Author: Damon Amendolara
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Why This Was the Perfect Weekend for Syracuse Football
If you read any preseason preview or listened to any college football analyst, Syracuse was destined for a lost campaign. The talent wasn’t any good. The coaching was terrible. The outlook was bleak. After Saturday’s win over Ohio, things aren’t nearly as bad as most thought. In fact, all around that was essentially the best…
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Why Emoni Bates’ Commitment to Memphis is Great News for Syracuse
Syracuse was never involved in the Emoni Bates recruitment. Bates had long been wooed by different power brokers in college hoops, and plenty had been scared off by the assumption he’d never play collegiately. As a Michigan product there were plenty of analysts who predicted if he did attend college, he’d decide on either Michigan…
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Zion Cruz’s Recruitment is Getting Weird
For years the college basketball world has salivated over Zion Cruz. He’s got size: 6’5″. He’s got the rankings. He’s got offers from the blue-bloods. But as we enter September, his decision has been delayed, there’s no clear front-runner, and he just dropped like a rock in the latest ESPN rankings. So what’s going on?…
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Is Ultra Confident Chris Bunch Headed to Rutgers?
Ever since the de-commitment of Kamari Lands, Syracuse has been looking to fill the void. A recruiting class of Justin Taylor and Quadir Copeland is solid, but the loss of Lands has opened a new door. As the Fizz has pointed out, the Orange should sell CNY-product JJ Starling on the opportunity to be the…
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Here’s Why Babers Had to Start DeVito Even If He’s Not the Best QB
Football can be politics. Look at the departure of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC. The maneuvering was done behind closed doors, and relationships have been broken forever. Why do some head coaches get the benefit of the doubt after a 6-6 campaign, but others get run out of town? The behind-the-scenes politics of decision-makers…
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Syracuse Should Sell JJ Starling on Being the Big Dog
The news of Kamari Lands’ decommitment splashed cold water on the excitement over Syracuse’s Class of ’22. The Orange had stacked a top 5 class with Lands, Justin Taylor and Quadir Copeland, which would’ve given SU a terrific nucleus for the future. But Lands’ desire to pursue more NIL opportunities will likely push him elsewhere.…
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Syracuse Football ’21: The Good, the Bad, and the Fixable
Kickoff of the season is just over a week away, and Syracuse fans don’t know quite how to feel. Last year’s one-win campaign dampened enthusiasm for the program overall, and pundits are predicting another difficult season ahead. But a new year always brings optimism, and it’s virtually impossible to have a season as poor as…
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Is Syracuse Sunk if Chance Westry Commits to LSU After Kamari Lands News?
Kamari Lands was the focal point of an elite Class of ’22 for Syracuse. His decommittment rocked the Orange recruiting efforts. Now SU is scrambling to fill that hole and one of their targets is headed toward LSU. Chance Westry is a 6-6 small forward and rated the 29th best player in the class by…
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Justin Taylor & Quadir Copeland are Playing Chess, ACC is Playing Checkers
Look at the chess moves Justin Taylor and Quadir Copeland are playing. On Sunday Taylor, 4-star shooting guard, announced his plan to transfer to IMG Academy for his senior season. Who happens to be waiting for him? Copeland, a 3-star combo guard, who decided to transfer there in the spring. This means the Syracuse backcourt…
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Syracuse Soars into Top 5 for the Class of 2022 Rankings
First it was Kamari Lands. Then it was Justin Taylor. Now it’s Quadir Copeland. What does it mean? It’s a top 5 recruiting class for the Class of 2022 according to 247 Sports. Currently, only Ohio State, Kansas, UNC and UConn sit above the Orange. Not even Duke’s class with SU target Kyle Filipowski ranks…
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Justin Taylor Says He Wants to Create a Syracuse Super Class
Kamari Lands was the first domino to fall for Syracuse’s Class of ’22. When he committed in April all signs pointed to the Orange using that as a carrot for other big recruits. Then Justin Taylor committed to SU, and suddenly the class was discussed as one of the best in the nation. The Fizz…
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Could Zion Cruz Join Dior Johnson at Oregon?
The recruitment of elite guard Zion Cruz has seen plenty of blue-bloods attempt to stake their claim. Originally it looked like Syracuse would have the inside track, as the Jersey City product was playing the Big Apple, hardscrabble type of basketball the Orange have landed for years. Then it looked like Indiana might have a…
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Is Filipowski’s Commitment Proof the Duke Train Keeps Rolling?
