Author: Tyler Aitken
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How Many ACC Teams Will Make the NCAA Tournament?
With under three weeks remaining until Selection Sunday, it’s time to reevaluate where the ACC stands. It’s been a divisive year for the conference. ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi is very down on the ACC this year, with just four teams in his current projected field: North Carolina, Duke, Clemson, and Virginia. If that prediction holds…
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What Seed Can Syracuse Women’s Basketball Get?
No. 17 Syracuse women’s basketball has had an absolutely dominant season under second-year head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. The Orange are 22-4, including a 12-3 ACC record. If the season ended today, SU would have the two seed in its conference tournament. In ESPN’s Charlie Creme’s latest projected bracket, Syracuse owns a four seed. But can…
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Syracuse’s Rebounding is Historically Bad
Syracuse basketball has a major rebounding issue. The team simply can’t grab boards. This isn’t just a one-game anomaly or the worst it’s been in a few years, either. The Orange are rebounding as badly as they have in recent memory. This season, Syracuse is averaging 34.2 total rebounds per game, with a margin of…
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6.5 Wins is a Fair Line for Syracuse Football
Odds for college football season win totals were just released, which means there’s now a set national expectation for Syracuse football. The Orange’s over/under line was set at 6.5 wins. Syracuse fans, and even the general public, are very upset with this line. Due to the recruiting success of new head coach Fran Brown, plus…
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Don’t Waste William Patterson’s Redshirt Year
At the start of the season, there was plenty of optimism about the center position for Syracuse basketball. 7’4” Florida State transfer Naheem McLeod was new to the scene, Peter Carey was finally healthy after an injury-filled freshman year, and Mounir Hima had shown some flashes. Plus, there were already murmurs that forward Maliq Brown…
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Fizz Five 2/10: Benny Williams, Joe Girard’s Return, and Lax Talk
It’s crossover season, which means plenty of sports and stories to discuss. Tyler Aitken and Francesco Simone sat down to break everything down. 1. The Dismissal of Benny Williams (1:01)2. Adrian Autry Progress Report (7:26)3. Joe Girard’s Return (14:13)4. Men’s lacrosse check-in (21:24)5. Is there still hope for the tournament? (26:06)
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Syracuse vs. Louisville, By the Numbers
Syracuse took down Louisville 94-92 last night in what was a truly bizarre game. Syracuse accomplished things it hadn’t done in a long time, both good and bad. Plus, a few members of the Orange put up historic performances. There are plenty of numbers that help get that point across. 18 How many lead changers…
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Benny Williams Dismissed From Syracuse Basketball
Benny Williams came to Syracuse University as a top-50 recruit in the country. Of all the players to pick SU over the last decade, he had some of the most potential. To go from that to off the team by his junior year is disappointing, to say the least. It’s an unfortunate outcome for everyone,…
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Don’t Boo Joe Girard This Weekend
Joe Girard is making his Syracuse homecoming this Saturday, when Clemson comes to the Dome to take on SU. It’s been a game that’s been circled on Orange fan’s calendars since the guard transferred to the Tigers, for better or for worse. Many fans may have mixed feelings about Girard. He’s one of the most…
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Syracuse vs. Wake Forest, By the Numbers
Wake Forest 99, Syracuse 70. A 29-point blowout, which could have been even worse. It was a tough game to watch for SU fans. If you understandably turned off the TV, here are the most important numbers to know from the loss. -38 The +/- for Judah Mintz, the worst on the team. It’s hard…
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ACC Basketball Deserves More Respect
ACC basketball has been on a decline recently. There’s no denying it. Historic coaches like Jim Boeheim, Mike Krzyzewski, and Roy Williams have retired. That’s just part of the issue. Every year since 2017, the conference has either had the same or fewer teams get an NCAA Tournament bit compared to the year before. Here’s…
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Syracuse Ring of Honor: Who’s Next?
