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FizzCast: Fab Melo Turf War. 7.31.09 Like the Jets and Sharks, but with blogs and misinformation.  
Imagine The Fizz's surprise when surfing syracuse.com yesterday afternoon, to find Fab Melo has narrowed his choices down to a Fab Four. Why? Not because the 'Cuse was on the verge of landing the best big man prospect since Derrick Coleman, but because a certain Fizzy website had this news a month ago [7.10.09]. Back on July 9th we sat down with Melo's coach Adam Ross for an exclusive FizzCast. Now, while this little Fizzy Orange Blog might not be ESPN.com, we know someone listened to the podcast; it was our most downloaded FizzCast ever, with almost 500 unique hits. "He's basically down to four schools now. Those being Louisville, Syracuse, UConn and Florida State. There are a bunch of other schools that he has not visited. They're not totally out of the question. But right now we're spending a lot of time focusing on those four schools that he visited." Plus, since we respect the work of the Post-Standard's Mike Waters, we also alerted him that it was official, the Orange was one of the last team's standing. 
In fact, Mike has published this information as well. Worse of all, this was a report of a report. So, either poor communication by syracuse.com within its own walls or old news was made breaking news because of a really slow news day (of course, what else was going on? Oh right, Big Papi and Manny). The best part of the report is the idea its down to Syracuse, Louisville, UConn and Florida. Ross told us (and was confirmed by Waters) that it's Florida State instead. We had to double-take as well when Ross mentioned that, since Gainesville has yanked two national championships in the last five years and Tallahassee is college hoops purgatory. But I'll go with the coach on this one. Ya know, the guy who actually has stepped off the plane with Fab on each of these campus visits. Poor Gator Fan. They think Fab's coming there because of a quickly smacked-together blog post. Twenty Hail Marys at the altar of St. Tebow. In an effort to break news, syracuse.com was neither first nor correct. That's not a good batting average. Enjoy a freshly baked FizzCast as the crew defends its Fab Melo turf against syracuse.com and what a kid named Jawan Simmons could mean for the Orange. ***Fizz Note: Fizzer Ted Conroy will be blogging from Big East Media Days starting Monday from Newport, Rhode Island. Stay locked*** Fizz First: Empires, Gardens and Governors. 7.30.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
With the absolution of the Empire State games already taking a toll on lacrosse recruiting, and the Governor's Bowl shutting off its lights, new doors are opening for a potential recruiting showcase football game. The working name right now is the "Empire State Bowl" and would pit "Upstate" players versus "Downstate" players. How one defines upstate and downstate is bounds for some disagreement: for all of the five boroughs, everything else is upstate. The Governor's Bowl was extremely important to recruiting. It took the top talent from New Jersey, pitted it against the top talent from New York and let them battle at Rutgers Stadium. Even during the less than stellar Groobers Error, three SU players participated in last year's game: Chandler Jones, Deandre Preaster and Marcus Sales. Rutgers alum (and Syracuse de-commit. Argh.) Ray Rice played in the Governor's Bowl along with New Rochelle High (NY) high school teammate and former Rutgers safety Courtney Greene. Greene also allegedly de-committed from Syracuse. Double argh.  Keeping this game alive is not only huge for undecided players for where they'll play college ball, but for coaches to get one final look at those players.
Perhaps most importantly, the SU coaching staff a chance to schmooze with the players' high school coaches. The "Empire State Bowl's" potential has Orange footprints all over it. "Syracuse University coach Doug Marrone is part of the discussions to get the game off the ground. Marrone, from what I'm told, is aggressively trying to win back the support of New York State football coaches who were turned away from former Syracuse coach Greg Robinson and into the hands of Rutgers coach Greg Schiano." Triple argh. The Dome is also being considered as a possible host. The Fizz's Intrigue Meter is peaking. Marrone actually discussed hitting up the Empire State back in April: "I was a New York player coming out of high school. It was important for me to come here and play and represent the state at Syracuse University. It is something that I will talk about with all of the players in New York. I think it is important to stay close to home and support a BCS school that is the only BCS school in this state." With players like Mike Paulus and Rice heading outside of New York under Groobers, simply put, this game has to happen. * * * Team Fizz speaks. Relax and listen. We break down Marrone's already heavily stocked Class '10 and why Dr. Doom needs to save face after missing on Yankee Stadium. Fizz First: Hometown Heroes. 7.29.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. 
