January 17, 2014

IN THE PAINT

syracuse vs pittsburgh

j a n u a r y 1 7 - 1 8 , 2 0 1 4 | d a i ly o r a n g e . c o m

still together

A rivalry that started almost exactly 100 years ago gears up for its first ACC matchup. page 3

first-year players

Syacuse and Pitt have taken the ACC by storm, but the rest of the conference is floundering. page 4

playing with purpose

Panthers senior forward Talib Zanna continues to chase his dreams on the hardcourt for his deceased father. page 5

posterized

Orange forward Jerami Grant kicks off The Daily Orange poster series with a big dunk against Miami. page 8-9

2 january 17-18, 2014

the daily orange in the paint

t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r o f s y r a c u s e , n e w yo r k

i nsi de Checking in The Daily Orange interviews Panthers beat writer Ryan Bertonaschi in anticipation of SU-Pitt. Page 11 Psychics Beat writers David Wilson, Stephen Bailey and Trevor Hass predict Syracuse’s matchup against Pittsburgh. Page 16

on l i n e Pitted against each other again Check dailyorange.com and follow @DOSports on Twitter for full coverage of Syracuse’s game against Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Front page photo illustration by Chase Gaewski

Casey Fabris

Chase Gaewski

editor in chief

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rivalry continued the daily orange in the paint

By David Wilson staff writer

W

hen Syracuse announced its move from the Big East to the Atlantic Coast Conference two years ago, fans first complained about the death of the Villanova and Georgetown rivalries. Then they realized Duke and North Carolina would make trips to Syracuse, and relief set in.

Lost somewhere in the series of reactions, though, was excitement for the renewal of the Orange’s rivalry with Pitt. SU has more history with Pittsburgh than the Hoyas and the Wildcats. The Carrier Dome has packed 30,000-plus seven times for the Panthers.

“We know their style in and out, and they know us,” said SU forward C.J. Fair.

Which is why the tilt against an old Big East rival on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Dome is the No. 2 Orange’s most anticipated ACC game yet.

Syracuse (17-0, 4-0 ACC) holds a 63-39 edge in the all-time series, which dates back to the Orange’s undefeated 1913-14 season, but the No. 22 Panthers (16-1, 4-0) have dominated since Jamie Dixon took the helm in 2003. The head coach is 10-4 in his career against SU. With ACC supremacy on the line in a season in which the league feels a lot more like the Big East — five of the top 10 scoring defenses in the country reside in the ACC — Saturday will likely feel like any Pitt game of old, down to the potential 30,000-person crowd.

“It’s going to be a tough battle,” Fair said, “and it’ll come down to whoever wants it more.”

In recent years, only Louisville has had more consistent success against Syracuse than Pitt, but the meetings are always close. The Orange needed every one of James Southerland’s 3-pointers to avoid an upset against Pittsburgh in the Big East tournament last year. The Panthers pulled off the upset in a raucous Petersen Events Center against SU earlier that season.

None of the past five meetings between the two has been decided by more than 10 points.

Every game has been a battle.

“They’re a physical team,” said Fair, who has split four games against Pittsburgh in his career. “They pound on the backboards and they don’t give you nothing easy. You’ve got to look for everything.”

Until 2012, Syracuse had trouble cracking Dixon. The coach won eight of his first 10

january 17-18, 2014 3

Former Big East rivals No. 2 Syracuse, No. 22 Pittsburgh prepare to square off for 1st time as Atlantic Coast Conference members

C.j. fair eyes defender Talib Zanna during the Big East tournament in March 2013. Since then, Syracuse and Pitt have both left the Big East for the ACC. They play each other for the first time in their new conference on Saturday at 4 p.m. chase gaewski managing editor

see pittsburgh page 6

looking back Syracuse has played Pittsburgh 102 times, more than Villanova, Connecticut and archnemesis Georgetown. The Orange is 63-39 alltime against the Panthers. Here’s a roundup of some of the series highlights:

Jan. 29, 1914: Drew Castle scor es 20 points as Syracuse beats Pittsburgh 36-29 (OT) in the teams’ first-ever matchup. Pitt led by one with 16 seconds to play, but SU came back.

Jan. 8, 1917: Wilbur Crisp leads the Orangemen to a 22-17 victory, nearly matching the Panthers with 14 points on his own. SU had a player named Billy Rafter – no, not Bill Raftery.

Dec. 27, 1930: The Panthers edge the Orangemen 31-28 despite eight points from Milt Katz and Lou “Tuppy” Hayman, who averaged 11 points per game that season.

Jan. 9, 1952: Feb. 17, 1966: After a 14-year Dave Bing logs 31 points and 12 rebounds for hiatus in the rivalry, the Orangemen, who extend their winning Pitt stomps thenstreak to seven games. Bing averaged 28.4 No. 14 Syracuse points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists that 72-49. Two games season for SU, which ended up advancing to later, the Orangethe Elite Eight. Jim Boeheim averaged 14.6 men played their points as a senior. first-ever game at the new Archbold Gymnasium. daily orange file photo see looking back page 6

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Syracuse, Pittsburgh carry faltering ACC early in conference play

J

chase gaewski managing editor

im Boeheim, Jamie Dixon and Mike Brey shared an exchange while traveling together this summer.

The three Big East coaches who would lead their respective programs into the highly touted Atlantic Coast Conference — the same one Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said could be the best of all time — planned to send a message in their first season.

They were going to be competitive and consistent.

“There’s probably a little bit of pride getting in the league and kind of establishing yourself right away,” Brey said during the ACC coaches’ teleconference on Monday. “I know for us personally, that’s something we talked about all summer.”

