SU Hoops: For the Record
In the four years that Mike Hopkins played for the Syracuse University men’s basketball team from 1989 to 1993, the Orange started 10-0, 13-0, 10-0 and 8-0. So Hopkins, now SU’s assistant coach, knows a thing or two about long winning streaks at the start of a season.
He knows how difficult it is for 19- and 20-year-old college kids to maintain their focus for every game. He knows how much the other team wants to knock off an undefeated team. And he knows how easily a poor shooting night, an injury, a referee’s bad call—or countless other factors—can derail the unbeaten train. And that’s why Hopkins, from his front-row seat on the SU bench, has a special appreciation for the Orange’s record-setting 20-0 start to this 2011-2012 season.
“Amazing,” Hopkins said. “What else can you say? It’s just amazing.”
“I’ve been a part of history a couple of times here: the 34,000 crowd {against Villanova in 2010}, this right here. It’s a great feeling,” said SU senior forward Kris Joseph. “All of those things, they’ll never be forgotten and that’s a great thing.”
Monday’s win also enabled SU coach Jim Boeheim to tie legendary former Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp for fifth place on the all-time victory list for Division I coaches with 876. With one more win, Boeheim will trail only current Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski (915 and counting) and retired coaches Bob Knight (902) and Dean Smith (879) on the all-time list.
But if Boeheim was excited about the 20-0 start or being tied with Rupp, he didn’t let on during his post-game news conference. “No significance. None whatsoever,” he said about 20-0.
And Rupp? “None. The only thing I care about is this year, that’s it. What we’re doing this year,” Boeheim said. “When I’m old, next year, I’ll think about it.”
Perhaps someone should have asked Boeheim about beating Pitt, which has been a thorn in Boeheim’s side the last several years. The Panthers were 8-0 against the Orange in the regular season since 2005, including a 74-66 win at Pitt last year that ended SU’s 18-0 start to the 2010-2011 season.
Pitt also snapped SU’s 13-0 start to the 2009-2010 season, and the Panthers had won five consecutive games at the Carrier Dome. The Panthers are struggling this year, as they fell to 11-8 overall and 0-6 in the Big East Conference after Monday’s loss.
“Before the game today we talked about {SU’s record against Pitt},”’ center Baye Keita said. “It was time for us to end their little winning streak against us.”
There’s a reason “taking it one game at a time” is the most often-used sports cliché: It works. Hopkins said the SU players have a done a magnificent job of ignoring the hype that goes along with being the No. 1 team in the nation (for six weeks and counting) and focusing on what they have to do to beat their next opponent.
“The good thing is, they don’t know {how special it is},” Hopkins noted. “They’re just focused on winning games. That’s been coach’s philosophy, to focus from game to game, and we’ve been able to do that. You’re going to play your best when you do that. It’s when people start reading the press clippings and watching the television when you get in trouble.”
As of Monday, only two Division I teams remained unbeaten: SU and Murray State (18-0). On Saturday, Jan. 14, after the Orange’s 78-55 win over Providence and on the same day that Florida State walloped No. 3 North Carolina, Boeheim said SU’s focus is simply on winning the next game.
“That’s all we thought about and that’s what we are going to keep doing. That’s the only way to approach basketball games,” Boeheim said. “We have to get ready or we are going to get beat. We just have to get ready every night. Watching games today, a couple of teams were not ready and they got beat. It’s as simple as that.”
The SU players say that while they’re happy to have the record, they’re looking at the big picture. After all, the 18-0 start to last season was not much of a consolation prize after SU lost to Marquette in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. “It’s a great accomplishment, but we don’t want to stop here,” sophomore guard Dion Waiters said. “We want to continue to get more wins and stretch it as far as we can and get better.”
With road games at Notre Dame and Cincinnati in the next week, and a combined four games remaining against Connecticut and Louisville, the Orangemen know they have a difficult road ahead in the second half of the Big East season. The idea, the players say, is not just to start fast, but to finish even faster.