SU football has its share of quarterback recruits headed to the Hill in '10: Jonny Miller and John Kinder. But what about one recruit who's already at the bottom of that Hill? Jawan Simmons is the resident BMOC, that campus being Nottingham High School in Syracuse. He has grown up within 20 blocks of the Quad. Simmons' credentials read like Todd McShay's wet dream: 6' 3", 190-lbs, 4.6 second 40-yard dash. He's also rated at three stars as a pro-style quarterback by Rivals. Let's roll that tape. But weight. We mean, wait. 190 pounds? In the words of one Ronnie Coleman; "LIGHTWEIGHT, BABY!" Never Fizzear, Orange Nation. Team Fizz has the (alumni) scoop on why Simmons is going to fill out just fine. His older brother Bill was one of the biggest BMOCs in the history of Nottingham High School. 6'8" and at least 280 pounds big, he helped bring Nottingham to within a Paul Harris and Jonny Flynn thrashing of a state championship game appearance (he was accompanied by now defunct 'Cuse tight end Darnell Pratt). So a pro style quarterback who should add some pounds and could attract the local crowd? Doesn't sound like a bad deal. In fact, it's so enticing that Rutgers, Pitt and UConn are all interested in Simmons. It's a Big East Turf War. It could end up being the defining recruiting test for Doug Marrone. Stay tuned. * * * 
As The Fizz gets you set for Football '09, worth noting that the 'Cuse is playing (again) a schedule a bit over its head.Highly-respected college football gumshoe Phil Steele has ranked Syracuse's as the 30th toughest schedule in the country. Fizz Nation might be doing a spit-take while reading that, knowing the dangerous Akron Zips (eh, maybe we shouldn't underestimate them again) and Maine Black Bears are on the slate. But with the 'Cuse making its pitch for becoming the 12th team in the Big 10, three straight games against bowl-potential teams in Minnesota, Penn State and Northwestern earns the thirty-mark for SU. * * * Team Fizz speaks. Relax and listen. We break down Marrone's already heavily stocked Class '10 and why Dr. Doom needs to save face after missing on Yankee Stadium. Fizz First: Millard, Not Fillmore. 7.28.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
As we mentioned yesterday here at The Fizz, for tight ends in the class of '10 there aren't many better than Trey Millard from Columbia, Missouri. Millard is a beastly 6'2", 245-pounds and can play tight end or serve as an H-Back. He has SUs Greg Adkins on his tail. Adkins is the O-Line coach for the Orange, but at Tennessee coached the tight ends. Things get more surprising every time a new recruit pops up on the radar and Syracuse is competing with schools like Tennessee, Iowa, Oklahoma and South Carolina for Millard. Change is a brewin' here Fizz Nation. ESPN gives Millard a stellar write up as a middle linebacker, but also props his pass-catching ability as well. Do we smell two-way? (Nah.) "Overall, Millard brings a lot to the table physically for a program to mold and develop. Has the tools to play a strong side backer position as well. Not going to wow you on film at linebacker but grows on you the more you watch and just does a lot of the little things right at the position. We would not be surprised if a program looking for an athletic H-back with good hands, strength after the catch and solid blocking skills recruits him on offense." Wow. And the Orange is competing for this guy? That calls for an impromptu Otto dance party: Millard also sports a 3.9 GPA: higher than The Fizz can boast at any point in academia. This burly two-way prospect visited the University of South Carolina last week and just may have Syracuse in the top-four. A tight end would be huge for this recruiting class because it currently consists of zero offensive players besides two QBs and three RBs. Last time The Fizz checked, those positions were stocked for a while. Good recruiting ties and being in Trey Millard's final four gives the Orange a pretty good shot. * * * Team Fizz speaks. Relax and listen. We break down Marrone's already heavily stocked Class '10 and why Dr. Doom needs to save face after missing on Yankee Stadium. Y2Fizz. 2,000 and Counting. 7.27.09 The prize for hitting two-grand? Voting for All-Big East team. 
When The Fizz launched last summer, we figured it a healthy way to vent about Groobers, three-win football seasons and NIT exits. One year later, we seemed to have stumbled on something a bit more significant (not that side-by-side comparisons of Coach P and Eagle [10.28.08] from the Muppets is insignificant). We've added a tandem of young Fizzers to super-slueth the Orange recruiting beat daily and decided to dance a little with an Orange-only podcast. Didn't quite know the potential of the two, but figured it was something the Orange blogosphere had a void of. Well, consider us humbled. Just four months after launching the Fizz First files and a weekly FizzCast, we've reached 2,000 downloads, which far surpassed our expectations (in fact, we've had to invest in more bandwidth, which puts a cramp in our EA Sports NCAA 2010 budget). Our most trafficked podcasts have been with Fab Melo's head coach Adam Ross (who delivered the news SU was in the Fab Four) and incoming PG Brandon Triche (who delivered the news it was a far more competitive recruiting battle than many believed), as well as an exclusive with Marrone and coverage of the McDonald's All-American Game in Miami. 2,000 Hits? Not quite as cool as the CD Hits 2000, which was a Y2K answer to "Now That's What I Call Music." But hey, maybe our next FizzCast will be wallpapered with Eiffel 65's "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" and Vengaboys "Boom Boom Boom." Meantime, for our efforts here at The Fizz, we have been invited to partake in the 2009 Preseason Big East Awards to rep the 'Cuse along with our friends at Nunes Magician and Orange 44. Scouring the Big East blogs is always an entertaining practice. Louisville's "Hell in the Hall" and Rutgers' "Beat Visitor" made us chuckle. But nothing tops what those wack jobs in West Virginee are putting out; "The Smoking Musket" and "We Must Ignite This Couch." Which kinda makes us want to answer with an Orange-tinted "The Smoking Otto" and "We Must Plow This Snow."
