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Syracuse to retire Carmelo Anthony’s No. 15 jersey

By Conor Orr
Sep. 17, 2009 2:38 pm

Just got word that Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse basketball team plans to retire Carmelo Anthony’s jersey. Boeheim told a reporter from NBAFanhouse that the team is waiting for a game that works with Anthony’s NBA schedule in order to hold the official ceremony.

According to university policy, the team only retires jerseys, not numbers. So, technically there could be another No. 15 in the future, although Boeheim said it’s not likely.

‘Melo joins the ranks of Dave Bing, Derrick Coleman, Sherman Douglas, Vic Hanson, Billy Gabor, Billy Owens, Wilmeth Sidat-Singh, Rony Seikaly, and Dwayne “Pearl” Washington, whose jerseys all hang from the rafters of the Carrier Dome.

The former Orange star will be in Syracuse next Thursday for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Carmelo K. Anthony Center next to Manley Field House.

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Posted in: Men's basketball

Exactly two months from today, ESPN will be hosting their second annual 24-hour college basketball Tip-Off Marathon. While it isn't exactly the start of the season (many teams around the country will be playing sometime in the previous week), it is still college hoops.

For 24 straight hours.

Can it get any better than that? Maybe if I was watching with Megan Fox. And she was a UConn fan. But I digress...

On Nov. 17th we get 24 hours of college hoops.
(photo credit: Rush the Court)

Anyway, the schedule was released yesterday, and we have ourselves quite a few excellent match-ups (all times EST, and all games on ESPN unless noted):

12 AM Cal State Fullerton @ UCLA: Both teams will look much different this season than they did last year as CSF will be looking to replace Josh Akognon and his 23.9 ppg while the Bruins will be playing their first game in four years without Josh Shipp, Darren Collison, and Alfred Aboya. It will also be your first chance to see UCLA sophomore Malcolm Lee, who some expect to be a star, in an expanded role.

2 AM San Diego State @ Saint Mary’s: This match-up, which is a rematch from the NIT Quarters last year, is highlighted by two freshman - SDSU's Kawhi Leonard, a top 100 recruit for Steve Fisher, and St. Mary's Matthew Dellavedova, the #1 rated junior player in Australia. Both teams are sleepers to win their respective conferences.

4 AM Northern Colorado @ Hawaii: For the second straight season, Hawaii will be hosting the 4 AM tip time. The Rainbows will be led by athletic wing Roderick Fleming.

6 AM Monmouth @ Saint Peter’s, 8 AM Drexel @ Niagara: Never before in the 8,200 game history of college basketball on ESPN, has a game been aired in either of these time slots. While the early game will be a bit tough to wake up to watch (let alone to play, you think its going to be a sluggish game?), you should be in for a treat in the second game. Bruiser Flint's Drexel team brings back a couple tough guards, while Niagara brings back four of their five starters, and should give Siena a run atop the MAAC.

10 AM Clemson @ Liberty: While the Tigers lost their top two perimeter shooters in KC Rivers and Terrence Oglesby, they were able to sign USC de-commit Noel Johnson to complement Trevor Booker and Demontez Stitt. The Seth Curry-less Flames were able to land a home game against the ACC school after helping Clemson out with a late-scheduled home game last season.

12 PM Northeastern @ Siena: Coming back-to-back trips to the second round of the dance, Siena loses Kenny Hasbrouck but returns enough talent (including Alex Franklin, Edwin Ubiles, Ryan Rossiter, and last year's hero Ronald Moore) to make another run. Northeastern should be pretty good as well. They return Matt Janning, Chaisson Allen, and Manny Adako and will make some noise atop the CAA.

2 PM Arkansas-Little Rock @ Tulsa: Tulsa, who is led by center Jerome Jordan, a potential NBA first rounder, could unseat Memphis from the top of the C-USA. Some media outlets have them as a top 25 team thanks to the addition of freshmen Donte Medder and Jordan Clarkson, who was ranked in ESPN's top 100.

4 PM Temple @ Georgetown: Temple loses leading scorer Dionte Christmas and center Sergio Olmos, but returnees Lavoy Allen and Ryan Brooks are both talented kids. Georgetown, on the other hand, returns their entire core with Chris Wright, Austin Freeman, and Greg Monroe coming back and has a shot to win the Big East.

