Image courtesy of the Syracuse Post Standard:
One of the biggest reasons I started this blog was the complete and total lack of sophisticated reporting on the Syracuse University basketball team, especially from the local newspaper. The beat writers for the Syracuse Post Standard have no passion for basketball and appear to have a bona-fide lack of knowledge to accompany it. I have never read an article from them that contained more insight than “Syracuse won,” or “Syracuse lost.” The lackluster journalism has continued this season, as the staff remains obsessed with the graduation of the juggernaut threesome Demetris Nichols (Cavs), Darryl Watkins (Kings) and Terrence Roberts. Those are the same three guys who never won an NCAA tournament contest for the school and at best will never be anything but scrubs in the CBA or NBA.
Check out this sentence from the esteemed Syracuse writers in today’s article about their 109-59 defeat of LeMoyne: “Under ordinary circumstances, Watkins’ departure would’ve left a big hole, but with Onuaku sitting out the entire year and Brennan-McBride redshirting with a hurt shoulder after playing sparingly in six early season games, Syracuse has almost no experience in the middle entering this season.” Huh? They continue: “Even against LeMoyne’s outsized frontcourt, the play of the young centers assuaged some of those concerns – at least temporarily.” What? We are now through the first page of the article and there has yet to be an intelligent sentence.
This blog will focus on reality, that the complete and total bust recruiting class of 2003 has been replaced with the class of 2007. That 2003 class had zero McDonald’s All-American’s and undeveloped offensive talent at best. This current crop of PG Johnny Flynn, SG Scoop Jardine, PF Donte Green, PF Kristof Ongenaet (JUCO transfer), C Rick Jackson and C Sean Williams features two McDonald’s All-American’s and an offensive arsenal that is light-years ahead of most Syracuse classes. Syracuse has a reputation the past fifteen years of recruiting athletes and diamonds-in-the-rough. Sean Williams is certainly one of those guys, as he is a project with a 7′9″ wingspan (amazing) and raw skills, but the other four players are ready to contribute immediately. In addition to a good group of returning players such as McDonald’s AAs Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris, Syracuse has a great group of experienced walk-ons that should be bolstered by the addition of WR Mike Williams from the Orange football team, once their disastrous season mercifully ends.
The facts are simple. The youthful Syracuse struggled in their first exhibition against Saint Rose and then thumped LeMoyne by the score of 109-59. Ordinarily that would not mean much, but at a time when powerhouse programs such as Kentucky, Michigan State and Ohio State are falling to the likes of Gardner-Webb, Grand Valley State and Findlay, those two wins are very encouraging for a Syracuse team that only features one scholarship senior who has been hurt and has not played yet. You also like to see a team show the ability to score 100-plus, display a killer instinct and put teams away like Syracuse did against LeMoyne. I do not care who you play, that is always a great sign for your time.
Syracuse opens their season on Monday, November 12 against Siena in the first round of the Preseason NIT. The starting lineup will be PG Johnny Flynn, SG Eric Devendorf, SF Paul Harris, PF Donte Green and C Arinze Onuaku. The four primary players off the bench will be PG Josh Wright, SG Scoop Jardine, PF Kristof Ongenaet and C Rick Jackson. That’s a top nine of four freshmen, two sophomores, two juniors and one senior. Syracuse is loaded for years to come.
The Syracuse Post Standard, however, is dripping with fear after an astonishing 109-59 victory, stating: “Syracuse, a young team with five freshmen and just one scholarship senior, is running out of time. The Orange opens the season on Monday at home against Siena in the first round of the Preseason NIT.” Brilliant!
Check out our 2007-2008 Syracuse Basketball preview!
If you are an ESPN Insider, check out the Blue Ribbon Syracuse Preview and then see how well they projected this year’s version of the Syracuse Football team!
Finally, check out the Syracuse player cheat sheet courtesy of the Sub-Standard, as well as their 2007-2008 Preview edition! I have to give them a link; at least they try 
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