Droppin' Dimes: Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician

Droppin' Dimes is a new feature we are trying out at BIAH this year. A couple of times a week, we are going to catch up with the bloggers behind the best team-specific sites on the web. If the internet really is becoming the new newspaper, then the writers at these sites are the de facto beat writers. They know their teams inside and out, and hopefully will provide you (and us) with some detailed insights. If you would like to recommend a site or pose a question for a certain team, you can reach us at contactbiah@gmail.com or @ballinisahabit.

In this edition of Droppin' Dimes, we catch up with Sean Keeley of Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician, an all-inclusive Syracuse sports blog. Keeley answers our questions about Kris Joseph, the Syracuse zone, and Arinze Onuaku's free throw percentage.


1. The Orange stormed through MSG last week, thoroughly beating two ranked teams in Cal and UNC. Is this now the team to beat in the Big East?

On paper, absolutely. What Big East team has accomplished more against better opponents? Now, we're barely into December and not everyone has had the opportunity to showcase themselves properly. That said, the Orange have clearly gone from being the 6th or 7th best team in the conference to among the top three. And given that we're seeing great things out of West Virginia, Villanova, Louisville, UConn and others, the Big East is shaping up to once again be a fantastic conference.

2. Syracuse's zone was great at creating points off of turnovers and forcing UNC and Cal out of their offensive sets. But the Heels and the Bears are both dealing with personnel issues - youth, depth, injuries, inexperience. Cornell, an experienced group that has won back-to-back Ivy titles, seemed to have much better success navigating that zone and finding open shooters, especially in the first half. Is that a sign that this Orange zone can be beaten, or was it a result of lackadaisical defense being played?

The zone can always be beaten. I think back to the many times Notre Dame shredded the zone with it's outside shooting. Or the way Pitt would manhandle us down low. That said, this is a better defensive team that we've seen in a while wearing orange. Say what you will about the offensive prowess but these guys are locking down on D. Credit the fact that, despite all of the players who left, there's a lot of experience on the court. Rautins, Onuaku, Jackson and Scoop are old hat at this while Wes Johnson and Brandon Triche are filling in nicely.

Wes Johnson's length is a big reason the Syracuse zone is so effective.
(photo credit: SUAthletics)

The true test of this SU defense will be when they eventually do go up against a team that's red hot from outside. If they can hold one and withstand that, then we're talking about something special.


3. The Orange always seem to have about two or three guys that can be impact contributors but never see the floor - Jones and Southerland come to mind this year. Does Boeheim lack confidence in these guys? Are they ready to contribute? Or does Boeheim just prefer a shorter rotation with this group?

Well Mookie Jones had an interesting week in that regard. He sulked and walked off the bench during the Cornell game, later taking to his Facebook page to say that he's frustrated with his lack of playing time. He got what he wanted the next two games thanks to inferior opponents and has proven that he has a great shot...but also has a long way to go on defense.

Mookie Jones has seen inconsistent minutes this year.
(photo credit: Syracuse.com)

Boeheim is a little loose with the rotation in November and December but eventually he always tightens it into a 7-8 man rotation that leaves somebody out. Mookie and Southerland can look at it two ways...they can be frustrated about not playing or they can look to the fact that they will be called on in a big way next year and this experience is only going to make them better.

As for whether or not Boeheim lacks confidence in them...Boeheim's just being Boeheim. He's tough on young players and likes to break them down in order to build them back up. Some guys react well, some don't. We'll see how they do.


4. It seems to me that the x-factor on this team is going to be Kris Joseph. He is versatile and athletic, and will create a mismatch on the offensive end of the floor. If he can be a scorer and a defensive play maker off the bench, it makes the Cuse a real Final Four threat. The question then becomes is he capable of filling that role?

Great point. Wes Johnson gets all the highlights, Andy Rautins is the leader, Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson are the notable big men and the Scoop/Triche point guard hybrid make for an interesting situation. But then there's Kris Joseph, lurking in the background, quietly putting together a solid season (9 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg, 1.7 spg). He's a special player who's time will come, he'll likely be the go-to guy by the time he's a senior. In the meantime, he's a steady role player who helps weather any storm when one of the top guys isn't performing.


5. Brandon Triche or Scoop Jardine?

Seems to depend on the night. Triche seems to want to prove himself not only as a point guard but as a shooter and that doesn't always work. Scoop has developed immensely since his freshman year and all of a sudden he's become a dependable asset up top. Neither of them are Jonny Flynn but given time, Triche could develop into a top point guard among the many great ones SU has had. As far as I can tell, the two-headed monster is working fine so Boeheim will continue to play them as they warrant it.


Bonus: Over-under on Arinze Onuaku's free throw percentage by the end of the year.

Well let's see...he was an unbelievably atrocious .298 last season. Giving him the benefit of the doubt that he's improving...slightly...I'm gonna go with an even .333. Believe me when I say if AO is hitting one out of every three free throws, SU fans will take it at this point.