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.

Syracuse Embarrassed by Seton Hall

It was not a pretty sight for the Orange fans packed inside the Carrier Dome last night. Fortunately, I was watching the game on television, so I simply looked away when things got out of hand, but those at the game could not escape Seton Hall's 90-68 annihilation of Syracuse.

Similar, to Syracuse' previous two opponents, Pittsburgh and Villanova, Seton Hall (9-12, 3-6) came out firing on offense early on. Their game plan against the 2-3 zone was textbook; hit outside shots to stretch the defense, then use penetration and passing to score easy buckets inside.

They did not let up all game, finishing 54% from the field and 59% from beyond the arc. The Pirates had five scorers in double digits, lead by sharpshooter Jeremy Hazell's 28 points.

Syracuse (18-3, 5-3), on the other hand, looked extremely flat. They shot a paltry 36%, committed sloppy turnovers, and simply could not slow down the Pirates. Coach Boeheim used all of his players in the blowout, but for a team that normally only plays three guards (Jardine, Triche, and Waiters) it's difficult to play a full court press and to try to come back from such a large deficit.

Jeremy Hazell nails a three pointer over Brandon Triche (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Individuals put up significant numbers; Rick Jackson had another double double, and Joseph, Jardine, and Triche all scored double digits. But as a team, they are not doing enough.

You have to be worried about where the Orange are mentally right now. As coach Boeheim said, "I think when you lose a couple games, you lose a little confidence."

On the other side, Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard cited confidence as a force behind his team's victory, stating of Jeremy Hazell, "He hit a couple of deep ones early and really loosened everything up. That was a big part of everyone else getting some confidence."

The Orange came out just three days after losing a tough game against Villanova. They were likely physically and emotionally spent.

Still, this is life in Division I college basketball, especially in the Big East. You can't just show up against a seemingly inferior opponent and expect to win, everyone knows that. If the Orange want to move forward, they need to put their losing streak behind them and focus on the next game. It's that simple.

They will have their next chance to do so Saturday at Marquette.

Syracuse Drops to 10th in Rankings

Many of the same teams from last week comprise the top of the college basketball rankings, but the order is very different.

Syracuse had a tough week, dropping from third to tenth after losing to Pittsburgh and Villanova. Three other Big East teams are now ranked ahead of the Orange. Pitt moved up to second and Connecticut improved to fifth, while Villanova stayed put at No. 7

Ohio State, still undefeated at 20-0, remained at the top. Texas came roaring back to hand Kansas its first loss, moving the Longhorns up to 8th and dropping the Jayhawks to 6th.

Duke, which was ranked first for most of the season, has won its last three games since suffering its first loss and is now ranked third.

Right behind them is 20-0 San Diego State. The fourth ranked Aztecs play against No. 9 BYU in Provo Wednesday night.

For the complete rankings, click here.

Second Largest Crowd On Hand for Orange's Second Loss

The crowd continued vacillating between raucous and depressed, but Syracuse was constantly behind in a game where they could never get anything going offensively. The crowd of 33,736, second only to last year's Villanova game, tried but couldn't will the Orange to a victory.

It didn't help that Villanova was hitting shot after shot over the 2-3 zone. The Wildcats started off on fire from three, making 62% of them in the first half. They finished shooting 46% from three and 50% from the field, as well as nailing 22 of 24 free throws.

Maalik Wayns led the way, going 6 for 11 and hitting all six free throws for 21 points. The two Corey's, Stokes and Fisher, had 16 points each.

Kris Joseph started to take over late in the second half, but it was too little too late. He played great in his first game back from injury, shooting 8 for 15, including four of seven from three for 23 points.

Joseph was not completely alone, though. Brandon Triche made four threes and finished with 14 points. Rick Jackson was a workhorse, sitting for barely a minute for the third straight game. Double Zero recorded yet another double double with 16 points and 15.

Things were looking good for Syracuse coming out of the gate, especially when Kris Joseph converted a four point play, but Villanova responded with great shooting of their own.

Syracuse made various runs throughout the game, but would get within four or five points only to dig themselves into another hole.

The key point of the game came with Syracuse making another comeback attempt late in the second half. After a made basket, the Orange put on their full court press and Kris Joseph came up with a steal and a fast break dunk on the other end, pulling Syracuse within four and igniting the crowd.

But the following inbounds became questionable when one ref signaled a five second violation on the inbound, only to later grant the Wildcats a timeout. Villanova made their free throws late, icing the game.

Individually, nearly every Orange played poorly. Dion Waiters and Scoop Jardine combined for three of 20 shooting. C.J. Fair and James Southerland, usually key contributors coming off the bench, combined for only four points. Baye Moussa-Keita showed promise at first, but finished with only five points.

