Believe it or not, one of the best players in the country comes off the bench. Yes, Syracuse’s Dion Waiters – 6′-4″, sophomore – is simply unflappable as he scores, rebounds and raises havoc defensively. His long range 3s are something to see too. Syracuse depth was on display as they avoided the upset bug that’s struck #1s this year by trouncing NC-State in Raleigh.
We all know that Coach Boeheim hates to leave New York in December, so this was a huge victory. His team has stayed focused on basketball in the wake of all the drama on campus this year. Playing on the road against a tough ACC team is not easy, but his team was calm, steady and poised throughout whether ahead or behind. I talked to Jim on Monday night and when I told him maybe his team is the best in the country, he didn’t disagree saying “maybe we are.” Look for the Orangemen to end their season in New Orleans and also to remain undefeated for another three weeks or so.
TALES FROM THE MOUNTAIN WEST
The Mountain West Conference is one of the top conferences in the country for the 3rd straight year – even outpacing historical powerhouses like Pac-12 and Atlantic-10 – so it’s a shame that it’s breaking up. After losing BYU and Utah last year, now comes the announcement that San Diego St. is headed to the Big West (the Aztec football team will play in the Big East). Pretty crazy to think that two of the best stories from last season (BYU and SDSU) won’t be playing each other in conference play in years to come. Elsewhere in the MWC, UNLV scored another big win in Chicago and in the process gave Illinois its first loss. Have you seen Mike Moser play? How did UCLA allow him to get away!? Moser led the charge over two previously undefeated teams (UNC and Illinois). I mean, wow. He is GREAT.
RENEWING ACQUAINTANCES
Conference play is right around the corner as most leagues start play before the end of the year. But there is one huge non-conference game coming, so mark your calender for undefeated Louisville at Kentucky on December 31st. When you are running around getting ready on New Year’s Eve, listen to it Westwood One Sports. The Battle of the Bluegrass rarely disappoints.
-Bill Frieder
Former Michigan and Arizona State head coach Bill Frieder is an analyst for Westwood One’s coverage of NCAA Basketball. In his weekly blog Boxed Out, Bill scours the box scores to bring you interesting stories from the world of college basketball.