Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also been a contributing writer for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), for SportsNet New York (SNY) as a news desk writer covering all of New York professional sports, and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. Contact him at wes[at]sujuiceonline.com.
Syracuse’s main problem in the 2013 campaign continues to haunt SU in its 2014 season. Last year, the Orange won just 42 percent of faceoffs, and that bugaboo hurt the Orange again on Saturday.
Syracuse and Virginia played to a 40-40 stalemate with 13:55 left in the game. But Virginia completely took control from there, using a 9-2 run punctuated by a London Perrantes 3-pointer with 8:46 left to give Virginia a 49-42 lead.
This game is likely to be a low-scoring, defensive slugfest. KenPom ranks Virginia fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency at 89.5 (D-1 average is 104.5), while the Orange are at 92.4, good for ninth in the NCAA.
Saturday night’s Mercer County Tournament boys’ basketball final between Ewing High and Trenton Catholic Academy is more than Trey Lowe vs. Malachi Richardson.
Three Roselle Catholic players did thrive offensively. Isaiah Briscoe had 20 points in the loss, while Matt Bullock had 18 points and Asante Gist scored 12 points.
While only a sophomore, Josh Jackson has already emerged as arguably the best player in the state of Michigan — and quite possibly now the top baller in the class of 2016 nationwide.
Gill St. Bernard’s punched its ticket to its fifth straight final with a reverberating 77-58 victory over Ridge on the strength of 30 points from sophomore guard Tyus Battle.