Fizz First News: Columbia- Rock Bridge (Mo) tight end Trey Millard has Syracuse in his final five. The 6-foot-3, 225 pounder is looking at "Iowa, Oklahoma, Syracuse, Tennessee, and South Carolina. I don't have a leader and that is in no type of order or anything." Millard will now visit Oklahoma next week and then will try to make a decision soon after. "I'm trying to make this decision as soon as possible. It will most likely be before my season starts." Again, Marrone might not actually reel this one in (if they offer Trey a high-ranking position at a Norman auto-mall he may not leave next week) but being in a conversation with Oklahoma and Tennessee for a kid from the Midwest is already a win for SU. * * * Team Fizz speaks. Relax and listen. We break down Marrone's already heavily stocked Class '10 and why Dr. Doom needs to save face after missing on Yankee Stadium. Fresh Baked FizzCast for a Bronx Tale. 7.25.09 Team Fizz Debates the Orange in NYC. 
So Notre Dame, Army, Boston College and Rutgers are in line before the Orange for a date in the Bronx?SU is reportedly reworking its slogan to "One of New York's college teams, kinda." Dr. Doom blows the horn, buys the taxi billboards in Manhattan and touts the Big Apple as Orange Country, but gets jumped by most of the Eastern seaboard. A regular spot at new Giants Stadium needs to be part of Syracuse's regular rotation or else the Doomster risks losing major cred when he claims the five boroughs as his ground. The Fizz has its doubts about the marketing effectiveness of anything Orange at this point. Check out the New York Times blog: "So, if Army and the Yankees truly wanted regional teams, should the Orangemen have been given one of the scheduled games? Or do the Orangemen have a long way to go before returning to respectability?" Oy vey. Meantime, ESPN.com walked through the class '06 for Big East teams. Needless to say, the Orange didn't fare well. Of 22 players, only one was an ESPN Top 150 (and he didn't make a dent). Not surprisingly, Groobers' class from four years ago was fairly disastrous when viewed now. The Andrey Baskin experiment failed. The offensive line got some bodies. But your program-building quarterback (Andrew Robinson) is now a converted tight-end. Argh. Team Fizz speaks. Relax and listen. Fizz First: The Empire Strikes Back. 7.24.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. 
You don't need The Fizz to tell you Albany has screwed a lot of people over with its late budgets and cuts across the board. That's why we endorse Pedro Espada for State Senator (assuming he isn't indicted in the next six months). One budgetary slash, though maybe not recognizable to those out of the area, are the Empire State Games. This was one of the coolest displays of athletics in the state. All sports, all athletes and a heck of a recruiting pool Who can forget Terrence Roberts' domination at the games when he played for the Central team while still at SU? Look at that box score again: he hit four threes and made all his free throws! Sure, he was playing against mostly D-3 talent, but who cares. We can only imagined it went something like this: Lacrosse specifically uses the games more than any other to scout good talent. Just check out the 2004 rosters. It includes the '09 Tewaaraton Trophy winner in both men's and women's lax (Max Seibald and Jillian Byers) intertwined among some randoms like Matt Abbott, Kenny Nims, Dan Hardy and Brandon Corp. So how do you reward one of the best talent showcases in Central New York? You cut it of course! WAER's Erik Elken had a nice feature back in March on the fallout after the end of the Empire State Games. But after a whole lot of worry, the kids have a savior. Coincidentally enough, it's the folks over at Nike (remember their 'acquisition' of the Lebron dunk?) who will be sponsoring the New York State Shootout. Held at Henninger High School in Syracuse this Saturday, it'll be a new showcase, with coaches to take in all of the recruiting glow of a regional round-robin tournament. Good to see even corporate conglomo stepping up to help get kids exposure. This Fizzster will be covering the games for insidelacrosse.com (look for a podcast from the days events right here in the near future). Sorry Albany, looks like this was one thing even you couldn't screw up. Fizz First: Meet Virginia. 7.23.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
So you're a college football recruit and have ve received nearly ten scholarship offers. Now it's just a matter of choosing where to go; how to choose? Nick Dew, you are officially on the clock. Dew is a 6'2", 180-pound safety from Virginia Beach and most importantly has Syracuse on his tail. According to Scout, he's a three star recruit and sits at #71 on the safety big board for the class of 2010. But that's not stopping any coaches. He's also got offers from Kentucky, Purdue, Maryland... and the list goes on. But why should he pick Syracuse? Well, because he can do this: But also because he'll have the chance to be an immediate presence on defense. Think about that for a second. New coach, lots of fresh faces coming in and nobody (with a few exceptions) has a stronghold on any position. At safety, if he does indeed end up there, Max Suter and Mike Holmes would both be seniors when he is a freshman, which gives him a year to learn and three years to wreak havoc. What it "Dew" then? That's what Marrone & Co. have got to be selling guys on: getting immediate burn and not just getting recognition because you are a member of the football team, but because you're a committed, productive member of the football team. Dew has plenty of time to make a choice, but all the information is already on the table for the Orange. * * * FizzCast: The Team breaks down the recent quarterback recruiting battles Marrone has won, as well as the closing of a potential Baltimore pipeline for The Per'fesser. Fizz First: He Picked Syracuse Over Wisconsin. Really? 7.21.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
