SB Nation New York - Syracuse Basketball 2012-13: Latest Orange news, updates and columnshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48977/ny-fave.png2012-11-07T10:22:45-05:00http://newyork.sbnation.com/rss/stream/26746602012-11-07T10:22:45-05:002012-11-07T10:22:45-05:00NYC recruit Isaiah Whitehead names 10 finalists
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<p>Class of 2014 target and Brooklyn, NY native has narrowed his list to nine schools.</p> <p>Isaiah Whitehead, the 40th-ranked men's basketball recruit for the Class of 2014 according to <a href="http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/127371/isaiah-whitehead">ESPN Recruiting Services</a>, announced Wednesday <a href="https://twitter.com/CuseNationFOX/status/266177790309703680">he has trimmed his list </a>to <a href="https://twitter.com/IWhitehead15/status/266035692851830785">10 schools</a>: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/st-john-s-red-storm">St. John's Red Storm</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/rutgers-scarlet-knights">Rutgers Scarlet Knights</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/kentucky-wildcats">Kentucky Wildcats</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/louisville-cardinals">Louisville Cardinals</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/arizona-wildcats">Arizona Wildcats</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/maryland-terrapins">Maryland Terrapins</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/florida-gators">Florida Gators</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/kansas-jayhawks">Kansas Jayhawks</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/ucla-bruins">UCLA Bruins</a>.</p>
<p>The 6'4, 195-pound shooting guard from Brooklyn, NY eliminated schools such as: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/seton-hall-pirates">Seton Hall Pirates</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/miami-hurricanes">Miami Hurricanes</a>, which all <a href="http://zagsblog.com/articles/at-sharette-dixon-whitehead-and-mccullough-talk-syracuse/">had been listed</a> as possible options.</p>
<p>Whitehead did not announce a favorite, however, Syracuse and St. John's seem to be strong candidates.</p>
<p>The Orange just landed a verbal commitment from '14 five-star power forward Chris McCullough (Bronx, NY), a AAU teammate of Whitehead who has <a href="http://zagsblog.com/articles/at-sharette-dixon-whitehead-and-mccullough-talk-syracuse/">mentioned playing college basketball with him </a>at SU.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, some believe St. John's has a good shot at Whitehead because <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/collegesports/syracuse_recruiting_gain_could_help_91BIsztkkDNyFcq0iPxtHM">the Orange's recruiting is going so well</a> and head coach Steve Lavin has room on his roster for a local freshman star.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-basketball/2012/11/7/3612924/isaiah-whitehead-syracuse-st-johns-rutgersJared Smith2012-11-06T12:26:12-05:002012-11-06T12:26:12-05:00Reactions to SU landing Chris McCullough
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<p>Reactions and quotes from Syracuse landing five-star forward Chris McCullough</p> <p>On Monday, the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/syracuse-orange" class="sbn-auto-link">Syracuse Orange</a> men's basketball program received a verbal commitment from Class of 2014 target Chris McCullough. The Bronx, N.Y., native, who's the 17th-ranked junior in the country <a href="http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/126289/chris-mccullough">according to ESPN's Recruiting Services</a>, announced his decision via Twitter and since then the 6'10, 220-pound power forward has been talking about it.</p>
<p>First, McCullough <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/collegesports/top_recruit_mccullough_snubs_st_KzJWd2Vw2t12AUQRrCzFEK">spoke with the New York Post's Zach Braziller</a> and said he chose SU because he felt they gave him the<a href="https://twitter.com/NYPost_Brazille/status/265620039959470080"> best chance to get to the NBA</a>.</p>
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<p>"I love their style of play," he said. "It fits me."</p>
<p>Most of all, McCullough said he picked Syracuse because of the program's penchant for producing pros, especially forwards.</p>
