Is PLA Microwave Safe?
No, polylactic acid, a common component for 3D printing, is not safe in the microwave or in any other situation in which it might come into contact with heat. Microwaves heat their inside by agitating water molecules, as well as different types of particles. This agitation causes heat for people who have not thought about chemistry in a few years.
PLA products may or may not contain water molecules, depending on how they were made. Some PLA products are cooled in a water bath immediately after being printed, which allows the product to absorb some of those water molecules. Even without the water bath, PLA is porous and quickly absorbs moisture from the air.
The fact that PLA holds water molecules means that PLA products will soften or melt in high temperatures because the water molecules will boil and convert into steam. Without diving into the advanced chemistry of the process, know that this robs the PLA product of its rigidity and essentially melts it.
For people who have considered making parts for their microwave with convenient 3D printing, the general consensus is to reconsider. While making mechanical components is very appealing with 3D printing, it would be better to use a different base filament instead of PLA. PLA is not designed to be used in heated environments.
What Is PLA Made Of?
Polylactic acid is what is known as a bioplastic, or a plastic that can be melted down into a substance that is safe for the earth. That biodegradability has made it very appealing to manufacturers and 3D printers. It is made by fermenting something like corn that is full of carbohydrates. That starch contains the lactic acid that is used in polylactic acid.
As you might have guessed, pure PLA is safe to eat, in the same way, that corn, starch, and the glucose, or corn syrup, derived from it is. However, the PLA filament used in 3D printing needs to go through a long process during production. As a renewable resource, PLA is highly desired for its ease of production and manipulation.
As explained above, the heat melts PLA, but it does not destroy it. While that property makes PLA products problematic for microwaving, it does mean that it is easy to reshape and reuse PLA. For people who are continually looking for recyclable resources, PLA checks that box. This property is known as thermoplasticity.
It should also be noted that PLA is often mixed with other types of plastic or additives to dye it a certain color, to make it more durable and less brittle, or for further enhancements, either aesthetic or mechanical. You should never assume that your PLA filaments for 3D printing are pure PLA or food-safe unless specifically marked on the packaging.
Can PLA Burn?
PLA is quite capable of burning and has a much lower melting point than most other types of 3D printing filaments. For those who are very cautious, even boiling liquids like coffee and tea might be enough to start melting your PLA products. However, you would need a higher temperature to start the burning process.
If you have been considering 3D printing objects like ashtrays, candle holders, candle snuffers, or other products that might come into contact with heat, you should keep in mind that PLA has a low melting point and can easily catch fire. If you are curious and have a safe place outside, you can take a strand of PLA filament and light it on fire.
In addition to burning and releasing possibly toxic fumes, the plastic melts very quickly and starts to drip off the filament strand. In doing this, be sure to wear gloves and keep the strand far away from your body and anything that is not easily cleaned or disposed of because once the plastic reforms, it will stick to whatever it dripped onto.
Pure PLA does not produce inherently toxic fumes. In fact, PLA has been rated as one of the safer filaments available for 3D printing. Most people notice that PLA fumes smell sweet like the corn syrup it was made from. In small bursts, these fumes are not toxic and should not pose a problem, even for children and more sensitive adults.
If the PLA starts to burn from use in a microwave, a stove, an oven, or another heating device, you should use a gas mask or open windows and try to ventilate the area. PLA products can release fumes that may be toxic to inhale for an extended period while it is burning. Any kind of intense smell for a long time can make you lightheaded!
These same precautions should be used during the 3D printing process as well, as it is better to be safe than sorry. It is not recommended to leave a 3D printer running for hours on end in a room without proper ventilation, no matter what kind of filaments are being used.
Is PLA Food Safe?
There is some debate over whether containers made from PLA filaments are food safe at all, regardless of whether you heat the meal. While pure PLA would be food-safe, products made from a 3D printer often contain other additives that make the filaments unsafe for contact with food. You can see on the packaging if the manufacturer deems it safe for food.
Additionally, PLA products are porous, as mentioned above, and can accumulate bacteria from old food particles in between meals. Because they can’t be subjected to heat, that rules out putting them in the dishwasher, and even the toughest hand-scrubbing is not enough to get rid of everything. Single-use PLA products are much safer than reusable ones for this reason.
It is also essential to consider the 3D printer itself. For example, certain types of nozzles, like brass, used in the printing process may contain lead and other toxic chemicals unrelated to the filament you are using for printing. These chemicals may make your 3D printed products unsafe for consumption, even if you use FDA approved filaments.
For people who want to make multiple dish sets or many utensils, investing in stainless steel nozzles is highly recommended. Stainless steel is considered safe for printing products that will come into contact with food, and you can rest easy knowing that your food will not be spending time sitting on a plate made with excessive amounts of lead.
Although PLA products that have been 3D printed are not microwave safe, there are plenty of other upsides to them, including holding room-temperature food. PLA is usually rated as safe for contact with food, according to the FDA. However, you should always check the packaging to see if the manufacturer has complied with federal regulations.


text:
Al’s Music Tidbits Introductory Edition
by Al Shank
With Elena Corey having “ridden off into the sunset”, so to speak, Mark Varner posted a message on the CBA Message Board asking for volunteers to replace her column. I know something about music theory, have done some writing (I still distribute “Al's Baseball Tidbits” via e-mail from time to time) and have been playing and listening to Bluegrass music since 1963, so I fired off an e-mail offering my services, such as they are. We planned on talking on the phone about content, etc., but never managed it. Finally, Mark just asked me to submit “1000 words on whatever you want”, so here they are.
I have a good friend, David Elson, whom some of you may know, who used to walk home from school humming a tune and whistling harmony to it at the same time. I think he was about eight. He once told me that the idea of chords was always obvious to him. Some people are blessed with that kind of music perception, but most of us are not, myself certainly included. I listened to quite a bit of music as a kid, but didn't try to sing or play an instrument until I was 18, way too late for optimal learning. Without a lot of natural talent or any musical training, I found the mandolin pretty challenging. Singing was somewhat easier -- almost anybody who can perceive melody can sing, after a fashion -- but singing harmony was beyond me. I wanted to be able to sing harmony, but I also wanted to understand what I was singing and why. I asked my mandolin instructor about harmony, and he told me “it's mostly just other notes in the chord”.
I stumbled along, learning a little about scales and chords, listening to a lot of Bluegrass, learning to sing a few songs and practicing the mandolin, until I got to where I could play along with people. I got in a band with some other inexperienced musicians and my friend David, who played fiddle and sang tenor. He arranged all the harmonies and sort of “nurse-maided” us all along, but we weren't very good. I cringe when I listen to some of the tapes we made back then. The first time I played on stage, at the open-mic night at The Ash Grove, the West LA folk club where I had first heard Bill Monroe, I was absolutely terrified, and played like it. After a couple of years, we morphed into a rock band; I took up the electric bass and no longer sang lead. I had to sing harmony parts, and our music was much more complex, harmonically, than Bluegrass, so I was having a hard time hearing my parts, especially starting off on the right note. I was in graduate school at UCLA at the time, studying Slavic Linguistics and teaching first- and second-year Russian as a Teaching Assistant, and I went into the student store and bought a book called “Harmony”, by Walter Piston. I started staying up very late at night, studying this book, memorizing intervals and trying to do the exercises, although it's hard to do harmony exercises when you don't play piano. After a few weeks, though, I had a pretty good conceptual basis for understanding the harmonies we were singing, and it made it a lot easier to remember, hear and sing my parts. Think of the difference between memorizing a sentence and memorizing a bunch of nonsense syllables. I also took a course in the music of J. S. Bach in the UCLA music department, and did a harmonic analysis of a fugue from the “Well-Tempered Clavier” as a term paper. I wrote a few songs and a couple of four-part contrapuntal pieces for bass, guitar and two mandolins.
I devoted so much time to music that I flunked out of graduate school, but I had decided to make my living playing music, anyway. The rock band made tape after demo tape of original material, graduating from a rented garage to a studio, but rarely played live and never played anyone else's music. My bass playing was like my mandolin playing - wooden, rhythmically uninteresting. That band broke up, and I joined another rock band that played nothing but covers and played out a lot. I listened to the original versions of the songs we played and copied a lot of the bass parts. After I had learned a lot of “bass words”, I got a feeling for the “language” of the bass and for syncopation. I learned to play a bass line that kept the rhythm moving forward. By the time I gave it up, I was a pretty fair bass player. : I realized this band was going nowhere, and that I was not going to be a professional musician, so I sold my 1915 F-2 mandolin to pay off my bass and sold my bass to my brother. End of story… until 1974.
In 1974 I started going to the Red Vest Pizza Parlor in El Cerrito, CA, to see the various Bluegrass bands that played there several nights a week. Inspired by “Done Gone”, “The Good Ole Persons” and others, I decided to take up the mandolin again and get back into Bluegrass. After getting through the “bloody-fingers” period, I found that my playing was considerably better than before, especially rhythmically, that I could work out breaks to songs much more easily and sing - even arrange - harmony parts. I finally felt fairly comfortable with the “language” of music, just as I had become comfortable with the Russian language, and by using the same two-pronged approach: 1) learn the rules and 2) memorize until you can create.
For those of us who didn't walk home from grammar school humming a tune and whistling harmony to it, learning at least the rudiments of music theory -- scales, intervals, chords, tonality, modality -- can “turn nonsense syllables into words and sentences”, so to speak. It can help you perceive what you hear.
Here's hoping that these monthly “Music Tidbits” will be helpful. Any questions or suggestions for subject matter may be sent to: email@example.com.
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domain: hobby


text:
7-AAD Viability Dye
Flow Product Type:
IVD & CE
7-AAD Viability Dye is a ready-to-use reagent allowing discrimination of viable from non viable cells using flow cytometry. It is composed of 7-Amino-Actinomycin D (7-AAD) which intercalates between cytosine and guanine bases of the DNA. The maximum absorption of the 7-AAD / DNA complex is situated in the green spectral region, compatible with argon laser equipped-cytometer (excitation wavelength of 488 nm). The deep red fluorescence emission of 7-AAD (635 to 675 nm) makes the use of this probe easier in combination with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and phycoerythrin (PE) conjugated antibodies because, in contrast to propidium iodide (PI), the 7-AAD / DNA complex shows minimal spectral overlap with FITC and PE.
: In Vitro Diagnostic Products. These products are labeled "For In Vitro Diagnostic Use."
: Analyte Specific Reagents. These reagents are labeled "Analyte Specific Reagents. Analytical and performance characteristics are not established."
: CE-marked products. CE-marked products are labeled for in vitro diagnostic use and can be traded throughout the EU.
: Research Use Only Reagents. These reagents are labeled "For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures."
: Laboratory Use Only Reagents. These reagents are labeled "For Laboratory Use Only."
IVD & CE
: In Vitro Diagnostic Products and CE-Marked Products. These reagents comply with the IVD and CE classifications and are distributed worldwide for in vitro diagnostic use.
ASR & RUO
: Analyte Specific Reagents & Research Use Only Reagents. These reagents are labeled ASR for distribution throughout the Americas and RUO throughout the rest of the world. These products comply with the ASR and RUO definitions above.