The Syracuse Ring of Honor just grew over the weekend, with SU basketball legend Dave Bing’s addition to the list. There are now eight total people that have been selected: Dave Bing, Jim Boeheim, Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Floyd Little, Ben Schwartzwalder, Roy Simmons Jr., and Dwayne “Pearl” Washington. Who could be the next few…
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The Biggest Twist With the Syracuse Football Schedule
The Syracuse football schedule was released yesterday, and a lot of what Orange fans expected to see came to fruition. The list of opponents was all but solidified, so there weren’t any surprises there. The most unexpected aspect of the schedule was the order of games. Most years, it’s common to play most of the…
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Syracuse’s Most Likely Path to March Madness
Syracuse basketball is taking care of business so far. The Orange have won every game they should have, but haven’t picked up a marquee win yet. As a result, SU isn’t even on the bubble yet. But let’s get ahead of ourselves and map out the team’s most likely path to March Madness anyways. First,…
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Syracuse vs. Miami, By the Numbers
Syracuse 72, Miami 69. A buzzer-beater win for the Orange, and a much-needed one at that. Here are the top numbers from the victory. 1/8 One for eight from the field to start the game. Guess who’s statline that was going into the last play of the game… That’s right, Quadir Copeland. The guard had…
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Fizz Five 1/19: Syracuse’s Center Problem, the Cardiac ‘Cuse, and a Coaching Deep Dive
Francesco Simone and Tyler Aitken sat down for another edition of Fizz Five, breaking down the top hoops news on the hill. 1. Pittsburgh Recap (1:09)2. Syracuse’s Center Problem (10:02)3. Miami Preview (16:55)4. Women’s Basketball: Cardiac ‘Cuse (22:57)5. Autry vs. Brown (28:33)
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Syracuse’s Win Over Pittsburgh Means (Almost) Nothing
Syracuse basketball just picked up its first road conference win of the season, a 69-58 victory over Pittsburgh on Tuesday. On face value, this seems like a huge win for the Orange. For a few key reasons, that isn’t the case. The first thing many SU fans pointed out after the game was that it…
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Syracuse Basketball Has a Shooting Problem
Syracuse basketball can’t shoot three-pointers this year. It could be the downfall of this team. This isn’t just because of a bad shooting performance against North Carolina. This isn’t because of a few-game slump. This is a systemic problem that has existed since the start of the season, and there aren’t any concrete steps to…
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ACC Most Improved Player Candidates
It’s been almost a decade since a Syracuse player won ACC Most Improved Player. The last Orange player to get that award was Rakeem Christmas back in 2014-15. This year, SU might have multiple candidates. Here’s a list of six candidates that could win the award. Maliq Brown – Syracuse Maliq Brown has been the…
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Syracuse Football Can’t Waste an Easy Schedule
The offseason hype for Syracuse football hasn’t been this high in a long, long time. With a new fleet of coaches led by Fran Brown, an impressive transfer class headlined by former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, and SU’s best high school class in recent memory, Orange fans are rightfully excited. But all that is…
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Syracuse Basketball Needs to Change Its Starting Lineup
Syracuse basketball has prided itself on its bench this year. The Orange have gotten regular 40+ point performances from its second unit, especially in a five-game win streak in December. While it’s nice to have good backups, and SU usually stays consistent with its starting five, it’s time for a change. Syracuse’s starters are putting…
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Which Syracuse Basketball Alum is Quadir Copeland Most Like?
