In the Paint: Miami

IN THE PAINT syracuse vs miami

j a n u a r y 2 3 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 5 | d a i ly o r a n g e . c o m

STORM SEASON

After a lighter beginning to ACC play, Syracuse has a stretch of tough opponents coming up, starting with Miami on Saturday. See page 3

2-POINT CONVERSION

Michael Gbinije is seeing more time at point guard for the Orange and his value to the SU offense is increasing with it. See page 4

POSTER BOY

Syracuse’s success in ACC play will hinge greatly on the play of starting shooting guard Trevor Cooney. See poster inside

2 january 23-24, 2015

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

Getting louder As junior Michael Gbinije’s role is expanding due to SU’s rotation changes, his offensive responsibilities are only getting larger as well.

Page 4

In honor In high school, Ja’Quan Newton succeeded even after his mother died. Now he plays point guard for Miami with her in mind.

Page 5

Switching up Transfers Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan are two of Miami’s biggest contributors, and they were previously Big 12 rivals.

Page 7

In the loop Be sure to check dailyorange.com and follow @DOSports on Twitter for updates and coverage of Syracuse-Miami, which will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Front-page photo illustration by Chase Gaewski | Staff photographer

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the daily orange in the paint

january 23-24, 2015 3

KALEB JOSEPH and his Syracuse teammates have weathered the first part of their ACC schedule, with a much more challenging second half awaiting them. The Orange has six games remaining against Top 25 opponents and that remaining stretch of tough games will ultimately determine SU’s postseason fate. chase gaewski staff photographer

INTO THE

STORM

Daunting back end of Syracuse’s conference schedule starts with Hurricanes this Saturday

W

ell, that was fun. Escalator fun.

You know, like when you’re a little kid, dragged to the mall for shopping and the closest thing to amusement are the stairs that slide you from one floor to the next? Compared

JACOB KLINGER CLEAR EYES. ONE HEART

to losing brain cells inhaling perfume, it’s a wild and reckless adventure. But really, as long as you don’t get your shoelaces caught at the end then you’re fine.

(If you had Velcro sneakers you were invincible, obviously.)

Watching Syracuse fight through the early part of its conference schedule hasn’t been all that different. A young-ish team has turned matchups

with some of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s worst teams into dramatic struggles. Great entertainment, but better teams would’ve been coasting into the heart of their season.

“We’ve got to play better, that’s the bottom line,” head coach Jim Boeheim said after SU’s 69-61 win over Boston College on Tuesday. “We’ve got to play better.”

He’s been saying that for much of the season and he’s been right for all of it, never more so than now.

Because when the Orange (14-5, 5-1 ACC) tips off against Miami (12-5, 2-2) at 4 p.m. on Saturday, it will start the stretch of the season from which there’s no turning back. It’s the part that determines whether you’ll be watching Syracuse on CBS in the middle of March, or on whatever channel shows the NIT. As a whole, the schedule only gets harder from here. And as much as that’s a testament to the strength of the ACC, it’s also a reminder that as far

as making the NCAA Tournament goes, SU has only held serve. The team has no quality wins to speak of, but it doesn’t have any embarrassing losses either.

It’s usually asinine to start NCAA Tournament projections in January — and it probably still is — but most schedules aren’t as back loaded as the Orange’s.

The average RPI of Syracuse’s ACC opponents as of Thursday is 128.6. The rest of SU’s conference slate averages out at 55.4. A quick look over the schedule shows four more games where I go, “OK, yeah, Syracuse should win that game.”

But the rest — including No. 15 North Carolina, No. 5 Duke twice, No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 10 Louisville and No. 2 Virginia — are the kinds of teams you’ll consider writing toward the end of your brackets in March.

Syracuse is and has been playing teams just hoping to be on that same piece of paper. There’s no turning back from here. Realistically, SU has to win a game it shouldn’t and also not screw up at the ACC tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina.

There are letdowns in difficulty left in the schedule, sure. SU gets to play Virginia Tech and Boston College again.

But those games will be relief from a level of play that Syracuse has showed it can compete at, but not escape a winner. And it’s worth mentioning that the Orange missed about as many free throws as possible without losing in its games against VT and BC. The last, most memorable time that Boeheim called out his players for needing to improve was after the Orange beat Louisiana Tech, 71-69, on Dec. 14.

“We’re not talking about running play X, Y into Z,” he said then. “We’re talking about — you have to see klinger page 14

4 january 23-24, 2015

the daily orange in the paint

POINT OF VIEW

MICHAEL GBINIJE has seen more time at point guard for Syracuse lately due to Kaleb Joseph’s inconsistent play during ACC competition. That, coupled with Chris McCullough’s injury, has led to Gbinije being called upon to score more often. His role with the Orange is much more defined than when the season began. chase gaewski staff photographer

Gbinije develops into reliable scorer, ball-handler as Syracuse’s crunch-time point guard

By Jesse Dougherty staff writer

M

ichael Gbinije is used to shifting his vantage point.

After playing at Duke his freshman year, Gbinije transferred to Syracuse and joined the Orange’s rotation after sitting out the 2012–13 season. His 6-foot-7 frame has seen him bounce from the top to the wing of SU’s zone and all over its offense since the start of last year. While Syracuse used to consider his offensive production an added bonus, it now depends on it.

