Arinze Onuaku is averaging 15.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per game for Syracuse this season.
Orange Returns Home to Face Virginia Friday
11/26/2008 12:09:02 PM | Men's Basketball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Orange men’s basketball team (5-0) will begin a six-game homestand on Friday, Nov. 28 when it hosts Virginia (3-1) at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. The contest will be the Orange’s fourth in seven days, and Syracuse still has home dates with Colgate (Dec. 1) and Cornell (Dec. 3) before a 10-day break in the schedule.
Tickets for Friday’s game are available online, by phone through Ticketmaster in the Syracuse area at (315) 472-0700, or in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office. Fans not in attendance can watch the game live locally on Time Warner 26, or listen to the action via the Syracuse ISP Sports Network and its flagship station TK 99 (99.5 FM). The audio and video streams of the broadcast will also be available on SUathletics.com as part of Orange All Access. The game is also available free on ESPN360.com
ABOUT THE ORANGE
Syracuse is fresh off winning the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. The Orange beat a pair of recent national champions at the Sprint Center in Kansas City to win the event. Syracuse defeated 2006 and 2007 NCAA champion Florida in the semifinals Monday. Then won an 89-81 thriller in overtime against defending NCAA champion Kansas the following night.
Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) led the way for the Orange again versus Kansas. Flynn scored a game-high 25 points to lead SU back from a 13-point deficit in the second half, including a clutch three with six seconds to in regulation that forced overtime. Flynn has been the team’s most lethal scoring threat this season. He is averaging a team-best 21.0 ppg.
In addition to Flynn, juniors Arinze Onuaku (Lanham, Md.) and Eric Devendorf (Bay City, Mich.) are averaging 15.0 ppg on the year. Onuaku scored a season-high 19 points against the Jayhawks and secured 12 rebounds. Devendorf netted 20 points in the win.
The Gators and Jayhawks were both ranked in the national polls this week. The two victories marked the first time since Syracuse’s magical run in the 2006 BIG EAST Championship that it knocked off ranked foes in back-to-back outings. Three years ago in New York, Syracuse defeated No. 1 Connecticut, No. 23 Georgetown and No. 15 Pitt on consecutive days to win the conference tournament.
FLYNN AND HARRIS EARNS ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS
Flynn and junior Paul Harris (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) were each named to the CBE Classic All-Tournament Team for their performances during SU’s run to the championship. Flynn averaged 21.5 per outing in the two victories to claim tournament MVP honors. Of his 43 points against the Gators and the Jayhawks, 35 came in the second half or overtime.
Harris recorded a double-double in each contest. He tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds against Florida. He followed it up with 14 points and 14 boards against Kansas in the title game. Harris is nearly averaging a double-double for the season (12.4 ppg, 9.8 rpg).
SCOUTING VIRGINIA
Friday’s trip to the Carrier Dome represents Virginia’s first road test of 2008-09 after playing four straight home dates to open the campaign. The Cavaliers are 3-1 on the season with three of their four contests having been decided by four points or less. After defeating VMI by 10 to start the year, the Cavaliers posted close victories against USF (77-75) and Radford (68-66) before losing to Liberty, 86-82, in their last outing on Nov. 25.
Freshman Landesberg Sylven has made an immediate impact in his first collegiate season. He leads Virginia in scoring (22.0 ppg) and he is averaging 6.3 rebounds per contest. He was the Cavaliers top scorer in each of their three wins. Sophomore Mike Scott has been a force on the glass. He is averaging a team-best 11.5 rpg to go along with 12.5 points per contest. Redshirt freshman Sammy Zeglinsky is also in double figures (13.8 ppg). Zeglinsky led the Cavaliers with 24 points in the loss to Liberty.
Dave Leitao, the 2007 ACC Coach of the Year, is in his fourth season at Virginia. He is a disciple of Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun, having spent two stints on the Huskies coaching staff (1987-94; 1997-02). He also spent two years (1985-86) as an assistant to Calhoun when he was the head coach at Northeastern.
Leitao came to Virginia in 2005-06 after serving as the head coach at DePaul for three seasons. He owns a career record of 136-112 as a head coach.
THE SERIES
Friday’s game will be the first between the two teams in Syracuse. The Orange’s owns a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 70-68 decision in Charlottesville last season. Donte Green led the Orange with 20 points and 10 boards in the win. Flynn also contributed 18 points.
The other two series meetings occurred in the postseason. The Cavaliers bested the Orange, 63-55, in the 1984 East Region semifinals and Syracuse returned the favor with a 63-61 win in the second round of the 1900 NCAA Tournament.
Syracuse Softball Highlights vs. Florida State 3/15/26
Sunday, March 15
Syracuse Softball Highlights vs. Florida State 3/14/26
Saturday, March 14
Syracuse Softball Highlights vs. Florida State 3/13/26
Saturday, March 14
Highlights | Women's Lacrosse at #4 Northwestern
Friday, March 13