domain: biology


text:
In The Best Book On Getting Into Venture Capital 3 venture capitalists walk readers through everything they need to know about getting into the industry. From an industry overview and exploring the right mindset to succeed, to recommendations for the best places to look for jobs in venture capital, this book is an all-encompassing guide to all things VC.
Ankit, David, and Linus use personal and professional experience to walk their readers through exactly what they need to know: how to market yourself as an attractive applicant, how to nail the interview, and what skills and experiences are perfect for a successful career in venture capital. Their varying and unique experiences provide deep insight into the industry and provide guidance to those from all types of backgrounds, whether it's Silicon Valley or international VC experience you're looking to gain. This book includes 5 tips to keep in mind while applying, details the perfect VC resume, walks readers through the interview process (including sample interview questions and answers), and recommends paths a career in venture capital can lead to. If you're looking to land a job in venture capital, this eBook doesn't miss a step.

domain: library


text:
From Our Editors
Keep your pet healthy and active with some new food, treats and toys from K and K Groom N Room in Columbus.
Your pet will love you if you bring it home an item like pet apparel and pet toys. Keep your pet happy and entertained all day with some new supplies, such as carriers, from here. There's a wide variety of pet apparel and pet toys available to make sure your pet is snug and safe in its own home. It's important to keep your furry or scaly friend healthy, so look into the health services offered here including healthcare. Treat your pets to the best meal of their lives by stocking up on food and supplies here including bowls and other feeders.
Save time and money with nearby parking options at K and K Groom N Room. K and K Groom N Room invites you to visit and select your new pet today!

domain: pet


text:
June Class of 1941 Armstrong High School [cellulose acetate photonegative, banquet camera format]
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)
Armstrong High School (Washington, D.C.)
Silver gelatin on cellulose acetate film sheet
1 item, [10" x 20"]
African Americans Washington (D.C.)
Banquet camera photographs
Fees for commercial use. Smithsonian Institution owns rights.
Good; tape on edges, fingerprints, silvering, acetate odor, slight warping
Group of students on bleachers in front of school building. Six boys are in military uniform, possibly R.O.T.C. members. Ink on negative: caption and "Scurlock Photo". "AGFA SAFETY FILM" edge imprint.
Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History : Archives Center. P.O. Box 37012, MRC 601, Constitution Ave., between 12th and 14th Sts., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20013-7012. Call 202-633-3270 for appointment. Fax: 202-786-2453

domain: history


text:
01 October 2011
Ex. A dentist who is running his dispensary for last 10 years, has not paid professional tax for these years. However, He has filed his ITRs regularly. I have following queries: 1) What are the consequences of such non-payment of PT? 2) If he wishes to pay the entire PT for last 10 years and of current year, then how much penalty / interest will be charged? 3) Whether can he claim this PT amount & interest / Penalty on his ITR for A.Y. 2012-13? 4) How can he pay this amount?
13 October 2011
Mr Suraj, There is no much difficulty in this matter. The department charges some penalty and interest on balance unpaid amount.Penalty and interest rtes differ in each state. Go to your concerned PTO office,get it calculated and pay at one stretch. MJK

domain: finance


The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday appointed former Congress leaders Sunil Jakhar and Amarinder Singh and former Uttar Pradesh Congress president Swatantra Dev Singh as members of its national executive, ANI reported.
The party also appointed former Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill as one of its national spokespersons.
Jakhar had joined the BJP in July. He had quit the Congress on May 14, saying that the party was facing an existential crisis. The Congress had removed Jakhar from all posts on April 26 accusing him of being involved in activities against the party.
Singh had joined the BJP in September. He had also announced the merger of his outfit, the Punjab Lok Congress, with the BJP.
The Punjab Lok Congress was founded in November 2021 after Singh had resigned as the chief minister and quit the Congress in September following a tussle with Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Meanwhile, Shergill had resigned from the Congress in August. In a letter to former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Shergill had said that the ideology and the vision of the current decision-makers of the Congress were no longer in sync with the aspirations of the youth and modern India.
He had also accused the Congress of not taking the interests of the public and the country and being influenced by the “self-serving interests of individuals indulging in sycophancy and consistently ignoring on-ground reality”.


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Invisalign is one of the most popular modern solutions for straightening smiles. Using a series of custom-made clear aligners, it moves teeth to their ideal location.
If you want to improve your dental alignment and the overall appearance of your smile, then consider Invisalign.
Here’s everything you need to know about Invisalign treatment in NE Calgary.
About Invisalign Treatment
Invisalign clear aligners gradually adjust the position of your teeth over the course of treatment. Along the way, you progress through a personalized set of aligner trays, each slightly moving your teeth closer to their correct spot.
How does Invisalign work? Here are a few key points to note:
The goal of clear braces is to correct crowding, gapped teeth, and/or your bite for a straighter smile.
You must wear aligners for at least 22 hours a day to see accurate results. Sticking to the schedule is key for ensuring that they move your teeth efficiently.
About every two weeks, you’ll move to a new tray. The total Invisalign treatment is often between 12 and 18 months long.
Aligners are removable, so you take them out to get at and drink non-water liquids. Thoroughly clean your teeth before re-inserting them. This prevents staining to keep your aligners clear and discrete.
Check in with the dentist every 6-10 weeks to ensure your treatment is going as planned.
Invisalign in NE Calgary
If you’re looking to straighten your teeth, then Invisalign treatment may be for you. It can be the ideal option for people of all ages.
Dr. Brent MacDonald offers complete Invisalign treatment in NE Calgary. Our dentist will help you ensure you’re a fit for clear aligners, and guide you through the process from start to finish.

domain: medical


Respond Software Case Study.
About The Organization.
Create Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to perform automated testing and deployment of images
Update / create Terraform scripts for AWS infrastructure automation
Enable security at every layer using SSL certificates, encryption and other measures such as AWS Cloudtrail, Config, IAM roles to limit access on a need to know basis
Setup a common “management network or VPC” to consolidate common management functions
Establish reliable deployment practices
Help with chargeback and pricing optimizations
When the client approached RestonLogic, they were looking for a reliable means of creating software delivery pipelines including automated testing of their application. The number of clients were increasing every month and the software version deployed for each customer’s cloud instances was different. This caused confusion, additional overhead and multiple software branch streams to support a particular version. The customer needed a fool-proof method of updating application on these clusters without incurring any downtime.
The application stack used several AWS services such as ECS, RDS, ELB, EC2, Kinesis and Redshift. Our team got to work immediately and met with software, network, data architects to understand the complex workflow and component interactions. We understood the authentication, data flow, application roles, deployment, monitoring, KPIs and scaling challenges.
We presented our approach, toolsets, deployment and testing strategies, milestones and gap analysis. Our approach and attention to detail was well received and after incorporating feedback from customer, we began Phase 2 of the project.
Our team used existing SCM tools the customer was familiar, GitLab, and enabled the CI/CD component, GitLab CI for automation. We developed several pipelines to automate build and deployment to AWS ECS. We also developed or enhanced Terraform modules to provision the AWS infrastructure.
Next, we enhanced the pipelines to build and deliver a Blue Green Deployment strategy so that new versions of application code could be tested and delivered to a standby cluster (Green) assuming Blue was the production cluster. Once all tests were successfully completed, a small percentage (5 – 10%) of production traffic was diverted to the new cluster, and further tests run. Gradually we increased the percentage until everyone was on the now production cluster labeled “Green”. The original cluster, Blue was either preserved as a backup or eliminated to save costs depending on customer’s preference.
The complete setup is captured in the following diagram:
These efforts enabled the customer to save costs, time and helped meet their aggressive deadlines. The customer now has:
- A well-tested application pipeline that can deploy new versions on demand or on schedule
- Ability to spin up app clusters on demand with a single click
- Ability to go-live earlier than planned
- Avoided duplicate functions and expensive software purchases as our team was able to use existing tools such as GitLab CI
- Blue Green practices that can deploy application with zero downtime
- Accurate charge-back mode as cost of each app cluster is known in advance


