Orange Fizz: Syracuse Orange Sports Blog, Recruiting and Podcasts.


	Team Fizz Bios: Meet the Team Orange Feedback: Email the Fizz Fizz Archives: Browse the Fizz Files		Missed a day of juice? Search the Orange Fizz archives here! Custom Search Fizz First: The Second Season. 11.31.09 Posted: Ted Conroy - PERMALINK An interesting final day of football in East Hartford, Connecticut. On hand to cover the game, it was one of the more interesting postgame press conferences of the season. It all started before the presser even began, when Bob Casullo threw a tirade on one unlucky one beat reporter, for reasons still unclear. Freshman corner Phillip Thomas said the Huskies took a "cheap shot" when going for the endzone on a fade route with the game already sealed up. Doug Hogue added another log to the blaze when another writer needled him about giving up more than 40 points to UConn after the Rutgers win. The frustration was all completely understandable; it was the end of a long season for a lot of coaches and players. It was just the beginning for Doug Marrone. Marrone's season didn't end at Rentschler Field. Doug was headed on the road as of Sunday to start his "other" football season. The one that includes visiting high school coaches and players from all over the Northeast (as well as recruiting opportunities in Florida). This should make the fans excited. Last year, the head man had a short time to get on the trail, but still managed to bring in some serious contributors from the freshman class. Shamarko and Thomas are the most clear examples, along with the pre-Turningstone Andrew Tiller. What will the dividends be when this staff has the entire recruiting period to scour for the class of 2010? After the productive summer (signing more kids then Groobers did up to his firing), it should leave Orange Nation optimistic. (Photo Credit: Hartford Courant) * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Once Upon a Turkey. 11.26.09 Posted: D.A. - PERMALINK It's incredible to think of where Syracuse athletics was just this time last year. November 2008. Football program in shambles. Groobers dead man walking. Every college coach in the MAC turning SU down. Basketball loses Donte Green. Missing the Big Dance two straight seasons. Dr. Gross tabbed "Dr. Doom" by upstart fledgling Syracuse blog. Grey cloud looms overhead. Bad times. Very bad times. Yet, here we sit a mere twelve months later and its finally good to be an Orange again. Yes, we were the ones here at The Fizz that decided to coin the Dr. Doom moniker (and for good reason). Everything seemed to be spinning out of control. Heck, we were watching bad pigskin, frustrating hoops and orange-on-orange-on-orange football uniforms. One year later, we should nod in approval (at least slightly) to the powers that be on The Hill. Despite being the 17th choice of Gross, Doug Marrone appears to be the right man for the job (at very least, he's competent. That's a step up from the clown that used to coach the football team, who's now turning Michigan's defense into an 11-man spaghetti strainer). The basketball team is coming off a Sweet 16 birth and has stormed into the Top-10 behind two of the most impressive early season wins in recent memory. SU is winning recruiting battles; snatching one of the best defensive players in the state of Florida from under the nose of the SEC, and nabbing one of the top big men in the country in Fab Melo. SU hoops is going to have one of the best recruiting classes in the country. The football unis have finally stabilized. There's an inspirational big budget Hollywood movie starring the 'Cuse. The Empire State Building is lit up in blue and orange. 2009 was much better. Syracuse is turkeys no more. Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Catching Up with Jonny Ice. 11.25.09 Posted: Ted Conroy - PERMALINK Orange Nation's hopes of being a preseason Final Four favorite crashed with the early departure of Jonny Flynn to the NBA Draft. Smart move by Jonny Ice - he ended up being the 6th overall pick to Minnesota - but maybe life after-Jonny does exist. Syracuse has looked dynamic while vaulting to a #9 ranking. But after his heroics in the 6-OT Classic last March against UConn and engineering a Sweet 16 appearance, Flynn will always be an SU icon. I caught up with Jonny to see how life in the Association had been treating him. Jonny breaks down the current Orange squad, playing inside the history of MSG and life as a rookie. How was it being a Top-10 pick? "Ever since you're young you always dream about getting drafted, hearing your name called, shaking David Stern's hand. And when that night came t was surprising to be drafted as I as I was, but it was a great feeling. It hasn't felt like I've even worked a day yet." A lot of the suprise came from his being drafted right after Ricky Rubio. And while Flynn does love his situation, it's not easy - he's gone from Jim Boeheim's free-wheeling motion offense to the strict and difficult triangle system employed by Kurt Rambis. "It's definitely tough, it's one of the hardest things I've probably faced in my short basketball life. I think Coach Boeheim kinda spoiled me a lot up at Syracuse, giving me the ball and letting me really freelance a lot. It's gonna come, it's just gonna take time." What does he miss about his days on the Hill? "Just being around 15,000 people at Syracuse around the same age as you. In the NBA you've got guys who have wives and kids and you can't really hang out with them. Being around everybody at one time. Syracuse will always be a part of me." So does he get hazed as a rookie? He said it hasn't been bad, but he's fetched breakfast for the team sometimes, while getting players drinks. "It really hasn't been that bad. No bookbags, no silly costumes. The most I have to do on gamedays is go get donuts and orange juice, get some drinks for the veterans, but I'll do that with a smile on my face." 'Cuse fans loved Jonny during his time on the Hill and he still feels a special connection to the school. With Triche and Scoop playing so well, it looks like any visit he has back to the Dome will be better then, say, Donte Greene. But how about the break-up of the Dynamic Duo? Jonny's BFF Paul Harris is plying his trade for the Maine Red Claws of the NBDL. "I thought Minnesota was gonna pick him up after Summer League. We kinda broke our separate days, but I can't wait until the day when he's in the NBA - and it's gonna be soon and it's gonna be sooner than people think because of all the hard work he puts in." On the year, Flynn is playing well in Minnesota, too. He's putting in around 13 points a game with three rebounds and three assists. Flynn's another reminder of what Jim Boeheim's system can do for you on the next level- even though Flynn is playing within the parameters of a very structured system, he's still getting his. We leave you with Jonny's words: *"I always rep Syracuse."* Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: Marrone's High Heat. 11.24.09 Posted: Mike Couzens - PERMALINK The UConn game still means a whole lot to Doug Marrone and to the Syracuse program, even if it doesn't mean a whole lot to you. After the Rutgers win? *"It's a big recruiting weekend for us because it's our first full year recruiting and it's the first time we've had these prospects on campus during an official weekend."