<p>"I feel like I know what they're doing," he said.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/index.ssf/2012/11/top_10_recruit_chris_mcculloug.html#incart_river">The Post-Standard then spoke to the Orange's first commit for the Class of '14</a>, and found out Brewster Acadeny teammate Ron Patterson, a Class of '13 verbal commit for SU, helped him make his final decision. McCullough also had scholarship offers from <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/st-john-s-red-storm" class="sbn-auto-link">St. John's Red Storm</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/rutgers-scarlet-knights" class="sbn-auto-link">Rutgers Scarlet Knights</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/connecticut-huskies" class="sbn-auto-link">Connecticut Huskies</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/kansas-jayhawks" class="sbn-auto-link">Kansas Jayhawks</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/louisville-cardinals" class="sbn-auto-link">Louisville Cardinals</a>.</p>
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<p>"I talked to Ron,'' McCullough said. "I asked him if he liked it. If he saw us both fitting in there. He said we'd both fit in good. We're both athletic players.''</p>
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<p><a href="http://zagsblog.com/articles/chris-mccullough-to-syracuse/">SNY.TV's Adam Zagoria </a>spoke with New York recruiting expert Tom Konchalski about McCullough. Said Konchalski:</p>
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<p>"There’s no ceiling to his potential. He’s gotta learn to play hard every possession, to play with more sustained intensity.</p>
<p>"But talk about a guy who’s long, a guy who changes ends effortlessly, who explodes off the floor. He has good hands, has a good touch, has some perimeter skill. He’s gotta get tougher, develop more of an inside game and learn to play hard all 40 minutes.</p>
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<p>Meanwhile, Syracuse sports talk radio host Mike Lindsley posted this YouTube video discussion SU's latest get.</p>
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https://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-basketball/2012/11/6/3609634/syracuse-basketball-recruiting-reactions-chris-mcculloughJared Smith2012-11-05T16:35:37-05:002012-11-05T16:35:37-05:00Chris McCullough commits to Syracuse
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<p>Syracuse men's basketball target Chris McCullough, a five-star power forward and a member of the Class of 2014, has reportedly made a verbal commitment to the Orange.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a> men's basketball program may have landed its first recruit for the Class of 2014, as <a href="https://twitter.com/McAllisterOnFox/status/265556682799722496">CuseNation.com's Mike McAllister</a> is reporting five-star power forward <b>Chris McCullough</b> has made a verbal commitment to play for the Orange. </p>
<p>McAllister cites McCullough's prep school teammate <b>Ron Patterson</b> as the source. Patterson, a Class of '13 prospect, <a href="http://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-basketball/2012/11/3/3595584/ron-patterson-syracuse-basketball-recruiting-2012/in/2674660">committed to play at SU on Saturday</a>. </p>
<p>McCullough is rated the 17th-best player in the Class of '14 <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/evaluation/_/id/126289/chris-mccullough">according to ESPN's Recruiting Services </a>and is the third-best power forward according to <a href="http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=5731046">Scout.com</a>. The 6'10, 220-pounder chose SU over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/st-john-s-red-storm">St. John's Red Storm</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/louisville-cardinals">Louisville Cardinals</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/pittsburgh-panthers">Pittsburgh Panthers</a>.</p>
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<p>McCullough is a very long and athletic forward with obvious upside. He runs the court with long fluid strides, gets off his feet quickly, and gets his head on the rim. He is equally mobile laterally and is consequently a potentially versatile defender down the road</p>
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<p>The Bronx, NY native is one of five prospect to commit early to SU, which already has landed four recruits in the Class of '13: three-star guard Patterson, five-star point guard <b>Tyler Ennis</b>, three-star small forward <b>B.J. Johnson</b> and three-star power forward<b> Chinonso Obokoh</b>.</p>
<p>Though, the Orange still need to wait two years for McCullough to arrive on campus, this could mean they're now a favorite to pick up a commitment from another '14 prospect, Isaiah Whitehead, who's a native of Brooklyn and is <a href="http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/127371/isaiah-whitehead">rated the 41st-best player</a> by ESPN. <a href="http://sujuiceonline.com/2012/10/23/isaiah-whitehead-chris-mccullough-talk-syracuse-cuse-clicks/">Both players have talked about playing together in college</a>.</p>
