Triche, Second Edition

I was surprised when the season opened with Brandon Triche in the starting lineup, and Scoop Jardine on the bench. I had liked the way Jardine played the point in his freshman year, especially the way he shared the ball. I was less worried about Flynn's departure, knowing that Jardine could run the team this year. So why was this freshman starting in his place?

That question became even more pressing after Triche began the year with tentative play. In the Garden, against California, when Triche seemed unable to get into the flow of the offense, Scoop came off the bench to lead the team in scoring and assists, while committing a single turnover. It seemed only a matter of time before Scoop replaced the freshman, or perhaps we had one of those situations where the starter sat sat down early in the game, and the substitute racked up all the minutes and points.

But it became apparent after only a few games, that regardless of how much he produced offensively, Triche was helping to make the defense more effective. This year's 2-3 has two big guards out front, making it harder for teams to shoot over the zone. Plus, his athleticism allows him to chase down open guys, as teams swing the ball around looking for an open man. And he showed us early on that he could take the ball to the hole. After all, he's 6'4", and strong enough to go inside against pretty much any other guard.

But whatever doubts remained about Triche and his offensive game, as well as his qualifications to play with the starters, were erased over the last couple games. Against Oakland, he led the team in scoring with 27, and more importantly, shot 6 for 6, from three-point range. Boeheim sat him with about ten minutes in the game; otherwise he could have racked up really huge numbers for the night. Talk about hot. And with Triche hitting threes, that means the team has three different starters who can, maybe not all on the same night, hit the outside shot. So it will be harder for teams to defense the Orange by smothering the big guys, and clogging the lane. Because if no one comes outside to challenge Johnson, Rautins and Triche, at least one of them should be able to knock down threes. And then if defenses come outside on Johnson and Triche, both of them can go strong to the basket.

Cuse is still among the nation's leaders in scoring average. And last I looked, they led all of Division I in field goal percentage. Partly that's because AO and Jackson rarely shoot when they're more than three feet from the basket. But it's also because the team is making more than forty percent of its threes.

I heard in the Dome the other night that when Triche was a high school freshman, he played even against Flynn, who was then a junior. We've had other years when freshmen played above everyone's expectations, and took the team deep into the tournament. And that seems to work well when there are also seniors on the floor, who can provide leadership and stability. Back on the '86 team, it was Triche's uncle who provided that senior leadership to a talented bunch of underclassmen. The role is reversed this year, but it sure looks like the latest Triche will be making big contributions all winter long.

Ugly Win

Here's what I didn't like about last night's win over Bonaventure. We got out hustled, out rebounded, and even pushed around in the first half, by an inspired Bonnies team that was looking for a big win over their formal instate rival. Once upon a time, or to use current terminology, back in the day, Cuse and Bonaventure had a fierce rivalry, and often met in the ECAC prelims that were play-in games for the tournament. Although the Orange have eclipsed the Bonnies of late, these games are never blowouts, and last night was no exception. Even so, Cuse came out flat, and stood around for much of the first half, allowing the smaller and less talented Bonnies to keep the game close, and even lead late in the first half. I thought Johnson especially was flat, as did the coach, who sat him for much of the first twenty minutes.

I also didn't like that we shot the ball poorly from the free throw line. After the bigs hit their first four, including 2 for 2 by AO, everyone went cold. Even Johnson and Rautins were missing. It didn't matter in the long run, but it will when we start Big East play. And I didn't like how we turned the ball over on the break. A few times steals led to fast break opportunities that were quickly wasted when someone tossed the ball away.

Having said all that, what I did like was how we fought back, particularly in the second half. Used to be that the first five minutes of the second half was our most vulnerable time, almost as if the guys had taken tranquilizers in the locker room over half time. This year, however, the team has looked very good coming out of the locker room. Perhaps the coach is firing them up; perhaps the defense is making adjustments. Whatever it is, and last night fit the current pattern, we've had close games decided in the first five minutes of the second half as the Orange have gone on runs coming out of the locker room.

Another thing I liked was the play of Kris Joseph, who got over 30 minutes, first when Johnson sat in the first half, and later when AO stayed on the bench with a bruised thigh, for all of the second half. Joseph is playing more assertively this year, taking the ball to the hoop effectively, and his production is way up. Last night he came within one point of becoming the seventh player to lead the Orange in scoring this year. Now if we can only get Mookie in the flow of the offense as well.

And lastly, I didn't like how the Orange failed the put the Bonnies away when they had a chance. The Bonnie center, who was their leading scorer, was tossed in the second half after he intentionally hit Rautins in the balls. The flagrant foul gave Rautins two free throws, and then possession to Cuse. But he missed both free throws; Cuse failed to score; Bonaventure came back and scored; and it was a twelve point game instead of a runaway.

Nevertheless, team is 11-0, with eleven double digit wins, with seven guys making big contributions, and with a good chance to start conference play undefeated.

