Syracuse Alumni In London 2012 Olympics

   

     The 2012 Summer Olympics in London won't take place without a Syracuse presence. The Syracuse Orange have 5 athletes and 1 coach that are alumni.
     In basketball Team USA will have Carmelo Anthony again in men's basketball and his head coach in college and current Syracuse head coach, Jim Boeheim, is an assistant for the men's team. The team was undefeated in exhibition play, never even coming close to losing a game. They won their opening round game against France. They are huge favorites to come away with the gold.
     In other sports, Shannon Taylor will take the field for Team USA in field hockey. Taylor was an All-American in college. In rowing Mike Gennaro is on the Team USA men's team and Natalie Mastracci is on Canada's women's rowing team. Uhunoma Ozazuwa will compete in the heptathlon for Nigeria. She was a 2-time Big East champion in the event.

     The Summer Olympics opened on July 27th and will conclude on August 12th.

Carmelo Anthony Keeping Team USA In Game vs. Spain

    Although relegated to the bench by Coach K for team USA, Syracuse great Carmelo Anthony is not letting that get him down.
  The Dream Team struggled against international power Spain early in the first half until Anthony entered the game.
    Anthony is getting ready to play in his third Olympics, and his familiarity with the shorter three-point line showed as he connected on 5 threes in the first half. He leads the game with 23 points.
  Team USA turned up the pressure defense during the second quarter to come from behind to gain a 48-40 lead at halftime.

Joseph, Melo Have Solid NBA Summer League

      The NBA's Orlando Summer League wrapped up yesterday with yet another victory for the Boston Celtics.  Two former Syracuse players, Fab Melo and Kris Joseph, helped lead Boston to a 4-1 record in the 5-day summer league session. Here is a look at what each player did.
      Kris Joseph, the Celtics' second round pick, had a very impressive week for Boston. He ended the week averaging 9.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He shot 75% from the free throw line and shot 39% from the field. He averaged 21.6 minutes per game while making 3 starts in the five games played. His most impressive game came against Detroit on Thursday where he had 17 points and 11 rebounds in the loss to the Pistons. Overall a very good week for Kris Joseph.
     Fab Melo, one of the Celtics' first round picks, showed his defensive ability in the 5 games he played. Melo averaged 1.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 assist per game. He had a rough go of it from the field only shooting 29%. He made 2 starts in the 5 games and averaged 15.8 minutes per game. His best game was Friday against Orlando where he had 5 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 steals. Although he did not play a ton this week he showed glimpses of his defensive abilities.
     The Las Vegas NBA Summer League started yesterday and will run until July 22nd. The Vegas league will feature former Syracuse alumni Wes Johnson, Dion Waiters, as well as Fab Melo and Kris Joseph.  

Joseph And Melo 2-0 In Summer League Play

     In Orlando the annual NBA summer leagues began on Monday. Fab Melo and Kris Joseph took the court for the Boston Celtics. On Monday the Celtics defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder and today they defeated the Brooklyn Nets. Summer League teams are mainly made up of rookies and second-year players looking for experience with the occasional veteran trying to keep the NBA dream alive. Joseph, Melo, and fellow draft pick Jared Sullinger played significant roles in the Celtics victories.
     Kris Joseph, the Celtics second round pick out of Syracuse, had the most significant contribution among Syracuse alumni. On day one Joseph had 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals as the Celtics won 73-65. He shot 3 of 8 from the field and played solid defense. On day two Joseph earned a start. In over 25 minutes of action he had  11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and a blocked shot. He continued his stat stuffing ways helping the Celtics win 82-73. He shot 4 of 9 from the field and made all 3 free throw attempts.
     Fab Melo played solid defense in his first two games of action. In his first game he had 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. In today's game Melo did not score, but had 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and a blocked shot. He has averaged just under 14 minutes per game thus far.
     Summer league action continues in Orlando until July 13 and the Las Vegas summer league runs from July 13-22.

NBA DRAFT PREVIEW: Kris Joseph

     Kris Joseph had a stellar four-year career with the Syracuse Orange. This past season he led the Orange to the Elite 8 and helped the Orange break the school record for wins. Joseph put up solid numbers in his senior season averaging 13.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. Joseph measures in at 6'7" tall and weighs 215 pounds. After several workouts with NBA teams he is ready for Thursday night's NBA draft. Here is our preview for Kris Joseph.
     PROS: At 6'7" tall Joseph has sufficient size to play small forward in the NBA. He is a solid rebounder for his size. He is a very smart player and usually stays out of foul trouble. A solid defender capable of guarding the other team's best player. A solid 3-point shooter with a good overall offensive game.
     CONS: Joseph rarely takes over a game. He has the ability to do so, but sometimes takes a more passive approach. Needs to be more of a force on the offensive end.
     Most draft boards have Joseph going in the mid-to-late second round. Possible teams are Atlanta or Toronto, but never rule out trades on draft day. Joseph will most likely have to prove himself in order to get playing time in his rookie season.

Joseph Shoots Well In Bobcats Workout

    Kris Joseph had a successful workout with the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday. Joseph worked out alongside the potential number two pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and another potential lottery selection Bradley Beal. Mike Scott of Virginia, Quincy Acy of Baylor, Bernard James of Florida State, and Darius Johnson-Odom of Marquette also worked out for the Bobcats.
    Joseph had a successful career for Syracuse. The 6'7" forward led the Orange in scoring in his senior season. He led the team to the Big East regular season title as well as an Elite 8 berth.
    Joseph said in a bobcats.com interview that he wanted to show the team that he could "shoot the ball consistently". He then added, "I shot the ball pretty well today, even in our spot shooting and in the drills." The players were involved in 3-on-3 drills where Joseph was able to showcase his skills against top tier talent.
    He is expected to be a mid-to-late second round pick this year. Charlotte has picks number 2 and 31 in the draft. They have made deals in the past to acquire more draft picks. When asked about playing for the Bobcats Joseph said, "They need some help and I would be willing to be the guy to help this organization out."

NBA Draft Preview: Fab Melo

   After a drama filled sophomore season Fab Melo decided it was time to turn pro. Melo was not allowed to play in the NCAA tournament after the school deemed him ineligible. He ended the year averaging 7.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game. His defensive performances helped him earn the Big East Defensive Player of the Year crown. Melo is measured at 7' tall and weighs 255 pounds.
   Pros: At 7 feet tall Melo is a hot commodity in the NBA. In a league where you can never have enough big men, his size is his best asset. He has an overall nose for the ball. He defends extremely well and alters shots consistently. He disrupts players from getting clean drives to the rim, a good help defender. He is a great rebounder.
   Cons: Melo is a work in progress on the offensive end. He has no jump shot. His back to the basket game is satisfactory, but not NBA caliber. He is prone to get in foul trouble.
   Overall Melo is a young enough player that some of these skills can be learned. He has tremendous talent and appears to have a tremendous upside. Most mock drafts have Melo going between pick 22 and 28. There may be a chance a team would trade to get him, but there are some playoff teams in the late first round   that would love to have a defensive 7 footer. I don't see him being a superstar of any kind, but he could develop into a solid center for a team.
   Coming up in the near future will be the Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph draft previews from Syracuse Pros.