January 21, 2011

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Vi lla Sa no tu v rd a ay , 7

IN THE

PAINT

With a tough slate approaching after the team’s 1st loss,

SU looks to

FLY

through Page 3

SU preps for another Top 10 opponent

Pages 8-9 Syracuse vs.

Villanova head-to-head

Page 11

Position matchups of Saturday’s game

danielle parhizkaran | asst. photo editor

2 december 3-5, 2 010

sports.dailyorange.com Ishaq Williams commits to Notre Dame

T H E I N DE PE N DE N T S T U DE N T N E W SPA PE R OF SY R ACUSE, NEW YORK

By Brett LoGiurato

Jan. 14, 2011 1:58 p.m.

Katie McInerney

Kathleen Ronayne

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Looks like there will be no Shaq anytime soon on the Syracuse defense. According to the New York Post, Ishaq Williams will be taking his talents to South Bend, Ind., to play for Notre Dame.

The seventh-rated defensive end in the 2011 class, according to Scout.com, had been considering offers from Penn State and, of course, Syracuse.

Williams’ addition would have been a major score for SU head coach Doug Marrone. Marrone and the rest of the coaching staff just received arguably its biggest commitment of their tenure two nights ago, when three-star wide receiver Brandon Reddish verbally committed to play for the Orange. He had been considering Penn State, West Virginia, Rutgers and Connecticut, among others.

But Williams was a different recruit than Reddish. Five stars, in the Top 10 at his respective position and an athletic freak. That he was even considering Syracuse along with the likes of PSU, Notre Dame and, at one time, USC, speaks volumes about how far Marrone has come in two short years.

Realistically, it was a long shot for him to come to SU. With the football tradition at Notre Dame and a legendary coach still at Penn State (well, kind of), those are two things the Orange simply cannot match up with.

In reality, Williams was a luxury, not a necessity. Syracuse’s 2011 class is already better than its 2010 coup, and it’ll probably only get better in the last few weeks before National Signing Day on Feb. 2. Expect this to happen because of three factors: • Marrone’s strides in his second season, from 4-8 to 7-5 and a bowl appearance.

• Said bowl appearance in the Pinstripe Bowl, and the increased exposure that comes with it.

And, oh yeah, that win will help a little, too.

• The Big East situation. Right now, Marrone and Charlie Strong are the most stable coaches in the best positions in the Big East. Connecticut has a big question mark in Paul Pasqualoni who has about three weeks to build a class. Pittsburgh has had three coaches in about a month. West Virginia has a lame duck situation. Rutgers and Cincinnati don’t have the same kind of success right now, and Greg Schiano’s aura is wearing off in Piscataway. In my opinion, Marrone, Strong and USF coach Skip Holtz are in the best recruiting positions this year.

We’ll see what happens on Feb. 2. bplogiur@syr.edu

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december 3-5, 2 010

3

First response SU looks to rebound in much-anticipated rematch with Villanova

By Andrew L. John

S

Staff Writer

itting inside the visitor’s locker room of the Petersen Events Center Monday, Brandon Triche was ready to get back out on the floor. Ready for some redemption.

Ready to prove that Syracuse’s first loss of the season was more of a slight aberration than a statement about this year’s Orange.

After going more than two months without a loss, the sophomore guard and his teammates are steadfast in their approach to not let Monday’s 74-66 loss to Pittsburgh become a habit.

“We need to bounce back from this,” Triche said. “We can’t afford back-to-back losses in the Big East.”

With the Carrier Dome set to host what could potentially be another record-setting crowd, No. 3 Syracuse (18-1, 5-1 Big East) will host No. 7 Villanova (16-2, 4-1) at noon. The contest should be an even more intense scene than what SU saw in Pittsburgh’s Oakland Zoo. But this time, it’s the Orange that has the home-court advantage.

A home-court advantage that helped guide it to a convincing 95-77 win over Villanova last season on Feb. 27 in front of 34,616 — the largest crowd ever to see an on-campus game in college basketball.

SU might get some much-needed reinforcement that wasn’t in the lineup Monday. That would come in the form of star small forward Kris Joseph, who shot around in practice Thursday and could return to his normal starting spot against Villanova.

Last year, SU’s 13-game winning streak to open the season was also halted by Pitt in an 82-72 loss. Four days later, SU pounded Memphis by 17 points inside the Dome, beginning an 11-game winning streak and leading to a No. 1 national ranking. Two years ago, after its first Big East loss of the season, the Orange crushed then-No. 12 Notre Dame by 19 inside the Dome.

Syracuse is looking to respond once again, this time against yet another Top 10 Big East opponent. And that starts with a different approach.

“We just have to be much tougher,” Triche said. “Coach said (Pitt) was a game where we had to be tough, and we weren’t.” see villanova page 14

nate shron | staff photographer scoop jardine and the rest of the Orange will look to rebound from their first loss of the season Monday at Pittsburgh when the team fell behind 19-0. SU hopes to start quickly when it hosts No. 7 Villanova on Saturday.

4 ja n ua ry 21-23, 2 011

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Perspectives compiled by chris iseman | asst. copy editor

Do you think this year’s Villanova game will live up to the hype of last year’s?

“Yeah, I walked by earlier in the week, and I already saw people camping out. It showed that the students are dedicated.”

Jenifer La

Freshman nutrition science and dietetics major

“I don’t think it will live up to the hype because last year’s was toward the end of the season. Now the only importance is that it’s still sort of a rivalry, and it would help us stay ahead of Duke for awhile.”