So far, No. 2 Syracuse (17-0, 4-0 ACC) and No. 22 Pittsburgh (16-1, 4-0) have lived up to that pact, while Brey’s Notre Dame has been crippled by the loss of leading scorer Jerian Grant due to an academic issue. On Saturday at 4 p.m., the Orange will host the Panthers in a matchup of the ACC’s only two teams still unbeaten in conference play.

They’ve throttled their competition early, as the traditional ACC powers — No. 23 Duke and North Carolina — have fallen 10 times, including seven to unranked opponents. The Orange and Panthers have barely had any close calls, with none of their wins coming by fewer than five-point margins. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels have combined for just one doubledigit win in conference play.

“When the ACC went out to add teams, I think their mission was to get the best basketball teams they could,” Dixon said during the teleconference. “And Syracuse and us, I think we were one in the last 10 years by a pretty

stephen bailey

in the middle anyway

good margin and they were, too.”

Only two weeks into the ACC season, the two Big East transplants are doing all they can to save the group from being atrociously bad. Still, it’s just the fifth-best conference in the nation by Ratings Percentage Index, and is 11-21 against the Associated Press Top 25 teams this season.

If the Blue Devils weren’t the Blue Devils, they wouldn’t even be ranked. And a onedimensional North Carolina team that came into the Carrier Dome last weekend will have trouble going anywhere shooting 30.6 percent from the 3.

“Over time, Duke and North Carolina have been pretty doggone good and have stood the test of time,” said UNC head coach Roy Williams during the teleconference. “Whether this is a bad year or a bad month or a bad week or two bad games, who knows?”

Syracuse has relied on a balanced offense and an increasingly stingy 2-3 zone. The strong backcourt play from Tyler Ennis and Trevor Cooney has exceeded expectations, and C.J. Fair has been as reliable as any player in the country in crunch time.

From Baylor to St. John’s to Miami to Boston College, every time an opponent has challenged the Orange, it’s protected the target on its back.

Even when it doesn’t come easily, Fair said, SU has found a way — like against the Eagles.

see bailey page 6

sam maller photo editor

january 17-18, 2014 5

the daily orange in the paint

HIM IN MIND Zanna uses father’s death as motivation in basketball journey half a world from home

By Sam Blum asst. copy editor

T

alib Zanna broke down in tears. His sister, who was on the other line of the phone call in Nigeria, was also crying.

Just seven hours earlier, Zanna was on the phone with his father, Zanna Awami, half a planet away. The conversation was a somber one, as Zanna likely knew it’d be the last time he’d ever get a chance to speak to the man who raised him.

Even though he had a chance to say goodbye, it didn’t ease the pain of knowing his father was gone.

“He gave me a couple words. He said, ‘Just be focused in whatever you do. Make the wise

“

It was a transition their father had no qualms with. He wanted his sons to pursue their dreams, whatever they were.

“He really supported us playing sports,” Zanna said, “because he kind of figured out that this is what we love doing.”

And the support paid off. Zanna was invited to a Basketball Without Borders NBA camp in South Africa. There, he met Bishop McNamera head coach Marty Keithline, who offered him a scholarship to play basketball in the states.

The choice was a no-brainer for Zanna. In Nigeria, where many people don’t go to school, playing professional sports is the ultimate dream, and sometimes the only means of making money.

I think the saddest thing about it was that I talked to him that night before he passed away. He gave me a couple words, ‘Just be focused in whatever you do. Make the wise choice.’”

Talib Zanna

PITTSBURGH FORWARD

choice,’” Zanna said. “It was really tough when he passed away. It was a struggle for me. Things happen in life, and we just have to let it go and move on.”

Five years later, Zanna has developed into one of the best players for Pittsburgh (16-1, 4-0 Atlantic Coast), averaging a career-high 13 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. In Pitt’s last outing, Zanna logged 22 points and nine rebounds in a win at Georgia Tech.

Zanna was only a senior at Bishop McNamera (Md.) High School when his father passed. He had just committed to the Panthers, and the dream that led him to travel alone to the United States as a 16-year-old had come to fruition.

Even though his father isn’t around to see his success, his passing bred a new sense of motivation in Zanna.

He plays every game for him now.

“Just having someone by our side that always looked out for us,” he said. “He helped us grow out of it and be a man.”

His father was a huge sports fan and wanted his kids to play soccer because that was his favorite sport. But when Zanna and his younger brother Nura both hit massive growth spurts, their older brother suggested they focus solely on basketball.

He had to go, even though it meant leaving home.

“The hardest part was just not seeing my family,” Zanna said. “It was tough for me. I struggled with it. I just had to let it go to pursue my dream.“ Zanna came to the United States speaking little English. He had a strong, but wiry frame.

ZANNA-MATIC Talib Zanna has scored 20-plus points five times in his Pittsburgh career. Here are his best scoring performances of all time as a Panther: DATE

OPPONENT

Jan. 14, 2014

Georgia Tech

Nov. 9. 2012

Mount St. Mary’s

20

Nov. 13, 2012

Lehigh

20

Dec. 19, 2012

Delaware State

20

POINTS

22

He had built himself into shape from running in the many hills and mountains that clutter the Nigerian landscape. But he didn’t have the bulk.

“When he was a sophomore, he was long and gangly,” Keithline said. “He could run, jump and had great timing. He went from maybe 180-some pounds when he was here to about

TALIB ZANNA, one of the conference’s emerging big men, draws inspiration from the death of his father to continually push himself further. photo courtesy of pitt media relations

220 when he left.”