Hailed as the best thing to come out of Delaware since Elena Delle Donne, major hottie (pictured), running back Jerome Smith says he'll be with the Orange in 2010. Smith is a 5'11" 210-pound rising star senior from Pencader Charter High School in New Castle. As a junior, he ran for 956 yards and eight scores and also caught two touchdowns. "They told me they like to call all their running backs super backs so they can do everything," Smith said. "Whatever that means, I'm ready to do it." Uh yeah, you let The Fizz know when you find out what that "superback" thing is. Sounds like something left over from the Groobers Error. Interestingly, Smith's only two scholarship offers were from Syracuse and Wisconsin. Hmm, Jerome had to think "Snow, cheese, beer, brats and snow... or snow, snow and Doug Marrone?" Welcome to Orange Nation Jerome. Don't be worried that Jerome was part of the first ever graduating class at Pencader either. They don't charge tuition either according to their Wikipedia entry. Either way, Smith says, "(Syracuse) was the school that was most upfront with me, and they use a spread offense like ours at Pencader Charter. That made it easy." * * * Fresh FizzCast: The Team breaks down the recent quarterback recruiting battles Marrone has won, as well as the closing of a potential Baltimore pipeline for The Per'fesser. Fizz First: Why You Should Hate Notre Dame. 7.20.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. 
Earlier this year, it was reported the new Yankee Stadium could play host to a college football game in the near future.Orange fans salivated at the potential of an in-state matchup with Army for a "State Series Championship" (working title here). Well, the 'Cuse won't have that chance, because Notre Dame is stealing SU's spot in the game." This hurts in a whole lot of ways. Dr. Doom misses out on countless amounts of money to plot his takeover of, well, something; Coach Marrone loses a huge recruiting tool; Coach Marrone loses a huge recruiting tool; Coach Marrone loses a huge recruiting tool... Listen, we here at The Fizz understand that Notre Dame is the more storied program with more tradition, more championships and more money in television contracts than Orange-land can lay claim too. But in all honesty, we don't care. These programs are on similar tracks. The two schools, whether or not they recruit the same players, are competing for market share in a changing eastern hierarchy of college football (See Florida, UConn, Rutgers). And didn't Groobers kick Weis's ass as a lame duck anyway? Sorry, forgot that it came down to a field goal. Did Notre Dame get pelted by their own fans with snowballs after a loss? Yes. Did they win an ESPY for best sports movie? Hell no. The Fizz refuses to patronize a dead rivalry as a reason why the Irish and Knights should get free rights at Yankee Stadium. Quite frankly, we're even willing to buy the "New York's College team" lozenge being shoved down our throat, because it inspires community: something recruits need when they look at schools. This is a bigger blow than one might realize to a program that might be in better shape right now than the Irish. One can only hope that it's not snowing at Yankee Stadium when they play the game. Fizz First: McOrange. We're Loving It. 7.16.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
The Orange has it's eyes on yet another quarterback from the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Apparently so does UConn... and this could get ugly, folks. Scott McCummings, a 6'2", 218-pound dual threat quarterback from Natick, MA, has already carved himself a small piece of Doug Marrone's heart. Both SU and Connecticut have been the only schools to officially offer this rising senior, but it's not stopping him from keeping his options (pun certainly intended) open. "I'm going to the BC camp. I will be at the Syracuse camp and the UConn camp. I'm still working on the Vanderbilt camp. I may just do one day at each so I can fit them in," he says. And you thought your girlfriend was indecisive. FizzVid on McCummings: McCummings has got the speed, size and talent to put him in multiple places on the offense. Boston College is looking at him as not just a signal caller, but as the ever-popular "all around athlete." In his junior season, he completed 40% of his passes for 11 TDs and 3 INTs. The dual threat comes into play because he also ran for almost 500 yards and 4 scores on the ground. While this young gunner may not be McGoing anywhere yet, The Fizz would like to see him McCumming to the Dome very soon. * * * FizzCast: An exclusive sit-down with Fab Melo's head coach Adam Ross, who traveled alongside for his SU campus visit in May. Catch the entire FizzCast archive here. Stay tuned for a new FizzCast tomorrow, baked fresh every Friday morning. Fizz First: The New Kids... Who Dey? 7.14.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
