Tag Archives: Syracuse University

Jun 28 2012

Boston Celtics Select Sullinger, Melo

With the 21st Overall Pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Boston Selected Jared Sullinger! (Photo Credit: Zimbio.com)

By NoontimeSports.com 

Sadly, the Boston Celtics didn’t draft Austin Rivers, who was selected by the New Orleans Hornets, but the Green and White did acquire Ohio State sophomore Jared Sullinger with the 21st overall pick and Syracuse University sophomore Fab Melo with the 22nd overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Here are a few tidbits pertaining toward each player.

* Sullinger, who was deemed originally a lottery pick, was red-flagged by NBA doctors due to back issues he sustained this past season with the Buckeyes. The sophomore forward missed two games this past year, but managed to average 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.

* Sullinger was a sparkplug for the Buckeyes this past season, but sadly Ohio State fell short in the Final Four against Kansas.

* Melo was named the 2011-12 Big East Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, but missed the NCAA March Madness tournament due to academic issues.

* Melo is a 7-foot center, while Sullinger is a 6-foot-9 forward.

Jun 28 2012

Shapiro: Boston Celtics Draft Preview

Would Royce White be the right piece for the Boston Celtics? (Photo Credit: IrishCentral.com)

By Lucas Shapiro 

Curious to see whom the Boston Celtics will pick tonight?

Aren’t we all?

How Boston picks tonight will be the first indication of what direction the Celtics will go in the potentially post Big Three era.

Here are ten guys that could be wearing a Celtics jersey at the end of the night:

Royce White, (Sophomore | Iowa State | 6’8″ Forward): Although Danny Ainge recently denied it, rumors have been swirling around the NBA that the Celtics had promised White they would draft him as the 21st pick. And for those not too familiar with White, Jonathan Abrams of Grantland.com wrote an excellent piece yesterday portraying the 6’8″, 270-pound forward. He is arguably the most unique NBA draft prospect in years. His hero is John Lennon. He plays exactly like LeBron James. He has a fear of flying. Yet, what makes White so special is how he has overcome adversity to be where he is today. White did not play one minute at the University of Minnesota under Tubby Smith due to the fact he was arrested multiple times, (he also stole a computer). He ended up transferring to Iowa State where he learned the value of being honest and working hard. The product ended up carrying Iowa State to the second round of the NCAA tournament. White is a physical freak with a high skill level. He played point-forward for Iowa State, despite having the body of a power forward. He’d be an immediate impact for the Celtics because they might be losing Jeff Green and Brandon Bass this summer. They also do not have another ball-handler aside from Rajon Rondo, so White could be that guy for spurts of time. The Celtics will need to figure out how to help White with his anxiety issues and fear of flying, but there is a good chance that White could be an impact player for the Celtics right away.

Jared Sullinger, (Sophomore | Ohio State | 6’9″ Power Forward): Let’s get this straight: Jared Sullinger came back to Ohio State, improved his outside shot, improved his free-throw shooting, improved his shot-blocking, lost weight, and carried his team to the Final Four. Yet, for some miraculous reason he is a possibility for the Celtics in the 20′s, (Boston has picks 21 and 22). This is a guy, who was projected to be a Top-5 pick at the beginning of the year, has been knocked down due to bulging discs in his back. A few years ago, former Kansas forward Darrell Arthur fell in the draft due to concerns about his kidney. Yet, in his three years in the NBA, he has averaged 62 games played in per year, so the fact of the matter is that if Sullinger falls to the Celtics, he will be an absolute steal.

Fabricio de Melo, (Sophomore | Syracuse | 7’0″ Center): The Celtics desperately need size and it is unlikely that either Meyers Leonard or Tyler Zeller falls to them. Melo would be the next best 7-footer available. There are a lot of red flags surrounding Melo. He does not have good hands. He is very raw. He is not very intelligent. But one promising sign about Melo is that he improved drastically during two seasons with the Syracuse Orange. When he first walked onto the Syracuse campus, he could barely contribute. He would get lost in defensive rotations and had a hard time getting up and down the floor. So, he lost a great deal of weight before his sophomore year and looked like a completely different player. He made a major impact on the defensive end. It was apparent after he was ineligible for the NCAA tournament that Melo may have been Syracuse’s most important player this past season. He would be a long-term project for the Celtics, but he could fit in, even if he ends up being a guy that grabs a few rebounds, blocks a few shots, and gives a few fouls, which would pay big dividends for Boston.