Zanna left as one of the most highly touted recruits in school history. His picture was in the papers back home. He was a celebrity in Nigeria before anyone knew his name in the United States.

But after his father passed, Zanna adopted a new outlook on his career. He said everything he was doing would be for his father, who he knew was looking down on him.

Just days after his passing, Zanna called Nura, who was still home pursuing the same dream.

“I was about to call him and talk to him, but

he called me,” Nura Zanna said. “He was telling me how we need to get past that now and work on our future and help our families. “(Talib) kind of motivates me. I want to follow his footsteps.”

Now they’re both playing for their family in the states, Zanna for the Panthers and Nura a freshman center at Long Island UniversityBrooklyn.

Nura has yet to go back to Nigeria, while Zanna has just once. Still, their family remains as close as ever.

“My brothers and my sisters, they really see zanna page 15

6 january 17-18, 2014

from page 3

pittsburgh games against the Orange and five in a row from 2007-2011.

Last season, Pitt handed SU its second loss in what would be a stretch of seven losses in its last 12 games to end the regular season.

“We got beat up really as badly as we’ve ever gotten beaten up,” said Syracuse head

“

Dixon just once at Peterson Events Center, on Feb. 29, 2004 — grabbing a win Saturday is crucial to establish which former Big East team is the power in the ACC. “Pitt’s a tough on-the-road game,” said SU forward Jerami Grant after Syracuse’s 69-59 win against Boston College on Monday. “This is definitely helping us going forward.”

Syracuse has won by fewer than 10 just once since Dec. 15, but with the Panthers, the schedule takes a turn. Games against

It’s going to be a tough battle and it’ll come down to whoever wants it more.”

the daily orange in the paint

from page 3

looking back Feb. 19, 1970: Pittsburgh drops 127 points on Syracuse, which mustered only 108. Bill Smith averaged 20.2 points per game on the season, but his 23 weren’t enough against the Panthers.

March 6, 1988: Syracuse loses the Big East regular-season title by one in front of 32,492. Rony Seikaly scored 20 and snagged 14 boards as No. 7 Pittsburgh snuck by No. 12 Syracuse.

on’s first game against the Orange.

Feb. 29, 2004: Syracuse ends Pittsburgh’s 40-game home winning streak. Gerry McNamara was held scoreless for more than 41 minutes, but he hit a go-ahead 3-pointer and two free throws in overtime to carry SU to a win.

March 11, 2006:

Jan. 14, 1995: Syracuse rallies to beat Pittsburgh, 65-63.

John Wallace scored 20 points, but No. 8 SU couldn’t avoid the upset.

CJ Fair

SU FORWARD

coach Jim Boeheim. “Those things are going to happen.”

On Saturday, Pittsburgh could provide the Orange’s toughest home test once again.

Villanova was ranked higher (No. 8), but SU cruised to victory after a slow start. That doesn’t usually happen for Pittsburgh. Since Dixon took over, only three of the 14 games against SU have been decided by more than 10 points.

Considering Syracuse’s struggles to split with the Panthers — the Orange has beaten

struggling North Carolina and Virginia Tech teams are behind the Orange.

In a new, rugged ACC, a meeting between two former Big East teams sets the tone for the league heading into the heart of conference play.

“There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs in everybody’s season,” Boeheim said after SU’s win against the Tar Heels on Saturday.

“We’ve got brutally tough games coming up as we go forward.” dbwilson@syr.edu| @DBWilson2

attracting crowds Syracuse has drawn at least 30,000 fans into the Carrier Dome 74 times for basketball games. Here’s a breakdown of which teams have packed the Loud House the most. opponent

games

opponent

games

Georgetown 17

Seton Hall

St. John’s

7

Providence 3

Pittsburgh 7

Kentucky 2

Villanova 7

North Carolina

Connecticut 7

Rutgers 1

Notre Dame

6

Michigan 1

Louisville 5

Temple 1

Boston College 4

OVERALL 74

from page 4

bailey “You don’t want to force anything because your back’s against the wall, but you don’t want to play desperate,” Fair said after Monday’s game. “We found a way and we got stops when we needed it.”

Pittsburgh hasn’t dealt with quite as many nail-biters. The Panthers have not faced a ranked team, and their closest margin of victory came in their 81-74 win over Georgia Tech on Tuesday.

Still, despite a strong schedule outside the top 100, Pitt has leaned on uber-efficient forward Lamar Patterson. The senior has the highest raw offensive efficiency among players who are used in at least 24 percent of possessions, according to KenPom.com.

The senior has slimmed down and padded his patience, and is a large reason why Pitt leads the ACC with 48.8-percent shooting as a team.

“You wish you could do it overnight and have

4

2

a chance his freshman year,” Dixon said, “but he’s seeing the results, we’re seeing the results and he’s a good example for younger players.”

Together, the Orange and the Panthers are keeping the ACC afloat in a deep national landscape.

The start of the ACC schedule is comparable to Jim Halpert’s start in Stamford, Conn., on “The Office.”

After a heartbreaking departure from a long and valued relationship, Jim moves in to the new office, quickly gets the best looking girl there and casually becomes the boss’ favorite employee. Fellow salesman Andy Bernard watches as the new guy in town takes his nonsqueaking chair. His rage gradually builds up to the point of unleashing an angry tantrum and punching a hole through a wall.

Syracuse and Pitt are Halpert. The rest of the ACC is Andy Bernard.

Stephen Bailey is the sports editor at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at sebail01@syr. edu or on Twitter at @Stephen_Bailey1.

daily orange file photo

daily orange file photo Feb. 27, 2001: Allen Griffin logs the ninth triple-double in SU history with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists as the Orangemen win their 17th of 18 games in the series.

