SYRACUSE ORANGE: THE ECSTACY AND THE AGONY
The bad version of the unpredictable Syracuse Orange were on display in Sunday’s 88-68 loss at Louisville. It was not a complete mismatch, but it was close to that. The Cardinals are deeper and clearly the better team.
SU – when three or four of the five core players are in top form -- can be an exciting team and a handful for any opponent. But when two or more of the OrangeIronmen struggle, things can get ugly.
The Orange are 17-13 overall and back on the NCAA Tournament bubble. They’re 9-8 in the rugged Atlantic Coast Conference. That’s a plus. But a loss to Georgia Tech in the regular-season finale Saturday at the Carrier Dome would drop SU to 9-9 in the ACC. That might not be good enough.
Win or lose versus Georgia Tech, one win in the ACC tournament could be a ticket to the Big Dance.
SU is 15-3 at the Carrier Dome but a mere 2-10 outside the Carrier Dome. The only road wins were 100-93 in overtime at North Carolina State and 82-81 at Clemson. In other words, the Orange are one overtime win and a two-point win in another game from being winless on the road this season.
I hope the selection committee is in SU’s corner but I believe anyone touting the Orange as a lock for an NCAA tournament bid are at this point engaging in wishful thinking.
LOTS AT STAKE IN KNIGHTHAWKS-BANDITS HOME-AND-HOME WEEKEND
The rebuilding Rochester Knighthawks rallied last Saturday night for a 12-8 National Lacrosse League victory over the Vancouver Stealth.
It is too early to write the obit on Rochester’s hopes for a playoff berth this season, but the upcoming home-and-home series against the Thruway rival Buffalo Bandits (at Buffalo Friday 7 p.m., and at Blue Cross Arena at The War Memorial home Saturday, 1 p.m.) shapes up as crucial for both teams.
The top three teams in the five-team East Division after the 18-game regular season will qualify for the playoffs. The records entering this week: Georgia 7-1…Toronto 5-3…Buffalo 3-5…New England 3-6…Rochester 3-6.
The Bandits beat the Toronto Rock 15-12 last Saturday night before 14,803 fans at KeyBank Center. Fairport product and former Albany star goalkeeper Blaze Riorden had 2 goals and 3 assists as a forward for Buffalo and was selected the game’s Second Star. In three games this season, he has 4 goals and 5 assists.
It will be interesting to compare the size of the crowds Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Buffalo is outdrawing Rochester by more than 2-to-1 this season. Rochester is a hotbed for lacrosse and I’ve always wondered why the Bandits generally bury the Knighthawks in home attendance.
WHAT THE SABRES ARE DOING WELL AND NOT SO WELL
Entering Sunday night, here’s how the Buffalo Sabres have fared this season in assorted NHL categories:
Goals per game – 1-Pittsburgh 3.48…2-Washington 3.31…24th-Buffalo 2.44
Fewest goals allowed per game – 1-Washington 2.10…2-Minnesota 2.31…15th-Buffalo 2.75
Shots on goal per game – 1-Boston 34.1…2-Pittsburgh 34.1…20th-Buffalo 29.6
Fewest shots allowed per game – 1—Los Angeles 25.8…Boston 26.5…30th-Buffalo 34.1
Power-play percentage – 1-Minnesota 22.8…2-Toronto 22.8…3-Buffalo 22.6
Penalty-killing percentage – 1-Carolina 86.5…2-Boston 86.3…29th Buffalo 75.4.
The Sabres also have struggled in shootouts. Buffalo and Toronto have been the NHL’s worst teams in shootouts. Is it something in the water of Lake Ontario?
Buffalo – 1-5 in shootouts…the Sabres are 3-of-15 in shots (.200) and opponents are 10-of-14 (.714).
Toronto – 1-7 in shootouts…the Maple Leafs are 5-for-25 in shots (.200) and opponents are 11-for-23 (.478).
