GREAT news!!!! The MRI revealed that it's a right quad injury but it's nothing serious. Phew!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/ncaa/wires/03/12/2060.ap.bkc.t25.syracuse.onuaku.0215/

Good to hear.

They may keep him out of the 1st round game but that's smart because it's basically a bye when you're playing a #16 seed. That's an extra 2 days of rest for him.

Very good news. Never like to see a team lose a player at anytime, let alone this time of year.

Definitely a plus for the NCAAs.

Great to hear.

Didn't look serious... just his reaction.

The way he was writhing around on the ground, moaning made it seem serious. While I don't like 'Cuse I'm glad these needless Conference Tournaments didn't end up costing them a shot at the final four/national championship due to losing a star player to injury.

Well, Onuaku probably won't play in either game this weekend. He should be ready to go for the Sweet 16 if they can get that far without him. He's walking and supposedly feels good but he won't play vs. Vermont and most likely won't go vs. the Gonzaga-Florida State winner.

Not great news because they're probably gonna have to find a way to get to the Sweet 16 minus Arinze. If they do.....he should be ready to go.

The not-so-bad thing is Kris Joseph was already playing about 30 minutes a game so he'll start now and Rick Jackson will play Center. Jackson has done a pretty darn good job at the 5 when he's been called upon so they're definitely losing size and depth but the guys stepping up shouldn't be a huge problem.

killer_ewok wrote: Well, Onuaku probably won't play in either game this weekend. He should be ready to go for the Sweet 16 if they can get that far without him. He's walking and supposedly feels good but he won't play vs. Vermont and most likely won't go vs. the Gonzaga-Florida State winner.

Not great news because they're probably gonna have to find a way to get to the Sweet 16 minus Arinze. If they do.....he should be ready to go.

Interesting. I kinda thought 'Cuse was keeping things under wrap for fear the NCAA would drop their seed.
If Fla St happens to win, not having him could hurt as Fla St is big and athletic. That could be an interesting matchup if it happens.

I would hope they can get him back by the 2nd round, never know what can happen facing a rather athletic Florida State team...i am not picking FSU to win, but the 2nd round is always dangerous, and could be a very close one.

The problem is a short bench got even shorter. Jackson will need to stay out of foul trouble. If he doesn't, Jimmy B is going to have to go deep into his bench to find someone to give the Orange quality minutes.

Cha'DIch wrote: The problem is a short bench got even shorter. Jackson will need to stay out of foul trouble. If he doesn't, Jimmy B is going to have to go deep into his bench to find someone to give the Orange quality minutes.

didnt Mookie Jones just return from injury. Hes a young guy (Sophomore or RS Freshman, not sure which), but a top 35 player...

Laley23 wrote:

Cha'DIch wrote: The problem is a short bench got even shorter. Jackson will need to stay out of foul trouble. If he doesn't, Jimmy B is going to have to go deep into his bench to find someone to give the Orange quality minutes.

didnt Mookie Jones just return from injury. Hes a young guy (Sophomore or RS Freshman, not sure which), but a top 35 player...

Yeah, he's back.

killer_ewok wrote:

Laley23 wrote:

Cha'DIch wrote: The problem is a short bench got even shorter. Jackson will need to stay out of foul trouble. If he doesn't, Jimmy B is going to have to go deep into his bench to find someone to give the Orange quality minutes.

didnt Mookie Jones just return from injury. Hes a young guy (Sophomore or RS Freshman, not sure which), but a top 35 player...

Yeah, he's back.

Thats good. I mean, certainly isnt going to replace Onuaku. But adding another big time talent to the rotation never hurts.

Laley, are you yet wavering?

I haven't switched anything yet, but only have less than 16 hours to do so before my brackets are due.

reclegend22 wrote: Laley, are you yet wavering?

I haven't switched anything yet, but only have less than 16 hours to do so before my brackets are due.

Not a bit. Gonzaga doesnt have what it takes to get it done over Syracuse, with or without Onuaku.

FSU could be a tough game though. Alabi would pose an issue, but I dont think that team is disciplined at all to work the zone. I would see them turning it over and chucking bad shots all day long. Defensively they can check Syracuse pretty well without Onuaku, especially Chris Singleton. But offensively I have a feeling I would jsut be laughing the whole game at FSU and their offensive execution.


Gonzaga like I said is disciplined enough to work, take care of the ball, and take good shots. But I dont think they will have enough to stop Syracuse and I dont think they can score enough. Bouldin is a penetrator not a shooter, and thats a problem because playing Syracuse you need a shooting PG or a PG who can penetrate the zone. Bouldin, imo, is not athletic enough to penetrate it.

And yes I realize Goodsen is their PG, but hes a sophomore, Im not worried a bit about him carrying them. He is a terrible shooter.

Coach said today on Mike and Mike that Onuaku is back to walking but not even close to running yet and that he will keep him out of this weekend's games. He said he would possibly be back for next week.

Laley23 wrote:FSU could be a tough game though. Alabi would pose an issue, but I dont think that team is disciplined at all to work the zone. I would see them turning it over and chucking bad shots all day long. Defensively they can check Syracuse pretty well without Onuaku, especially Chris Singleton. But offensively I have a feeling I would jsut be laughing the whole game at FSU and their offensive execution.

I agree 100%. Florida State has the NBA-like bigs, who have athleticism, length and the ability to run the court, dunk, block shots, etc. Aside from that, they're rarely very efficient in the half court game. And they can't shoot because they have no shooting. There's no Al Thornton or Tony Douglas to save them this time around -- and those two didn't save them then.

Florida State lacks great coaching first of all. Hamilton built a good thing in Coral Cables, went on to tank in the NBA like most college coaches do and has kept FSU from being a doormat in the ACC. Aside from that, he's a mediocre coach. And because of that, the Noles are undisciplined players without a great sense for fundamentals. They're not in as bad a shape as Georgia Tech (another ACC team that will bow out before anyone even notices), but they're in that tier of teams.

As for my Syracuse pick, I probably won't change. Was just wondering what some other people were thinking. More than anything, I was just wondering if anything had changed with Onuaku's current state.