News Channel 9: SU Sports

Holtz-to-SU rumors continue to swirl

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:31:18 GMT

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - With the likes of Randy Edsall, Lane Kiffin and Chip Kelly no longer an option, it looks like East Carolina head football coach Skip Holtz may be the top target to replace Greg Robinson at Syracuse.

Holtz has been asked publically about the SU opening at least three times in the last week, and each time he's said essentially the same thing -- that he's not looking for a new job; he's just looking for a win in this weekend's Conference USA title game.

The Pirates haven't won a conference crown since 1976.

Holtz will be in New York on Sunday to celebrate the induction of his father, Lou Holtz, into the National Football Foundation's College Hall of Fame.

SU athletic director Daryl Gross is expected to be there as well.

Because of the swirling rumors, East Carolina athletic director Terry Holland felt the need to address the situation and released a lengthy statement Thursday night.

Holland says that while Holtz does not have any interviews scheduled, "it is certainly possible that he will rub elbows with, or even have a cup of coffee with, athletic administrators who have coaching positions open at their institutions.

We are in complete agreement that he has no reason to avoid such encounters."

Holland ended the statement by saying “if Coach Holtz wishes to interview at other institutions, he will schedule the interview with my permission to do so. Coach Holtz and I will have no further comment.”

East Carolina AD Addresses Coaching Rumors

Dec. 4, 2008

I have asked Coach Holtz to allow me to address the continuing rumors about his interest in coaching positions that are currently open at other institutions.

First and foremost, there is no doubt in my mind about the fact that Coach Holtz' total focus is on doing everything possible to help his East Carolina team win its first ever C-USA Championship. He simply has not had the time or the inclination to consider any other coaching positions and any institutions that might want to ask for permission to speak with him have had the good manners and professional courtesy to refrain from doing so until our season has been completed.

Coach Skip Holtz, along with many of his family members, will be in New York (and so will I) to celebrate the induction of Coach Lou Holtz into the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame. While we are in New York, I would expect Coach Skip Holtz to have contact with many good football people who will have their own personal opinions on his career options.

However, Coach Holtz does not have interviews scheduled with any institution during this time period and will not schedule any interviews for coaching positions while he is in New York. It is certainly possible that he will rub elbows with or even have a cup of coffee with athletic administrators who have coaching positions open at their institutions. We are in complete agreement that he has no reason to avoid such encounters.

Upon our return to Greenville, we will sit down to discuss whether or not he wishes to consider scheduling interviews concerning open coaching positions. If he indicates he wants to interview with another institution, I will wrap both hands around his throat and throttle him until he agrees to coach at East Carolina for the rest of his life. Well, at least that is what I would do if I thought it would work.

The truth is that no one could be more loyal to East Carolina University and his football players than Coach Holtz has been. The Pirate Nation has earned that loyalty and needs to continue to earn Coach Holtz' loyalty by making sure that he knows we care about his own future and career more than we care about simply winning football games.

The best way to earn undying loyalty is to encourage Coach Holtz to continually compare the job we are all doing with what he can expect from the fans and administration at other institutions. After all, we each compare him constantly to what the coaches of our competitors are doing so it is only healthy if it is a two-way street.

If Coach Holtz wishes to interview at other institutions, he will schedule the interview with my permission to do so. Coach Holtz and I will have no further comment. I firmly believe that Coach Holtz has earned the support of the Pirate Nation regardless of what his decision may be in this or any other year.

Statement courtesy East Carolina Athletics website

Orange rallies again, beats Cornell 88-78

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:29:11 GMT

Your Comments

Jim Boeheim postgame press conference
SU player reaction

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Sooner or later, Syracuse's penchant for poor starts is bound to come back and haunt.

Two days after manhandling upstate New York foe Colgate 86-51 with a solid performance from start to finish, the 16th-ranked Orange reverted to their rallying ways, coming from 16 points behind to beat hot-shooting Ryan Wittman and Cornell 88-78 on Wednesday night.