Dan Paris

Undecl ared freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences

“I don’t think so. The quality of the players on both sides isn’t as good. The rivalry is still big because fans make it big.”

James Markowitz

Senior writing major

“I think it will. We’ve done well so far. Besides the Pitt game, we were undefeated. Having that one game, it makes everyone want to win even more. I know people are already camping out, so that helps with the hype.”

Bianca Rodriguez

Sophomore entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises and public rel ations dual major

“I think, based off the ticket sales, it will live up to the hype. I think they have a great team, great chemistry and a great coach.”

Max Kessler

Undecl ared freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences

“I think the hype around the Big East is pretty big this year. It might not (surpass last year) in terms of attendance, but it’s two (Top 10) teams. You can’t beat that.”

Simon Rosenwasser

Junior broadcast journalism major

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ja n ua ry 21-23, 2 011

5

Last time they played SU routs Villanova before record crowd, earns No. 1 ranking Andy Rautins said Syracuse had the best fan base in the country. Wes Johnson said the game would be “breathtaking.”

“It definitely doesn’t (get any better),” the junior forward Johnson said.

The game that Johnson was referring to: SU vs. Villanova. The No. 4 team in the country against the No. 7 team. In front of the largestever on-campus crowd in college basketball history.

The Orange did not disappoint. In front of 34,616 fans at the Carrier Dome on Feb. 27, 2010, SU trounced Villanova, 95-77. The win set Syracuse on track for its eventual Big East regularseason title, not to mention the No. 1 ranking.

In one of the most hyped and anticipated games in SU basketball history, the Orange made sure the record crowd went home happy.

Led by Rick Jackson’s 19 points, Syracuse overcame an early 23-14 deficit to take a 46-36 lead at the half. Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine came off the bench and helped spark the Orange to a 31-30 lead, one it would hold for the rest of the game.

“I thought Kris and Scoop were just huge,” SU head coach Jim Boeheim said. “They got us back into the game. I’ve said all year long, those two guys are like starters, and they play just like starters.”

The game was one of redemption for the Orange. It was picked sixth in the Big East preseason poll, while Villanova was the chosen one to win the conference.

But SU’s domination ended all thoughts about who the better team was, as it completely dominated the Wildcats.

“I don’t think anybody had drawn out that this would happen,” Johnson said. “I think we came in with a chip on our shoulder and tried to prove everybody wrong.”

With a 27-2 overall record and a 14-2 mark in the Big East, the Orange showed little doubt about who the best team in the nation was. Of course, SU got a little help from the top three teams in the rankings also losing that weekend.

And after the game, Syracuse’s players could

court hathaway | staff photographer scoop jardine (11) and Syracuse defeated Villanova last season in front of a record crowd of 34,616. The 95-77 win, combined with losses by the top three ranked teams, propelled the Orange to the No. 1 ranking in the nation the following week. sense the move to the top spot.

“I definitely agree (we should be No. 1),” center Arinze Onuaku said, “but we’ve been a team that’s not worried about numbers all year.

“Our goal is to be No. 1 at the end of the year and at the end of the season. When it’s all said and done, we want to be No.1.”

That goal never happened, as SU lost to Butler in the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

But that wasn’t even a thought last Feb. 27.

For one night, all SU knew was that it was as close to the top of the college basketball world as it had been in a while.

The Orange and its fans could rejoice in winning one of the biggest games in SU history.

“It’s great,” Onuaku said. “It’s big for us and our program and big for our team and just big for Syracuse as a whole.”

— Compiled by Rachel Marcus, asst. copy editor, rnmarcus@syr.edu

3

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things

2

Syracuse must do to beat Villanova

Together, Jardine and Triche have to keep Fisher in check

Arguably the best offensive player in the country, Kemba Walker was nearly overshadowed. Corey Fisher, the Wildcats’ best player averaging 16.1 points per game, exploded for 28 at Connecticut Monday, and were it not for Walker’s game-winning shot, he might have stolen the show. No other Wildcat reached double digits in scoring marks.

Don’t expect the same to happen against the Orange. With Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche using their veteran savvy to check up on and force Fisher into poor decisions at the top of SU’s 2-3 zone, he shouldn’t be able to carry the Wildcats for the second game in a row. History says SU’s chances bode well: Last year, Fisher went 0-for-5 on 3-pointers and 3-for-12 from the field in total. If he gets by the Orange zone, though, thanks to angled backdoor cuts in the vein of Pitt on Monday, he could do damage, as he went 8-of-10 on free throws last year.

1

If Joseph plays, he needs to bring scorer’s mentality from tipoff

Kris Joseph should be back Saturday. After failing to make the trip to Pittsburgh for Syracuse’s first loss of the season, Joseph practiced Thursday and is officially listed as day-to-day for Saturday’s game. The small forward also responded to a tweet Wednesday, saying he would play. With Joseph’s will to be with his teammates, he should be in the starting lineup. That isn’t the question. The question is: Will he bring the scorer mentality SU sorely lacked against Pittsburgh? In a quick turnaround game against another Top 10 opponent, Joseph must look for his from the outset.

If not, the hounding man-to-man of the Wildcats will muzzle the Orange, and SU will be playing from behind as it did Monday.

