Author: Liam Griffin
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Thank You, Orange Fizz
Goodness, how lucky am I? After 200+ articles, tons of chatter on Fizz Five, and countless tweets ranting about SU Football or Men’s Basketball, my time at Orange Fizz has come to an end. And it has been nothing short of an absolute thrill. When I stepped on the campus of Syracuse University in August…
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Syracuse Is Finding The Perfect Roster Balance
North Carolina may have “only” gotten to the Sweet 16 in March Madness, but that program’s roster was about as well-balanced as it could have been. The Tar Heels had veteran, homegrown players in RJ Davis and Armando Bacot, transfer portal experience in Cormac Ryan and Harrison Ingram, and a new kid on the block…
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Oronde Gadsden Injury Updates
If we are going to see a lot of that this season, then Syracuse has to be as careful as it can be with Oronde Gadsden heading into 2024. It took just one game plus an extra few minutes or so before Gadsden’s 2023 campaign came to a sudden end. Lisfranc injuries are no joke,…
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What’s Syracuse Getting in Eddie Lampkin Jr.?
Up until Tuesday night, the transfer portal had taken quite a bit from Syracuse, but it hadn’t given anything yet. Justin Taylor, Quadir Copeland, Peter Carey, and Maliq Brown out (and Benny Williams). Adrian Autry and company finally have a new guy in the mix now. Enter Eddie Lampkin Jr., a 6-11, 265 LB big…
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Fizz 5 4/3: Maliq Brown Exits + Eddie Lampkin Jr. Enters, and GMac to Siena
Ethan Frank and Liam Griffin reconvene on Fizz 5 to discuss everything going on with Syracuse in the transfer portal and a whole lot more: 1. Maliq Brown Enters the Portal (1:00)2. Eddie Lampkin Jr. Commits to Syracuse (10:50)3. Gerry McNamara is Officially Introduced at Siena (18:15)4. Syracuse’s Other Portal Possibilities (25:10)5. More Excitement for…
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Gerry McNamara to Siena is Official
19 seasons with Syracuse Men’s Basketball. Four as a player, two as a graduate assistant, 12 as an assistant coach, one as Adrian Autry’s Associate Head Coach. Gerry McNamara has meant so much to SU, for his riveting play style on the court and his guard development off it. That time has come to an…
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Five Syracuse Games The Class of 2024 Will Never Forget
Syracuse University graduation is just 46 days away (but who’s counting?). The past four years have seen Orange athletics, more specifically the football and men’s basketball we cover here at the Fizz, experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. As seniors on staff near the end of their career, let’s take a…
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Five Games That Kept Syracuse Out of March Madness
It’s been an action-packed first day-plus of March Madness, yet it’s hard to not wish for Syracuse to be playing in the best postseason tournament in all of sports. For all the bright spots the Orange had in year 1 of the Adrian Autry era, there were plenty of lows. Here are five head-scratching moments…
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How Far Can Syracuse Women’s Basketball Go?
Even though the Syracuse Men’s season has come to an end, there’s still NCAA Tournament buzz around Central New York. After missing the Big Dance in both 2022 and 2023, Syracuse Women’s Basketball was awarded a six seed, and it will take on either Auburn or Arizona pending the result of a First Four game…
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Reflecting On Boeheim’s Retirement, One Year Later
It’s hard to believe it’s been over 365 days since we got the announcement that changed the landscape of Syracuse University. Barring a trip to the NIT, which is a legitimate possibility, we’re one season into the post-Jim Boeheim era on the hill. Who knows what this year’s roster would have looked like if Boeheim…
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Should Syracuse Fans Have Reason To Worry About NC State?
For the third time this season, Syracuse and NC State will square off this evening, but this matchup will look a little different. This clash will be at a neutral site of Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, no trips to Syracuse or Raleigh for either side. And the stakes this time around are much…
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How Will The ACC Tournament Affect Recruiting?