* UConn is another team in SU's geographical recruiting sphere. Syracuse may not be playing for a bowl game this weekend but they're always battling for recruits. Think about this for a minute: Marrone comes on in December '08 and is charged with evaluating what he's got in the program, selecting a coaching staff, getting to know the players and then trying to prepare for a season starting with spring practice. Now, try to find time to focus on recruiting in the middle of that storm. I can't speak for Marrone personally, but it's possible he hasn't had a whole lot of time to dedicate to it. Unfortunately now that the season is winding down, he sounds like he might be getting the hang of things in just his first go round. "To have people on campus and feel what the atmosphere is like is no different than what we try and do academically. We try and bring our players in here during the school day so they can see the flow of campus and see our players, going to class with them, and then to have the opportunity to see what it's like on a game day environment is quite beneficial for us. And then obviously winning helps also." The Orange hosted a sizable amount of recruits on the sidelines Saturday although Marrone wouldn't give the exact number. He did make note that paying attention to detail is important when it comes to potential players. "Every time we play someone in our conference is important. Everything is important. How we do academically is important, how we carry ourselves, how we introduce ourselves to parents, how we communicate, the support of the community, the school. Just think about the people in the room that are parents and they take their or daughter to a school - they're observing everything. Everything that goes on, not just two plus two equals four. They're looking at the people that they're gonna trust with their son for the next four or five years." It's not just the players you're selling to, it's the parents as well. You might think Scarlet Red is cool, but mom and dad know that Orange looks way better on you kid! And right after the UConn game is over, it's a full off-season of recruiting. So even if you've lost interest in this football season, The Fizz has just given you a reason for hope on Saturday. (Photo credit: Scranton Times) Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? One Game vs. Rutgers, Two Wins. 11.24.09 Posted: D.A. - PERMALINK The Fizz told you yesterday about the double-sided coin at the Dome over the weekend. Not only did Marrone's Marauders get their first Big East victory over Rutgers, but a sizable contingent of '10 northeast recruits were on hand to witness it. And it's already paying dividends. Still more than two months until National Signing Day and the 'Cuse has picked up another commit; in fact, he may be the heir apparent to Arthur Jones and just so happened to be in the Dome on Saturday. All 6-3, 240-pounds of defensive lineman Max Beaulieu (Davie, FL) will wear the Orange next season. He is considered one of the premier lineman in Florida. "This is the perfect fit for me," Beaulieu said. "A chance to play in a great conference for a coaching staff that is committed to getting back to the top in the conference was exactly what I want to be a part of." Marrone has now tapped the University School for two outstanding recruits. Earlier this month we told you about Brice Hawkes committing to SU. The buzz on the big man, though, should have Orange Nation giddy. South Florida recruiting guru (and Fizz go-to guy) Larry Blustein, who has covered the prep scene there for nearly four decades: *"He is a STUD!"* Beaulieu is considered one of the top prospects in the Sunshine State (no small billing), earning a Top-100 rating by the Miami Herald and Florida and Elite Scouting Services. "We watched Max last year and throughout the spring and summer and felt that he was a top-flight college football prospect," said Charles Fishbein of ESS. "When Coach Harriott told us about him, we went and watched him mature into one of the state's better players." "This is not just one of those ordinary talents who schools from the Northeast come in and get. This is an athlete who was being heavily recruited by schools such as Purdue, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Arkansas, South Carolina and Nebraska." The best part? Ex-Miami assistant Greg Schiano actively recruits South Florida as hard as anyone in the Big East - and Monster Max attended Rutgers football camp over the summer. One Saturday. Two wins. (Photo credit: Sun-Sentinel) Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: Home State Advantage. 11.23.09 Posted: Ted Conroy - PERMALINK Orange Nation was slightly peeved not only because Tobias Harris signed with UT Thursday, but he also did it in SU's backyard of Manhattan. Uncool. However, ladies and gentlemen, we here at The Fizz are ready to qualify this as the best sports stretch since the legendary Big East tournament. SU almost seemed fueled by a desire to protect a home-field advantage that one 17-year old may have inadvertently stepped on. It couldn't have come at a better time. Syracuse basketball put an absolute beating on UNC in the Garden. How important is that? Aside from the fact that SU now has a legitimate case for a Top-10 ranking, defending the other "homecourt" against one of the other big boy recruiters (Roy Williams) was imperative. Boeheim, Hopkins, and Murphy all have a stronger recruiting grip on the northeast, having beaten one of the premier programs in the country at a venue top recruits could watch from (or from their couch on ESPN). And damn, did it feel good. As for football, this is an easy one. Rutgers slaughtered the Orange the last time they came to the Dome, and Greg Schiano made a point to go and rile up a very large road red crowd that came to support his team, on a weekend when recruits were bound to be there. This weekend was no different. There were plenty of high schoolers on the sideline during pregame, many of them undoubtedly looking at both the Orange and Rutgers. Plus, there was swaths of Scarlet in the northwest corner of the Dome. But there was one big difference (well, 6 1/2 differences if you count all of Doug Hogue's tackles for loss) in the 31-13 win over Rutgers: an SU victory. Still want to play in Piscataway, kids? Doug Marrone outcoached Schiano, and even the Scarlet Knight head master admitted it. Syracuse lost a five-star at the ESPN Zone, but the corresponding defense of the front and backyard made for a great weekend, and an even greater statement: New York is ours, and don't you forget it. (Photo credit: AP) Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Empire Building State of Mind. 11.22.09 Posted: Evan Intrater - PERMALINK Marrone's Marauders can't catch a break. Despite the first Big East win of the season over Rutgers yesterday, all anyone wants to talk about is the crazy impressive weekend for Jimmy Boeheim's crew. The Big Apple turned into the Big Orange (even the Empire State Building lit up in the Cuse's colors). The 'Cuse is champion of the '09 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic by playing with a chip on their shoulder. Annually the Orange is underrated entering the season and "surprisingly" jump into the Top-20 within the first couple of weeks. But this time, it feels like SU could be staying in the national spotlight for good. After two impressive wins over Top-15 teams on national television, Syracuse is no longer a secret. Wes Johnson is for real and the 2-3 zone is tight. Why is this edition different from years past? DEFENSE. This season's team is full of players who have had to earn their spot in the lineup. Devendorf, Greene, Flynn and Harris all came into SU as highly touted recruits. They expected to contribute right away. Compare those players to Andy Rautins (only used as a spark plug his freshman and sophomore years), Scoop (sat behind Flynn), Johnson (sat out a year after transferring), Rick Jackson (struggled his freshman year), and Onuaku (late bloomer, sat behind Watkins early on). These former role players have been given the opportunity to succeed and - early on - are making the most of it. No more lazy defense without sliding to contest an open three-pointer. Instead, hands are up, defensive rotation has been crisp, and the Orange seem to have bought into making defense the focal point of the game plan. I sat next to a Syracuse alum, decked out in Orange, from thirty years ago. Midway through the second-half he said, "This is the best defense I have ever seen us play. Ever. And I can tell you it's not Boeheim because he hasn't changed at all over my time watching this team. It's the players, they are hungry." Obviously, the optimism was overflowing from an energetic NYC crowd and the ESPN attention. The real test is if the 'Cuse can keep up the intensity against weaker teams such as Cornell, Columbia, and Colgate. But early returns suggest the '09-'10 Orange may become one of the best defensive teams in the program's history. * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: Gaining Some Perspective. 