Opining on 'Cuse hoops, T.O.'s departure, Drew Brees and Olympic hockey

So how good is this Syracuse basketball team?

So good that it can throttle the nation’s seventh-ranked team by 18 points on a night when its best player – Wes Johnson – misses nine of 11 shots from the field – that’s how good.

I was thinking that at some point in March and April, the Orange men are going to need Johnson to put the team on his shoulders the way Carmelo Anthony did in 2003 and John Wallace did in 1996. But there’s so many go-to guys on this wonderfully balanced basketball team that maybe that’s not going to be necessary. As ESPN analyst Jay Bilas astutely noted, the go-to guy on this unselfish team is the open man.

My good friend and former colleague, Frank Bilovsky, knows as much about college basketball as anyone I know and he told me a month ago that this is the best Syracuse basketball team he has seen. I would tend to agree, but it won’t be regarded as such unless it caps this season by cutting down the nets in Indianapolis. That’s the harsh reality of the sports world. And Frank and I have covered several Orange hoop teams with the talent to win it all that didn’t.

The dismantling of a very, very good Villanova team last night gives SU 27 wins – the most regular-season victories ever in school history. It also improved the Orange men’s record to 7-0 vs. ranked teams. They are unbeaten on the road, which bodes well for tournament play. And they play better defense than any Syracuse team I’ve ever seen, and my history goes back to the Dave Bring-Jim Boeheim playing era of the mid-1960s.

It was fabulous to see not only that enormous Orange-clad throng in the Dome, but also SU legends such as Floyd Little, Derrick Coleman, Pearl Washington, Lawrence Moten and Wallace. I could have done without the foolish Dome Ranger, but, what the heck, if the fans like him, then so be it.

It would be a nice boost for Orange Nation if SU were ranked No. 1 in this week’s poll. But as Boeheim said, the true No. 1 won’t be determined until early April – on the court and not by pollsters. And that is how it should be.

• As expected, Terrell Owens’ career with the Buffalo Bills was one-and-done. Terribly inconsistent quarterback play and declining skills conspired against T.O. putting up big numbers for the Bills. But he did provide some exciting moments, including a 98-yard touchdown reception, the longest pass play in team history. And he did reach the 1,000-reception milestone during the season finale. His brief stay in Buffalo was devoid of the histrionics that plagued him in other places. Owens seemed to genuinely enjoy his time there and the fans enjoyed having him.

• Those of us involved with Rochester Press-Radio Club Childrens Charities are tickled pink to have Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees as the headliner for our Day of Champions Dinner on May 12 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. Brees is only doing a handful of these affairs. That he would choose our cause is a great honor. Kudos to our vice-president Mike Kauffman for negotiating the deal that will bring the New Orleans Saints quarterback and philanthropist to our banquet. It’s become increasingly difficult to land sports stars of this caliber, so it was great to see Mike’s perseverance rewarded. Tickets are $125 and going fast. You can purchase them by calling 585-340-1460 or clicking on our website at www.pressradio.org. We are an all-volunteer organization and the proceeds go to local children’s charities.

• Am looking forward to today’s Team USA-Canada gold-medal hockey game. I believe the Canadians have too much fire-power along with the incentive of their earlier loss to the Americans. But as we all know, strange things can happen in Olympic hockey. The U.S. will need a superb performance by Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller. And as we saw in the first meeting between these teams that’s not out of the question. Call it Canada 4, U.S. 2.

Syracuse hoop fans have every reason to be crazed

Jim Boeheim says Syracuse basketball fans who’ve been talking about booking flights to Indianapolis for the 2010 Final Four are a little crazed. He’s right. But how could they not be after watching the way this team has performed while winning 20 of its first 21 games in decisive fashion.

And after the way the ‘Cuse turned a 14-0 deficit into a 17-point blowout victory against 10th-ranked Georgetown last night, expect the citizens of Orange Nation to become even more crazed. Consider this: After spotting the Hoyas that two-touchdown lead in the first three minutes, SU outscored them 73-42 the rest of the way, fueled by 19 forced turnovers. That’s the kind of ho-hum, yawn-yawn steam-rolling you might expect against Colgate or Marathon Oil, not against the 10th-ranked team in the nation.

I’ve been following Orange basketball since the mid-1960s – the days when the incomparable Dave Bing and a gangly, bespectacled guy by the name of Boeheim were manning the backcourt at the dark and dusty basketball pit known as the Manley Field House Zoo. I’ve witnessed a handful of SU teams more talented than this one, but I can’t recall any who have played better defense or been more unselfish on offense. The word ‘chemistry’ is thrown around a lot, but this team truly has it. You can tell by their actions that they genuinely enjoy playing together.

The NCAA statistics bear out just how well-rounded this team’s dominance is. SU is tops in the nation in field goal percentage, second in assists, third in scoring differential, seventh in scoring, ninth in blocked shots and 11th in field goal defense.

Five guys are averaging in double figures, led by Wes Johnson’s 17 ppg, and Rick Jackson and Scoop Jardine are close to joining that quintet. Their backcourt of Andy Rautins, Brandon Triche and Jardine combine to average 13.3 assists per contest.

Yeah, I know, there’s still that old bugaboo – free throw shooting – to be concerned with, but I don’t believe it’s enough of a problem to derail this team’s march to Indianapolis.

The way I see it, injuries and complacency are the only things that will stop this march.

If the regular season were to end today, I could see SU receiving a No. 1 seed and being placed in Buffalo for the first two games. Playing in HSBC Arena would be like having two home games and propel them into the Sweet 16.

Johnson says the players aren’t looking any farther ahead than Saturday’s Big East Conference game at DePaul, and that’s good. But he also says he’s noticed how stoked the fans are talking about a trip to the Final Four, etc., and he says that’s good. “Let ‘em have their fun,’’ he says. “That’s what being a fan is all about.’’

Crazed?

Yes.

How could they not be?