A big stretch is on the horizon for the Syracuse Men’s Basketball program. Not only is the ACC Tournament coming up next week, but the recruiting cycle for the class of 2025 is about to kick into high gear. So far the Orange have landed… zero commits from that group, but keep in mind they…
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Naheem McLeod Deserves An Apology
It’s been an absence-riddled season for Syracuse Men’s Basketball. It started before it even began when Chance Westry went down with a lower body injury, and has continued through the end of the regular season, most notably Benny Williams’ dismissal about a month ago. But the loss that has hurt the Orange more than the…
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Is Syracuse A Lucky Team?
If you hate advanced analytics and everything about them, this might just be the article for you. As Syracuse attempts to stampede its way into March Madness, rankings by way of the NCAA’s NET system and KenPom have had Orange fans going berserk. Why SU sits behind both Pitt and NC State in the NET…
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Disaster Averted: Syracuse Holds On To Beat Notre Dame 88-85 On Boeheim Day
Sometimes you just have to thank your lucky stars. And boy oh boy, did that narrative fit Syracuse on Saturday afternoon. The celebration of Jim Boeheim Day almost got overshadowed thanks to the Orange coming very close to blowing a 29-point lead. It would’ve been the worst blown deficit in ACC history, but SU hung…
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What To Make Of Draymond Green’s Tweet
If you haven’t seen this tweet and you’re caught off guard, you aren’t the only ones. On the rare occasion an NBA player with Draymond Green’s pedigree is tweeting about Syracuse Men’s Basketball, you know something wild must have happened. That’s exactly what happened in SU’s victory over NC State last night. You don’t need…
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Do Not Boo Justin Taylor Again
This is really disappointing. Yes, Justin Taylor has struggled offensively lately. Yes, Quadir Copeland has been in the closing lineup over him. Yes, what Taylor prides his game on- shooting- simply hasn’t been there for him, especially in ACC play. But booing him is about the worst thing anybody could do, especially if it’s coming…
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Revisiting The Court/Field Storm Take 16 Months Later
For the second time in my Fizz career, Syracuse Athletics has pulled off a big enough win to get the student section to rush the playing surface. The first came after the NC State football game in October 2022, after which I proceeded to write this article. To this day I still stand by that…
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Don’t Close The Books Yet… Syracuse Stuns No. 7 North Carolina
What a difference a month makes. Exactly one month after North Carolina beat Syracuse by 36 points, the Orange got a taste of sweet revenge tonight inside the Dome. Syracuse gutted out an 86-79 victory over a top-10 team in the country. How can you not smile after that effort? Let’s reiterate that when UNC…
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Hype, Hate, and Everything In Between: The Benny Williams Saga
Not all stories have a happy ending. Look no further than Benny Williams’ time in the Syracuse Men’s Basketball program. It was a very complex story, so let’s dive into exactly where things went wrong, and in some cases right, for both Williams and the program. A HIGHLY HERALDED RECRUIT Few commits in recent memory…
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Is There Still Hope For March Madness?
Of all the adjectives you could use to describe Syracuse’s loss to Boston College Tuesday night, disheartening is probably the one that fits best. The Orange had not lost to the Eagles since 2018 (God’s Plan by Drake was topping the charts), and it felt like a game you couldn’t afford to lose in the…
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Is Arizona a Good Fit for Dino Babers?
Dino Babers has reportedly found a new home in Arizona. It’s not unfamiliar territory for Babers. From 1995-2000, he was an offensive assistant coaching all of wide receivers, running backs, and quarterbacks at one point. He also had a brief stint as offensive coordinator as well. If a thought running through your head is “really?…
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Syracuse Still Needs An Established Second Option
Even in a game when Judah Mintz tallies 28 points, having one scorer is not enough. That was on full display in last night’s 85-69 loss to Florida State. Despite his high scoring output, Mintz struggled handling the ball and missed five free throws. There was no one there to pick him up, especially in…
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Syracuse Must Win Tomorrow To Be Taken Seriously
Syracuse currently sits at 12-5 overall and 3-3 in ACC play. If you want to dive even deeper, the Orange are 0-5 in Quad 1 games and 12-0 in everything else. Hate to break it to you, but that will not move the needle if SU wants to seriously be considered for the NCAA Tournament…
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Where Does Naheem McLeod’s Injury Leave Syracuse?