11.20.09 Posted: D.A. - PERMALINK There it is. That's the fear. In bright, vivid, living color. As you may have gathered over the past six months, The Fizz has covered the recruiting angle of Syracuse athletics much more closely. The Fizz was created back in August '08, and it was evident very early where our analysis sparked the most interest. Our hits exploded and our inbox filled every time we touched on the decision of an incoming recruit or the saga of a prep star's high school experience. There was also a pretty obvious void in Syracuse recruiting as a whole. The information, analysis and daily perspective of the recruiting trail for the big boys of the college sports landscape was far superior to anything Orange Nation could latch onto. So, the interest in The Fizz kept growing (exploding in some cases) and we tried to evolve the staff in the same way; The Fizz went from one to five staffers almost overnight. And we brought in Ted Conroy and Mike Couzens exclusively under the umbrella of Fizz First, your daily Syracuse recruiting juice. However, there is a dark side to what we have helped cultivate. Team Fizz was devoted to the Tobias Harris decision this week. And it worked. The biggest weekly hit total we've ever had. Of course, you know the rest. Tobias went from Syracuse as a front-runner... to an 11th hour decision of Tennessee... to Orange Nation booing the kid at the ESPN Zone last night. Look, we appreciate and value the interest in recruiting. We'll continue to cover this as closely as possible (and with a healthy amount of sarcasm since all of us in Orange Land need a pinch of that). Doug Marrone needs every piece of the puzzle, as quickly as he can. Jim Boeheim (read: Hopkins, Murphy) is collecting highly-touted recruits like Dr. Doom collects track-and-field championships. We treat them like rock-stars, follow their every move, believe one kid can turn an NCAA bubble team into a Final Four run. But we all need to keep perspective. These are 18-year-old kids, deciding where they want to spend their next few seasons playing sports. Tobias did not jerk everyone around. He did not continually delay his decision. He professionally went about his business, with a structured family unit in tow. And decided on Tennessee. And we booed. Watch the video. Fans dressed in orange (I'm assuming they're not Vols fans), on their way to the Garden for the Cal tilt hissed. Not ok. We're all disappointed. Tobias would've been a crown jewel in one of SU's greatest recruiting classes ever. But you can't lash out at him. That's like booing a 5th grader for messing up the words to "Silent Night" at the school play. It's misdirected frustration. Not to mention, how opposing coaches will use this as a negative recruiting tool. *"Did you see Tobias Harris' decision? They booed him! From 10-feet away! Do you really want to play in front of that crowd?"* The funny thing is, I've been to the Dome dozens of times and watched the cheers and applause rain down on any student donning a Syracuse uniform. Booing student-athletes is not what we do. So let's not start now. * * * The Fizz's newest addition, Evan Intrater, was on hand at the ESPN Zone for Tobias Harris' announcement. He grabbed a one-on-one with Tobias (audio is muffled because of the ambient noise at the bar), as well as documented the reaction from 'Cuse fans and Tobias' reasoning. Bookmark The Fizz's YouTube page. Tobias Volunteers. 11.19.09 Posted: Team Fizz - PERMALINK The Fizz was on hand this evening at the ESPN Zone in Manhattan as Tobias Harris chose Tennessee. As we predicted earlier, the Volunteers hauled in the Top-10 recruit after the sudden misdirection by JayVaughn Pinkston yesterday and Tobias' last-minute visit to Knoxville. Team Fizz weighs in. Conroy's Take: "Tobias Harris would have made an excellent class a superhuman class. 'Cuse fans can still look forward to a great Fab 4, and Josh Selby is still on the board. It's some wind out of the sails for fans who saw so much of him through Twitter and his transparency in the process, but at the end of the day, Syracuse still has a top-5 class coming in for 2010." Couzens Take: "Maybe the least surprising thing I've heard all day. After the extra visit to UT on the way back from Georgia Tech, it was pretty much a giveaway. If anything, give the kid credit. He kept us captivated all along and jacked up his Twitter following. And oh yeah, thanks for nothing JayVaughn Pinkston!" D.A.'s Take: "The midnight run to Knoxville was the straw that broke the camel's back. A quick jaunt to central Tennessee is usually for a family-visit to a correctional facility. I was hoping my hunch was wrong earlier in the day, but the dots connected too easily. Pinkston opts out at the 11th hour. Tobias CHOOSES to look at Bruce Pearl's disgusting beer gut in person. His dad says the decision was made shortly after that. The first time a hairy stomach made a great closer. Game over." * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Handicapping the Tobias Race. 11.19.09 Posted: D.A. - PERMALINK As we conclude the final hours of Tobias Watch '09 here at The Fizz, it's hard to shake the doom which yesterday's events might have portended for Orange Nation. It's virtually impossible to predict what an 18-year-old with the college hoops world as his oyster may prioritize. But it certainly seemed like Syracuse had a few dynamics working it its favor. * * * Fizz Coverage: The Fizz will be on hand at the ESPN Zone in Manhattan at 6:00p, when Tobias Harris will be making his college decision. When Tobias announces his choice, we'll have complete analysis from the entire staff. * * * First, SU's proximity to Tobias' home of Long Island made it an easy fit for him. When The Fizz spoke to his head coach, the comfort of being around fellow Islanders (all of which seem to flock to Greek Row and Harry's on a Monday night) appeared to be important for Tobias. Secondly, The Per'fesser's inclination to allow young players (at every position) to play important minutes and be vital cogs in the offense would appear to appease any Top-10 recruit who wants to ball immediately. Thirdly, the 2010 class is already stacked with Fab Melo, CJ Fair and Dion Waiters. Add in Baye Moussa Kieta and Tobias had the possibility of joining a modern-day Fab Five - and one of the greatest recruiting classes in school history. Finally, Mike Hopkins is on a roll. With the aforementioned names, Hop and assistant coach Rob Murphy have owned the recruiting battles recently. Unfortunately, yesterday's events did not smile upon the bald palate of Jim Boeheim. Insiders suggested there was no way Tobias and Jayvaughn Pinkston would end up at the same school - each wanting to be the Alpha Dawg. Pinkston was expected to sign yesterday with Tennessee, essentially knocking the Vols out of the Tobias Stakes - and leaving SU as a favorite. However, the dominos fell (in the wrong direction) and Pinkston delayed his decision, Tobias made an 11th hour visit to Knoxville, his father declared the decision had been made last night and... well, you connect the dots. You can't spell Tobias without a big, block "T." Unfortunately, Harris may be donning the wrong shade of orange later this evening. * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? (Photo courtesy: Syracuse.com. Image transfer via The Fizz.) Fizz First: Tobias' D-Day. 11.19.09 Posted: Mike Couzens - PERMALINK Tis the moment we here at The Fizz have been waiting on for quite some time. T-Day has arrived. The Fizz will be on hand at the ESPN Zone in Manhattan at 6:00p, when Tobias Harris will be making his college decision. When Tobias announces his choice, we'll have complete coverage. Harris will pick from the giant pool of Syracuse, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisville, West Virginia, Maryland and Georgia Tech. Torrel Harris - Tobias' father - told Zagsblog last night in a text message, *"The decision has been made at 11:56 p.m. [Wednesday],the Tobias college world tour has ended. We appreciate all the great coaches who recruited Tobias."