Jonny Flynn is second on Syracuse with 29 steals.
SU And Providence Take The Floor In Mid-Week Conference Showdown
1/27/2009 6:16:44 PM | Men's Basketball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - #15/15 Syracuse (17-4, 5-3) will try and get back on the winning track Wednesday, Jan. 28 when its squares off against Providence (13-6, 5-2) at 7 p.m. at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The Orange is coming off consecutive losses for the first time this season. Both defeats were to teams currently ranked in the top 10 in the national polls (Pittsburgh and Louisville). In fact, the Friars are the first non-ranked foe for the Orange since it played at Rutgers on Jan. 10.
Wednesday's game will be televised on the BIG EAST Network and can be seen live locally on Time Warner 26. Fans can also listen to the action via the Syracuse ISP Sports Network and its flagship station TK 99 (99.5 FM). The audio stream of the radio broadcast will also be available on SUathletics.com as part of Orange All Access. The game is also available free to any student on campus (in fact, to any student on any U.S. college campus -- nearly 18 million people) on ESPN360.com
ABOUT THE ORANGE
The Orange expects to be shorthanded when it visits Providence. Starting guard Andy Rautins (Jamesville, N.Y.) suffered a sprained right ankle against Louisville on Sunday and may not be available. Rautins was 1-for-7 from the floor against the Cardinals before being injured. He had been one the Orange’s hottest players, leading the team in scoring in five of the last nine games. In addition to Rautins, freshman Mookie Jones (Peekskill, N.Y.) has been dealing with a right hip injury and will now have surgery and miss the rest of the campaign.
If Rautins can’t play, junior guard Eric Devendorf (Bay City, Mich.) will likely return to the starting lineup. Devendorf netted 20 points off the bench against Louisville. It was his second 20-point effort in the squad’s last four games (at Georgetown). Devendorf is second on the team in overall scoring this season (14.2 ppg).
Freshman point guard Jonny Flynn (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) and junior center Arinze Onuaku (Lanham, Md.) were also in double figures against Louisville. Flynn scored 12 points and Onuaku tallied 11. Onuaku was 5-of-6 from the field against the Cardinals and still leads the nation in field-goal percentage at .706. In addition, he was one of three SU players to finish the game with at least eight rebounds (Onuaku had nine). Sophomore Rick Jackson (Philadelphia, Pa.) also had nine boards and junior Paul Harris (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) secured eight.
SCOUTING PROVIDENCE
For the first time since the 1997-98 campaign, the Orange will face a Friar squad coached by someone other than former SU assistant Tim Welch. Keno Davis is in his first season as head coach after a successful stint at Drake. Drake was 28-5 in his one season at the school and reached the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs lost to Western Kentucky in overtime on a dramatic 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Davis and the Friars got off to a solid start this year, winning three of their first four games. They enter Wednesday’s contest with a 13-6 overall mark and are 5-2 in league play. Providence has won its last two outings, including a 98-93 victory in overtime at Seton Hall on Jan. 22.
Providence has utilized a balanced scoring attack this winter. Seven players are averaging at least 8.8 points per game. Senior guard Weyinmi Efejuku (13.4) leads the way, followed by sophomore swingman Marshon Brooks (12.8) and senior forward Jonathan Kale (10.1 ppg., 5.3 rpg.). Efejuku and Kale have started all 19 games, as have junior Sharaud Curry (9.7 ppg, 4.5 apg.) and senior forward Geoff McDermott (8.8 ppg., 8.9 rpg.).
THE SERIES
SU has a 41-9 advantage in the overall series with Providence, including a 20-5 record in road games with the Friars. The Orange has won seven of the last eight meetings with Providence, including a 71-64 decision last year. Syracuse owns the series longest winning streak, emerging victorious 22 straight times from 1980-1989.
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