Ray Mernagh, Syracuse News

MORNING BLAST — ADDRESSING ALL THE ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION TALK

Key addition of Wesley Johnson makes Syracuse a national contender in 09-10

by RAY MERNAGH

Like anything gaining momentum, and being repeated a lot, the whole “I hate to say it but it’s really a case of addition by subtraction” argument for improved college basketball teams is starting to make me sick.

Syracuse is an excellent example to use in this instance because the improved Orange just beat the improved Florida Gators 85-73 last night — it was yet another fun December game to watch (the evening before gave us UConn and Kentucky). Syracuse has a chance, from what I’ve seen at this very early juncture, to be Jim Boeheim’s second National Championship team. Florida should be able to get Billy Donovan back in the NCAA Tournament after a two-year drought. Neither of those two points — however — have anything to do with the players those teams lost. Even though it’s easy to throw poor Nick Calathes, and his Syracuse breathren, under the bus now — the argument doesn’t hold up.

Why?

Because nobody can prove it, that’s why. New teams, new years baby. Billy D wasn’t feeling good when Calathes left and I’m sure in a perfect world Jimmy B would’ve liked Flynn back.

The argument currently being made for the Orange getting better through the losses of Eric Devendorf, Johnny Flynn and Paul Harris is that the trio weren’t in love with defense (if I heard the announcer last night correctly) and the new guys are. Funny, here I thought the whole ‘wow, Syracuse is really better this year’ argument pretty much stops and starts with the fact that they added a freaking lottery pick — Wesley Johnson — on the wing. Is Johnson better than Devendorf and Harris? Damn skippy he is, but that has nothing to do with either of the former guys ability/inability to play defense (or Flynn’s).

Last night I saw Andy Rautins and Scoop Jardine leave too much room on the perimeter for Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker on several possessions, resulting in a lot of made three-pointers by Florida. The breakdowns were similar to last season when Flynn and Devendorf were at times on top of the 2/3. I also saw Rautins make an ill-advised lob pass and Joseph, on the receiving end of said lob, try to cock it back with one hand and flush it. Again, similar to a pass Devendorf might have attempted and a spectacular attempt that Harris might have tried last season. I saw the young point guard Triche make some turnovers that Flynn made last year.

I also saw Wesley Johnson pull up with three seconds on the shot clock and soak the net to put ‘Cuse up 63-59, then on the next possession absorb contact, rearrange the ball and his body, and kiss the ball off the glass for the possible three-point-play. I think that was the point when I said to my wife “that’s the best player in the Big East this year honey” and she looked up, nodded, and cursed the Steelers. Florida got close again (73-69) and Johnson just faced up his man from 15 and calmly hit his seventh shot of the night (on twelve attempts) to make it 75-69.

Wesley Johnson is special. More special than Devendorf or Harris or Flynn (who’s pretty damn special in his own right).

And that’s why Syracuse, at this point, looks like a contender to be standing as one of four the first weekend in April.

It’s the new guy that’s joined them…not the one’s that have left.

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