Andrew Nicholson, (Senior | St. Bonaventure | 6’9″ Power Forward): Nicholson is relatively unknown to the casual basketball fan. He is a big man with a vast set of post moves, as well as deep range on his jump shot. The big problem with Nicholson is that he is 22-years-old, and still had a body that isn’t ready for the NBA. He was a decent post defender in college, but he only allowed 0.77 points per possession in post-up opportunities, which ranked in the 56th percentile in college basketball. At 6’9″ and 220 pound, Nicholson will need to bulk up if he wants to contribute on both ends of the floor in the NBA. He is not an upside pick, but Nicholson could boost the second unit’s scoring.

Moe Harkless, (Freshman | St. John’s | 6’8″ Forward): Harkless is a small forward with a power forward’s game. He has a great deal of potential and could be a sleeper pick for down the road. Think about how great of a pick-up James Posey was for the Celtics a few years back. Harkless could be a similar type of player. He needs to add some polish to his game, but the upside is there.

John Jenkins, (Junior | Vanderbilt | 6’4″ Shooting Guard): If Ray Allen does not return, the Celtics are desperately going to need some outside shooting. Jenkins is arguably the best catch-and-shoot player in the draft. Boston would be an excellent fit for Jenkins because he would not be asked to do anything else. He has some holes in his game, (lack of quickness), but he would always be paired with two of the best defensive guards in the league.

Should the Celtics trade up for Austin Rivers? (Photo Credit: CollegiateStandard.com)

Perry Jones, (Sophomore | Baylor | 6’11″ Forward): It is unlikely that Jones will fall this far, but it is not out of the question. If he does land on the Celtics, Kevin Garnett might be the one player in the league that can teach him to play hard. In terms of talent alone, Jones is a Top-3 player in the draft.

Arnett Moultrie, (Junior | Mississippi State | 6’11″ Power Forward/Center): The Celtics were the worst rebounding team in the NBA last year. Moultrie is a bit of an enigma in terms of upside, but he certainly can rebound. Would he be an upgrade over Greg Stiemsma? Probably not, but the Celtics are desperate for size.

Draymond Green, (Senior | Michigan State | 6’7″ Power Forward): Green does not have much upside, but the Celtics would know what they are getting. Green is a utility player. He could be like a combination of Marquis Daniels and Leon Powe for the Celtics. When they need rebounds, Green could grab them. When they need toughness, Green can bring the toughness. He would be a great complimentary player to a team that has enough stars already.

Austin Rivers, (Freshman | Duke | 6’4″ Shooting Guard): This is the pick that people do not like on the outside, but secretly want to see on the inside. Everyone wants to see Austin Rivers play for his father. Doc might be the only coach that could connect with him. Who knows what would happen if Austin Rivers is selected by Boston, but according to various rumors on Thursday, the Celtics will attempt to trade up for him. One thing is for sure: Rivers to Boston would make for an amazing HBO “Hard Knocks” series.

May 6 2012

Mass College Lax: NCAA Tournament Pairings

Conference Championships are over, and now the quest for NCAA glory begins! (Photo Credit: Matt Noonan for NoontimeSports.com)

By NoontimeSports.com 

The NCAA announced on Sunday, May 6, the various pairings for the upcoming Div. I, II and III men’s and women’s lacrosse tournaments.

Six teams will be crowned champions on Memorial Day weekend, and this year Gillette Stadium will host the men’s championships on Sunday May 27, (D2/D3) and Monday May 28, (D1).

Here are the various local Massachusetts colleges that’ll be competing for NCAA glory.

* Division I – Men’s Lacrosse: The UMass men’s lacrosse team will begin their quest to Gillette Stadium on Saturday, May 12, against Colgate University. If the Minutemen prevail, they’ll face-off against the winner of Duke-Syracuse on May 20. 

* Division I – Women’s Lacrosse: The UMass women’s lacrosse team will play against Maryland in the first round of their tournament on either May 12 or 13. If they win, they’ll face-off against the winner of Loyola-Penn on May 19 or 20. 

*Div. III – Men’s Lacrosse: The Tufts Jumbos earned a first-round bye, and will await the winner of Eastern Conn. State-Trinity College. Springfield College will face-off against Stevens Institute, and the winner will advance to play Cortland State, while Bowdoin College will tangle with Mount Ida. Excluding Tufts, all the games listed will take place on May 9.  

*Div. III – Women’s Lacrosse:  Amherst College’s women’s lacrosse team will begin their quest for a Div. III glory against Keene State. Trinity College will face-off against Bridgewater State, Springfield College will play against Buffalo State and Colby College will take on Endicott College — all of these games will be played on May 9. The winners will advance to the second round on May 12.  


