Orange Analysis: What the Non-Conference Slate Taught Us About Syracuse

The Monday night dispatching of Coppin State marked the completion of the Syracuse Orange’s non-conference portion of the schedule. With the exception of a 60-foot heave at the buzzer, Jim Boeheim’s team emerged with a mark of 12-1 highlighted by wins over ranked foes Florida, Kansas, and Memphis. Not too shabby for a team that supposedly doesn’t like to do the heavy lifting outside of Big East play. From here on out, only conference games remain. The next time they take to the hardwood will be Dec. 30 when the Seton Hall Pirates pay a visit to the Carrier Dome. So before the Orange embarks on what is sure to be a two month-long street fight in a loaded Big East, let’s take a look to see who is responsible for getting them to this point and what we’ve learned about this team. First and foremost, Syracuse’s success begins and ends with Jonny Flynn. The Niagara native might be the smallest player in the lineup but there’s no doubting he has the biggest ... (link)