CAN TCU RUN-AND-GUN AGAINST SYRACUSE?
GRITTY ORANGE ARE DICTATING THE PACE
The Syracuse Orange have established their identity – whether we all like it or not.
SU is weak offensive team with hardly any depth and plays a mean 2-3 defense.
Coach Jim Boeheim’s iron men usually play at a frustrating pace -- on offense and on defense – to conserve energy and stay out of foul trouble. Every foul call against his undermanned starting unit is a dagger to Boeheim’s heart.
The Orange take their time on offense, doing more standing around than cutting and passing. They’re milking the clock. They hardly ever score on fast breaks because they don’t try.
Their 2-3 zone defense usually frustrates opponents that prefer up-tempo, run-and-gun, high-scoring games. Teams such as Texas Christian.
Friday night’s Syracuse versus TCU game in Dallas (9:40 in Dallas) is a classic matchup of styles. The Horned Frogs love to play at a fast pace. Horned Frogs coach Jamie Dixon told reporters, “We play similar to the NBA offensively, so it’s attractive for a lot of reasons.”
TCU averaged 83 points this season, 19th among the 351 Division I teams. It had a 49.9 field-goal percentage (8th) and 40.0 three-point field-goal percentage (17th).
SU will try to frustrate the Horned Frogs by dictating the pace.
One advantage TCU has over most of Boeheim’s opponents is Dixon, who had a 15-6 record against SU in his 13 years at Pittsburgh. He had a knack for finding the vulnerable spots in Boeheim’s zone.
A brief Tale of the Tape (rank among the 351 Division I teams in parentheses):
Scoring -- SU 67.3 points per game (314th)...TCU 83.0 (t19th)
Scoring defense – SU 64.3 (15th)...TCU 75.9 (270th)
Scoring margin – SU +3 per game (132nd)...TCU +7.1 per game (62nd)
Field-goal percentage – SU 41.8 (313th)...TCU 49.9 (8th)
Three-point FG percentage – SU 32.2 (318th)...TCU 40.0 (17th)
Free-throw percentage – SU 73.5 (96th)...TCU 70.8
Rebound differential per game – SU +4.5 (48th)...TCU +6.3 (19th)
Assists per game – SU 11.0 (329th)...TCU 18.8 (2nd)
TCU is favored by 4 ½ points and the over/under is 136 ½ (total points by both teams).
I’m tired of picking against Syracuse. I want them to win too much to root against them in an attempt to pad my predicting record.
MY FAVORITE ORANGE FACTOID...
Entering Friday night, Syracuse – one of the nation’s 351 Division I college basketball teams – had three of the top six players in minutes played per 40-minute game:
1st – Tyus Battle 38.5
2nd – Frank Howard 38.3
6th – Oshae Brissett – 37.6.
I wonder if that has ever happened before or will happen again.
AYTON AND YOUNG: ONE AND DONE IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
College basketball’s two most-heralded freshmen – Arizona’s 7-foot-1 center Deandre Ayton and Oklahoma’s 6-foot-2 Trae Young – both were one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
Oklahoma lost 83-78 in overtime to Rhode Island and Arizona forgot much forgot to show up in a brutal 89-68 loss to Buffalo.
It also likely will be one-and-done for Ayton and Young as college players.
Ayton is a favorite to be selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft. He’s been compared to Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid. Young – who’ll be the first Division I player to lead the nation in both scoring (27.4 per game) and assists (8.7 per game) -- likely will be a lottery pick. He figures to thrive in the up-tempo NBA.
A FEW REASONS WHY SIGNING A.J. McCARRON WAS A GREAT MOVE
How could anyone disagree with the addition of quarterback AJ McCarron by the Buffalo Bills?
1—He has a much greater upside than more experienced “bridge” quarterbacks such as Matt Moore and Derek Anderson.
2—He has a championship pedigree from his years at Alabama. He was 36-4 as starting QB for the Crimson Tide, including back-to-back BCS championships.
3—He’s probably better than Nathan Peterman and I believe GM Brandon Beane and/or coach Sean McDermott agree.
4—Two years for $10 million ($6 million guaranteed) is a bargain for an NFL starting quarterback.
