2009–10 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 2009–10 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team represented Syracuse University
in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
. Their head coach was Jim Boeheim
, serving for his 34th year. The team played its home games at the Carrier Dome
in Syracuse
, New York. Key contributors included seniors Arinze Onuaku
and Andy Rautins
, juniors Rick Jackson
and Wesley Johnson
, sophomores Scoop Jardine
and Kris Joseph
and freshmen Mookie Jones
, DaShonte Riley, James Southerland and Brandon Triche.
Although widely expected to finish near the middle of the league, the Orange captured its eighth Big East regular season title, and second outright, as well as the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament
. The team also achieved its first No. 1 ranking in the national AP Poll since the 1989-90 season, and its first in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll since winning the national championship
in 2003.
The Orange failed to win the Big East tournament, falling in the quarterfinals to Georgetown
, but their regular season efforts earned them a 1 seed in the West Region of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
. They easily won their first and second round games over 16 seed Vermont and 8 seed Gonzaga
to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they were upset by 5 seed and AP #11 Butler
to end the season 30–5.
declared for the 2009 NBA Draft
and was taken with the sixth overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves
. Also turning pro were shooting guard Eric Devendorf
and small forward Paul Harris
. The Orange also lost one scholarship senior, power forward Kristof Ongenaet
and one transfer, center Sean Williams.
Additions to the team include Iowa State
transfer Wes Johnson
, who sat out the 2008-09 season because of NCAA transfer rules. Also, point guard Scoop Jardine returns after redshirting
due to a stress fracture in his shin. Small forward Mookie Jones
also redshirted the previous year because of a hip injury.
Syracuse also brought in three new players for 2009-10: power forward DaShonte Riley, small forward James Southerland and guard Brandon Triche. Southerland was actually a 2008 recruit, but could not play because he was academically ineligible. He spent a year at a prep school to improve his grades.
. Arinze Onuaku was the only Orange player to make the preseason All-Big East team, receiving an honorable mention.
!colspan=9| Exhibition
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!colspan=9| Regular Season
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!colspan=9| Big East Regular Season
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!colspan=9| Big East Tournament
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!colspan=9| NCAA Tournament
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Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2009, and ended with the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 5, 2010 on the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The opening round occurred on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, followed by first...
. Their head coach was Jim Boeheim
Jim Boeheim
James Arthur "Jim" Boeheim is the head coach of the men's basketball team at Syracuse University. Boeheim has guided the Orange to eight Big East regular season championships, five Big East Tournament championships, and 28 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three appearances in the national...
, serving for his 34th year. The team played its home games at the Carrier Dome
Carrier Dome
The Carrier Dome is a 49,250-seat domed sports stadium located on the campus of Syracuse University in the University Hill neighborhood of Syracuse, New York, USA. It is home to the Syracuse Orange football, basketball, and lacrosse teams. High school football championships are also held in "The...
in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, New York. Key contributors included seniors Arinze Onuaku
Arinze Onuaku
Arinze Onuaku is a 6'9", 275lb professional basketball player from Lanham, Maryland who was on the Syracuse Orange basketball team. He went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft. He is currently playing with the LKL team, Klaipėdos Neptūnas....
and Andy Rautins
Andy Rautins
Andrew Jay "Andy" Rautins is a , 205 lbs. guard for the New York Knicks of the NBA. He was born in Syracuse, New York. He is a Canadian citizen and played for the Syracuse Orange and Canadian Men's National Basketball team...
, juniors Rick Jackson
Rick Jackson
Richard Kadeem Jackson is an American professional basketball forward for Chorale Roanne Basket of the Ligue Nationale de Basketball in France...
and Wesley Johnson
Wesley Johnson (basketball)
Wesley JaMarr Johnson is an American basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played college basketball at Syracuse and Iowa State...
, sophomores Scoop Jardine
Antonio Jardine
Antonio "Scoop" Jardine" is a 6'1", 170 lbs. guard from Philadelphia, PA who plays for the Syracuse Orange.-High school:At Neumann-Goretti High School, Jardine was the teammate of former SU player Rick Jackson....
and Kris Joseph
Kris Joseph
Kris Joseph is a Canadian basketball player who currently plays for the Syracuse Orange men's basketball team. Kris is the brother of University of Vermont Catamounts' basketball player, Maurice Joseph.- High school :...
and freshmen Mookie Jones
Mookie Jones
Mookie Jones is a 6'6", 190 lbs. forward who plays for the Syracuse Orange.-High school:In his senior season at Peekskill High School, Jones averaged 17.1 points per game and was named to the 2008 First-Team Journal News Westchester/Putnam All-Star team. The New York State Sportswriters...
