Author: Ian Unsworth
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A Fizz Farewell: The Good, Bad and Ugly
All great things must come to an end. That’s how it goes here at Orange Fizz. As I prepare to graduate in a couple weeks, my four-year Fizz career will pass me by. Unfortunately for me, everything lives forever on the internet. So I leave you with a compilation of the best (and worst) takes…
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Fizz Five 3/31: New AC, Recruits and Returners, Lax Check-In
On this week’s Fizz Five, Ian Unsworth and John Eads break down the hiring of new assistant basketball coach Brenden Straughn and how that changes recruiting in the DC area, and check in with Syracuse men’s and women’s lacrosse
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Syracuse Has a Major Stake in the DMV Recruiting Hotbed
Earlier today, Syracuse announced the addition of assistant coach Brendan Straughn. The former coach at George Washington, Saint Joe’s and Loyola Maryland fills the final coaching spot on the SU staff, which was vacant after Adrian Autry’s promotion. Straughn played his college ball at D3 Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, right near both Baltimore and…
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Syracuse Should Pursue These Other Transfer Targets
The Red Autry Era is starting to rev into gear, and Autry’s already shown his recruiting prowess, picking up JJ Starling in the transfer portal. The former five-star prospect is a huge get, but there are still potential holes on the ‘Cuse roster, depending on what Judah Mintz and Jesse Edwards decide to do with…
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What Does Jesse Edwards’ Future Entail?
Syracuse basketball made its first monumental decision shortly after the end of the 2023 season, moving on from Jim Boeheim and progressing into the Red Autry tenure. There are still a couple of key turning points this offseason, and SU fans will have their ears to the ground awaiting these choices. It all comes down…
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Which ACC Team Makes a Deep March Run?
March Madness starts today. Brackets will be busted, Cinderella runs started and a champion crowned. Will that winner be from the ACC? Nobody really knows right now, but there are certainly a couple of teams who have the potential to parade to the second weekend. Let’s check ’em out. South Region Virginia (No. 4 Seed)…
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The Final Moments Of Jim Boeheim’s Tenure Weren’t Like the Rest
Brash. Stubborn. All-knowing. Words used to describe Jim Boeheim throughout his 47-year head coaching career at Syracuse. He built the program from the ground up, and then lit matches and set the place ablaze over the past few years. From unthinkable losses to antagonistic press conferences, the ending of Boeheim’s career was not graceful. But…
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Fizz Instant Reaction: Jim Boeheim Era is Over
The Fizz staff hopped on the most urgent of Twitter Spaces yesterday to discuss Jim Boeheim’s departure from the coaching profession (not a retirement?) after 47 long years at the helm of Syracuse basketball.
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Fizz Instant Reaction: Syracuse embarrased by GT 96-76
Ian Unsworth and Liam Griffin recap the unfortunate situation Syracuse basketball finds itself in at the moment. Giving 90-plus points in four straight games to conference foes, potentially dropping to the 10-seed in a bad ACC, losing a prized recruit in the process and the inevitability of the Boeheim burnout.
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It Can Always Get Worse… Syracuse Embarrassed by GT
In 1859, Charles Darwin came up with the theory of natural selection. It’s a rather simple idea. Certain species are born with characteristics that allow them to survive longer than others, and their offspring would continue to evolve to be better suited to the environment. Those who don’t evolve, well, don’t last. There has not…
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What Can Will Hicks Do for Syracuse Football?
Syracuse football announced on Friday that longtime strength and conditioning coach Will Hicks is being brought back to serve as SU’s Director of Player Engagement. After being fired by Dino Babers in 2016, the former Scott Shafer S&C specialist had worked with the Varsity Club, the Orange athletic department’s fundraising arm for alums, and was…
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Was Marcus Adams Jr. Not Sold on Syracuse?
After the commitment of Elijah Moore, Marcus Adams Jr. was the next name on the list for Syracuse fans. Adam Weitsman offered the four-star recruit an NIL deal in late January, Adams also visited the campus in late January, and he had dropped a top five with Syracuse in the forefront. A six-foot-eight forward with…
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Syracuse-Duke is Not a Rivalry, and Never Will Be
There are a bajillion adjectives you could use to describe yesterday’s game, and none of them are kind to Syracuse. A letdown. A catastrophe. A butt-whooping. All of them fit. Duke ran the Orange up and down the court that bears the name of the longest-tenured head coach in college basketball, and besides bemoaning the…
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Where Will Sean Tucker Be Drafted?
