Syracuse 71 (23-1, 9-1), Cincinnati 54 (14-9, 5-6)…Wes Johnson – 26 minutes, five points, 1-3 FGM-A, 0-2 3PM-A, three rebounds, two assists, and four personal fouls. With its midseason Wooden Award candidate providing as big a contribution as Reggie Wayne in Super Bowl XLIV, SU still managed to bury a scrappy, bubble-hovering Cincy club by double-digits. Go figure.
On the Hill, much of the local media attention leading up to yesterday’s conference tilt centered squarely on Johnson’s bruised back. And, deservedly so. Midway through the first half of last Tuesday’s 85-68 win over Providence, Johnson suffered a substantial spill after trying to convert an alley-oop lob. He spent much of the past week cooped up in the SU athletic trainer’s room getting treatment. Needless to say, the Iowa State junior transfer wasn’t exactly 100% come Sunday afternoon.
The proof, as always, is in the pudding. And, in this particular case, the pudding was kept unrefrigerated and left to spoil in an unsealed container. Johnson picked up his fourth foul with 12:40 remaining in regulation and ended up playing the role of glorified cheerleader for most of the second half. Ironically enough, it was in those final 12+ minutes that the Orange seized control of the game. Trailing 49-43, the ‘Cuse went on a 28-5 run to close things out. 28-5?!?
The improbable comeback isn’t so much an indictment of Johnson as it is a ringing endorsement of his sixth teammates. Far be it from me to be the guy who sounds like a broken record but…SU continues to prove why it is the most balanced team in the country.
No Johnson – no problem.
Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine combined for 28 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists off the bench. In fact, Syracuse’s dynamic bench duo outscored Mick Cronin’s seven reserves 28-11. In 23 career games prior to Cincinnati, Joseph had connected on just four of 23 shots from beyond the arc. Against UC, he nailed a pair of critical second-half jumpers from distance including one which gave SU the lead for good at the 9:40 mark.
Whether it was UNC’s Ed Davis, Kansas’ Sherron Collins, UConn’s Denham Brown or Duke’s Chris Duhon, recent history has demonstrated the importance of a so-called “super sub” to the national championship equation. When it’s all said and done, Syracuse may have two such high-energy sparkplugs at its disposal.
Fifth-year senior Andy Rautins finally awoke from his Rip Van Winkle-esque stupor. Against SU’s last four opponents (Marquette, G-Town, DePaul and Providence), Rautins scored a combined 29 points on 6-28 shooting from three-point land. Not exactly what you’d expect from a guy who cracked the Top 10 on a Fox Sports.com pre-season list of the most prolific perimeters shooters in the country.
In that same article, college basketball senior writer Jeff Goodman quoted SU assistant coach Mike Hopkins: "Andy can miss nine straight 3-pointers, and he still thinks he's going to make the next nine. He's got a very strong mental approach, and he thinks he's going to make every shot — and that's not phony. He's an old-school western gunslinger."
Well, Andy missed 22 to be exact. But, surprise, surprise, with his team’s most explosive and consistent scorer relegated to the sidelines, Rautins delivered the goods. A game-high 20 points, 6-12 FGM-A, 4-8 3PM-A, and 4-4 from the line. I believe the clinical term is selective amnesia. In the next ten days, Syracuse will host UConn and Louisville and travel to #7 Georgetown. All three squads are überathletic, physically-imposing and defensive-minded. If Rautins’ offensive performance against Cincy was nothing more than a flash-in-the-pan aberration, the ‘Cuse is in serious trouble.
“Great moments are born from great opportunities.” These were the inspirational words of encouragement uttered by head coach Herb Brooks before his USA hockey team upset the USSR in the 1980 Winter Olympic semi-finals. Syracuse’s great moment? A 103-90 ‘Nova loss to G-Town this past Saturday. Now both BIG EAST powerhouses have one loss in conference with SU clinging to ½-game lead in the standings.
I know we’re still five weeks away from Selection Sunday but Boeheim’s Bunch ostensibly controls its own destiny. A great moment could be on the horizon. If, and it’s a big “if,” the Orange can somehow run the table, it’ll lock up a BIG EAST regular season title and a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Right now – ESPN.com bracketologist Joe Lunardi projects Syracuse to be the top dog in the South Region (Houston) with first and second-round games scheduled in Buffalo, N.Y. Talk about a relatively easy road to Indianapolis.
But, before I lose myself in optimistic hypotheticals, SU still has seven substantial speed-bumps to hurdle before Reece, Digger and the College GameDay gang unveils the 65-team bracket on March 14th. If we’ve learned anything from Weeks 1-13 of the 2009-10 college basketball season it’s to expect the unexpected.
No clever transition needed. Here’s the latest on Wes Johnson and a must-read by ESPN.com’s Pat Forde on the “funereal” one - Jim Boeheim…