Now I know that I've been neglecting all the hot stove news, with Granderson and Lackey moving into the AL East. But as we still have time before the season starts, in fact plenty of time before spring training, all that will have to wait. With one exception: I was astonished that the Yankees let Matsui go. For a franchise that prides itself on class and character, that was the wrong thing to do. I know it's a business; I know the guy is old and his knees are gone; but hey, he just won the World Series MVP. Not to mention that he is as classy a guy as one can find anywhere in professional athletics. For all the damage he's inflicted over the years, I could never manage to hate on Matsui. The only thing I hated was to see him step into the batter's box, especially in a late inning. Danny says the old guy would never have let Matsui go. Not that he went that far; he'll step into the Vlad Guerrero role out in LA - you know, the DH who can barely get around the bases after hitting one out.

But back to matters at hand. From now through March, it's going to be mostly Orange here on MannyMontaigne. Red and Blue will have to wait until the snow melts.

The Wes Johnson Show

In the 80’s, Dominique Wilkins was known as the “Human Highlight Reel”. It’s a nickname that would fit Wes Johnson perfectly. Every game of late he’s had a couple plays that belong on Sportscenter –typically alleyoop dunks off of feeds from Rautins, who seems to have a great sense for when Johnson is going to the hoop. The guy is 6’7’’, but jumps center instead of the taller Jackson and AO. He leads the team in rebounds, and is second in blocks. And when he goes up for boards, he really goes up, soaring above bigger players. Everyone saw that one-handed jam in the Colgate game, and against Maine he seemed to float down the lane, soaring above the astonished Black Bears, before he slammed the ball through the rim. The public relations guys should redo the pre-game video to keep it updated with Johnson’s latest mind boggling plays.

Saturday night, they had the best half of basketball since the Georgia Tech game in 2003. (There’s that year again; I hate to keep bringing up those comparisons.) After Maine sunk a couple threes in the opening minutes, the zone completely shut the Bears down, put them in a trap from which they could not escape. By halftime it was 60-12, and the crowd was almost embarrassed for those poor kids who were being humiliated in front of 20,000 fans; I’m sure their biggest crowd of the year. But one thing I liked about that half was that it confirmed that this year’s Orange are playing with intensity, even when the opposition doesn’t require that. For the past few years, even in last year’s Sweet Sixteen season, Cuse would often play down to the level of their opposition. Maybe they’d play hard for ten minutes, but how often did they come out of the locker room, and sleep walk until they found themselves down by ten? Or maybe they’d run out to a lead, and then give the lead back so that the game was close in the second half. This year’s bunch has been lighting up the scoreboard, and not letting lousy teams hang around with a chance for a lucky win. (Lemoyne excepted of course, but that now appears to have been Boeheim’s teaching tool for the value of the 2-3 zone.)

Another great thing is the depth. They’re already seven deep, with Joseph and Jardine off the bench for long stretches. But coach is working Mookie, Southerland and Riley (two freshmen) into the rotation. Mookie has been playing well since the Cornell game, when he threw some kind of fit, and has learned to give up the ball for more open teammates. He and Southerland are streaky shooters, but when they’re on, they give the team four options from beyond the arc. I worried about the loss of Devendorf, because Rautins has off nights when he cannot find the hoop. But Johnson has great touch from the outside, and with the other two off the bench, Cuse should be able to find three-point shots on most nights this winter.

Today Cuse climbed to 6^th and 7^th in the polls, a rarefied altitude that makes me nervous. I like it better when the team has a chip on its shoulder, and wants to earn everyone's respect. They play Florida in Tampa on Thursday, and it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they lost that game, and came back to earth before the conference season begins. We’ll have to tune in on ESPN360. But aside from the winning and losing, if you want some eye-popping, rim-rattling, mind-blowing highlights, keep your focus on number four, Wes Johnson, as he flies up through the rafters, down the lane, and into the highlight reel. Go Orange.

Tullibardine

It's rare that we get to taste a whisky we're completely unfamiliar with. I know that we haven't tasted all of the malts bottled in Scotland, but I've been under the impression for a while now that pretty much anything worth tasting as a single malt has been marketed for sale in this country. Maybe that's a conceit; maybe a trip to the UK would allow us to taste a host of wonderful malts that would otherwise remain a mystery to us here in the States. But I'm guessing that the whisky market in this country is about as good as anywhere on the planet, and if there's a distillery making quality whisky, it's finding a way to sell that whisky here in the U.S.

So it came as a surprise to me recently to see a bottle of Tullibardine 1992 on the shelves at Whitehouse. It was just before Thanksgiving, and I was looking to pick up a couple bottles for the holiday weekend. Not only was Danny coming for dinner on Thursday, but the boys were home for several days after our weekend in New York, and we vowed to drink only the best malts for the few days we were together. Ben didn't know much about this malt; only that he had received good comments about the couple bottles he had sold previously.

I went on-line, and learned that Tullibardine is one of those distilleries that had closed in the recent past, when everyone who knew no better was drinking vodka and white wine. Fortunately, the place reopened earlier in the decade, began operating its stills once more, and resumed marketing the whisky that had lain dormant in casks for the previous dozen or so years. It's hard to figure why these distilleries closed, once you taste the whisky. With all the mediocre spirits that are produced around the globe, how was it that a place like Tullibardine couldn't find a way to sell its malt? No matter. The distillery is operating once more; the whisky is available even here in Rochester; and we're all lucky that this malt will remain available in years to come.