The forward may laugh about his ever-evolving game, but Gbinije’s ability to navigate his newest adaptation could be the difference for the Orange offense moving forward. Syracuse (14-5, 5-1 Atlantic Coast) — starting with Miami (12-5, 2-2) in the Carrier Dome at 4 p.m. on Saturday — is nearing the meat of its conference schedule and can’t afford any off performances from its versatile forward.

SU is asking Gbinije to frequently move from the wing to the point guard position and maintain a scoring mindset in the process. He has no other choice but to approach the challenge head on.

“The team needs me to score,” Gbinije said after Syracuse beat Boston College on Tuesday. “Whether I’m handling the ball or off the

ball can’t matter. It’s an adjustment but not too much of one — just have to be able to see the floor in two different ways.”

At the onset of this season, Gbinije’s role wasn’t as defined.

SU head coach Jim Boeheim came down hard on the junior after a two-point performance against Loyola on Nov. 25. But at that time, he was also calling Gbinije a sixth man who “would get starter minutes.”

Freshman point guard Kaleb Joseph played more than 30 minutes in eight of Syracuse’s first 10 games and freshman forward Chris McCullough — who is out for the season with a torn ACL — scored in double-figures in the team’s first eight games.

With Joseph and McCullough adding to the offense early on, Gbinije wasn’t a primary scorer or playing point guard as often. But as the

turning point

50

As point guard Kaleb Joseph’s playing 40 time takes a nosedive in ACC play, forward Michael Gbinije has had to step up 30 more as a scorer while being the primary ball-handler. Here’s a game-by-game 20 comparison of Joseph’s minutes this season to Gbinije’s scoring totals.

10 MICHAEL GBINIJE’S POINTS PER GAME KALEB JOSEPH’S MINUTES PER GAME

0

time

Orange’s depth unraveled at the start of ACC play, though, Gbinije’s responsibilities ballooned.

“There’s no question that we need Mike more and more every game,” Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney said after SU beat Wake Forest on Jan. 13.

“When he’s playing point guard, he has to score and when he’s playing forward, he has to score.

“And he can — that’s Mike.”

It almost happened in conjunction — McCullough falling for the season and Joseph’s insufficiencies pushing the freshman point guard out of Boeheim’s crunch-time lineup.

With sophomore guard Ron Patterson barely producing when he replaces Joseph, Gbinije is bound to play point guard and wing in the same game and his output can’t dip as a result.

When SU called on Gbinije to play point guard last year, he had trouble with his ball-handling and decision-making. He gradually learned to see

the floor as a point guard before SU turned him into one of its main scoring options. Against Wake Forest, Gbinije handled the ball for the last 21 minutes of game time and scored 16 points in the second half and overtime.

In SU’s 69-61 win over the Eagles on Tuesday, Gbinije scored 11 first-half points primarily playing point guard and six second-half points from the wing.

He went from facilitating and scoring in the opening frame to slashing and shooting as a forward in the second, and the transition was relatively seamless.

“It was a matter of finding the right spots as a point guard and getting used to that spot,” Gbinije said. “Now I’ve done that and gotten used to and it feels natural. I don’t even think about it mid-game when I have to switch positions on offense.”

It’s hard to believe that Gbinije — who has scored in double figures in Syracuse’s last six games — collected under 10 points in five of the Orange’s first eight contests. That includes three games with two points and one with four, and a four-game stretch without making a 3.

The current version of the Orange couldn’t stomach that kind of lull from Gbinije. It instead needs him to balance two different roles in his brain and a bulk of the team’s scoring load on his back. jcdoug01@syr.edu | @dougherty_jesse

january 23-24, 2015 5

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Basketball provides escape for Newton after mother’s death

By Connor Grossman asst. copy editor

Ja’Quan Newton said he didn’t know much about the disease, he just thought it would go away.

His mother, Lisa Brown, was diagnosed with breast cancer in Newton’s sophomore year of high school. She went through chemotherapy for three years, still attending all of her son’s basketball games and still considered “team mom” by Newton’s teammates.

As her condition deteriorated, the basketball court became Newton’s sanctuary.

“When I played basketball I knew this was the place where I could get all my problems out of the way,” Newton said. “It was the place that with all the other things I’m going through, I don’t have to think about because I’m just playing basketball.”

Brown passed away the morning before Newton and his Neumann-Goretti (Pennsylvania) High School teammates were going to take the floor in the PIAA Class AAA championship game.

He scored 33 points in the final and it would be the last game he suited up for before beginning the next chapter of his basketball career with Miami. Newton has appeared in all but one game for the Hurricanes (12-5, 2-2 Atlantic Coast), which will visit Syracuse (14-5, 5-1) on Saturday at 4 p.m.

When I played basketball I knew this was the place where I could get all my problems out of the way.

It was the place that with all the other things I’m going through, I don’t have to think about because I’m just playing basketball.

Ja’Quan Newton miami guard

His new coach, Jim Larranaga, said he had his eye on Newton since before his junior year and knows the success Newton is capable of while dealing with personal hardships.

“Ja’Quan is a very, very good basketball player,” Larranaga said. “He’s got good size, good ball-handling skills and he’s very good at taking the ball to the basket.”

While picking up the tactical aspects of basketball from his father, Newton said it was his mother who shaped him into the competitor he is as a Division I basketball player, and the leader he was as a captain for Neumann-Goretti.

