and Earl Walton.

Tim Higgins and Jim Burr have called big games. They have also made their share of bad calls. So many, in fact, that critics have made Higgins and Burr fake Twitter accounts.

I'm normally not one to complain about the officials. I prefer the looser style of officiating in the Big East that allows the players to determine the outcome, to an extent. Obviously, this is a different situation. This was not a decision of foul or no foul, this was a case of clear violations (traveling, out of bounds) not being called.

It's happened before, and it'll happen again, but that doesn't make any single bad call less important. This call influenced St. John's seeding in the NCAA Tournament, which in turn influences other team's seeds. It also ended Rutgers' season.

What do Higgins and Burr have to say for themselves? Cheers!

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Big East Update: First Round Complete, POY Named

The 2011 Big East Tournament got off to a good start, featuring a one point upset and an overtime thriller. The Big East also handed out more season-ending awards:

South Florida beat Villanova, 70-69, on a layup by Anthony Crater with 5.1 seconds left. Villanova has now lost five in a row and seven of its last nine, causing some to put the Wildcats on the tourney bubble. Despite this bad stretch, I still think Villanova will make the NCAA Tournament.

Rutgers outlasted Seton Hall in overtime, beating the Pirates 76-70. The Scarlet Knights will move on to play St. John's. The winner of that game will be Syracuse's next opponent.

Connecticut handled DePaul easily, beating the Blue Demons 97-71. This was the Huskies first Big East Tournament win since 2005 (although beating DePaul isn't saying much).

Marquette quieted Marshon Brooks and the Friars, beating Providence 87-66. The Golden Eagles limited Brooks to 20 points, slightly under his 24.8 ppg average.

Ben Hansbrough was named Big East Player of the Year. The senior guard led Notre Dame with 18.5 ppg and 4.2 apg. His coach, Mike Brey, was named Big East Coach of the Year. And DePaul's freshman forward Cleveland Melvin was named Big East Rookie of the Year.

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Big East Tournament Preview and Predictions

It's early March. We're not quite Dancing yet, but we're getting there. All that's left are conference tournaments, aka March Madness for every team not already in the tournament. They can be just as intense as the Big Dance, especially in mid-major conferences where often only one bid is up for grabs.

In terms of quality, though, the Big East is still tops. Here's a preview of this year's Big East Tournament:

Pittsburgh: The regular season champs are playing for a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. A win or two here can help solidify that.

Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish can move up to a 1 seed along side the Panthers (or steal Pittsburgh's spot) if they win it all in Madison Square Garden.

Louisville: As the three seed, the Cardinals should be one of the favorites, but they are without leading rebounder Rakeem Buckles for the rest of the season.

Syracuse: The Orange are playing for seeding here, but I can't see them straying to far from a 3 seed come tournament time. A loss in the quarterfinals could drop them to a 4, while advancing further could move them up as far as a 2 seed. On the plus side, Rick Jackson has motivation from only making the All-Big East Second Team, which coach Boeheim wasn't happy about. You know what happened the last time he had a problem with one of his guys being "overrated?" Check out the link on Connecticut's preview.

Warning to the Big East: don't make him angry (Heather Ainsworth/AP)

St. John's: The Red Storm have one of the best résumés in the conference, and have won eight of their past nine Big East games. They could make a run on their home court.

West Virginia: Last year's Big East Tournament champions are coming off two big wins against Connecticut and Louisville, who the Mountaineers could meet in the quarterfinals. They have potential.

Cincinnati: The Bearcats allow the fewest points per game (58.2) among Big East teams, but do they have enough offense?

Georgetown: Chris Wright likely won't be back in time to play in the Big East Tournament. It's hard to see the Hoyas winning without him.

Can the Hoyas win without Wright? (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Connecticut: Could they win it all? The 9 seed in the Big East Tournament. Led by a great scoring guard. Sound familiar? It's been done before. The Huskies could do it again.

Villanova: The Wildcats lost their last four games of the regular season, forcing them to play on day one of the tournament. The two Corey's, Stokes and Fisher, must take control if Villanova is going to advance.

Marquette: They are predicted by most analysts as being in the NCAA Tournament as of now, but if the Golden Eagles don't win a game or two they could risk missing out on the Dance.

Can Kemba Walker pull a Gerry McNamara? (Al Behrman/AP)

Seton Hall: They've played inspired basketball as of late, with wins against St. John's and Marquette. When Jeremy Hazell is on, anything is possible for the Pirates.

Rutgers: They beat Villanova earlier this year on the "prayer in Piscataway" but don't have much else to show for themselves.

Providence: They will go as far as Marshon Brooks will take them.

South Florida: The Bulls have a solid front court with Augustus Gilchrist and Jarrid Famous, but they'll need great guard play to pull off an upset.

DePaul: One win in Big East play. Playing without its leading scorer. Enough said.