5--Assuming he does a decent job for the Bills, be should be a nice bargaining chip for a future trade – maybe for as much as a second-rounder?
6-He’s 6-foot-4 and should be at his QB prime. He’ll turn 28 on September 13.
7-His wife, Miss Alabama 2012 Katherine Webb-McCarron, already is excited about the move to Buffalo. On her Instagram, she posted, “billsmafia here we come.”
A few other McCarron factoids: He nearly died in a jet-ski accident when was 5...He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated October 30, 2013...He finished second for the Heisman Trophy in 2013 (Jameis Winston won in a landslide)...He lost a chance for three straight BCS titles when Oklahoma upset Alabama in the Sugar Bowl 45-31 his senior season. The Crimson tide were favored by 17 ½ points and led 31-17 at halftime...He slid in the 2014 NFL draft (fifth round, #164 to Cincinnati). One report claimed he was too cocky in interviews. Defenders said he was expressing self-confidence.
SHORT SHOTS
I thought Sean McDonough did a solid job in his two seasons on play-by-play for Monday Night Football. ESPN demoted him to working college football and he didn’t sound disappointed. I liked his candor. He said the telecasts were designed to showcase color analyst Jon Gruden (they were) and that the NFL gave ESPN mostly lousy games (I’ve noticed that for a few years).
On this date in sports, March 16 – 118 years ago (1900), baseball’s American League was formed...54 years ago (1964), NFL stars Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were reinstated by the NFL after one-year suspensions for gambling...32 years ago (1996), Mike Tyson knocked out Frank Bruno in the third round for the heavyweight boxing title.
On this date in sports, March 17 -- 142 years ago (1876), Marshall Jones Brooks had the first world-record high jump over 6 feet...110 years ago (1908), Tommy Burns knocked out Jem Roche in 88 seconds for the heavyweight boxing title...63 years ago (1955), riots broke out in Montreal to protest the suspension of Canadiens star Maurice Richard for the rest of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Richard went on the radio to ask citizens to stop vandalizing the city...55 years ago (1963), Bob Cousy played his last NBA game.
On this date in sports, March 18—65 years ago (1953), the National League approved the Boston Braves move to Milwaukee...46 years ago (1972), Cornell’s hockey team was shut out for the first time in 225 games) by Boston University)...37 years ago (1981), the Buffalo Sabres scored nine goals in one period versus Toronto...4 years ago (2014), Phil Jackson signed a five-year contract to be president of the New York Knicks.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Friday, March 16
Joel Embiid (24)...Tim Hardaway Jr. ...(26)...Blake Griffin (29)...Emmanuel Sanders (31)..Toney Douglas (32)....Curtis Granderson (37)...Pat Harlow (49)...Rodney Peete (52)...Mel Gray (57)...Duane Sutter (58)...Ozzie Newsome (62)...Joe DeLamielleure (67)....Hollis Stacy (64)...Al MacAdam (66).
Saturday, March 17
Katie Ladecky (21)...Terry Rozier (24)...Rhys Hoskins (25)...Cordarrelle Patterson (27)...Mikael Backlund (29)...Chris Davis (32)...Kyle Korver (37)...Samoa Joe (39)...Mia Hamm (46)...Bill Mueller (47)...Danny Ainge (59)...Barry Krauss (61)...Craig Ramsay (67)...Chuck Muncie (68)...Cito Gaston (74). Rob Lowe (54), Gary Sinese (63) and Kurt Russell (67) are invited to the birthday party.
Sunday, March 18
Trey Mancini (26)...J.J. Realmuto (27)...Travis Frederick (27)...Kris Dunn (29)....Eric Wood (32)...Cory Schneider (32)...Darius Butler (32)...Zdeno Chara (41)...Fernando Rodney (41)...Brian Griese (43)...Rob Johnson (45)...Marlon Kerner (45)...Andre Rison (51)...Bonnie Blair (54)...Curt Warner (57)...Guy Charbonneau (58)...Ingamar Stenmark (62)...Rick Martel (62)...Dwayne Murphy (63)...Bob Nevin (80). Queen Latifah (48) and Vanessa Williams (55) are invited to the birthday party.