March 9, 2001: Pittsburgh stuns Syracuse to reach the Big East championship game with a losing record.

SU went on to lose in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, falling 58-57 to Kansas.

Syracuse claimed the Big East title as runaway Most Valuable Player McNamara finished with 14 points and six assists. He made a then-tournament record 16 3s. “Gerry had as good a four games here as anybody I’ve ever seen,” said SU head coach Jim Boeheim.

Jan. 16, 2012: Syracuse snaps Pittsburgh’s five-game winning streak against the Orange as Boeheim ties Adolph Rupp on the all-time wins list.

Scoop Jardine recorded a double-double as the Orange boosted its overall record to 20-0. daily orange file

Feb. 1, 2003: Jeremy McNeil hits a game-winner with three seconds left. SU head coach Jim Boeheim said the crowd won it as Syracuse captured its 14thstraight victory at home. McNeil, who was a 28.6-percent free-throw shooter, tied the game with two at the line before his only field-goal attempt of the game sealed the deal.

Jan. 24, 2004: Pittsburgh holds Syracuse to 45 points — its lowest point total in 36 years — in Jamie Dix-

jerami grant goes up for a layup over the outstretched hand of a North Carolina defender. On Saturday, Syracuse plays Pittsburgh for the first time as ACC opponents when the Panthers visit the Carrier Dome. ryan maccammon staff photographer

january 17-18, 2014 7

the daily orange in the paint

Panthers move on without injured reserve Johnson

By Trevor Hass asst. sports editor

When Pittsburgh takes on Syracuse in the Carrier Dome on Saturday, it will do so without one of its best shooters.

Redshirt sophomore forward Durand Johnson is out for the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL. The No. 22 Panthers (16-1, 4-0 Atlantic Coast) will have a chance to knock off No. 2 Syracuse (17-0, 4-0) on Saturday, but will have to do so without Johnson’s long-range shot.

“He’ll be out for the year,” said Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon during the ACC coaches’ teleconference on Monday, “but I expect him to be back here down the road next year, working hard as always and getting better, like he did this year and throughout his career.”

Before his injury, Johnson was averaging 8.8 points and three rebounds off the bench this season. Pitt will need increased contributions from its four freshmen — Jamel Artis, Chris Jones, Josh Newkirk and Michael Young — who are averaging a combined 16.8 points per game.

In Johnson’s two games before the injury, he scored 17 and 11 points on 7-of-11 combined shooting. Against Maryland on Jan. 6, he hit 3-of-4 3-pointers and shot 6-of-8 overall.

DURAND JOHNSON has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, leaving Pitt’s freshmen to step into his role. photo courtesy of pitt athletic media relations

STEPPING UP With Durand Johnson out for the season with an injury, Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon will look to a group of freshmen to fill the void left by the team’s fourth-leading scorer off the bench. The four have limited in-game experience but Dixon is confident that they can step up and be serviceable stopgaps with Johnson on the shelf.

JOSH NEWKIRK – 17 GAMES PLAYED, 14.8 MPG, 3.7 PPG JAMEL ARTIS – 17 GAMES PLAYED, 14.8 MPG, 4.6 PPG CHRIS JONES – 15 GAMES PLAYED, 5.7 MPG, 2.4 PPG MICHAEL YOUNG – 17 GAMES PLAYED, 20.7 MPG, 6.1 PPG

Despite the significant loss and the inexperience of those filling Johnson’s place, Dixon said his freshmen don’t need to change what they’re doing or try to do too much. He added that the only thing they need to do differently is play with more passion.

“No one’s going to reinvent themselves at this point,” Dixon said.

Along with his 3-point shooting, Johnson’s vocal leadership will be missed, Dixon said.

He’s a positive talker on the bench, and Dixon said his teammates feed off that energy.

While Johnson’s on the bench, though, Dixon expects more of the same. Even though he won’t be playing or practicing, he’ll still contribute off the court.

“I think Durand and his personality are a big part of our team,” Dixon said, “as well as his basketball attributes.”

As Boston College proved on Monday, one of the most lethal ways to contend with Syracuse is via the 3-point shot. The Eagles hit 9-of-21 3s, including six from Lonnie Jackson, and nearly staged the upset.

Pitt will try to complete the task without one of its outside weapons.

“It’s tough,” Dixon said. tbhass@syr.edu | @TrevorHass

sterling boin staff photographer

PART 1 OF 5

SERIES

POSTER

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62, Pittsburgh 59 last time they played | Syracuse Thursday, March 14, 2013

Southerland leads SU past Panthers with 3-point stroke If Syracuse’s run to the championship game of the 2013 Big East tournament was the “James Southerland Show,” its quarterfinal matchup with Pittsburgh was the second act.

On college basketball’s biggest stage, the Syracuse sharpshooter carried his long-range stroke from the previous afternoon. He connected on all six of his 3-point attempts to lead the No. 19 Orange to a 62-59 triumph over No. 17 Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, March 14, 2013.

Southerland set the Big East tournament record for made 3s without a miss as he dropped 20 points on the Panthers, and would eventually break the record for most 3s in tournament history.

“When I’m shooting the ball, it’s just making sure every shot goes in and I’m really focused, making sure I help my team out as much as possible,” Southerland said after the game.

In the Orange’s first game of the conference tournament, Southerland drilled 6-of-9 from 3-point territory to spearhead SU’s 12-point victory over Seton Hall.

And a day later, it was more of the same.