The difference in the game came at the charity stripe, where Villanova shot 22 for 24 while Syracuse made only 8 of 12. Had the Orange played sound defense and not given so many open looks and sloppy fouls, it would have been a different game.

After starting out 18-0, Syracuse has shown that perhaps their preseason ranking of 13 may be closer to who they really are than their current ranking of 3. Coach Jim Boeheim stated "can we get better? I think we can. We still have a lot of work ahead of us to get better."

The loss drops Syracuse to 5-2 in the Big East, good enough for third place. They play Seton Hall at home on Tuesday.

Dome Update

I've lost track of time lately. Living in the Dome can do that to a person. So, here's some highlights and lowlights of everything that's happened since the first day we camped out:

• that night my friends and I ended up freezing our asses off. I continuously kept nodding off but I couldn't fall asleep because it was literally too cold. I never got an official reading, but I'd say it was very close to zero degrees out, if not colder. I eventually got some rest, but not until about 6 in the morning.
• Our dedication paid off though, we're ninth in a line that extends more than half way around the outside wall of the Dome.
• Thursday morning we all moved inside the Carrier Dome, which was a tremendous relief.
• That night my friends had the bright idea to bring their television and Xbox 360, which I thought was hilarious. I have to give them credit though, it's been a great time killer and we've gotten a lot of attention; a local cameraman recorded my friend and I playing NBA 2K11 for a news clip.
• My friend was nearly kicked off the list when he walked out one of the emergency exits. He later cleared it up with the security guard.
• We got to see the Dome transform from the turf field to the basketball court, which was pretty cool.
• Four groups were kicked out for not having any members here. The guy holding the list kept walking back and forth calling out the group names. Finally he said "if I put the list on the front table, they're gone." We waited anxiously as he walked up to the table at the front of the line, only for him to anticlimactically place it on the table (I don't know why I was expecting more). Still, it was interesting to watch unfold.
• The head group has been playing the guitar and singing since we got here. They're playing good songs; I just wish they had the voices to sing those songs.
• We got free pizza. It wasn't very good. But it was free.

Last year the team visited the night before the game, but it doesn't look like they're going to again this year. Hopefully I'll be proven wrong.

The schedule for tomorrow is pretty hectic. We have to get up early and bring all of our belongings back to our rooms. We have until 10 a.m. to get back in line. From there we'll finally get the seats that we've camped out for. Two hours later, this arena will finally fill up and become the Loud House, as Syracuse and Villanova will finally tip off.

Two hours after that, we'll be celebrating.

Kris Joseph Visits Camp

Things are going well outside Gate E of the Carrier Dome. We've eaten some pizza, added some layers of clothing, and even had a visiter.

Kris Joseph, the 6-7 forward and leading scorer for the Orange, came by earlier to say hello. He checked out our tents, took pictures, and talked for a while. Joseph assured us he will be ready to play for Saturday's game against Villanova.

He was sorely missed in the team's loss to Pittsburgh on Monday, their first of the season.

Going Camping

I've never been inside a tent before, let alone gone camping. Needless to say, my experience living outdoors is minimal. So I wasn't totally sure what I was getting into when I decided to camp out with my friends for the Villanova game.

Camping for the Syracuse-Villanova game has become a tradition. Students set up tents outside of the Carrier Dome to ensure they get good seats (a record crowd of 34,616 came for last year's game).

Today, I began my first camping adventure. After finishing school this afternoon, I hurried to my room and grabbed my supplies for the night: blankets, a pillow, Under Armour, my laptop, books (I am in college, after all), Pop-Tarts (I have a sweet tooth) and water.

The crowd at last year's game against Villanova (The Post-Standard/Lauren Long)

My friends and I have taken turns in the tent when we have class, because at least one person must be present at all times to hold a group's spot in line.

There has been constant chatter outside of our tent as the day has worn on. Students continue to come and set up tents, while reporters walk by and interview us brave souls.

I've been able to finish my homework and catch up on the latest episodes of Family Guy and How I Met Your Mother, so life is good. But the cold and my growling stomach remind me that I would much rather be indoors.

Actually, it's a little too cold to keep typing on this metal keyboard with my bare hands. I'll be back with an update after I warm up a bit...

Bracket Projections: Big East Dominates

ESPN analyst and "Bracketologist" Joe Lunardi has released his latest projection of the postseason tournament bracket, and one thing is clear: the Big East is the class of college basketball.

The conference already has the record for most teams in the tournament, eight (which it has done twice), but Lunardi, the biggest name in Bracketology, projects 11 Big East teams in the tournament.