3

Melo and Moussa Keita must combine for at least 10 points and 12 rebounds

If Villanova isn’t Pittsburgh in one facet of its game, it is with regards to the Wildcats’ big men. Luckily for Syracuse, the Orange won’t have to go up against a Gary McGhee for the second time in a row. The Wildcats start three guards and no center. Rick Jackson will have another field day.

Count on 15 and 14, at least. But that will only be enough for the Orange to stay in contention. If it is to pull away and embarrass the Wildcats as SU did last year, Melo will have to turn back the clock one week and perform like he did last Saturday. He tallied six points and four rebounds against a Big East veteran in Yancy Gates.

Against Villanova’s sophomore big man Mouphtaou Yarou, there is no excuse why he can’t do the same. As for Baye Moussa Keita, expect what you saw in the preseason. The duo needs to show up.

Plain and simple.

— Compiled by Tony Olivero, development editor, aolivero@syr.edu

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ja n ua ry 21-23, 2 011

Head-to-head breakdown SYRACUSE VS. VILLANOVA

75

Points per game

76.6

60.1

Points allowed per game

61.9

48.1%

Field-goal percentage

45.3%

37.4%

Opponent’s field-goal percentage

38.4%

63.7%

Free-throw percentage

76.9%

38.8

Rebounds per game

39.6

16.9

Assists per game

15.4

11.5

Turnovers per game

12.3

8.8

Steals per game

6.9

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ja n ua ry 21-23, 2 011

(First-place votes in parentheses)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 23 25

Ohio State (49) Kansas (6) Syracuse (8) Duke (1) Pittsburgh (1) San Diego State Villanova Connecticut Brigham Young Texas Texas A&M Kentucky Missouri Purdue Minnesota Notre Dame Michigan State Wisconsin Louisville Washington West Virginia Saint Mary’s Georgetown Illinois Cincinnati

USA TODAY/ESPN (First-place votes in parentheses)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Ohio State (28) Kansas (2) Syracuse (1) Pittsburgh Duke San Diego State Villanova Connecticut Brigham Young Texas A&M Texas Kentucky Purdue Missouri Louisville Notre Dame Wisconsin Michigan State Minnesota Washington Saint Mary’s Illinois Georgetown Kansas State Arizona

7 VILLANOVA AT 3 SYRACUSE

(16-2)

(18-1)

SATURDAY, NOON., CARRIER DOME

STARTING LINEUP

     

BEAT WRITER PREDICTIONS

POINT GUARD

SHOOTING GUARD

SMALL FORWARD

POWER FORWARD

CENTER

COACHES Syracuse 78, Villanova 65

A healthy Kris Joseph should help SU avoid back-to-back losses.

SCOOP JARDINE

BRANDON TRICHE

6-2, 190, JR. 13.6 PPG, 5.9 APG

KRIS JOSEPH

6-4, 205, SO. 10.1 PPG, 3.1 APG

6-7, 210, JR. 14.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG

RICK JACKSON

6-9, 240, SR. 13.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG

FAB MELO

JIM BOEHEIM

7-0, 244, FR. 2.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG

846-294 34 seasons

ANDREW L. JOHN Syracuse 75, Villanova 71

BRETT LOGIURATO

MAALIK WAYNS

COREY FISHER

6-2, 180, SO. 13.5 PPG, 5.3 APG

COREY STOKES

6-1, 185, SR. 16.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG

Matchup of two Philly guards here. The sophomore Wayns is no slouch.

Jardine knows that he has his work cut out for him here in a bona fide tough matchup. The key will be if Jardine can continue to direct SU while battling frenetic ball pressure.

6-7, 193, SR. 15.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG

Fisher is the better player here right now. That is a definite. They don’t come much quicker than Fisher.

The real question is whether or not Triche can get free from the speedy Fisher and Wayns to find his shot.

RANKINGS TRACKER 1 2 3 4 5 6

After winning Legends Classic in Altantic City, N.J., Syracuse rises to highest ranking yet.

Even if Jim Boeheim feels his team is underperforming.

ANTONIO PENA

6-8, 235, SR. 9.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG

Jackson and Pena repStokes shoots at a higher resent two of the more 3-point percentage than experienced big men Joseph (44 to 34) and is in the conference. Until averaging more points per recently, Pena had the game than the Orange’s upper hand in this battle. leading scorer. Coming back from the head injury, But the new and improved Jackson will get one more Joseph will struggle to crack. stop Stokes.

Syracuse beats Cincinnati to earn the No. 3 ranking.

On the same day, it loses its first game to Pittsburgh.

Data based on AP Top 25 poll

MOUPHTAOU YAROU

JAY WRIGHT

6-10, 250, SO. 8.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG

341-186 16 seasons

Yarou’s speed and athleticism should give Melo problems, as other smaller big men have this season.

But the last time Melo played in the Dome, last Saturday, he had his best game yet. We’ll see if more is to come.

Boeheim may have won the battle last year, but Wright has won the war recently. Prior to last season, Wright’s squad took four of the previous six meetings, including two inside the Dome.

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Rick Jackson has three straight double-doubles, and he has upped his total to 12 on the year.

“We need to bounce back from this. We can’t afford back-to-back losses in the Big East.”

Brandon Triche

SU GUARD

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3

4

5

6

7

8

9

 

            

Villanova’s senior starting triumvirate of Corey Fisher, Antonio Pena and Corey Stokes has been a part of 93 wins with the Wildcats.

