Earlier this year, "Sports Guy" Bill Simmons announced that he would be going on a 10 week-hiatus from writing his weekly columns for ESPN.com's Page 2. Simmons wanted to appease his publishers who had set a strict deadline for his second full-length novel, "The Best Basketball Book Ever Written" (release date of October 27, 2009). In an effort to appease his loyal fan base, Simmons came up with the brilliant idea of "Podcast Week." He aired five separate installments of his "B.S. Report" podcast in five days.

Now, I don't have publishers, a highly-anticipated book coming out, or a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract with ESPN...yet, but I was diagnosed with mononucleosis at the SU medical center yesterday. Without going into too much detail - I'll be in a state of quarantined vegetation for the next week. After sobering up from the steroid injection, Tylenol Codeine syrup, and ibuprofen pills, I realized that this viral infection could be a blessing in disguise. Actually, that's a lie. But, my inability to do much of anything puts me in a privileged position. Welcome to "Blog Week." Five Blogs, Five Days...think of it as a tribute to the "Sports Guy." So, here goes...

Usually, the final game of a season provides closure. In short - it ties a bow on whatever went down in the year that was. The same cannot be said of SU's 84-71 loss to Oklahoma in Friday's Sweet 16 match-up. Instead, a Pandora's Box overflowing with one too many questions and even more uncertainty was opened at the FedEx Forum. The game itself was harder to understand than Gilbert Gottfried doing stand-up. Blake Griffin was as good as advertised (30 points, 14 rebounds) - no surprise there. But, Tony Crocker? I've had Betty Crocker cake mix in my kitchen pantry since I was too young to hold a spoon. Tony Crocker? Not exactly a household name.

OU's junior swingman scored a combined eight points against Morgan State and Michigan in the NCAA Tournament's first two rounds. Eight. Against the Orange - Crocker went off for 28 and made six of 11 threes. Head coach Jim Boeheim's chalkboard bullet points could've been complicated. Let Griffin get his? Check. Limit the supporting cast? Let's see... SG Willie Warren (14.6 ppg) - six points. Check. PF Taylor "The Other" Griffin (9.6 ppg) - nine points. Check. PG Austin Johnson (8.6 ppg) - nine points. Check. Crocker (9.6 ppg) - 28. Whoops. Crocker's coming-out party was basically the difference in this one.

And Jonny Flynn's usual sideshows were no-shows. Sharpshooters Eric Devendorf (39 3P%) and Andy Rautins (37 3P%) went 1-13 from the field, 0-9 from beyond the arc, and scored one bucket for the entire first half. Those numbers were eerily similar to the Stephen F. Austin head-scratcher. But, this time, the 'Cuse was playing an opponent with a pulse. The Orange etched its tombstone and dug its six feet of cemetery dirt before the fat lady was ready for make-up.

If there was ever a "turning point" in this unceremonious send-off it came with less than a minute before the break. Griffin drove baseline with a defender on his hip. Coming from the weak side, Flynn saw an opportunity to draw a charge and put the big fella in some early foul trouble. He appeared to set his feet. Griffin bulldozed his way through Flynn like a Mack Truck and both guys crashed to the deck. The referee signaled a blocking foul. Lay-up good. Griffin calmly stepped to the free-throw line to complete the old-fashioned three-point play. Flynn clutched his lower back and grimaced awkwardly. Sooners 36, Orange 26. It was just one of the many calls and plays that didn't go Syracuse's way... another with the same two characters.

That exclamation point pretty much sums up Friday night's debacle in a nutshell. I want to tip my cap to Flynn, though. He's the only reason SU stayed even with Oklahoma in the second half, 45-45. Upon getting run over by a 6'10'', 250 lbs. freight train, Flynn should've been on the trainer's table not on the comeback trail. After all, he has an NBA future to protect...more on that to come. But, he didn't quit. He played an inspired brand of basketball.

Unfortunately, his teammates quietly conceded. It left me wondering: what happened? Was this really the same Big East Tornament team that came to blows with Seton Hall, fought its way to a 6 OT win over national title contender UConn, and never let up against number one overall seed Louisville in the championship game? When did a "tough" customer like 'Devo ever bow out gracefully? How come Kristof Ongenaet didn't have a floor burn?

After a second loss to Villanova in late February, SU dropped to 7-7 in conference play and fell out of the Top 25 for the first time in months. The bubble that haunted Boeheim and company in '06 and '07 was beginning to rear its ugly cellophane cover in plainview. If, at that point in the season, a tarot card reader had said Syracuse would finish the season at 28-10, fall to L'Ville in the Big East championship game, and make it all the way to the second weekend of the Big Dance...I'd have asked for my twenty bucks back. But having witnessed what this group accomplished at the Garden and what it was capable of achieving at full strength - I'm left wondering, what if? It's a question that's been asked all too frequently here on the hill.

The Syracuse men's basketball team took a giant step back last weekend. I'll take a look forward and analyze how the team stacks up for the 2009-'10 season tomorrow.