Syracuse football picked up two new recruits this week and they're both from New York. The first is from Strong Island, Rob Welsh of St. Anthony's High School who played defensive end last year, but says he's ready to move anywhere for Coach Marrone. "Coach Marrone is a great coach. They showed an interest in me from day one. It's the best place for me academically and I feel lilke I can go in there and make an impact," he told Syracuse.com. Welsh is not extremely large at just 6'2 1/2" and 260 pounds, but he certainly has time to put on some weight and help bolster the depleted offensive line for SU. St. Anthony's High School is no slouch. It's been ranked the best sports high school in the state by Sports Illustrated. Just a short stretch Northwest and The Fizz finds itself in the Bronx (former stomping grounds of Doug Marrone) and the home of the newest and potentially fastest Orange recruit. Jeremiah Kobena (pictured) comes from Cardinal Hayes High School and has given a verbal commitment to come to the Orange for '10. He essentially had no choice but to pick the 'Cuse. His nickname is Juice. "I really didn't want to go to a school already top five, prestigious wise, like for say, LSU. It's already prestigious. It's already up there." Uh, well then... GREAT! Anybody else sick of being recruited by all those other GOOD football programs? Easy wins? Blecch. Kobena stands an even 6' 185 pounds and finished in sixth place at the state 100m finals, but won the NYC championship. He played wideout and running back for the Cardinals and could be a great speed guy on either offense or defense for Syracuse. The biggest point both new recruits hit on? The wanted to be a part of the rebuilding process and bringing Syracuse back to glory. Sounds like Coach Marrone is bringing in guys that share his mindset and have the same fire. Let's do this. * * * FizzCast: An exclusive sit-down with Fab Melo's head coach Adam Ross, who traveled alongside for his SU campus visit in May. Catch the entire FizzCast archive here. Fizz First: And Then There Was Four. 7.10.09 Fab Melo's coach gives the inside view to the Fizz. 
By most accounts Sagemont (FL) High School's big man Fab Melo is a Top-5 recruit in the country.Watch the YouTube video and his footwork and perimeter game for a seven-footer make you drool. Big East fans watched Hasheem Thabeet alter games with simple defensive prowess and end up as the second pick in the NBA Draft. But what if Thabeet added 25 pounds, a handful of low-post moves and a smooth 20-foot jumper? Simply put: scary. To be fair, Melo is still plenty raw. He played soccer growing up in his native Brazil and didn't pick up a basketball until ninth-grade. But Orange Nation (and the SU coaching staff) is drooling at the prospect of the school's best big man since Derrick Coleman and one of its most talented true centers since Rony Seikaly. The Fizz had an opportunity to sit-down with his head coach Adam Ross, who traveled alongside Melo for his campus visit in May. Catch the entire FizzCast archive here. "We spent a couple days there and it was fantastic. We had the opportunity to go into the Dome and we were awestruck by that. We had an opportunity to tour the site of the Melo Center. It will be one of the nicest, if not the nicest, practice facilities in the country. Coach Boeheim and his staff are really first-class guys." Dozens of schools have fallen into line and are recruiting Fab, but Ross says it's now a Final Four. "He's basically down to four schools now. Those being Louisville, Syracuse, UConn and Florida State. There are a bunch of other schools that he has not visited. They're not totally out of the question. But right now we're spending a lot of time focusing on those four schools that he visited." 
The 'Cuse was actually just the third Big East program in on Fab, but a stroke of luck might have changed the Orange fortunes: landing in the Miami pod of the NCAA tourney. "They were the third school in the Big East to come in. They came down while they were down for the first two games of the NCAA tournament in Miami. They had an opportunity to watch us in an open-gym workout. They were impressed with Fab and I think Fab has become their number-one target nationally in the 2010 class." Best of all, if Melo decides to ply his trade at the Dome, we might have to pay a debt of gratitude to some run-of-the-mill, everyday Orange nutjobs who did some bonus recruiting at American Airlines Arena. "I took him to the game against Stephen F. Austin. It was actually a great experience to be there. The entire arena was orange. Our seats happened to be with some crazy Syracuse fans. They were chanting Fab's name and were giving him high-fives every time Jonny Flynn scored. It was a funny experience and a great one." Looking for a date to circle for Fab's decision? He's bruising his way through the rugged summer AAU circuit and plans to take a few weeks off to visit his family in Brazil. At earliest, a mid-August date might be reasonable. Maybe we should send some of those delirious Syracuse fans to the Sao Paulo airport. Fizz First: SU Downsizes, Closes Baltimore Factory. 7.9.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
The prep powerhouse that once produced Orange superstars Carmelo Anthony and Donte Greene has shut it's doors forever. Towson Catholic High School is now officially closed. On a page full of things about friendship and academics, at least one former TC student had his priorities straight: "This year was going to be a big year for us. We had hired a new coach, Reggie Williams, an all-star NBA player, and we would have had a good year." - Niall Harrison, a rising junior. Someone give this young man the recognition he deserves. That's the most important angle. The Fizz tried to reach out to Jim Boeheim for comment, but his responses were inaudible through the crying and sobbing. His coaching staff will never get another prospect from this high school. (Don't worry, '10 Orange commit C.J. Fair goes to inner-city Baltimore City College High.) The biggest shame here is where will Greene and 'Melo return to speak and tell kids to stay in school and keep playing basketball so Mike Hopkins will find them? Forget the over $150,000 in lost tuition, it's the basketball that's most