, DaShonte Riley, James Southerland and Brandon Triche.
Although widely expected to finish near the middle of the league, the Orange captured its eighth Big East regular season title, and second outright, as well as the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament
2010 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
-Championship Game:-See also:*2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season*Big East Men's Basketball Tournament*2009–10 Big East Conference men's basketball season*2010 Big East Women's Basketball Tournament- External links :*...
. The team also achieved its first No. 1 ranking in the national AP Poll since the 1989-90 season, and its first in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll since winning the national championship
2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2003, and ended with the championship game on April 7 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
in 2003.
The Orange failed to win the Big East tournament, falling in the quarterfinals to Georgetown
2009–10 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team represented Georgetown University in the 2009–2010 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Hoyas were coached by John Thompson III and played their home games at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. The Hoyas are members of the Big East Conference....
, but their regular season efforts earned them a 1 seed in the West Region of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
. They easily won their first and second round games over 16 seed Vermont and 8 seed Gonzaga
2009–10 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Gonzaga University in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bulldogs are members of the West Coast Conference, were led by head coach Mark Few, and played they home games at the McCarthey Athletic Center on the...
to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they were upset by 5 seed and AP #11 Butler
2009–10 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represented the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Brad Stevens, serving his 3rd year...
to end the season 30–5.
Roster changes
Syracuse lost its starting backcourt from the previous season as point guard Jonny FlynnJonny Flynn
Jonny William Flynn is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
declared for the 2009 NBA Draft
2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
and was taken with the sixth overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
. Also turning pro were shooting guard Eric Devendorf
Eric Devendorf
Eric Devendorf is an American professional basketball player from Bay City, Michigan who came from Oak Hill Academy and played for the Syracuse University Orange. He currently plays for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League....
and small forward Paul Harris
Paul Harris (basketball)
Paul Harris is an American professional basketball player who recently played for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters of the Philippine Basketball Association...
. The Orange also lost one scholarship senior, power forward Kristof Ongenaet
Kristof Ongenaet
Kristof Ongenaet is a forward from Ghent, Belgium who is a former player for the Syracuse Orange. He played for Sutor Basket Montegranaro in the Italian based Lega Basket Serie A league.-Team Belgium:...
and one transfer, center Sean Williams.
Additions to the team include Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball
The Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team represents Iowa State University and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.-Johnny Orr era :...
transfer Wes Johnson
Wesley Johnson (basketball)
Wesley JaMarr Johnson is an American basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played college basketball at Syracuse and Iowa State...
, who sat out the 2008-09 season because of NCAA transfer rules. Also, point guard Scoop Jardine returns after redshirting
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
due to a stress fracture in his shin. Small forward Mookie Jones
Mookie Jones
Mookie Jones is a 6'6", 190 lbs. forward who plays for the Syracuse Orange.-High school:In his senior season at Peekskill High School, Jones averaged 17.1 points per game and was named to the 2008 First-Team Journal News Westchester/Putnam All-Star team. The New York State Sportswriters...
also redshirted the previous year because of a hip injury.
Syracuse also brought in three new players for 2009-10: power forward DaShonte Riley, small forward James Southerland and guard Brandon Triche. Southerland was actually a 2008 recruit, but could not play because he was academically ineligible. He spent a year at a prep school to improve his grades.
Recruiting
Preseason outlook
The departure of Flynn left many college basketball observers pessimistic about the Orange. In the preseason coaches' poll, Syracuse was predicted to finish sixth in the Big East and were unranked in the preseason AP PollAP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. Arinze Onuaku was the only Orange player to make the preseason All-Big East team, receiving an honorable mention.
Roster
Depth chart
Notable games
- On November 4, Syracuse was stunned by Division II Le Moyne CollegeLe Moyne CollegeLe Moyne College, named after Simon Le Moyne, is a private, Jesuit college enrolling over 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1946, Le Moyne is the first Jesuit college to be founded as a co-educational institution...