DOHA, Dec 8 (KUNA) -- Bahrain won their first Arabian Gulf Cup title ever, edging Saudi Arabia, 1-0, in Qatar's Khalifa International Stadium on Sunday.
In the first half, both teams performed well and were too close to each other's nets.
In minute 12, Saudi Arabia's Salman Al-Faraj squandered a golden chance when he failed to score from a penalty shot. In the second half, the two teams also exchanged controlling the game and creating attacks on each other's nets.
However, in minute 68, Bahrain's Mohammad Al-Romaihi scored the only goal of the game, helping his team snatch the most prosperous trophy.
Kuwait won the Arabian Gulf Cup title ten times, while Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq have the title three times each. Oman and the UAE won the trophy twice each and Bahrain once. Bahrainis have failed to win the title throughout the biennial event's 49-year history, finishing as runners-up on four occasions. Four months ago, Bahrain won the 2019 West Asian Football Federation Championship (WAFF), which was hosted by Iraq's Irbil. (end) ss.sa.tb.hm


text:
Target: President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea
Goal: Ensure that dog meat and dog farms remain illegal in South Korea.
The Korean Dog Meat Association has estimated a staggering 20 thousand dog farms and 6 million dogs being bred for human consumption in South Korea alone. Though in 1984, the South Korean government mandated a law classifying dog meat as ‘repugnant food,’ the country has long held a notoriously laissez-faire approach in dealing with the issue of edible dogs. The Korean Dog Meat Organization demonstrates an obvious lack of interest in animal rights as well as sanitary and health concerns for humans. So it is high time for the government to stop the efforts of the Korean Dog Meat Association from legalizing dog farms and dog meat.
In September 2012, the Korean Dog Meat Association held one of the biggest protests to date—pleading for the government to officially legalize dog farms and dog meat. However, during their protest, they failed to mention the atrocities 2.5 million dogs suffer through each year—from germ-ridden cages to brutality—believing that the more the animals suffer, the more delicious the meats will taste.
Asides from the horrific acts imposed on these innocent animals, the rotten leftovers and unsanitary environment not only affect the animals’ health but those who consume these meats. These diseases that are transmitted to humans can easily spread to others within the community—wreaking havoc on a society.
Please sign the petition below to become an active voice for those animals that are voiceless. Stop the Korean Dog Meat Association from profiting from the $2 billion dog and cat meat industry.
Dear President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea,
I am writing to you to urge you to stop the efforts of the Korean Dog Meat Association from legalizing dog farms and dog meat. Furthermore, it is time to start enforcing the 1984 law that classifies dog meat as ‘repugnant food.’
Each year, over 2.5 million dogs are stuffed into small cages, fed rotten food, and tortured to death. Not only do these acts infringe upon the rights of animals, but they risk the health of humans who consume these products. The diseases that these poor animals attract are easily transmitted to humans.
With a growing $2 billion dog and cat meat industry, it is obvious that the Korean Dog Meat Association wants the support of the South Korean government so they can continue their unlawful activities and make a profit by selling 8,500 tons of dog meat and 93,600 medicinal tonic—derived from dogs—per year.
As a nation that has gracefully lifted itself from the rubble of economic distress and war, South Korea should continue on the high road of success and ensure that dog meat and dog farms remain illegal.
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: dgoomany via Flickr.

domain: politics


text:
09 Nov Building a Community of Change: Collective Action Lab
The Collective Action Lab accelerates implementation of collaborative ideas in community. There are many barriers to successful implementation. Although these barriers are not new, there is greater urgency to address them due to shrinking resources, increasing complexity and interdependencies, and growing societal needs. Knowing this, we had to connect and learn more about their secret sauce!
Listen to the interview with the Lab's Founder, Olivia Mastry, J.D., M.P.H. and Alex Clark after the break!

domain: sociology


text:
Image borrowed from Google images
Last night was the first night that I was able to sleep in my own bedroom.
For several nights now, I have been sleeping on the sofa in the living room which is warmer, and Brownie was elated at having me share his sleeping quarters.
It seemed no matter how tightly I closed my bedroom windows (yes the seals are intact), the "cold" permeated the room, making it unbearable for a good night's sleep, except I was wrapped up like some mummified cocoon and wearing socks.....who can sleep like that? For goodness sakes we're in the tropics.
We were experiencing our own polar vortex with extremely cold gusty winds and rain. Everyone I knew was complaining how cold the nights were.
The days similarly were not as warm as they normally were. I dared not open my windows when I awoke as usual....no siree.....
Around 9am, I would tentatively open my windows, but not very wide, since the breeze was still quite nippy. I didn't dare venture outside to work in the garden until the sun was quite high in the sky, and even then, the winds were still giving me a goosebump or two.
Battling the "cold"
Images borrowed from Google images
I have been drinking copious cups of ginger tea to keep warm and wearing a long sleeved jacket and socks when needed..........for goodness sakes, aren't we in the Caribbean???
Brownie however was loving it, and he enjoyed relaxing or sleeping outdoors with the high winds whipping all around him during the day.
One of my friends who loves the cooler weather even suggested that the cool air should be bottled and saved for the summer months.....good luck with that.
Technically, all the cold front remnants that leave the US mainland travel downwards to our area, so technically we were experiencing the remnants of the US polar vortex.
Thankfully the island is back to its regular self....at least today it was.
This morning, when I got up, I threw my windows wide open to welcome the warmer air.
Today was a nice HOTT day and I was able to get lots of gardening done, including some grass cutting......about time.
I am definitely not a cold-weather person.
Polar Vortex article here.
Niagara Falls frozen as a result of the Polar Vortex here.

domain: geography


- Top Tens home
- Top 10 possible deals
Skysports.com's Chris Burton picks out ten players that could be on the move before the transfer window slams shut
There are just six shopping days left until the summer transfer window closes for business, so expect a late flurry of activity.
In much the same way as most of us - by 'us' I mean men - leave it until 24th December to do our Christmas shopping, football managers up and down the country are expected to let things go to the wire before bringing fresh faces into their respective squads.
The Premier League is renowned for throwing up dramatic late transfer tales, and there is little to suggest that this year will be any different.
Harry Redknapp, a man who appears to love conducting his business on deadline day, is yet to show his hand, while Arsene Wenger has a considerable wedge burning a hole in his pocket and Manchester City and Chelsea operate in a world all of their own.
So, while there may only be a week remaining of a busy window, it would be wise to expect things to get even busier as we count down the days, hours, minutes and possibly even seconds until 11pm on 31st August.
It is never a good idea to try and second guess the plans of bosses desperate to get their hands on the fabled 'missing piece', but we at skysports.com are prepared to give it a shot and here we have picked out 10 players that we believe could be on the move before the window slams shut.
Few expected Parker to start the new season at West Ham, following their relegation out of the Premier League. He is, however, still on the books at Upton Park and has generated considerably less speculation the longer the summer has dragged on. The reigning Football Writers' Association Player of the Year would have no shortage of willing takers were the Hammers to relax their stance, but David Sullivan and David Gold have not made their millions in bowing to pressure. Manchester City are considered to be his most likely destination (2/5 with Sky Bet) were he to move on, but Arsenal (7/2) have entered the race following the loss of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. Tottenham are long-term admirers of Parker, but relations between West Ham and Spurs have soured of late and an agreement seems unlikely.
Wright-Phillips could be another casualty of the Eastlands revolution, with Manchester City continuing to spend big in their pursuit of silverware. With the Blues having successfully booked their place in this season's UEFA Champions League, they are now able to entice a higher calibre of player to the Etihad Stadium. That is not to say that England international Wright-Phillips is a bad player, but it is difficult to see how he will get a game with competition for places so fierce. The experienced winger would welcome the opportunity to take in regular first-team football elsewhere and Bolton and Stoke could offer him the game time he craves. Queens Park Rangers are also understood to be keen, but Neil Warnock may find it difficult to lure former Chelsea man Wright-Phillips back to the capital.
Now that summer-long sagas regarding Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri have reached a conclusion, Modric will once again take centre stage in transfer gossip columns. The Croatian playmaker has made it clear that he wants out of Tottenham, with his head having been turned by interest from Chelsea. The Blues have already seen two sizeable bids knocked back, with Spurs adamant that they are not looking to sell. Roman Abramovich has deep pockets, though, and he could give the go-ahead for a third approach to be made should Andre Villas-Boas suggest that he wants Modric on board. Spurs would be reluctant sellers but, if they were to agree a deal in plenty of time, they would be able to pump funds back into a squad that Redknapp has suggested is still in need of some fine-tuning.
Liverpool's capture of Cole last summer was lauded from all corners, with former Reds boss Roy Hodgson credited with pulling off quite in coup in tempting the England man to Anfield. It is, however, fair to say that things have not gone according to plan for Cole during his time on Merseyside. A red card on his Premier League debut set the tone and things have gone from bad to worse since then. He does not appear to hold a prominent place in Kenny Dalglish's plans, given his summer business, and a departure from Anfield after 12 disappointing months could be on the cards. QPR (9/4) are interested, with Neil Warnock a fan of Cole's enigmatic talents, while Tottenham (1/5) could make a late swoop. Cole worked with Harry Redknapp during his early days at West Ham and the Spurs boss could be the man to bring the best out of a player who has lost his way but remains one of the most technically-gifted performers in the country.
While the likes of Wright-Phillips, Craig Bellamy, Wayne Bridge and Roque Santa Cruz have been callously left on the shelf by Manchester City, Carlos Tevez is a completely different kettle of fish. City do not want to lose the man who helped them to first underline their ambition and then start delivering results. The Argentine's arrival from Manchester United was greeted with mass hysteria at Eastlands and it is easy to see why, with Tevez's record during his time at City making for impressive reading. He is, however, a player who does not like to stand still for long and he has expressed a desire to take on a new challenge. A return to former employers Corinthians was touted, but the Brazilian outfit failed to find the necessary funds. City still want £50million for a player that no longer wants to play for them, but a Real Madrid (5/2) or an Inter Milan (4/6) may decide to splash the cash if things get desperate - especially as Inter have offloaded Samuel Eto'o.
If Arsene Wenger was not aware of the need to bring a new centre-half to Arsenal as a matter of urgency before the opening weeks of the season, he is very much aware of that need now. The Gunners currently find themselves down to the bare bones at the back, with a succession of injuries having conspired against them. Most Gunners were of the opinion that they needed to strengthen in that area anyway, so it might not be the worst thing that Wenger has been given a helpful nudge in that particular direction. Phil Jagielka has been mentioned as a possible target, with one bid having been lodged, but Cahill would appear to be a more realistic option. Bolton may be tempted to sell at the right price, while Arsenal would be getting an international performer who is more defensively-minded than a number of the so-called defenders already on the books at the Emirates. Should Wenger decide against a move, Liverpool could pounce.
Another of those Wenger could be tempted to move for is Blackburn man mountain Samba. The Congo international would appear to be everything Arsenal are looking for. They no longer need ball players, they need somebody who is prepared to get themselves dirty doing the basics of everyday defending. Samba fits that bill, with his physical presence something the Gunners have lacked in recent years. Arsenal are not the only ones keen on the Rovers man, though, with their local rivals Tottenham also believed to be in the hunt. Redknapp is another manager who remains short on reliable centre-halves and no-one would bat an eyelid were he to make a late raid on Ewood Park.
While Redknapp is expected to indulge in his customary round of deadline day deals, there could be as many outgoings at White Hart Lane as there are incomings. Among those that could be ushered to the exits is Kranjcar. The Croatian is a player rated highly by Redknapp, after working with him at both Portsmouth and Tottenham. He is, however, unable to offer him a regular starting place and the talented playmaker is growing increasingly frustrated at playing a bit-part role. He has been hinting at a move for some time and 2011 could be the year he finally gets his wish. Sunderland (1/6) boss Steve Bruce has admitted to holding an interest in Kranjcar, with a loan deal touted. A switch to foreign climes has also been mentioned, with Serie A giants Roma and Juventus ready to battle it out for the 27-year-old's signature.
Crouch could be another of those deemed surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane. He is a useful weapon to have in any attacking arsenal, with his height allowing him to pose a different kind of threat. The former Liverpool and Portsmouth frontman can also be relied upon to grab the odd goal, having broken into double figures in each of the last seven seasons. Spurs, though, may feel that they have enough firepower at their disposal, especially as they are closing on a deal for Manchester City's Emmanuel Adebayor. Crouch will have no problem finding a new club should Spurs look to sell, with most Premier League managers likely to be keen. Stoke, who have the game to play to Crouch's strengths, are considered to be the favourites if a deal is to be done (1/3), while Fulham and Sunderland would also be strong contenders in any bidding war.
Centre-halves are flavour of the month at the moment, with Arsenal's sluggish start to the season helping to highlight their value. Dann is another of those in the Parker mould, with it something of a surprise to find him still on the books of a second tier side. Birmingham slipped out of the top flight last season after seeing Dann laid low with an untimely knock, with his presence sorely missed during the run-in. The former Coventry man was held up as one of the Premier League's most consistent performers during his time at that level and most managers worth their salt would be more than happy to add him to their ranks. Stoke (12/1), again, have led the chase, but have so far been unable to strike a deal. Arsenal (2/3) remain on the lookout for a player of Dann's ilk, while Liverpool (6/4) are said to be mulling over a big-money bid.
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Pilot lands aircraft at wrong airport due to technical glitches: NAC
KATHMANDU: Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) on Wednesday said that the pilot of the Nepal Airlines landed the aircraft, which was supposed to land at Salle Airport, Rukum, at Nepalgunj Airport because of technical glitches.
The state-owned company said that the incident occurred due to technical glitches and it would not repeat again in the future.
Earlier on November 21, pilot Pemba Sherpa landed the aircraft, heading towards Salle of Rukum from Kathmandu, at the Nepalgunj Airport saying that his duty hours ended mid-flight.
The NAC furnished an explanation by issuing a press statement following an argument with the Ministry.
Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Ale directed NAC to seek clarification from pilot Sherpa after he landed the aircraft at the Nepalgunj Airport instead of Salle Airport.
The NAC said that it was decided not to fly the aircraft to Rukum as the flight rules of the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority has set a limit of 10 hours for the pilot’s flight duty period daily , the statement read.