And because I like to torture myself, I will now predict the winner of all 15 Big East Tournament games:

Rick Jackson Named Big East Defensive Player of the Year

It wasn't long until Rick Jackson got some consolation. One day after being left off the All-Big East First Team, the Syracuse big man has been named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

This should come as no surprise, since Rick Jackson has been a force inside for Syracuse all season, leading the Big East in blocked shots with 2.5 per game. He also leads the conference in rebounding (10.7 per game), the first Orange to do so since Derrick Coleman in 1989-1990.

Rick Jackson was voted the top defensive player, but not one of the league's top six players.
(Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

However the same Big East coaches who voted Jackson as defensive player of the year somehow left him off the Big East first team. The first team selections appear especially strange because the six athletes chosen are all guards and are simply the leagues' top six scorers.

Regardless, this is great honor for Rick Jackson, and rightly deserved.

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Syracuse Ends Regular Season No. 11 in Coaches Poll

The Orange had a light week, playing at home against DePaul, a game in which they destroyed the Blue Demons. They also benefitted from Louisville's loss at West Virginia, taking their spot at No. 11 in this week's ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.

Syracuse is now the third highest rated Big East team in the coaches poll, behind only third ranked Pittsburgh and fourth ranked Notre Dame.

Other than those three, it was a rough week for the Big East. The Cardinals fell to No. 14, while St. John's and Connecticut dropped to No.'s 18 and 19, respectively. Georgetown moved down to No. 22 after an ugly loss to Cincinnati.

Villanova had two tough games last week against Pitt and Notre Dame, and losing both of those dropped them out of the top 25. Along with the Wildcats, West Virginia and Cincinnati received votes from the pollsters but were not ranked.

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Jackson, Joseph Selected for All-Big East Teams

Syracuse's Rick Jackson and Kris Joseph have both been selected to all-conference teams this season, as voted on by the Big East's 16 head coaches.

Rick Jackson, who was honored yesterday on Senior Night, has been named to the All-Big East Second Team. He averaged 13.1 ppg and 10.7 rpg, recording 17 double-doubles this season. Jackson joins Preston Knowles (Louisville), Darius Johnson-Odom (Marquette), Brad Wanamaker (Pittsburgh) and Corey Fisher (Villanova) on the second team.

I may be a little biased here, but I think even getting chosen for the second team may have been a bit of a snub for Jackson. The All-Big East First Team was simply the league's six highest scorers. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as such is often the case when all-conference selections are made.

But Rick Jackson provides a more complete game. He led the conference in rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage to go along with his double digit scoring output. Could he have made it over, perhaps, Austin Freeman? I think so.

Kris Joseph, led Syracuse in scoring with 14.2 ppg, and was second on the team with 4.9 rpg and 1.5 spg. Joseph has been selected to the All-Big East Third Team, along with Chris Wright (Georgetown), Tim Abromaitis (Notre Dame), Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall) and Corey Stokes (Villanova).

Shockingly, Fab Melo didn't make the All-Rookie Team. Melo put up some serious numbers, averaging 1.7 fouls per game despite only playing 9.4 minutes per contest.

The Big East Player of the Year, chosen from the six first team selections, will be announced on Tuesday.

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Syracuse Dominates DePaul on Senior Night, Clinches Double-Bye

Senior Night, or rather, "Rick Jackson Night," won't be forgotten anytime soon thanks to a great team performance by the Orange (25-6, 12-6). In its regular season finale, Syracuse throttled DePaul (7-23, 1-17), 107-59.


Syracuse celebrated Rick Jackson's career before the game, presenting him with a framed jersey. And then the real party began.

Thanks for the memories, Rick. (Heather Ainsworth/AP)

Regular Season Finale: DePaul vs. Syracuse

Syracuse closes out the regular season Saturday against DePaul at the Carrier Dome (4 PM ET, Big East Network).

Significance: Rick Jackson's journey will be honored Saturday as he plays his final game in the Carrier Dome. Also, a win gives Syracuse a double bye in the Big East Tournament.

Three Pointers:

1. Cleveland Melvin is out for DePaul: He's given the Blue Demons a bright future averaging 14.3 ppg as a freshman, but Cleveland Melvin was sidelined last week for the rest of this season. Without him, what little chance DePaul had is now almost certainly gone.
2. Syracuse must avoid a slow start: Last year against DePaul, Syracuse came out to a slow start. The Orange fell behind by as much as 18, and didn't have a lead until the last four minutes of the game before going on to win. To be sure, Syracuse should put this game away early.
3. Time for the Orange to fine tune themselves: The DePaul game couldn't have come at a better time: Syracuse is on a four game winning streak and looking at a double bye in the Big East Tournament. This is their chance to work out some kinks, like defending the three, hitting free throws, and finding Kris Joseph on offense.

