NCAA

Syracuse: The Least Endearing Cinderella

Posted on by DylanHornik

Four teams in NCAA history have made the Final Four as a double-digit seed: LSU in 1986, George Mason in 2006, VCU in 2011, and Syracuse this year. The ‘Cuse is in the midst of a run that literally no one predicted; there was a more than good chance that they would even make the tournament before Selection Sunday.

They eked by as a 10 seed and blew by Dayton and Middle Tennessee State, straight into a matchup with the talented Gonzaga Bulldogs. Freshman Tyler Lydon blocked a jumper with two seconds left to seal a 63-60 victory and conjure images of Hakeem Warrick’s championship-winning block in 2003. They then staged a 29-8 run in the final ten minutes to come all the way back to a 68-62 victory against top-seeded Virginia and secured a trip to the Final Four, the only team not seeded first or second to get there this year.

This scrappy Syracuse team has effectively become the team to root for this coming weekend as they face ACC compatriot North Carolina for a berth in the National Championship. The fact that the program has been punished for various infractions over the past decade this season is not lost on the minds of the public, either. The team self-imposed a postseason ban last year, lost twelve scholarships over the next four years, starting this year, and Head Coach Jim Boeheim was suspended for nine games earlier in the year, which is partly to blame for his team’s downswing this season. America’s motto for the Final Four should be “All for one, and one for Orange!”

-944900fdef607a25

I’m definitely going to root for Syracuse, no doubt about it, but not because they’re the darlings of the dance. They’ve impressed me all season long, even in defeat (shout out: St. John’s University for taking them down this winter). Besides that, my bracket is busted anyway, especially after Michigan State wet the bed against MTSU, so why not root for competitive games?

The one thing that Syracuse is not, to me, is shocking. We need to remember that this is the same Syracuse team, coached by the same Jim Boeheim, that has been to 32 NCAA tournaments during his reign and dominated the BIG EAST for almost 40 years before switching to the ACC three years ago.

On the court, it’s nearly impossible to bet against Boeheim’s patented 2-3 zone, which he has perfected over the course of his lifetime at the helm. This season, with Boeheim absent from the sideline for about a quarter of his team’s games, the Orange still ranked in the top 25 in the country in scoring defense. They allow their opponents to shoot the ball at just under 41 percent, and just under 31 percent from three, absurdly low numbers even for a team that doesn’t have one nationally recognized talent (yet-keep an eye on Richardson).

It’s a foregone conclusion that a Syracuse team will, at the very least, play defense, and that’s what wins championships: 18 of the last 20 national champions had a defense that held opponents to either under 44% shooting or under 65 points per game (note: this information is not available for the 2000-2001 Duke Blue Devils, who ranked 11th in the nation in defensive efficiency). That takes a great amount of the magic out of their ongoing Final Four run.

20035291-standard

The only way anyone could be shocked by a Syracuse tournament run is if they think that the roster was that depleted by the infractions. Let’s face it, though. Syracuse is a national powerhouse, and they’ll still find a way to get the talent that they need. Even still, most of their major contributors are graduate students and seniors, like Michael Gbinije, who averaged nearly 18 points per game, and Trevor Cooney, who plays 36 minutes per game.

The Orange were still able to land four-star recruit Malachi Richardson, who scored 23 points and led the second-half comeback against Virginia, and Lydon, who has had at least five blocks in three of the four NCAA tournament games he’s played in so far. Syracuse, despite the scholarship loss, has recruited and will continue to recruit some the best talent in the Northeast, and some of the best in the country.

It comes as little surprise that Syracuse came out of the Midwest after Michigan State embarrassed themselves against MTSU, either. The top four seeds in that region that survived the first round- Virginia, Utah, Iowa State, and Butler- have made a combined 81 appearances in the NCAA tournament. That sound pretty good, but Syracuse itself has made 39 appearances in the Big Dance in school history, far better than the pace set forth by the other three schools. The Midwest Region had one of the weaker number one seeds (UVA), but perhaps the strongest number two seed (MSU), with whom Syracuse would’ve had a date with in the second round. Once Middle Tennessee miraculously took care of business, Syracuse’s odds for victory increased.

For the mainstream media, the Syracuse “cinderella” run is a great story. Lyon, Richardson, Gbinije, and the rest of their cast of characters will get more than enough screen time on ESPN and FS1. However, the glass slipper never has, doesn’t currently, and never will, fit the program run by Boeheim because of the culture they’ve been able to create.

How to Save a Program: The Story of UAB Football

Posted on by DylanHornik

The news shocked everyone, especially the players.

On December 2, 2014, just days after completing their 2014 season, Ray Watts, president of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, announced that the school will be terminating its football program, effective starting in 2015. This news brought not only the players and coaching staff to tears, but cut through the hearts of the approximately 212,000 that lived in the largest city in Alabama. The team gave a competitive spirit to a largely corporate city, and the games acted as stress relief for those who felt the daily pressures of a busy city schedule. They had their first postseason-eligible campaign since 2004, and things were looking up on the field. Tight end Brandon Prince said to ESPN, “It’s like SMU. We got the death penalty without any NCAA violations”, referring to the Southern Methodist University squad that was terminated for two years due to improper financial benefits in the early ’80s.

