Legends of the Pen: Not The Way To Go

Bob Snyder's Legends of the Pen Archive

In New Jersey, that great swamp from which Syracuse catapulted itself to the 1987 Final Four – the school's second, first under Jim Boeheim.

After all, among those who bleed Orange, what could have been worse than an early exit from the NCAAs? Death in the family … perhaps.

But the second round, as a three-seed, to a middling Big East team? Oh, you – and NCAA Tournament – can call it third round. Sorry; those don't-call-'em-playins are just that, NCAA shares notwithstanding. Only way to make them first-rounders is to expand the field to 96 – and perish that thought!

So here we are, wondering what if …

That intentional foul … shot selection/clock management … turnovers, not the least of which was an inbounded over-and-back.

Foolish me; I thought 'Cuse might have more problems playing Xavier than Marquette, but …

So just when you think you can snap out of the doldrums, clean off the golf clubs and get ready to tee it up ere long, it snows … again. Oh gosh, maybe winter can make another comeback and we can break the all-time record for snow accumulation. Wouldn't that be great!

If we break that record, do NOT invite me to the downtown celebration!

So now, hoop junkies, the Round of 16 is being played and there's no Orange. Fact is there's damn near no Big East. But that won't make you feel any better.

What should have made you feel better last Sunday was 55.3 percent shooting (65.6 on 2-pointers). So when has an SU team shot that well (while an opponent shot 41.2) and been summarily booted off the Big Dance floor?

Commit 18 turnovers in a relatively low scoring game and you'll not only limit your possessions, but come up minus-10 in points off turnovers. A recipe for disaster, wouldn't you say?

There were other reasons for the season to end 27-8 (what towns wouldn't accept that annually?), but if it's perfection you seek, well, there's always this SU lacrosse season.

Otherwise, you can reflect on the departure of Rick Jackson, who improved yearly, was a double-double guy (yes, contained by Marquette's double-team). Because an offensive donut in the middle, Jackson the power forward had to be Jax the center, too.

So much so that in his last game, he played the full 40 minutes while SU's two freshmen centers combined for nine.

When did Boeheim last have a purely low post player log 35.6 minutes per game?

Looking to next season, one cannot help but be optimistic. There's depth and safety in numbers across the board, although that could lead to a defection or two, perhaps a redshirt. C'mon, nobody goes 13-deep.

In the meantime, snow be damned … I'm cleaning off my clubs … fore, please!

Syracuse University Athletics

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