* The world tour? Well not quite, but it certainly has seemed like quite the expedition since this whole thing started. Along with the delayed signing of JayVaughn Pinkston yesterday, we learned that Tobias Harris made a surprise visit to Tennessee on Tuesday night. He was on his way back from Georgia Tech, and he stopped to see Bruce Pearl's 100th win as UT coach. This represents really the only "advantage" Harris has given to a school. For all of his visits, he has always maintained liking every school equally. But does this give UT an advantage? We'll see. Tonight is also the first time back at Madison Square Garden for the Syracuse basketball team since the Big East Tournament. The first time since the 6OT game against UConn. I sat down with SU assistant coach Mike Hopkins yesterday for a segment on WAER radio. How was it getting back to the Garden? *"New York City has been great to us. Madison Square Garden has been virtually a home court to us. So we're excited for this opportunity."* This is feels like last season where early in the season, the Orange scored 89 points on back to back nights beating Florida and Kansas. Now the 'Cuse will play 13th-ranked California and either #6 North Carolina or #15 Ohio State. Talk about an early season test. It'll be good for this team to get its bearings early, and see if its defense can hold up against a stellar three-point shooting team like Cal. If you're a Cuse Hoops fan, either call in sick or book it home at that 5 o'clock whistle, because it's going to be quite a night. * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: The Domino Effect 11.18.09 Posted: Ted Conroy - PERMALINK The fortunes of one recruit who hasn't been approached by the SU staff may end up sweetening the Orange pot. The New York Daily News had reported that 6'6" forward Jayvaughn Pinkston (pictured) would sign with Tennessee this afternoon. (Fizz Update: 3:06p - Pinkston has delayed his decision. He will put it off until later in the spring. Does this mean he's waiting to see what Tobias does tomorrow? Potentially. Conspiracy theories would suggest Tobias is leaning toward the Vols and Pinkston would opt for a different school, where he would be top dawg.) How does this affect the 'Cuse? He plays the same position as Tobias Harris, and that's critical. Other reports suggest the two won't end up on the same campus. If Pinkston picks Tennessee, it could well have an impact on what Tobias Harris says at his announcement tomorrow on ESPNU since both play the same position. *"There's no way they're going to the same school,"* said an assistant coach recruiting one of the players. Meaning that, assuming Pinkston does indeed with the Vols this afternoon, the 'Cuse has eliminated one of the scariest looking ticket-holders in the Tobias sweepstakes. Cross your fingers, Orange fans, things are starting to fall into place. As for Tobias himself, he's back from his last visit (Georgia Tech) and continues to use his Twitter account to market himself and help out his friends and family get more followers. Check this little teaser out. *"TWITT FAM can we please follow my big sis @tesiamazin34... she has the clues on where i may announce to... and is open for questions!!!"* Tobias, are you crazy? Do you think just because you tell us you might drop a hint on your sisters page that we here at The Fizz will appease your shout-out to get your sibling more followers? Okay, maybe we did send a request. Gotta cover all your bases. * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: Selby's Road to Love. 11.17.09 Posted: Mike Couzens - PERMALINK The Fizz last looked at Josh Selby almost a month ago as he was making his way through Allen Field House for Kansas' Midnight Madness. Since then we've learned that ESPN's 8th-ranked player in the class of 2010 is probably going to be a late signing period decision - meaning he can just take it slow. The recruiting process can be a little bit like dating sometimes. Selby knows he's the real deal, and all he needs to do is let schools try and woo him. Might as well see what your best options are, right? Well it certainly gets a little more interesting when you're getting recruited by Clark Kent. Tom Crean is expected to be Superman for Indiana basketball to return to national prominence. Let's go out on a limb and say it won't happen before Selby makes up his mind. Selby spent a day last week visiting the Hoosiers along with his mother, Maeshon Witherspoon, and she came away impressed: *"We are certainly going to pay attention to them during the season. It's an up-and-coming program, so we will be watching to see how they develop throughout the season."* That's where Syracuse comes in. The Orange is anything but an up-and-coming program, and that's exactly what Selby needs. He's going to want to be big time wherever he goes, and he would fit into a playmakers system under Jim Boeheim. Selby still plans to visit SU along with Kentucky and Miami. But he's got to keep an eye on the Orange this week because of who, and where it's playing. Last year the early marquee games for Syracuse came in Kansas City with wins over Florda and Kansas. This season the big games come against #13 California and either UNC or Ohio State. Wins in any of those games would be huge for recruiting. Playing in the Garden for Jim Boeheim against Roy Williams a few weeks into your freshman season, seems a bit more exciting than than Indiana/Ole Miss or a matchup against Boston University. So Selby's gonna take it slow, but it wouldn't hurt Coach Boeheim to send him a box of chocolates or a greeting card - remember, it's all just a game. * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: Tobias Week & Fresh FizzCast. 11.16.09 Posted: Ted Conroy - PERMALINK (Photo Credit: Newsday) After this weekend's debacle, The Fizz is going to use the "relax, it's basketball season" line to bypass any Monday morning quarterbacking from the atrocity in Louisville. This week is all about hoops. 2K Sports Classic, the return to the Garden, and of course one gem in the class of 2010 set to make his college choice at the ESPN Zone in New York City. It's been a long road, and a lot of time spent following Tobias Harris' Twitter page, The Fizz's exclusive conversation with his coach, and following up with the other blogs trying to pin the spot that he ends up. The final guessing ends this week, in words no more succinct then those from the 5-star forward. *"At the airport... flight to G-Tech in a few... Last vist until one of the biggest decisions!"* It's been an interesting process with the Long Island baller. He tweeted from just about everywhere. He used all of his allotted official visits (and said he loved them all). And he has not identified a favorite among seven top-tier programs in the country. He's used the new media to his advantage, he's been 100% professional about it, and he's played everything apolitically. That's rare. The potential for the 'Cuse is obvious. Fab Melo, Dion Waiters, and then Tobias? That's a lot of stars, and a lot of potential next season. But there are a bunch of schools (and coaches) with the same thing on their minds. This forward can play, and will do just that in his freshman year. Stay tuned to The Fizz; we'll be eyeing the situation all week. * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Through the Louisville Looking Glass. 11.14.09 Posted: D.A. - PERMALINK (Photo Credit: Louisville Courier-Journal) Let me get this straight: Syracuse lost in Louisville, to Steve Kragthorpe, when Andrew Robinson intercepted SU's final pass? This is like an MC Escher painting. *There are few Syracuse football truths we hold to be self-evident. But this is one of them: The Orange have PWND* Krags. And SU always wins in Louisville. And Andrew Robinson plays for us.