Coach K has turned Duke into the surest bet in sports. While the Blue Devils had a legacy of solid college hoops before his arrival 40 years ago, he has built it into an overpowering machine. It’s amusing to hear Jay Bilas and Danny Ferry wax poetic about the early years when nothing was guaranteed,…
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Is LSU Picking Up Steam for Elite Prospect Chance Westry?
Syracuse has swung for the fences this summer. In addition to landing Kamari Lands and Justin Taylor, the Orange have been shopping for even more talent. In a world where the transfer portal spins like Penn Station at rush hour, the SU coaching staff hasn’t rested on its laurels. You can never have too many…
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Who is Tyrese Rice, the Boeheim’s Army Hero of TBT Opener?
Boeheim’s Army opened up TBT with a win over Forces of Seoul, and it was a non-Orange who led the way. Tyrese Rice lit up the first round with 20 points to lead the Army scoring, plus 5 assists and a rebound. Rice’s clutch shooting highlights were the lead. Leading 58-52 in the 4th quarter,…
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Thank Goodness Syracuse Left for the ACC as Texas/Oklahoma Shake NCAA Again
Leaving the Big East sucked. We all wax nostalgic about the best basketball tournament ever created, the Old Big East, a week of mayhem and madness in Manhattan. The new B.E.T. has lost a lot of the juice. Creighton and Butler just can’t replace Syracuse, Pitt and Notre Dame. And while the new ACC alignment…
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Is Penny Hardaway About to Steal #1 Recruit Jalen Duren for Memphis?
For many years Emoni Bates was considered the crown jewel of the Class of ’21. The prep star had feature length profiles done in Sports Illustrated and was compared so some of the greatest high school players ever. But recently there’s been a prospect that has overtaken him at the top of the recruiting food…
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Is Kamari Lands Even More Dominant Than We Thought?
The commitment of Kamari Lands in April set the course of Syracuse’s ’21 into smooth waters. Locking down a top 25 recruit took the pressure off chasing other elite prospects in the class, while giving the program a centerpiece that drew other players. Justin Taylor jumped on the SU wagon a few weeks ago, giving…
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Syracuse Becomes First ACC School to Offer Rising 7-Footer Peter Carey
Sensational big man Kyle Filipowski may be headed elsewhere. He’s being courted by Duke, and a slew of other power programs across the country. But even if so, Syracuse has targeted its next athletic 7-footer: Peter Carey. On Thursday the Orange became the first ACC school to offer the Class of ’22 Massachusetts native, and…
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Is Zion Cruz Headed to North Carolina, His “Dream School?”
The recruitment of Zion Cruz has been an exciting, and at times mysterious, one. He’s undoubtedly one of the best guards in the Class of ’22. He’s a gritty, creative guard, who thrives in the clutch. He’s the next iteration of the long and storied lineage of New York City floor generals. The Jersey City…
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Syracuse Staff Wants J.J. Starling to Be Part of Monster ’22 Class
J.J. Starling knows the Syracuse hoops program well. He knows what the Dome looks like when 30,000 make it the loudest college venue in America. He knows the hype when Duke or UNC comes to town. He knows the Orange flags and banners that wave across Central New York every spring. He’s a Baldwinsville product.…
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Is Syracuse Favorite Quadir Copeland the Nation’s”Best Kept Secret?”
The summer has been good to Syracuse. Kamari Lands started it off right, as a top 25 player nationally committed back in April. That allowed the perennially critical summer months to be a little less pressurized. Then 4-star sharpshooter Justin Taylor followed suit, making the ’22 class one of the nation’s best. And Taylor stated…
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Justin Taylor Will Help Recruit Filipowski and Copeland to Syracuse
The summer has already been a win for Syracuse. Four-star sharpshooter Justin Taylor has committed, forming a lethal combination in the Class of ’22 with Kamari Lands. Taylor is rated anywhere between 54th and 99th nationally according to services, totaling #84 as a composite ranking most recently. Considering the commitment of Donovan Clingan to UConn…
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Clingan/Filipowski Situations Make Lands/Taylor Commitments Even More Crucial
Donovan Clingan has chosen UConn, and analysts believe Kyle Filipowski is heading to Duke. Both were top targets for Syracuse. Orange fans may be deflated to see those two fading into the horizon. But SU followers should focus on the positive: the recruiting class already has two elite playmakers. Kamari Lands committed to SU back…
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How Did Syracuse Steal Charlottesville’s Justin Taylor from ACC Powers?