Mar 31 2012

Mass College Lax Recap: Syracuse 10, Harvard 6

By Matt Noonan

FOXBOROUGH, MA – The Syracuse University women’s lacrosse team needed less than 20 seconds to net their first strike of the afternoon, as the Orange defeated Harvard University at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, 10-6.

Sophomore Alyssa Murray, (four goals, one assist) led the charge with four goals, while sophomore Katie Webster, (three goals) notched three strikes in the team’s sixth win of the season.

“It was a good win, it wasn’t our best effort of the year, but it was solid and we did what we needed to do to have success,” Syracuse head coach Gary Gait said.

“I just tried to do my best, score on the opportunities that I got and really communicate with the rest of the offense to keep it flowing,” said Murray, who’s the team’s current leading goal scorer. “Once we got rolling it really went a lot easier, and we started to get a lot of more easy goals.”

Senior Sarah Holden provided the Orange an early one-goal lead before Harvard answered when senior Melanie Baskind, (three goals, two assists) connected with sophomore Jenn Leffew, which evened the score at 1-1.

The Orange offense responded seven minutes later by spouting off five goals before the Crimson closed the opening half with a goal by sophomore Chelsey Newman.

“We just wanted to go into the halftime down by four versus down by five, and then we wanted to kill the clock and have a good opportunity at the end and to be able to go in by four,” said Harvard head coach Lisa Miller. “Lacrosse is a game of runs – you’re down by three or four [or] even five – it’s not something you should worry about because you can tag a couple goals together, so we just wanted to score going into the locker room.”

Harvard built off Newman’s goal once the second session began, as Baskind registered three consecutive strikes, which pulled the Crimson to within two points.

Although, Syracuse’s offense regrouped, and pulled away for good, as Murray and Webster combined for the team’s three final goals, which preserved their second victory against an unranked opponent this season.

“We’re starting a run of tough games coming up, and this was key to make sure we didn’t slip and make any mistakes,” said Gait. “They answered the challenge [against] a good solid, young Harvard team.”

Despite the loss, Harvard’s Melanie Baskind’s two assists matched her career high against Stanford last week.

“We moved her back into the midfield and I think she gets her energy from running up and down,” Miller said. “We’ve moved her back down behind the crease recently just because we’ve had so many injuries and we’re banged up, but you let her run a little bit, she gets up top and she gets a little room and she’s going to get a shot off. She’s [certainly] competitive and [was] definitely trying to pull us back into [the game].”

Mar 29 2012

Mass College Lacrosse: Lax Notebook (Mar. 29, 2012)

UMass senior Will Manny has been a major component for the Minutemen this season! (Photo Credit:Lax.com)

By NoontimeSports.com 

Catching up on some of the local lacrosse news from across the Bay State.

UMass Continues to Dominate

University of Massachusetts (Amherst) took a step closer toward the top spot in the USLIA Coaches poll with recent victories against Harvard and Penn.

The Minutemen are currently slated as the second best team in the country behind Johns Hopkins – a team that also hasn’t yielded a loss this season, too.

Junior Will Manny currently leads the team with 40 points, (26 goals and 14 assists), while senior Art Kell has tallied 26 points, (16 goals and 10 assists).

Also, senior goaltender Tim McCormack has recorded 470 minutes between the pipes, and has surrendered 55 goals off 241 shots. He’s also saved 85 shots thus far and is a major reason why the Minutemen are 8-0.

Merrimack Remains Perfect

Prior to their first home contest of the season this past Tuesday; the Merrimack Warriors men’s lacrosse team earned four critical wins – two on the road and two at neutral sites – before they tallied their fifth victory against Franklin Pierce.

Merrimack will attempt to preserve their perfect record on Saturday, Mar. 31, when they host the fifth best team in Division II… Adelphi.

Endicott’s Magic Ride

After beginning the season with a 1-3 record, the Endicott men’s lacrosse team changed gears, and spouted off four consecutive wins against Curry College, Springfield College, University of New England and Gordon College in the past 10 days.

Senior Brendan Eppley has led the charge with 11 goals and eight assists, while junior goaltender Tom Burke has saved 73 shots.

The Gulls four game road trip continues on Saturday, as they’ll travel to Wesleyan College for a 1pm face-off.

Gillette Stadium Hosts New England Women’s Lacrosse Classic on Saturday

Four women’s lacrosse teams will invade Gillette Stadium on Saturday, Mar. 31, as Harvard will face-off against No. 12 Syracuse at 12pm, while No. 1 Northwestern will square off against Ohio State at 2pm.

Expect a decent amount of local residents to come out and cheer on the Wildcats, especially since eight players hail from Massachusetts. Also, three of those eight players are from Westwood – a town that’s become known for its girls high school lacrosse program.