** So what the hell happened? Oh right... an absurdly brutal first half, zero offense on either side of the football, disastrous special teams coverage, a botched extra-point and the inability to successfully execute pass interference on the game-winning touchdown pass - despite drawing the penalty. Not sure what the rest of the region saw with the Big East Network's coverage (which is kinda like calling "Weekend Update" part of NBC's news division), but here in Boston, eerily the audio went out for the Cardinals' final red zone possession, returned for SU's kickoff return and then crapped out again just before Paulus' interception. The lone smile of the day comes from the UL fans comments about the game. It's strangely reminiscent of when Groobers beat Notre Dame last season. Gallows humor and sarcastic applause. The ghost of Andrew Robinson does not die quietly. He was once the program's quarterback of the future. Then he was a backup tight end. Now he's a corner for the Cardinals. Yes, bowl eligibility is gone, although if you were holding your breath for that, may I interest you in Destiny USA? * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: Steal in South Florida. 11.13.09 Posted: D.A. - PERMALINK While the Coach P days were certainly pock-marked with disastrous moments, questionable coaching decisions and mediocre results - recruiting for the Orange was outstanding. No, Syracuse didn't win any Top-10 classes via the so-called experts. But year after year, the Orange uncovered its type of prep players, developed that talent and sent them to the NFL. The final days of the Pasquoloni Era were not the prettiest, but still churned out players who would have established careers at the highest level like Will Allen, Keith Bullock, Dee Brown, James Mungro, Donovan Darius, David Tyree and others. Groobers mistakes are well-documented (and too many to count on 13,000 sets of hands - have you seen the Michigan defense recently? Egads.) but one recruiting decision which was always a head-scratcher was the decision to ignore South Florida. The Sunshine State produces more D-1 talent than any other region in the country. All of the SEC figured that out. The ACC and Big 10 have jumped into the fray. And now, Rutgers (led by ex-Miami coach Greg Schiano), UConn, Pitt and West Virginia have all had recruiting successes down there (Noel Devine, anyone?). Coach P's troops always combed Florida and built relationships, which the Groobers regime allowed to erode. Finally, the Orange may have started making inroads again. Marrone's Marauders have inked Brice Hawkes, a 6-3, 205-pounder, who has played everything from defensive end and outside linebacker to receiver. The Fizz nabbed the lowdown from South Florida recruiting legend Larry Bluestein, who has been covering the prep fields for nearly forty years. *"Went to watch him last night and the Orange got a steal. The kid could be one of the best in this class. He has grown 3 inches in less than a year and could get bigger."* His head coach Roger Harriot says he's only scratched the surface. "He has been one of our most productive players this year. Colleges such as LSU, Buffalo, Colorado State and Tulane have come through, but never offered. Syracuse just loves what he is now and what he will become in the future." Beating out Buffalo, Colorado State and Tulane doesn't quite get the blood flowing. But a signing like Hawkes may suggest something bigger: The Orange once again involved in the absurdly deep South Florida talent pool. * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: Advice to the SU Recruits. 11.12.09 Posted: Mike Couzens - PERMALINK College basketball signing period has officially started, so it's fair to ask this question as 17 and 18-year-old boys and girls sign the next four years of their lives away: Do you ever really know if you're making the right choice? The Fizz has recently documented the decision-making process of Jawan Simmons, Michael Carter-Smith, Trevor Cooney and Tobias Harris - all athletes who may fit into the Syracuse mix. It took well into my sophomore year on The Hill to definitively say I made the right choice with my college decision. Keep in mind I'm not working within the structure of multiple coaches and a group of anywhere from 12 (basketball) to 100 (football) teammates day in and day out. It means I have even more freedom as to who I associate myself with and the decisions I make. When you're part of an intercollegiate team, you spend the regular season practicing, playing and traveling with the same people. You then spend the off-season working throughout the week with those same people. For our married readers - isn't one or two holidays a year with the in-laws enough? What if you don't get along with them? Or your coach turns out to be different from who he acted as on the recruiting trail? There's a reason many states don't allow full drivers licenses until you're 18; because kids suck at making decisions. I used the words "boys and girls" selectively in the first paragraph to illustrate a point. They're not really going to be men and women until they graduate from college, and for some, maybe even longer. Physically they may be advanced, but it's upstairs that counts. Syracuse.com posted a video with SU linebacker Derrell Smith, asking him about the decision to play with the Orange. He had the option of attending the Naval Academy, with its five-year service commitment attached to playing football there. Can any high school-aged kid really fathom what that's going to mean for their life? Did you, the reader, think you would be sitting where you are today five years ago? Maybe not. The SU women's basketball team opens its season tomorrow and the program's best player, Nicole Michael, was torn between Georgia, Rutgers, and Syracuse. She ended up coming to The Hill because she says Coach Quentin Hillsman seemed like he cared about her more than other coaches. Plenty of current players say the same thing. Upon arriving at college, some athletes realize the rigors of making sport your life. Mostly, high school coaches do not control an athletes schedule. College coaches have almost full authority. I have a good friend who played two seasons of D-1 college basketball in New York State and then left the team. Not necessarily for coaching reasons or relationships with other players, but because it wasn't fun anymore. I imagine the college experience is completely different when playing a sport. Even for non-revenue athletics (or ahem, Olympic sports - you're welcome Dr. Gross) like rowing or tennis, still demands a dedication of up to 11 months a year. The tough part is you only get to do college once (well, except for all those 27-year-olds who are ducking back into law school because the job market sucks so bad). Let this serve as a word of warning to all the high school kids this month considering Syracuse, among other schools, and where to spend the next four years. Yes, you're getting a big, fat check to play a sport, but make sure that it's worth it. You've only got your gut feeling to go on, because after awhile every school has got to seem the same. (Which is exactly what Tobias' coach told The Fizz earlier this week.) I didn't know for a few years and more than likely, neither will you. Best of luck, kids. * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: Ballers Love Company. 11.11.09 Posted: Ted Conroy - PERMALINK The Fizz posted the FizzClusive with Michael Carter Williams, a class of 2011 commit for the Orange. Let's check up on another potential Syracuse recruit dominating the prep scene. Ladies and gentlemen, let The Fizz introduce you to LeBryan Nash from Dallas. The numbers look great. 6'6" 210 pounds, a small forward who still has time to grow and a 5-star kid to boot. He hasn't gotten a 'Cuse offer yet, but there are a whole lot of other teams in the Syracuse boat; Florida, Gonzaga, Oklahoma, and Georgetown to name a few. He averaged 13.6 points a game in his sophomore year at Lincoln High School; not bad for someone who can't legally drive a car. There's also an interesting chat with Nash from an adidas camp too. Ah, the subtle comparison to Carmelo Anthony. That's always nice. But in all seriousness, a lanky, versatile forward from Texas? Think Wes Johnson here people. With Carter-Williams already signed on, Trevor Cooney liking SU, and potentially a kid who already thinks highly of Melo, the ducks are lining up two years down the road. While Mike Hopkins appears to be in the middle of a historic Black Jack run at the recruiting table, Jimmy B's name still looms large. And the athletes he's looking at have 800 reasons (and counting) to believe in the hall of famer. * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: Exclusive with Tobias Harris' Coach. 