The Orange built a 25-15 lead by the 5:31 mark of the first half behind a trio of 3s from the senior forward — including two in a span of two minutes, sparking a quick 10-0 SU run.

When the Panthers bit back with a 12-5

spurt, Southerland countered with his fourth and fifth triples of the game and Syracuse took a 13-point edge into the locker room.

In the second half, however, Pittsburgh whittled away enough to draw within five points with six minutes left on the clock. But on SU’s next possession, Southerland cut to the right wing and knocked down a catchand-shoot 3 off a pass from Michael CarterWilliams to push SU’s lead to eight.

“It’s a great feeling,” Southerland said. “I didn’t realize I was 6-for-6 until I looked down at the paper now. I don’t think about it. I just go out and play and make sure I make every shot.”

Pittsburgh still managed to climb back.

Talib Zanna’s layup with 31 seconds left cut the deficit to one point, but Carter-Williams drained four foul shots in the final 27 seconds to clinch the win.

Southerland’s first-half damage proved to be too much for the Panthers to overcome, and the Orange was able to close out the Big East chapter of the Syracuse-Pittsburgh rivalry with a Big East tournament victory.

“We just had great ball movement,” head coach Jim Boeheim said after the game. “Got the open guys, and James just got good looks and he made them.”

— Compiled by Phil D’Abbraccio, asst. copy editor, pmdabbra@syr.edu

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james southerland hit all six of his 3-pointers in a 62-59 win over Pittsburgh in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament last March. chase gaewski managing editor

january 17-18, 2014 11

the daily orange in the paint

Q&A with Pitt News basketball beat writer Ryan Bertonaschi

By Trevor Hass asst. sports editor

No. 2 Syracuse (17-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast) faces No. 22 Pittsburgh (16-1 4-0) on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. The Daily Orange spoke with Ryan Bertonaschi, a Pittsburgh basketball beat writer for The Pitt News, about the game.

The Daily Orange: Why do you think people didn’t expect Pitt to play as well as it has so far?

Ryan Bertonaschi: The main reason is because of the amount of transfers that they’ve had leave the program within the last 15, 16 months or so. Jamie Dixon came under fire for bringing in a lot of guys that weren’t “Pitt-esque.” They weren’t the typical big, physical, dive-on-the-floor, rebound-the-ball type of guys. They were kind of more finesse players and they left the program. Now he’s starting to rebuild, and he got a couple Pitttype players in the offseason and that’s really helped so far.

The D.O.: Building off of that, how do you think the Panthers have been able to rise to No. 22 in the country and play so well this season?

R.B.: As cliché as it might sound, they are winning games because they’re diving on the floor and getting loose balls, because of their offensive rebound margin. Dixon is big on indepth stats. He really stresses to win the battled possessions in games. Because they’re coming up with so many loose balls, because they’re producing so many offensive rebounds, they’re just dominating in terms of possessions.

The D.O.: How does the loss of Durand Johnson affect Pitt going forward?

R.B.: If you ask 20 different guys that cover this Pitt team about how much of a loss Johnson is to this team, you’ll get 20 different answers. My personal opinion is that it’s not really that big of a deal. He is known as an outside shooter, but at the same rate, he was shooting (30) percent from downtown going into the Maryland game a couple weeks ago. Dixon has gone 10 deep this season. Over the past week or so, he’s starting to go 11 deep. They have a lot of well-rounded guys that can step in and take his spot. Josh Newkirk is a guy who we’ll expect to see a lot more playing time.

The D.O.: Talib Zanna has improved considerably this year. How do you think he’s gotten to this point to become as good as he’s been?

R.B.: He’s taken the route that a lot of Pitt players have taken over the course of four years. Dixon and his staff really stress on the development of players. They’re not looking for guys who can go to the NBA after one or two years. When he came into the program, he was known as a guy who didn’t really have a position. Now he’s established himself as one of the best centers in the league, and his scoring ability has really improved. He plays with his back to the basket on a lot of possessions, and that really helps that they have a bread-and-butter

@DOSports

type guy down low that can feed off of Lamar Patterson.

The D.O.: Do you think Pitt has a shot to beat Syracuse?

R.B.: I think they do have a shot, but the reason that I would say Syracuse has the edge is we don’t know enough about this Pitt team. For all we know, they could be the 45th-, 50th-best team in the country. The best team that they’ve beaten has been Stanford. That’s why Pitt fans are on their toes to see this matchup. If they win, I think they’ll get a lot of national recognition from this. tbhass@syr.edu | @TrevorHass

SOFT SLATE Pittsburgh hasn’t played a ranked team this season, and its best win is against Stanford on Nov. 26. The Panthers are currently ranked as the 22nd-best team in the nation, but that could change quickly with a loss to the No. 2 Orange this weekend. date

opponent

Nov. 8 vs. Savannah State Nov. 12 vs. Fresno State Nov. 17 vs. Howard Nov. 20 vs. Lehigh Nov. 25 vs. Texas Tech Nov. 26 vs. Stanford Nov. 30 vs. Duquesne Dec. 3 vs. Penn State Dec. 6 vs. Loyola Marymount Dec. 14 vs. Youngstown State Dec. 17 vs. Cincinnati Dec. 21 vs. Cal Poly Dec. 31 vs. Albany Jan. 4 at N.C. State Jan. 6 vs. Maryland Jan. 11 vs. Wake Forest Jan. 14 at Georgia Tech

result

W W W W W W W W W W L W W W W W W

score

88-55 75-54 84-52 77-58 76-53 88-67 84-67 78-69 85-68 91-73 44-43 73-56 58-46 74-62 79-59 80-65 81-74

12 january 17-18, 2014

the daily orange in the paint

around the nation

Kansas-Oklahoma State leads weekend schedule No. 9 Oklahoma State at No. 15 Kansas, 4 p.m., CBS

At the beginning of the season, Oklahoma State sophomore guard Marcus Smart was angered by the publicity the incoming freshmen were receiving. One of those freshman was Andrew Wiggins, and Smart will get his chance to prove his worth against the freshman phenom when the Cowboys (15-2, 3-1 Big 12) travel to Lawrence, Kan., to take on the Jayhawks (124, 3-0) on Saturday. The Jayhawks also have top freshmen in Joel Embiid and Wayne Selden Jr., and they will test their early season pedigree against a veteran conference foe.