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Universal Orlando‘s Mythos restaurant is one of the most popular dining options inside the Universal theme parks. Mythos is located in Universal’s Islands of Adventure right between two of the most popular rides: the new Jurassic World Velicoaster and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures. This sit down dining experience is considered the BEST theme park dining at Universal. See why people rave about this spot in my Mythos dining review.
Mythos does take dining reservations on the Universal website. I highly recommend making a reservation before your visit because it’s rare for walk ups to be available. You can modify your reservation after you make it if need be so it’s good to just grab a date/time as early as you know you’ll be visiting.
Planning Your Universal Orlando Vacation
While you’re planning your Universal Studios Florida trip, you should refer to our various planning guides in addition to this Universal Studios Florida best rides guide. I have shared our complete guide to Universal Orlando with tips for taking advantage of everything offered at the entire resort and the best information on saving money with discount Universal Orlando tickets.
Universal Orlando: Mythos Review
Mythos Restaurant inside Universal Orlando offers a menu of Greek, American, Mediterrian, and other global dishes in a Greece themed atmosphere. Some of the most well-known entrees at Mythos include the pan roasted salmon with mint oil and spicy tomato-fennel broth, the cranberry blue cheese crusted pork loin with apple-brandy demi-glace and the chicken and shrimp pad Thai noodles in sweet and sour peanut sauce. Mythos Restaurant also offers a variety of sandwiches, burgers, blackened fish tacos, and more.
I reserved our lunch spot via Open Table about a month before our visit and had plenty of options to pick from. I’m glad I had a reservation because on the day of our visit the parks were crowded and they were turning away many groups without reservations. There’s not many restaurants inside the Universal theme parks that take reservations so it was a nice way to break up our day and get a break.
The themed atmosphere of Mythos makes it another fun choice for theme park dining with the wide windows offering a great view of the Hulk coaster and water fountains all throughout the interior.
The exterior of the restaurant appears more of a park attraction than a restaurant with rock formations and waterfalls. This same theme continues into the interior with carved figures on the walls and ceiling.
The interior of Mythos is themed like a large cave that aims to replicate the atmosphere of an oceanside grotto. There is also outdoor esating where you can take in great views of Islands of Adventure.
Mythos Review Dining Experience
We both ordered the Heart of Romaine Caesarcrisp romaine, roasted plum tomato, charred pita, house made Caesar dressing, and shaved Parmesan. It was a decent salad, as far as salads go!
Plan Your Universal Orlando Vacation!
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Anti-Semitic Riots (Toronto)
Toronto’s Allan Gardens Riot was preceded by the Christie Pits Riot of 1933, an explosion of anti-Semitism in the heart of the city. The riot at Christie Pits playground occurred after a baseball game involving a predominantly Jewish team. When the team won the game, a gang of men displayed swastikas and the riot ensued.
In 1965, a group of neo-Nazis attempted to hold a march at Allan Gardens. Their actions precipitated a riot with the city’s Jewish community.
Borovoy, Alan. At the Barricades: A Memoir. Toronto: Irwin Law, 2013.
- Any use of material or referencing content from HistoryOfRights.ca should be acknowledged by the User and cited as follows:
- Clément, Dominique. “page title or document title.” Canada’s Human Rights History. www.HistoryOfRights.ca (date accessed).


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Young People Reflect on How 9/11 Shaped Generation
America Remembers 9/11 | PBS NewsHour http://to.pbs.org/mVBUK4 On that September morning when terrorists struck in New York City, Arlington, Va. and Shanksville, Pa., the sun had not yet come up in the small city of Clovis, Calif. For almost all the West Coast's younger generation, word came while they were at home, getting ready for school. Judy Woodruff reports on how 9/11 helped shaped the generation for young Americans.
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The Ghanaian midfielder has been linked with a move to French club Monaco in recent weeks, and respected journalist Gianluca Di Marzio believes that the Rossoneri may target the Bologna playmaker as his replacement.
Boateng is likely to leave for around €13m, and as such, Di Marzio is confident that the money will be directly reinvested into the purchase of the Italy international.
Diamanti enjoyed a hugely successful campaign in 2012/13, scoring seven and assisting 11 goals in 35 appearances.
Read the original article on Football Italia - The ultimate website for English-speaking fans of Italian football
- Sports & Recreation

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On 5-7-1954 Don Stark (nickname: Don) was born in New York, New York, United States. He made his 5 million dollar fortune with That `70s Show. The actor & director his starsign is Cancer and he is now 67 years of age.
Don Stark Facts & Wiki
Where does Don Stark live? And how much money does Don Stark earn?
Religion - believes in God?
He owns a house in Agoura Hills, California.
Don Stark Net Worth, Salary, Cars & Houses
Don Stark is an American actor and director who has a net worth of $5 million. He is best known for his performance in the sitcom "That '70s Show" from 1998 to 2006.

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At Any Rate...
On this episode B-Mack (@MartezLVE) and B-Eazy (@preacher_the_accuser) discuss the Oprah and Russell Simmons beef, Harvey Weinstein, State of Emergency in NOLA, more money erroneously deposited, the album of the decade and more...
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The Hump failed to dazzle audiences - but what's the secret to winning? Photo credit: rockinred1969
In the aftermath of the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday 26 May, there has been mounting pressure on the BBC to withdraw from future competitions as this year’s entry, vintage crooner Engelbert Humperdinck, ended the evening in second-last place: 25th out of 26 European countries. On examination of the results, it seems that the only country who seem to vaguely like the UK are Ireland. So what would the UK need to do to potentially win, or at least not finish so near the bottom?
Do NOT go first
Much has been made of the fact that The Hump had the unlucky draw of going first out of 26 competitors in what was one of the longest Eurovision concerts of recent years. The Times quoted Humperdinck who said that next time we must make sure we don’t go first and get lost in the Eurovision madness. Unfortunately it’s a random draw: so you need a bit of luck in order to dodge the disadvantageous first slot.
Change the voting system
Humperdinck’s son and manager, Scott Dorsey, told The Times that the relatively short 15-minute voting period needs to be revamped. He said that the phone lines become jammed, which deters the older demographic, and said “I don’t know if the voting should go on for 24 hours: perhaps that could give people a real opportunity to vote.”
Dazzle the crowd
The Sun said that, as manifested in the effervescent performance of 1981 winners Bucks Fizz, you need to impress with something the audience will remember. The tabloid didn’t go as far as to say that The Hump should have Velcro-ed his trousers and whipped them off for the rousing final key change, but did suggest that some pyrotechnics and visual trickery (such as Irish entrant Jedward’s on-stage water feature) might have helped.
Be young, sexy, female … and Irish
Ireland has been the most successful nation over the history of the competition; so a bit of the luck of the Irish is a Eurovision top tip if you want to win. This is also the third year in a row that a young, sexy female has won the competition. Indeed, the oldest ever winner was only 39 years old.
Strength in numbers
History also tells us that you increase your chances of winning by performing as part of a group. The Sun said that with Brit boy bands One Direction and The Wanted “taking over the world,” it could be time to enter one of them to remedy the UK’s losing streak.
Get voted in by the British public
Neil McCormick from The Telegraph puts forward the idea that in order to get the best British talent to represent us, we need to run a competition for acts in aid of charity so that famous singers will be encouraged to take part, rather than shying away from potential embarrassment. He suggested that there should be a “top celebrity panel” and public voting to ensure we get the cream of the British crop.
Be, err, good
McCormick reminded that the bottom line is that the act must be half-decent. As the second-biggest exporter of music in the world, we should be able to smash the competition in Europe on the basis of quality. McCormick said he would like to see “genuinely popular artists of the calibre of” Jessie J, Keane, Ed Sheeran, Marina And The Diamonds, Katy B, One Direction, Tinie Tempah and Tinchy Stryder put forward so that even if we don’t win, we can regain the “the moral and artistic high ground.”


