Monday's College Basketball's Top Performers

Each day at CollegeBasketballNews.com, we will be looking at the top performers of the day. Three Top 25 teams played Monday night during this early season play as the Big Ten/ACC Challenge started up.   Full Story

Each day at CollegeBasketballNews.com, we will be looking at the top performers of the day. Three Top 25 teams played Wednesday night during this early season play.   Full Story

Fullerton CA -- Sean Williams, a 6-11 center from Syracuse, has chosen to attend Cal State Fullerton this coming school year. Williams will have to redshirt this season but will have two years of eligibility for the Titans, beginning in the 2010-11 season.   Full Story

Johnny Flynn of Syracuse showed off a 40-inch vertical during the physical testing in the recent Chicago pre-draft combine. Rodrigue Beaubois was second with a 39-inch vertical. Demar Derozan of USC and Chase Budinger from Arizona were tied with a 41-inch vertical. Maryland's Greivis Vasquez and Austin Daye of Gonzaga finished last with a 28-inch vertical.   Full Story

Next up for NBA hopefuls is the 2009 NBA Draft Combine that will be held in Chicago at the end of this month. Here is the current list of invitees.   Full Story

For months we’ve been hearing and telling you folks the Gator basketball team would be playing Connecticut next season. Well, it turns out we lied. The matchups for the event will instead have Kentucky facing the Huskies in Madison Square Garden on December 9. The other game in New York will have Georgia taking on St. Johns.   Full Story

Last time these two schools met, SU prevailed 63-47 in the regional finals of the 2003 NCAA tournament, which SU would go on to win. The Orange’s 2-3 zone stymied the Sooners that day in Albany, giving SU its second of four wins over Big Twelve teams en route to the championship trophy. While many things have changed since SU and OU met in Albany, one thing remains constant: Jim Boeheim.   Full Story

On Friday, the Orange did something it hadn’t done in five years. It won an NCAA Tournament game, beating Stephen F. Austin in a sloppy 59-44 affair. On Sunday, SU accomplished another goal, making the Sweet 16 for the first time in, well, five years after a 78-67 defeat of the Sun Devils.    Full Story

The ‘Cuse tangles with Arizona St. in what should be one of the more intriguing second-round matchups. Both teams will use unique defensive schemes with the Orange using its signature 2-3 zone for most of the game and Arizona State using its confounding matchup zone. Whichever team can solve the other’s defense first and dictate the tempo of the game will be playing in Memphis next Friday.   Full Story

Selection Sunday ended the three-year tourney drought as the ‘Cuse grabbed a three seed after an incredible run in the Big East Tournament. On Friday, the Orange ended another drought by overpowering their diminutive opponent.   Full Story

Forward Rick Jackson and center Arinze Onuaku combined for 24 points and 17 rebounds as No. 3 seed Syracuse easily dispatched No. 14 seed and NCAA Tournament newcomer Stephen F. Austin 59-44 in opening round South Regional play.   Full Story

The last time SU made a deep run in the Big East tournament, it won four games in four days at Madison Square Garden in 2006. The exhausted ‘Cuse were then ousted by Texas A&M in the first round of the Big Dance. Just a year before, T.J. Sorrentine’s Vermont Catamounts stunned Syracuse in the first round of the tourney after the Orange won the Big East tournament.   Full Story

After playing 155 minutes of basketball over the past three days, fatigue finally began to set in for the Syracuse Orange. When exactly it came, nobody knows. It could’ve been when Andy Rautins short-armed a couple of open looks from three. It might have been the lazy passes (a rarity in itself) by Johnny Flynn that led to easy transition baskets for Louisville.   Full Story

Both teams had tough paths to the title game, but you can’t deny the Orange had to work much harder (and longer) to dispose of its opponents. While SU and Louisville met once this year in the Carrier Dome and played a very close game, the two team’s styles tonight won’t be close at all. Expect a stark contrast tonight as Rick Pitino tries to run the Orange back to upstate New York.   Full Story

After last night’s epic six overtime thriller against Connecticut, people wondered if the Orange would have any juice left to play another game. SU proved they had plenty more, enough to go an extra five minutes against the Mountaineers.   Full Story

Both the Moutaineers and the Orange pulled off thrilling upsets over longtime rivals last night in the Big East quarterfinals. Now, the two teams (who were thought to be ‘on the bubble’ possibly, as recently as two weeks ago) are playing solely for a better seed in the Big Dance.   Full Story

Broadway had nothing on the drama provided by the six overtime thriller in Madison Square Garden. With 1.1 seconds on the clock and the score tied at 71 apiece, Paul Harris inbounded the ball and threw a full court pass. Guard Eric Devendorf grabbed the deflection, double clutching as he released a three-pointer from the wing. Swish. The Orange bench erupted as Devo had just won the game…    Full Story

SU dropped its lone meeting with UConn this year by a 63-49 score. Coach Jim Boeheim’s squad entered that game having lost five of its last seven games and was held to a season-low 31.7% field goal shooting percentage. Huskies center Hasheem Thabeet, co-Big East Player of the Year, dominated the first meeting, tallying sixteen boards and seven swats against the hapless ‘Cuse.   Full Story

The first meeting between these two teams on December 30, 2008 saw guard Andy Rautins go 7-of-10 from beyond the arc as SU hit the century mark in a 100-76 victory. But this encounter would be a bit more physical.   Full Story

The Orange will look to solidify its seeding in the NCAA tournament tonight, as the sixth-seeded Orange clash with the eleventh-seeded Pirates. Jim Boeheim’s squad has a couple of potential revenge games looming against Connecticut and Pittsburgh (likely) if it can keep winning. The ‘Cuse ride a four-game win streak into this contest against the Hall, but can’t be caught looking ahead.   Full Story

The Orange has had a roller coaster Big East season. From convincingly handling Notre Dame in the Dome (back when they were a top 20 team) to giving up triple digits in losses to Villanova and Providence, the Orange has seen its share of good and bad times. However, one thing is still missing. A good effort on the road against one of the Big East’s upper-echelon teams that gives SU a victory.   Full Story

Syracuse has had some memorable moments recently, no matter their apparent lack of success in the past two seasons. They’re one of only a few teams that boast a national title this decade. And the memories don’t stop their with Jim Boeheim’s recent squads. One of the more memorable games in ‘Cuse history occurred when SU hosted Villanova in Gerry McNamara’s final home game.   Full Story

Following the Orange’s 29-point win over St. John’s on Tuesday, head coach Jim Boeheim said there wouldn’t be many easy nights like that in the rough and tough Big East conference. Well, the ‘Cuse deviated from the trend again as it cruised past the Bearcats.    Full Story

After Villanova completed a season sweep of the ‘Cuse this past Sunday, Syracuse needed to bounce back against an opponent it clearly should beat, in St. John’s. The Orange did just that, leading for almost the entire contest.   Full Story

The good news: SU survived the ten-game gauntlet we spent much of early January analyzing endlessly. The bad news: by ‘surviving’, I mean posting a 3-7 record in that stretch, however. The team is intact physically, yet mentally it could be a different story. How much has the players’ pride and egos suffered during the last month-plus. We’ll find out starting tonight.   Full Story