Tennesse at No. 13 Kentucky, noon, CBS

Kentucky (12-4, 2-1 SEC) has found its stride as the season moves into conference play. On Saturday, a tough SEC opponeent in Tennessee (11-5, 2-1) visits Rupp Arena and the young guns will b e tested. The matchup to watch in this game is Kentucky freshman Julius Randle against Vols junior Jarnell Stokes. Each player receives a large amount of touches in the paint and should bring out the best in one another throughout the conference. But in what will be a tight-knit affair, it couldcome down to backcourt play in the closing minutes.

No. 25 Oklahoma at No. 12 Baylor, 2 p.m., ESPN2 Oklahoma has been a big surprise this season, sneaking into the Associated Press Top 25 poll this week. Now the Sooners (13-4, 2-2 Big 12) will look to upset Baylor (13-3, 1-2) in Waco, Texas.

The Sooners average the eighth-most points per game (85.8) in the nation, and the Bears’ long, active defense will look to slow down the highoctane attack. Cory Jefferson, who’s averaging 13.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game for Baylor, is a matchup problem for just about every team, and Saturday should be no different.

Indiana State at No. 5 Wichita State, 4 p.m., ESPN2 Who’s going to stop the Shockers? It’s looking increasingly likely that Wichita State (180, 5-0 Missouri Valley) could run the table in a weak mid-major conference. Either way, the Sycamores (14-3, 5-0) will be one of the Shockers’ toughest conference tests. Indiana State has beaten a ranked opponent — thenNo. 17 Notre Dame on Nov. 17 — while Wichita State has not, further punctuating a wildly easy schedule. For both teams, the contest will provide a measuring stick for how far they could potentially go this season.

Michigan at No. 3 Wisconsin, 6 p.m., ESPN

When these two teams met on Feb. 9 last season, Wisconsin’s Ben Brust made what was arguably the shot of the college basketball season: a half-court heave that sent the game into overtime in Madison, Wis. Now Michigan (124, 4-0 Big Ten) is the underdog after Wisconsin (16-1, 3-1) suffered its first loss of the season to Indiana earlier this week. Like last season, it’s almost a definite that sparks will fly in this one, with sharpshooters Brust and Josh Gasser for the Badgers, and Nik Stauskas and Spike Albrecht for the Wolverines.

No. 18 Louisville at Connecticut, 9 p.m., ESPN This is the best matchup the newly formed American Athletic Conference has to offer, and with Louisville moving to the ACC next season, it’s one of the last chances to see the two square off as conferences foes. Both teams are coming off big wins on Thursday night: Louisville (15-3, 4-1 American Athletic) throttling Houston 91-52, and Connecticut upsetting No. 17 Memphis 83-73. This matchup is all about guard play, placing the Cardinals’ Russ Smith and Chris Jones against the Huskies’ Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright.

ap top 25 poll No. 1 Arizona (61) No. 2 Syracuse (4) No. 3 Wisconsin No. 4 Michigan State No. 5 Wichita State No. 6 Villanova No. 7 Florida No. 8 Iowa State No. 9 Oklahoma State

17-0 16-0 16-0 15-1 17-0 15-1 13-2 14-1 14-2

No. 10 San Diego State 14-1 No. 11 Ohio State 15-2 No. 12 Baylor 13-2 No. 13 Kentucky 12-3 No. 14 Iowa 14-3 No. 15 Kansas 11-4 No. 16 Massachusetts 14-1 No. 17 Memphis 12-3

No. 18 Louisville No. 19 Cincinnati No. 20 Creighton No. 21 Colorado No. 22 Pittsburgh No. 23 Duke No. 24 Saint Louis No. 25 Oklahoma

14-3 15-2 14-2 14-3 15-1 12-4 15-2 13-3

usa today coaches poll

960 must be 21 for Loaner Car.

No. 1 Arizona (30) 17-0 No. 2 Syracuse (1) 16-0 No. 3 Wisconsin 16-0 No. 4 Michigan State (1) 15-1 No. 5 Wichita State 17-0 No. 6 Villanova 15-1 No. 7 Florida 13-2 No. 8 Oklahoma State 14-2 No. 9 Ohio State 15-2

No. 10 Iowa State No. 11 San Diego State No. 12 Kentucky No. 13 Baylor No. 14 Louisville No. 15 Massachusetts No. 16 Iowa No. 17 Memphis No. 18 Kansas

14-1 14-1 12-3 13-2 14-3 14-1 14-3 12-3 11-4

No. 19 Creighton No. 20 Duke No. 21 Pittsburgh No. 22 Colorado No. 23 Cincinnati No. 24 Gonzaga No. 25 UCLA

14-2 12-4 15-1 14-3 15-2 14-3 13-3

january 17-18, 2014 1 3

the daily orange in the paint

around the acc | conference games to watch this weekend

UNC seeks 1st ACC victory Boston College at North Carolina, noon, ESPN Boston College (5-12, 1-3 Atlantic Coast) travels to Durham, N.C., for a date with one of the ACC’s most underachieving teams on the season. The Tar Heels (10-6, 0-3) have yet to win in conference play, dropping games to Wake Forest, Miami and No. 2 Syracuse. This game pits polar opposite offenses against each other, with the Eagles relying on the 3-ball and the Tar Heels proving to be one of the worst outside-shooting teams in the country. The contest presents a one-on-one match up of two of the conference’s top guards in BC’s Olivier Hanlan and UNC’s Marcus Paige.

