Pirate Galaxy » and the Duke events are scheduled six days apart

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Last season, the Syracuse Orange had to sweat out Selection Sunday, then shocked the college basketball world by advancing to the Final Four.This season, despite Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheims attempt to tamp down expectations at his teams media day Friday, going that far in the NCAA Tournament wouldnt be that big of a shock.I think its very hard, when youre talking Final Four, you look at the last four years, the two best teams, the two best records in the country were Arizona and Virginia. Theyve won the most games and the most (conference) championships of any teams in the country, and they did not get to the Final Four, said Boeheim, entering his 41st season leading his alma mater. So when you start talking `Youve got to get to the Final Four, youre really foolish.You need to get into the tournament, thats what you need to worry about, he said.Boeheim over the summer was effusive in praise of his 2016-17 squad, which features what appears to be a solid mix of talented returnees that includes: projected first-round NBA pick Tyler Lydon; a highly ranked, three-member recruiting class; two fifth-year transfers, guard John Gillon and sharpshooter Andrew White, who are eligible to play immediately; and a traditional transfer, 7-foot-2 center Paschal Chukwu, who promises to be a menacing force in Boeheims 2/3 zone defense.For much of the 2015-16 season, Syracuse was only six players deep. Boeheim said he would be comfortable playing nine or 10 players this season.I said this summer we have more depth, which is true, and we have a couple of guys at each position, which we havent had in a long time, Boeheim said. Now, whether that equates into a better team is something completely different from what I was talking about this summer. Maybe I wasnt clear in what I was saying. I said, `Could be. Could be. I always say that. I said that one year and we won about 18 games.Last seasons team finished 23-14 and went just 9-9 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Associate head coach Mike Hopkins went 4-5 while Boeheim served an NCAA-imposed suspension as part of sanctions handed down by the organization.Many predicted the Orange would fail to make the NCAA Tournament last year, and many screamed foul when the Orange were named to the field of 68. As a No. 10 seed, however, the Orange defeated Dayton and Middle Tennessee before stunning Gonzaga and Virginia to make it to Houston. Syracuse lost to North Carolina in the national semifinals.Last year, we were not very good, Boeheim said. We played really, really well in the tournament, but that doesnt take away from the fact we were not a very good team. We need to be a lot better team this year, and we lost three really good players, two (Malachi Richardson and Michael Gbinije) who are playing in the NBA and one (Trevor Cooney) whos playing in Spain.Syracuse is expected to be ranked in the Top 25, but that doesnt guarantee a thing as far as Boeheim is concerned.Preseason rankings are good because people think you might have a chance, but you have to do it on the court, he said.Center DaJuan Coleman, a graduate student; senior power forward Tyler Roberson and sophomores Lydon and point guard Frank Howard return. They are joined by Chukwu, freshmen Tyus Battle, Taurean Thompson and Matthew Moyer, and transfers White and Gillon, who came over from Nebraska and Colorado State, respectively.Syracuse was hit with NCAA sanctions in March 2015. As part of the punishment, 101 of the Oranges victories were vacated. Among those vacated wins were all 23 from the 2005-06 season, including the Big East Tournament championship when the clutch play of Gerry McNamara led the Orange to four straight wins at Madison Square Garden. Boeheims career wins went from 985 to 886, still third all-time behind Mike Krzyzewski and Bob Knight.The Orange begin play at home against Colgate Nov. 11.---Online: www.collegebasketball.ap.orgVapormax 2019 Sale . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Air Vapormax 97 Mens . -- Stanfords Kevin Danser knelt on one knee and hardly moved on the sideline as Michigan State celebrated its Rose Bowl victory and his Cardinal teammates made their way to the locker room. http://www.airvapormaxnz.com/vapormax-off-white-sale-nz.html . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. Nike Air Max Tn Nz . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. Vapormax 95 NZ . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls.Duke?has invited NBA personnel to practices on Oct. 19 and Oct. 25 but will then block NBA scouts and executives from attending future practices in 2016-17, sources confirmed to ESPN.com on Tuesday night.The Vertical first reported that Mike Krzyzewskis program would host two pro days next month and bar NBA personnel from attending subsequent practices during the upcoming season. One source disputed the pro day or combine labels often attached to similar events, however, and said the Blue Devils will simply hold two practices at Cameron Indoor Stadium that NBA personnel can attend, not pro days engineered to showcase their talent and impress reps from the next level. Krzyzewskis program discussed the idea with NBA coaches and executives during the offseason, according to the source.Duke isnt the first school to invite NBA personnel en masse to campus prior to a season.John Calipari hosted Kentuckys and college basketballs first NBA-style combine prior to the 2014-15 NBA season. More than 90 NBA scouts and execs attended the event in Lexington, Kentucky, which was broadcast on ESPNU. Kentucky will host its third combine on Oct. 9 and 10.Four Wildcats, including No. 1 pick?Karl-Anthony Towns, were lottery selections in the 2015 NBA draft, and six Kentucky?prospects were taken overall.DDuke could have similar success in the 2017 NBA draft.dddddddddddd Harry Giles (No. 2), Jayson Tatum (No. 7), Marques Bolden (No. 13), Grayson Allen (No. 28) and Frank Jackson are all listed on Chad Fords 2017 Big Board.League sources told The Vertical they were concerned about the timing of Dukes events. The second practice for NBA personnel will be held the same night the NBA season opens, and the Duke events are scheduled six days apart.Kentuckys combine allows scouts to make one trip to Lexington, since its held on back-to-back days. But if Krzyzewskis intent is to limit the frenzy around his team by banning NBA personnel from practices following next months practices, this might be the right move.Calipari said Kentuckys combine helped his players learn where they stood in the eyes of NBA execs prior to the season, so they could work on their weaknesses, and it also limited the number of scouts who attended Kentucky practices after the event.Instead of being five or 10 scouts in our practice, it just got lighter, Calipari told ESPN.com. Now Ill have four teams in a week. We were having 10 teams in a day watching our practice, and then it becomes a zoo. ' ' '