2008-09_Syracuse_Orange_men's_basketball_team

2008–09 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team

2008–09 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team

American college basketball season

The 2008–09 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team represented Syracuse University in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Jim Boeheim, serving for his 33rd year. The team played its home games at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. Key contributors included senior Kristof Ongenaet, juniors Eric Devendorf, Arinze Onuaku, Andy Rautins and Paul Harris, sophomores Rick Jackson and Jonny Flynn and freshman Kris Joseph.

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Preseason

Roster changes

Syracuse lost its leading scorer from the previous season, forward Donté Greene, who declared for the 2008 NBA draft and was taken with the 28th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies. Greene was then traded to the Houston Rockets and again to the Sacramento Kings.[2]

Syracuse used Greene's scholarship to add Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson. Johnson averaged 12.4 points per game during his sophomore season with the Cyclones, but must sit out the 2008–09 season.[3] Syracuse will also have lacrosse recruit Kevin Drew, a walk-on.[4]

On the injury front, Syracuse returned juniors Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins. Both had suffered season ending knee injuries in the 2007–08 season and were granted medical redshirts.[5] However, the Orange also learned before the season started that sophomore Scoop Jardine would be out for entire season after suffering a stress fracture in his left leg.[6]

Recruiting

Coach Boeheim was able to sign three recruits for the 2008–09 season: Kris Joseph, Mookie Jones and James Southerland.[7][8] However, Southerland did not qualify with his SAT score to attend Syracuse, and returned to Notre Dame Preparatory Academy for an additional season of play.[9]

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Preseason outlook

With returning co-Big East Rookie of The Year Jonny Flynn, the Orange was picked to finish eighth in the Big East conference by the Big East coach's poll.[10] Flynn was also a first-team all-Big East selection.[11] Syracuse began the season ranked No. 30 in the Associated Press poll and No. 31 in the ESPN/USA Today poll.[12][13]

Although Syracuse was coming off two-straight NIT-bound seasons, and despite not having won an NCAA tournament game in four seasons, many experts picked Syracuse as a solid choice for the NCAA Tournament.[14][15]

Roster

Players

Syracuse Basketball
2008–09 Roster
F/C 0 Rick Jackson SO Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti)
G 1 Andy Rautins JR Jamesville, New York (Jamesville-Dewitt)
G 2 Justin Thomas SR Los Angeles, California (Loyola)
F 3 Mookie Jones FR Peekskill, New York (Peekskill)
F 4 Wesley Johnson JR Corsicana, Texas Corsicana/(Patterson School (NC)/Eldon Acad.)
G 5 Jake Presutti SR Belmont, New York (Genesee Valley)
G 10 Jonny Flynn SO Niagara, New York (Niagara Falls)
G/F 11 Paul Harris JR Niagara Falls, New York (Notre Dame Prep)
F 12 Kristof Ongenaet SR Ghent, Belgium (College Melle/Cuesta C.C.)
C 21 Arinze Onuaku JR Lanham, Maryland (Episcopal)
G 23 Eric Devendorf JR Bay City, Michigan (Oak Hill Academy)
G 24 Brandon Reese FR Davie, Florida (Pinehurst)
G 25 Kevin Drew FR South Salem, New York (John Jay Cross River)
F 32 Kris Joseph FR Washington, D.C. (Archbishop Carroll)
G 33 Scoop Jardine SO Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti)
C 45 Sean Williams FR Villa Park, California (Notre Dame Prep)

Coaches

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Season

Season Recap

Syracuse plays Rutgers at the Rutgers Athletic Center in January

Syracuse started the season strong, winning the CBE Classic. In the semifinals on November 24, 2008, the Orange topped No. 17/18 Florida, 89–83. Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris led five SU players in double figures with 18 points each.[16] In the finals on November 25, 2008, Syracuse defeated the defending champions, the No. 22/23 Kansas Jayhawks, 89–81 in overtime, to capture the CBE Classic. Jonny Flynn had 25 points, including a 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. Flynn was named MVP of the tournament.[17]

But the season would hit a low point on December 15, 2008 when then-No. 11 Syracuse lost to unranked Cleveland State University 72–69 as a result of a 60-foot, buzzer-beating shot by Cleveland State's Cedric Jackson.[18]

Syracuse would add another key non-conference win on December 20, 2008, when then-No. 11 Syracuse won a key away game against national runner-up Memphis as Syracuse's stifling zone held Memphis to just 7-for-33 shooting from 3-point land. Flynn paced the Orange with 24 points and six assists, as Syracuse was able to deal with the loss of Eric Devendorf to a suspension after he was accused of hitting a female student on Nov. 1.[19]

Perhaps the biggest game of the season happened on March 12–13, 2009, when then-No. 18 Syracuse and No. 4 Connecticut played the longest game in Big East history, and second longest in NCAA Division I history, as Syracuse won 127–117 in six overtimes. Flynn set a new Syracuse record by playing 67 minutes.[20]

Syracuse would be named a No. 3 seed for the NCAA Tournament and win games over Stephen F. Austin (59–44) and Arizona State (78–67) to advance to the Sweet 16.[21][22] But the Orange would be halted by Blake Griffin and Oklahoma in an 84–71 loss.[23] The loss would mark the final game for Devendorf, Flynn and Harris, who all left the team following the season for the professional ranks.