SU GUARD

1

TONY OLIVERO

Kris Joseph should be back in full form, and as long as he puts some buckets up early, the Orange offense will not be stagnant enough to have a repeat of the Pitt first half. Being at home will also help and will enable Baye Moussa Keita and Fab Melo to help SU keep the Wildcats at bay all game.

FREE THROWS

Scoop Jardine

Pre week

With Kris Joseph back and another electric atmosphere in the Carrier Dome, SU comes out on top in a tight one. Back to the Wright stuff for the Orange.

Syracuse 69, Villanova 62

THEY SAID IT “We didn’t have one of our best players.

Not taking anything away from Pitt, but we didn’t have one of our best players and we fought. C.J. played a great game.

James helped us. We just fought.”

7

rank

AP TOP 25

    



HALF-COURT SHOTS

STAT TO KNOW The Wildcats’ Corey Fisher has shot an identical 48.1 percent from the field and from beyond the 3-point line in January.

FORTUNE COOKIE ger.

Be a long -ran

10

SETON HALL

@MARQUETTE

@CONNECTICUT

@SOUTH FLORIDA

GEORGETOWN

JAN. 25, 7 P.M.

JAN. 29, 3 P.M.

FEB. 2, 7 P.M.

FEB. 5, 7 P.M.

FEB. 9, 7 P.M..

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           

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Sophomore

SURGE

In 2nd season with Orange, Hall becomes consistent scorer

By Zach Brown

F

STAFF WRITER

or Elashier Hall, one year has made all the difference.

A year ago, as a freshman, she was Quentin Hillsman’s first player off the bench and saw significant playing time. She showed flashes of her ability — scoring a season-high 11 points against No. 1 Connecticut in February.

But the consistent production wasn’t there.

She averaged just 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. She failed to score more than two points in 16 of the Orange’s 36 contests. She reached double figures just Elashier Hall twice.

SU GUARD This year, though, Hall seems to have put it all together.

“I’m feeling a little more comfortable playing my game and being aggressive and being a good addition to the team,” Hall said.

The higher expectations that come with being a full-time starter haven’t seemed to affect Hall so far. The guard is the second-leading scorer on the Orange (13-4, 1-3 Big East), and she leads the team in 3-point percentage. Her role as a scorer

“I’m not a rookie anymore.

There’s more expected of me. I’m just stepping up and doing the best I can.”

danielle parhizkaran | asst. photo editor ELASHIER HALL (LEFT) has emerged as one of Syracuse’s most consistent scoring options this season. She is leading the team with 18.8 points per game in Big East play.

SEE MARQUETTE PAGE 14

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ja n ua ry 21-23, 2 011

On the block

COACHING

Both Jim Boeheim and Jay Wright have done well with their respective teams this season after each losing important players. For Boeheim, it was Wes Johnson, Andy Rautins and Arinze Onuaku. For Wright, it was Scottie Reynolds, Reggie Redding and Taylor King. And yet both coaches have their teams in the Top 10 of the national rankings. Boeheim gets a little edge here because of experience and a bigger early-season turnaround.

Advantage: Syracuse

A position-by-position look at the game

—Compiled by Brett LoGiurato, sports editor, bplogiur@syr.edu

SMALL FORWARD

POINT GUARD

The uncertainty surrounding Kris Joseph here gives Villanova the edge. He hopes to play against the Wildcats, but until he takes the court, it isn’t a certainty. And even if he does take the court, there are questions about his readiness to play and if he’ll be at full strength. For Villanova, Corey Stokes is averaging 15.8 points per game this season. But perhaps the most overlooked factor of his game is his free-throw shooting. He ranks third in the nation in free-throw percentage, shooting 93.9 percent (62-of-66) on the season.

Jardine is coming off a rather poor shooting night against Pittsburgh, contributing to Syracuse’s subpar performance from the field. He shot just 4-of-13 on the night and is shooting 38.1 percent over his last four games.

Meanwhile, Maalik Wayns willed the Wildcats to a thrilling comeback win over Maryland last weekend, finishing with 22 points and hitting a clutch 3-pointer with a little more than one minute to play. Wayns has scored 15-plus points in four of his last five games.

Advantage: Even

SHOOTING GUARD

Brandon Triche needs to continue his string of solid performances for the Orange to be successful. He has been the most effective of Syracuse’s three-guard rotation, which also includes Jardine and Dion Waiters. In the second half against Seton Hall two weeks ago, Triche carried the Orange to victory. Fisher, too, has been on fire lately. In a 61-59 loss at Connecticut Monday — when he matched up against Kemba Walker — he scored a careerhigh 28 points. Thus far in January, he has averaged 19 points and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 48.1 percent from beyond the 3-point line.

Advantage: Even

Advantage: Villanova

POWER FORWARD

CENTER

A highly touted recruit out of Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Md., Mouphtaou Yarou was something of a disappointment last season, much like current SU freshman center Fab Melo. Yarou only averaged 4.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. But this season, he has been much more effective in the middle of the Wildcats’ attack. He had 18 points and 11 rebounds a little more than a week ago in a win over Louisville. Melo, on the other hand, continues to struggle. He only played two minutes in SU’s loss to Pittsburgh.

Advantage: Villanova

Despite Syracuse’s loss against Pittsburgh Monday, Rick Jackson was his usual self, tallying yet another doubledouble. He now has 12 in Syracuse’s 19 games. SU senior Jackson and Villanova senior Antonio Pena took similar paths through their teams’ respective lineups in their first three seasons, quickly becoming — and eventually cementing themselves — as rotation fixtures. But Jackson has taken the next step this year into a dominating force down low in the rugged Big East.