UAB president Ray Watts announces the surprising elimination of the football team, above. Photo via Tamika Moore

There was no homicide of the UAB football team, but rather more of an assisted suicide. The school isn’t financially stable at the moment, and the athletic department was a main cog in the machine pushing UAB further and further in debt. At the time of the announcement, the university admitted that they would need to spend almost $50 million on new football resources and refurbishments in the next 5 years, equating to almost 1/3 of the annual operating budget of the athletic department. At a university where the financial report for 2014 states an operating loss of almost $300 million, it was unfeasible, according to Watts, for the school to continue to pay for a money-guzzling program like football.

Then, something interesting happened. At UAB’s commencement ceremony, graduating linebacker Derek Slaughter (born to play football with a name like that) wore his helmet onstage to receive his diploma. This righteous act of solidarity sparked a huge social media movement, with the trend #FreeUAB leading the way. The fans began to spoke out, and spoke loud, creating websites, Twitter pages, and they even put up billboards around Birmingham calling for the reinstatement of the team. The uproar sent a shockwave through the veins of the football program, and like a defibrillator, started a chain reaction that led to bringing UAB football back to life.

The photo seen around the world: Linebacker Derek Slaughter takes a selfie with his cap, gown, and helmet at UAB’s graduation. Photo via Twitter

The fans had the drive, but what they needed was the money. What was missing was a champion of the people from the top of the expansive corporate world of Birmingham. In stepped Craft O’Neal. As the president and CEO of O’Neal Industries, the parent company of a group of metal service organizations, as well as a major donor to UAB, he jumped on the opportunity to save a program that he held so dearly; he saw the good it for the economy of Birmingham and for the citizens. O’Neal, along with prominent businessman Johnny Johns (born to be a businessman with a name like that), decided to devise a major plan to give the UAB football program the financial boost that it so desperately needs. However, with their window of opportunity closing, they needed support, firepower, and a meeting with Ray Watts.

In that conference room, a smattering of hot-shot business moguls from the greater Birmingham area tried to convince Watts that they would do whatever it takes to revive the football program. He tried to tell them it was impossible. He threw out ridiculous numbers and figures that would make my economics teacher blush, but the delegation never wavered. At the end of the day, they agreed to a $4 million donation to the school and to cover the deficit that UAB currently has from running a football program in the red for a number of years. This, coupled with the admirable private fundraising that has been happening for the last few months, will pay for the upgraded facilities and resources for UAB football. O’Neal says it is necessary. “UAB is the economic engine for Birmingham, and for the state to a large degree. What’s good for UAB is good for Birmingham,” O’Neal said. “We recognized the whole football issue was becoming a real negative for Birmingham and UAB. We see the potential in football at UAB with the proper facilities, so we were willing to step up, get involved and help with that” he said to AL.com. So the plan, concocted in just 15 days, was executed perfectly, and the corporate world of Birmingham brought UAB football back to life.

Who is the real winner here? It clearly isn’t the businessmen from that meeting, who are probably regretting each hefty check they make out to the UAB football booster club. It also can’t possibly be the university. They have been publicly bashed for canning a program on the upswing, and now are embarrassed to be bailed out by a bunch of suits. The football team isn’t even the main winner. Now that the team is officially up and running again, they need to replace the reported 56 (at least) players who have transferred since the end of last year by 2016. There’s no recruiting leverage in saying “Hey, we almost lost this program, but we’re back for now.” It seems, if you think about it, that bringing back the UAB football program will only hurt in the short term.

The fans called, the university listened: One of the billboards pleading to reinstate the UAB football team, which was eventually accomplished with the financial help of Birmingham’s corporate world. Photo via Twitter

However, it is imperative to think in the long term with a scenario such as this. Learning to walk, talk, and breathe again as a football team is no small task, especially when you’ve been announced Dead on Arrival. Like SMU, it may take a couple of years (at least) to bring the program back up to par. The people of Birmingham, media outlets, and especially college football fans, need to give UAB all the support it needs to lift the university up and help it gain fluidity and normalcy on the gridiron. In reality, the true winners are the fans. Those that love the sport should be ecstatic that the college football fandom was able to bring a program back from the dead with their spirit and the goodwill of businessmen. It is inspiring to see that we were able to reverse the first major death of a football program since Pacific in 1995. From here, all signs can only point up, as the UAB Football Blazers trail blaze a path back to life.