It may only be January, but it just goes to show how deep the Big East really is. Four teams, Pitt, Syracuse, Villanova, and Connecticut, are all listed as a 3 seed or better. Four. In other words, four of the top 12 teams in the country are in the Big East. Even if you exclude those top four teams, the Big East would still have more bids than any other conference (The Big 12 and Big 10 are tied for second with 6 bids each).

But everyone knows about them. Where the Big East really flexes its muscles is deeper in the brackets. Cincinnati is very strong defensively as highlighted in their 15-0 start. Georgetown has struggled so far in-conference but won games earlier in the season against Memphis and Missouri, and can pose problems come tournament time. 

Notre Dame is another strong defensive team, and has already beaten Connecticut and Georgetown. Even St. John's has shown promise, currently holding a 4-2 record in Big East play.

And of the 11 Big East squads, all but Marquette are single digit seeds.

Syracuse has four other teams competing with them for a number one seed (five, if San Diego State can continue its run). But one of those other teams is another Big East school, Pittsburgh. So instead of trying to prove which is better on paper, the two teams will determine it on the court. 

Unfortunately, Pitt won their only regular season matchup. But if Syracuse finishes with a better conference record than Pitt, or goes deeper in the Big East Tournament, they may be able to pull out a number one seed.

Being the odd one out may actually be a blessing in disguise for the Orange. Should they finish 5th, as Joe Lunardi has them now, they would be the top 2 seed. This would place them in the Newark bracket, as opposed to the Anaheim bracket should they beat out Pitt. Playing in New Jersey would almost be a home game for Syracuse, especially when compared to playing in California.

Technically, the Orange could both play in Newark and be a one seed, but it is less likely due to the selection process the committee uses based on geography.

Regardless, the future looks bright for Syracuse and the rest of the Big East.

Recap: Pittsburgh 74, Syracuse 66

In a game of streaks, Syracuse was just one hot streak away from pulling out a victory in Pittsburgh. Instead, the Panthers handed the Orange their first loss of the season and gained sole possession of first place in the Big East.

Pittsburgh (18-1, 6-0) nearly delivered a knockout blow in the early going, starting the game on a 19-0 run. Syracuse (18-1, 5-1) started especially slowly tonight, even for them, taking over 8 minutes to score. Once they did, though, they caught fire, going on a 17-0 run to make it a two point game.

Pittsburgh went on another run midway through the second half, gaining a 55-47 lead with just under 9 minutes remaining. The Orange would not get within 5 for the rest of the game.

Pitt cut through Syracuse' 2-3 zone with superb passing time after time, totaling 18 assists. Nasir Robinson was the main beneficiary, exploding for a game high 21 points. The Panthers maintained balance offensively with four scorers in double digits.

They also dominated the Orange on the glass, grabbing 41 rebounds (9 offensive) to Syracuse' 25. The Orange did not help themselves at the free throw line, making only 8 of 15.

C.J. Fair shoots against Pitt's Brad Wanamaker (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

There were some bright spots in all of this, though. C.J. Fair led the way with 16 points and 9 rebounds, and fellow freshman Dion Waiters recorded 9 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Rick Jackson recorded his 12th double double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Nonetheless, Kris Joseph's absence was still felt. Without its leading scorer, Syracuse shot less than 40% from the field, and its half court offense looked stagnant at times.

Looking ahead, Syracuse will play Villanova on Saturday in the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse Moves Up to Third in Rankings

For the first time this season we have a change in the top spot of the rankings in college basketball. After losing to Florida State last week, Duke fell from first to fifth. As a result the other top teams slid up a spot, moving Ohio State to number one, Kansas to second, Syracuse to third, and Pittsburgh to fourth. Undefeated San Diego State stayed put in sixth. For the rest of the rankings click here.

I agree with the top three spots, as Ohio State, Kansas and Syracuse all have the records and talent to belong there. Pittsburgh and Duke are very close, but without Kyrie Irving the Blue Devils are not as well rounded as the Panthers.

Many claim San Diego State is not getting love from voters, but the Aztecs lack the number of quality wins of the teams placed ahead of them. However a win next week against #9 BYU could vault them into the top 5.

Syracuse has difficult week ahead of them, with tonight's game at #4 Pitt and Saturday's match up with #7 Villanova at home. If the Orange win both, it will give them two signature wins against their main competition in the Big East, and a strong argument to be the number one team in the country. By the end of this week, we will have a good idea of how talented this Syracuse team really is.

Joseph Officially Ruled Out of Game Monday Night

A report on ESPN has stated that starting forward and leading scorer Kris Joseph will not be in Pittsburgh for Syracuse's game with the Panthers on Monday night. He has been sidelined with an injury he suffered in Saturday's win against Cincinnati.

Joseph said he has been feeling better but he will not play due to recurring headaches.