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All businesses, from single person start-ups to global enterprises, are being forced to reconsider their current strategy in light of a broadening digital footprint. With our personal and working lives being governed by technology, customers now expect their purchasing and customer lifecycle experience to be a digital one; those who utilise the technology available for the good of their customers are most likely to lead as we venture further into the digital era.
I can attest to this from personal experience, as it greatly frustrates me when a supplier to my household decides to waste their money and my time by sending me ‘document packs’ for signature – placing the burden on me to scan/fax/mail/courier the ‘packs’ back to them.
Having documents arrive at home introduces delays and, on more than one occasion, leave me time to change my mind; time kills deals, even in the B2C space! Unfortunately, my bank/insurance company/pension provider/utilities company etc frequently expose me to such processes, which makes me scratch my head and ask ‘why wouldn’t they rather save money and significantly improve my customer experience?’
The Benefits of a Digital Platform
Aside from the obvious environmental benefits of going paperless, there are plenty of easy-to-quantify savings to be had by eliminating manual, paper-based processes. Just by calculating the amount you spend on paper, ink, postage and long-term document storage that encompass a paper-heavy business, you begin to appreciate the potential savings. However, the benefits go way beyond these obvious hard-dollar savings.
Digital Transaction Management (DTM) is one of the platforms that is offering huge benefits to organisations of every size, industry, and geography, in three key areas:
1. Immediate financial gains – by reducing the transaction time, organisations see needle-moving financial benefits and huge ROI
2. Transforming the customer experience – instead of waiting days, weeks, or even months for transactions to be completed, progress can be made almost instantly. This speed delights external and internal stakeholders and elevates the organisation that provides a superior service
3. Readily demonstrated compliance – every document has a readily accessible digital audit trail, making compliance for industry laws and regulations fast and easy
For those of us heavily involved in the tech industry, digital is second nature. But what about those who don’t move in these circles?
Embrace the Digital Age
DTM has emerged as a new category of cloud services designed to digitally manage document-based transactions. It removes the friction inherent in transactions that involve people, documents, and data to create faster, easier, more convenient and secure processes.
Organisations that embrace the digital future can speed execution, lower operating costs, reduce errors and provide superior customer experience. By staying digital, these companies avoid the traditional pitfalls of lost or missing data and documents, breakages in processes, and lack of visibility into workflow.
Transitioning to a fully digital business needn’t be a challenge, whether you’re a small business or an enterprise. The technology available has empowered us to achieve our goals, be it developing new solutions and products or delivering a better service to customers.