11.10.09 Posted: Mike Couzens - PERMALINK (Photo credit: Syracuse.com) The Tobias Harris countdown is on. The nation's No. 3 small forward and No. 7 overall prospect will make his nationally-televised decision November 19. Despite just about every school on the East Coast getting giddy over Tobias, Syracuse still seems to be one of the favorites. The Fizz grabbed an exclusive with his head coach at Half Hollow Hills High school on Long Island, Bill Mitaritonna. Coach is a basketball-lifer, which makes his comments about Tobias that much more impressive. He says Harris is throwing it down with "LeBron-like strength." There have been a handful of NFL players that have come out of Half Hollow Hills and Harris has outworked them all. *"He's extremely competitive. He hates to lose. He hates losing more than he loves winning."* As for the schools Tobias has visited, Mitaritonna says he's come away equally impressed with all of them - but in different ways. Tennessee had a stadium of over 100,000 people chanting his name, and Kentucky put on a big show for Midnight Madness. And as for Syracuse, he liked the large population of Long Islanders. Plenty of upstate New York schools draw heavy from the Tri-State area, but if you want some Strong Island, look no further than the sorority houses on Walnut and Comstock. Trust me. "He likes the fact that everyone has a huge following. He goes to a Tennessee football game and has 104,000 people chanting his name. The thing he loves about Syracuse is how many New Yorkers are there. Long Island is a huge feeder into Syracuse, so I think he felt comfortable with that." Mitaritonna said Tobias opted to go on all of his allotted campus visits. "He wanted to go to all seven schools because all seven schools have treated him great. His parents have a great mindset about it. They want to give everyone a fair shot and I think that's the right way to do it." In this upcoming high school season, Tobias will be playing on the wing for Hills West and his goal isn't to get points for himself, but instead for his little brother Tyler who is already 6'7" and getting looks from Hofstra, West Virginia and others. "He's looking for a gut-reaction. When he steps on campus, how does he feel? He's good with that, talking with the kids about what it's like. He's been pretty quiet about it. He's asked me my opinion on a couple things about it." Nine days until Tobias makes his decision on ESPNU at the ESPN Zone in Manhattan. The countdown is on. * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Survivor: Salt City. 11.9.09 Posted: Ted Conroy - PERMALINK Tight end Cody Catalina led the Orange in receptions in the first half against Pittsburgh, with three for 20 yards. He didn't finish the game. In fact, he's done for the season. Stupid knee injuries. Max Suter was the second leading tackler for the 'Cuse, and he's out too after having wrist surgery. Is there anyone on this team with immunity? This roster is thin. We said at the beginning of the season here at the fizz that things were going to be dependent on staying healthy. That didn't happen. Let's take a quick run down the hit list. Dorian Graham, Nick Provo, and Jared Kimmel, you now have companions at Shaw Hall on game mornings. Let's not forget that cornerback Kevyn Scott's been out with a battery of issues himself. It's strange that the two positions ravaged most seem to be defensive backs and tight ends, and with a secondary that was already the worst in football, this doesn't play out too well in the grand scheme of things. This is the portion of the season that the Orange can show some serious progress. With perennial "we have you figured out" team Louisville, Rutgers at home, and a UConn squad that's been up and down since Jasper Howard's death, these injuries couldn't come at a worse time And with such thin recruiting classes the last few years under Groobers, freshmen like Shamarko Thomas have had to step up into roles they probably aren't ready for. Put your hard hats and knee braces on; this is the time when we find out what kind of coach Doug Marrone is when things get rough. * * * Busy week for The Fizz. Enjoy our multiple FizzCasts. An exclusive with '10 hoops commit Michael Carter-Williams, the bizarre Doug Marrone announcement of Mike Williams departure and the Team Fizz debate over whether the Domers have the right to boo Greg Paulus. Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Paul Harris, Meet Crusher the Lobster. 11.5.09 Posted: D.A. - PERMALINK The Fizz never wishes any ill will toward current and former Orange. It would be hypocritical to salute, cheer and high-five Syracuse's student-athletes while they ply their trade inside the Bubble Dome, only to ridicule or root against them once departed from The Hill. But there is an undoubted pinch of "told ya so" in the stories of Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf. Jonny Ice led two seasons of joyous point-guard play at the Dome, ending in a Sweet 16 last March, while never losing the effervescent smile. (Plus, he put the dagger in UConn after six-overtimes on one of the greatest nights in school history.) Flynn was a lottery-pick lock and thus Orange Nation had to tearfully wave goodbye, like the eldest child heading off to college. But for Harris and Devo, it didn't have to be this way. Had these two returned for their senior seasons, SU would likely be a preseason Top-10 team with designs on a Final Four. Instead, they both chased (assumedly) dollars and entourages and groupies at the next level and bounced. While The Per'fesser never seemed to lament the choice of Jonny, the decisions of the other two clearly rubbed him raw [see The Fizz's coverage - 4.11.09 & 4.9.09]. You could read between the lines when Boeheim crowed optimistically about the unproven '09-'10 team - that this squad might even be better than last year's edition. Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf: welcome to your lives. Both were obviously skipped over in June's NBA Draft (Jonny, of course, was a top-10 pick to the Wolves). Yesterday, Harris was selected by the Maine Red Claws of the Developmental League. Devo was not chosen in the eight-round NBDL draft. Let us know how the groupies are in Bangor, Paul. * * * Busy week for The Fizz. Enjoy our multiple FizzCasts. An exclusive with '10 hoops commit Michael Carter-Williams, the bizarre Doug Marrone announcement of Mike Williams departure and the Team Fizz debate over whether the Domers have the right to boo Greg Paulus. Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: Jawan Simmons Update. 11.4.09 Posted: Ted Conroy - PERMALINK The Fizz has spoken to Jawan Simmons and got the latest on his recruitment and SU is not in the mix. We spotlighted CNY-native Simmons in late-July [see 7.29.09], since the Orange had startlingly not offered him a scholarship, yet UConn, Rutgers and Pitt had all shown interest. Simmons is a 6'4" quarterback from Nottingham High School and rumors had swirled earlier in the summer he had received an offer from Syracuse. But that was never actually the case. When the 'Cuse signed Jonny Miller it gave them two quarterbacks on the 2010 roster, effectively ending "hometown hero" chances with the three-star prospect. Simmons seemed pretty upbeat when we I spoke with him about his college list. He believes Temple will give him an offer within the next month or so, and then the recruiting battle will heat up around January. He also says he's still interested in Connecticut. According to Simmons, head coach Randy Edsall called him personally and expressed interest. Imagine that; a kid who grows up not 25 blocks from The Dome goes and plays for the Huskies. Granted, he is a raw player who fits the "project" mold, but he's also a good kid (he worked a polling place election night) and has the physical tools. This week just gets better and better. * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: Armageddon Wednesday. 