We’re in the home stretch of basketball season, and the Orange men’s lacrosse team has come on strong, jumping into the top-25 after three wins. If you’re looking ahead, the NFL Draft is only 70 days away. The past couple NFL drafts have gone rather well for the ‘Cuse, and even undrafted players like Kingsley…
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Social Media Reacts to ESPN’s Explosive Jim Boeheim Interview
Syracuse beat Boston College yesterday in what felt like another run-of-the-mill SU-BC game. A little close, but the Orange eventually pulled away. Ho hum. While most of us were sound asleep last night (or watching St. Mary’s beat Gonzaga), ESPN college sports scoop king Pete Thamel got exclusive access to Jim Boeheim. And let’s just…
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When Will Syracuse Football’s Coaching Carousel End?
SU football has a been a revolving door of coaches ever since the Pinstripe Bowl. First, coordinators Tony White and Robert Anae departed the program on the same day. White’s hiring at Nebraska left holes in the secondary, and Anae’s move to NC State also meant the Orange were without a tight ends coach. Then,…
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Is Syracuse Really “Good” at Closing Out Games?
Two days after the whole Boeheim presser fiasco, we have a response. If you missed the original tiff between Jim Boeheim and John Eads, here you go. This all comes from a tough but fair question about losing close games. Now, Boeheim might have one perspective, but the eye test this season would tell a…
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Fizz Report Card: North Carolina Escapes Syracuse 72-68
Syracuse had so many chances to snag a big-time win over the preseason top-ranked team in the country. After being down double-digits in the second half, SU scratched and clawed its way back into the game. Every single UNC run was answered by an Orange pushback. But the ‘Cuse would again falter in crunch time.…
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How is Dino Babers Filling the Gaps in His Coaching Staff?
While Syracuse men’s basketball is riding the ups and downs of its ACC slate, SU football is quietly trying to rebuild its staff and roster after losing key players in the transfer portal and coaches to other universities. The thrill of the almighty dollar has left the Orange without key leaders on both sides of…
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Is Syracuse Closing In on 2024 Four-Star Guard Elijah Moore?
The Class of 2023 seemed to have been a river running dry for Syracuse men’s basketball. But how about the class of 2024? 247sports.com contributor Trevor Andershock, who writes for Peegs.com (an Indiana site/message board) put in a Crystal Ball for four-star guard Elijah Moore to come to the Hill. Now we know, you might…
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Nick Monroe, Syracuse’s Interim DC and Ace Recruiter, Leaves for Minnesota
Syracuse has now lost two defensive coordinators to the Big Ten in the span of two months. First, it was Tony White, making a lateral move to Nebraska (for probably considerably more money), and now Nick Monroe, Syracuse’s interim DC for the Pinstripe Bowl against Minnesota, has left to go to SU’s Bowl opponent. If…
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Why Did John Bol Ajak Start Yesterday?
Jim Boeheim has said multiple times this year that Benny Williams is Syracuse’s best forward. Unfortunately, Williams wasn’t healthy yesterday, missing the loss to Virginia with a stomach bug. So in his place, instead of starting Justin Taylor, who put up 25 points against Bryant, or Maliq Brown, who by far is SU’s best rebounder…
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Who’s the Best Team in the ACC?
Even though Tallahassee is the westernmost point of any ACC school, the Atlantic Coast Conference is the Wild West. In the metaphorical sense. The top four teams in the league right now are Pitt (4-0), Clemson (4-0), Miami (3-1) and Syracuse (3-1). Florida State is 4-11, and has a better conference record than 11-4 Virginia…
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Could the New Year Bring New Life to Syracuse’s Class of 2023 Recruiting Efforts?