Prediction: Normally a game against DePaul wouldn't be too exciting. But it's the regular season finale and Rick Jackson's last hurrah, so it's worth the drive over here, even if it's a little out of the way.

Syracuse 73, DePaul 55

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Big Names in the Big East

Now that the regular season is drawing to a close, it is time to give out awards to this year's notable athletes and coaches in college basketball. This year, the Big East conference was its usual dominant self, maintaining its position as the best in college basketball.

And so, without further ado, I give you the best players names from the nation's best conference:

Cashmere Wright, G, Cincinnati: What comes to mind when I think of cashmere: strong, fine, high quality. Wright isn't too far off, averaging 9.4 ppg and 3.9 apg for the Bearcats.

Shabazz Napier, G, Connecticut: Napier's averaging 8.4 ppg and 3.1 apg as a freshman, getting serious minutes off the bench. He's also kept his turnovers per game (1.9) below his z's per name (2), which is always good.

Shabazz Napier: he's got more z's than a hibernating bear (Eugene Tanner/AP)

Movin' On Up: Syracuse No. 12 in Poll

The Orange are gaining momentum, and at just the right time. After two big wins last week, on the road at Villanova and Georgetown, Syracuse moved up eight spots to No. 12 in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.

Despite losing last week, Pittsburgh moved up a spot in the coaches poll to fifth. Notre Dame, who trounced No. 19 Villanova Monday night, is now seventh.

Louisville improved to No. 11 thanks to an overtime win over Pitt. The St. John's Red Storm were the big movers, jumping ten spots this week to No. 15. Behind them are Connecticut and Georgetown at No.'s 16 and 17, respectively.

There was more shifting at the top when former No. 1 Duke lost at Virginia Tech. Ohio State is once again the top ranked team in college basketball, leaping over Kansas, who remained second in the rankings. Duke dropped to No. 4.

BYU made headlines after beating San Diego State for the second time this season, moving up to third. The Aztecs, meanwhile, fell to No. 9. And former Cinderella George Mason is back in the fold, just making the cut at No. 25.

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Revenge of the Orange: Syracuse Downs Villanova

It was another gut-wrenching game, complete with missed shots, ugly turnovers, a technical foul and two (two!) lane violations. But when the dust cleared, Syracuse (23-6, 10-6) came out with a 69-64 win over Villanova (21-7, 9-6). Some bits of tid:

• The big story entering the game was whether or not Corey Stokes would play for the Wildcats. He played, and played well. Stokes led Villanova with 24 points. Without him, this is a different game.

•  Here's my lazy announcer impression: The boys from Philadelphia won the game, except they were wearing Orange. Scoop Jardine and Rick Jackson (did you know they were high school teammates?) along with Dion Waiters (did you know he's Scoop's cousin?) were the keys to victory.
• Scoop Jardine: 20 points on 7 for 11 shooting and 6 assists. Yes, he made some Scoopid plays, but he made shots when it counted.
• Rick Jackson: 18 points on 8 of 9 shooting, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks. A beast inside.
• Dion Waiters: Just 7 points, but he went to the line with 14.1 seconds and a one point lead and nailed both free throws. That's clutch. 

• Syracuse heard it from the media for not scheduling road games. Now they're even hearing it from opponents. Villanova coach Jay Wright said "Scoop and Jackson were great it was like a home game for them." That's a low blow, Jay.

Wait, so you mean to tell me they're all from Philadelphia? (Barbara Johnston/AP)

Syraucse-Villanova Part Two

The Orange (22-6, 9-6) are in Villanova tonight to take on the Wildcats (21-6, 9-5) at The Pavilion (7 PM ET, ESPN).

Significance: Revenge. Syracuse would love to beat Villanova, which has won six of the last eight meetings, including last month at the Carrier Dome. The Orange also need to come out on top of the jumbled middle of the Big East.

Three Pointers:

1. Syracuse must defend the three point shot: In the first meeting the Wildcats shot 50% from the field, including 11 for 24 from three. That can't happen if Syracuse hopes to win. After that game, Dion Waiters said, "sometimes you just can't do anything about it but continue to play defense." Uhh, how about playing better defense?
2. How do the Wildcats replace Corey Stokes?: Coach Jay Wright lists the guard as "questionable" for tonight. Stokes, who scored 16 points in the previous meeting, is Villanova's second leading scorer (14.6 ppg). It will be a different game if the Wildcats play without their leader.
3. The Orange could use a quality win: Realistically, Syracuse has a tournament spot locked up by now. However the Orange may not be a complete lock. A win against Villanova gives them a quality road win, not to mention a big confidence boost.

And One: In case you haven't heard, Scoop Jardine, Rick Jackson and Dion Waiters are from Philadelphia. Hopefully the trio will be inspired to play well in front of their family and friends. The Orange could use any form of inspiration at this point.