5:30 PM Binghamton @ Pittsburgh (ESPN2): Binghamton reached the NCAA tournament last season, and returns leading scorer DJ Rivera. The Bearcats might have an actual shot at beating the Panthers, as Pitt not only lost four starters from last year, but their two best returners Gilbert Brown (academics) and Jermaine Dixon (broken foot) may both miss the game.

6 PM Charlotte or Elon @ Duke: This will probably be your first chance to see the bigger Blue Devils play. Duke caught a break as freshman Andre Dawkins was allowed to enroll a year early, giving Coach K his third guard on the roster. Can Kyle Singler handle playing the three?

7:30 PM Arkansas vs. Louisville in St. Louis (ESPN2): Louisville lost a lot to the league (T-Will, Earl Clark), but they return two talented big men in Samardo Samuels and Terrence Jennings. You will get a chance to see if Peyton Siva can be the guy everyone though Edgar Sosa would turn into. Arkansas is a program in turmoil, but with four double figure scorers coming back and a couple of talented newcomers, the Razorbacks have enough talent to make a run at a tournament bid.

8 PM Gonzaga @ Michigan State: Despite losing key role players Travis Walton and Goran Suton, Michigan State once again looks like a favorite in the Big Ten. They will be led by Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers, and Delvon Roe. Gonzaga lost a ton of talent, but they return a solid back court of Matt Bouldin, Demetri Goodson, and Steven Gray, but will they have enough size to handle the Spartans inside?

10 PM Memphis vs. Kansas in St. Louis: Memphis has not caught a break this off-season. Latavious Williams went to China, they lost Coach Cal and their entire recruiting class, their 2007-2008 season was vacated, and they are now down to eight players after Angel Garcia tore his acl. Oh, and they get to play consensus #1 Kansas this early in the season. Fun.

11:30 PM TCU or Cal St Northridge @ Arizona State (ESPN2): The Sun Devils, who will be starting the post James Harden era, are not yet sure who they will be playing in the pre-season NIT.

We’re only one week into football season, but it’s already time to start thinking about basketball. Amazing how quickly the new season always seems to sneak up on us.

Without further ado, here is this year’s schedule:

Nov. 9 — Albany, 9 p.m., ESPNU (Coaches vs. Cancer)
Nov. 11 — Robert Morris, 7 p.m., ESPNU (Coaches vs. Cancer)
Nov. 19 — vs. California, 7 p.m., ESPN2 (Coaches vs. Cancer at Madison Square Garden)
Nov. 20 — vs. North Carolina/Ohio State, 5/7 p.m., ESPN2 (Coaches vs. Cancer at Madison Square Garden)
Nov. 24 — Cornell, TBA
Nov. 27 — Columbia, TBA
Nov. 30 — Colgate, TBA
Dec. 5 — Maine, TBA
Dec. 10 — vs. Florida, 9 p.m., ESPN (Big East/SEC Challenge at St. Petersburg Times Forum)
Dec. 13 — St. Francis (N.Y.), TBA
Dec. 19 — St. Bonaventure, TBA
Dec. 22 — Oakland, TBA
Dec. 29 — @Seton Hall, TBA
Jan. 2 — Pittsburgh, TBA
Jan. 6 — Memphis, TBA
Jan. 10 — South Florida, TBA
Jan. 13 — @Rutgers, TBA
Jan. 16 — @West Virginia, noon, ESPN
Jan. 18 — @Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ESPN
Jan. 23 — Marquette, TBA
Jan. 25 — Georgetown, 7 p.m., ESPN
Jan. 30 — @DePaul, TBA
Feb. 2 — Providence, TBA
Feb. 7 — @Cincinnati
Feb. 10 — Connecticut, 7 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 14 — Louisville, 1 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 18 — @Georgetown, 7 p.m.
Feb. 23 — @Providence, TBA
Feb. 27 — Villanova, 9 p.m., ESPN
March 2 — St. John’s, TBA
March 6 — @Louisville, 2 p.m., ESPN

So what do we think? I don’t see an impossible stretch like Syracuse endured at the beginning of its Big East schedule last season. Should be an interesting run.

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First, it was Rick Pitino's impromptu press conference. Then, Billy Gillispie decided it was a good time to further derail his once promising coaching career by driving drunk at 3am.

And last, but not least, John Calipari, who decided it would be a good idea to tell a reporter for the Memphis Commercial-Appeal about his desire to punch a certain sportswriter in the face.

