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For the third-ranked team in the land, the Syracuse Orange are a bunch of pushovers – literally.
The Orange dropped their second straight conference clash Saturday, losing 83-72 to the Villanova Wildcats as 5.5-point home favorites.
Syracuse stood flatfooted as Villanova’s frontcourt crashed the glass for second-chance points down the stretch, building a double-figure lead that would withstand a late push from the Orange.
The on-the-ball defense was just as soft, applying token pressure to Villanova’s guards, who simply dribbled around the Syracuse players.
And forget about throwing your body in there to draw the charge. Forward Kris Joseph was whistled for a foul in the final minutes on a play that had the potential to be a game-changing charge. But instead, Joseph was late to the spot and opted for reaching, rather than man up and take the bump.
In a down year for the entire NCAA, the once-rough-and-rugged Big East lacks that toughness that has been its trademark for so many years – starting with the face of the conference: The Syracuse Orange.
The Orange are home to Seton Hall this Tuesday. The Pirates are coming off a loss to Rutgers at home but are slowly working star guard Jeremy Hazell back into the rotation. He finished with 15 points on 6-of-21 shooting Saturday.
Seton Hall fell 61-56 to Syracuse at home earlier this month, covering as a 7.5-point underdog.
The Orange dropped their second straight conference clash Saturday, losing 83-72 to the Villanova Wildcats as 5.5-point home favorites.
Syracuse stood flatfooted as Villanova’s frontcourt crashed the glass for second-chance points down the stretch, building a double-figure lead that would withstand a late push from the Orange.
The on-the-ball defense was just as soft, applying token pressure to Villanova’s guards, who simply dribbled around the Syracuse players.
And forget about throwing your body in there to draw the charge. Forward Kris Joseph was whistled for a foul in the final minutes on a play that had the potential to be a game-changing charge. But instead, Joseph was late to the spot and opted for reaching, rather than man up and take the bump.
In a down year for the entire NCAA, the once-rough-and-rugged Big East lacks that toughness that has been its trademark for so many years – starting with the face of the conference: The Syracuse Orange.
The Orange are home to Seton Hall this Tuesday. The Pirates are coming off a loss to Rutgers at home but are slowly working star guard Jeremy Hazell back into the rotation. He finished with 15 points on 6-of-21 shooting Saturday.
Seton Hall fell 61-56 to Syracuse at home earlier this month, covering as a 7.5-point underdog.
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