Is This The Last Syracuse Game?
The Story: Conference realignment has wrecked college basketball. Even some of our pro football members here know that. UConn and Syracuse should see each other twice a year, in the regular season, and then one time at MSG in March. The Orange are in the ACC, and UConn isn’t, and that’s going to cause an issue as the two try to play each other in the coming years.
NO GO FOR 2019-20: It’s not that Syracuse doesn’t want to play UConn. The opposite is true, as the teams generally enjoy beating one another when the opportunity arises. It is also great TV, bringing together the two best programs in the northeast. The issue is the ACC obligations of the Orange, who will soon have to play 20 conference games (Yep, more Orange against Wake Forest. Can you feel that burning rivalry?!). UConn is going to have to wait in line to play other marquee teams.
BOEHEIM SPEAKS: Speaking with Hearst Connecticut Media on Tuesday in advance of Thursday’s game at MSG, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim addressed the elephant in the room in regards to this game.
“It’s hard to play home-and-homes now, because we’re going to 20 [games] in the ACC next year,” he said. “We play the Big Ten game, and we play in a tournament, so it’s making it harder and harder to play teams that you used to play. You can only play so many of those kind of games.”
The solution for the Huskies is to get in more exempt tournaments like the 2K Empire Classic. That’s the only way for UConn to get a game with the Orange, and many other like-minded big-time programs going forward. Outside of these in-season games, it’s really hard to get home-and-homes on the schedule.
THIS IS GOING TO COST UCONN: This isn’t good news for UConn. The Huskies no longer play in the most powerful basketball college basketball conference ever created. Instead, they are in the AAC, which has had a decent showing over the last couple of years.
The issue, currently, for the Huskies is the conference schedule. Look at the AP poll. There isn’t an AAC team on it — and not even one is receiving votes (way to go, Cincinnati and UCF). That puts UConn’s strength of schedule at peril as games such as those against Syracuse become pivotal. In the past, the Huskies would always live for another day. Now, lose and there may not be a chance to ever catch up. That is going to require runs like Gonzaga, or those Memphis used to have in Conference USA, to get decent NCAA seeding.
BOTTOM LINE: It’s November, but a win against Syracuse would be a resume-builder considering the Orange are in for a big year. It’s not a must-win, but look at the schedule, especially after Jan. 1. Where are the other big-name opportunities?
ND Not Unanimous; UConn Not Respected
The Story: The Associated Press women’s basketball poll came out on Tuesday and the UConn women were second to No. 1 Notre Dame. That’s not what drew our ire.
OREGON! REALLY?: It’s not a surprise that the UConn women stayed No. 2 in the Associated Press poll on Tuesday. We’re one week into the season and, even though the Huskies won their opener against Ohio State by 32 points, top-ranked Notre Dame also cruised to a win, beating Penn by 20.
We here at The UConn Daily are not above feigning outrage for outrage’s sake, though, and we’re getting moderately hot under the collar not because Notre Dame is no longer the unanimous top team, but because the one misplaced first-place vote didn’t go to UConn.
Instead, it went to No. 3 Oregon, which beat Alaska-Fairbanks 115-36 (on the road, nonetheless!), then defeated Syracuse at home by just two points.
FINAL THOUGHT: So, if obliterating teams with absolutely no chance of winning is what gets voters going, golly, I may know of a team for them.
Tuesdays With Randy, ECU Edition
The Story: The Huskies are ready for their final road game at ECU on Saturday and we have, of course, news from the Tuesday presser. Among the interesting tidbits is RT Matt Peart and TE Tyler Davis, two redshirt junior starters, will return to the program next season for their fifth year of eligibility.
WHY IS THIS NEWS?: Coach Randy Edsall said earlier this season that a handful of redshirt juniors will not be back on the team for their fifth year. They aren’t in the program’s plans and some will either move on to greener pastures by choice or force. There are nine seniors and a handful of redshirt juniors who will move on.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?: UConn will have one of the anchors in the offensive line in Peart returning and that is always a good thing on the O-line. Davis has 16 catches on the year for 156 yards, but four were for touchdowns. He’s become an excellent red-zone threat for the Huskies.
ZAVIER SCOTT OUT: UConn’s running back position is kind of like being the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry Potter (NERD ALERT!). What that means is bad things happen to you, and that is what befell Zavier Scott this week. Scott is the third running back for the Huskies to have a season-ending injury, this one an MCL tear. He will be ready for August camp. Scott, a redshirt freshman, had 33 catches for 228 yards and 34 carries for 210 yards this season. He joins Donevin O’Reilly (ACL) and Khyon Gillespie on the shelf.
Morning Read
DOWN GOES BROWN: Jonny Evans scored twice, Max Kalter added an empty-netter with 41 seconds left and Tomas Vomacka had 25 saves in his first home start as UConn defeated Brown 3-1 in men’s hockey to improve to 5-4-1 this season. (UConnHuskies.com)
EDSALL ATTACKS AAC: Randy Edsall didn’t mince words about the AAC giving UConn another night game on the road this week at East Carolina. (Hartford Courant)
SOCCER MOVED TO THURSDAY AFTERNOON: Men’s soccer’s NCAA tournament game against Rhode Island at Rentschler Field has been moved to Thursday afternoon because of snow.
HS COACH LAUDS WOMEN’S TARGET: Aliyah Boston‘s high school coach didn’t shy from hyping the target of Geno Auriemma. Boston is the No. 3 ranked recruit in the nation. (Hartford Courant)
VITAL NEEDS BETTER SHOT SELECTION: I don’t care how you say it. Some of Christian Vital‘s shots early in the season would make the dudes in the Field House cringe. (The UConn Blog)
