2010 SU basketball: 3-Ball not there?

On December 18, 2010 at the Dome in Syracuse, New York, a promising SU men's basketball team works on the Iona Gaels. With 7:10 left in the first quarter, the score is 24-18 Syracuse.

Jackson puts up a three..... No.

Brandon Triche tries one out, hmmm, not there. Undefeated SU has been spinning, winning, and pulverizing their opponents in the paint, however they can't seem to sink an outside shot.

Starting point guard Scoop Jardine cannot convert on the "conventional" three point play after a foul going up to the hoop with 6:40 left in the first, however, it is becoming clear that Jardine, Triche , may be the teams only two go-to guys who can convert on the "un" conventional three point play, the 3-ball.

The team moves on as we see Dion Waiters with the tasteful stuff in transition. SU still has the razzle dazzle, but will it be enough?

As the score progresses to 31-20 , SU starts to pull away with their largest lead of the night.

Airball from 15 feet out by Jackson. Humhph.

Then Iona answers with a three by Jenkins. The Iona Gaels continue to trail persistently by no more than 5 or 10 points behind the Orange and enjoy a better 3 point range shooting percentage than SU at close to 35% (http://statsheet.com/mcb/beyondthearc/teams/iona).

Collectively, SU's shooting from behind the arc is set at 29.0%, putting the Orange at 293rd in the nation in this category. What's more startling is that statistics show that teams who can go to the hoop but struggle from three point range, don't win NCAA championships, in fact, they don't even make it to the NCAA tournament (http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/tag/_/name/scoop-jardine).

This all can change. Jardine and Triche have no choice but to step it up.

By the half, SU is out-rebounded by Iona by one rebound, so Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim checks in freshman phenom Fab Melo to help grab some rebounds. However, Boeheim retracts this decision and pulls the ailing Melo out 30 seconds later, as the center is limping on his right leg, showing he is still not 100%, still bothered by a knee injury.

"The Big Three" then for SU, Scoop Jardine, Rick Jackson, and Brandon Triche are forced to turn the heat on Iona, and extend the SU lead to 10 early in the 2nd half.

Dion Waiters gives a helping hand to the trio by continuing to pound the paint.

However, Iona continues to exploit the Orange's signature zone defense's one weakness, the outside shot, and the three point shot. SU's lead wavers around 5 with about 15 minutes left in the game. Jackson does what he can to power SU to a 12 point lead. It begins to look a lot like Christmas as SU holds onto the lead.

Then, Mike Glover for Iona hits the rim one to many times from the baseline for Boeheim, and he calls a time-out to talk it over.

Southerland then comes in for SU and hits a big three from way downtown, a much needed spark for the Orange's outside shooting confidence.

Then "The Canadien" Kris Joseph ( #32 shown right) slams one down off of an assist by Triche to extend SU's lead to 15, their biggest lead of the night.

Iona will not go quietly though, as Kyle Smyth hits a few threes for the Gaels, in vain as the Orange continue to percolate in the paint. However, SU continues to look nervous and reluctant to shoot from even 15 feet out.

Almost a nail biter, undefeated SU comes up with the win over unranked Iona 83-77.

Big shoes to fill: Favre's temporary replacement Jackson has phenomenal first day

As Favre comes out early in the game on the third play in an unusual Minnesota Vikings vs. Buffalo Bills on December 5, 2010 in Minnesota. Favre took a hit that left him wincing in pain and holding his shoulder. Favre lingered on the sidelines for a few moments, then went into the locker room for medical attention. His return to the game was questionable.

Tavaris Jackson, QB for the Minnesota Vikings stepped up to the plate an delivered a show stopping performance to propel the Vikings to a 38-14 win over the Bills.

Tavaris Jackson threw two touchdown passes to Sidney Rice of Minnesota, the first one culminating in a phenomenal tug of war in the end zone as Rice came down locked in a struggle for the ball with a Bills defender. After further review, the play was ruled a touchdown and was just an excellent play by Rice by not giving up on the play and wrestling the ball away form his defender in mid-air.

Then, Jackson to RB Adrian Peterson for a short 2 yard drive for the touchdown, the first of three rushing TD's scored by this powerful key player for the Vikings running game.

Replacement QB Jackson made a few turnovers including a "pick 6" ran back for a defensive touchdown for the Bills. However, Jackson make a few key plays including a 15 yard run for the first down with 11:40 left in the second half. That is a play that Favre himself may have been to bashful to attempt. While it could be argued that this was just another play that was indicative of Jackson's inexperience, it shows that Jackson is willing to do what it takes to advance the ball down the field, and several complete passes later, the second TD rush by Peterson.

Jackson is looking tough for the Vikings, and there is no question Jackson is in contention for Favre's replacement when the time comes for Favre to finally hang it up.

Another TD pass to Rice for the Vikings with 8:00 left in the 2nd brings the Vikings to a 28-7 lead.

At the half, 31 unanswered points by the Vikings have been scored. As the Bills start to look like they did in the beginning of the season, struggling all across the board, the Bills continue to play very poor defense as Adrian Peterson rushes for his third touchdown of the night, through a hole in the Bills defensive line the size of Texas.

Favre or no Favre, it was no surprise that this was going to be an impressive offensive display by the Vikings, but one almost has to feel sorry for the Bill's defense (or lack thereof) for their inability to contain Peterson.

The Buffalo Bills show they still have some fight left as they score a late touchdown with 4:00 left in the fourth, making the final score a not-so-embarrassing 38-14 Vikings.

-C.T. Minardi

Triple Overtime in Newark!

In one word, it was electric. On December 1, 2010 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the New Jersey Nets took on the Oklahoma City Thunder in what some are calling "one of the best NBA games, ever." Kevin Durant, the NBA's defending leading scorer, sat out of this epic game between Durant's team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the New Jersey Nets.

With Durant sitting helplessly on the sidelines, it was necessary for someone else on the Thunder to step up his game. That man's name is Russell Westbrook (0) of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who dazzled the crowd with a show-stopping performance of 38 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists in the game. In the third overtime, Westbrook scored all 13 of the Thunder's points, bringing his team to an Oklahoma City 123, New Jersey 120 win.

The win marked the first triple overtime win in the Thunder's franchise history.

The last time the Nets went into triple overtime was at Orlando, in 1995.
The Thunder came out at halftime trailing by five, and went on to an 11-2 run four minutes into the third quarter. Then Oklahoma City point guard Jeff Green scored 7 of his 10 third quarter points in the final 2:25 of the third to give the Thunder a 71-62 lead.
Then New Jersey came back with an 11-3 run as time ticked away in the fourth quarter.

Oklahoma City connected on four free throws to regain the lead, then a step-into three by Anthony Morrow of the Nets tied the score and sent this one into OT.

Without Durant, Green stepped up his game as well. Green scored a career high 37 points, and connecting on three free throws as the clock wound down during the second overtime, with the score Thunder 107, Nets 110 that made me bite my nails until they bled, sending the game into triple overtime.

Lopez and Morrow of the Nets fought valiantly to even the score as the multiple overtime game developed into a spectacular offensive display on both sides of the board.

Serge Ibaka for the Oklahoma City Thunder fouled out, leaving the spotlight to shift to Westbrook, who put on an amazing one-man display of 13 straight points in the third overtime, leaving the Net's heads spinning.

A game that could have easily went into four of five overtimes ended with a final score of 123-120, Oklahoma City.

-C.T. Minardi