One minute on Wednesday, Calipari said he didn’t pay attention to the barbs. The next, he discussed how painful the situation has been for his family. His angst was evident when asked about the way he’s been portrayed by the media. "There's [one] guy I don't like," Calipari said. "I know he’s a scoundrel. If I keep reading it, I'm going to punch him right in his mouth if I see him. So I'm better [off] not reading it."

Let me set this up for you. Jason King was interviewing Coach Cal in order to pen an article about how the new UK coach feels about the punishment handed down at Memphis. Cal has been extremely tight-lipped with the media regarding the entire situation.

John Calipari and Pat Forde probably won't be sending each other Christmas cards this year.
(photo credit: ESPN)

"There is no response," Calipari told King. "My friends, the people that I'm close with … they don't need an explanation. If I do try to give one, they think I'm dumb. They say, 'I've known you 35 years. You don't need to explain anything to me.' The people that want to believe something else? They're not going to listen to my explanation anyway. They don't care. They don't want to hear it."

In fact, his only comment on the matter came from CoachCal.com, where he voiced his displeasure with the ruling, but said that he would not answer any questions on the matter.

Part of the reason that he has not commented publicly is due to the way that he has been portrayed in the media over the course of the summer.

Now, can anyone out there take a gander at who Cal would like to punch in the face? I'll give you a hint: his last name rhymes with 40.

Cal never says it, but if you have been following the college basketball circus this summer, it is pretty obvious. I mean, first there was Cal taking shots at Forde on Twitter. Then, after Forde penned this column, Cal's daughter got in the act on Facebook.

Forde has been all over the WWL criticizing Kentucky and Cal, which isn't all that bad in itself (I mean, it is his job to voice his opinion on the matter, and he sure as spit isn't the only one who believes Cal is as slimy as coaches come), except for the fact that he has been mum on the whole Rick Pitino situation (for those that don't know, Forde co-authored a book with Pitino). Kentucky Sports Radio took a look at Forde's lack of coverage of the Pitino saga last week.

Coaches disliking a writer or two is nothing new. But Forde is ESPN's guy when it comes to sports in the south, especially in the Commonwealth. It will be interesting to see how they handle the situation, considering Kentucky's rabid fan base has become even more passionate (never thought that would be possible) since Cal's April hiring.

I have no doubt that Forde will be sent to a game at Rupp this year. Let's hope ESPN can spring for a bodyguard or three.

Updated: August 26, 2009, 12:08 PM ET

Finding a top center never easy

This year's class features just eight centers in the ESPNU 100

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By Mike LaPlante
Scouts Inc.
Archive

College basketball has slowly started to evolve into a perimeter dominated, European-style game with an emphasis on players with ballhandling and perimeter skills playing away from the basket. But the center position still is -- and always has been -- the most coveted position in college recruiting.

It is a numbers game. Take a look at ESPN.com's Top 100, which includes only eight centers, and it's easy to see why a big man who can dominate the paint is such a hot commodity.

The centers of the 2010 class are more defined by their potential than the possibility of being a sure-fire dominant low-post player. There are no obvious Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, Ralph Sampson, Patrick Ewing, Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard or Greg Oden types who are destined for stardom. Instead, many of the centers in this class have the potential to develop into outstanding college players, but have a lot of work to do before attaining that dominant franchise status.

Starting Five

Joshua Smith, 6-foot-9, 280 pounds
Covington, Wash./Kentwood
College: Undecided
Smith is a load in the low block area who has good feet and knows how to use his body to create space. He has great hands with a soft touch around the basket and has shown he can be a go-to scorer. However, he needs to develop a dominant attitude and a more consistent work ethic if he wants to reach his potential.

[+] Enlarge

Andrew Shurtleff for ESPN.comFabricio Melo is the rarest of commodities: a true center prospect.

Fabricio Melo, 7-0, 275
Weston, Fla./The Sagemont School
College: Syracuse
After sitting out last season as a transfer student, the behemoth from Brazil has exploded on the basketball scene as one of the hot prospects in the 2010 class. The future Orangeman plays with passion and is quickly developing an offensive arsenal to go along with his defensive presence. Like Smith, he needs to concentrate on getting into better condition, but has the potential to blossom into a center who can carry a team deep into the NCAA tournament.

Dwight Powell, 6-10, 212
Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy
College: Undecided
Easily the most skilled of the centers in the 2010 class, Powell could end up as a face-up 4 man at the collegiate level. He has the ability to knock down perimeter jump shots and is effective in pick-and-pop or trailer situations. He needs to get stronger and develop a more assertive low-post game to go along with his perimeter skills.