<p>Syracuse is also<a href="https://twitter.com/GTuckerF150/status/265484060632178689"> reportedly the favorite to earn a commitment from '13 recruit</a><b> Tyler Roberson</b> sometime in the next few weeks.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-basketball/2012/11/5/3606118/chris-mccullough-commits-to-syracuse-basketball-recruiting-2012Jared Smith2012-11-05T12:03:43-05:002012-11-05T12:03:43-05:00SU hoops begins season with 'Battle on the Midway'
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<p>The Orange's 2012-13 season begins with a military-themed game played on the deck of the U.S.S. Midway.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/san-diego-st-aztecs">San Diego St. Aztecs</a> will help tip-off the 2012-13 men's college basketball season Friday with a military-themed non-conference game that will be played on the deck of the San Diego-based aircraft carrier museum, the U.S.S. Midway.</p>
<p>The season-opening contest, which is being called the "Battle on the Midway," between the No. 9-ranked Orange and No. 20 Aztecs will <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/65909/3-point-shot-camouflage-jersies-for-nov-9">be one of four military-themed college basketball games</a> that will be held during Veterans Day weekend.</p>
<p>This will be the first time Syracuse will begin its season against a nationally-ranked opponent since 1987 when the then No. 1-ranked Orangemen lost to No. 3 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/north-carolina-tar-heels">North Carolina Tar Heels</a>, 96-93.</p>
<p>The Orange, led by head coach Jim Boeheim who's entering his 37th season at SU, are coming off a 34-3 season that featured them winning the Big East Conference's regular-season title, earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament where they advanced all the way to the Elite 8. SU's season ended with a 77-70 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/ohio-st-buckeyes">Ohio St. Buckeyes</a>, one win shy of making the Final Four.</p>
<p>Syracuse enters this season needing to replace four key contributors: Point guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26307/scoop-jardine">Scoop Jardine</a>, forward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52510/kris-joseph">Kris Joseph</a>, center Fab Melo and guard Dion Waiters.</p>
<p>It will do so by asking more from seniors <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100046/brandon-triche">Brandon Triche</a> (guard) and James Southerland (forward), and junior forward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124405/c-j-fair">C.J. Fair</a> and sophomore point guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146180/michael-carter-williams">Michael Carter-Williams</a>.</p>
<p>The Aztecs, led by head coach Steve Fisher, are coming off their third straight season in which they made the NCAA Tournament. San Diego State's season ended with a 79-65 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/n-c-state-wolfpack">N.C. State Wolfpack</a> in the first round.</p>
<p>Two seasons ago, the Aztecs earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced all the way to the Sweet 16 where it lost to the eventual National Champions, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/connecticut-huskies">Connecticut Huskies</a>.</p>
<p>San Diego State's roster features junior guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124249/jamaal-franklin">Jamaal Franklin</a>, who was named Mountain West Player of the Year last season. Franklin, who this season is a strong First-Team All-American candidate, leads a group that also has a strong senior core with guards <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100716/chase-tapley">Chase Tapley</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/53910/james-rahon">James Rahon</a> and forward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146044/deshawn-stephens">DeShawn Stephens</a>.</p>
<p>The Aztecs also have a solid group of youngsters, freshmen forwards <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/176483/winston-shepard">Winston Shepard</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/176481/skylar-spencer">Skylar Spencer</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/176485/matt-shrigley">Matt Shrigley</a>, and transfer additions, sophomore forwards J.J. O'Brien and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124374/dwayne-polee-ii">Dwayne Polee II</a>.</p>
<p>The game is schedule to tip-off at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcasted on any Fox Sports Net affiliate or, in the Syracuse area, on MSG Plus.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-basketball/2012/11/5/3603254/syracuse-vs-san-diego-state-battle-on-the-midway-game-time-tv-schedule-college-basketballJared Smith2012-11-05T08:55:03-05:002012-11-05T08:55:03-05:00SU closes out exhibition slate with blowout win