Nov 30 2011

Daily Noontime – November 30, 2011

And the Red Sox have finally found a new manager, Bobby Valentine! (Photo Credit: InsideSocial.com)

Happy Hump Day y’all and welcome into another grand edition of the Daily Noontime! Here’s some of the latest news and headlines, enjoy! 

Headlines: 

* On Tuesday evening, the Boston Red Sox announced that Bobby Valentine would be the team’s next general manager.

* According to a Hardball Talk blog — some believe that Valentine can manage, but aren’t exactly sure if “Boston can handle him.”

* It appears that according to reports — the NBA will open their facilities, and allow agents to start talking to teams about the upcoming season.

* On Tuesday, the Ohio State University men’s basketball team beat-up Duke University, 85-63.

* According to reports — Now that the Jacksonville Jaguars have officially fired head coach Jack Del Rio, the organization and owner Wayne Weaver have decided to sell the team.

* According to reports — Syracuse University men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim isn’t worried about losing his job.

Games to Watch: 

* Boston at Toronto (NHL) – 7:00pm eastern 

* Tampa Bay at Detroit (NHL) – 7:30pm eastern 

* Montreal at Anaheim (NHL) – 10:00pm eastern 

Video of the Day: 

How amazing is this catch? 

Nov 28 2011

Ernie Davis Wins The Heisman Trophy 50-Years Ago

50-years ago, Ernie Davis became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy Award!

By NoontimeSports.com 

It was exactly November 28, 1961, when Syracuse University running back Ernie Davis became the first African American football player to win the Heisman Trophy.

No African American had ever won this prestigious collegiate award until ‘61, but during a tumultuous period in the United States that saw numerous men, women and children divided over the idea of race, it certainly brought out the meaning of equality for all.

Davis remains the only Syracuse player to win this prestigious award, and was a major component of the team’s National Championship victory against the University of Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic in ‘60. He also was named the most valuable player in the ’61 Liberty Bowl, and was featured twice on the All-American First Team roster between ’59-’61.

However, despite a very successful collegiate career with the Orangemen, Davis never played a single down in the NFL due to his battle with leukemia. He was the number one pick in the ’62 draft by the Washington Redskins, but was acquired through a trade with the Cleveland Browns, where his number (44) was retired.

On Monday, Noontime Sports honors the spirit and life of Davis, who not only changed the game of college football, but also provided a ray of hope for many African American men, women and children. He became a hero and an idol, as well as someone President John F. Kennedy described as, “a worthy example of our youth.”

 

Nov 28 2011

Daily Noontime – November 28, 2011

The Patriots rallied to defeat the Eagles on Sunday, 38-20!

Good Monday to everyone and welcome back to the Daily Noontime! Here’s some headlines and news to kick-start your day, enjoy! 

Headlines: 

* New England’s quarterback Tom Brady tossed three touchdowns on Sunday, as the Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-20.

* Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson mocked both New York Jets receivers Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes, as well as admitted his actions were “stupid” after his team lost their sixth game of the season.

* After his team’s seventh loss of the season, Andy Reid admitted that he didn’t pay attention to the Philadelphia crowd, who chanted, “Fire Andy.”

* Once again, the Houston Texans are faced with a critical quarterback issue, and it’s not certain who’ll be the signal caller for Sunday’s game against Atlanta.

* Tim Tebow once again rallied his troops to beat San Diego in overtime on Sunday, 16-13.

* According to multiple reports – Syracuse University has officially fired Bernie Fine after another source confirmed that he molested a young man nine years ago.

Games to Watch: 

* New York Giants at New Orleans (NFL) – 8:30pm eastern 

* San Jose at Los Angles (NHL) – 10:30pm eastern 

Video of the Day: 

Here’s Sunday’s conversation with Tim Tebow on CBS, enjoy! 

May 22 2011

Maryland Stuns #1 Syracuse in OT, Advances to Final Four

Maryland's Grant Catalino scored the game winning goal against Syracuse to earn an important playoff victory.

By Stacey Kilpatrick 

FOXBOROUGH, MA – Maryland appeared just as stunned as top ranked Syracuse did after Terrapin senior attackman Grant Catalino scored the game-winning goal with 0:32 remaining in overtime.

Maryland earned an impressive 6-5 win against Syracuse University on Sunday at Gillette Stadium, as well as punched their ticket to the Division I Men’s Lacrosse Final Four in Baltimore next weekend, where they’ll face Duke University.

“To finish our career with a win over [Syracuse] is unbelievable,” Catalino said. “I grew up watching Syracuse and the great players that played there and to think that I would be in a position like that to score the game-winning goal against a team like that, I’m kind of speechless.”