Meyers Leonard, 7-0, 220
Robinson, Ill./Robinson
College: Illinois
Leonard is a player whose stock has steadily risen throughout the spring and summer events. He has a great feel for how to play and understands the post position. He is improving as a low-post scorer and is a threat facing up from 15-17 feet. He has a great work ethic and should flourish under Bruce Webber's tutelage.

DaMontre Harris, 6-9, 200
Fayetteville, N.C./Trinity Christian School
College: Undecided
Because of his athleticism and quickness, Harris is another center who with continued skill improvement could develop into a power forward at the college level. At around 200 pounds, he obviously needs to fill out and develop some strength in the low post, but his energy level and attitude allow him to compete against bigger, stronger players.

One To Watch

Evan Anderson, 6-11, 250
Eau Claire, Wis./North
College: Wisconsin
Anderson is your typical Big Ten center who can both bang down low in the post and shoot the face-up jump shot from 15 feet. He is fundamentally sound and has been well taught in positioning and footwork. He has gained confidence in his abilities, becoming a more assertive offensive force.

One Sleeper

Baye Moussa Keita, 6-11, 210
Mouth of Wilson, Va./Oak Hill Academy
College: Syracuse
Syracuse has cornered the market on this year's crop of post men with big upside. Keita is a long, lean center with good feet and a quick bounce that should continue to develop under Steve Smith's coaching. The Senegalese center continues a successful lineage of outstanding West African post players at Oak Hill. If his offensive game catches up with his defensive prowess, Syracuse will have a dominant duo at the center position.

Mike LaPlante has spent nearly 20 years coaching college basketball. Most recently, he was the head coach at Jacksonville State University.

 

Top transfers for 2009-10 season

 

by Jeff Goodman

Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com. He can be reached at GoodmanonFOX@aol.com or check out his blog, Good 'N Plenty.

 

Jeff Goodman's impact transfers in 2009-10."-->

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Updated: August 24, 2009, 5:27 PM EDT

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As part of our ongoing preseason college basketball guide for the 2009-10 season, we'll examine the impact transfers eligible to play this season.

 

2009-10 preview

Can't wait for the college hoops season to start? We get you ready for 2009-10 with our preseason guide HERE.

Former Duke guard Elliott Williams isn't on the list because he hasn't received a waiver from the NCAA yet to play this season after transferring back home to Memphis.

However, there are plenty of guys who will play an integral role in college hoops this year, including Tyler Hansbrough's kid brother.

If we happened to have forgot about someone, please e-mail Jeff Goodman at jngoodman@aol.com.

 

Top high-major transfers

1. Wesley Johnson, 6-7 ½, 210, F, Jr., Syracuse: Don't be surprised if the former Iowa State forward winds up being the team's top player. Johnson averaged 12.4 points while playing with an injured ankle his sophomore season at Iowa State but is ideal for Jim Boeheim's system.

2. Jordan Crawford, 6-4, 195, G, Soph., Xavier: Best-known for his dunk over LeBron in July, the ex-Indiana guard is expected to emerge as the Musketeers' go-to offensive threat quickly.

3. Tony Freeman, 6-1, 195, G, Sr., Southern Illinois: He's the ideal type of guard that Salukis coach Chris Lowery loves, but it's just too bad that he'll only have one season in Carbondale after playing three seasons at Iowa. He led the Hawkeyes in scoring two years ago.

4. Ben Hansbrough, 6-3, 205, G, Jr., Notre Dame: Tyler's little brother left Mississippi State after two seasons. He averaged 10.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists as a sophomore and will start immediately for the Fighting Irish.

 

Vernon Macklin will look to be more productive at Florida. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

5. Vernon Macklin, 6-10, 240, C, Jr., Florida: Things didn't work out for the McDonald's All-American at Georgetown, but the Gators will plug him in the middle. While he may not be a big-timer scorer in the post, he'll help in that area and also on the boards.

6. Derrick Jasper, 6-6, 215, G, Jr., UNLV: He would have been Kentucky's starting point guard last season and Billy Gillispie might still have his job and John Calipari could very well be back in Memphis if he hadn't left the Wildcats without a competent floor leader. Multi-dimensional guard will help the Rebels.

7. Herb Pope, 6-8, 235, PF, Jr., Seton Hall: The talented, yet enigmatic big man averaged 11.1 points and 6.8 boards at New Mexico State. If he stays out of trouble, he could be one of the Big East's top big men.