Advantage: Syracuse

11

12 j a n u a r y 2 1 - 2 3 , 2 0 1 1

SPORTS@ DA ILYOR A NGE.COM

Around the Big East STANDINGS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

PITTSBURGH 18-1 (6-0)

GAMES WEEK

OF THE NO. 8 CONNECTICUT (15-2, 4-2) VS. TENNESSEE (12-6, 2-2 SEC)

CONNECTICUT

Saturday, 2 p.m., CBS This midseason nonconference battle pits a Connecticut team that has exceeded its preseason expectations against a Tennessee team in the midst of a disappointing year.

The Huskies made it known that they were a force early in the season by winning the Maui Invitational, defeating then-No. 2 Michigan State and then-No. 8 Kentucky in the process. Currently, UConn is riding a wave of confidence after a big home 61-59 victory over No. 7 Villanova on Monday. Point guard Kemba Walker hit a floater with 2.5 seconds left to provide the winning points, which was just another highlight to add to the reel of the junior’s phenomenal season. Walker is second in the nation with 25.5 points per game, and he has exceeded the 30-point plateau six times.

Tennessee will welcome back head coach Bruce Pearl for this game. Pearl is four games into an eight-game suspension for violating NCAA rules and misleading investigators, but the suspension applies only to SEC games. The Volunteers lost their first two games under assistant coach Tony Jones but have won two close games in the past week against Vanderbilt and Georgia. Junior Scotty Hopson and freshman Tobias Harris form a two-headed monster that makes the Volunteer offense go. The duo combines to pour in 32 points per game.

MARQUETTE

NO. 16 NOTRE DAME (15-4, 4-3) VS. MARQUETTE (13-6, 4-2)

SYRACUSE 18-1 (5-1)

VILLANOVA 16-2 (4-1)

LOUISVILLE 15-3 (4-1)

15-2 (4-2)

13-6 (4-2)

WEST VIRGINIA 12-5 (3-2)

NOTRE DAME 15-4 (4-3)

ST. JOHN’S 11-6 (4-3)

CINCINNATI 16-3 (3-3)

GEORGETOWN 14-5 (3-4)

RUTGERS 11-7 (2-4)

SETON HALL 8-11 (2-5)

Saturday, 7 p.m., ESPN3 Notre Dame and Marquette will square off for the second time in a two-week span on Saturday, and the Fighting Irish can only hope to put forth a better performance this time around. Marquette crushed the Irish, 79-57, on Jan. 10 in Milwaukee, but Notre Dame will have the home-court advantage in the rematch. In Big East play, the Irish are 4-0 in South Bend, Ind., and 0-3 on the road. Five players average at least 9.8 points per game for ND, led by Ben Hansbrough’s 15.8 per game. Hansbrough has been lighting it up from 3-point range all year, shooting at a 42.6 percent clip from deep.

After losing current Minnesota Timberwolves forward Lazar Hayward to graduation at the end of last season, Marquette was considered to be a middle-of-the-pack Big East team entering the 2010-11 season. But the Golden Eagles have gotten out to a fast start in conference play with wins over West Virginia and the Fighting Irish.

Marquette has shown up in its tough road games so far, losing by single digits at No. 5 Pittsburgh and No. 18 Louisville. Still, the Golden Eagles are looking for that marquee road win to strengthen its case for the NCAA Tournament. The team ranks 10th nationally in field-goal percentage, shooting nearly 50 percent on the season.

Guard Dwight Buycks was the key in Marquette’s win over the Irish last time, scoring a career-high 21 points in the victory.

ST. JOHN’S (11-6, 4-3) VS. CINCINNATI (16-3, 3-3)

Saturday, 4 p.m., Big East Network This game Saturday is between two teams jostling for position in the middle of the Big East, meaning it could prove key to the winner come NCAA Tournament selection time. First-year head coach Steve Lavin has had a baptism by fire in conference play, as his Red Storm played fi ve consecutive ranked teams in a span of 16 days. He and the team held their own, defeating No. 23 Georgetown and No. 16 Notre Dame. But they come into this game looking to recover from a 25-point blowout loss at No. 19 Louisville Wednesday. The Red Storm hasn’t had much of a problem with finding a scorer — both Dwight Hardy and Justin Brownlee average more than 14 points per game — but they don’t have any rebounders. Six-foot-6 D.J. Kennedy leads the team with 5.9 rebounds per game, and the team ranks 292nd in the country in rebounding.

Cincinnati is the first unranked team SJU will face since Jan. 1, but the Bearcats have been bouncing in and out of the Top 25 for the past couple weeks themselves. Cincinnati completed a perfect 13-0 nonconference slate but didn’t play any ranked teams. The Bearcats are 0-3 against ranked teams in the Big East, but that leaves them a perfect 16-0 against unranked teams going into Saturday’s game with unranked St. John’s. The Bearcats, unlike the Red Storm, do have trouble finding a scorer. UC’s leading scorer, Dion Dixon, scores 12.7 points per game, and the Bearcats use a nine- or 10-man rotation rather than relying on one or two guys.