What many have hypothesized since he was initially ruled out before the Boston College game has come to fruition. Naheem McLeod’s first season in an Orange uniform has come to an end. The Florida State transfer started all 14 contests he played in this year, averaging right around four points and four rebounds over 14…
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Fizz Report Card: Syracuse Tames Pittsburgh 69-58
What an outstanding response from this team and one heck of a win. Syracuse was absolutely annihilated by North Carolina on Saturday and responded by knocking off Pittsburgh 69-58. It’s the first ACC road win of Adrian Autry’s career and, more important, currently sits as a Quad-1 victory. There’s a lot to like in today’s…
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North Carolina’s Roster Is What Syracuse Needs To Replicate
Recruiting in college basketball seemingly gets more difficult every year, and few teams have cracked the code. But one team that has is North Carolina. The Tar Heels have used every single way of bringing in talent to their roster, and as such they have built the number 7 team in the country. It’s a…
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Syracuse’s Midterm Grades
Since Syracuse has over a week off in between games, now feels like a good time to evaluate the Orange’s individual grades almost halfway through the season. SU sits at 10-4 now, and once Wednesday hits it will play two games every week until the first full week of March. Let’s get into the gradebook.…
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Tuesday Night’s Loss Is No Reason To Panic
The box score certainly does not look pretty, particularly when you glance at the second half. The lack of a student section inside Cameron Indoor Stadium can’t make you feel good either. It was the same old story on Tuesday night. Duke eviscerating Syracuse in Durham. Make it nine straight losses in the all-time series…
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Fizz Five 12/28: SU Football Trio Returns, The Rest of MBB’s Schedule, & Pitt PreviewFizz Five 12/28:
Francesco Simone and Liam Griffin connect for the final Fizz Five of 2023 to break down the latest headlines on the hill. 1. SU Football trio returns (1:01-8:31)2. Could Duce Chestnut return to Syracuse? (8:31-14:17)3. Most important games left on MBB schedule (14:17-25:21)4. Pitt preview (25:21-33:00)5. What constitutes a good two-game stretch for SU? (33:00-close)
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Should Syracuse Fans Want Duce Chestnut Back?
In this day and age of collegiate athletics, anything is seemingly possible. So much so to the point where its not unheard of that players that have transferred end up back at their original schools through another trip in the transfer portal. Qudus Wahab did it with Georgetown Basketball a few years ago, and now…
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Where Does The ACC Sit In College Basketball?
Amidst an era where anything and everything can happen regarding conference realignment, college hoops’ role in it all often flies under the radar. In the wake of Florida State’s recent lawsuit against the ACC, rumors have been flying about the Seminoles, among other ACC powers, relocating. The talk around realignment has centered around the gridiron,…
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All Hail The King! KingJoseph Edwards Picks SU
The wins just keep coming for Fran Brown and company. Georgia native KingJoseph Edwards has chosen Syracuse over Colorado and Florida State, building on a recurring theme from the past few days. Whoever thought this would happen just a few weeks ago? First it was Kyle McCord coming in from Ohio State, then it was…
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Sunday’s Game Has Big Implications
When you took a glance at the schedule before the season began, chances are a lot of non-conference games caught your eye. Three games in Hawaii, the inaugural ACC-SEC Challenge against LSU, and the renewal of the Georgetown rivalry probably stood out more than others. But Sunday’s contest with Oregon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota…
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How Should Syracuse Fans Feel About Tommy DeVito’s NFL Success?
Nobody in Central New York could possibly have seen this coming two years ago. Before Syracuse’s week 4 clash with Liberty in the 2021 season, Tommy DeVito, who had been SU’s starting QB throughout 2019, the start of 2020 (injury), and the first three games of 2021, was benched in favor of Garrett Shrader. He…
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5-Star KJ Bolden To Visit Syracuse This Weekend
Yes, you read that correctly. Syracuse Football, a program that struggled and then some in the recruiting stratosphere throughout Dino Babers’ tenure, is hosting a five-star commit this weekend in addition to a bunch of other four-stars. KJ Bolden is the #11 overall recruit in the country and the top safety prospect, and all of…
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