“Come March, that’s when it really matters and that’s what we’re trying to do: make a special run at the end of the year,” guard Scoop Jardine said.
“We’re playing well and you want to get better,” added guard Brandon Triche, “but ultimately we can’t wait for March and April and those games like that.”
—Matt Michael
Gaels and Guinness
For those still stuck on Christmas, snap out of it and trade the egg nog for Guinness. On Jan. 12, the Gael of the Year and Grand Marshals of the annual St. Patrick’s Parade were announced at Kitty Hoynes to a roomful of press, family and friends of the honored.
The Gael of the Year, a unanimous choice by “the leprechauns,” according to announcer and parade president Janet Higgins, is a woman who has been with the parade since it began 30 years ago. Miss Judy, as she insisted on being called, was a teaching assistant in the Syracuse City School District for 30 years. “Everyone knows me as Miss Judy,” she said. “Marnell is my last name, but the only people that know it are the ones who sign my checks.”
Marnell worked with the late Nancy Duffy as parade marshal twice before, although she initially didn’t know what she was signing herself up for. “Tell me what to do and I’ll do it,” was her attitude. “Nancy said, ‘Keep them moving!’ and gave me this plastic whistle,” Marnell said. “I blew the little ball right out of it.”
The leprechauns, it was reported, had a difficult decision about the grand marshal honor this year, but ultimately decided on former state Supreme Court Judge Charles T. Major Jr. and Onondaga County Democratic Elections Commissioner Edward Ryan.
Major, also an active volunteer firefighter with the Skaneateles Fire Department and a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Knights of Columbus, recalled that he thought the invitation was a trick. “When she {Higgins} called I didn’t believe it was her. I thought someone was playing a joke on me.”
Once reality set in, Major was happy to assume the role. “I think way back to Nancy Duffy saying she was going to start a parade and thought, ‘How could they keep this up?’ But they did. It’s a real honor to be here.”
Ryan, who has been involved with the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, the Lung Association, Ronald McDonald House and the Arthritis Foundation, was equally surprised to receive the invitation and made those present aware of his respect for their contributions to the parade. “I look around here and know so many of you have given so much more than me. I hope you all have a chance to stand up here some day.”
Ryan also felt slightly outdone by his fellow marshal: “I don’t think I’m man enough,” he said with a laugh. “He had eight children. I only had three. What was going on there?”
The parade is scheduled for Saturday, March 17, at noon on South Salina Street. The 2012 theme is “Irish roots in Ireland—Irish spirit in Syracuse” and sponsors include (c’mon, guess it) Guinness. For more information on the parade, visit www.syracusestpatricksparade.org.
—Jessica Novak
SALT SHAKES
The End
Hospice of Central New York brings back the popular Living With Dying education series on Monday, Jan. 23. The series is offered for six consecutive Mondays, through Feb. 27, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and presents an opportunity for people to engage with others and educators about death-related issues. The series takes place at Hospice, 990 Seventh North St., Liverpool, and registration costs $85. For more information, call 634-1100.
Fair Thee Well
The New York State Fair seeks entertainers to dazzle the crowd that descends on Syracuse the last week of August and first week of September. Free music is constantly being added to the Fair, which intends to start a Midway Music Series for 2012. If you think you’re the next Hilby, then find more information and an application at www.nysfair.org. Applications are currently being reviewed.
One, Two, Tree
New Yorkers can receive 10 flowering trees by joining the Arbor Day Foundation any time during January. New members will receive two white flowering dogwoods, two flowering crabapples, two Washington hawthorns, two American redbuds and two goldenraintrees. The trees will be shipped in advance of the proper time for planting, between Feb. 1 and May 31, with enclosed planting instructions. They are guaranteed to grow or they will be replaced, free of charge. Send $10 to: Ten Free Flowering Trees, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, Neb. 68410, by Jan. 31. Or join at arbordday.org/january.