Thursday, March 25, 2010
NCAA Tourney: Thursday Night Previews
Obviously, the level of competition in the Horizon League wasn't strong this season, as the Bulldogs ripped through the regular season and the conference tournament unscathed and unfazed, tearing up Wright St. in the final, 70-45. Butler easily won their opening round game over UTEP, 77-59, but survived a scare against Murray State, winning 54-52. The win over Murray State put Butler's determination and game-ending abilities on display against a very capable team. The Bulldogs trailed much of the game, but stepped up as time wound down, making key buckets and finally stopping the Racers - with a chance to tie or win - from getting off a final shot. Besides their obvious talent on offense, Butler can defend as well.
Syracuse seems to not miss Onuaku at all, winning their tourney opener against Vermont by 23 points and pounding Gonzaga by 22. The Orange 2-3 zone defense seems to be all its cracked up to be, allowing 56 and 65 points respectively in the first two rounds.
Even without their center, Syracuse appears likely to advance due to their explosive offense. They will have four or five players on the floor at any time who can single-handedly run up the score. Wes Johnson is coming off his best game of the season and has seemingly unlimited upside. Andy Rautins is one of the best pure shooters left in the tourney, and Brandon Triche, Scoop Jardine, Kris Joseph and Rick Jackson can all fill it up. Butler will be racing to keep up with the expected Orange scoring onslaught. Butler beat Xavier by a point and topped Ohio State earlier in the season, though the Buckeyes were without Evan Turner at that time, a difference-maker. Losses to Georgetown, Minnesota and Clemson might be more indicative of their true quality.
11 Washington (26-9) vs. 2 West Virginia (29-6), 7:27 pm EDT - Both teams won their conference tournaments and received automatic bids. The Mountaineers have won 8 straight, the Huskies 9 in a row. Washington relies heavily on Quincy Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas, their only players who average in double figures, though Elston Turner has stepped up in their first two tourney games and is their best 3-point shooter.
The Mountaineers sport more balance on offense, though their key player, Da'Sean Butler is a big-play guy with ice in his veins. If any game comes down to the wire, Butler is sure to have the ball in his hands, and he usually produces a winning play. Tourney play usually produces a number of stars, and Butler looks like one. He only scored 9 points in the opening round win over Morgan State, but wasn't really needed as West Virginia won by 27 points. Against Missouri, he was unstoppable, scoring 28 points and helping out on the boards with 8 rebounds.
West Virginia has a distinct size advantage over the Huskies. Pondexter, Washington's best inside player, is only 6'6", but plays bigger. Butler, who lines up as a guard, goes 6'7". Kevin Jones is 6'8", Devin Ebanks, 6'9" and Wellington Smith stands 6'7". If the size doesn't get to Washington, the Mountaineers can bring on their outside gunners, John Flowers and Jonnie West, son of West Virginia and NBA legend Jerry West.
This could turn into a coaching clinic as well. Washington's Lorenzo Romar is arguably the best coach in the PAC-10 and a brilliant tactician. Bob Huggins is coaching at his alma mater. This is his dream team.
6 Xavier (26-8) vs. 2 Kansas St. (28-7), 9:37 pm EDT The Xavier Musketeers have flown somewhat under the radar all season even though they've been ranked in the top 15 or 20 most of the season. They've won 9 of their last 10, the only loss coming to Richmond in the A-10 tourney final, which put three teams from that conference into the tourney. Xavier is the last one standing as Richmond and Temple were wiped out in the opening round.
Jordan Crawford is Xavier's go-to guy, scoring at over 20 points per game on average and coming up big in the tourney with 28 against Minnesota and 27 in the second round win over Pitt.
While Crawford is a one-man highlight reel, K-State offers an abundance of talent, especially in their back court, where Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente have ruled all season. The front line of Curtis Kelly, Dominique Sutton and Jamar Samuels can get after as well. Their combined 30 points per game, with Pullen and Clemente's combined 35, gives the Wildcats unusual scoring balance and plenty of options.
K-State's record down the stretch may be a little misleading. After winning 7 straight in the Big 12, they ended the regular season with losses to Kansas and Iowa State, and then lost to Kansas again in the conference tourney final, but they remained motivated, easily handling North Texas and BYU in the first two rounds. They will be further energized by the departure of Kansas from the tourney field, knowing that they were the second-best team in the Big 12 all year and now have a shot at the Final Four. A meeting with #1 seed in the West region, Syracuse, seems inevitable.
1 Kentucky (32-2) vs. 12 Cornell (29-4), 9:57 pm EDT - This game could be a shocker or a Kentucky rout. It depends on whether the upstarts from upstate - the Cornell Big Red - can continue their torrid shooting pace against the tallest - and possibly the best - team in the nation.
Cornell bombed Temple, 78-65, and blistered Wisconsin, 87-69, shooting 56% against the Owls and an incredible 61% against the Badgers. The Big Red has shocked higher seeds - Temple was 5, Washington a 4 - but Kentucky poses other problems. Still, any team that shoots over 50% is going to be in any game, and the Cornell offense, predicated on ball screens, three-pointers and back-door cuts is extremely disciplined and they carry a nine-game win streak into the fray.
Kentucky comes into the game with about as much swagger and confidence a young, 34-2 team can offer. Guard John Wall has been touted as the NBA's next big thing, forward DeMarcus Cousins is a true powerhouse inside and the balance of the team is absolutely loaded with talent. The Wildcats can, and have, done damage inside or out, in transition or in their half-court sets.
The only knock on them - if there is a legitimate one - is their youth. They will put four freshman on the floor at any given time. Along with Wall and Cousins, guard Eric Bledose and forward Daniel Orton are also freshmen, but they will be aided by junior Patrick Patterson, a blue chip player in his own regard, who could prove to be the wild card for the Wildcats. Cornell simply doesn't have a player who can match up to his size and speed.
Cornell counters with plenty of experience, the biggest man on the floor, center Jeff Foote, Ivy league player of the year, Ryan Wittman and a bevy of 3-point bombers. The Big Red owns the top percentage from beyond the arc in the nation, and, if they're on the mark, will make this game much closer than many expect.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Johnson's 31 and 14 Earn "Day's Best" Honors
A very tough call on which was the most impressive performance in Sunday's second round action as three blue-chippers: DaSean Butler, Evan Turner and Wesley Johnson each led their respective teams to victory.
In the end, Johnson's 31 points and 14 rebounds in SU's 87-65 thrashing of Gonzaga grabs the day's best award, not only because the Orange won in such dominating fashion, but because Johnson's stroke from 3-ball land was so pure early in the game, allowing Syracuse to relax after opening up a big lead. His 4-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc equalled his career best and his 31 points was his highest point total ever. The 14 boards were also important considering the absence of center Arinze Onawaku. Johnson's all-around excellence allowed the rest of the team to fit into the offense effortlessly and thoroughly dismantle the Zags, usually a very disciplined team.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Moving Day: Orange, Buckeyes, Spartans, Big Red, Mountaineers Advance
10 Missouri 59
2 West Virginia 68
The Mountaineers held off a scrappy Mizzou squad, but eventually wore them out. DaSean Butler led the charge with 28 points, including 12 of 13 from the foul line.
12 Cornell 87
4 Wisconsin 69
Cinderella Cornell established an early lead and expanded it to as many as 24 points in the second half, completely dominating their Big Ten rivals. Louis Dale had 26 points and Ryan Whittman scored 24 to pace the Big Red, improving their season record to 29-4. Cornell will face the region's top seed, Kentucky, in a regional semi-final game.
10 GA Tech 66
2 Ohio St. 75
The Buckeyes advanced past Georgia Tech to the regional semi-finals on the strength of Evan Turner's all-around floor presence. Turner tallied a game-high 24 points to go with 10 rebounds and 9 assists.
5 Michigan St. 85
4 Maryland 83
Greivis Vazquez hit a jumper to give Maryland a one-point lead with 6.6 seconds left, but Cory Lucious nailed a three as time expired, enabling Michigan State to advance. Durrell Summers single-handedly kept the Spartan hopes alive with 26 points, hitting 6 of 8 threes and 10 of 15 overall. Durrell's game-high total also equalled his career best.
1 Syracuse 87
8 Gonzaga 65
Once Syracuse had established a lead early in the first half, there was no looking back as the Orange, led by Wesley Johnson's game-high 31 and 14 rebounds and Andy Rautins' 24 points, throughly disabled the Gonzaga offense with the 2-3 zone defense and demoralized Gonzaga players by bombarding them with 3-pointers and an up-tempo offense. Syracuse shot 55% for the game, hitting 12 of 25 from beyond the arc.
The Orange advance to the regional semi-final against Butler.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Second Round Bound: Syracuse, Ohio State, Cal, Maryland
15 UC-Santa Barbara 51
2 Ohio St. 68
Jon Diebler drained 7 of 12 three-pointers, allowing Ohio State to coast to an opening round win over the gauchos. The Buckeyes meet Georgia Tech in the second round.
13 Houston 77
4 Maryland 89
Aubrey Coleman, the nation's leading scorer, has a game-high , but the Maryland attack was more balanced. Jordan Williams scored 21 points and snatched 15 rebounds to spearhead the effort which sent the Terrapins to a second round match-up with Michigan State.
9 Louisville 62
8 California 77
Cal opened the game with a 12-0 run and it was 22-4 before Louisville ever got involved. The Cardinals eventually cut Cals' lead to 4 in the second half, but then were shut out for nearly four minutes as the Golden Bears secured the win. Jerome Randle and Theo Robinson each tallied 21 for Cal, who will face Duke in the next round.
1 Syracuse 79
16 Vermont 56
Wesley Johnson scored 18 points to lead five Syracuse players in double figures over Vermont. The Orange face Gonzaga in the second round Sunday in Buffalo.
NCAA Conference Scoreboard (includes all 1st round games)
Big East (4-4)
Big Ten (4-1)
Big 12 (5-2)
West Coast (2-0)
Western Athletic (0-2)
*Conferences with only one tournament team listed as "Other."
Monday, March 01, 2010
Syracuse Marches Into Madness As #1
The 27-2 Orangemen are ranked #1 for the first time during the regular season since 1990. They received 59 of a possible 65 first-place votes in the most recent AP poll (see sidebar, below), followed by Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and Kansas State. Ohio State moved up to #6.
Syracuse has not lost on the road this season, with an 11-0 mark away from the Carrier Dome.
Labels: Syracuse Orangemen
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Rautins, Jackson Propel Syracuse Past Providence
Just in case anybody was thinking Syracuse could suffer a late-season letdown, Andy Rautins and Rick Jackson sent a loud reminder the the Orangemen can score from anywhere on the floor.
After trailing at the break to Providence, 52-47, Syracuse put on a show of offensive firepower and defensive skills, outscoring the Friars, 52-33, en route to a 99-85 victory, their 26th, against just 2 losses. Jackson was a powerhouse inside, hitting on 13 of 17 shots for a career-high 28 points to go with his 9 rebounds (6 offensive). Rautins, who has emerged as the team leader this season, matched Jackson in the points column, going 10-for-16 from the field, including 8 of 12 3-point attempts. He fell just one point short of his own career high.
While those two were playing Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside, their teammates were slamming the door on the overmatched Friars, who had hit 10 of 19 three-pointers in the first half. In the second half, they went just 4-for-14 from beyond the arc, with Syracuse defenders challenging almost every shot.
The 99 points scored by Syracuse was the best offensive output they've had against any Big East opponent this season by far. Their previous high was 85, also scored against Providence.
In first place at 13-2 in the conference with just three games left on the regular season schedule, the Orange earned a double bye in the upcoming Big East tournament as they are certain to be one of the top four teams. Syracuse is one game up on Villanova, whom they host on Saturday. A win there would virtually assure that the Orangemen are corwned Big East champs.