Quadir Copeland has been on an absolute tear recently. In Syracuse basketball’s last four games, the guard is averaging 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2 steals. He even broke his career-high in points three separate times in that span. That type of play is garnering plenty of comparisons to former Orange guards. Here…
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Syracuse Football: Dwight Freeney Named Hall of Fame Finalist
Former Syracuse football star Dwight Freeney keeps adding to his resume. Yesterday, he was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That makes Freeney one of the last 15 candidates standing. Of that group, up to five will be selected for the Hall of Fame on the weekend of the Super Bowl.…
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Syracuse Basketball’s Christmas List
Syracuse basketball has grown a lot this season, but this team is far from perfect. Here’s what the Orange should have asked for on their Christmas list this year. A Consistent Second Option Every Santa needs his Rudolph. Judah Mintz has been a star this season, leading all sophomores in the country with 19.8 points…
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Syracuse Football Recruiting Tracker: Kyle McCord Leads Dynamic Class
It’s been hard to keep track of Syracuse football’s recruiting recently. New head coach Fran Brown has been busy with both high school recruiting and the transfer portal. Here’s a list of every player who’s committed to the Orange since Coach Brown took over (as of the morning of Monday, December 17 – this list…
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Syracuse Basketball: Bench Shines in 83-63 Win Over Oregon
Syracuse basketball is known for having a small rotation. In the Jim Boeheim era, the Orange usually went two or three guys deep on the bench. That hasn’t been the case this year though, and the 83-63 win over Oregon proved how valuable depth can be for SU. Quadir Copeland Every single member of Syracuse’s…
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Kyle McCord Shouldn’t Be Syracuse’s Main Target
It’s been a busy week for Fran Brown and Syracuse football. Four-star recruits are flocking to campus for visits, and the Orange have already flipped several players originally committed to other schools. However, SU has one main position that it hasn’t locked down yet: quarterback. Now, there has been a name that’s associated with Syracuse…
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A Defense of Naheem McLeod
Syracuse basketball fans have gone through the full range of emotions with Naheem McLeod. When the Florida State center transferred to SU last spring, there was euphoria and hope. In the early season, especially the Maui Invitational, there was disappointment. Recently it seems like there’s been anger. Today, with still almost a full week until…
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Fizz Report Card: Syracuse vs. Georgetown
In a 80-68 win over Georgetown, there was obviously a lot to like from Syracuse. Let’s take a look at who graded out the highest in the latest edition of the Fizz Report Card. Judah Mintz: A- Mintz did the most important thing to help Syracuse win: get to the foul line. The guard went…
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Syracuse Basketball Needs Joe Girard
Syracuse basketball needs Joe Girard back. Now, that obviously can’t happen. However the Orange would be a much better team if he was still on it. Many SU fans wanted Girard off the team. While in hindsight, that seems less understandable, there were some decent reasons at the time. His three-point percentage had dipped in…
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Syracuse vs. Cornell, By the Numbers
Syracuse held off Cornell 81-70 last night. Beyond the final score, here are the top numbers to know from the game. 3 The Orange out-rebounded the Big Red 45-42, with the rebounding margin finishing at just three, in favor of SU. Cornell’s tallest player is just 6’10”, while Syracuse starts 7’4” center Naheem McLeod. That…
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Chris Bell Isn’t Syracuse’s True Second Option Yet
Syracuse forward Chris Bell has been hot and cold to start the season. On the positive side, his 25-point outing against Colgate helped SU overcome a 24-point deficit in the second half. The sophomore also tallied 20 points on 6/10 shooting from behind the arc in a dominant win over LSU. Some games have still…
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Fizz Five 12/1: Syracuse Basketball One Month In & Fran Brown
Finish your week off by listening to Adam Gotkin and Tyler Aiken recap a busy week in SU Athletics. 1. LSU Recap (1:02-9:38)2. Fran Brown Hiring (9:38-17:32)3. WBB Update (17:32-23:01)4. What Bowl Game For SU? (23:01-27:33)5. Where Could SU Go Bowling (27:33-close)
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Fran Brown’s Top Two Challenges to Overcome
Fran Brown is an exciting hire in a lot of ways. He has regional connections, relationships to talented coaches, and a strong recruiting resume. However, there are some notable challenges he’ll face at Syracuse, due to both his experience and the situation he’s coming into. In-Game Coaching Decisions Playcalling. Substitutions. Clock management. These are all…
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Syracuse is Headed to a Bowl: What’s the Best Option?
After winning its sixth game this weekend, Syracuse football is headed to a bowl. But which possible bowl game is the right fit for the Orange? Syracuse.com identified five likely options, and we ranked them from worst to best. 5. Pinstripe Bowl There’s a lot for Syracuse fans to like about the Pinstripe Bowl. The…
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Ranking Syracuse Performances on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is typically a day for one sport: football. But historically, Syracuse has played more on the hardwood on this holiday. Here’s the Orange Fizz ranking of the games SU men’s basketball has played on Thanksgiving (since 1970). 4. 1996: Kentucky 87, Syracuse 53 Syracuse fell by over 30 points to the eventual champions of…
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