It was biggest deficit Syracuse (8-0) has overcome since rallying to beat Rutgers 86-84 on the road after trailing by 20 in January 2005. The Orange defeated both Kansas and Virginia this season after trailing by 13.

"This was the worst game of the season for us, by far," Orange guard Andy Rautins said. "We let down early. We didn't find shooters, but we stuck it out. We showed again that we're a second-half team, but we don't want to be a second-half team because we can get buried and may not be able to come back."

Despite staring at the imposing Paul Harris for much of the game, Wittman nearly buried Syracuse (8-0) singlehandedly, hitting nine 3-pointers and scoring 33 points, both career highs. Wittman was 12-for-28 from the floor and played 39 minutes.

"That's a lot of shots. I wasn't necessarily trying to do that," he said. "I was just trying to take what the defense gave me. They weren't defending the down screen quite as well, and I got open a couple of times. They were kind of confused on what they were doing."

The Orange trailed the entire first half and 6-foot-9, 275-pound center Arinze Onuaku was nearly invisible. Onuaku, averaging 13 points a game, did not take a shot and had one rebound in the period.

"We've been more patient every second half," coach Jim Boeheim said. "Hopefully, we can do that in the first half. We're still scoring."

Jonny Flynn had 24 points and Harris added 21 points and nine rebounds to pace Syracuse, which pressed to get back in the game and trailed only 40-35 at halftime. Eric Devendorf had 15 points, Onuaku finished with 12 and Rautins had 11.

"We made some really bad decisions," Boeheim said. "We got some things out of our press, got them to take a couple of quick shots. We got back into it at halftime, or it could have been worse."

Cornell (4-4), playing its fifth straight road game, hasn't beaten Syracuse in 40 years, suffering 31 straight losses, but the Big Red staged a game fight on this night.

Geoff Reeves had 15 points and Jeff Foote had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Big Red, who outrebounded the Orange 36-32, including 16-8 on the offensive glass.

Onuaku converted a three-point play to start the second half and move the Orange within 40-38. After Rautins swished a 3 from right wing to tie it at 53-all, Harris scored eight points in a 12-0 Syracuse run. Rautins finished the spurt with two free throws, giving Syracuse a 67-57 lead with 8:33 left.

The Big Red, who were 13-of-29 on 3-pointers, didn't buckle.

Consecutive 3-pointers by Wittman brought them within 70-65 less than 2 minutes later. Freshman guard Chris Wroblewski made the first of two free throws to cut the Syracuse lead to 75-69 with 4:51 left, and when Brian Kreefer grabbed the rebound off the missed second free throw, the Big Red had another chance.

Seconds later, though, Wroblewski missed an open 3 from the right side and Flynn raced down court for a layup and an eight-point lead.

"If we can knock down that shot, it really puts a lot of pressure on, makes them a little more nervous," said Wittman, who nearly matched the Carrier Dome record of 10 3-pointers set by Charlotte's Brendan Plavich in November 2003. "Maybe things would have been different."

Syracuse shot 75 percent (18-for-24) in the second half, outscored Cornell 27-5 at the free-throw line for the game, and had 15 steals.

"Honestly, what we were concerned with coming in was their ability to create havoc with their athleticism and their ability to steal," Cornell coach Steve Donahue said. "We hurt ourselves by fouling. We wanted to stay away from that and we didn't. When you play a team that's as talented as this team on their home court, it's probably going to come back and haunt you."

The Big Red, fourth in the nation a year ago in 3-point shooting, created open looks with their slick ball movement, hit 5-of-8 from long range in the first 12 minutes of the game and led 25-9 when Wittman hit a 3 at 11:57.

As it turned out, that was too much time to protect even that big of a lead.

"It's a dangerous trend," Harris said. "They missed a lot of open shots. If they had made them, no telling what might have happened."

Orange beat Lehigh for sixth win of season, 69-60

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:07:30 GMT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Four Syracuse players posted double-figures in a 69-60 victory versus Patriot League member Lehigh on Tuesday night at the Carrier Dome for the Orange’s sixth victory of the season.