Notable: Keep an eye on the Florida Gators. With their 75-62 win over Tennessee Tuesday night, they're in a good spot in the SEC East, at 9-4 (20-8 overall). With three games left on their schedule, the Gators are hoping to win two of them. They play at Georgia on Saturday, then host Vanderbilt on March 2 before finishing up on the road, at Kentucky, March 7.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Rautins Stars as Syracuse Downs Georgetown
The first meeting this season between age-old rivals Georgetown and Syracuse resulted in a less-than epic performance as the Orangemen dusted the Hoyas by an easy 73-56 score at the Carrier Dome. On Thursday night, it appeared that the Orange had Georgetown's number again, despite the game being played on the Hoyas' home floor.
Taking the lead right from the start, Syracuse extended a 44-31 half time gap to eventually lead by as many as 23 points before the Hoyas put together a mid-to-late second half run that cut the lead to 1, at 71-70, with just over a minute remaining. Having lost both of their big men - Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson - to fouls, the Orange responded with a basket by super sub Kris Joseph and a pair of Andy Rautins free throws that sealed up a 75-71 victory, Syracuse's 9th straight road win without a loss and 7th in Big East play.
Rautins, who scored 15 points and had six steals in their first encounter, emerged as the game's high-scorer with a season-high 26 points on 6-for-11 shooting, which included 5 of 9 3-point scores. A 74% free throw shooter, Rautins canned 9 of 11 from the line and hauled in 7 rebounds.
Though Syracuse blew most of their impressive lead, they did not look rattled at any point of the game, especially in the final minute. With legendary Jim Boeheim on the sidelines and floor leader Rautins directing traffic in the 2-3 zone scheme, Syracuse virtually wrapped up a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament with their gritty performance, to say nothing of their shining 25-2 record. They also managed to slip 1/2 game ahead of Villanova in the Big East standings, at 12-2. The 11-2 Wildcats play at Pittsburgh and host South Florida before heading up to play Syracuse next Saturday (Feb. 27), in their only meeting this season, a game that should decide the Big East champion.
Notable: Both #13 Gonzaga and #14 Wisconsin suffered losses to unranked opponents Thursday, the Zags falling Loyola Marymount, 74-66, while the Badgers were thumped by Minnesota, 68-52. Late-season losses have a way of deflating a team's seeding at the Big Dance, especially the kind of drubbing taken by the Badgers. Minnesota is about as bubbly a team as there is in the country, with a 6-7 conference record and 15-10 tally overall. The win was more important for their post-season than the damage it did to Wisconsin's.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Onuaku Polices the Lane as SU Goes to 22-1
Arinze Onuaku, the 6'9" center for the Syracuse Orangemen, probably doesn't get enough credit for his work in the lane because of SU's reliance on Jim Boehiem's remarkably-effective 2-3 zone defense, but the big man in the middle does have a way of taking up space and discouraging traffic near the hoop.
In Tuesday's encounter with Providence, Onuaku delivered on both ends of the floor, scoring a season-high 20 points on 10-for-12 shooting, while keeping the Friars out of the lane defensively with 4 blocks and 7 rebounds, 3 offensive. Consequently, the #3 Orangemen turned a 3-point half time advantage into an 85-68 home win, improving to 22-1 overall and 9-1 in the conference, 1/2 game behind Villanova (9-0). Syracuse suffered its only loss of the season at home against Pitt, but that was a month ago, and the Orange have run off 9 straight wins while the Panthers have gone just 4-3 over the same span.
Syracuse will likely enter the NCAA's March Madness as a #1 or #2 seed, as their only remaining stiff challenges are at Georgetown (Feb. 18) and on February 27, when they host Villanova, a game that may decide the regular season Big East champion.
Notable: The selection committee for the NCAA tournament may have an easy time picking #1 seeds for this year's field of 65. Four teams: Kansas (20-1), Villanova (20-1), Syracuse (22-1) and Kentucky (20-1) have pulled away from the pack and are ranked 1-4 in the AP Poll. After them, only two teams in division 1 have two losses - BYU and Northern Iowa - though their conferences are not nearly the caliber of the Big 12, SEC or the Big East.
Monday, January 25, 2010
#4 Syracuse Rips #7 Hoyas at Carrier Dome
Big East rivalries don't get any bigger than the one witnessed Monday night by a national television audience (ESPN), as Georgetown headed north from the nation's capitol to take on the Syracuse Orangemen.
At the beginning, everything went Georgetown's way, with the Hoyas building a 14-0 lead. Once Syracuse got on track, however, it was game over, lights out, everybody down. The Orange stormed to a 34-29 lead at the break and opened up by as many as 20, eventually winning in a laugher, 73-56. Too quick and too physical for the Hoyas, Syracuse converted 21 of 28 free throws, compared to just 6 of 11 from the line for Georgetown.
Andy Rautins and Kris Joseph led the Orange attack with 15 points apiece. Joseph added 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. Rautins dished 6 assists and had 6 steals.
Wesley Johnson had a superb all-around game with 14 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals and 4 blocked shots, all while committing not a single personal foul.
Notable: Kansas, seeking their 54th straight home win, held Missouri to 27% shooting in the first half while building a 50-30 lead en route to an easy, 84-65 win. Cole Aldrich had 11 rebounds by half time as all 8 Kansas players who saw floor time scored, led by Marcus Morris with 11 points. Aldrich finished with 16 rebounds, 6 blocks and 12 points and was a key factor in Kansas' fast breaks with deft, deep outlet passes. #3 KU improved to 19-1, and 5-0 and sole possession of first place in the Big 12.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Upsets Predominant In Wide-Open ACC
The big news in the Top 25 Wednesday night was #24 Clemson's smashing performance over #12 North Carolina, in which the Tigers took advantage of 27 Tar Heel turnovers, including 14 steals, mostly by Clemson guard Tanner Smith and forward David Potter, each of whom had five. Clemson took an early lead and dominated the entire game, winning, 83-64. The win improved Clemson to 2-1 in the conference and a highly respectable 14-3 overall.
Later in the evening, two more upsets verified that the ACC, one of the top two or three conferences in the nation, was loaded with quality teams. Virginia slipped by 20th-ranked Georgia Tech, 82-75, while Virginia Tech was absolutely hammering #23 Miami, putting their offense on cruise control in the second half after taking a 50-23 lead into the break. The Hokies eventually finished off the Hurricanes with an 81-66 rout, improving to 13-2, as junior gaurd Malcolm Delaney hoisted up a game-high 28 points, to go with 9 assists and 4 rebounds.
All of the ACC upsets occurred on the home floors of the winners. With strong fan bases and generally loud crowds, college basketball presents one of the most challenging environments for visiting teams, especially in the hotly contested ACC.
The scramble already on at the top and middle ranks of the conference, all of the confusion adds to 14-2 Duke's strong position at 2-1, with their only ACC loss coming just this past Saturday, as Georgia tech stepped up for a 71-67 win. The Blue Devils' only other loss was to Big Ten powerhouse, Wisconsin, another 4-point defeat, making the Blue Devils just four buckets short of perfection at 14-2. Duke held court at home over Boston College, 79-59.
NOTABLE: Senior guard Andy Rautins led five doble-figure scorers with 23 points, as the #5 Syracuse Orangemen improved to 16-1 with an 81-65 spanking of Rutgers. Rautins had one of the best all-round games by a single player this season, grabbing 8 rebounds, dishing 9 assists and snatching 5 steals.
Pittsburgh, the only team to have beaten Syracuse this season, continued to vie for first place, going to 4-0 in the Big East - along with Villanova - with a 67-57 defeat of a highly suspect UConn team. The Huskies are already 2-3 in the conference and 11-5 overall. While it's still early in the season, the huskies have the look of a definite bubble team when time comes to pick the 65 competitors for the NCAA tournament.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Six-for-Six... Unbeaten Teams Remain Perfect
When the balls hit the various floors across the college basketball spectrum on Tuesday, six teams remained undefeated. By the time the final buzzers sounded, all six - Kansas, Texas, Syracuse, Purdue, Kentucky and West Virginia - still had perfect records.
Most of the games were one-sided affairs, though Syracuse had to sweat out a 80-73 win at Seton Hall, aided by Wesley Johnson's huge effort: 20 points and 19 boards.
West Virginia narrowly escaped at home against Marquette, getting a buzzer-beating 20-foot jumper from Da’Sean Butler for the 63-62 win. The Mountaineers are 11-0.
The most impressive performance by a single player came in the most one-sided game of the evening, Kentucky's 104-61 pounding of Hartford. Freshman sensation John Wall scored just 9 points, but set a school record by dishing out 16 assists. The accomplishment is augmented by remembering the exceptional players who passed the rock over Kentucky's 100 years or so of basketball excellence. Wall's effort was the best ever. Now that's saying something.
NOTABLE: Not only did the top six teams in the rankings win on Monday, but so did #7 Duke, #12 Kansas State, #16 Mississippi, and #21 Clemson. The only Top 25 team to lose was #20 Texas Tech. They took a 90-75 loss at #19 New Mexico.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Orangemen Tame Gators on Jackson's 21 and 11
After Kentucky's narrow win over Connecticut on Wednesday, the Syracuse Orangemen struck a blow for the Big East conference, knocking off #10 Florida, 85-73, in the second day of the SEC/Big East Invitational at Madison Square Garden.
Syracuse led almost the entire game, pulling away late in the second half as the Gators kept themselves in it by nailing 12 of 30 3-pointers. Junior forward Rick Jackson led the scoring charge with 21 points and was one of three Orangemen registering double-doubles as he hauled in 11 boards, 7 of them on the offensive end. Wes Johnson kicked in 17 points and 10 rebounds; Kris Joseph had 10 and 12.
The conferences are tied at 2 wins apiece, as Mississippi State stopped DePaul, 76-45, and Cincinnati defeated Miami, 63-59.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Upsets Proliferate Across College Hoops Landscape
With college basketball becoming more and more competitive in the early going, the number of upsets - and the term should be used lightly as this early juncture - has increased this season as never before. On Friday, five top 25 teams were dumped by unranked schools, giving credence to the camp which believes pre-season and early rankings are worthless.
The games must be played on the court, and some of these smaller schools have talent popping right out of the hardwood.
The biggest surprise was probably Florida's 77-74 win over #2 Michigan State. Though out-shooting the Gators, the Spartans turned the ball over 24 times, while Florida hit 22-of-25 from the charity stripe for the win.
Here's a quick run-down of the other eye-popping upsets:
Utah 60, #20 Illinois 58
Northwestern 72, #23 Notre Dame 58
Portland 61, #22 Minnesota 56
Marquette 79, #15 Michigan 65
What stands out is that four of the teams upset came out of the Big Ten, so, maybe these aren't really all that surprising after all.
In Syracuse's 85-60 thumping of Columbia (this was a real creampuff opponent), forward Wesley Johnson tallied a season-high 26 points, going 8-for-13 from the field, including 4-of-5 from three-point land. Johnson also hit all 6 of his free throws, grabbed 3 rebounds, dished three assists and had two steals.
The Orangemen are 6-0, and face Colgate and Maine this coming week, prior to a trip South to face the Gators on December 10. That should prove interesting.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Rautins, Johnson Lead Syracuse Past Tar Heels
Watch out for Jim Boehiem's Syracuse Orangemen this season. Ranked preseason as the 6th-best team in the Big East, the Orange took out two ranked opponents en route to capturing the championship in the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic at madison Square Garden in New York.
After throttling Cal, 95-73, on Thursday, they routed North Carolina, 87-71, Friday night to improve their record to 4-0. (Big East teams were 41-0 before Providence and South Florida lost Friday night to Alabama and South Carolina, respectively.)