important here! And the kids from TC are sad they have no school to go back to... however The Fizz can be sure if our high school was closed back in the day, all hell might have broken loose. Towson Catholic is nothing like DeMatha (Md.) Catholic (Adrian Dantley '81, Danny Ferry '85, Brian Westbrook '97), or Rice (NY) (Edgar Sosa and Curtis Kelly '06 and Kemba Walker '08) in terms of high-caliber athlete production, but it's still a significant loss of a recruiting pipeline. Does this mean that not even the SU athletic department and Dr. Doom are immune from the recession? And more importantly, does this mean a major recruiting pipeline has Fizzled Out? * * * FizzCast Update: Adam Ross, Fab Melo's coach at Sagemont (FL) High School, is scheduled to speak with The Fizz this afternoon. Last minute scheduling conflicts pushed it back a day. Check our FizzCast Central later this afternoon for the audio and we'll have a post up later tonight. In the meantime, catch Doug Marrone's one-on-one, D.A. on Matt Mc's Sports Fix and Team D.A. with Ryan Miller before he became a national sensation, all at our FizzCast Home. Fizz First: The Early Depth Chart (@QB). 7.8.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. 
Every sports fan knows about the endless possibilities of '10.Not only are there hints of Lebron, D-Wade et al. bolting for free agency in the NBA, but SU could see one of the first (legitimate) position battles under center. After news that Mullen High school (Co.) quarterback Jonny Miller (pictured right) will join the Orange, it begs the question (for everyone who has enough time on their hands): who's QB #1 in full recruiting class #1 for Doug Marrone? The other option is John Kinder, the flashy star out of Cedarhurst, NY. The stats on Miller, provided by himself, are nothing much to read into. And Miller has been regularly injured since being named the school's starter his sophomore season. However, the senior seems psyched to be playing for the Orange, something Marrone seems to hold high on his priority list. "I think the new staff is the best bunch of guys I have ever met. The players I met were top notch people and athletes. We are going to bring Syracuse back to prominence in a hurry!" Whoa fella. If football doesn't work, he may have a future in sports information and P.R. As for Kinder, roll tape. Early advantage goes to Kinder. The Fizz looks forward to a Patterson/Fields style battle in the future -- the one that had early hype and got people abuzz -- not the one that led to Pasqualoni's firing and the debacle that became the next few years. * * * Fizz Lax Update. Haven't checked in on the national champs? They just helped fill a big hole at midfield. Inside Lacrosse says Tony Mendes has transferred from Maryland to the Hill. If you have already forgotten, the 'Cuse lost most of its starting and second-line mids to graduation this past season. Big ups to John Desko, who's younger son also threw out the pitch at a Chiefs game earlier this week. BTW The Fizz will sit down with Adam Ross, head coach at Fab Melo's Sagemont (FL) High School this afternoon. We'll have a Fizz-Cast posted by tonight, discussing the options of Melo and where the Orange fits in.FizzCasting: The Fizz talks with the Orange-in-Charge, Doug Marrone. Key quote: "I cannot fail. Failure is not an option, because this is my school." Not something we ever heard Groobers utter. Ted Conroy takes the pod-waves with D.A. and Orange Segment blogger Ryan Miller to talk about the Doug Marrone exclusive FizzCast and Jonny's role in Minnesota after the Rubio-saga. Fizz First: A Check-Up with Dr. LeBron. 7.7.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
While C.J. Fair and Dion Waiters check-up with LeBron on the court, The Fizz checks in with what's going on in their basketball lives. Fair and Waiters, both SU recruits for the class of '10 are at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio. This is the same camp that good ol' Jonny Ice attended just last summer to hang with the King, and now even considers him a confidant when he needs some advice (like oh, whether or not to head to the league). Waiters, a Top-5 shooting guard in his class, sat down with Flagrant Fouls and gushed about playing in the Dome. "I can't wait. The Dome has 25,000 fans every night and I can't wait to show them what I can do." Waiters even got to attend the camp last summer, so it's nothing new for him. And Baltimore's Fair got this write-up at the Bobby Hussey Memorial Nike Memorial Day Classic (longest/most confusing name ever?) from Rivals: "A long and rangy combo forward, Fair rebounds well on the offensive end, scores down low when he gets the chance, and even showed the ability to step out and hit three ball." Yup, sounds like the guy The Fizz knows. Orange Segment blogger Ryan Miller tweets today: Highlight of the LeBron Academy so far: Xavier's Jordan Crawford dunking on LeBron in last night's pick up game." And so, a Fizz First Challenge to all SU guys at the camp: Can you be the next to dunk on LeBron? The Fizz is waiting. * * * Coming Wednesday: The Fizz sits down with Adam Ross, head coach at Fab Melo's Sagemont (FL) High School. We'll have a Fizz-Cast posted by Wednesday night, discussing the options of Melo and where the Orange fits in.FizzCasting: The Fizz talks with the Orange-in-Charge, Doug Marrone. Key quote: "I cannot fail. Failure is not an option, because this is my school." Not something we ever heard Groobers utter. Ted Conroy takes the pod-waves with D.A. and Orange Segment blogger Ryan Miller to talk about the Doug Marrone exclusive FizzCast and Jonny's role in Minnesota after the Rubio-saga. Go Wes Young Man. 7.6.09 Can Wes Johnson ease the loss of the Big Three? 