Brown always told her son to respect others because big things would happen if he stuck to that. With that in mind, Newton knew the best way he could pay respect to his mom.

“I knew I had to play in that game because that’s what she would’ve wanted,” Newton said.

“She wouldn’t have wanted me to not play.”

Newton told his head coach Carl Arrigale the day his mother passed that he needed to go to practice and be with his teammates.

Arrigale assured him he should stay home with

JA’QUAN NEWTON experienced great success on the court in 2014 and personal tragedy off it. Losing his mother the day before his high school state championship game, he scored a game-high 33 points in the overtime win. courtesy of hurricanesports.com

his family; he said he didn’t think basketball should take precedent.

But it did, and in the hours leading up to the game the next day, Arrigale said he decided it would be Newton’s day and that he would run the show.

Newton tried, at least, right from the start.

“Ja’Quan went right up and took one of the first shots of the game,” Arrigale said. “It was a mid-range jump shot from the left or right wing and it wasn’t even close.”

But after the early gaffe, Newton went on a roll to score 27 points in regulation — including the game-tying free throw with 1:19 left.

As the moment grows, so does Newton, Arrigale said. He sank four free throws and his team’s only basket in overtime to seal a 64-57 win. Newton checked out of the game in the final seconds, and as he sank back in the folding chair on the sidelines, he broke down to tears.

The rest of his team and his family consoled him and were brought to tears themselves as the final seconds wound down. Regardless, if Brown missed the championship game or the game before, when he became the all-time leading scorer at Neumann-Goretti, everyone knew they’d give their former “team mom” exactly what she wanted: a win.

“Everything that unfolded was like a movie. It gave me the chills,” Arrigale said. “It’s still giving me the chills.” cgrossma@syr.edu | @connorgrossman

33

points

scored by newton in the game after his mother’s death

6 january 23-24, 2015

the daily orange in the paint

Day looks to prove ability as reliable contributor off bench for SU

By Josh Hyber staff writer

Bria Day didn’t learn she was starting on Sunday until assistant coach Sasha Palmer told her about 10 minutes before tipoff.

With her sister Briana nursing an injured right foot she suffered in the team’s prior game against Wake Forest, Bria made her first career start for the Orange against Boston College.

Briana Day returned to the starting lineup for No. 23 SU (14-5, 4-2 Atlantic Coast) on Thursday night against Pittsburgh and will most likely start on Sunday when Syracuse hosts North Carolina State (12-7, 3-3) at 3 p.m. Still, Bria Day proved in her 11-rebound

I want to give Bria minutes regardless of foul trouble or not, because I think it’s important just to keep players’ minutes down.

Quentin Hillsman su head coach

performance against the Eagles she’s capable of competing with ACC post players.

“I want to give Bria minutes regardless of foul trouble or not, because I think it’s important just to keep players’ minutes down,” SU head coach Quentin Hillsman said. “Bria

is doing a good job of making an argument of getting more minutes and being able to stay on the court and help us.”

Despite Hillsman saying Bria Day — who made both of her shots in eight minutes of play in SU’s win over Pittsburgh on Thursday — has made a case for more minutes, she’s only averaged 11.1 per game this season. She averages just a point per game while her sister averages 10 points and 10 rebounds, but Bria Day said her scoring will come.

With Briana Day struggling with foul trouble recently — she fouled out in just 28 minutes against Wake Forest and picked up four fouls against both Notre Dame and Virginia — Hillsman has occasionally used 6-foot forward Taylor Ford at center. It’s a role she’s thrived in and defenses have to account for Ford’s 3-point shooting ability that Bria Day doesn’t possess.

But instead of preparing to fill in for her sister in the paint when she gets in foul trouble, Bria Day is focused on her own struggles in that area.

“That’s been the talk all year,” Bria Day said. “I think I’ve been getting into a lot of foul trouble. Now I realize I have to just be smart because we need to have someone who can come in and give Briana a break.”

That break may come Sunday against a more guard-oriented team like N.C. State, since the Wolfpack doesn’t have a rotation player taller than 6 feet, 1 inch. And if the 6-foot-4 Briana Day does find herself on the bench one way or another, she’s confident her sister and Ford can fill in just fine.

“I definitely have a lot of responsibility, but I don’t think it’s too much to handle because we have great other players to step in as well,” Briana Day said in November. “I think we all help each other out as far as us not being mature in the position, but I think we’re going to be pretty good.”

And though Hillsman admitted Briana Day probably could’ve played against Wake Forest, he and the team are confident in the options it has.

Ford has showed she can compensate for the starter’s absence in spurts and now it’s another reserve’s turn to show the same.

“We need to get Briana’s minutes down, and the more Bria can step up and help us in that position, the better team we’re going to become,” Hillsman said. “Any time she can give us that type of productivity on the floor, it’s a big plus for us.” jmhyber@syr.edu

BRIA DAY has averaged just over 11 minutes per game, but is likely to get increased playing time. She believes she can be a scoring threat. margaret lin web developer

january 23-24, 2015 7

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Transfers McClellan, Rodriguez fit seamlessly into Miami offense

By Chris Libonati staff writer

On one end of the phone was Angel Rodriguez, who had just been granted a release from Kansas State. On the other end was Miami head coach Jim Larranaga, who had five scholarships available in the spring of 2013.

