Author: Damon Amendolara
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Gottlieb says Boeheim Should Retire and Rivals Recruit Against “Daddy Ball”
This has gotten ugly for Syracuse hoops. The season is skidding off the road, and out of the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse fans have started grumbling about when Jim Boeheim might finally call it quits. And Doug Gottlieb says rivals are using Boeheim against him on the recruiting trail. In a Field of 68 Podcast longtime…
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Why New WR Coach Michael Johnson Is a Key Addition for SU
Tuesday morning CFB Insider Pete Thamel tweeted Syracuse had added FAU’s Michael Johnson to its coaching staff. Even though some may overlook the importance of a positional coach, Orange fans should pay attention to this. Johnson has experience as a hungry recruiter at bigger programs, and as an offensive coordinator in the NFL. This is…
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Jackpot! How did Syracuse Beat Bama and Others to Francois Nolton?
It’s enough to make you refresh the page and make sure you’re not misreading the headline. “Syracuse beats Alabama for 4-star lineman Francois Nolton.” That level of talent rarely comes through SU, but more than that, almost never beats powers like Alabama, LSU, Penn State and A&M to a recruit. All of those schools, among…
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Syracuse Rips Brown 93-62 in First Game Back, Climbs Back Over .500
The last time we saw Syracuse on the court was more than two weeks ago against Georgetown, the disappointing 79-75 loss. So the Orange ripping up Brown 93-62 was an encouraging sign, pushing SU above .500 again at 6-5. The Bears aren’t a pushover Ivy League team, with a few tight losses to high major…
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The Strange Saga of Zion Cruz is the Last Big Mystery in the Class of ’22
Appropriately, Zion Cruz is the last great mystery for the Class of ’22. For months we’ve documented the many twists and turns of his recruitment. Syracuse was high on him early, and he seemed like the perfect Orange point guard. He’s a gritty floor general with the flare for the dramatic who was born and…
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Claw Marks: Villanova Runs Away from Syracuse in 2nd Half at MSG
Long range shooting and dominance on the glass were the ingredients in a Villanova win over Syracuse at MSG 67-53. All was well in the first half, as SU harassed the Wildcats into poor shooting and the Orange held a 29-26 lead at the break. But Nova went white hot in the second half, shooting…
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Will Syracuse Ever Dig Out of the Recruiting Basement with Babers?
Syracuse announced Dino Babers is staying as coach for another year, and the news wasn’t all that surprising. Despite the depressing three-game skid to end the season, the Orange being 5-4 seemed to lock in Babers for ’22. The improvement from last season was obvious, and with a few minor strokes of luck the Orange…
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Anatomy of a Disaster: How in the World Did Syracuse Lose to Colgate?
Fifty-four games. Fifty-nine freaking years. That’s how long the winning streak had been over Colgate. Last night, it went up in a puff of dust like LeBron James clapping at the scorer’s table. How could something like that happen, especially with one of the better teams Syracuse has seemingly had in years? Start off with…
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Could Jim Mora at UConn Hurt Syracuse Recruiting?
UConn is still laboring on the hamster wheel of college football, insisting it will get somewhere despite running in place for so long. The latest swing is the hire of Jim Mora Jr., who spent 6 seasons at UCLA going 46-30, and 29-24 in the Pac-12. In his first four seasons with the Bruins he…
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Blowout Babers: Why Does Dino Get Routed So Often?
It was all ugly on Saturday for Syracuse. The Orange need just a single win over the last three weeks of the season, but the best chance perhaps to get a victory went up in smoke at Louisville 41-3. Malik Cunningham was a knife cutting through a solid SU defense, combining for 5 TDs on…
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Did Syracuse Go All-In for the Class of ’22 Because It’s Boeheim’s Finale?
The Class of ’22 is historic for Syracuse, not only in its size but also its national ranking. Jim Boeheim suggested it could be perhaps his best class ever, and its currently 14th overall and 4th in the ACC according to 247 Sports. Other places have them rated close to the top 10. Most of…
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Syracuse projected to inaugural Fenway Bowl vs. UCF
At 5-4, Syracuse’s season has been a thousand times better than most could have imagined. Coming off the disastrous 1-win campaign last year, not much was expected of this year’s squad. Yet, with three games to go, the Orange are one win away from a likely bowl game. None of the three games will be…
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Can the Class of ’22 Bring an ACC Title to the Carrier Dome?