With a 10 day break in between Syracuse men’s basketball’s disheartening loss to Pitt and exciting win over Boston College, one would hope the Orange staffers took time to enjoy the holidays and get some R&R with family. However, they better have hit the phones as well. Syracuse’s class of 2023 is going nowhere fast.…
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Fizz Report Card: Syracuse Powers Past Boston College 79-65
Syracuse came out of the gate slow, and at points throughout the first half, it looked as if BC had a track to its first win in nine tries. But a breakout performance from one of SU’s much-maligned players and clutch buckets down the stretch helped the ‘Cuse to a 79-65 win. Let’s get into…
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Pre-Pinstripe Bowl Press Conference Takeaways
Both Syracuse and Minnesota coordinators and key players met with members of the media today over Zoom before the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on December 29. Given that most of the time, Syracuse coordinators aren’t made available to the media, this was a rare opportunity to pick the brains of both new OC Jason…
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Should Syracuse Basketball Prioritize the Transfer Portal over High Schoolers?
The Syracuse football landscape has proven to be a wild one after the conclusion of the regular season. The Orange have lost two wide receivers and starting defensive backs to the portal, but in return, have gained two four star DBs. Even without a defensive coordinator in place (until yesterday), SU has brought it good…
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Why is SU’s Defensive Backfield Undergoing So Much Turnover?
There’s been a lot of change in the Syracuse defense over the back couple of days. Specifically, with the Orange’s DBs. This is the unit former SU defensive coordinator Tony White led in his first two years at the helm before moving to linebackers this year. Chip West (Corners) and Nick Monroe (Safeties, Defensive Passing…
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Syracuse Grabs Two Linemen in Big Recruiting Weekend
Syracuse didn’t just beat the brakes off of Georgetown yesterday on the hardcourt. The game also served as a recruiting tool for the football team, which is in the midst of handling the most crazy season in all of CFB. Not only is Dino Babers preparing for the Pinstripe Bowl, he’s looking for a new…
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What Could the Coolest Player in the Transfer Portal Bring to Syracuse?
Not just the coolest. The coldest. Or Decoldest, we should say. Decoldest Crawford, a former three-star wideout who spent a year at Nebraska, now has an offer from the ‘Cuse. Since receiving his Syracuse offer, Crawford has also heard from Washington State, Vanderbilt, UCLA and Pitt. The Shreveport, Louisiana native first committed to LSU before…
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How does Syracuse take down Minnesota in the Pinstripe Bowl?
Syracuse is officially headed back to Yankee Stadium for the Pinstripe Bowl. The Orange will meet up with Minnesota in NYC on December 29 at 2 p.m. We know what to expect from SU, a team which has been decimated by injury and floundered against tougher competition. After an hot 5-0 start, the Orange lost…
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Is Syracuse Stuck with Judah Mintz Hero Ball?
Against Illinois, Judah Mintz took 16 shots. Here’s the first one he made. Nobody really remembers the other two, because they were buried in a 73-44 Illinois beatdown of Syracuse. The Orange only scored 19 points in the second half on the way to their most brutal loss in eight years. The offense was awful,…
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Going Bowling: Where Could SU be Headed This Postseason?
Syracuse football regained a bit of momentum with a 32-23 win over Boston College yesterday. The Orange snapped a five-game losing streak, and secured (even though in today’s CFB, a 6-6 record is a lock for a bowl) a bowl berth, and maybe something a bit more illustrious than the first bowl game of the…
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Fizz Instant Reaction: Bryant 73, Syracuse 72
When Syracuse fans look back on the Bryant game, a 73-72 loss in the Dome, in three months, they might remember it at the “slap game,” or the “Mintz Fight.” All that aside, it’s SU’s second mid-major loss in three weeks. Joe Girard was a ghost Saturday, Justin Taylor and Chris Bell stepped up to…
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Slaps in the Salt City: Bryant Fights Off Syracuse 73-72
It wasn’t Malice in the Palace. It wasn’t Melo fighting the Nuggets. But it sure felt like it. Judah Mintz elevated from the free throw line, lofting a right-handed floater off the back rim and in. As the freshman guard came down, he crashed into Bryant guard Sherif Gross-Bullock. A charge was called; in a…
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What are the Chances Elliot Cadeau Commits to Syracuse?
About a month ago, Class of 2024 five-star point guard Elliot Cadeau announced his top six. Cadeau is a prime prospect in the class of 2024, ranked 10th in the country by 247Sports and the nation’s top point guard. The junior at Link Academy plays his AAU ball for the EYBL’s NY Lightning. He is…
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