CAN THE WEARY ORANGE REBOUND AGAINST LOUISVILLE?
Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse Orange lost 80-75 Saturday at Pittsburgh and it wasn’t a huge upset. SU was favored by only 1 point. Winning on the road in the rugged Atlantic Coast Conference isn’t easy.
The Panthers entered the game with a 2-9 record in the ACC (13-11 overall). SU was 8-4 in the ACC – with five straight victories – and 16-9 overall.
SU had defeated the Panthers 77-66 at the Carrier Dome Jan. 7.
But Pittsburgh is better than its record, with a bunch of close losses. Seniors Michael Young and Jamel Artis are the best 1-2 scoring punch in the ACC. The Panthers don’t have much depth and lack a true point guard.
SU also lacks depth. That was apparent in Saturday’s loss. Freshman star Tyus Battle was ill and played sparingly. Frank Howard took advantage of his opportunity and played well. Steady Tyler Lydon wasn’t sharp. He looked tired and had a rare poor outing. That was understandable. It was the sixth straight game he played every minute.
SU showed grit to trim the deficit with a full-court press, but the Panthers more than offset several giveaways with long passes to wide-open teammates for easy baskets.
SU faces an even bigger challenge Monday night at home against Rick Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals (20-5 overall, including 8-4 in the ACC). Louisville, favored by 3 points over the Orange, is coming off a 71-66 home win Saturday over Miami. The Cardinals figure to be at full strength, with Quentin Snider back from an injury and Donovan Mitchell and Mangok Mathiang back from suspensions. Louisville is much deeper than SU, with 10 players averaging at least 11 minutes per game.
SU will have four games remaining in the regular season after Monday night: at Georgia Tech Sunday…home vs. Duke Feb. 22…at Louisville Feb. 26 and home vs. Georgia Tech March 4.
Nine or 10 ACC teams could make the NCAA tournament. I’d like SU’s chances for Big Dance bid if it can go 3-2 down the stretch. 2-3 might be good enough. 1-4 probably would be iffy. 0-5 likely would be NIT time.
COULD THIS BE TRUE -- WHALEY THINKS CARDALE JONES IS READY TO START?
Pro Football Talk last week credited Vic Carucci (Buffalo News) for reporting that Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley thinks second-year quarterback Cardale Jones is capable of being the starter in 2017.
Whaley reportedly wanted to replace Tyrod Taylor with Jones for the final four games of the 2016 season but deferred to the wishes of the team’s coaching staff.
The Bills have until March 12 to decide on keeping Taylor and his five-year, $82.5-million contract (with $30.75 million guaranteed; the salary cap hit for 2017 would be $16 million).
Among other recent reports on possible replacements for Taylor this season: A.J. McCarron (he expects to be traded by Cincinnati) and Josh McCown (released by Cleveland; Buffalo was interested in him in 2015).
I don’t know about you, but I have zero faith in Whaley if indeed he has decided to replace Taylor with Jones. Whaley drafted EJ Manuel in the first round (most other NFL talent evaluators rated him a third-rounder at best) and compounded that mistake by keeping him on the roster for four seasons.
I know some Bills fans would like to see Cardale Jones/Chad Kelly 1-2 on Buffalo’s QB depth chart to start the 2017 season. And that might work out. I just can’t see it. I could see a 4-12 type record and “non-playoff seasons” reach 18-and-counting.
KNIGHTHAWKS FACING A CHALLENGING WEEKEND
The clearly rebuilding Rochester Knighthawks are 2-4 in the National Lacrosse League after a 21-12 home loss Saturday night to the two-time defending champion Saskatchewan Rush.
Minus Cody Jamieson (season-ending knee injury) and captain Sid Smith (IR), the last thing the Knighthawks need is a two- game weekend. But that’s what they’ll be getting – Saturday night home against the Toronto Rock and Sunday at the NLL-best Georgia Swarm (4-1 record).
Georgia is coming off a 17-15 home victory Saturday over the New England Black Wolves. The First Star was former Knighthawk Jordan Hall (4 goals and 2 assists). Rochester sure could use his veteran presence and all-around game now.
The Knighthawks are struggling on special teams. They rank seventh in the nine-team NLL on the power play (51.61 percent; 16-for-31) and eighth in penalty killing (37.50 percent; 9-for-24).
RAZORSHARKS CAN AVENGE RARE LOSS ON KIDS DAY FEBRUARY 20
The Rochester RazorSharks (now 7-1) suffered a rare Premier Basketball League loss Saturday night – 102-91 – to the Kentucky Wildcats (now 6-1) in Owensboro, Ky. It was the first defeat ever for second-year Sharks coach Chris Iversen. The reigning PBL Coach of the Year now is now 26-1.
