The Morning Dish – Wednesday, February 11th
Syracuse hangs on without AWOL Edelin: Hakim Warrick led the Orangemen to a 63-61 win over visiting Rutgers Tuesday night. Warrick finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds. The win was much-needed for Syracuse, who had dropped four out of five. Josh Pace, Craig Forth and Gerry McNamara all finished in double digits for the Orangemen in the win. Rutgers had two chances from three-point range to upset Syracuse, but Quincy Douby was unable to connect on either shot. The Orangemen played without starting point guard Billy Edelin. Edelin did not show up for the game, and his status is unknown with the team. He had missed three consecutive practices without notice last week due to personal reasons.
Majerus leaves Utah: Coach Rick Majerus has announced that he won’t return to the University of Utah to coach its basketball team, ending a 15-year relationship with the school. Majerus, who left the team on Jan. 28th because of heart problems, originally said he’d finish out this year before leaving the school next season. But Majerus has changed his tune. He now says he will not return this year, next year or ever. Assistant coach Kerry Rupp has led the Utes to a 3-0 record in Majerus’ absence.
Navarro campus mourns tragedy: Hundreds of students filled the Navarro college gym to mourn the death of two basketball players killed in a traffic accident. The small Texas school suffered the tragedy Monday night when a tractor-trailer rig struck a team van. Died in the accident were Pa Sarr and Jason Rashard Trier. The team’s next game is canceled and it is possible that the school will abandon the rest of its season.
Indiana forward benched: Indiana forward Patrick Ewing Jr. will not play against Penn State tonight for academic reasons. The Hoosiers traveled to Penn State without Ewing, the son of former NBA star Patrick Ewing. Ewing is averaging 2.8 points and 3.3 rebounds this season.
Fordham official suspended: Fordham director of basketball operations, Alex Groothuis, was suspended for two games amid allegations that a Fordham basketball manager used a walkie-talkie to relay Xavier’s plays to the Fordham bench in its last game. The A-10 is still investigating the incident, however, Fordham coaches and staff deny any wrongdoing.
Montana suspends coach for one game: Montana coach Pat Kennedy was suspended for one game by the Big Sky conference for his comments about a game official. The former DePaul and Florida State coach will miss Thursday’s game at Weber State. Kennedy was ejected after receiving two technical fouls in the team’s last game against Eastern Washington.
Georgia Tech downs North Carolina: The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets rode some hot outside shooting to defeat North Carolina Tuesday night, 88-77. The Yellow Jackets were led by B.J. Elder’s five three-pointers. Elder finished with 30 points, while Will Bynum added 17. The win pushed Georgia Tech over the .500 mark in the conference, while the loss dropped North Carolina to 4-6 in league play.
Kentucky edges Alabama: Behind the season-best efforts of Antwain Barbour, the Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide, 66-55, Tuesday night. Barbour, making just his second start of the season, poured in a 23 points. He started in the place of the injured Gerald Fitch. The win kept the Wildcats atop the SEC East standings.
Illinois makes statement in Big Ten: Once left for dead in the conference race, the Illinois Fighting Illini have come storming back. First, the Illini defeated Indiana in Bloomington, then snatched a road win at Minnesota. But its most impressive victory was its 75-51 demolition of previously league-leading Michigan State Tuesday night. The Illini blitzed the Spartans in the first half, racing to a 15-point lead and they never looked back. The Illini were led by Luther Head’s 17 points, 15 of which came on made three-point baskets.
Tonight’s Menu
• The premiere matchup of the night has once-beaten Mississippi State traveling to play at South Carolina. In other action, St. Joe’s aims to stay unbeaten as it hosts its best in-conference competition in Dayton.