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<p>The No. 9-ranked Orange concluded its exhibition season with a blowout victory, 103-60, over Bloomsburg.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a> concluded their preseason schedule Sunday with a blowout victory, 103-60, over Bloomsburg University at the Carrier Dome.</p>
<p>Senior guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100046/brandon-triche">Brandon Triche</a> tallied a game-high 23 points while junior forward scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half to help the No. 9-ranked Orange crush their Division II foe.</p>
<p>Senior forward James Southerland scored 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting, including making all five of his 3-point attempts. Sophomore guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146180/michael-carter-williams">Michael Carter-Williams</a> tallied 15 points and dished out eight assists, while freshman forward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175125/jerami-grant">Jerami Grant</a> added 11 points.</p>
<p>Syracuse finished its exhibition play with two victories of 30 points or more -- the Orange defeated Pace University, 99-63, on Thursday -- and now will begin preparing for the regular-season opener against No. 20 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/san-diego-st-aztecs">San Diego St. Aztecs</a>.</p>
<p>The non-conference contest will be played Friday on the deck of the aircraft carrier the U.S.S. Midway in a military-themed game being called, "The Battle on the Midway."</p>
<p>The showdown is schedule to tipoff at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcasted on MSG (locally) and Fox Sports Regional Networks (nationally).</p>
<p><i>For more on Syracuse's season-opener vs. San Diego State, check back to this <a href="http://newyork.sbnation.com/2012/3/29/2910619/syracuse-basketball-2012-13-recruiting-schedule-news-jim-boeheim-big-east-conference">SB Nation New York StoryStream</a>.</i></p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-basketball/2012/11/5/3602828/syracuse-basketball-vs-bloomsburg-orange-conclude-preseason-withJared Smith2012-11-03T14:51:51-04:002012-11-03T14:51:51-04:00SU gets commitment from 3-star guard Ron Patterson
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<p>Three-star guard Ron Patterson has made a verbal commitment to Syracuse. The Orange unofficially have four verbal commitments for the Class of 2013.</p> <p>Ron Patterson, a three-star star point guard according to Rivals, has made a verbal commitment to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a> men's basketball program, <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDanielsFOX/status/264797075743584256">Fox Sports' Evan Daniels is reporting</a>. Patterson (6'3, 195 pounds) chose the Orange over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/boston-college-eagles">Boston College Eagles</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/providence-friars">Providence Friars</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/connecticut-huskies">Connecticut Huskies</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/miami-hurricanes">Miami Hurricanes</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/xavier-musketeers">Xavier Musketeers</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/smu-mustangs">SMU Mustangs</a>.</p>
<p>Patterson was a former <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/indiana-hoosiers">Indiana Hoosiers</a> commit for the Class of 2012, however, his grades were not good enough to qualify to play at Indiana University. Patterson spent a year at Brewster Academy (N.H.) before starting the recruiting process all over again. His final choice was Syracuse after he made a visit to campus earlier in the week.</p>
<p>Overall, Patterson is SU's fourth verbal commitment for the Class of 2013. Already, the Orange have landed commitments from five-star point guard Tyler Ennis, three-star small forward B.J. Johnson and three-star power forward Chinonso Obokoh.</p>
<p>The Orange will be losing seniors, guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100046/brandon-triche">Brandon Triche</a> and forward James Southerland, to graduation and could lose some underclassmen to the NBA by next season.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-basketball/2012/11/3/3595584/ron-patterson-syracuse-basketball-recruiting-2012Jared Smith2012-11-02T15:34:10-04:002012-11-02T15:34:10-04:00What was learned in SU's 99-63 win over Pace
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<p>The Syracuse men's basketball season began Thursday with an exhibition game against Pace University. Though, he's not a big fan of preseason games SB Nation New York's Jared Smith did learn a few things from the game.