Determined, Dynamic, and Doing Well: Division II Success Stories

Posted on by DylanHornik

‘Tis the season for fresh starts all around the country. Today, May 1st, is the day that most of the 3 million or so high school seniors in the U.S make their final decisions on where to continue their higher education (Go St. John’s!). This weekend also happens to be the weekend of the NFL Draft, where hundreds of talented and determined athletes have their futures decided for them by the sleep-deprived, coffee-dependent executives of the National Football League. For football players and 12th graders alike, this can be a nerve-racking, and admittedly frustrating and disappointing time. For the seniors, getting into that big name school but not getting any financial help could crush dreams; likewise for the poor suckers that get drafted by the Jaguars and Buccaneers (sorry, Jameis Winston).

For as many heartbreaks as these circumstances allow, there is a small percentage of NFL hopefuls that didn’t let their college choice keep them from chasing their dream. There is a small group of NFL players that don’t come from the Alabama’s or Notre Dame’s, but rather some smaller schools in the NCAA’s Division II. I think it’s only fitting that this week those who got the most out of wherever they went and are living their NFL dream are given some limelight.

First up is everyone’s favorite average-sized superhero, Danny Woodhead. A graduate of Chadron State College in Nebraska, Woodhead set numerous DII and NCAA records, including the 2,740 yards he ran for in the 2006 regular season. He is a two-time Harlon Hill Trophy winner, essentially the Heisman of Division II, given to the best player in DII football. Despite his impressive stats, he wasn’t given an invite to the NFL Combine, and used his Pro Day to prove everyone wrong. Woodhead ran the 40-yard dash n 4.33 seconds, and bench pressed 225 pounds 20 times. Even after having the opportunity to prove himself in front of scouts, he wasn’t given the time of day during the 2008 NFL Draft, going undrafted. Woodhead stayed positive, and eventually signed a rookie level contract with the New York Jets.

Woodhead was a monster at Chadron State, racking up over 9,000 all-purpose yards.

His time at the Meadowlands was short, and he was used sparingly. After totaling just 151 all-purpose yards in his one season in green and white, Woodhead made the ultimate traitor move. He signed with the AFC-East rival Patriots the next season- one day before they played the Jets. He got his first start the week after, and scored his first career touchdown against the Dolphins. From there, Woodhead was off and running-literally. He had sustained success with the Patriots in his three-year tenure, and went on to sign a two year, $3.5 million contract with the San Diego Chargers. In his first season, he surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards for the first time in his career. Woodhead is described by his former college coach as “unbelievable”. His perseverance and attitude throughout his football career definitely reflect those sentiments.

He’s mostly known for the best interception of the 2014 NFL Season, but Brent Grimes had a season this year that proved that he is one of the most savvy and athletic players at the cornerback position. His road to the NFL, though, is one that’s not desirable. Like Woodhead, Grimes was undrafted out of his DII alma mater Shippensburg University, where he was a 3 time All-American. He was eventually signed to the Atlanta Falcons, who allocated him to the NFL Europe. He played for 3 teams there, winning World Bowl XV with the Hamburg Sea Devils.

This catch by Grimes is one of the top plays from the 2014 season.

After that season ended, he found himself on the active roster for the Falcons. After toiling on the bottom of the depth chart for two seasons, he found success in 2009 with 66 tackles and 6 interceptions. He was even better in 2010, earning Pro Bowl Alternate honors. But then the injury bug came after Grimes, and came after him hard. He struggled with injuries in 2011 and 2012 when he tore his Achilles. He wasn’t resigned with Atlanta after 2012, and pundits immediately trashed him saying he “wasn’t worth the money” and “dicey at best” after his injury. Boy, did he show them. He made the Pro Bowl again in 2013 and 2014, and for a large portion of the 2014 season he was in discussions as one of the top cornerbacks in the game. Not bad for a guy who came from a college town known for it’s Corn Festival rather than gridiron play.

Although his school is now considered Division I, Vincent Jackson’s alma mater, the University of Northern Colorado was a lowly DII program that went 2-9 in Jackson’s final year. As a Bear, he shattered school records in receptions, receiving yards, kick return yards, punt return yards, and receiving touchdowns. To top it all off, he started for the UNC basketball team as well. He is the only one of the three players highlighted to have been drafted- he was taken in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.

Jackson has had one of the most productive careers from a Division II player.

His first three years in the league were slow, topping out at a very average 41 catches. From there, his career and status as a top wideout exploded. Since 2008, he has only posted one season with less than 1,000 receiving yards and in that lone season, 2010, he held out of the first 10 games due to a contract dispute. Even after his move to Tampa Bay, where he’s had some pretty bad quarterbacks in a revolving door of starters for the Bucs (Mike Glennon, Josh Freeman, Josh McCown), he kept up his 1,000 yard pace in 2014, just nipping it with 1,002 yards. While some in San Diego rah-rahed about his poor, selfish attitude, he has been labeled by former coach Greg Schiano as a team player with an incredible work ethic, and is one of the captains for the red, pewter, and white.

This isn’t to say that your team should go out and take that guy from a local community college in the NFL Draft because he has untapped potential. There are guys a lot smarter than me making those decisions, and they leave nothing to chance. Look out for the next Danny Woodhead, Brent Grimes, or Vincent Jackson, and then say “I told you so” to all of your friends and co-workers.