, 82-79, in its final exhibition gameExhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
before opening the regular season. The loss was Syracuse's first exhibition loss in six years. - On November 20, then-No. 24 Syracuse upset then-No. 4 North Carolina2009–10 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball teamThe 2009–10 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their head coach was Roy Williams. The team played its home games in the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They...
87-71 in the finals of the Coaches Vs. Cancer ClassicCoaches Vs. Cancer ClassicThe Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic is an annual college basketball tournament played in November at the beginning of the season...
at Madison Square GardenMadison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. Wesley JohnsonWesley Johnson (basketball)Wesley JaMarr Johnson is an American basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played college basketball at Syracuse and Iowa State...
scored 25 points and collected eight rebounds, and Syracuse used a 22-1 second half run to open the second half. - On December 10, then-No. 7 Syracuse knocked off then-No. 10 Florida2009–10 Florida Gators men's basketball teamThe 2009–10 Florida Gators men's basketball team represented the University of Florida in the sport of basketball during the 2009–10 college basketball season. The Gators competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern...
in a match up of unbeaten teams. Rick JacksonRick JacksonRichard Kadeem Jackson is an American professional basketball forward for Chorale Roanne Basket of the Ligue Nationale de Basketball in France...
scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Andy RautinsAndy RautinsAndrew Jay "Andy" Rautins is a , 205 lbs. guard for the New York Knicks of the NBA. He was born in Syracuse, New York. He is a Canadian citizen and played for the Syracuse Orange and Canadian Men's National Basketball team...
had 18 points and Wes Johnson finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. - On January 2, then-No. 5 Syracuse was handed its first loss of the season as it was upset by then-unranked Pittsburgh2009–10 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball teamThe 2009-10 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2009-10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their Head Coach was Jamie Dixon, who was in his 7th year as head coach at Pittsburgh and 11th overall at the University...
82-72. Pitt's Ashton Gibbs scored 24 points and Jermaine Dixon added 21. The Orange was led by Wesley Johnson's 19 points. - On January 26, Jim Boehiem extended his NCAA Division-I record for most 20-win seasons to 32, when then-No. 4 Syracuse rallied from a 14-0 starting deficit to defeat then-No. 7 Georgetown2009–10 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball teamThe 2009–10 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team represented Georgetown University in the 2009–2010 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Hoyas were coached by John Thompson III and played their home games at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. The Hoyas are members of the Big East Conference....
73-56. The Orange's Kris Joseph came off the bench to score 15 points, and Wesley Johnson added 14 points and 4 blocks, taking advantage of the Hoyas' 19 turnovers and 20 personal fouls. - On February 27, the Orange clinched its eighth Big East regular season title and a No. 1 seed in the Big East tournament by beating No 8. Villanova, 95–77. The game also set the NCAA on-campus basketball attendance record, with 34,616 spectators present. Three days later they won the title outright, with a win against St. John's, 85-66.
Other news
- On March 1, two days after beating Villanova, Syracuse achieved its first No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll since the 1989-90 season, and its first in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll since winning the national championship2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2003, and ended with the championship game on April 7 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
in 2003.
Schedule
|-!colspan=9| Exhibition
|-
!colspan=9| Regular Season
|-
!colspan=9| Big East Regular Season
|-
!colspan=9| Big East Tournament
2010 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
-Championship Game:-See also:*2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season*Big East Men's Basketball Tournament*2009–10 Big East Conference men's basketball season*2010 Big East Women's Basketball Tournament- External links :*...
|-
!colspan=9| NCAA Tournament
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
†
|-
Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Wk 15 | Wk 16 | WK 17 | Wk 18 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | RV | RV | 10 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | NA |
| Coaches | 25 | 24 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| ESPN Power Ranking | NA | RV | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | NA | NA |
2010 signing class
See also
- Syracuse Orange men's basketballSyracuse Orange men's basketballThe Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
- 2009-10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
- 2009–10 Big East Conference men's basketball season2009–10 Big East Conference men's basketball seasonThe 2009–10 Big East Conference men's basketball season was the 31st in conference history, and involved its 16 full-time member schools. Syracuse captured the regular season title, its eighth overall, and second outright...
- 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...