A quick take on Syracuse’s 103-60 win over Bloomsburg to conclude the preseason :
- For those of you who didn’t know, Bloomsburg is located in middle-east Pennsylvania. The Huskies compete as a member of Division II’s Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
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- Welcome to the season, Trevor Cooney! He missed both of his shots in the first half, but got open early in the second half and drained a 3. He’s got a great touch and received a huge high five from Michael Carter-Williams after the shot. More importantly, he looked impressive on defense.
- After Brandon Triche (23 points, seven assists and five rebounds) played a lackluster 26 minutes against Pace, he played a much more aggressive game against Bloomsburg. Triche simply can’t afford to be passive this season if the Orange want to stay in the top 10.
- DaJuan Coleman and Rakeem Christmas started together again tonight and switched off between wing and center. Christmas seems like a better wing option because Coleman tends to over-commit. Coleman may improve with more experience there, but right now, Christmas should be playing there.
- Jerami Grant put up his first attempt of his SU career from downtown with around 11 minutes in the second half. He’s got nice form on that shot, but if he does that during the regular season, he’ll have a spot on the bench with Jim Boeheim on the next dead ball. As I said in the Pace game, he’s got a world of talent, but needs to refine his game.
- No one doubts James Southerland’s potential. He was practically automatic from downtown, finishing with 23 points while hitting all five of his 3-pointers. But that’s never been the question about Southerland. He needs to do this in the regular season, and specifically in Big East play. The fact that he added a drive to his game helps a lot—teams will have to respect that and it’ll open up more opportunities for him.
- The tallest guy on the Huskies? 6-foot-8. Surprisingly, the Orange only ended up with four blocks.
- The Orange switched to man-to-man defense midway through the second half. That was a botched experiment. Based on the few minutes they spent out of the zone, it looks like they will be exclusively in the 2-3 this season. The press was also concerning, as Bloomsburg had no problem breaking it (Pace shredded it, as well).
- Syracuse opens the season against No. 20 San Diego State on Friday. It’s the first time they’ve opened against a ranked team in more than a decade. That probably led to Boeheim keeping his starters in late into the second half.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse opens the regular season against San Diego State on the Battle of the Midway on Friday, Nov. 9 at 8 p.m., EST. TV: Fox Regional Networks, MSG+.
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