#7 Syracuse Wary of "RAC"
1/23/2005 3:18:05 PM | Men's Basketball
The Orange has equaled the 19-1 starts posted by the 1999-00 and 1979-80 clubs, the to 20-game beginnings in program annals.
Although Syracuse leads the overall series with Rutgers, 28-9, the Orange record in road encounters with the Scarlet Knight is 10-8. The ‘Cuse has lost four of its last five at "The Rac," including a 68-65 loss suffered in 2002 when Rutgers’ Herve Laminzana banked in a three for the win. In 2001-02, the Scarlet Knights upended #14 Syracuse, 82-74. #11 SU escaped with a 64-63 triumph in 2000-01.
Rutgers owns a 298-121 all-time record (.711) in "The Rac."
Rutgers has struggled recently, losing five of six. The Scarlet Knight won its last home encounter, beating Providence, 72-67, on January 19. Rutgers lost to Seton Hall on January 22, 74-58, at the Meadowlands.
Syracuse's Hakim Warrick (www.suathletics.com/Hakim), who had his 10th double-double of the season against West Virginia on Saturday, leads the Orange in scoring (20.1) and rebounding (9.2) averages.
Coach Jim Boeheim heads into the Rutgers game with 695 career wins at Syracuse. He is five triumphs away from joining an exclusive group of 17 Division I coaches who accumulated 700 career wins.