Senior forward Chandrea Jones recorded 18 points and nine rebounds to lead all participants in both categories by way of a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe. Jones’ impressive performance from the line was a career-best.

Sophomore guard Erica Morrow matched a season-high with five 3-pointers, including four in the first half, totaling 15 points, overall. Morrow added two boards, two dimes and two steals in the triumph.

Junior forward Nicole Michael scored a season-best 15 points, including a 10-point rush in the second half to cinch the contest. Michael also added a game-high two blocks. Junior forward Juanita Ward was SU’s final double-digit scorer with 10, mixing in six boards and one block. Junior forward Vionca Murray added six points, freshman forward Troya Berry scored three and freshman guard Tyler Ash drained one field goal. Syracuse dictated the game through 87.0 percent free throw shooting in addition to its domination in the paint.

The Orange crushed Lehigh down low, 28-16, along with 18 second chance points to the Mountain Hawks six. Michael was hacked early under the glass and picked up a couple of free points from the line to start off the Syracuse scoring.

Morrow made her 17th and 18th 3-pointers of the season from the top of the key. In between the Morrow 3-pointers Michael and Berry added four points to give SU an early12-0 advantage at the 16:43 mark of the first half. After a timeout by Lehigh, the Mountain Hawks tallied a quick five points, but Morrow subdued the resurgence with her third trey within the first six minutes of play to keep SU ahead, 15-5. Ward and Kristen Dalton traded four points on respective possessions, but Ash kissed the glass from eight feet out to nudge the advantage to 12 points, 21-9.

The Orange ran off two more field goals before Alexa Williams posted back-to-back buckets to cut the deficit to single digits, 24-15. Morrow responded with her fourth three-ball of the first half to highlight the evenly-paced four-minute stretch, 29-19. Syracuse committed two consecutive offensive fouls, enabling the Mountain Hawks to creep within six, 29-23, but after Ward and Jones doubled up for a pair of field goals, Murray hauled in a nifty feed over the top from Harris, giving the Orange back a double-digit edge, 35-25, with 3:19 to go in the half.

In the waning minutes, Lehigh’s Alex Ross swished a 3-pointer from the corner to head off the 5-4 run in the Mountain Hawks favor before the first 20 came to a halt. Syracuse held a nine-point, 39-30, lead at the half, featuring Morrow’s game-leading 12 points, going 4-of-5 from behind the line. Lehigh charged out of the gates in the second half, knocking on Syracuse’s door within four points, 39-35, but Jones accounted for the next six points in a row.

The final field goal was highlighted by Morrow’s heads-up steal in the middle of the lane who then lobbed a half-court pass to a wide open Jones. Ross and Morrow traded bombs from downtown, but the Mountain Hawks coerced head coach Quentin Hillsman to hail for a timeout after Lehigh rattled off five straight points to bring the score to within five, 48-43, five minutes into the second session.

Syracuse reasserted itself with a 12-point lead, 57-45, thanks to Michael’s 10-point flood over Lehigh in the mid portion of the second half. Michael started off her stretch with a three-point play and continued to pour it on through the nine-minute mark with three more conversions and a free throw. Lehigh mustered together a 12-7 run, holding the Orange without a field goal for almost a 10-minute interlude. Jones maintained her composure, hitting all six of her free throws in that span, to hold onto a seven-point lead, 64-57, with under four minutes to play.

The Orange tightened up its defense in the last couple possessions, forcing the visitors to turn the ball over, leading to a few more Syracuse points to cement the victory, 69-60.

The Orange returns to the Carrier Dome on Saturday afternoon to entertain the Delaware State Hornets. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 pm.

Courtesy: SU Athletics

Robinson's parting words: "I've loved every minute of it"

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:43:11 GMT

Raw Video: Full News Conference

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - Syracuse University head football coach Greg Robinson said his goodbyes during his final news conference Tuesday afternoon. He was fired last month, after winning only ten games in four years.