Prediction: Don't overestimate Stokes' absence too much; Villanova is still the favorite. The Wildcats will give Syracuse everything it can handle, and the Orange will do just that; handle Villanova.

Syracuse 69, Villanova 65

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Despite Wins, Syracuse Stays Put in Rankings

Syracuse won both of its games last week, defeating West Virginia and beating Rutgers in overtime. This did not impress the poll voters that much though, as the Orange remain No. 20 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.

Are there really 19 teams better than the Orange right now? I personally think Syracuse is better than, say, North Carolina and Texas A&M, but both teams continue to be ranked ahead of the Orange in the coaches poll.

It was somewhat of a rough week for the Big East, as many teams fell in the rankings. Pittsburgh dropped two spots to sixth after losing a one point game to St. John's, which is a newcomer to the coaches poll at No. 25. Notre Dame and Georgetown both fell two spots as well after losing last week, the Fighting Irish to No. 9 and the Hoyas to No. 11.

Despite beating Georgetown, Connecticut fell to No. 15. The Huskies were beaten by Louisville, which retained its ranking of 16.

Syracuse's opponent tonight, Villanova, is still the No. 14 team in the coaches poll.

The top of the college basketball rankings totally changed this week after the top four teams, Kansas, Texas, Ohio State and Pittsburgh, all lost. This paved the way for previously fifth ranked Duke to become the No. 1 team again, after holding the position for the first ten weeks of the season.

Kansas dropped only to second in the coaches poll, while Ohio State remained third. San Diego State entered the top five again for the first time since losing its first game at No. 4. Rounding out the top five is Texas.

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Thoughts on Rutgers-Syracuse

It was frustrating at times, but after 45 minutes of play, the Orange finally downed Rutgers. Syracuse (22-6, 9-6), playing in its first overtime game of the season, beat the Scarlet Knights (13-13, 4-10) 84-80 in game that was tightly contested the entire way. Some bits of tid:

• After some mediocre games, Rick Jackson came back in a big way tonight with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 7 blocks. Jackson picked up his fourth foul with 7:02 left in regulation but was smart the rest of the way.

Rick was rock solid today (Kevin Rivoli/AP)

Big East Update

It's been an interesting day in the Big East so far today, as the top two teams in the conference both fell.

Dwight Hardy hit a reverse layup with 1.2 seconds left to give St. John's (17-9, 9-5) a 60-59 win over Pittsburgh (24-3, 12-2).

West Virginia (17-9, 8-6) handled Notre Dame (21-5, 10-4) easily, beating the Fighting Irish 72-58.

And Villanova (21-6, 9-5) needed overtime to avoid an upset at DePaul (7-19, 1-13), pulling out a 77-75 victory.

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Does Syracuse Have Lineup Issues?

"Don't fix what ain't broke." The Orange aren't broken, but they could use some fixing. Use the Princeton offense? Nah. A man defense? Don't think so. A new coach? Nope, not even after this.

How about tweaking the Syracuse lineup? A few days ago I questioned the Syracuse starting lineup, but now I believe it's more of a question of who plays more minutes.

Rick Jackson leads the team so far, averaging 35 minutes per game. There's nothing wrong with that; Rick Jackson is the leader and workhorse of the team, he should be playing the most minutes.

Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph are next, both playing about 31, 32 minutes per game. Now, Scoop Jardine can make some boneheaded plays, but he's played well overall, especially the past two games. Syracuse's lack of guards also requires Jardine to play so many minutes.

Should C.J. Fair be starting? (Getty Images/Andy Lyons)

My suggestion would to be swap time between Scoop Jardine with Brandon Triche, who's playing 28 minutes and may become the team's go to scorer. That would mean taking over Kris Joseph's role, who has been the team's leading scorer thus far.

Don't get me wrong, Joseph has been very good. But in crunch time, I'd prefer the ball in Brandon Triche's hands. He can drive and shoot the three like Kris Joseph, but Triche is a better free throw shooter.

Photo Shoot: West Virginia vs. Syracuse

Photos, quotes, and comments from Monday's game between West Virginia and Syracuse.

Click here to view them.

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Boeheim Attacks Media in Post Game Conference

Syracuse's win against West Virginia didn't seem to lighten coach Jim Boeheim's mood much.

In his post game press conference, Boeheim fought back against reporters, saying they take "snapshots" that put him in a bad light, something he takes personally. Boeheim stated that reporters mention his losses against other coaches while dismissing his victories.

He attacked Post-Standard beat writers Donna Ditota and Mike Waters for much of the tirade, questioning their knowledge and reporting.

It's interesting to see Boeheim cause this controversy right after a win, when things seemed to be going the Orange's way. Hopefully this doesn't become a distraction.

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Thoughts about West Virginia-Syracuse

The streak is over. After almost a full month, Syracuse has won a home game.