11.3.09 Posted: Ted Conroy - PERMALINK Eliminate hyperbole. Was that the worst day in Syracuse athletics history? It ranks right up there. Of course, if you got all your information for the last few ridiculous days on The Hill from SU Athletics then you may not realize what's been going on. *"Syracuse center Jim McKenzie will return to the field when the Orange play at #14/14 Pittsburgh head coach Doug Marrone announced today."* Jim McKenzie is back for the Pitt game! It's time to rejoice, 'Cuse fans. Unfortunately, things become a little somber after that. Last night's implosion against LeMoyne is the ultimate humiliation. The Dolphins may have finished off the Orange with a last-second in-traffic heave, but let's not forget, the visitors controlled most of the second-half. Yes, it's an exhibition. Yes, the Orange barely took the cross-town whipping boy seriously. But it's still unacceptable. To think hoops was here to save us from the football circus. Defensive end Jared Kimmel, his two tackles for loss, and one and a half sacks, is done for the year. Kimmel was a stud who did his job, and that's kind of depressing. And then there's just a little note at the end of the release. No biggie. The Orange will also be without running back Antwon Bailey, defensive end Torrey Ball and offensive guard Andrew Tiller, who have been suspended for a violation of team rules. Oh, yeah. About that. Let's run down the last few days, and try to make sense of everything. Greg Paulus is under fire. Mike Williams is gone. Now Antwon Bailley, Torrey Ball, and Andrew Tiller have been suspended. The Daily Orange figured out the players were involved in a car accident with Tiller behind the wheel. Williams was with them, too. On the thruway. At 5:30 AM. Near Chittenango. Headed Westbound. Now the average person may ask, "why were they near Chittenango early Sunday morning?" Luckily, my townie compass points in two directions: the Carrier Dome, and the Turningstone Casino and Resort. Just a shot in the dark here. Along with numerous other rumors. There is damage control, and then there is just not saying anything. SU Athletics could have minimized the damage by being a little more public about things. Will an already waning fanbase be willing to put up with this? I had an obligatory "be happy it's basketball season" note here for the end. Damn. This is what Armageddon feels like. * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz Exclusive: Michael Carter-Williams. 11.3.09 Posted: Mike Couzens - PERMALINK The Fizz tracked down the newest member of Syracuse hoops, Michael Carter-Williams. This is the Orange's first hoopster for the class of 2011. They just keep getting younger, huh? Carter-Williams, who goes to St. Andrew's School in Rhode Island, told The Fizz that he made a call on Sunday to Syracuse University assistant coach Mike Hopkins, verbally committing to Syracuse. Things changed for Carter-Williams over the last couple summers as he went to the SU basketball camps held each year. He says the Orange wasn't really recruiting him as recently as two summers ago, but that changed a few months ago. MCW says he had always wanted to play in a big place like Syracuse. So Hop does it again. "Coach Hopkins is a great guy. He's the one that really was calling me from Syracuse. He's one of the big reasons I'm going to Syracuse. He's a good person and I feel like he can take my game to the next level on and off the court." Carter-Williams says he wants to get into the Newhouse School and either go into broadcasting or become a coach some day. Other schools looking at him included Villanova, Virginia and Providence which he took visits to along with Syracuse. The junior says he felt most comfortable at the 'Cuse and the reputation of the communications program played a big part in his decision. His high school season starts a few weeks from now and he says he just wants to win and fulfill a leadership role on his team that was empty in years past. Interestingly enough, Demtris Nichols went to the same high school and Carter-Williams says he has met the former SU star, but hasn't really had the chance to talk over his decision with D-Nic. He'll be back on campus around Thanksgiving weekend when The Fizz will look to catch up with him again. * * * Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Shane Raupers Lives. 11.3.09 Kickers just wanna have fun. - PERMALINK Shane Raupers Syracuse path wasn't kind. One day you're the starting kicker. Next day, you've left the team. Three months later, you're dressed as Buzz Lightyear from a Toy Story for Halloween. Rauper's departure from The Hill was like most of the roster turnover that Marrone oversaw this summer: Sudden and unpsoken. Ryan Lichtenstein's story was recently told by the Watertown Daily Times. "ESPN recruiting had him rated at 45 out of 100 - below average for kicking recruits, and hardly worth a scholarship. But ESPN, Syracuse and coach Doug Marrone didn't know the stars were slowly coming together. Lichtenstein came to SU preseason camp as the No. 2 kicker on the depth chart behind then-starter Shane Raupers. Three weeks later, Raupers abruptly left the program. Marrone then had to decide whether Lichtenstein's foot was worth a scholarship. And it didn't appear at first like it was, especially once Marrone brought in Jake Smith, who had been headed to Milford Academy to prepare for Division I football." Now if Lichtenstein and Smith would dress up as Woody and Mr. Potato Head, we might just have some kicker unity. Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: Mike's NFL Future. 11.2.09 Posted: Ted Conroy - PERMALINK The Fizz has covered you on the effect of Williams' departure for the team, and the mood of the press conference. Now it's time to look at the effect this has on Mike Williams' career. Simply put, things are bad for Mike at this point. This is a guy who left school for reported academic reasons, was suspended already for one game, and had a nice Facebook update chronicling his desire not to stick around. This is also an interesting diversion from his earlier statements that he would come back for his final season of eligibility. Isn't it all about the Benjamins, though? Williams is the seventh leading receiver in the country, and had serious NFL draft stock coming into the season. In terms of the Big East, he might even be seen with more potential then Mardy Gilyard at the next level because of his strength and leaping ability. So he could have slipped into the first round as a wideout. That's gone. He would have been a near-guaranteed first-day pick. That's gone too. But his career is not dead in the water. Remember LeGarrette Blount from Oregon? He got suspended for the rest of the year for that, throwing his stock into question. Speaking to Joe Schad from ESPN about that earlier in the season, his words rang true. "All you have to do is look at Michael Vick, and understand that you can electrocute dogs, drown dogs, choke dogs, fight dogs. And If you have the kind of physical ability that's required to play in the NFL, there's gonna be a spot for you." Joe Schad, also proud SPCA benefactor. So he may have just lost a million bucks, but he's not done. HINT HINT.-0 LMAO. Keep it locked with The Fizz* for our continued coverage of the departure of Mike Williams and the state of Syracuse football.* Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: Mike Williams is M.I.A. 11.2.09 Posted: D.A. - PERMALINK In a surreal press conference this afternoon, Doug Marrone casually announced Mike Williams had entered his office earlier in the morning and quit the football team. Now, we know there's a policy not to speak about any athletes not with the program. And no one player is bigger than the team. And part of this is damage control. But perennial enigma, recently suspended, previously-in-hiding, would-be NFL draftee-slash-best player on the team Mike Williams just ups and quits and it's mentioned in the same breath as third-down efficiency? And you expect the local media and fans to simply swallow that and move forward? Sorry coach, doesn't work that way. Listen for yourself: Marrone begins the presser commenting in circular fashion about the booing Greg Paulus received at the Dome Saturday. At the 5:00 mark he throws in the Williams announcement. Most of the media nervously laugh at the absurdly non-chalant nature of that bombshell. Marrone unsuccessfully attempts to paint a picture of team unity and focusing on the next opponent. Around 7:30, Coach Mac (somewhat embarrassingly) scolds the media for attempting to question Marrone about Williams. What is left is mostly 12 minutes of convoluted logic, unspoken tension and an overall uneasy feeling about this program. This is not Syracuse football's high point. While Marrone is certainly not alone in dealing unsuccessfully with the talented Williams, one has to wonder what lies ahead for SU's first-year head coach. While the football itself has seemed to improve from last year's edition, Marrone has stepped on a number of land mines along the way (some planted by himself). He was arguably selected as no better than the seventh candidate on Dr. Gross' wish list. He gutted most of the roster in the offseason, running off many recruits from the previous staff. Fundamentally sloppy football at times. One of the single-worst passing defenses in the country. The booing of Greg Paulus. And now the abrupt suspension and dismissal of Williams. It would be hard to blame Orange Nation for lacking confidence in this shaken program right now. While it's certainly possible Marrone is indeed the right man to turn things around, this has been all-too choppy waters in Year One. The Dome is half-empty. The head coach is lamenting the booing of a hometown star. And the best player on the team startlingly bounces on the team just a month from the end of the season. Doug Marrone: Your move. Keep it locked with The Fizz* for our continued coverage of the departure of Mike Williams and the state of Syracuse football.* Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Fizz First: So Where Is Mike? 11.2.09 Posted: Mike Couzens - PERMALINK Fizzster Mike Couzens' first-hand account of today's bizarre Doug Marrone press conference. What a strange way to start off the week. Doug Marrone begins his press conference with a prepared testimonial for Greg Paulus: "I have never seen an athlete, at any level including the NFL, work as hard, mentally and physically, as Greg has worked since he's joined us here at Syracuse. Really, what he's accomplished is extraordinary. Maybe it can't be fully appreciated because most don't know just how difficult it is to play quarterback at a D-1 program." This was out of the ordinary because Marrone usually opens with his remarks off the top of his head regarding things leftover from Saturday's game. He is also usually coming right off the Big East Teleconference so he probably has some things still fresh in his mind. Today... was different. Marrone then continued on to his thoughts about Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. After that, he laid down the biggest news item of the day: *"Mike Williams came into me today and has quit the program. So again, I do not comment on people who have left the program, but he has quit the program. So if anyone has any questions."* Silence followed for a few seconds, and then laughter because every reporter in the room just had a bombshell dropped on their prepared line of questioning. Coach Marone has a well known policy of not talking about players who have left the program, but was friendly with the media saying, *"I understand you have to ask questions and I'm o.k. with it. And I know that everyone has a job to do."* Another intriguing moment was sparked when in the middle of a reporter asking a query, former SU head coach Dick MacPherson shouted out, *"Are you opening this up to questions now? I thought there was no questions!"* Marrone then attempted to respond but Coach Mac continued, *"Some people are still asking questions!* Donnie Webb of the Post-Standard rebutted saying, *"Well that's why this is a press conference."* And so it was. Burn. Are losing your best player, yet still asking the fans to believe in this team contrasting statements? "It's not about one person. It's about this team. And the people that are playing out there are giving us what they have. What more would you want from a student athlete? What more would you want from a professional athlete? You put someone out on that football field and he works hard all during the week and he gives you everything he has, what more could you ask for?" And then this statement about believing in the team: "You have to believe in the program. You have to believe in what it's been about. There's been a foundation at this school that's gone on for a long time. And that's called faith. Faith is believeing in something that you cant just touch. I believe, I believe in my heart, I know, I feel very comfortable in saying we are in the right direction." The media even found out before an official announcement was made to the team. *"I have not made a formal announcement to the team because of the timing. I wouldn't be surprised that they don't already know. I can't get everyone together fast enough with class."* Would Marrone not be surprised because word spread quickly within the team, or because of something preexisting with Williams that we didnt know about? Just a few weeks ago Williams posted on his Facebook page *"I HATE COLLEGE I CANT SEE ME DOING THIS FOR LONG.HINT HINT.-0 LMAO"* He followed that up with, *"Everyone, I am staying in school to get my degree Sorry for the false information out there."* For now, Williams is still listed in the SU student directory as a junior enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences. Just another day in Syracuse football. Keep it locked with The Fizz* for our continued coverage of the departure of Mike Williams and the state of Syracuse football.* Fizz First: Domers On Trial. 11.2.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. - PERMALINK Ryan Nassib, good. Greg Paulus, bad. That seems to be the fan rationale after SU's loss to Cincinnati this weekend. When Paulus was in, he'd hear the boos, and when Nassib got in, he was cheered. There is some shift in mentality to boo the hometown kid brought in by the new coach, versus one of the last recruits of the Groobers era. Couzens made a bold statement on the FizzCast; he thinks Syracuse football as a whole has a poor fan base as a whole. I couldn't completely agree, and D.A argued against it. It's time to compile the evidence. The first, as The Fizz noted on Halloween: just over 33,000 show up to watch Syracuse play a team that could end up in the BCS national title game (Scary but possible. Dave Rahme puts that in perspective). Tickets were free for students, and only $10 for the rest of Orange Nation. Ladies and gentlemen, The Fizz is reporting more undergrads showed up for Sig Ep's Halloween party than the Cincy game. You know, the same fraternity that could barely fill it's own house with brothers two years ago. And they charged $5 at the door. Yikes. So SU fans have checked out before checking in. But what about the fans in attendance? This has always been a hotly contested argument, but while attending all but two home games this season, the number of "down-in-fronts," early departures, and general apathy once the opponent scores has become too obvious to ignore. And now the boobirds between Nassib and Paulus. What is this, Philly? Does Santa Claus get it next? Check two: SU fans have stopped giving their full support to this team. It's still unclear if Nassib is mobile enough to take the reigns full time, but that doesn't seem to bother 'Cuse fans one bit. Paulus is old, and new is always better. Even if it's not. Yes, the football has been bad. For a while. But this team is still bowl eligible, and many don't seem to realize the biggest change that's happening in Syracuse: Their football team is better than last year. Fizz Nation Check List: Become a friend of The Fizz on Facebook. Subscribe for free to The FizzCast on iTunes. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant news, podcasts and blog posts. Now was that so hard? Wanna read The Fizz from October? Yeah, ya do! Custom Search