A lot has been said about Greg Robinson's head coaching ability, most of it was negative in the last few months.

But there are a few things you cannot question, like his passion, his dedication and his commitment to Syracuse football.

All of that was on display Tuesday as Robinson publicly signed off as head coach of the Orange.

He spoke for about 35 minutes, thanking the university, the Syracuse community and his players for what he called four wonderful years.

Robinson also read from the popular children's book “The Little Engine That Could” and talked about how that story sums up his optimistic personality.

Right now, Robinson said he's just concentrating on finding jobs for all of his assistants.

He does want to coach again but Robinson wouldn't get into when or where. He did say that he'll be just fine.

He even joked that he might go after Joe Casamento's job at CBA so that he can stay in the area.

The search for Robinson’s replacement continues. According to rivals.com, Oregon offensive coordinator Chip Kelly will interview for the job Wednesday.

SU men's lacrosse team to play 10 of its 14 games at home

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:42:44 GMT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse University men’s lacrosse team will play 10 of its 14 contests in 2009 in the familiar confines of the Carrier Dome. Among the games on this year’s home schedule are matchups with Virginia (Feb. 27) and Johns Hopkins (March 14), the two programs the Orange defeated at last year’s Final Four to win the national championship.

Once again, head coach John Desko has put together a challenging slate as five of Syracuse’s 2009 opponents (Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Loyola and Colgate) qualified for the 2008 NCAA Tournament, and 10 posted a record of .500 or better.

Syracuse begins its national championship defense on Sunday, Feb. 15 when it hosts future BIG EAST Conference foe Providence. The matchup will mark the first meeting between the future league rivals on the lacrosse field.

Following its game with the Friars, Syracuse will host Army on Friday, Feb. 20 before rounding out the month at home against Virginia on Friday, Feb. 27. The Virginia game is a rematch of last year’s NCAA semifinal won by the Orange, 12-11, in double overtime. The contest is also the second half of a men’s and women’s lacrosse doubleheader as the Orange women will host Virginia earlier in the day.

Syracuse hits the road for the first time on Saturday, March 7 when it plays at Georgetown. Following its date with the Hoyas, the Orange returns home for three straight games. Syracuse begins the homestand on Saturday, March 14 against Johns Hopkins, the team the Orange defeated 13-10 to win the 2008 NCAA title. Syracuse will also host Binghamton (March 21) and Hobart (March 24) during the homestand.

The month of March concludes with a trip to Baltimore for a match with Loyola on Saturday, March 28.

A date with Princeton on Saturday, April 4 in the Big City Classic at Giants Stadium kicks off the team’s April schedule. The contest is the middle game of a tripleheader that also features Virginia against North Carolina and Hofstra versus Delaware.

Syracuse returns home to host Cornell (April 7) Rutgers (April 11) and Albany (April 17) in consecutive games before wrapping up its road schedule on Saturday, April 25 at Massachusetts. The Orange will conclude the 2009 regular season at home against Colgate on Saturday, May 2.

In addition to Syracuse’s 14 regular-season dates, the Orange will host Harvard in a scrimmage at the Carrier Dome on Saturday, Feb. 7.

The Orange tied the school record with 16 wins last year and posted an overall record of 16-2 on its way to the 2008 national championship. The upcoming 2009 season marks the 90th year of men’s lacrosse at Syracuse.

2009 SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY MEN’S LACROSSE SCHEDULE

Date Opponent Location Time

Sat., Feb. 7 Harvard ! Carrier Dome TBA

Sun., Feb. 15 Providence @ Carrier Dome 3 p.m.

Fri., Feb. 20 Army Carrier Dome 7 p.m.

Fri., Feb 27 Virginia @ Carrier Dome 7 p.m.

Sat., March 7 at Georgetown Washington D.C. 12 p.m.

Sat., March 14 Johns Hopkins Carrier Dome 2 p.m.

Sat., March 21 Binghamton Carrier Dome 2 p.m.

Tues., March 24 Hobart Carrier Dome 7 p.m.