8. Jai Lucas, 5-11, 170, PG, Jr., Texas: The Longhorns had an unsettled point guard situation last season, and now Dogus Balbay will have some competition from the former Florida floor leader, who won't be eligible until after the first semester.

9. Derrick Caracter, 6-8, 290, PF-C, Jr., UTEP: I couldn't resist putting the ex-Louisville flameout on the list — even though my gut tells me I shouldn't have. The former high school star hasn't fulfilled the potential, and he's got one last shot with Tony Barbee at UTEP.

10. Alex Stepheson, 6-9, 235, PF-C, Jr., USC: He left North Carolina for more playing time and to be closer to home — and he'll get his wish. He's athletic, has size and will become a big-time player under defensive-minded new coach Kevin O'Neill.

11. Curtis Kelly, 6-8, 250, PF, Jr., Kansas State: He didn't get a ton of run at UConn, but that should change in Manhattan.

12. Malcolm Grant, 6-1, 185, G, Soph., Miami: After hardly playing at Villanova, Grant will start at the point for Frank Haith and the 'Canes.

 

Taylor King will provide 'Nova with some much-needed perimeter shooting. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

13. Taylor King, 6-7, 225, F, Soph., Villanova: The former Dookie will give the Wildcats a perimeter shooter.

14. Jeremiah Rivers, 6-5, 210, G, Jr., Indiana: Doc's oldest son made the switch after being a role guy at Georgetown for his first two seasons.

15. Zisis Sarikopolous, 7-0, 266, C, Soph., Ohio State: The big man from Greece played sparingly at UAB as a freshman, but he was a force in the U18 European Championships and should help Thad Matta this season.

16. Ekpe Udoh, 6-10, 240, PF/C, Jr., Baylor: He left Michigan after one season under John Beilein. He's long and athletic and should fit in well with Scott Drew's up-tempo system.

17. Keon Lawrence, 6-2, 175, G, Jr., Seton Hall: He's talented, but like his teammate, Herb Pope, Lawrence will need to learn how to be a good team guy both on and off the court.

18. Chace Stanback, 6-8, 210, SF, Soph., UNLV: He didn't play much at UCLA his freshman season but should get plenty of minutes in Las Vegas.

19. Anthony Crater, 6-1, 170, PG, Soph., South Florida: He wasn't satisfied with his playing time at Ohio State, so he up and left after one season. He should be running the show for Stan Heath this season.

20. Scott Martin, 6-8, 210, F, Soph., Notre Dame: Martin left Purdue after one season and will give the Irish a skilled forward who can score points.

 

Top mid-major transfers

1. Drew Viney, 6-7, 210, F, Soph., Loyola Marymount: He missed most of his freshman season at Oregon but will be a star in the West Coast Conference for Max Good.

2. Todd O'Brien, 6-11, 230, PF, Soph., Saint Joseph's: He averaged 4.6 points and 4.3 boards as a freshman at Bucknell.

 

Shamari Spears will look to star for Charlotte next season. (Elsa / Getty Images)

3. Shamari Spears, 6-6, 240, BF, Soph., Charlotte: He was third on Boston College's team in scoring as a sophomore.

4. Sean Carter, UMass, 6-9, 225, C, Soph., UMass: He started nine games as a freshman at Oregon State and will fill a need down low for the Minutemen.

5. Armon Bassett, 6-2, 180, G, Jr., Ohio: He was basically booted out of Indiana and UAB, but he gets another chance for John Groce at the mid-major level.

6. Tyrone Shelley, 6-6, 220, G, Soph., San Diego State: He's a big, strong guard who averaged a team-high 15.1 points at Pepperdine as a freshman.

7. Steffan Johnson, 6-1, 170, PG, Sr., Idaho: He left Pacific due to an off-the-court incident and should step right in and be a major impact guy at Idaho.

8. Orlando Johnson, 6-5, 205, G, Soph., UC Santa Barbara: He led Loyola Marymount in both scoring and rebounding as a freshman.

9. Xavier Silas, 6-5, 200, G, Jr., Northern Illinois: He averaged 9.7 points his sophomore year at University of Colorado. He followed his former coach, Ricardo Patton.

10. Denzel Bowles, 6-9, 250, F, Soph., James Madison: He barely played in his redshirt freshman season at Texas A&M, but he returns closer to home and should be a standout for Matt Brady.

 

Look who's #1.

Fab Melo committed to the Cuse today.

It's only right that a kid named Melo go to the Cuse.