 The Orange (21-6, 8-6) got off to another slow start against West Virginia (16-9, 7-6) but took over in the second half and never looked back, going on to win, 63-52. Some bits of tid:

• Syracuse's start to the second half may have been the best string of plays they've made all season. The first four possessions were three-point plays by Kris Joseph and Brandon Triche followed by three pointers from Triche and Scoop Jardine. The last basket came off a fast break set up by a ridiculous spike/block from Baye Moussa Keita.

• West Virginia couldn't find an answer for Triche all night. He led the offense with his second straight 20 point performance.

• Moussa Keita started again tonight as Fab Melo sat out for the second consecutive game for missing practice. He couldn't take advantage of the opportunity, though, grabbing just four rebounds and failing to score.

Bad Mutha Keita with a thunderous block (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Syracuse Drops to No. 20 in Latest Poll

No big surprise here. After losing two consecutive games last week, Syracuse dropped from No. 13 to No. 20 in this week's ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.

The Orange had a rough week, losing at home against No. 9 Georgetown (then No. 11) and at No. 16 Louisville (then No. 15).

Other ranked Big East teams include No. 4 Pittsburgh, which did not move but picked up a first place vote,  No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 12 Connecticut and No. 14 Villanova.

Syracuse's opponent tonight, West Virginia, received votes but was not ranked.

At the top things became muddled when previously unbeaten Ohio State lost its first game. Kansas moved up a spot to take the top ranking, while Texas, the only team to have beaten the Jayhawks, became the new No. 2. The Buckeyes fell to third, retaining three first place votes.

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West Virginia at Syracuse Preview

The West Virginia Mountaineers (16-8, 7-5) come to the Carrier Dome to take on the No. 20 Syracuse Orange (20-6, 7-6) tonight at 7 p.m. (ESPN).

Significance: The Orange had a rough week, losing two frustrating games against ranked opponents. Syracuse is no longer playing must-win games, it is now in the "must-get-our-s**t-together-zone."

Three Pointers:

Photo Shoot: Syracuse vs. Louisville

Sometimes words alone can't paint a full picture. Sometimes you need, well, a picture. Here's a short album of highlights from the game:

Photo Shoot: Syracuse vs. Louisville

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Syracuse Can't Dig Itself Out of Hole, Falls to Louisville

The Orange came roaring back late, but it just wasn't enough.

Louisville took over late in the first half, going into the break with a 10 point lead after a 21-4 run. They kept it going in the second half, building a 20 point lead with 15:30 remaining before Syracuse (20-6, 7-6) came to life. The comeback fell short, though, and Louisville (19-6, 8-4) held on for a 73-69 win.

Some bits of tid:

• Coach Rick Pitino knows how to beat Boeheim's zone. Louisville made the extra pass to find the open three point shooter time after time. The Cardinals hit 13 shots from beyond the arc, scoring more than half their points off of three pointers.

Pitino schooled Boeheim yet again (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

Syracuse Louisville Preview

Syracuse (20-5, 7-5) travels to Kentucky to take on the Louisville Cardinals (18-6, 7-4) this afternoon at the KFC Yum! Center (12 PM ET, ESPN)

Significance: Gut check time for the Orange. They're playing their second straight game against a ranked opponent, this time on the road. A win here would restore confidence and possibly revive the non-existant rivalry between these two teams.

Three Pointers:

Reactions: Syracuse-Georgetown

It's been a couple of days since Georgetown's 64-56 win over Syracuse, its first in the Carrier Dome since 2002. But looking back on the game, there's a lot the Orange can learn. It almost felt like a microcosm of Syracuse's season so far; they were in it the whole time but managed to let it slip away at the very end. Some important tidbits on the team:

• I realized that I had overestimated Syracuse's offense a little, but it may be worse than I thought. On the year the Orange have averaged a respectable 73 PPG, but against the Big East they've averaged just under 64 PPG. This is a strong conference, but a nine point drop is significant.

• Why is this happening? Syracuse hits nearly 53% of its two point shots but only 34% of its threes. The team lacks an outside scorer. In four of their five the losses, the Orange faced a time late in the game when a three pointer would've kept them alive, but they couldn't hit one. Kris Joseph and Brandon Triche haven't been consistent enough, and Scoop Jardine continues to toss up ill-advised shots at pivotal points.

Chin up, Scoop. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Rivalry Renewed: Syracuse vs. Georgetown

The Orange (20-4, 7-4) are finally back in town, (hopefully) ready to take on Georgetown (18-5, 7-4) in the Carrier Dome tonight (7 PM ET, ESPN).

Significance: It's Syracuse-Georgetown. The teams could both be winless going into the game and fans would still be doing this to each other. However, both teams are 7-4 in the conference, so a win means getting that much closer to the top, while a loss means falling back into the middle of the Big East pack.