Sat., March 28 at Loyola Baltimore, Md. 1 p.m.

Sat., April 4 vs. Princeton # East Rutherford, N.J. 2:30 p.m.

Tues., April 7 Cornell Carrier Dome 7 p.m.

Sat., April 11 Rutgers @ Carrier Dome 3:30 p.m.

Fri., April 17 Albany Carrier Dome 7 p.m.

Sat., April 25 at Massachusetts Amherst, N.Y. 1 p.m.

Sat., May 2 Colgate Carrier Dome 2 p.m.

Sat./Sun., May 9/10 NCAA First Round Campus sites TBA
Sat./Sun. May 16/17 NCAA Quarterfinals Hempstead, N.Y./Annapolis, Md. TBA

Sat., May 23 NCAA Semifinals Foxboro, Mass. TBA
Mon., May 25 NCAA Final Foxboro, Mass. TBA

!- Scrimmage

@ - Doubleheader with SU women’s lacrosse

# - Big City Classic (Giants Stadium)

Courtesy SU Athletics

Syracuse rushes past Colgate 86-51

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:40:56 GMT

Jim Boeheim press conference
SU player reaction

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Paul Harris had 22 points and No. 16 Syracuse celebrated its first appearance in the national rankings in more than a year with an 86-51 victory over Colgate on Monday night.

Jonny Flynn added 12 points and a season-high seven assists for the Orange (7-0), who have won 43 straight in the series against Colgate and improved to 116-45 against their longtime upstate New York foe.

In its previous two games, Syracuse rallied from 13-point deficits to beat then-No. 22 Kansas in overtime and Virginia. No second-half rally was needed against Colgate (2-3), which trailed 43-13 at halftime.

Harris and Flynn combined to score the Orange's first 15 points in the first 4:31 of play - two more than the Raiders managed the entire first half as they struggled to find open looks against Syracuse's man-to-man defense.

Colgate shot 17 percent (5-for-29) and committed 15 turnovers in coming within two points of equaling the fewest points allowed by the Orange in one half. Princeton scored 11 in the first half of a 60-43 loss to Syracuse in November 1999 in the Carrier Dome.

Rick Jackson had 10 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double for Syracuse. Freshman Mookie Jones had a season-high nine points and classmate Kris Joseph had seven, combining to play 37 minutes.

Mike Venezia led Colgate with eight points and four rebounds. Alex Woodhouse finished with four points and seven blocks.

The Orange were expected to be much more effective from the perimeter this year with the return of guards Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf from knee injuries. But Syracuse shot 4-of-17 from beyond the arc against the Raiders, the last one coming at the final buzzer by walk-on Jake Presutti.

Flynn started the game with a 3 from the left corner off a feed from Harris, his former high school teammate in Niagara Falls. After Flynn followed with a steal and layup, Harris scored the next nine points, completing the spurt with a driving layup.

Woodhouse had the lone Colgate basket during the opening Syracuse run, a jumper at 17:45. Willie Morse hit a 3 at 14:55 after he was left wide-open on left wing, Yaw Gyawu had a layup, and Venezia made a pair of 3-pointers in the final 6 minutes to account for the Raiders' scoring in the period.

Playing its fifth game in 10 days and well ahead early, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim did some experimenting as 13 players got into the win.

Colgate was without Kyle Roemer, its leading scorer a season ago at 16.3 points per game. Roemer tore a knee ligament in September and is out for the season.

Syracuse rallies past Virginia 73-70

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:55:43 GMT

Your Comments

Jim Boeheim press conference
Player interviews

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - After more than three decades at Syracuse, coach Jim Boeheim might have to change his coaching methods if this keeps up.

Jonny Flynn and Andy Rautins each scored 15 points, Rick Jackson came off the bench to key a late rally, and Syracuse beat Virginia 73-70 on Friday night, overcoming a 13-point deficit for the second straight game.

"I guess we just need Boeheim to light us up before the game, before we make any mistakes," Flynn said. "We've got to get out of that. If we could just play like that for two halves, the Kansas game would have been a lot easier and this game would have been a lot easier."

