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.

Syracuse, Ohio State Retain 1-2 Status in Polls; Fab Melo, Will Buford Star

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Undefeated Syracuse opened their 2011-12 Big East campaign with a trademark, 75-49, victory over Seton Hall in which the Orange deployed coach Jim Boeheim's 2-3 zone defense to force 23 turnovers, 17 steals and 15 blocked shots.

Sophomore center Fab Melo collected 10 of those blocks, a school record, to go with his 12 points on 6-for-9 shooting for his first career double-double. The 7-foot Brazilian also added seven rebounds in the rout of the Pirates, which shot just 32% from the field.

Syracuse, ranked #1 in the AP Poll, improved to 14-0. The win was the 870th for coach Boeheim, leaving him in fifth place all time, six behind Kentucky's Adolph Rupp and nine behind North Carolina's Dean Smith.

#2 Ohio State was also opening conference action, theirs the Big Ten, and the Buckeyes responded with an 87-54 trouncing of Northwestern.

The Buckeyes shot 48% while holding the wildcats to 32% shooting for the game. Ohio State made 10 of 20 3-pointers, including 5-for-7 by senior guard William Buford, who led all scorers with a career high 28 points on 9-for-14 shooting.

Sophomore Jared Sullinger tossed in 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the Buckeyes held the top two scorers in the conference - John Shurna and Drew Crawford - to a combined 24 points on 9-for-30 shooting.

The 6'6" Buford continues to move up the Buckeye's career scoring leaders list, chasing Dennis Hopson's 2,096. Buford is averaging 16.6 points per game and needs 439 to catch Hopson.

The Buckeyes are 13-1 and favored to capture the Big Ten championship. Their win over Northwestern was the 31st straight time the Buckeyes have downed the Wildcats in Columbus, dating back to 1977.