You can't replace the leadership, play-making and bubbling enthusiasm of Jonny Flynn.You certainly can't easily overcome the loss of trio Jonny Ice, Devo and Paul Harris. But the Ol' Perfesser seems to be making a case for Wes Johnson, telling Andy Katz he's "the real deal" and proclaiming this year's front court as "one of the best we've had here for many, many years." The 6'7", 195-pound Iowa State transfer garnered some decent hardware in the Upper Midwest. Johnson was a member of the All-Big 12 rookie team his freshman season, honorable mention for All-Big 12 as a sophomore and two-time conference player of the week. Interestingly, he was not heavily recruited coming out of prep school. He chose the 'Clones over Charlotte and San Diego State (and choosing Ames, Iowa over anything is notable in itself). He'll be tackling the LeBron James Skills Academy, which The Fizz can only hope ends with a Wes Johnson Nike puppet ad campaign. Ladies and Germs, the Wes Johnson Era is about to commence. * * * We're FizzCast Crazy over here. After a long weekend, waste time at work blaring The Fizz from your Do the Right Thing-style boombox. The Fizz talks with the Orange-in-Charge, Doug Marrone. Key quote: "I cannot fail. Failure is not an option, because this is my school." Not something we ever heard Groobers utter. Ted Conroy takes the pod-waves with D.A. and Orange Segment blogger Ryan Miller to talk about the Doug Marrone exclusive FizzCast and Jonny's role in Minnesota after the Rubio-saga. D.A. joins Matt Mc's Sports Fix in the North Country, ESPN 1410 in Watertown, NY, to chat Greg Paulus, SU football and the sad trail of Paul Harris. FizzCast Frenzy. 7.3.09 Spend the holiday weekend listening to a lot of Fizz. 
Doug Marrone.Where to begin? Is he the savior Orange Nation has been impatiently salivating over since the program began its downward slide almost a decade ago? Or is he simply the next failed experiment, an unproven, slick-talking former Orange who's in way over his head? The Fizz is smart enough to know, in July of Year 1 A.G. (After Groobers) we honestly have no idea. But after speaking with the Orange-in-Charge in our latest FizzCast, he sure as hell makes ya believe again. We asked him about sorting through the rubble, picking up the pieces of the four-year shipwreck and how it felt to watch that as an alum. "It's a tremendous challenge. We need to get our fans back in. What you just said, was no different than myself. I understand what's gone on on the outside. I understand how hard it was on Saturdays to wear the orange and be proud of our school." He has clearly made it a priority to bring fans and alumni back into the fold via his ambitious nationwide speaking tour. Why the emphasis on doing the rubber-Otto circuit? "It's a point of communication. A lot of times everyone assumes or speculates what happened with the program. If you a Syracuse alum or a former letterman, the access to the program is this. 'This is why we are where we are.'" The odds that Greg Paulus is starting under center against Minnesota come September? "I'm not allowed by NCAA rules to even watch him throw until August. The feedback from the players has all been positive. If someone asked me right now, what separates Greg Paulus from the rest is the intangibles." He sure seems to make a lot of sense and it has to say something about his passion for getting this job done, that he declared this his career goal when he first entered the coaching profession. Maybe we here at The Fizz just want football back so badly, we're willing to buy any of the snake oil. But after Thursday's conversation, it's painfully obvious how unqualified, out-of-touch and pollyanna Groobers was to run this program. Marrone, before even the first snap, is clearly a better fit. One statement also struck us. "I cannot fail. Failure is not an option, because this is my school. I'm gonna get it done." Now, that's Fizztastic. * * * Meantime, more FizzCasting. Ted Conroy orchestrates another weekly look at all things Orange, as D.A. joins him to react to the Marrone FizzCast and the latest (greatest) recruiting win for the football program, grabbing RB/DB Steven Rene away from the rest of the Big East big dogs. Also, listen to Orange Segment/ F.O.T.F. (Friend of the Fizz) Ryan Miller break down his night at the NBA Draft. He had the chance to speak with both Jonny Ice and Ricky Rubio. After breaking news that Rubio will remain in Spain and Flynn will be left the keys to the Wolves, Miller has some keen insight after rapping with both of them. Enjoy the holiday weekend and remember to avoid shooting that Roman Candle into anyone's eyes. Please Fizz responsibly. Fizz First: Can You Hear Me Now? 7.2.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