Syracuse (6-0) trailed for all but the first two minutes of the opening half as the swarming Cavaliers (3-2) had nine steals and forced 11 turnovers. The second half was a different story as Syracuse had only four turnvovers and stepped up its aggressive man defense, holding Virginia to 11-of-29 (37.9 percent) shooting.

"I don't know what it is," Flynn said. "We just come out possessed in the second half."

Syracuse, which beat No. 17 Florida 89-83 and No. 22 Kansas 89-81 in overtime on consecutive nights to win the CBE Classic championship earlier in the week at Kansas City, fell behind 40-37 in the final minute of the first half against the Cavaliers.

Paul Harris and Arinze Onuaku combined for 49 of the Orange's 77 rebounds in the wins over Florida and Kansas and also contributed 32 points apiece. Against Virginia, Onuaku was held scoreless in the first half and went to the bench with his fourth foul at 12:02 of the second after scoring only six points and the Orange down by eight.

As soon as Jackson replaced Onuaku, Syracuse took off. First Eric Devendorf, then Rautins fed Jackson for resounding two-handed slam dunks to move Syracuse within 52-47 at 10:18.

Flynn followed with a reverse layup and, after both Sylven Landesberg and Sammy Zeglinski, the Cavaliers' leading scorers, picked up their fourth fouls, Rautins hit a pair of 3-pointers to put Syracuse up 58-56 at 7:54. With the crowd of 22,096 at feverish pitch, the Orange never trailed again.

"We didn't get that many good looks in the first half on 3-pointers, and we did in the second," Rautins said. "And it turned out to open up the lane and we made some good plays around the basket."

Devendorf finished with 14 points and four assists, Harris had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Jackson added five blocks.

Landesberg had 16 points, Zeglinski and Calvin Baker each had 14, and Mike Scott and Jerome Meyinsse each scored 10.

Devendorf set up Harris for a slam dunk to give Syracuse a 66-60 lead with 3:36 remaining, but the Cavaliers refused to fold.

A layup by Landesberg had Virginia within 66-63 with 74 seconds left. But Flynn, Devendorf and Rautins combined to go 7-of-10 from the free throw line in the final minute, and that was enough to offset two layups by Landesberg and a 3-pointer by Zeglinski in the closing seconds.

"We couldn't finish the game," Zeglinski said. "It's tough not coming out of here with a win. We came out strong and executed our game plan. We didn't execute in the second half. Their intensity picked up and we played into their hands."

The Orange fell behind by as many as eight early in the first half, and when Devendorf was intentionally fouled by Landesberg on a fast-break layup attempt the Orange appeared set to make a charge.

But after Devendorf made both free throws to move Syracuse within 31-27 with 2:23 left, the Cavaliers scored nine straight points. Scott started the surge with a layup, Meyinsse had a two-handed slam dunk, and Baker finished it with a steal and fast-break layup and drained a 3 from right wing with 26 seconds left for a 40-27 lead.

"We definitely had our chances," Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. "We talked about what they went through at Kansas City and knew it would take a terrific effort to beat them. We maintained ourselves very well for 27-28 minutes. Then they came at us in waves. Their scores came too easily and they were energized by the crowd."

SU fans, players have a lot to be thankful for

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:49:05 GMT

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - This is the one day each year we are reminded of all that we have to be thankful for. And for Syracuse sports fans this November, there is plenty of appreciation to go around.

The 5-0 SU men’s basketball team is off to its best start in ten years after knocking off two nationally ranked teams in the CBE Classic earlier this week; meanwhile, the Orange field hockey team just wrapped up a record-breaking season which ended with the program's first-ever trip to the Final Four.

The ladies' lacrosse team is set to build on a historic season of their own -- the team also came within one win of playing in the national championship game.

Speaking of national champs -- John Desko's team picked up the program's 10th NCAA title this past May.