Three Pointers:

Syracuse Climbs to 13th in Coaches Poll

Syracuse has been rewarded for its two game winning streak by moving up to 13th in the college basketball rankings. However its climb may have gone further if not for decisions ESPN's Eamonn Brennan calls simply inexplicable.

There were no surprises at the top as undefeated Ohio State remains No. 1. In fact, the top six spots all stayed the same, meaning the Buckeyes were followed by Kansas, Texas, Pittsburgh, Duke and San Diego State, in that order.

This means that once again, No. 4 Pittsburgh was ranked behind No. 3 Texas, which has a worse record and lost to the Panthers earlier this year.

Syracuse suffers from the same problem, being ranked four spots behind No. 9 Connecticut despite having two more wins and beating the Huskies on their court last week.

Elsewhere, the Big East continues to dominate. Notre Dame moved up one spot to No. 7. Villanova and Georgetown are ranked 10th and 11th, respectively. Louisville fell after a loss at Georgetown, dropping to No. 15.

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Big East Roundup: Multiple Upsets Thwarted

Today featured numerous close calls in the Big East as some of the league's lower tier teams nearly pulled off big upsets.

The biggest underdog was DePaul, who was winless heading into today's matchup at Louisville. The Blue Demons (6-16, 0-10) kept up with the Cardinals the whole game, even leading for a large part of the first half, but they couldn't hold on. Led by Kyle Kuric's 19 points off the bench, Louisville (18-5, 7-3) held on for 61-57 victory.

Marshon Brooks stole the show in D.C. scoring 43 points, but even that wasn't enough for Providence (14-10, 3-8) to overcome Georgetown. Chris Wright stole the ball from Brooks in the closing seconds, securing an 83-81 win for the Hoyas (18-5, 7-4).

Brooks was the star, but Wright and the Hoyas got the win (Getty Images/Mitchell Layton)

Syracuse Beats South Florida, Reaches 20 Wins

Syracuse (20-4, 7-4) cruised to a 72-49 win over South Florida today, reaching 20 wins for the 33rd time in Jim Boeheim's 35 years as coach.

The crowd of 10,051 was predominantly orange, making it a virtual home game for Syracuse.

Rick Jackson scored a season high 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, for his 16th double-double for the year. Kris Joseph added 14, and Dion Waiters scored 10 coming off the bench.

Despite being near the bottom of the Big East standings, South Florida (8-16, 2-9) has played a lot of tight games against its conference opponents so far. 

Rick Jackson: double-double machine (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Today, though was a different story, as Syracuse went on big scoring runs midway through the first half and at the beginning of the second. The Orange controlled the game with its defense, holding the Bulls to only 3 points in the last 5:37 of the game.

Jarrid Famous didn't start but led the Bulls with 14 points.

Syracuse is now on only its second winning streak all season. But if this one is as good as the last one was, they'll be in good shape.

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Syracuse Looks to Get On a Roll Against South Florida

Syracuse (19-4, 6-4) goes to Tampa to take on the South Florida Bulls (8-15, 2-8) Saturday (2:00 PM ET, Big East Network, ESPN3).

Significance: The Orange got over the hump Wednesday, beating Connecticut to end a four game losing streak. They will look to gain even more momentum going forward against a weak South Florida team.

Three Pointers:

Syracuse Beats Connecticut, Ends Losing Streak

Did you hear that gust of wind? That was all of the Syracuse fans collectively exhaling. The Orange won their first game in five tries, downing Connecticut 66-58.

Coach Boeheim wasn't joking when he said:

"This is a game we had to find a way to win. We made the plays we had to."

Brandon Triche scored 16, and Kris Joseph added 11 points. Although Rick Jackson was the rock of the team as he has been all season, recording 13 points and 13 rebounds.


Syracuse (19-4, 6-4) needed a solid performance from him now more than ever, and not just because of the losing streak. Rumors of a possible point shaving scandal have died down, but it posed a serious distraction going into the game.

Syracuse's Rock throws up two of his own in victory (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

The accused players, Scoop Jardine, Dion Waiters and James Southerland, did not play particularly well. Jardine shot only 2 for 11 and scored 7 points. Waiters shot 3 of 8, scoring 9 points. Southerland played for less than a minute, badly missing a three and going directly back to the bench.

The zone was major weak point during the losing streak, but it played well tonight, limiting Connecticut (17-4, 5-4) to 36% shooting. Player of the Year candidate shot 3 of 14 and scored only 8 points. Jeremy Lamb led the Huskies with 22 points.

UConn finds itself on a bit of a skid of its own, losing its last two. But as coach Boeheim said, "That's the league. You have to do that every night. This league is very, very difficult."

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Source: Rumors False

According to the Syracuse blog Orange Fizz, a source who spoke to university athletic department officials has said that the point shaving rumors are false.

In addition, PocketFives.com, the first site to report the scandal, has since removed its accusations.