BEST-AND-WORST NAMES FOR TRIPLE CROWN NOMINEES
Here is my annual list of the nominees for thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, based on the classy names you’d expect to see in the winner’s circle at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes or Belmont Stakes…and the less-ambitiously-named horses you’d more expect to see run in future claiming races at Finger Lasks or Fort Erie:
Some of the best – Absolutely Stylish…Adulation…American Anthem…Apollo Landing…Battle Ready…Classy Warrior…Good Samaritan…Honor and Courage…Iliad…King Power…Lord Admiral…Moves Like Ali…State of Honor…My Blue Heaven…Uncontested…West Express.
Some of the worst – Always a Suspect…Bound for Nowhere…Chief Know It All…Fillet of Sole…First Degree Burn…Glacier (must be a very slow animal)…Greatbullsofire…Gummy…Hay Listen Up…Horse Fly…Macho Mischief…Menace the Dennis…No Dozing…One Mo Chance…Watch Me Whip…Zip Van Winkle…It’s Your Nickel…Vending Machine…Live Round…Vanish…Stone Hands…Phat Man.
SOME THOUGHTS, STATS AND FACTS
O.J. Simpson wasn’t much of an actor but he finally won an Oscar Sunday night – sort of –O.J. Made in America best feature documentary. And he couldn’t even attend.
Adding Deron Williams was a terrific move by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He no longer is an outstanding point guard, but he’s a better playmaking point guard than the Cavs had on the roster. He’ll let LeBron James and Kyrie Irving concentrate on other parts of the game they do so well. Can they beat Golden State in the Finals? The probable showdown just got even more compelling.
I’m pretty sure that if new women’s basketball all-time scorer Kelsey Plum had gone to Connecticut, she would not have set the record. The women Huskies have too many great players to let any player dominate.
Devan Bubnyk (Minnesota Wild) leads NHL goalies in wins (32) and save percentage (.933). Buffalo’s Robin Lehner ranks 7th in save percentage (.923) and third in savers (1,3012).
Entering Sunday, the Rochester Americans were 29th in the 30-team American Hockey League in point percentage (418), ahead of only the Hartford Wolf Pack (.398).
Andrew Peters’ career performance line for the Rochester Amerks: 175 games in portions of four seasons; 7 goals, 5 assists, 12 points, 733 penalty minutes, -21 (plus-minus).
Sharp-shooting guard John Ivy was a big scorer for East High and SUNY Brockport, and be continues to fill up the basket as the second-leading scorer for the deep and well-balanced Rochester RazorSharks: 13.7 points per game; .556 field-goal percentage; .538 three-point FG percentage; .897 free-throw percentage.
How amazing is Aroldis Chapman’s fastball? Of the 3,024 pitches thrown 100 mph or faster in the past five seasons, Chapman threw 1,583 of them. Of the 101 pitches clocked at 103 mph or faster, Chapman threw 98 of them (ESPN stats).
National Lacrosse League visiting teams are 20-18 so far this season. They were 32-49 in 2016, 36-45 in 2015 and 36-45 in 2014.
2016-17 Buffalo Sabres: R.I.P. One more scorer + one more solid defenseman = playoffs next season?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO…
Monday, February 27 – Chandler Jones (27)…Devin Harris (34)…Tony Gonzalez (41)…Kent Desormeaux (47)…James Worthy (56)…John Davidson (64)…Mike Schmidt (68). Chelsea Clinton (37) is invited to the birthday party.
Tuesday, February 28 – Eddie Rosario (26)…Aroldis Chapman (29)…Josh McRoberts (30)…Ryan Zimmerman (33)…Tayshaun Prince (37)…Eric Lindros (44)…J. T. Snow (49)…Adrian Dantley (62)…Brian Billick (63)...Ricky Steamboat (64)…Mario Andretti (77). Gilbert Gottfried (62) and Bernadette Peters (69) are invited to the birthday party.