And, for the first time in a while, even Orange football fans have something to be thankful for. Coming off the most inspirational win during the Greg Robinson era, spirits are high this week as the team prepares for their season finale at Cincinnati.

The Bearcats can win the Big East title with either a West Virginia loss on Friday or a victory over SU on Saturday.

Report: SU to interview Oregon assistant for head coach role

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:51:16 GMT

Your Comments

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) – Website Rivals.com is reporting that Oregon offensive coordinator Chip Kelly will interview for the Syracuse head coaching position on Wednesday.

Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley reportedly interviewed for the job earlier this week.

Kelly is in his second year running the offense at Oregon; last year, the Ducks led their conference in scoring with just over 38 points per game and also led in total yardage, with 467.5 yards per game.

So far this season, Oregon also leads the Pac-10 in offensive yards (458.6) and points per game (39.8).

Before joining Oregon, Kelly coached at New Hampshire, his alma mater, from 1994-2006.

CLICK HERE to read the full story.

Syracuse, NY (WSYR-TV) - The web site, rivals.com is reporting that University of Illinois assitant coach Mike Locksley has interviewed for the job of head football coach at Syracuse University. Locksley is the offensive coordinator at Illinois.

The web site says the 38-year-old Locksley is known for his recruiting skills and helped lead the Illini to a Rose Bowl appearance last season. Rivals.com also says Locksley has interviewed for the head coaching job at Clemson University.

Locksley's name surfaced last fall when there was speculation that Greg Robinson would not return as head coach at SU for the 2008 season.

Robinson was fired earlier this month, he will coach his final game Saturday, when the Orange visit Cincinnati.

Click here to read the report.

Syracuse rallies to beat No. 22 Kansas 89-81

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 04:18:50 GMT

Your Comments

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Jonny Flynn had 25 points and hit a 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds left in regulation, helping Syracuse knock off No. 22 Kansas 89-81 in overtime Tuesday night in the championship game of the CBE Classic.

Syracuse (4-0) trailed by 13 early in the second half, then rallied behind hot shooting and a pressure defense to set up Flynn's shot at the end of regulation. The Orange shot 14-of-24 in the second half and dominated overtime, hitting 5-of-8 shots to pull away early.

Eric Devendorf had 20 points, Arinze Onuaku had 19 and 12 rebounds, and Paul Harris finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds for Syracuse, which forced 17 turnovers.

Kansas (3-1) played well early to take a big lead, but made some costly mistakes against Syracuse's pressure in the second half to let the Orange back in it. Sherron Collins had 21 points, Tyshawn Taylor 17 and Cole Aldrich had 15 points and 13 rebounds for Kansas, which missed eight of 11 shots in overtime.

Trailing 51-38 early in the second half, the Orange picked up the defensive pressure against Kansas and the Jayhawks couldn't handle it. Syracuse forced turnovers on three straight possessions, converting those into breakaways at the other end to score six points in 28 seconds during a 13-2 run.

That cut Kansas' lead to 53-51 and the Orange finally went ahead with just over 8 minutes left, going up 57-56 on Andy Rautins' 3-pointer from the corner.

The Jayhawks put together a small spurt behind Taylor to go up 67-60, but Syracuse still wouldn't go away, pulling within two with just under 2 minutes left. Kansas went up 71-69 on two free throws by Aldrich, then were ahead by three when he went 1-of-2 from the line with 20 seconds left.

Syracuse then got the ball to Flynn, who dribbled around Aldrich and hit a 3-pointer from the wing to tie it at 72-all. Collins had a shot to win it, but his fadeaway from the baseline sailed long.

Kansas won its first three games by an average of 24 points, holding opponents to a combined 27 percent shooting. The Jayhawks played their best game of the season Monday night in the CBE semifinals, beating Washington 73-54 in their first real test.

But the defending national champs don't have a lot of experience, returning one starter, adding seven newcomers. A team this young is going to play in spurts, particularly this early in the season.

The Jayhawks sure did against Syracuse, turning what looked like another rout into a tight game with bad passes and poor shots.