This is obviously a huge blow for the Orange, especially because they are going up against a talented Panthers squad in Pittsburgh. Even with Joseph this game would not be easy for Syracuse. That being said,  this is a deep and talented team capable of overcoming injury, and would not shock anyone should they pull out a victory over Pitt.

Joseph will continue to be evaluated on a day to day basis. He will likely return for Saturday's game against Villanova.

Preview: Syracuse at Pittsburgh

Fourth ranked Syracuse heads to The Pete for a Big East match up with the fifth ranked Pitt Panthers on Monday night (7:30 pm EST, ESPN).

Significance: The two teams are both 5-0 in the Big East and tied atop the conference standings. A win for Syracuse would keep them undefeated and give them a quality road win, while a win for Pittsburgh would like vault them ahead of Syracuse in the rankings.

Three pointers:

1. Pitt's offense vs. Syracuse's defense: The Orange's vaunted 2-3 zone defense has been dominant as usual, allowing under 60 points per game this season. However they are going up against a balanced Panthers attack, which features 6 players scoring 7 or more points per game, led by pre-season All Big East selection Ashton Gibbs (16.3 PPG). Pitt also leads the nation in assists, averaging over 20 per game. If they are able to move the ball effectively as they have all season, it could pose a serious problem for the Orange.
2. Who wins the rebounding battle?: Syracuse averages more than 39 rebounds, but Pittsburgh is 2nd in the nation in rebounding, grabbing over 42 per game. Pitt could exploit the Orange on the offensive glass, where they average over 16 a game. It is usually easier to grab offensive boards against a zone than against man defense, but Syracuse's big men have done a good job so far in boxing out opponents on the glass. If they continue to do so, they will control the boards.
3. The loss of Kris Joseph: The Orange will likely have to play without their leading scorer, who was injured in Saturday's game against Cincinnati. James Southerland is the likely candidate to fill Joseph's shoes. Southerland, a 6'8" sophomore, has logged considerable minutes coming off the bench for the Orange and is 6th on the team in scoring. He is one of the team's better three point shooters, and he will have to hit some outside shots to keep Syracuse in the game.

And One: Pittsburgh has had Syracuse's number over the past few years, especially at home, where they haven't lost to the Orange since 2004.

Prediction: This game will test the maturity and depth of the Orange. It's a tough task to beat a team as balanced and experienced as Pitt in their home arena without your leader scorer. I'm not sure they can.

Pittsburgh 68, Syracuse 62 

Joseph Injured in Win over Cincinnati

The Syracuse Orange won on Saturday against Cincinnati but lost a key component when forward Kris Joseph (15.3 PPG) left the game due to injury. Late in the first half Joseph drove down the lane and crashed to the floor amongst a group of Cincinnati defenders, hitting his had badly on the hardwood.

Joseph's injury may not have greatly impacted this game, as the Orange (18-0, 5-0) won easily, 67-52. His absence will be felt, though, if he misses Monday's game in Pittsburgh, a battle for sole possession of first place in the Big East.

Kris Joseph is helped off the court after suffering a head injury (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Coach Jim Boeheim sounded uncertain, stating "We won't know anything for sure. Obviously, it would be unlikely that he would be able to turn around with a Monday game."

As of now, it appears that Syracuse will be without its leading scorer in arguably its biggest game of the season so far.

Recap: Syracuse 67, Cincinnati 52

Rick Jackson (15 points, 11 rebounds) recorded his 11th double-double of the season, leading the Orange to victory over Cincinnati today in the Carrier Dome.

After seeing its lead slip to four at halftime, Syracuse (18-0, 5-0) started the second half on a 16-0 run, keeping the Bearcats out of reach for the remainder of the game.

The Orange controlled the game inside, recording 10 blocks and out-rebounding Cincinnati (16-2, 3-2) 35-25.

Much-maligned freshman Fab Melo showed some promise today, with 6 points and 4 blocks. In one sequence, he blocked a shot on defense and sent the crowd into a frenzy with a thunderous dunk on the ensuing possession.

James Southerland provided a spark off the bench, making both of his threes and grabbing 8 rebounds.

Guards Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche both chipped in with 11 points.

Scoop Jardine defends Cincinnati's Dion Dixon (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Dion Dixon led the Bearcats with 18 points, all of them coming from 6 three pointers.

This win puts the Orange into a tie with Pittsburgh atop the Big East standings. The two teams will meet Monday in Pittsburgh.

Welcome!

Hello everyone! Welcome to SU Hoops, the blog for the Syracuse University men's basketball team. Here you can read and discuss anything Orange-related in the college basketball world. Feel free to comment on any posts, follow me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/SU-Hoops/157804850936105), Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/SU_Hoops), or to email me at digz2010@gmail.com if you have any suggestions.

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