CSI: Syracuse. Remember back to your high school days. If you were found with a stolen cell phone, the natural move would be to simply switch schools right? Normally, no (unless there's a new anti-theft homing device app on the iPhone). But for this prospective Orange, the move turned out to be pretty beneficial. Ashton Pankey, a 6'8" 215 lb. forward in the class of '10 from New York City now plays for the legendary Bob Hurley at St. Anthony high school in New Jersey. Just reading about Pankey gets the mind Fizzing about a former SU star who projects like this: "Pankey has very good length and a frame that has the capacity to develop even more in the muscle and strength department... Pankey also contests shots very well with his length and leaping ability and could develop into an interior force if he gets stronger... Pankey has a nice shooting stroke from the perimeter and can hit shots comfortably from around the free-throw line area of the floor." Hakim Jr. perhaps? Hankey says he switched to St. Anthony because he wanted a stricter coach and thought Hurley, a 900-game winner, would be that guy. Surely it helps that Hurley was a freaking probation officer until January. And likely the fact St. Anthony travels the country playing elite tournaments and gets ESPN exposure at least once a year has nothing to do with it. But his ability to work inside and finish despite not being as muscular as some of his counterparts can set him apart in the future. Pankey dropped his scoring average from around 15 ppg his sophomore season at Molloy to about 8 ppg at St. Anthony, but surely played less minutes with better talent around him. With another year to add some meat to his frame and his game, he could be punking people around the Big East for years to come. * * *  Fizz Football News: Score Doug Marrone's first Big East win as coming off the football field. The Orange snatched away highly sought-after playmaker Steven Rene from the rest of the region. The RB/DB from Canarsie High School in Brooklyn was being recruited by Rutgers, Pitt, UConn and Boston College. Oregon was also in on Rene, which is strange geographically since the West Coast is loaded with athletes. But The Ducks love the spread and fueling a high-powered offense. Likely says something about Rene's ability that a top-tier Pac-10 school was after him. Rene also had offers from Temple (egads), Hofstra (D-1AA) and Stony Brook (I mean, really?). The Fizz has an exclusive podcast with Marrone coming tomorrow morning. We'll ask him about landing Rene, gutting the roster and the hardest part about picking up the rubble left from Groobers. Stay locked and Fizzed. ***Listen to the latest Fizz-Cast. Team Fizz breaks down an Orange version of Tim Tebow and the end of the hoops Dynasty*** Fizz First: SU's Neck of the Woods. 7.1.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. 
Fizz News bulletin: Donnie Webb reports Woodland Hills RB/CB Dom Timbers is headed to the Hill.What exactly do we know about Timbers? Well, he had to sit out the first five games of '08 after transferring from Pittsburgh Central Catholic over to Woodland Hills. Which brings up a Fizzy situation going on within these hilly woods. Why does the Orange have so many damn offers out to this school? Coach Marrone has three scholarships offered to Woodland High players and is recruiting another player heavily. Don't try Googling Woodland head coach George Novak and Doug Marrone on one line. The Fizz tried that and no luck. Let us know if Bing brought any success. Makes you wonder about the Woodland Hills pipeline to Central New York. SU has done consistent work pulling kids out of Florida powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas over the past few seasons. But the Woodland Hills connection is certainly interesting. After some serious digging, it's not too common for the Orange. One or two kids has been the norm, but aside from C.B.A. (a.k.a. Can Buy Athletes if you attended Fayetteville-Manlius) with four, it's rare. And don't pull the "Well of course they would recruit the best players form the best teams" card, because that wasn't the case just last season. Looks like the Marrone staff has garnered an "in" with Woodland Hills and having five-plus prep teammates at SU would make a gang bigger than the Koreans in Gran Torino. * * * SU Hoops Recruiting Fizz: The strange and twisting saga of Xavier and C.J. Henry appears likely it will remain at Kansas.
The boys' father has done the Midwest media circuit, telling anyone who would listen the boys would've jumped right to the NBA, didn't want to go Brandon Jennings and jump to Europe, might transfer to Kentucky and finally that they would stay in Lawrence. Whatever. Had the Henry's backed out of the commitment, Orange Nation could raise it's collective antennae. Ah, the headaches that come along with recruiting Top-10 players and their fathers. BTW A Fizz exclusive coming with Fab Melo's high school coach Adam Ross, who's been overseeing his official visits, on our Fizz-Cast Tuesday. Stay Fizzy. ***Listen to the latest Fizz-Cast. Team Fizz breaks down an Orange version of Tim Tebow and the end of the hoops Dynasty*** 
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