All of the information coming in makes it hard to determine what is true and what is hearsay. Time will tell if any of these stories have validity.

Scandal Update

Stories continue to spread, as the Los Angeles Times' T.J. Corbs has now addressed the rumors of a point shaving scandal at Syracuse.

Corbs cited the recent poor play of Scoop Jardine, Dion Waiters, and James Southerland, skeptically asking if it is all just a coincidence.

Like Jardine before him, Waiters has recently denounced the allegations, saying critics are jumping on the Orange now that they are struggling.

Big East Report: Who's In the Fight?

We are now half way through the gauntlet that is the Big East schedule. The contenders are throwing punches and the pretenders are gasping for air. Let's see how the battle for the heavyweight title is shaping up:

KO'd:

• DePaul (6-14, 0-8): The past two season, the Blue Demons were a combined 1-35 in Big East play. New coach Oliver Purnell clearly admires tradition, leading DePaul to a typical 0-8 start in conference play.

Oliver Purnell: doing it the DePaul way (depaulbluedemons.com)

Potential Scandal at Syracuse

Rumors have been going around that some players on the Syracuse basketball team have been involved in point shaving.

It is believed that Scoop Jardine, Dion Waiters, and James Southerland have been purposely tanking to win bets.

Reports from Newhouse say ESPN will be addressing the issue tomorrow.

Should the rumors be true, the three athletes will face legal charges. The NCAA has a zero tolerance policy on student athletes gambling.

Not to suggest anything, but Jardine's poor play has stood out in the team's recent funk. A career 46% shooter, Jardine has been making only 33% of his shots in his last five games.

Jardine has been vocal on Twitter, asking to be left alone and insisting he plays "for free."

Waiters and Southerland have played poorly as well, and both watched the Marquette game from the bench. Although Waiters may have already been in trouble with coach Boeheim.

More to come as the story develops.

Not Pretty, But Georgetown Beats Louisville

A halftime score of 22-18? Ugh. Another Big East brawl. Georgetown survived, though, defeating Louisville, 62-59.

Both teams were on a roll coming off big road upsets, but the Hoyas were the bigger team. Chris Wright led the way for Georgetown, scoring 24 points.

Peyton Siva, the star in Louisville's win over Connecticut, had a terrible game, scoring only 5 points and missing a potential game tying shot as the buzzer sounded.

He wasn't the only one though. The game featured 16 turnovers from each team, and the Cardinals shot only 35% from the field. To say the least, it was an ugly game.

Orange Drop to 17th in Rankings

Syracuse continues with its free fall by dropping to No. 17 in the latest coaches poll. This ranking comes as no surprise, as the team has lost its last four games since starting 18-0.

This seems like the right spot for them. Despite Syracuse's impressive record, they probably couldn't beat most of the teams currently ranked ahead of them, including their next opponent, the No. 7 Connecticut Huskies.

Ohio State, the only remaining undefeated team, is once again the top ranked team.

The Big 12 made moves at the top, with Kansas taking the second spot and Texas moving up to third. The former numbers 2 and 3, Pittsburgh and Duke, both lost, dropping them to fourth and fifth, respectively.

San Diego State fell back down to No. 6 yet again after suffering its first loss of the season at BYU. However the Cougars later lost as well, keeping them at No. 9.

The Big East continues to dominate the college basketball landscape, with No. 8 Notre Dame joining Pitt and Connecticut in the top ten. Villanova, Louisville, and Georgetown are ranked No.'s 12, 13, and 14, respectively, giving the conference seven teams in the top 25.

Waiters Sits Out Against Marquette

Quietly missing from Syracuse' loss against Marquette today was freshman guard Dion Waiters. Many have speculated that Waiters might be suspended after he appeared to curse at coach Boeheim in Tuesday's loss at Seton Hall.

Will Dion Waiters play again for Syracuse this season? (Getty Images/Justin K. Aller)

Today was the first time all season Waiters did not play.

When asked why he chose to keep the freshman on the bench, coach Boeheim cited Waiters' poor play, adding, "Other than that, I can't think of any."

Waiters claimed he was still on the team. That may be true right now, but for how long?

Porous Defense Costs Orange Another One

One, two, three, four. That's four consecutive Big East losses for the Orange. Poor defense has been a recurring theme for Syracuse (18-4, 5-4) in its current losing streak, and today was no different. Marquette gained a 76-70 victory over the Orange, their first in six games since joining the Big East in 2005.

Marquette (14-8, 5-4) hit its shots against the 2-3 zone, making 52% from the field. Jae Crowder, a 6'6" power forward, controlled the game inside, scoring 25 points.

Jimmy Butler added 19, including a clutch three to break a tie at 66 with under two minutes remaining.

Coach, where's the defense? (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

Individuals got their numbers offensively; Joseph, Jackson, Jardine, and Fair all had double digits. It still wasn't enough to overcome what they lacked in defense, though.