— Compiled by Mark Cooper, asst. sports editor, mcooperj@syr.edu

SOUTH FLORIDA 7-13 (1-6)

PROVIDENCE 11-8 (0-6)

DEPAUL 6-12 (0-6)

SCHEDULE SATURDAY, JAN. 22

No. 3 Syracuse vs. No. 7 Villanova Seton Hall vs. Rutgers No. 8 Connecticut vs. Tennessee DePaul vs. No. 5 Pittsburgh St. John’s vs. Cincinnati Providence vs. No. 19 Louisville No. 16 Notre Dame vs. Marquette

SUNDAY, JAN. 23

West Virginia vs. South Florida

Noon Noon 2 p.m.

4 p.m.

4 p.m.

5 p.m.

7 p.m.

2 p.m.

ESPN Big East CBS Big East Big East ESPNU Big East

Network Network Network Network

Big East Network

courtesy of providence media relations

SCORING LEADERS NAME

Kemba Walker Marshon Brooks Austin Freeman Casey Mitchell Preston Knowles Corey Fisher Ashton Gibbs Darius Johnson-Odom Ben Hansbrough Corey Stokes

SCHOOL

UConn Providence Georgetown WVU Louisville Villanova Pitt Marquette ND Villanova

PPG

25.5 23.4 18.5 16.8 16.1 16.1 16.0 15.9 15.9 15.8

REBOUNDING LEADERS NAME

Rick Jackson Alex Oriakhi Herb Pope Mouphtaou Yarou Bilal Dixon Gary McGhee Marshon Brooks Ron Anderson Jr. Antonio Pena Kevin Jones

SCHOOL

Syracuse UConn Seton Hall Villanova Providence Pitt Providence USF Villanova WVU

RPG

11.7 9.4 8.9 7.8 7.8 7.7 7.7 7.5 7.1 6.9

ASSISTS LEADERS NAME

Vincent Council Scoop Jardine Chris Wright Brad Wanamaker Maalik Wayns Peyton Siva Corey Fisher Anthony Crater Jordan Theodore Dwight Buycks

SCHOOL

Providence Syracuse Georgetown Pitt Villanova Louisville Villanova USF Seton Hall Marquette

APG

6.5 5.9 5.5 5.4 5.3 5.2 4.9 4.6 4.5 4.1

SPORTS@ DA ILYOR A NGE.COM

ja n ua ry 21-23, 2 011

13

Around the Nation

GAMES WEEK OF THE

NO. 23 ILLINOIS (14-5, 4-2 BIG TEN) VS. NO. 1 OHIO STATE (19-0, 6-0 BIG TEN)

Saturday, Noon, CBS This game on Saturday marks the beginning of the toughest stretch of the season for Ohio State. Seven of its next nine games come against teams currently ranked in the Top 25. The Buckeyes escaped the beginning of January with four consecutive single-digit wins and bounced back by trouncing Iowa 70-48 on Wednesday. After a tremendous start to the season, freshman sensation Jared Sullinger has been held in check of late. Since Dec. 21 (nine games), Sullinger has topped the 20-point mark just once.

The Fighting Illini have been inconsistent all season long. Wins over Maryland, Michigan State and Wisconsin showed that the team can play. But bad losses to IllinoisChicago and Penn State cast doubt about just how good the team really is. Against Ohio State, Illinois is going to need more than a big performance from star point guard Demetri McCamey. If D.J. Richardson (43 percent from 3-point range) can get hot, the Illini have a chance.

Key to the game: Jared Sullinger vs. Mike Tisdale It isn’t often that the 6-foot-9, 280-pound Sullinger will be worried about the size of an opponent, but Illinois’ Tisdale could pose a problem. Tisdale stands all of 7-foot-1 with a massive wingspan. Even if Sullinger gets position on the block, Tisdale might be able to swat away any easy layups. If he can limit Sullinger — OSU’s leading scorer — or get him in foul trouble, there could be an upset brewing.

NO. 14 PURDUE (16-3, 5-1 BIG TEN) VS. NO. 17 MICHIGAN STATE (12-6, 4-2 BIG TEN)

Saturday, 9 p.m., ESPN It’s been a rough stretch for Purdue the past week. Two losses to Minnesota and West Virginia, followed by a one-point escape from Penn State. This game against the Spartans kicks off gut-check time for the Boilermakers.

In an 11-day span, Purdue gets the Spartans, No. 1 Ohio State, No. 15 Minnesota and No. 18 Wisconsin. If ever there was a time to miss the injured Robbie Hummel, this is it. JaJuan

NO. 2 KANSAS (18-0, 3-0 BIG 12) VS. NO. 10 TEXAS (15-3, 3-0 BIG 12)

Saturday, 4 p.m., CBS The Jayhawks are one of only three unbeaten teams remaining in college basketball after Syracuse slipped up earlier this week against Pittsburgh. After a shaky three-point victory over unranked Nebraska, Kansas bounced back with an emphatic 20-point win over a Baylor team that has been ranked as high as No. 9 in the country this year. KU head coach Bill Self has used his deep bench — 10 players averaging at least 14 minutes per game — to reel off 18 straight wins to start the season.

At stake on Saturday is Kansas’ 69-game home winning streak at Allen Fieldhouse. In his career, Bill Self is 124-6 at home in Lawrence, Kan. Like the Jayhawks, Texas comes into the game with a perfect 3-0 record in Big 12 play. Since losing to Connecticut on Jan. 8, the Longhorns have responded with three straight wins by at least 20 points each. This includes a 21-point rout of No. 11 Texas A&M Wednesday.