“[Syracuse’s] defense, it’s hard to run by their guys,” Maryland head coach John Tillman said. “There’s a reason they’re [15-2].”

Syracuse earned a 2-0 lead in the second quarter when senior midfielders Jeremy Thompson and Jovan Miller scored and gave the Orangemen their only lead of the day before Maryland battled back to tie the game before halftime, as junior midfielder Drew Snider and senior midfielder Scott Larue each recorded goals.

Maryland’s momentum continued into the third quarter when Jake Bernhardt and Catalino scored for the Terps, but the Orangemen rallied, as sophomore attackman/midfielder JoJo Marasco recorded a goal on a falling shot in front of the net. Although, Maryland did score once more before regulation concluded, as Larue found the back of the net to give the Terps a two-goal lead.

Jeremy Thompson and Jovan Miller tied the game for Syracuse during the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, which then set the scene for an exciting dramatic ending in overtime, as Catalino scored his second goal of the contest and secured another tournament win for Maryland.

“Congratulations to Maryland,” Syracuse head coach John Desko said. “I thought [we] had a pretty good game plan. [Curtis] Holmes just [dominated] in the face-offs. I really wasn’t terribly unhappy with how the offense ran. I was proud of the defense. The defense has been doing it all year and really kept Maryland really low-scoring for the amount of time that they were on their offense.

Apr 16 2011

#1 Syracuse Scores 8-Goals in the Fourth, Beat Providence, 13-3

By Matt Noonan

FOXBOROUGH, MA – During the months of March and April, Gillette Stadium is usually the home to the New England Revolution (MLS), but on an overcast Saturday afternoon in April, it was instead the backyard to the New England Lacrosse Classic.

Four schools from the northeast, which included Syracuse, Providence, Dartmouth and Princeton all gathered to showcase their skills, but also play lacrosse in front of 5,316 fans and game one featured a Big East clash that resulted in another win for the best team in the nation, the Orangemen, as they defeated the Friars, 13-3.

“We knew were going to get that [win],” said Syracuse University head coach John Desko.

“In a low scoring game, I don’t think people expected that, but I thought the environment was great,” said Providence College head coach Chris Burdick.

“I thought our kids responded to the environment very well because you’ve got to look at it from our point of view, teaching and growing the program. Our freshmen just got exposed to a Final Four environment, so that’s the goal for us to end up at that level eventually.”

The Friars scored first when Sean Wright set up Steve Lydon, which resulted in a 1-0 lead for Providence, but the excitement didn’t last long, as Syracuse responded nearly three minutes later when Bobby Eilers recorded his first of three goals.

Providence recorded two more goals during the first quarter, thanks to Evan Helda and Wright, but those would be the only scores the Friars would register for the day. Syracuse eventually tied the score after the first quarter and then added one goal in the second and another in the third, before tallying eight in the fourth quarter.

“We didn’t want to come out in the second half and do stupid things and let them get a goal or two,” said Dasko. “We changed our offense in the fourth quarter and fortunately broke free in the fourth quarter for a bunch of goals.”

Syracuse literally scored on every offensive possession in the fourth quarter, as Jeremy Thompson, Stephen Keogh, Joel White, Derek Maltz, Pete Coleman, Steve Ianzito and Eilers all recorded goals. Also, the Orange completely outshot the Friars, 40-12.    

“It’s exciting playing at a NFL stadium with that kind of crowd. I love getting up for

the big crowd,” Syracuse attack Stephen Keogh said after his team’s win.

“I just want to do anything I can for the team. If it’s scoring big goals like that I’m fine with that, but we have so many other players that can step up with that. Fortunately it’s been me so far, but it’s not always going to be me, other people stepping up and just as long as we get the win that’s all that matters to me.”

Obviously, the Friars coaches and players were rattled during the electrifying fourth quarter, but this game was certainly a confident booster, especially for an up and coming college lacrosse program.

“We can play with them,” said Providence midfielder Steve Lydon. “We showed that we could stay with them for three quarters. Unfortunately we couldn’t finish them off, [but] we were confident going in, we weren’t going to back down from it also that’s what we had and we just couldn’t fall through.”

The Orangemen maybe indeed the best lacrosse school in the country, but after a game like today, they certainly know they are indeed vulnerable and can be beaten. Whether Providence’s three quarters scared Syracuse is unknown, but again, after a game like this one, Providence should certainly hold their heads high because theire efforts did not go unnoticed.

“Right now, I think the guys responded and played up to the level and up to the environment and I’m proud of them for [their effort],” said Burdick.