<br> </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a> defeated the Pace Setters, 99-63, Thursday night in a men's basketball exhibition game at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse senior forward James Southerland led all scorers with 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting while sophomore point guard Michael Cater-Williams tallied 16 points and dished out seven assists.</p>
<p>Overall, the Orange had six players score in double figures and shot an impressive 57.8-percent from the field including making 50-percent (7-for-14) from behind the 3-point arc.</p>
<p>Though, the numbers were off-the-charts good it was expected the No. 9-ranked team in the nation could post these types of stats against a Division III program, which last year finished 13-14 overall.</p>
<p>And because the Setters were a bit over matched -- Pace didn't have a player taller than 6'7 while the Orange's starting five was listed as 6'4, 6'6, 6'8, 6'9 and 6'9 -- its tough to gauge how well SU really did.</p>
<p>(Note: The same could be said if SU lost. In 2009-10, the Orange were beaten by a Division II opponent, the LeMoyne Dolphins, in the preseason and ended up earning a No. 1 seeded in the NCAA Tournament.)</p>
<p>In all, I dislike breaking down tape on "fake games" such as Thursday's preseason contest. However, there were some things SU fans could take out of the season opener.</p>
<h5>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175127/dajuan-coleman">DaJuan Coleman</a> can move</h5>
<p>I thought the thing that stood out the most was how well the 6'9, 288-pound freshman moved up-and-down and side-to-side on the floor.</p>
<p>Coleman may not be as good of a shot blocker than Fab Melo was, or even as polished as an inside offensive threat, but as a first-year player Coleman can already move better than Melo.</p>
<p>Its so tough to judge how Coleman's performance will transition to Division I opponents or Big East Conference rivals, but there's time to figure that out.</p>
<p>Here's what Jeremy Ryan of SB Nation's<a href="http://www.nunesmagician.com/"> Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician</a> <a href="http://www.nunesmagician.com/2012/11/1/3588548/pace-ted-syracuse-99-pace-63">saw from SU's diaper dandy</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>DaJuan Coleman already looks comfortable and polished with the ball in the low post. It will be great to watch him develop his game this season. He may already be the best post scorer we’ve seen in orange since <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26302/arinze-onuaku">Arinze Onuaku</a>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Meanwhile, SNY's Syracuse blog, <a href="http://sujuiceonline.com/">The Juice</a>, <a href="http://sujuiceonline.com/2012/11/01/instant-juice-syracuse-99-pace-63/">had these observations</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Speaking of DaJuan Coleman, he ran the floor well, had a nice low post repertoire and was quick enough to start at wing. On top of that, he showed a nice touch from the line, hitting all five of his free throws. That being said, I fully expect him to be shooting 50 percent from the line come March with a full season of Syracuse practices under his belt.</p>
</blockquote>
<h5>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146180/michael-carter-williams">Michael Carter-Williams</a> is explosive</h5>
<p>The Orange gave up the first basketball of the game, but exploded with a 16-0 run led by sophomore point guard Michael Carter-Williams, who scored eight points and one assist during the spurt.</p>
<p>Again, the performance was against Pace, however, Carter-Williams (6'6, 185) showed he can shoot 3-pointers over shorter defenders, run the floor with the leadership of a senior and also drive inside.</p>
<p>To be successful this season, Syracuse will need a play-maker as all three of its go-to guys are no longer on the team due to graduation and the NBA Draft. Carter-Williams showed <a href="http://sujuiceonline.com/2012/11/01/instant-juice-syracuse-99-pace-63/">he could be one of those guys this season</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Michael Carter-Williams looked every bit the go-to guy that we’ve been hearing about in the preseason. He was scoring on all sorts of drives and was also shooting well from 3-point land, hitting both of his attempts.</p>
</blockquote>
<h5>Orange will play nine players (for now)</h5>
<p><a href="http://www.nunesmagician.com/2012/11/2/3589782/meet-the-new-orange-syracuse-pace-setters">In his post-game press conference</a>, head coach Jim Boeheim made it clear his strategy is to play nine players --Carter-Williams, Coleman, C.J Fair, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100046/brandon-triche">Brandon Triche</a>, James Southerland, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146181/rakeem-christmas">Rakeem Christmas</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124406/baye-keita">Baye Keita</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146182/trevor-cooney">Trevor Cooney</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175125/jerami-grant">Jerami Grant</a> -- in different combination throughout the season.</p>