Florida ESPN3

State

at

Virginia,

noon,

With Duke and North Carolina at 2-2 and 0-3 in the ACC, respectively, Florida State (124, 3-1) and Virginia (12-5, 3-1) have been pleasant surprises in the otherwise top-heavy conference. Both teams score at a low rate and the matchup should offer a low-scoring defensive battle. Joe Harris leads the Cavaliers in scoring with 10.9 points per game, while the Seminoles’ balanced attack is spearheaded by the scoring touch of Ian Miller, who averages 13.7 a night.

Points player

team

average

T.J. Warren N.C. State 22.2 Olivier Hanlan Boston College 19.1 Jabari Parker Duke 18.8 Rodney Hood Duke 18.4 Lamar Patterson Pittsburgh 17.6

Rebounds player

team

Robert Carter Jr. Devin Thomas Garrick Sherman Talib Zanna Daniel Miller

Georgi Tech 9.3 Wake Forest 8.7 Notre Dame 8.4 Pittsburgh 8.1 Georgia Tech 7.9

average

Assists player team average

Quinn Cook Tyler Ennis Eric Atkins Devin Wilson Lamar Patterson

Duke Syracuse Notre Dame Virginia Tech Pittsburgh

5.9 5.6 4.9 4.8 4.6

Blocks player

team

average

K.J. McDaniels Donovan Kirk Daniel Miller Jordan Vandenberg Boris Bojanovsky

Clemson Miami Georgia Tech N.C. State Florida State

2.8 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.1

Steals player

team

average

Tyler Ennis Syracuse Trevor Cooney Syracuse Cameron Wright Pittsburgh Aaron Thomas Florida State J. Michael McAdoo North Carolina

2.8 2.4 2.1 2.0 1.8

N.C. State at Duke, 2 p.m., CBS Duke (13-4, 2-2) is hanging by a thread in the national polls, and one more loss to an unranked team could push it into an irrelevant field. That should be enough to ignite the Blue Devils at home this weekend, led by Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood, who are each topfive scorers in the conference this season. The Wolfpack (11-6, 1-3) is led by T.J. Warren, who leads the ACC with 22.2 points per game.

— compiled by Jesse Dougherty, asst. sports editor, jcdoug01@syr.edu

Standings position

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

team

conference

Syracuse Pittsburgh Clemson Florida State Virginia Maryland Duke Wake Forest N.C. State Georgia Tech Notre Dame Miami (Fla.) Virginia Tech Boston College North Carolina

4-0 4-0 3-1 3-1 3-1 3-2 2-2 2-2 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3 0-3

overall

17-0 16-1 12-4 12-4 12-5 11-7 13-4 12-5 11-6 10-7 10-7 9-7 8-8 5-12 10-6

marcus paige leads North Carolina in scoring, but his Tar Heels have dropped their first three conference games. photo courtesy of unc athletic communications

14 january 17-18, 2014

the daily orange in the paint

perspectives text by sam blum asst. copy editor photos by emma fierberg asst. photo editor

Who do you think is the best freshman in the country?

“Tyler Ennis. He knows how to handle the game. He can control the speed of the game. He’s really selfless.”

“Tyler Ennis because I’ve met him before.

He’s really cool. He’s really good, I think.

I mean, I’m not a basketball expert.”

Rich Miles

Rylee Maron

“The best freshman player of Sportball? Love me some Sportball. Kobe Bryant, I’m just kidding. He’s still playing?”

“Andrew Wiggins. I think he’s an overall player, he’s got a pretty good body for basketball.”

sophomore neuroscience major

Ella Mendonsa

sophomore advertising and music major

Jose Caceres

freshman undecided major

junior policy studies and political science major

“Tyler Ennis. He’s awesome.”

Marci Fenton

sophomore music industry major

“Tyler Ennis is definitely the best freshman player in the country. I’m so totally biased. I just think he brings good spirit and is a solid all-around player.”

Sam Yusim

freshman sport management major

“Tyler Ennis. He’s really good. He replaced Michael Carter-Williams. He filled our team up.”

Totadri Dhimal

senior biochemistry major

“I’m going to have to go with C.J. Fair. The way he plays the ball game, the passing game, he’s the man.”

Mohamed Mahgoub

freshman health economics major

january 17-18, 2014 1 5

the daily orange in the paint

from page 5

zanna look up to us,” Nura said. “They want us to make it happen.“

That’s what both of them are doing: Nura getting his feet wet with the Blackbirds and Zanna on the verge of playing professionally.

They each credit their success to their father.

Before every game, Zanna takes a picture of

his father that hangs in his locker and holds it.

He says a prayer then rubs the picture against his heart.

He said he’s got to move on, but insists that every thing he does and all the success he has is in his father’s memory.