“How scary was it when we had five scholarships in the spring?” Larranaga said. “Five! I’m like, ‘Who’re we getting in the springtime?’”

Rodriguez was the first recruit to come knocking. He in turn recruited Sheldon McClellan, who was transferring from Texas.

On McClellan’s visit, Rodriguez was his host.

Among a roster with nine new players — four freshmen and five transfers — Rodriguez and McClellan represent the mold for how to integrate transfers into a system. They’re No. 1 and No. 2 on the team in scoring, assists and steals per game.

Together, they’ve helped lead Miami (12-5, 2-2) to wins over then-No. 8 Florida and then-No. 4 Duke.

“I’m grateful that I had him when I was

When you play against guys, I don’t think you’re supposed to be best friends. And I told him he looked kind of arrogant. He said the same thing about me.

Angel Rodriguez miami guard

sitting out,” Rodriguez said of McClellan.

“Because I think we both made each other’s transfer year a lot easier than what it normally would be if you do it by yourself.”

Rodriguez and McClellan weren’t always friends — they started out as opponents in the Big 12. Although they had never spoken, the

two shared a communal dislike.

“When you play against guys, I don’t think you’re supposed to be best friends,” Rodriguez said. “And I told him he looked kind of arrogant. He said the same thing about me.”

But two separate situations brought them together. McClellan realized he wanted to transfer late in his sophomore season because he didn’t get the playing time he desired.

Rodriguez had no plans to leave Kansas State after his sophomore season, but his mother had family trouble in Puerto Rico. In a snap decision over the course of a day, Rodriguez decided to transfer. His mother wanted him closer to home, and Miami was as close as he could have gotten.

Miami was the only school Rodriguez wanted to transfer to, and Larranaga had significant interest in Rodriguez. On his first visit to Miami, Rodriguez committed, signing his paperwork.

“When I found out that he transferred to Miami,” McClellan said, “That kind of led me to the school because I wanted to play with him because I knew that he was a competitor.”

Rodriguez recalls the very first time he played with McClellan and the two made an instant connection. Rodriguez was able to find McClellan open throughout the practice and the two just clicked, he said.

Larranaga allows players to have freedom in Miami’s offense. In practice, he teaches the team how to play offense, but when it comes time for the game, leaves it up to his players to make plays.

On Jan. 13 versus Duke, Rodriguez stole a baseline inbound pass with one minute left, dribbled around three defenders and stumbled to the right of the paint. The lone defender slid to Rodriguez, McClellan cut along the baseline to the net and Rodriguez lobbed an alley-oop pass.

As McClellan peaked in his jump, Miami’s lead peaked, as he emphatically punctuated an 88-68 lead.

“I just see him go, and once I see him running, I know he’s looking for it,” Rodriguez said. “… I just see him. It’s a natural thing.” cjlibona@syr.edu

jumping right in Miami relies more on newcomers — mostly transfers Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez — for its scoring than any other ACC team. Here’s a breakdown of the percentages of how much scoring comes from each ACC team’s newcomers.

NOTRE DAME: 6.6% *these statistics were compiled before the start of PITTSBURGH: 10.3% thursday night’s games.

VIRGINIA: 11.5% LOUISVILLE: 13.1% CLEMSON: 18.1% NORTH CAROLINA: 20.4% SYRACUSE: 22.7% BOSTON COLLEGE: 34.4% FLORIDA STATE: 35.1% N.C. STATE: 39.3% WAKE FOREST: 46.8% DUKE: 51.7% VIRGINIA TECH: 53.5% GEORGIA TECH: 55% MIAMI: 72.5%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

SCORING PERCENTAGES

80

(FROM LEFT) SHELDON MCCLELLAN AND ANGEL RODRIGUEZ transferred to Miami this year and have been an offensive force for UM. courtesy of hurricanesports.com

SYRACUSE’S REMAINING 2015 SCHEDULE Jan. 24

vs. Miami

Feb. 7

@ Pittsburgh

Feb. 18

Jan. 26

@ No. 15 North Carolina

Feb. 3

vs. Virginia Tech

vs. No. 10 Louisville

Feb. 28

Feb. 11

@ Boston College

Feb. 14

vs. No. 5 Duke

Feb. 21

vs. Pittsburgh

March 2

vs. No. 2 Virginia

Feb. 24

@ No. 8 Notre Dame

March 7

@ NC State

@ No. 5 Duke

TREVOR COONEY

chase gaewski staff photographer

PART 1 OF 3

10 january 23-24, 2015

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A look at some of the Top 25 teams’ highcompetition matchups across the country

Dayton, pictured above in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, has cracked the Associated Press Top 25 this season and is taking on Richmond on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Flyers had an eight-game winning streak snapped by Davidson on Tuesday and are looking to lengthen their lead in the Atlantic 10. Dayton’s 12 remaining games are all in-conference. daily orange file photo

No. 11 Kansas (15-3, 4-1 Big 12) at No. 17 Texas (14-4, 3-2), Saturday, 2 p.m.

Richmond (10-8, 3-2 Atlantic 10) at No. 22 Dayton (15-3, 5-1), Saturday, 7 p.m.

