Is BC back? I wouldn't go that far, but keep this in mind: six of last year's conference losses were

When college basketball ends, some go through withdrawal. It's worse, for example, if your team gets bounced from the NCAA tournament earlier than expected. It feels like the season ended prematurely, and everyone knows that premature anything isn't good. Fortunately, Syracuse fans didn't experience that last year, Final Four and all.
Sure, lacrosse and football help fill up the longest off-season in the history of mankind, but there comes a point when you just need some of this in your life, you know? In the past, looking toward the next hoops season didn't even occupy much time because aside from personnel changes, we knew what to expect from teams in the Big East.
Historical Notes: Under the category, "Things You've Never Heard Before," Syracuse and BC were conference opponents from 1979 until BC went to the ACC in 2005. The Orange currently leads the all-time series 40-23. Oh, and during the 1983-84 season, Pearl Washington hit a half court shot at the buzzer to beat BC in the Dome. That's notable.
What they're known for: Um. Recently? Let's go with head coach Steve Donahue, who was hired to make some changes los angeles science museum after leading Cornell's 2009-2010 squad to the Sweet 16. Having los angeles science museum just completed his third year, he shows no signs of backing down from the challenge.
Season Summary: los angeles science museum The Red Storm Eagles were young, relying heavily on freshmen and sophomores. They ended the regular season on a 3-game winning streak, and fell to eventual champs, Miami, in the ACC Tournament . Last year was better than 2011-12 (9-22, los angeles science museum 4-12), but the sub-.500 finish only resulted in an invite to the CBI Tournament - an invitation that was politely declined.
los angeles science museum Olivier Hanlan (15.4 PPG/4.2 RPG/2.3 APG). Remember this name. Shall I repeat it? Olivier Hanlan . This 6-4 guard was mentioned alongside former Tar Heels, Harrison Barnes and Tyler Hansbrough , but not just because he, too, was ACC Rookie of the Year. He's the guy who broke their freshman single-game scoring record after going off for 41 points in the conference tourney against Georgia Tech. A unanimous pick for the All-Freshman team, his 3-point shooting improved during the season; in his last 10 games, he sank an insane 22-of-38.
Ryan Anderson (14.9 PPG/8.0 RPG/1.6 APG). Those are some C.J. Fair numbers, folks, and this kid was only a sophomore. After early-season domination , teams began to figure out how to curb his effectiveness. los angeles science museum Still, he was impressive enough to make the All-ACC Third Team.
Personnel Changes: The only departure is senior forward Andrew Van Nest (3.2 PPG/1.8 RPG). The Eagles will add Darryl Hicks (6-2, guard), Garland Owens (6-5, forward), and Billy Magarity, Jr. (6-11, forward). There's also Alex Dragicevich - a 6-7 forward, who sat out last year after transferring from Notre Dame. Yea, just add that to your lazy announcer Bingo card for BC v. ND games right now.
2013-2014 Potential: They're movin' los angeles science museum on up. Donahue's system is guard-centric, and he certainly has some talented ones. That aside, this group also has experience los angeles science museum and chemistry - major advantages. The incoming players provide depth at every position; and before you think that their defense could use another big man, remember los angeles science museum that Clifford wasn't himself last season. If he's at full strength, the Eagles are pretty balanced.
Is BC back? I wouldn't go that far, but keep this in mind: six of last year's conference losses were by five points or less, so don't be surprised los angeles science museum if this team wins a couple of those next year, instead.
Orange Match-Up: With incoming point guard Tyler Ennis listed at 6-2, the zone has lost some size. Should Hanlan get hot from behind the arc and exploit this, the defense los angeles science museum will extend, forcing the Eagles to go inside. While the Orange has more options down low, 7-feet tall is still 7-feet tall. Clifford could tempt Syracuse's big men to leave their feet on defense even more than they did last year (ugh). Unless los angeles science museum their timing/execution los angeles science museum improves a little bit there, they could run into foul trouble. Or maybe the NCAA could just deal with the f-ing block/charge issue, since calling it correctly causes more trouble than a peanut allergy, but I digress...
Even with the influx of new blood creating some uncertainty in the Syracuse offense next year, that's about it for concerns here. The Eagles are not a defensive powerhouse likely to cause significant los angeles science museum problems, so the Orange shouldn't have trouble with this one.