GROWTH SPURT

“We’re all playing basketball for him,” Zanna said. “We’re doing this for him. I know he’s up there watching us.” sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3

1.0

Pittsburgh center Talib Zanna has increased his production considerably over the last four seasons as he’s developed a post game and become more comfortable with Jamie Dixon’s system. His points, rebounds and blocks per game have all gone up consistently year by year since 2010-11. That season he barely contributed, but now he’s become one of the elite big men in the Atlantic Coast Conference and has led the Panthers to a 16-1 start.

“We had practice, he'd always want more. We'd do extra workouts, extra film sessions, extra weight rooms. He was always extra. Always."

Marty Keithline

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

BISHOP MCNAMARA HEAD COACH

10

BLOCKS

2010 - 2011

REBOUNDS PER GAME

2011 - 2012

2012 - 2013

2013 - 2014

2012 - 2013

2013 - 2014

POINTS PER GAME 15

8 12

6

TALIB ZANNA finishes at the rim. Motivated by his father’s death, Zanna has steadily improved his game from year to year. photo courtesy of pitt media relations

9

4

6

2

3

2010 - 2011

2011 - 2012

2012 - 2013

2013 - 2014

2010 - 2011

2011 - 2012

PITTSBURGH AT 2SYRACUSE

16 january 17-18, 2014

(16-1) 22

CARRIER DOME, 4 P.M., ESPN

the daily orange in the paint

(17-0)

STARTING LINEUPS POINT GUARD

TYLER ENNIS

6-2, 180, FR. 11.6 PPG, 5.7 APG

JAMES ROBINSON

6-3, 200, SO. 8.1 PPG, 4.0 APG

POWER FORWARD

JERAMI GRANT

Despite shooting just 9-of-24 from the field in his last two games, Ennis has strung together five straight games with at least five assists, and is coming off a career-high six-steal, 40-minute outing at Boston College.

Robinson scored a season-high 16 points at Georgia Tech on Tuesday and averages 4.1 assists per game.

Advantage: Syracuse

C.J. FAIR

SHOOTING GUARD

TREVOR COONEY

6-4, 195, SO. 13.6 PPG, 2.2 SPG

CAMERON WRIGHT

6-4, 205, JR 10.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG

LAMAR PATTERSON

6-8, 215, SR. 17.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG

LAMAR PATTERSON

6-5, 225, SR 17.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG

TYLER ENNIS

6-9, 250, JR. 5.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG

JAMES ROBINSON

TALIB ZANNA

6-9, 230, SR 13.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG

RAKEEM TALIB CHRISTMAS ZANNA TREVOR COONEY

SYRACUSE 67, PITTSBURGH 55

Scaredy cats Pitt hasn’t beaten a ranked team yet, and it won’t Saturday. SU pulls away in the end with the same defense it has showed late in games.

JERAMI GRANT

Hello, darkness, my old friend The Orange has come to talk with you again — only this time SU makes a statement against the Panthers to stay undefeated.

Pitt stain Pitt puts up a fight, but Syracuse survives.

Pitt’s familiarity with the Orange gives it a fighting chance, but the talent gap is simply too much.

at MIAMI (FLA.)

MICHAEL YOUNG

278 - 87

RANKINGS TRACKER

Boeheim usually wins the coaching battle in a landslide. But Dixon actually has a better career-win percentage (76.2) than Boeheim (74.9), and he has experience coaching against the zone and inside the Carrier Dome.

Advantage: Pittsburgh

FREE THROWS Syracuse has 126 steals while its opponents have 71.

1 2 3 4 5

Pitt averages five more points per game in the second half than in the first.

6 7 8 9

SYRACUSE 75, PITTSBURGH 57

JAN. 25

937 - 314

Data based on AP Top 25 poll

STEPHEN BAILEY

SYRACUSE 71, PITTSBURGH 60

JIM BOEHEIM

CAMERON WRIGHT

JAMIE DIXON

PREDICTIONS

TREVOR HASS

Zanna will be the best inside player SU has faced to this point. Zanna’s 22 points at Georgia Tech were the most he had scored in a game since November. He is averaging nearly 10 boards per game in his last five contests. Christmas and Baye Moussa Keita will have their hands full with Zanna in the paint.

Advantage: Pittsburgh

HEAD COACH

Patterson is one of the top five scorers in the conference and dropped 27 points at Wake Forest on Saturday. However, Fair has still been as steady as any star in the country.

Despite his 4-for-13 night at Boston College, Fair has scored in double digits in 16 of SU’s 17 games.

Advantage: Syracuse

DAVID WILSON

CENTER

RAKEEM CHRISTMAS

The SU sharpshooter bounced back from a slump with a transition-heavy 21-point showing at Boston College on Monday. He still hopes to regain his deadly touch from 3-point range.

Wright’s scoring has dropped off since the start of ACC play, but he still averages almost 11 points per game on the year.

Advantage: Syracuse

SMALL FORWARD

C.J. FAIR

Grant has stepped up, as expected, in DaJuan Coleman’s absence. He’s 6-8, 210, SO. recorded two double-doubles in 12.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG his last three games and netted 16 points at Boston College. Young corMICHAEL ralled seven rebounds last game, YOUNG but at 35 pounds heavier than Grant, 6-8, 245, FR. 6.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG he’ll struggle to contain the SU forward’s explosiveness near the rim.

Advantage: Syracuse

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

STAT TO KNOW Pitt is shooting 48.8 percent from the floor while its opponents are hitting at 39.6 percent.

SU’s opponents average 1.5 more 3s per game than the Orange does.

Pre 2

JAN. 29 vs WAKE FOREST

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

FEB. 1 vs DUKE

10

11

FEB. 3 vs NOTRE DAME

FEB. 9 vs CLEMSON