Big East tournament

Main article: 2009 Big East men's basketball tournament

Syracuse was seeded sixth and received a bye in the first round. They reached the finals of the 2009 tournament, where they were defeated by the first-seeded Louisville Cardinals, 76–66.[24] It was their fourteenth time making the Big East tournament finals, the most for any team in the conference.

Prior to making the finals, Syracuse's performance featured a conference record six-overtime quarterfinals game (the second longest game in NCAA history) in which they defeated third-seeded Connecticut 127–117.[25] A day later, in the semifinals, the Orange were forced into overtime again, where they defeated West Virginia 74–69 in a single extra session.[26]

Jonny Flynn was named the tournament's most outstanding player, becoming just the fourth player in Big East tournament history to win the award as a member of the second-place team.[24]

NCAA tournament

Main article: 2009 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

The Orange were seeded third in the South Region, and played fourteenth-seeded Stephen F. Austin on Friday, March 20 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.[27] The Orange won, 59–44. They faced sixth-seeded Arizona State in the second round, winning 78–67.[27] Their season ended in the South regional semifinals when they lost 84–71 to Oklahoma.

Schedule

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Rankings

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References

  1. [1]
    "Big East Conference Standings - 2008-09." ESPN.com. Retrieved 03-23-10.
  2. [2]
    "Greene will enter draft". Archived from the original on June 14, 2008. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  3. [3]
    "Syracuse lands Iowa State transfer Johnson". Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  4. [4]
    Boys lacrosse: John Jay in state quarterfinals [permanent dead link]
  5. [5]
    "O'Neil: On the comeback trail". September 23, 2008.
  6. [6]
    Sports news [permanent dead link]
  7. [7]
    "He Can Play Everywhere". Archived from the original on April 4, 2008. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  8. [8]
    "Mookie Jones wants to take the last shot". Archived from the original on April 6, 2008. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  9. [9]
    Waters, Mike (July 11, 2008). "Update on James Southerland's status". syracuse. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  10. [10]
    Democrat and Chronicle [dead link]
  11. [11]
    "Big East writers' poll: UConn league favorite, Jonny Flynn 1st-team". October 22, 2008.
  12. [12]
    "2020-21 Men's College Basketball Rankings for Final Rankings".
  13. [13]
    "2020-21 Men's College Basketball Rankings for Final Rankings".
  14. [14]
    "Watch Out for Syracuse Basketball 2008-09". Bleacher Report.
  15. [15]
    "Poll: What kind of postseason will the Syracuse University basketball team have?". November 7, 2008.
  16. [16]
    Sports. Baaketball [dead link]
  17. [17]
    "MBB | Syracuse topples No. 22 Kansas in overtime to take CBE title - Sports". Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2008.
  18. [18]
    "Cleveland State stuns No. 11 Syracuse 72-69 - Yahoo! News". Archived from the original on January 12, 2009. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  19. [19]
    "Syracuse vs. Memphis - Game Recap - December 20, 2008 - ESPN".
  20. [20]
    "Syracuse vs. UConn - Game Recap - March 12, 2009 - ESPN".
  21. [21]
    Thamel, Pete (March 21, 2009). "N.C.A.A. Drought Over, Syracuse Moves to Second Round". The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  22. [22]
    "Syracuse in the Sweet 16: Orange tops Arizona State, 78-67". March 22, 2009.
  23. [23]
    "Syracuse vs. Oklahoma - Box Score - March 27, 2009 - ESPN".
  24. [24]
    "Louisville completes conference sweep with Big East tournament crown". New York City: ESPN. Associated Press. March 14, 2009. Archived from the original on March 19, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
  25. [25]
    "Syracuse survives longest game in Big East history with epic win over UConn". New York City: ESPN. Associated Press. March 13, 2009. Archived from the original on March 14, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
  26. [26]
    "Only one overtime is needed as Syracuse advances past West Virginia". New York City: ESPN. Associated Press. March 13, 2009. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
  27. [27]
    "2009 NCAA Tournament Bracket". ESPN. ESPN. March 15, 2009. Archived from the original on February 22, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
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