Chris Bunch is bring optimism to Syracuse hoops. The recent commit told Mike McAllister he believes the incoming talent is enough to win the ACC next year. “I think we can really be the best team in the ACC if I’m being perfectly honest. I never really believed in the blue bloods or all that…
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When exactly did Syracuse lose 4-star Chance Westry?
Once upon a time Syracuse was a legitimate threat to land Chance Westry. The highly-touted 4-star prospect from Harrisburg, PA chose Auburn on Sunday, and the Orange seemed to be out of sight, out of mind. Westry is ranked 39th overall by 247Sports and 31st in the composite ranking. He becomes the 4th highest rated…
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Syracuse Recruiting Proving It’s Scouting Is Excellent
Plenty of high school studs never pan out as college stars. Projecting how a 17 or 18-year-old will compete against his peers at the next level can be a crap shoot. Players need the right fit, and are adjusting to life away from home for the first time in many cases. (Although that is fading…
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The Boeheim Bunch: Where Does Syracuse’s Class Rank After Big Commitment?
Chris Bunch rounded out an amazing recruiting class for Syracuse when he committed on Thursday. The Orange now have elite talent at every position on the floor coming in next season (assuming they all sign their LOIs). With the addition of Bunch, Syracuse’s class is now a top 10 group. 247 Sports jumped them to…
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Crystal Ball Prediction for 4-Star Chris Bunch
In just a few hours 4-star wing Chris Bunch will choose between Syracuse, Washington and Rutgers. The Orange would round out an impressive Class of ’22 if Bunch joins. They already have a quartet of talent coming in, with the last open position in the starting five coming at SF. Point Quadir Copeland, shooting guard…
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Will Tommy DeVito’s Transfer Hurt Syracuse Recruiting?
February 1, 2017 was supposed to be a turning point in Syracuse football history. Dino Babers had just wrapped up his first season and gone 4-8 with Scott Shafer’s roster. Babers had immediately injected energy into the program, like gulping down a 5-Hour Energy. He was far more quotable than the buttoned-down Shafer, and instead…
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Chris Bunch Will Decide Thursday, Here’s the Scouting Report
Syracuse’s Class of ’22 is getting full, but there might still be room for one more. Just days after 3-star Maliq Brown decided on the Orange, Chris Bunch will make his choice. Thursday at 5p the 4-star, 6’7″ small forward will decide between SU, Washington and Rutgers. It’s an interesting trio for Syracuse to be…
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Maliq Brown Adds Grit to Syracuse’s Deep Class of 2022
In front of a large crowd at Blue Ridge HS in Virginia, 3-star recruit Maliq Brown chose Syracuse to add more firepower to the Class of ’22. He’s been lauded for his 7-foot wingspan and elite defensive ability. The Orange staff has already discussed with him how he’ll defend on the wing in the 2-3…
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JJ Starling’s Stress Level Was at a “20” Before Choosing Notre Dame
Watching a top 30 recruit from Baldwinsville choose another ACC school was a tough pill to swallow this week. JJ Starling chose Notre Dame from among a finalists group of 5, which included his hometown Syracuse. How did a CNY native who had more official visits to SU than any other school get away? His…
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JJ Starling Chooses Notre Dame, What’s Next for Syracuse?
JJ Starling knew how to build the drama, whether it was intentional or not. His announcement was supposed to come down at 5p ET, but technical difficulties delayed the decision for 11 grueling minutes as fans and media flooded Paul Biancardi’s Instagram account. After it all Starling, a top 30 combo guard who originally hails…
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Can Syracuse Survive These Heartbreaking Losses?
There’s not many gimmes on the Syracuse schedule. Two weeks ago fans could dream of a bowl game. At 3-1 the work had been done in the non-conference season, a foundation had been built. Today, it’s a little bleaker. The Orange have lost a pair of three-point games, at Florida State and home to Wake…
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Will Maliq Brown’s Friendship with Justin Taylor Make the Difference for SU?