Syracuse was led by 6'7" junior forward Wesley Johnson, who sat out all of last season after transferring from Iowa State University. Johnson lit it up for a game-high 25 points, to go with his 8 boards. Johnson was 10-17 from the field, hitting 4-of-8 3-pointers.
The Orangemen had five players in double figures, but senior Andy Rautins was everywhere, scoring 11 points with 3 3-pointers, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 steals.
Syracuse, trailing 39-37 at the half, exploded for a 25-2 run to open the second half and take complete control of the game. North Carolina drew to within 8 points, but never threatened as the Orangemen employed their 2-3 zone to produce 18 Tar Heel turnovers.
NOTABLE: Tennessee's Scotty Hopson tallied 25 points for the second straight game, hitting 10-of-15 shots, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, in a 105-66 win over East Carolina. The 3-0 Vols lead the nation in scoring at 104 points per game.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Syracuse Outlasts UConn in 6 OT Big East Classic
Jim Boeheim's Syracuse Orangemen and Jim Calhoun's Connecticut Huskies staged one for the ages late-night at the Garden with the longest game in Big East history and the second longest game in college basketball history.
The upset-minded Orangemen stayed right with highly-regarded #4 UConn every step of the way, leading through most of the first half, but trailing by as many as 6 points in the second in the nightcap of a wild Big East quarterfinal day at Madison Square Garden.
After a frenetic first 32 minutes, Kristof Ongenaet tied the score with a pair of free throws at 51-all and Andy Rautins gave the Orangemen the lead with a 3-pointer with under 8 minutes left to play. Craig Austrie quickly retied the game with a three of his own, but then Eric Devendorf answered with a trey for Syracuse.
After Jeff Adrian hit a two-point bucket, Syraucse point guard Jonny Flynn hit a driving layup, was fouled and hit the ensuing free throw to put Syracuse up 60-56 with 6:35 to play.
The Huskies had their chances, but Stanley Robinson missed 2 free throws and Haseem Thabeet converted only one of two and missed the front end of a one-and one as time wound under 5 minutes to play. The Orange took a five-point lead on Eric Devendorf's jumper, 62-57 and when Jonny Flynn fed Arinze Onuaku under the rim the Orange had a 7-point bulge with under 4 to go.
UConn responded with a 7-0 run, punctuated by Stanley Robinson's lay-in at 2:25 which tied the game at 64-all.
Arinze Onuaku, one of the worst free throw shooters in the nation at just 30%, made two clutch foul shots with under 2:00 to give the Orange a 2-point edge. Jonny Flynn added a pair, but UConn's Craig Austrie hit a big 3-pointer to cut the lead to 1, with 1:08 to play.
Devendorf was fouled and hit a pair to give Syracuse a 70-67 lead at 0:49. Thabeet cut it to one again with 31 second left.
Ongenaet gave the Orangemen a 2-point edge with 27 seconds left when he made one of two from the line. Kemba Walker scored a tip-in with 1.1 left to tie it at 71-71. Eric Devendorf's 23-foot bomb at the end of regulation was disallowed by the referees after a video review and the two teams headed to overtime.
Stanley Robinson, who hit only one 3-pointer all season, hit his second with 1:37 left in OT to give UConn a 80-76 lead. Rautins responded with a lazar 3-pointer to cut the advantage to 1 point at 1:17. The Huskies missed on their next possession and Syracuse had an opportunity to take the lead with 36 seconds to go, but Rautins missed a three and the Orange fouled Stanley Robinson at 0:15. Robinson hit one of two.
Flynn fed Rick Jackson for a dunk with 8 seconds left and UConn was unable to convert, sending the game to a second OT at 81-all.
With 1:58 to go in the second OT, UConn led by three, 86-83, but Jonny Flynn drove to the hoop, scored and was fouled, and made the free throw to tie the game.
Onuaku then fouled Thabeet on battle for a rebound off a missed Husky shot at 1:18, but Thabeet hit just one of two. At 0:57 Autrie fouled Devendorf, Syracuse's best foul shooter, but he made only one of two for the tie.
UConn could not convert a number of tip-ins on their next possession, and Syracuse has a chance to win it, but could not convert as time ran down sending the game to a third overtime at 87-87.
Syracuse entered the third OT with both of their big men, Onuaku and Ongenaet on the bench, having fouled out. The Huskies took advantage, scoring the first six points of the period. Rautins and Paul Harris each canned a pair of free throws to draw within two at 93-91, but A.J. Price's pair got the Huskies back up by 4. Jeff Adrian's jam at 1:58 pushed it back to a six point edge. Syracuse scored four straight to get back to within two at 97-95 with under a minute to play.
The Orange had opportunities after two missed Husky shots, but UConn controlled the offensive boards both times forcing Devendorf to foul A.J. Price with 21 seconds to go. Price hit just one of two for a three-point bulge. Andy Rautins lined up a three with 11 seconds to play and canned it to tie the game and force a 4th OT at 98-all.
Rick Jackson, Syracuse's 3rd forward, fouled out in the first minute of the 4th OT, but the Orange got a break when the 7'3" Thabeet fouled out just seconds later. Neither team could gain an advantage, as they traded misses and baskets, eventually getting to 104-all with 0:38 left, but neither team could covert: 5th OT.
A.J. Price scored the only points in the first 3 minutes of the first overtime on a 17-foot jumper and two free throws to give UConn a 4-point lead at 108-104. Devendorf fouled out with 2:01 remaining.
Jonny Flynn scored a layup at 1:55, and, after a UConn miss, Syracuse had another chance to tie with 1:30 to go. Flynn drove to the hoop and drew the foul, stepped to the line and hit both with 58 seconds left.
Scotty Haralson hit a bucket with 35 second left, but Flynn canned another pair with 20 seconds left. UConn could not score on their final possession forcing the 6th overtime.
Rautins gave the Orangemen their first lead after regulation with a 3-ball to open the 6th OT. After a travel by A.J. Price, Paul Harris finally got a layup to go down for a 5-point SU lead. Fatigue took its toll on the Huskies, as they missed badly on their first six shots in the 6th extra session.
Paul Harris made another layup with 2:36 left, was fouled and hit the free throw for a 118-110 lead. Syracuse led by 10, at 122-112 with 1:38 to play and held on for the win as both teams played sloppily the rest of the way.
Syracuse never led in any of the overtime periods except the last. Jonny Flynn scored 34 points, handed out 11 assists, was a perfect 16 of 16 from the foul line and played a Syracuse, Big East and probably a college basketball record 67 minutes. Paul Harris missed at least 6 layups in the last 3 OTs but still finished with 26 points and 22 rebounds. Devendorf had 22 points and Rautins scored 20. The game lasted 3 hours and 46 minutes, beginning just at 9:36 pm and ending at 1:22 am ET.
A.J. Price led the Huskies with a career-high 33 points before fouling out with 2:58 left in the 3rd OT. Four different Huskies had had 10 or more rebounds, led by Jeff Adrien's 16.
The game was the second longest in NCAA history, falling just one overtime short of the Dec. 21, 1981, 75-73 Cincinnati win over Bradley.
It was the sixth straight win for the Orangemen, who advance to the semifinals Friday to face West Virginia, a team they beat at home, 74-61, in the regular season. The Orangemen remained perfect in overtime games, at 4-0 this season.
After the long night (and early morning) Syracuse catches somewhat of a break, getting West Virginia at 9:30 pm tomorrow night. The Mountaineers upset Pitt earlier in the game.
Get some rest, guys.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Syracuse Blows By Seton Hall
Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf each scored 19 points and Flynn dished out 11 assists, as the Syracuse Orangemen advanced to the Big east quarterfinals.
Seton Hall trailed most of the game, but scored the first six points of the second half to lead 37-36 and tied the game at 44-44, but from there, it was all Orangemen, as Syraucse built a lead that would expand to 24 points.
Syracuse faces the unwelcome task of having to play UConn in the quarterfinal round on Thursday. The Orangemen played at Connecticut on February 11 and were held to their lowest point total of the season in a 63-49 loss.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Duke Downs Seminoles, Sets Up Sunday Showdown With Tar Heels
Gerald Henderson led the Blue Devils in scoring for the 4th straight game, with 21 points. Game high honors went to Florida State's Toney Douglas, who had 27, including 5 three-pointers.
11-3 North Carolina plays at Virginia Tech Wednesday night prior to the big event. Duke improved to 11-4 in the conference and 25-5 overall.
*** - *** - ***
Elsewhere around the college hoops universe, #18 Clemson powered past Virginia, 75-57, bolstering their credentials for an NCAA bid at 10-6 in the ACC and 24-6 overall.
#14 Gonzaga cruised past South Carolina Upstate, 90-40, getting scoring from 9 different players.
Having just been restored to the Top 25 on Monday, #25 Syracuse survived one of the worst halves of their season in the opening 20 minutes at home against Rutgers, hitting just 7 of 23 (30%) from the field and 1-8 from three-point range. Still, they trailed by just a point at the break, 20-19, as the Scarlet Knights shot just 26%.
The second half was another story, as the Orange hit 10 or their first 11 shots and went on a 14-0 run to open a 15-point lead at 43-28. From there it was all Orange in their last game of the season at the Carrier Dome, running away late for a convincing, 70-40 win.
Syracuse had lost 6 straight when trailing at the half but reversed that trend with their third straight Big East. They close out their season Saturday at #13 Marquette.
Oklahoma State moved into 5th place in the Big 12 standings, getting past Kansas State, 77-71, for their sixth straight win. The Cowboys are 9-6 in the conference and 20-9 overall. The NCAA selection committee always favors teams playing well down the stretch and Oklahoma State has been doing just that. They close out their regular season at #4 Oklahoma on Saturday.
Ohio State continued to cling to slim hopes of making the big dance, with a 60-58 win at Iowa. The Buckeyes are 19-9 and 9-8 in the Big Ten and close out their season hosting Northwestern on Sunday.
Late night in the ACC, #10 Wake Forest put the final nail in Maryland's post-season coffin and maybe ended the coaching reign of the Terrapins' Gary Williams with a 65-63 win at Maryland. The Terps have missed the NCAA tourney four of the past five years and with a record of 18-11 and 7-8 in the conference, Maryland faces a must-win situation Saturday at Virginia in their regular season finale.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Syracuse Stops Georgetown Streak
Just two days after Georgetown toppled Pitt from the top slot in the Big East standings, they find themselves even with the Panthers in the loss column again. The Hoyas have one Big East game remaining - vs. UConn on Saturday - while the Panthers close out conference play at home vs. West Virginia tonight and at Marquette on Saturday.
Syracuse moved into a tie with Notre Dame for 4th place at 10-5. The Orange finish Big east play at Villanova on Saturday. While the win over the Hoyas probably clinched a spot in the Big Dance for the 'Cuse, the upcoming Big East tournament will be about gaining better seeding. The Big East may be sending as many as 8 teams into the March Madness fray.
#6 Kansas 67 Oklahoma 65 - Julian Wright and Mario Chalmers scored 18 points each as the Jayhawks improved to 13-2 in the conference. The Jayhawks blew a 17-point lead but rallied late for the road win over the Sooners. The win allowed Kansas to briefly grab a 1/2-game lead over Texas A&M atop the Big 12 standings. They have only one game remaining, but it's a big one, at home against Texas (11-3) on Saturday. The 12-2 Aggies play at Texas on Wednesday and finish up at home with Missouri.
If Texas wins both of their remaining games and A&M beats Missouri, the three teams could end up tied for the conference title at 13-3. All of this makes for an interesting week in the Big 12, which is likely to get three or four NCAA tournament bids at best. With the Aggies, Longhorns and Jayhawks already locked in, only Texas Tech or Kansas State are worthy of consideration.


text:
Lynn Paula Russell, Strictures 3
Lynn Paula Russell
Strictures 3. (Needs to be purchased with Strictures 1 & 2 – with discount)
Original drawing for Februs magazine, issue 39, on page 26.
Pencil on paper.
Sheet: 30cm X 38cm. Image: 19cm X 32cm
Needs to be purchased with ‘Strictures 1 & 2’ £450 For the three (discounted from £600). Sold
***There are links below to guide you on how to purchase and also to our short biographical details of the artist. Additionally there is a link below if you would like to read the artist’s article on the Sexual Tarot (The Kairos Tarot)***

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