The Jayhawks are coming off a bounce-back win over No. 19 Oklahoma after losing to Iowa State on Jan. 17. Though KU has won six of its last seven games, it’s just 2-2 in true road games this season. The Longhorns have four players averaging in double figures, but none with more than 12 points per game. Though UT ranks 124th in Division I in points per game, it is fourth in rebounds per contest with 42.8.

If Richmond were to win this game, it would be the Spiders’ first road win of the season.

The Flyers average nearly 70 points per game and allow just 59.1, second-best in the Atlantic 10. Dayton is coming off a 17-point loss to Davidson and looks to bounce back against the Spiders.

No. 19 Oklahoma (12-6, 3-3 Big 12) at No. 21 Baylor (14-4, 2-3), Saturday, 6 p.m.

No. 1 Kentucky (18-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) at South Carolina (10-7, 1-4), Saturday, 12 p.m.

Buddy Hield has averaged 26.3 points in the Sooners’ last four games, but OU has lost three of them. While Hield has emerged as Oklahoma’s most dangerous scoring threat, he is the only player on the team averaging more than 13 points per game. Regardless, the Sooners average 73.3 points per game — four more than Baylor. But the Bears have the 19th-best scoring defense in Division I. BU’s Rico Gathers collects 12.2 boards a game and could be a key factor for the fifth-best rebounding team in the country.

South Carolina has lost three of its last four games, but the last three games have come down to a total of nine points. Kentucky has yet to lose, but two of the Wildcats’ conference games have gone into overtime. And though UK is unblemished so far and South Carolina only has one SEC win, the Gamecocks did beat No. 9 Iowa State on Jan. 3. If USC were to pull off the upset, it would have to overcome its lowly averages: no one on South Carolina averages more than 12 points a game or six rebounds per contest.

No. 6 Wisconsin (17-2, 5-1 Big Ten) at Michigan (12-7, 5-2), Saturday, 7 p.m.

No. 7 Arizona (9-9, 1-4 Pac-12) at California (11-7, 1-4), Saturday, 10:30 p.m.

The Badgers’ Frank Kaminsky is among the nation’s best players, and for good reason.

The 7-foot forward leads Wisconsin in points, rebounds, steals and blocks. In two games against Michigan last season, Kaminsky averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. This year, the Wolverines rank 300th in rebounds per game and in two previous games this season against Top 25 teams, UM lost twice.

After being upset 58-56 by Oregon State on Jan. 11, Arizona has won three straight games.

While the Wildcats are second in the Pac-12 in both scoring margin and field-goal percentage, California has lost seven of its last eight games.

The Golden Bears are led in scoring by junior guard Tyrone Wallace and will likely need a big game from him to pull off the upset.

- Compiled by Paul Schwedelson, asst. copy editor, pmschwed@syr.edu

january 23-24, 2015 11

the daily orange in the paint

MIAMI AT SYRACUSE

11 january 17-18, 2014

(13-5)

the daily orange in the paint

(14-5)

CARRIER DOME, 4 P.M., ESPN2

STARTING LINEUPS POINT GUARD

POWER FORWARD

KALEB JOSEPH

6-3, 165, FR. 7.1 PPG, 4.9 APG

ANGEL RODRIGUEZ

5-11, 180, JR. 14.5 PPG, 4.3 APG

TYLER ROBERSON

Syracuse’s freshman play-caller has yet to establish himself as a consistent finisher, as he’s often by Jim Boeheim’s side as games tick down.

Ron Patterson has played instead, and Michael Gbinije has shouldered the scoring load that would ideally lie with Joseph. On Miami’s end, Rodriguez has two more years of experience.

Advantage: Miami

6-8, 212, SO. 6.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG

JOE THOMAS

6-7, 245, GR. 1.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG

TYLER JOE ROBERSON THOMAS

SHOOTING GUARD

TREVOR COONEY

6-4, 195, JR. 14.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG

MANU LECOMTE

5-11, 170, SO. 9.8 PPG, 1.8 RPG

Miami’s two-guard has significantly better percentages from the field.

Lecomte boasts a 46.3 percent mark from the field and 44.3 percent from deep, while Cooney shoots 37.7 percent from both. If SU’s shooter can’t turn in a 7-for-11 game like he did against Florida State, Lecomte may very well have the better day.

Advantage: Miami

6-9, 250, SR. 18 PPG, 8.9 RPG

TONYE JEKIRI

RAKEEM CHRISTMAS

7-0, 244, JR. 7.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG

TONYE JEKIRI

SMALL FORWARD

MICHAEL GBINIJE

6-7, 200, JR. 10.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG

SHELDON MCCLELLAN

6-5, 205, JR 15.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG

TREVOR COONEY

JIM BOEHEIM

MANU LECOMTE

958 - 324

JIM LARRANAGA 520 - 350

MICHAEL SHELDON GBINIJE MCCLELLAN

PREDICTIONS

STATS TO KNOW

PHIL D’ABBRACCIO (16-3)

260 175 28.9

SYRACUSE 61, MIAMI 58

Raining oranges A tropical storm is making its way to central New York, but at least Syracuse has an emergency shelter — as insecure as it may be — in the Carrier Dome to hide in for the time being. SU dodges the first wave of challenging ACC play, but might be better off evacuating before the serious downpour comes.