Texas has four players averaging double figures in scoring this season, led by Jordan Hamilton’s 19.7 points per game.

Key to the game: Texas’ 3-point shooting The Longhorns have made 37.4 percent of their 3-pointers this season, good for 65th best in the country. The question becomes whether or not the shooters are affected by the hostile environment of Allen Fieldhouse. If Jordan Hamilton, Cory Joseph and J’Covan Brown can hit, consecutive win No. 70 might not happen for the Jayhawks.

Johnson and E’Twaun Moore have been as good as advertised for the Boilermakers. The pair is putting up a combined 38 points per game, but no one else on the team is averaging more than seven points per game. Someone else needs to emerge for Purdue down the stretch.

The Spartans haven’t put it together yet this season to go on any sort of a run. Six losses have been sprinkled throughout the schedule with no more than three consecutive wins at any point in time. Though guard Kalin Lucas has picked up his play of late to lead the Spartans in scoring, swingman Durrell Summers has disappeared. In his past three games, Summers is averaging fewer than seven points per game. Prior to this mini slump, he had been in double figures in every game but one.

Key to the game: Ryne Smith, guard, Purdue Smith is shooting a phenomenal 48.6 percent from 3-point range this season but only averages 6.6 points per game. The bottom line is that he needs to shoot more against the Spartans. There have been flashes of bril-

liance — three games with at least five made 3-pointers — now he just needs to use that to emerge as Purdue’s third scoring option.

BAYLOR (12-5, 2-2 BIG 12) VS. OKLAHOMA STATE (14-4, 2-2 BIG 12)

Saturday, 4 p.m., Big 12 Network The Bears were ranked as high as No. 9 in the country at one point this season, but three losses since Christmas have dropped them out of the Top 25. But that doesn’t mean this team isn’t dangerous. Baylor has a bona fide scorer in LaceDarius Dunn and his 21.6 points per game and Perry Jones, one of the nation’s best freshmen. Jones has scored 20 or more in three of the team’s last four games. At 2-2 in the Big 12, Baylor sits in the bottom half, but this team will be in the NCAA Tournament. It’s too talented not to be.

The Cowboys are coming off an overtime

NATIONAL LEADERS SCORING PLAYER

1) Jimmer Fredette 2) Kemba Walker 3) Adrian Oliver 4) Xavier Silas 5) Marshon Brooks 6) Andrew Goudelock 7) Charles Jenkins 8) Klay Thompson 9) Anatoly Bose 10) LaceDarius Dunn

REBOUNDING

SCHOOL

BYU Connecticut San Jose St. Northern Illinois Providence College of Charleston Hofstra Washington St. Nicholls St. Baylor

Josh Selby, guard

courtesy of kansas media relations

AVERAGE

26.1 25.6 24.2 23.6 23.4 23.4 23.2 22.9 22.9 22.3

PLAYER

1) Kenneth Faried 2) Ryan Rossiter 3) Jordan Williams 4) Rick Jackson 5) Chris Gaston 6) Sam Willard 7) Arsalan Kazemi 8) Thomas Coleman 9) Augustine Rubit 10) Luke Sikma

SCHOOL

Morehead St. Siena Maryland Syracuse Fordham Pacific Rice North Carolina A&T South Alabama Portland

win against Iowa State that saw the team put up a season-high 96 points. That snapped a two-game losing skid and might be just the thing OSU needs to get on a roll. Like the Bears, Oklahoma State is also 2-2 in Big 12 play. Sophomore 6-foot-7 swingman J.P. Olukemi is rapidly becoming a consistent scoring option for the Cowboys. His seasonhigh 29 points pushed his team to that overtime win over the Cyclones, and he’s gone over 23 times in the last four games.

Key to the game: Keiton Page, guard, OSU Page is the biggest 3-point threat the Cowboys have. In a game in which Baylor’s LaceDarius Dunn is going to get his points, Page needs to be ready to step up. If Dunn starts to go off and score in bunches, Page may have to keep his team in the game. He has made eight 3-pointers in the past two games. Whether or not the Cowboys can keep pace with the athletic Bears might determine this battle between two NCAA Tournament-caliber teams.

ASSISTS AVERAGE

13.3 13.0 12.2 11.7 11.5 11.4 11.2 10.8 10.7 10.6

PLAYER

1) Aaron Johnson 2) Scott Machado 3) D.J. Cooper 4) Darius Morris 5) Zac Swansey 6) Demetri McCamey 7) Will Weathers 8) Vincent Council 9) Kevin Galloway 10) Juwan Staten

SCHOOL

UAB Iona Ohio Michigan Tennessee Tech Illinois Troy Providence Texas Southern Dayton

AVERAGE

8.5 8.4 8.1 7.3 7.1 7.0 6.7 6.5 6.5 6.4

14 j a n u a r y 2 1 - 2 3 , 2 0 1 1

marquette f rom page 10

has expanded from one of instant offense off the bench to a consistent producer all game long.

She’s becoming a leader for the Orange, and dating back to mid-December, she has been the team’s most steady performer.

Hall will look to continue her hot stretch when the Orange takes on Marquette in Milwaukee at 2 p.m. Saturday.

“I’m not a rookie anymore,” Hall said.

“There’s more expected of me. I’m just stepping up and doing the best I can.”

Despite her recent success, though, the sophomore guard started the year relatively slowly.

