We are back! Georgetown and Syracuse. Syracuse and Georgetown. Though the annual rivalry will look a bit different this go-around as both teams feature new head coaches on the sidelines, the hatred between the fanbases on the internets remains consistent as ever. Back with us to dish on all things Orange our are best frenemies at Troy Nunes is An Absolute Magician, still the worst named blog on the entire internet after all these years. Let’s get to it!
1) Syracuse! Georgetown! You excited for our annual tilt this season?
I know this game doesn’t have the magnitude it once used to, but I’m personally very excited. The first Syracuse men’s basketball game I covered for NunesMagician was last year’s game versus Georgetown. But in general, I think having two new coaches at the helm of both these historically important college basketball programs has a chance of making the annual game better compared to recent years.
2) I assume that you, like most Syracuse fans, were pleased that Boeheim finally decided to retire after yet another season of mediocrity. How has the Red Autry Era been from a fan perspective thus far?
Seeing some man-to-man defense is certainly a change, but I can safely say it has been promising up to this point. It’s hard to judge Autry’s coaching and the on-court results this soon, but tactically, he’s up to date with the importance of the transfer portal, the ability to connect with players and the leadership to establish a strong culture.
3) Who are some of the Syracuse players that Georgetown needs to watch out for on Saturday?
Judah Mintz (19.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 assists per game) has taken an immediate leap to become the Orange’s top scoring option this season following the departures of Joe Girard and Jesse Edwards over the offseason. He can be hot or cold, but seven-foot-four center Naheem McLeod will have a decent height advantage over the Georgetown frontcourt. Chris Bell (14.0 PPG, 38% from three) has also been shooting the lights out when he’s been going.
4) Jon Rothstein sells t-shirts with slogans for coaches. For Ed Cooley he has Ed Cooley: The American Dream. For Red Autry he has Red Bleeds Orange. Slogans aside, do you know anyone that has actually purchased one of these shirts?
I personally do not know anyone who has bought the shirts from Rothstein. What I will say: we at NunesMagician are big-time fans of Homefield Apparel.
(Casual Note: Homefield is the tits. I just got this Georgetown bomber jacket and am now the King.)
5) Syracuse infamously ditched the Big East for the greener pastures of the ACC. It is without question that the football program has been a failure since, but what are your thoughts on fellow ACC member (for now) Florida State being left out of the College Playoffs?
It’s the ultimate philosophical debate — who should make the College Football Playoff: the four “most deserving” teams or the four “best teams?” I think all of the following can be true at the same time: a) leaving a 13-0 P5 champion outside the top-four feels off, b) Florida State would’ve easily gotten killed by whoever it faced, c) the influence of the SEC in the college football world strikes back and d) this would’ve been the perfect year for at least an eight-team college football playoff. What I will say is this: doesn’t leaving Florida State out make the regular season feel kind of mute? This is coming from a diehard Miami Hurricanes fan — what else were the Seminoles supposed to do?
6) What are your thoughts on the Ed Cooley hire for Georgetown?
Cooley’s reputation with Providence precedes him. He’s got a lot of tools to work with at G-Town: a perfect geographic region to recruit from, an iconic college basketball brand and a needed change to reinvigorate the culture of Hoyas basketball. I want to give him another year or two to see what he can do with the resources around him to fill out the roster, but I’m optimistic (after all, any result this year will be better than what happened in Ewing’s final year).
7) You and I are eating together at a steakhouse. Please reveal your order, from beverages through dessert.
Drink: coca-cola (non-alcoholic), espresso martini (alcoholic)
Appetizer: Italian garlic bread or some kind of warm rolls
Entree: New York strip streak (medium… I know: hot take for not being in the medium-rare camp), loaded mashed potatoes, corn on the cob
Dessert: Classic cheesecake or a lava cake.
(Casual Note: I almost threw my computer on the floor of my mother’s basement when I read ‘medium’ in the above. This entire order is infuriating, makes me want the Hoyas to destroy the Orange even more.)
8) Are you watching/streaming anything interesting these days? I’ve been struggling, currently plowing through SUITS.
I just got through season one of Suits – definitely worth the watch. The duo I’m currently streaming right now is a weird one: The Crown and The Walking Dead.
(Casual Note: Meghan Markle is luminous. Love her.)
9) Final score prediction?
I’d say things will play out similar to last season: both teams remain close for most of the first half, but Syracuse goes on enough of a scoring run to build up a lead Georgetown can’t come back from. I’ll say the Orange survive 74-67 on the road.