<p>However, anybody who follows SU hoops knows that WILL change as the opponents get better. I can say this because Boeheim did the same thing last season.</p>
<p>At the start of the year, the Orange were deep and used it to their advantage (in a 62-56 victory over Marshall, SU played 10 guys at least 10 minutes or more).</p>
<p>However, the trend changed as Boeheim learned which players he could trust in big-game situations (in a 71-68 loss to Cincinnati in the Big East Tournament, SU played seven guys at least 20 minutes or more).</p>
<h5>SU's free throw shooting could improve</h5>
<p>The Orange made 78.3-percent (18-for-23) of their free throw attempts against Pace. The big men -- Coleman, and Christmas -- went 6-for-6.</p>
<p>It doesn't matter who you play, the foul line doesn't change and this is a good early sign.</p>
<p>Syracuse has one more exhibition game -- Sunday, 4 p.m., against Bloomsberg -- before it begins regular season play. The reagular-season opener will be played in a military-themed game against the No. 20 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/san-diego-st-aztecs">San Diego St. Aztecs</a> on the deck of the aircraft carrier the U.S.S. Midway (8 p.m. ET on MSG).</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-basketball/2012/11/2/3591228/syrarcuse-basketball-vs-pace-michael-carter-williams-dajuan-coleman-rakeem-christmasJared Smith2012-11-01T10:03:55-04:002012-11-01T10:03:55-04:00SU opens season with exhibition game against Pace
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/f6GauZf34GY3pO1uV_VLGU2458g=/0x40:438x332/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/2443401/20120315_jla_am8_206.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Richard Mackson-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>SU opens its 2012-13 season Thursday with an exhibition game against visiting Pace University (7 p.m. on SNY).
</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a> men's basketball program will open up its 2012-13 season Thursday as Pace University visits the Carrier Dome for an exhibition game (7 p.m. on SNY and Time Warner Sports).</p>
<p>The Orange, the No. 9-ranked team in the nation, are coming off a record-setting 34-victory season that featured SU advancing to the NCAA Tournament's Elite 8 where they lost to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/ohio-st-buckeyes">Ohio St. Buckeyes</a>. Pace, a Division II program from Pleasantville, NY, finished last season with a 13-14 overall record and in seventh place in the Northeast-10 Conference.</p>
<p>Though, this contest means nothing when it comes to records it will be a highly-anticipated one for Orange fans that want to see its new-look roster. Three new starters will be on the floor for SU, which will need to replace four key players from last year's squad.</p>
<p>Oddly enough, one of the biggest voids that will need to be filled is the sixth-man role, which was occupied by guard Dion Waiters, who was the fourth-overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft. That piece will more than likely be filled by senior forward James Southerland.</p>
<p>The starting spots that will need to be filled are: Fab Melo (center), <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52510/kris-joseph">Kris Joseph</a> (small forward) and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26307/scoop-jardine">Scoop Jardine</a> (point guard).</p>
<p>Those spots will more than likely feature: freshman <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175127/dajuan-coleman">DaJuan Coleman</a> (center), junior <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124405/c-j-fair">C.J. Fair</a> (small forward) and freshman sophomore <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146180/michael-carter-williams">Michael Carter-Williams</a>. Senior guard Brandon Triche and power forward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146181/rakeem-christmas">Rakeem Christmas</a> will more than likely resume their starting spots.</p>
<p>Other players to look for tonight for SU are: freshman forward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175125/jerami-grant">Jerami Grant</a> and junior center <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124406/baye-keita">Baye Keita</a>. Redshirt freshman guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146182/trevor-cooney">Trevor Cooney</a> will not play in tonight's game as he's recovering from surgery on his tonsils.</p>
<p>The Orange will play their final exhibition game Sunday against Bloomberg (4 p.m. on Time Warner Cable Sports) and will open regular-season play, Nov. 9, against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/san-diego-st-aztecs">San Diego St. Aztecs</a> (8 p.m. on Fox Sports Net).</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-basketball/2012/11/1/3585146/syracuse-basketball-vs-pace-orange-open-2012-13-camapign-withJared Smith