This has been an incredible recruiting cycle for Syracuse. While the saga of Dior Johnson left Orange fans smarting after last year, the haul of Kamari Lands and Justin Taylor is an enormous influx of talent for the Class of ’22. Lands is ranked as a top 25 prospect in the nation and Taylor slots…
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CBS Sports is Wrong on the Syracuse Win Total
It’s been an ugly offseason for Syracuse. Every publication is picking them to lose a ton of games. Opposing coaches are shredding the program. Bets are being taken about whether Dino Babers can keep his job. But winning money is a good thing, and you can capitalize on CBS Sports’ low expectations. In the site’s…
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Top 100 Linebacker DeAunte Hunter Calls Visit to Syracuse “Amazing”
DeAunte Hunter is being recruited by a school that played in the Peach Bowl, is a preseason Top 10 squad, and a trendy pick to crash the CFB Playoff. But it was his trip to Syracuse this weekend that the 3-star linebacker called “amazing.” The 6’4″, 200 lb. standout from Georgia is a top 100…
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Filipowski Enjoyed Hanging With Syracuse Teammates on Official Visit
The Summer of Flip is in full swing, as dynamic 6’10” Kyle Filipowski has risen up recruiting rankings, flashed dominance on the AAU circuit, and has embarked on a whirlwind of official visits to major programs. The visits began two weeks ago in Syracuse, and apparently it went well. Not only did we see Filipowski…
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One Day We May Compare Others to Kyle Filipowski: Head Coach
How good, how special, how talented is Syracuse super recruit Kyle Filipowski? It may be unfair to compare him to a player in college or the pros, because it might be limiting his overall game. The 6’10” forward is a do-everything talent. He’s a big man that runs the floor, has great handle like, a…
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Arizona State’s Cheating Scandal Involves Syracuse Recruit Eric Gentry
The writing on the wall is ugly for Herm Edwards. For a coach that has preached doing things the right way for his entire life, it sure rings hollow this morning. There is reportedly stacks of evidence that Arizona State blatantly broke NCAA recruiting guidelines over the last year, and they ultimately landed a Syracuse…
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Is Auburn Now A Basketball Recruiting Rival for Syracuse?
The Bruce Pearl factor is real. Not only is he teflon, since nothing sticks to him long term. But he’s also locking official visits and high praise from northeastern recruits. Recently, 5-star combo guard Zion Cruz said the Tigers were the top school on his list. And now highly coveted Chance Westry took an official…
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What Else Did the Opposing Coach Say About Syracuse in Athlon’s Preview?
Saturday, The Fizz published damning comments from an opposing coach concerning the state of Syracuse football. The quotes were from an anonymous opposing staff in Athlon’s annual college football preview guide. The coach took shots at SU’s scheme, their recruiting approach, and believes the program is on the verge of wreckage. (Note to opposing coach:…
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Anonymous Opposing Coach Trashes Syracuse Football in Athlon Preview
(Update: Here’s Sunday’s post with more from the following anonymous coach who ripped into SU. He criticizes the offensive line and says the 10-win season was a mirage.) If you’re a Syracuse fan and are looking forward to the time worn tradition of picking up the Athlon preview issue and thumbing through it at the…
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Resist the Urge to Expand the CFB Playoff to 12 Teams
It’s tempting, oh so tempting. Those straight-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies are staring at you on the counter, and one just isn’t enough. The chocolate is gooey, your fingers deliciously sticky. The inside is warm, creating a tingle in your mouth. It feels like you can eat the whole tray. So you go for a second.…
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Damn, Kyle Filipowski Looks Fire in That Syracuse Uniform
Last weekend rising prep star Kyle Filipowski took his official visit to Syracuse. He toured campus, experienced the Melo Center, and sat down with the coaching staff in person. He apparently also donned the Orange and did a mock media guide photo shoot. Savvy move by SU. And yeah, it was pretty damn awesome. That’s…
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UNC “Doesn’t Have a Very Good Staff Right Now” & “Doesn’t Scare the ACC”
The titans of the ACC have been fading fast over the last five years, and now both Roy Williams and Coach K will be retired within 10 months. As we’ve documented here at The Fizz, it leaves Jim Boeheim as the last man standing. Chris Mack, Hubert Davis, and Jon Scheyer are far from the…
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