The Class of ’22 already has solid talent from top to bottom for Syracuse. Sharpshooter Justin Taylor can bomb from downtown. Gritty guard Quadir Copeland can find the open man. Big man Peter Carey can run the floor and has big upside. And maybe there’s more to come? The Fizz has already documented Chris Bunch,…
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Here’s What Chris Bunch is Saying About His Final Three Schools
Top 100 recruit Chris Bunch could be the final piece of the Syracuse Class of ’22. It’s a group that already has talent and upside, but could really benefit from one final elite player. Bunch is a 6’7″ small forward out of California and announced his final three schools are Syracuse, Rutgers and Washington. Just…
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Look Out, Here Comes Memphis In the Zion Cruz Race
Penny Hardaway has yet to win a national championship. In fact, he has yet to earn a Final Four or even an NCAA Tournament berth. But college basketball has rocked back and forth since he took the Memphis job, as he brought with him immediate recruiting ties to the best players in the country. He…
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The Morning After: Reaction to Syracuse’s Heartbreaking Loss to FSU
It was a game Syracuse desperately needed for bowl eligibility. Florida State had put all of its problems on display for the nation to laugh at through the first month of the season. But even an embattled Mike Norvell and one of the sloppiest Seminoles teams of the last forty years found a way to…
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Ranking the Competition of JJ Starling’s 5 Final Schools
JJ Starling is a Central New York native, a 6’4″ combo guard from Baldwinsville who is a consensus top-40 recruit in the country. The rollercoaster of Syracuse’s 2022 Class has been thoroughly covered, from the highs of Kamari Lands, Justin Taylor and Quadir Copeland’s commitments, to the departure of Lands, Arthur Kaluma’s decision, the loss…
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Don’t Be Fooled, Peter Carey Had Interest From These High Major Programs
There may be a misleading narrative out there that new Syracuse commit Peter Carey had no other elite schools interested. The 7-foot center from Massachusetts seemed to only have one other high-major offer from Rutgers, and then scholarships from A-10 schools and smaller. Carey never had a major profile on the recruiting sites, so when…
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Big One! How the SU Fans Helped Land 7-Footer Peter Carey
Congrats to the hard core faithful who made the trip to the Dome on Friday night. While you were there to root on the football team to an important win over Liberty, you also helped in another area. Orange Nation inside the Dome assisted in getting a commitment today from 7-foot big man Peter Carey.…
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The ACC Has Just Become Syracuse’s Best Friend
“If you were a chick, who’s the one guy you would sleep with?” “John Stamos!” “What?! Did we just become best friends?!” One of the most memorable scenes in the cult classic “Step Brothers” features Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly realizing they were metaphorically looking in the mirror. After this weekend, perhaps Syracuse is…
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Can Syracuse Dream of a Bowl Game After 3-1 Start?
The numbers don’t lie. There are 11 ACC specific bowl games, there are 14 ACC teams. That does not include the College Football Playoff, nor the Peach Bowl or Fiesta Bowl, who are allowed to choose any two at-large teams. That means there’s the potential for 14 ACC schools to play in the postseason this…
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Ranking Syracuse’s Competition for 2022 Big Man Peter Carey
As Syracuse looks to bolster the Class of ’22 after Kamari Lands decommitted, this weekend holds plenty of potential. Two of SU’s highest profile targets will visit the Hill, big man Peter Carey and wing Chris Bunch. Carey only has one other high-major school with an offer to him, but SU seems to be doing…
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Could Zion Cruz End Up At Illinois After This Wild Ride?
As documented by the Fizz numerous times throughout the summer, Zion Cruz’s recruitment has more plot twists than a Christopher Nolan film. It may also be more difficult to decipher than Inception. Cruz has been linked to Auburn because he felt like they were family. He’s called North Carolina “a dream school.” Creighton jumped in…
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Crap, Schiano and Rutgers May Have Already Passed Syracuse
Saturday was ugly for a lot of reasons, but perhaps the most damning had nothing to do with the standings. Syracuse’s offense was stagnant. Rutgers moved the ball enough and got a road victory. But the rebuild by Greg Schiano may have already surpassed the Syracuse program, buzzing by in the left lane. The program…
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Just How Good Is “High Interest” Syracuse Target Simeon Wilcher?
The first priority for Syracuse is to finalize the Class of ’22. After losing Kamari Lands, SU needs to keep Justin Taylor and Quadir Copeland locked in to sign their letter of intent. After that, it’s about finding another piece to round out the class and soften the blow (or improve upon) Lands. After that,…
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