She has started every game for the Orange thus far, but she wasn’t scoring as much as she or Hillsman would have liked. She struggled to get

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

to the basket and, as a result, couldn’t create her own shot very effectively.

But that all changed in December with Syracuse’s trip to the Bahamas. In the team’s second game of the Sunshine Shootout against Clemson, Hall took a then career-high 13 shots that resulted in another career high of 16 points. The end result: The Orange ran away with a 77-58 win.

From that point on, Hall has been SU’s best player. She has averaged a team-leading 17.1 points and 7.1 rebounds through the last seven games, dating back to the matchup with the Tigers.

“She’s scoring for us, she’s rebounding for us, she’s doing a lot of different things,” senior guard Erica Morrow said. “She’s definitely an important part of our team. For her to be so young, she’s definitely emerging as one of the leaders on our team.”

For Hall, part of the difference in this stretch

“For her to be so young, she’s definitely emerging as one of the leaders on our team.”

Erica Morrow

su guard

has been her willingness and, perhaps more importantly, her desire to take shots. Through the first eight games this year, she took 46 shots.

In the last seven contests, she’s nearly doubled that total with 82. Much of that has come from a boost in confidence.

In SU’s loss to Rutgers on Jan. 11, the sophomore carried the Orange from the opening tip.

She scored Syracuse’s first eight points, knocking down a corner 3-pointer, draining another

long-range bucket in transition and finishing a contested putback on the baseline.

“Everything that she’s doing on the floor, she’s doing very efficiently,” Hillsman said. “So I’m very happy with what she’s doing, and I’m very proud of her effort.”

Although Hall has shined as of late, it hasn’t always correlated with a win for Syracuse as a team. The Orange is just 4-3 in its last seven games, including a 1-3 start in the Big East. The team as a whole has struggled offensively and is hitting a lowly 38.9 percent from the floor in conference play.

Though the rest of the team hasn’t necessarily been pulling its weight, Hall just wants to stay confident. She stressed the importance of staying confident in her own shot and continuing to flourish in her new role with the Orange.

Said Hall: “I’m definitely feeling good.” zjbrown@syr.edu

nate shron | staff photographer kris joseph did not play in Syracuse’s loss to Pittsburgh on Monday after injuring his head against Cincinnati. He is listed as day-to-day for Saturday’s game against Villanova.

villanova from page 3

More than 33,000 tickets have been sold for the game as of Wednesday. The game has brought another round of hype to the SyracuseVillanova matchup.

But all that is irrelevant to the Orange players and coaches now, especially coming off a loss.

“In the Big East, every game is a battle,” point guard Scoop Jardine said. “So we can’t dwell on one game. We have to go out the next time and try to get a win.”

Villanova is also coming off its first conference defeat, a 61-59 loss at No. 8 Connecticut Monday. Last year’s meeting was a de facto matchup for the Big East regular-season title.

This year’s game could have a similar amount of significance, as a loss Saturday will set the loser two games back from Pittsburgh in the conference standings.

With the conference slate starting to grow tougher, back-to-back losses could strike a catastrophic blow to the Orange. But Rick Jackson thinks the fixes are easy. It’s a matter of getting back to the basics.

“We did a lot of things where we just killed ourselves,” Jackson said. “We missed pointblank layups and forced tough shots. We let them get the ball inside too much. Those are basic things that we didn’t do.”

“In the Big East, every game is a battle. So we can’t dwell on one game. We have to go out the next time and try to get a win.”

Scoop Jardine

SU guard

And Joseph could return to the lineup after missing Monday’s game following a hard fall last Saturday against Cincinnati. Joseph was shooting around during Thursday’s practice.

But regardless of whether Joseph plays or not, players will likely have a vivid memory of Monday’s loss in their minds when they take the court against Villanova. After all, without its leading scorer, Syracuse still managed to fight its way back from what appeared to be a 19-0 death blow early in a very intense atmosphere.

After that, Jardine is certain this squad can overcome just about anything. Certain this squad can get back on the right track.

“We didn’t have one of our best players,” Jardine said. “Not taking anything away from Pitt, but we didn’t have one of our best players, and we fought. C.J. (Fair) played a great game.

James (Southerland) helped us. We just fought.”

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ja n ua ry 21-23, 2 011

Remaining schedules syracuse Jan. 22 Jan. 25 Jan. 29 Feb. 2 Feb. 5 Feb. 9 Feb. 12 Feb. 14 Feb. 19 Feb. 21 Feb. 26 March 5

Villanova Seton Hall at Marquette at Connecticut at South Florida Georgetown at Louisville West Virginia Rutgers at Villanova at Georgetown DePaul

villanova noon 7 p.m.

3 p.m.

7 p.m.

2 p.m.

7 p.m. noon 7 p.m.

4 p.m.

7 p.m. noon 4 p.m.

Jan. 22 Jan. 26 Jan. 29 Feb. 2 Feb. 5 Feb. 9 Feb. 12 Feb. 15 Feb. 19 Feb. 21 Feb. 26 Feb. 28 March 5

at Syracuse at Providence Georgetown Marquette West Virginia at Rutgers Pittsburgh at Seton Hall at DePaul Syracuse St. John’s at Notre Dame at Pittsburgh

noon 7 p.m. noon 7 p.m. noon 8 p.m.

9 p.m.

8 p.m. noon 7 p.m.

2 p.m.

7 p.m.

4 p.m.

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