Kris Joseph, Austin Rivers Each Score 29 to Lead Orange, Blue Devils to Rivalry Wins

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 8, 2012

For college basketball rivalries, it doesn't get much better than Syracuse and Georgetown. Or, how about Duke and North Carolina?

Well, they were both highlighted on Wednesday night, and the players put on a show that portends well for upcoming conference and NCAA tournaments.

First though, the sweet ironic twist of the night, from the Kansas-Baylor game, in which the announcer (sorry, didn't catch his name) said, early on, [Jeff] "Whithey has been taken completely out of the offense." Those words came just before Whithey embarked on a career night, scoring 25 points on 8 of 10 shooting in a 68-54 Jayhawk win over Baylor. So much for "expert" commentators.

The evening's excitement began with Georgetown at Syracuse, the Carrier Dome filled to capacity as the two titans of the Big East met for the 87th - and possibly the last - time, as SU will be leaving the Big East for the ACC. The hype was equal to the game, however, as the two teams battled through multiple ties and lead changes.

Keeping the Orange in the game was their senior star, Kris Joseph, often overlooked because of themany offensive weapons Syracuse possesses and how well they share the ball. Joseph went off for a career high 29 points and the game-winning three-pointer in overtime as the 2nd-ranked Orange (24-1, 11-1) dropped the Hoyas, 64-61.

Tied at 55 at the end of regulation, the two teams traded points up to a 61-all tie with time ticking down. Joseph, who was 9-for-20 and 6 of 11 from beyond the arc, ripped a three from the left corner to put the Orange ahead with 26 seconds left. On Georgetown's final possession, Skip Jardine sealed it by stripping Jason Clark with 4.9 seconds to go, the ball going off Clark and out of bounds.

The two teams may meet again in the Big east tourney, but for Syracuse and Georgetown fans, the long-standing rivalry couldn't have ended on a more dramatic note. SU coach Jim Boehiem collected his 880th win, giving him sole possession of third place all-time, and having the distinction of setting the mark for most wins by a head coach at one school. Boeheim has been head coach of the Orange since 1976, guiding them to eight regular season Big East championships, five conference tournament titles and a national championship in 2003.

While the Orange and Hoyas were in overtime, the Blue Devils and Tar Heels tipped off in North Carolina, and freshman guard Austin Rivers was lighting it up, pushing Duke to an early advantage.

As the game wore on, the Tar Heels' big men up front - Tyler Zeller, Jon Henson and Harrison Barnes - began to exert control in the lane, and Carolina led at the half, 43-40, extending that edge to 12 points and 10 points with just two minutes to play.

But the Devils were not to be denied. Behind Rivers' career high 29 points, Duke clawed back and had a chance to win or tie after Zeller made just one of two free throws with 13.9 seconds to go.

Rivers let fly from the right wing over Zeller, nailing the trey as time expired to give the Blue Devils a stunning, shocking, once-in-a-lifetime 85-84 victory over the Tar Heels.

Playing 39 minutes, Rivers finished 9 of 16 from the field, including 6 of 10 from 3-point range. He was 5-for-8 from the charity stripe and had five rebounds, two assists and a steal.

The win sent the ACC standings into a three-way tie on top, as Boston College dropped #15 Florida State, 64-60. The Seminoles, Tar Heels and Blue Devils are all 7-2 in the conference, with Virginia and NC State close behind, at 6-3.

Duke improved to 20-4 on the season, the same record the Tar Heels now own.

It was a remarkable night for college hoops, with many more to come in the weeks ahead.

Syracuse Back on Winning Track as Kris Joseph Scores 17 in 60-53 Win at Cincinnati; Boeheim Passes Rupp with 877th Victory

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, January 23, 2012

Losing isn't always a bad thing. The taste of defeat can inspire players to improve. Just ask the Syracuse Orange, which were ranked number one for six straight weeks in the AP poll and ran off a school record of 20 straight wins to open a season before throwing in a clunker, losing, 67-58, at Notre Dame on Saturday.

Playing for the second straight game without their dynamic center, Fab Melo, the Orange, after a slow start, pulled together and got back on the winning track with a 60-53 win over Cincinnati that was straight out of coach Jim Boeheim's textbook.

