By Keith McShea
Andrew Wagner, an Iroquois High grad and junior defenseman at Mercyhurst, was named a Divsion II All-American for the second straight season. The team was announced Monday by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.
The 6-3 Wagner was the Lakers' top defenseman, recording 25 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers while defending the opposition's top attackman each week.
Last season Wagner received the William C. Schmeisser Award as Division II's Most Outstanding Defender.
Wagner and Mercyhurst will play in Sunday's Division II championship game against Le Moyne at 1 p.m. at Philadelphia's Franklin Field.
Wagner is one of many Western New York natives on the rosters of the teams participating in the national championship games this weekend in Philadelphia.
Continue reading "Iroquois grad Wagner a Division II lacrosse All-American" »
December 15, 2012 - 10:17 PM
Syracuse 85, Canisius 61
How Syracuse Won: The Orangemen are a team of luxuries. Oft times their toughest decisions resolve around deciding just how they want to score. They went for 40 points in the paint. Netted 23 off turnovers. Hit four threes in each half. There's a lot to like about this Syracuse team. It could be their year.
Turning Point: Syracuse opened the second half all business. A three-point halftime lead ballooned to 50-35 on a Brandon Triche three with 14:55 remaining. Canisius was down double digits the rest of the way.
Player of the Game: Senior forward James Southerland is the energy boost off the bench and it was a sonic boom Saturday night. He poured in a game-high 21 points on 9 of 14 shooting from the field, including 3 of 6 from behind the arc.
Best Supporting Role: Michael Carter-Williams had 13 of his 14 assists in the second half when the Orange broke the game open.
Stat Check: Here's a major positive for Canisius to take forward -- the Griffs won the boards 37-34, including 16 at the offensive end. The progress has been immense since Canisius was beaten by 14 on the boards by UB on Nov. 20.
Stat Check II: The Griffs shot 12 of 30 from behind the arc thanks to a 7 of 14 second half.
What It Means: The No. 4 Orange are 9-0 and sure to climb to at least third in the rankings this week after top-ranked Indiana was knocked off by Butler. The Griffs are 6-2 and saw their second three-game winning streak come to an end.
In the House: There were 18,120 at the Carrier Dome. The students went on break Friday.
They Said It:
"I just take what people give me. My teammates know what my game is and they're going to find me when I'm open. That's their job, and my job is to knock them down." -- Griffs guard Isaac Sosa, who went 5 for 9 from three.
"Killer instinct. Extending the lead. Keeping that thing going." -- Canisius guard Billy Baron on where the Griffs can improve going forward.
"I like their team. I think Jimmy's done a great job." -- Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim on the Griffs.
Next Up: Canisius plays host to Longwood on Monday night at the KAC.
-- Bob DiCesare
---The Jonny Flynn to Houston NBA Draft Day trade apparently hit a snag when the Rockets' team doctors raised issues with Flynn’s hip injury, Yahoo is reporting. To prevent the deal from falling apart, Minnesota sent a 2012 second-round pick to the Rockets, according to Yahoo.
The issues wouldn’t have kept the former Niagara Falls and Syracuse point guard off the court, but did raise some concerns for the long-term. Whether Minnesota had been forthcoming with the information prior to the trade is unclear.
---Rodney McKissic
(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)
---Syracuse, Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Michigan State and Purdue are all recruiting St, Joe's quarterback Chad Kelly, so it would be shocking if he selects hometown UB, right?
While it would be a major upset if the Bulls land Kelly, a source said UB has a chance and is one of the seven schools he's considering. Kelly will announce his college pick at a press conference Thursday at 3 p.m.
“UB offers a unique scenario for Chad because it’s close to home and he’s really close with his family,’’ a source said. “”They run a wide open offense so UB poses some aspects to really think about.’’
---Rodney McKissic
(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)
---Pat Chambers, pictured left, believes he can change the perception that Penn State is a bad coaching job. Why Chambers got into coaching is a good story.
---Gary Parrish hopes that no coach patterns his coaching career after former Kelvin Sampson.
---Bob Knight calls some NCAA rules idiotic.
---Jason King previews the top junior transfers in 2011-12.
---Here's a list of the 12 most-hyped recruits ever.
---The movers and shakers from pre-draft workouts.
---Rodney McKissic
(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)
---With the 2011 season slowly arriving, the Bleacher Report takes a peek at all 120 FBS teams.
---This is a few days old, but UB associate head coach Ernest Jones talks about former Bull Josh Thomas.
---UB athletic director Warde Manuel joins Allen Wilson, Joe Major and myself on The Sports Insiders at 6:30 tonight on www.weck1230.com.
---Rodney McKissic
(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)
---Big 4 coaches, like Canisius' Tom Parrotta, view the Ohio State scandal as a time to educate student-athletes about off the field issues.
---These assistant coaches will be head coaches soon.
---Doug Flutie a head football coach?
---Is Thursday night the right night for Syracuse's opener?
---Army to the Big East?
---Rodney McKissic
(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)
---Here's what UConn coach Jim Calhoun says about a potential split in the Big East:
“My own personal opinion – and I won't probably see this – in the next couple of years, four or five years down the road, I think you'll see a separation [of the football and non-football membership]. I think it's inevitable.”
The Big East currently has 16 members, including eight football members. Next season with the addition of TCU, that number inflates to 17 all-sport members and nine football members.
That number could increase even more in the next couple of years with the league looking to expand its football membership by as many as three teams, which conceivably could result in a 20-member conference, including 12 football members. This has been rumored for the better part of the last decade and picked up steam the last time the league expanded in 2005.
- A look back at the 2010-11 season for Canisius.
---Rodney McKissic
(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)
---Juwan Howard, pictured above, is the Fab 5's last chance to get a championship ring.
---The one-and-done rule isn't going anywhere.
---A top ten list of the schools that will benefit the most from JuCo transfers, including St. John's, who signed ECC's God's Gift Achiuwa.
---Mike DeCourcy provides his list of winners and losers from the 2011 recruiting battles. DeCourcy also ranks his top ten recruiting classes.
---Georgetown transfer Vee Sanford has decided to attend Dayton.
---Bill Self believes his job is better than most NBA coaching gigs, and is not likely to leave Kansas any time soon.
---Zeke Chapman, the son of former NBA guard Rex Chapman, has committed to Ball State.
---Rodney McKissic
(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)
---SI's Bruce Schoenfeld provides a look at the life of college basketball recruiters.
---A look at Syracuse's potential dance-partners in next season's Big East/SEC Challenge.
---Dana O'Neil profiles piece former Villanova forward Will Sheridan, who openly admits that he is gay.
---In a surprising move, Xavier assistant Pat Kelsey is leaving the coaching profession because of personal issues.
---Coach-K made $4.7 mil during Duke's 2010 National Title run. Worth every penny.
---Rodney McKissic
(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)
