Sunday, February 22
Carrier Dome
1:00 p.m.
Syracuse University
vs
Villanova
Jim Boeheim has ammassed 30 seasons of at least 20 wins during his coaching career.
SU Looks For 20th Win Today
2/22/2009 9:17:57 AM | Men's Basketball
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. – #24/25 Syracuse (19-7, 7-6) goes in search of its 31st 20-win season under head coach Jim Boeheim on Sunday, Feb. 22, when it hosts #12/14 Villanova (21-5, 9-4) at 1 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. Boeheim has won at least 20 games in 30 of his first 32 campaigns. He is tied with former North Carolina head coach Dean Smith for the most 20-win seasons in the history of NCAA Division I basketball.
Sunday's matchup will be televised live nationally on CBS. Fans can also catch the action on the Syracuse ISP Sports Network and its flagship station TK 99 (99.5 FM). Live audio of the game will be available online on SUathletics.com as part of Orange All Access. The game is also available on ESPN360.com
ABOUT THE ORANGE
Coming off of a tightly-contested 98-94 overtime victory against archrival Georgetown, the Orange seeks to even the season series against the Wildcats with a win. Villanova got the better of Syracuse, 102-85, on Feb. 7 in Philadelphia.
Coming off of a tightly-contested 98-94 overtime victory against archrival Georgetown, the Orange seeks to even the season series against the Wildcats with a win. Villanova got the better of Syracuse, 102-85, on Feb. 7 in Philadelphia.
Syracuse led by 16 with just over eight minutes to go against the Hoyas, but Georgetown rallied back to force overtime. The Orange outscored Georgetown, 15-11, in the extra session to post the victory. Syracuse was led offensively by sophomore Jonny Flynn and junior Eric Devendorf,the team's two most consistent playmakers of late. The duo has ranked one and two in scoring for SU in each of the team's last six games. Over the six-game span, Flynn has averaged 22.0 ppg, while Devendorf has netted an average of 20.8 ppg in each contest.
Flynn, a Bob Cousy Award finalist as the nation's top guard, had one of his most effective performances of the season against the Hoyas, collecting his fourth career double-double with 25 points and 13 assists. He was nearly automatic from the line, hitting 15-of-16 free-throw opportunities while playing 42 minutes in the overtime thriller. Flynn became the 51st player in Orange history to record 1,000 points. He now has 1,002 for his career. He joins Devendorf and junior Paul Harris as active Orange standouts to reach the milestone.
Heading into the matchup on Sunday, the Orange has several players that rank among the conference leaders in major statistical categories. Flynn is in the top ten (ninth) in the BIG EAST scoring at 17.5 ppg, and also places second in the conference with 6.1 assists per game. Orange center Arinze Onuaku ranks second in field goal percentage (.676), and is tied for seventh in blocked shots per game (1.5) with teammate Rick Jackson. Onuaku returned to form against the Hoyas, scoring in double figures for the first time in five games with 15 points. He also had 13 rebounds.
SCOUTING VILLANOVA
The Wildcats regained their momentum following a 93-72 defeat at West Virginia by knocking off Rutgers, 82-72, on Feb. 19. Scottie Reynolds (21 points), Corey Fisher (14 points) and Dante Cunningham (12 points) each scored in double figures against the Scarlet Knights. The victory elevated the Wildcats to fifth in the BIG EAST standings and was the team's seventh triumph in the last eight games.
The Wildcats regained their momentum following a 93-72 defeat at West Virginia by knocking off Rutgers, 82-72, on Feb. 19. Scottie Reynolds (21 points), Corey Fisher (14 points) and Dante Cunningham (12 points) each scored in double figures against the Scarlet Knights. The victory elevated the Wildcats to fifth in the BIG EAST standings and was the team's seventh triumph in the last eight games.
Cunningham is averaging a team-best 16.5 ppg for the Wildcats. He is closely followed by Reynolds who averages 15.5 ppg, as well as a team-leading 3.8 assists per game. Cunningham is also the team's top rebounder, averaging 7.2 per contest. Reynolds and Stokes are a fearsome outside tandem. Both players have hit more than 50 3-pointers this season. Stokes leads the club with 56 and a .441 shooting percentage from behind the arc (56-127). Reynolds has 53 triples and owns a .361 3-point shooting percentage (53-147).
The Wildcats are coached by Jay Wright who owns a 169-88 record at Villanova. Wright, who coached at Hofstra from 1994-2001, is creeping up on his 300th career coaching victory. He has an overall record of 291-173.
THE SERIES
The Orange enters the contest holding a 34-29 advantage in the all-time series against Villanova. The Wildcats hold a 1-0 lead in the season series after their win earlier this month. Flynn and Devendorf had 22 and 21 points, respectively, in the first meeting. The Orange holds the series advantage for games played in Syracuse, 14-11.
The Orange enters the contest holding a 34-29 advantage in the all-time series against Villanova. The Wildcats hold a 1-0 lead in the season series after their win earlier this month. Flynn and Devendorf had 22 and 21 points, respectively, in the first meeting. The Orange holds the series advantage for games played in Syracuse, 14-11.
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