JESSE DOUGHERTY (16-3) SYRACUSE 64, MIAMI 59

Braving the storm Miami has had some seriously impressive wins but also some equally unimpressive losses so far this season. Syracuse is the benefactor of the latter on Saturday, as Michael Gbinije provides a matchup problem for the Hurricanes three-guard lineup. Angel Rodriguez has been doing his thing this season, but he hasn’t faced the Orange’s zone. And when he starts settling for deep triples, Miami’s offense permanently stalls.

JACOB KLINGER (16-3) MIAMI 63, SYRACUSE 61

U already know SU gets off to a slow start and the Hurricanes don’t give it enough of a chance to recover. Miami meets an opponent that can’t contain, but won’t be dominated by Rakeem Christmas. Any sluggish shooting by SU gets punished by the 37 percent from 3 Miami shoots. And the season starts to look really queasy for SU fans.

at NORTH CAROLINA

Jekiri will be one of the tougher tests SU’s big man has faced, but Christmas is up there with the hottest post players in the nation. Jekiri averages in double digits on the boards, but with the way Christmas’ shots are falling, Jekiri may not have that many chances to grab defensive boards.

Advantage: Syracuse

HEAD COACH

This one’s going to be close, folks.

Gbinije has arguably been SU’s most versatile offensive option and McClellan is the Hurricanes’ top weapon on offense. While Gbinije is a fairly consistent player for the Orange, Miami’s combo guard shoots a staggering 52.7 percent from the field.

Advantage: Miami

JAN. 26

CENTER

RAKEEM CHRISTMAS

KALEB ANGEL JOSEPH RODRIGUEZ

Thomas is no offensive threat by any means, and although Roberson has shown patches of incompetence, he should have the edge. When the SU sophomore isn’t hesitantly pulling up for midrange jumpers, he is effective near the rim and should abide by that strategy on Saturday as well.

Advantage: Syracuse

FEB. 3 vs VIRGINA TECH

Last time Larranaga took his Hurricanes to the Dome, his team held Syracuse to 49 total points, its lowest output of the 2013–14 season.

Still, UM was held to 44 in that game.

Despite the Hurricanes’ current shooters, Jim Boeheim can only be outcoached by a select few — if that.

Advantage: Syracuse

FREE THROWS It took Chinonso Obokoh seven games to miss a shot. He made his first four from the field in his SU career.

Fouls committed by Miami, 10th fewest in the nation. Syracuse has 282, which is good for 40th.

Turnovers committed by Miami, which is eighth fewest in the country.

The Hurricanes have no seniors. And 10 of their players are either freshmen or transfers.

Syracuse’s 3-point shooting defense, which is 18th best at the Division I level.

THEY SAID IT

CAN’T CLOSE

SU has outscored its opponents by a combined 141 points in the first half of games this season; but by only 39 in the second half.

We’ve got to play better, that’s the bottom line.

We’ve got to play better.

FIRST HALF SECOND HALF

Jim Boeheim 0

30

60

90

100

120

150

su head coach

POINTS

FEB. 7 at PITTSBURGH

FEB. 11 at BOSTON COLLEGE

FEB. 14 vs DUKE

12 january 23-24, 2015

the daily orange in the paint

time machine

Providence shocks Orangemen in Carrier Dome in January 1990 Editor’s note: The article below is a republished story from The Daily Orange’s Jan. 22, 1990 edition. Then-editor Rob Guyette wrote it on Syracuse’s last-second loss to Providence in the Carrier Dome two days before. A shortened version of the story has been republished for space considerations. The photo appears as it was printed in 1990.

This game was based on a true story.

The names and places have been changed, but not to protect the innocent. Some, in fact, are very guilty.

And these people are not actors. They are the actual people whose actions on the night of January 20, 1990, decided the outcome of this game.

The setting — The Carrier Dome, a place where SU had won 26 of its last 28 games.

The goat — Dave Johnson, who missed the free throw with 33 seconds left and the Orange leading by one 86-85.

The coach — Rick Barnes, who elected not to call a time-out to set up the final play.

The hero — Eric Murdock, who hit the game-winning jump shot with three seconds left and stayed the hero when Richard Manning missed a five-foot jump shot at the buzzer.

The SuperDome, Derrick Coleman, Bobby Knight and Keith Smart wrote this story for the first time, at the 1987 NCAA Championship game. And while Saturday’s game may not have had the implications of its predecessor, the Friars put on a national championship-like celebration after they ended SU’s 21-game dominance of the series with the 87-86 win before

32, 401 at Dome.

Providence, 11-4 overall and 4-2 Big East, had not beaten Syracuse, 12-3 and 3-3, since Big East play began in 1979, a streak which included a 77-63 Orange win in the 1987 national semifinal, two days before the Hoosier heartbreak.

“Obviously it’s a great win for our program,” PC coach Rick Barnes said. “We just did what we had to do and I’ll tell you, we deserved this win because God knows how many games we’ve lost like this.”

The Friars first three losses this season were by a total of four points.

“It’s a very special win,” Murdock said.

“Coming in here and doing it for the first time makes it even better.”

After Johnson’s miss, the Friars made it clear they were going to hold the ball for one final shot. Point guard Calton Screen dribbled uncontested on the left sidelines 25 feet away from the basket as the clock ticked down into single digits.

With eight seconds left, Screen headed right and found Murdock coming off a Marty Conlon screen. Murdock took the ball 20 feet from the basket, hesitated, faked, drove, pulled up at the foul line, and drilled the 15-footer.