The Bearcats sprinted to an early lead, hitting four of their eight 3-pointers before the first media timeout, but by half time, the Orange defense had prevailed, with Syracuse leading 28-25 at the break.

The second half was nip-and-tuck, but Syracuse would not relinquish the lead, as Kris Joseph stepped up with 11 of his game-high 17 points (Cashmere Wright also tallied 17 for the Bearcats).

Joseph couldn't find the range from outside the arc, missing all three of his attempts, but those were his only missed shots, going 8-for-11 from the field and an uncharacteristic 1-for-5 from the foul line. Free throws will be on the Orange to-do list, as they went a combined 5-for-15 from the stripe.

Joseph added eight rebounds and a blocked shot without committing a turnover. The Orange turned the ball over just eight times and stifled the Bearcats with their 2-3 zone.

The win kept Syracuse atop the Big East with a 7-1 record. Georgetown holds second, a game and a half back at 6-2, followed by West Virginia, South Florida and Marquette at 5-2. Cincinnati dropped to 5-3 in the conference and 15-6 overall. 21-1 Syracuse was dropped to third in Monday's latest AP poll, Kentucky regained #1, followed by Missouri at #2.

Coach Jim Boeheim reached another career milestone, passing legendary Adolph Rupp with win 877, fourth all-time among Division 1 coaches.

#5 Orangemen Rise to 14-0 on Kris Joseph's 27 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, December 28, 2010

With five Big East teams in the Top 10 nationally, it looks to be another season dominated by the biggest - and baddest - conference in the college hoops universe.

After #6 Pitt dealt 4th-ranked UConn their first loss of the season Monday night, the #5 Syracuse Orangemen found themselves in a position to keep pace with the Panthers when they hosted the Providence Friars at the Carrier Dome. Thanks to an early burst that netted a 10-point lead at the half and a career-high 27 points from junior forward Kris Joseph, the Orange emerged with an 81-74 victory.

Joseph, who spent much of the past two seasons coming off the bench, has been heavily involved in shaping much of SU's 14-0 record to start the campaign. He's scored in double figures in 10 of those contests, scored 25 last week against Drexel and found his range against Providence, hitting 8-of-13 shots from the field, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. The 6'7" Montreal native also added five rebounds and four assists in Syracuse's first Big East win.

Following the troika of UConn, Syracuse and Pitt at 4, 5 and 6 in the polls are Villanova and Georgetown, at 8 and 9, respectively. The 11-1 Hoyas open their conference schedule at #15 Notre Dame Wednesday night. The Wildcats play Temple Thursday and begin Big East contests hosting Rutgers on January 2nd. At #22, 11-1 Louisville completes the seven Big East representatives in the AP Top 25. 13-0 Cincinnati did not make the rankings.

#4 Syracuse Rips #7 Hoyas at Carrier Dome

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, January 25, 2010

Big East rivalries don't get any bigger than the one witnessed Monday night by a national television audience (ESPN), as Georgetown headed north from the nation's capitol to take on the Syracuse Orangemen.

At the beginning, everything went Georgetown's way, with the Hoyas building a 14-0 lead. Once Syracuse got on track, however, it was game over, lights out, everybody down. The Orange stormed to a 34-29 lead at the break and opened up by as many as 20, eventually winning in a laugher, 73-56. Too quick and too physical for the Hoyas, Syracuse converted 21 of 28 free throws, compared to just 6 of 11 from the line for Georgetown.

Andy Rautins and Kris Joseph led the Orange attack with 15 points apiece. Joseph added 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. Rautins dished 6 assists and had 6 steals.

Wesley Johnson had a superb all-around game with 14 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals and 4 blocked shots, all while committing not a single personal foul.

Notable: Kansas, seeking their 54th straight home win, held Missouri to 27% shooting in the first half while building a 50-30 lead en route to an easy, 84-65 win. Cole Aldrich had 11 rebounds by half time as all 8 Kansas players who saw floor time scored, led by Marcus Morris with 11 points. Aldrich finished with 16 rebounds, 6 blocks and 12 points and was a key factor in Kansas' fast breaks with deft, deep outlet passes. #3 KU improved to 19-1, and 5-0 and sole possession of first place in the Big 12.