Syracuse had a negative turnover margin and lost the rebound battle, including six offensive rebounds for the Golden Eagles. Rick Jackson, who averages nearly 12 rpg grabbed only four today. Those aren't the keys to a strong defensive performance.

Syracuse will try to stop the bleeding, but it won't be easy; they have to travel to Storrs, CT to take on the fifth ranked Huskies on Wednesday.

Big East Update: UConn, Villanova Lose

The Big East has already seen two upsets today, as No. 5 Connecticut and No. 7 Villanova both lost at home.

Louisville, led by Peyton Siva's 19 points, held on against the Huskies in double overtime, 79-78. Player of the Year candidate Kemba Walker could not come through for Connecticut (17-3, 5-3), missing potential winning shots at the end of regulation and at the end of the second overtime.

The win moves No. 19 Louisville (17-4, 6-2) into second place in the Big East. Connecticut drops into a tie for fourth in the conference.

Georgetown (16-5, 5-4) pulled out a 69-66 victory over Villanova (17-4, 5-3) thanks to Austin Freeman's 30 point burst.

The Wildcats are now tied for fourth along with the Huskies, while No. 20 Georgetown improved upon its poor start, moving into 9th in the conference.

Rumors False: Waiters Still on Team

Continuing with the suspension theme, it now looks as though Syracuse guard Dion Waiters will not be missing any games after all.

Coach Boeheim appeared on WSKO radio today, addressing the team's recent struggles, but avoided the rumors about the freshman guard.

Dion Waiters recently tweeted that the rumors are just that: rumors. He will play on Saturday at Marquette.

Michigan State's Lucious Suspended for Rest of Season

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The Michigan State Spartans, participants in the past two Final Fours, have had a tumultuous season.

Now they will finish without the player who helped get them to the promise land. ESPN has reported that coach Tom Izzo has suspended Korie Lucious for the remainder of the season.

After starting as the second ranked team in the country, the Spartans have stumbled to a disappointing 12-7 record.

The reasons for the suspension are not completely clear, but Lucious had been in and out of trouble, missing two games already this season.

Lucious is remembered for leading the Spartans to the Final Four last year, stepping up after teammate Kalin Lucas went down with an injury.

He did not seem especially sad at first, initially sending out a lighthearted tweet after the suspension was first announced late Tuesday night.

There might have been a long standing issue influencing the decision, perhaps a falling out between the player and his coach. Lucious' stats would suggest some kind of mental funk; in his last five games he averaged only 5.2 ppg while shooting an abysmal 23%.

When asked if he was going to transfer, Lucious said he had not decided yet.

And Then There Was One

BYU (20-1, 6-0) defended their home turf tonight, handing San Diego State (20-1, 5-1) their first loss of the season. The Aztecs' loss leaves No. 1 Ohio State as the only undefeated team left in Division I.

The game was tightly contested until midway through the second half, when the Cougars pulled away and stayed ahead for good, winning 71-58.

Jimmer Fredette, the nation's leading scorer, led the Cougars with 43 points.

The loss will drop San Diego State in the national polls, but they still have a chance a high seed in the tournament.

The last team to complete and undefeated season was the 1975-1976 Indiana Hoosiers. Ohio State will continue play Saturday at Northwestern.

You Wanna Coach?

Many people are beginning to worry about Syracuse basketball. From the high expectations they earned after starting out 18-0 to their current three game losing streak, the team has begun to disappoint many of its fans.

So far I've been of the mind that the Orange are more deserving of their preseason rank of 13 than their season high rank of 3. Their only wins against ranked opponents came against then No. 8 Michigan State, which has proven they are not nearly as good as pollsters thought, and No. 15 Notre Dame.

Their only true road game victories came against Seton Hall, which avenged its loss last night, and St. John's, a program that is improving but has not yet arrived.

It's not nearly time to hit the panic button, but clearly some changes could be made. Coach Boeheim has tried, benching freshman Fab Melo in favor of James Southerland against Seton Hall Tuesday night to no avail.

Rick Jackson and Kris Joseph have been the team's consistent threats this year. The rest have had their share of struggles. Scoop Jardine has had trouble finding his shots some games. Brandon Triche has not emerged as a reliable scoring threat the way many had hoped.

Freshmen C.J. Fair, Baye Moussa-Keita, and Dion Waiters have all shown some promise coming off the bench, but only in spurts.

Mookie Jones has apparently not seen eye to eye with coach Boeheim, and even considered transfering, before finally playing in his first Big East game of the season last night. And Southerland has been consistently below average.

Obviously I'm being a little harsh here. Despite it all I still believe this team has a chance to do well in March. But at this rate they will not be able to reach their full potential.

So, what exactly should the team do? Leave a comment saying what you would do to help Syracuse get out of their funk.