“We don’t call time-outs in that situation,” Murdock said. “The clock got down to like 10 seconds and we had to get into it. I just came off the pick and three guys came after me. (The play) is designed to get either Marty Conlon on the blocks or me off the double screen.

“I was going to go for three but I pump faked and moved in for the basket. It worked well.”

ERIC MURDOCK drives to the hoop against Syracuse defenders Derrick Coleman and LeRon Ellis. Murdock scored the game-winning buzzer-beater. daily orange file photo

the daily orange in the paint

AROUND

THE ACC

Wake Forest (9-10, 1-5) at Clemson (10-9, 2-4), Saturday, noon

Boston College (8-9, 0-5) at Georgia Tech (9-9, 0-6), Sunday, 1 p.m.

The start of the Demon Deacons’ ACC schedule has been unforgiving. Louisville, Duke, Syracuse and North Carolina have all put a dent into Wake Forest’s ACC schedule, but the Demon Deacons managed to put up a decent fight and only lost one of those games by more than nine points. The Tigers, on the other hand, have knocked off Syracuse and Pittsburgh in conference play but have yet to string together a winning streak of more than three games.

It’ll be a battle of the bottom-feeders in Atlanta on Sunday afternoon. Fresh off an eight-point loss to Syracuse on Tuesday, Boston College is still looking to get in the conference-win column. Victories over in-state opponents Harvard and Massachusetts-Lowell are the Eagles’ only bright spots in an ongoing eight-game stretch that includes six losses. Similarly, the Yellow Jackets have lost seven of their last eight and are also still scrapping to break through with their first ACC win.

Florida State (10-9, 2-4) at No. 15 North Carolina (15-4, 5-1), Saturday, 2 p.m.

The Seminoles snapped a three-game skid with a win over Clemson on Monday, but now battle a Tar Heels squad that has won nine of its last 10 — highlighted by an upset of then-No. 5 Louisville on Jan. 10. UNC has four players averaging double-digit scoring and is led by point guard Marcus Paige, the ACC’s preseason player of the year who scored a season-high 23 points against North Carolina State on Jan. 14.

No. 2 Virginia (18-0, 6-0) at Virginia Tech (8-10, 0-5), Sunday, 1 p.m.

The Cavaliers rolled through their nonconference competition, have fended off Miami in double overtime, overcame No. 13 Notre Dame on the road and trounced Georgia Tech on Thursday night to push their unbeaten start to 18 games. UVA boasts the best scoring defense in the country and leads the ACC’s runner up by about seven points per game. The Hokies have come up empty in

january 23-24, 2015 1 3

As Syracuse begins its tough run of ACC play, a look at the rest of the conference’s lineup this weekend

each ACC game thus far and will be hardpressed to snap that drought against their in-state rival Sunday.

No. 5 Duke (16-2, 4-2) at St. John’s (13-5, 2-4 Big East), Sunday, 2 p.m.

After suffering its first two losses of the year last week, Duke has bounced back with triumphs over Louisville — after a mid-game switch to a 2-3 zone, a la Jim Boeheim — and Pittsburgh. Now, ACC player of the year favorite Jahlil Okafor and the Blue Devils get a one-game respite from their ACC slate to take on St. John’s at Madison Square Garden.

The Red Storm won 11 of its first 12, but has since dropped four of its last six matchups as conference play kicked off. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski will be going for his 1,000th career win.

No. 10 Louisville (15-3, 3-2) at Pittsburgh (13-7, 3-3), Sunday, 4 p.m.

Following an 11-0 start, all three of the Cardinals’ losses are to top 20 teams. UofL features four players that average better than 12

points per game, spearheaded by sophomore guard Terry Rozier’s 17.4 scoring average — which is third best in the league. The Panthers find themselves near the middle of the pack in the ACC, but despite taking six losses so far this season, Pittsburgh has not lost back-to-back games yet. Louisville threatens to end that trend.

No. 8 Notre Dame (18-2, 6-1) at N.C. State (13-7, 4-3), Sunday, 6:30 p.m.

A one-point loss to Providence on Nov. 23 and a narrow loss to Virginia are the only blemishes on the Fighting Irish’s performance this year. UND holds the top field-goal percentage, top 3-point shooting percentage and the second-best scoring offense in the ACC. The Wolfpack, despite its upset of Duke and near-defeat of North Carolina, has struggled to find consistency. Since its win over Charleston Southern on Dec. 12, NCSU has followed up each win with a loss and each loss with a win, a 12-game-long string of back-andforth basketball.

- Compiled by Phil D’Abbraccio, sports editor, pmdabbra@syr.edu.

14 january 23-24, 2015

the daily orange in the paint

from page 3

klinger catch the ball. And if you can’t catch the ball, we can’t play, we can’t win.”

SU is definitely catching the ball now.

Kaleb Joseph looks like a generally well-adjusted college point guard, Trevor Cooney has given teams more reason to fear him and Rakeem Christmas has emerged as one of the best big men in the country.

Now, when Boeheim analyzes his team’s

breakdowns, he’s talking about missing cuts to the basket against holes his team tore open in opposing defenses.

Starting Saturday, though, those opponents are teams that will gladly grab SU by its untied laces, drag them into the escalator void and bash the Orange against the floor until the season ends.