There were two significant factors in the loss: Rochester played the night before – a 95-89 road win over the Ohio Bootleggers, and this was a huge game for the Wildcats and their fans, who are not accustomed to losing. Owensboro Sportscenter was packed and the enthusiastic crowd inspired the Wildcats to a big early lead and a wire-to-wire victory. PBL Player of the Month Nicholas Wadell is tough to stop at this level.
The Knighthawks host the Chatauqua Hurricane Thursday at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial before the rematch against Kentucky, Monday, Feb. 20, 2:05 p.m., on Kids Day at Blue Cross Arena.
SABRES HAVE THE NHL’S BEST POWER PLAY
The Buffalo Sabres enter this week with the NHL’s top-ranked power play: 23.4 percent (39-for-167). The NHL average is 19.0 percent.
Buffalo’s power-play efficiency has improved immensely over the recent bad-old days:
2015-16 season – 18.9 percent (48-for-254)…12th in the 30-team NHL
2014-15 season – 13.4 percent (30-for-224)…30th in NHL
2013-14 season – 14.1 percent (36-for-256)…29th in NHL
2012-2013 season – 14.1 percent (23-for-163)…29th in NHL.
What does this mean? The current Sabres have enough talented offensive players to be among the team leaders on the power play but still not quite enough firepower to make the playoffs. But they’re making progress.
Buffalo entered Sunday with 135 goals – 24t in the NHL. The Sabres ranked 4th tied in power-play goals (39)….Added note: Matt Moulson leads Buffalo in power-play goals (9). He has 2 goals even-strength goals.
TWINS ADDING POSSIBLE VETERANS FOR RED WINGS
The Minnesota Twins recently signed a bunch of minor-league free agents. Two of them will get big shots to make the Twins out of spring training and are unlikely to spend any time in Rochester: 36-year-old left-handed relief pitcher Craig Breslow and journeyman outfielder Drew Stubbs.
Two possible 2017 Red Winds are 33-year-old right-handed pitcher Johan Pino and 32-year-old outfielder Quinton Berry.
Pino had a terrific 2014 season with Rochester (10-2 record, 2.47 ERA in 16 games). He hasn’t done much since and pitched in Korea last year.
Berry is best known as a base-stealer. In 2012, with the Detroit Tigers, he batted .258 in 94 games and had 21 stolen bases without being caught. He batted .270 and was 32-of-42 stealing bases in 100 games for Triple-A Salt Lake City last season.
IN CASE YOU MISSED THE BOWLING ON SUNDAY…
Jason Belmonte won the Barbusol PBA Players Championship Sunday in Columbus, Ohio. He defeated Anthony Simonsen in the championship match(221 to 204) to win $40,000. Belmonte had failed to win in his last 16 trips to the five-man TV finals.
For the record, the top money-winner on the 2016 PBA Topur was EJ Tackett ($168,290) and Jesper Svensson had the highest average (226.07).
SHORT SHOTS
Is Holly Holm the UFC version of heavyweight boxing’s Hasim Rahman as a one-shot wonder? Rahman was champion—very briefly -- after knocking out Lennox Lewis. Holm is 0-3 since her shocking victory over Ronda Rousey.
University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team figures to win its 100th consecutive game Monday night against visiting sixth-ranked South Carolina at Gampel Pavilion in Coors, Conn. (9 p.m., ESPN2). The Huskies are 23-0 this season and South Carolina is 21-2 after a 60-41 win over Auburn last Thursday.
I think some people don’t recognize Mike Trout as the best player in baseball because he lack exposure. His Los Angeles Angels are a lousy team and don’t make the playoffs. Hate to say it – but he’d look great in a Yankees uniform.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO…
Monday, February 13 – Nathan Eovaldi (27)…Aqib Talib (31)…Niklas Backstrom (39)…Randy Moss (40)…Howie Clark (43)…Mats Sundin (46)…Tommy Dreamer (46)…Ruben Brown (47)…Mike Krzyzewski (70)…Sal Bando (73). Jerry Springer (73) is invited to the birthday party.
Tuesday, February 14 – Alshon Jeffery (27)…Derek Norris (28)…Tyler Clippard (32)…Drew Bledsoe (45)…Ghoerge Muresan (46)…Richard Smehlik (47)…Calle Johansson (50)…Petr Svoboda (51)…Jim Kelly (57)…Rochester Americans Hall of Famer Val James (60)…Dave Dravecky (61)…Walt Poddubny (57)…Mickey Wright (82) Frederick Douglass was born on this date 199 years ago !1818) and died in 1895 at age 77.