Jacob Klinger is the development editor at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at jmklinge@ syr.edu or on Twitter at @Jacob_Klinger_.

VIRGINIA TECH - 211

The RPI of Syracuse's ACC opponents to date is far worse than that of SU's conference opponents to come. Here's how the RPI of the Orange's first six in-conference opponents compares to the RPI of its next 12 foes.

DUKE - 6

NORTH CAROLINA STATE - 38

PITTSBURGH - 64

NOTRE DAME - 40

VIRGINIA - 2

DUKE - 6

LOUISVILLE - 30

200

PITTSBURGH - 64

MIAMI (FL) - 54

NORTH CAROLINA - 10

BOSTON COLLEGE - 132

250

BOSTON COLLEGE - 132

CLEMSON - 93

WAKE FOREST - 136

FLORIDA STATE - 121

GEORGIA TECH - 74

VIRGINIA TECH - 211

just getting started

150 RPI

100

50

0

19th Annual CNY Brewfest eries 69 different craft brewbeers over 200

$35 advance tickets are available at: •Middle Ages Brewing Co. •The Blue Tusk •Empire Brewing Co. •Syracuse Suds •Party Source •Clarkʼs Ale House •World of Beer

Live music by Rob and the Jʼs!

Food available for purchase Proof of age required 21+ only

Saturday, January 31st, 2015 NYS Fairgrounds Horticulture Building 1st Session: 1PM - 4PM 2nd Session: 6PM - 9PM

Tickets are $40 at the door.

Contact Bill at 315-471-6588 or bnewman@nede.net or mickeywyso@aol.com or LNewman2@twcny.rr.com for more info

the daily orange in the paint

women’s basketball

Syracuse uses 2nd-half run to hold off Pittsburgh on road

By Josh Hyber staff writer

It’s been a down season for Syracuse small forward Brianna Butler. But on Thursday she put herself back on the ascent.

Twice in the final 10 minutes of the second half in SU’s game against Pittsburgh, the small forward hit a go-ahead shot with the game tied. The second came with 5:59 to go in regulation, and gave the Orange a lead it didn’t relinquish.

That’s about heart and hustle. We didn’t knock them down, but we knocked down the two that mattered to put the game away.

Quentin Hillsman su head coach

Butler finished with 14 points — including 4-of-9 from beyond the arc — sharing scoring duties with point guard Alexis Peterson, who also finished with 14. The two led the No. 23 Orange (14-5, 4-2 Atlantic Coast) to a 68-60 victory over the Panthers (12-6, 2-3) at the Peter-

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son Events Center in Pittsburgh on Thursday.

“Our kids just gutted it out,” Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman said. “It was a game that was pretty much won in the last four minutes. I thought we made some great, timely plays.”

Syracuse led 52-46 with nine minutes to go in regulation, but Panthers forward Monica Wignot knocked down back-to-back 3s to tie the score at 52 with 7:19 remaining.

With the score tied again at 54, Butler hit the aforementioned 3 with 5:59 left to give the visitors a 57-54 lead.

“Butler just continued to be aggressive, and we needed her to be aggressive,” Hillsman said. “And that was the key to the game for us. Her being aggressive and getting shots up early, I thought she got us going.”

Peterson then scored five straight points for SU to give the Orange a 62-56 lead with 4:36 left.

Hanging on to a six-point lead, the Orange missed four free throws in the game’s final minute — three from Peterson and one from Diamond Henderson. But Cornelia Fondren and Henderson grabbed offensive rebounds on two Peterson misses.

Peterson then sank two free throws with 30 seconds left to seal the victory.

“That’s about heart and hustle,” Hillsman said.

“We didn’t knock them down, but we knocked down the two that mattered to put the game away.” jmhyber@syr.edu

WANT LIVE GAME COVERAGE? Check out dailyorange.com for more

january 23-24, 2015 1 5

16 january 23-24, 2015

the daily orange in the paint

2015 ROSTER SYRACUSE

MIAMI

Number Name

Position

Year

Number Name

Position

Year

0

Michael Gbinije

F

Junior

0

Ja’Quan Newton

G

Freshman

1

Mike Sutton

G

Freshman

1

Deandre Burnett

G

Freshman

2

B.J. Johnson

F

Sophomore

2

Joe Thomas

F

Graduate

3

Carter Sanderson

G

Graduate

5

Davon Reed

G

Sophomore

4

Ron Patterson

G

Sophomore

10

Sheldon McClellan

G

Junior

5

Chris McCullough

F

Freshman

11

Mike Fernandez

G

Sophomore

10

Trevor Cooney

G

Junior

13

Christian White

G

Junior

12

ames Palmer

G

Freshman

14

Kaleb Joseph

G

Freshman

13

Angel Rodriguez

G

Junior

21

Tyler Roberson

F

Sophomore

20

Manu Lecomte

G

Sophomore

25

Rakeem Christmas

F

Senior

21

Kamari Murphy

F

Junior

32

DaJuan Coleman

F

Junior

22

Omar Sherman

F

Freshman

33

Albert Nassar

F

Senior

23

Tonye Jekiri

C

Junior

34

Doyin Akintobi-Adeyeye

F

Senior

33

Ivan Cruz Uceda

F

Junior

35

Chinonso Obokoh

C

Sophomore

35

Chris Stowell

F

Freshman