Tullibardine is a highland malt, but tastes to me like some of the great lowland whiskies. It's very light for a highland, both in color and in taste. It has a wonderful floral nose, and a soft, almost delicate flavor. Danny found it exceptionally sweet. What I like best about it is that it's different from most other highlands. Don't get me wrong; I love the rich malty flavor of Macallan or Aberlour. But the great thing about scotch whisky is the broad spectrum of tastes that are found in these spirits. Tullibardine and Laphroaig, for example, couldn't be much more different in taste. This variety is something you don't find with any other spirit. There are no two bourbons, or two ryes, that are as different from each other as those two scotch whiskies are. So depending on when you're drinking; and what you're in the mood for; or what foods you might be tasting; or whether you have a cigar at hand; there's always the right scotch whisky for the occasion.

But to suggest that Tullibardine has value only because it's light and different from the island malts fails to give this whisky its due. This is a delightful malt whisky in its own right, and I for one am glad that someone has the good sense and foresight to rescue this dormant distillery, and bring its product back to the market. Now if they'd only do that for Rosebank; then I'd really be a happy man.

The Haters Ball

Thanksgiving. Sitting in the kitchen with the boys, while they're making the holiday dinner. Much to be thankful for. I'm still trying to figure out if we should make speeches at the table later. I doubt that anyone actually wants to do that, but isn't it better to say that stuff out loud, for everyone to hear. Even if everyone already knows it. And really, what harm could result from all of us hearing out loud what's sitting silently in our hearts?

Saturday night last, within the shadow of the Haters Building, we convened at Keens for the annual Haters Ball. Here's what I recall of the malts we tasted:

Opening up with Suntory 18, respect for Series MVP Hideki Matsui. The Japanese make very credible malts, not exactly scotches, because of course the water and the earth, what Jackson calls the terroir, are different. Danny thinks the Japanese whiskies are sweeter, and closer to bourbon than scotch. Exactly where they land on the spectrum, who knows? But this 18 was rich and full flavored, perhaps a bit rough around the edges for a whisky of that age.

Next we drank PC6, one of the Port Charlottes, a new line distilled by the Bruichladdich folks, apparently in an effort to recreate the taste and character of a now extinct Islay distillery just down the road from where Laddie sits. In fact, although the malt is distilled at Bruichladdich, it ages in the old Port Charlotte warehouse. In any event, this malt has a big earthy peat flavor, more dirt than seaside. It reminds me of the peat characteristic of the peaty highland malts, like Ardmore and Ballechin, more than the traditional briny islay flavor of Laphroaig or Lagavulin.

Port Ellen '79 vintage. Port Ellen is one of the lost gems that Keens has managed to keep alive and available, although I fear it will soon disappear, along with the likes of Rosebank. In the meantime, Port Ellen is a traditional Islay whisky, with a surprising light nose and palate. The peat is clearly there, but it's a more subtle and understated flavor than the aforementioned Islay whiskies. Think of a cross between a lowland and an Islay.

From then on, although we continued to enjoy a selection of exceptional malts, they were all whiskies we knew well. HP 15, a bit lighter than the 18, and softer than the 12. Bruichladdich 18, a big full flavored Laddie. Danny claims that, stuck on a desert island, if he could only drink one whisky, it would be Bruichladdich. G-Man and I vote for HP 18, but either way, it would be a great way to pass the time until rescued. Lastly, John ordered an after dinner dram of Bunnahabhain 18, the silkiest whisky known to man, with that elusive and mysterious Bunnahabhain flavor lurking below the malt, alongside just a hint of peat.

And to compliment the porterhouses that were soon to arrive on the table, we ordered a magnum of a big, rich and chewy California blend - Girard Artistry. We knew nothing at all about this blend, whose backbone is Cabernet, but were pleased to learn later that wine spectator had given it 92 points. And it was cool to have the magnum opened for us, just to acknowledge that the Haters Ball celebrates excess in all culinary categories. It's not a night for the meek or cautious.

So we're thankful we all had a chance to gather in NY, with friends and family and good fellowship, even if we all are haters.

Johnson's Garden Party

We were in New York last weekend, for the annual Haters Ball, and more on that in an upcoming post, and we were staying on Seventh Avenue, with a view of the Garden from our front door. So after Cuse had blown out 12th ranked California on Thursday night, and without much in the way of expectations, I went to the box office on Friday, and bought three seats high up in the Garden. We waited for the preliminary game to conclude, and as we walked the block or so from hotel to the Garden, it seemed like much of the crowd was arriving with us, for the main attraction, for the game everyone wanted to see -- unranked Cuse playing the defending national champs, fourth ranked Carolina.

I won't bother with the game recap, as everyone on the planet already knows that Cuse blew the TarHeels away with a 22-1 run to open the second half. Wes Johnson dazzled everybody who saw him that night, with a double double, and an inside-outside game reminiscent of another small forward who also celebrated his coming out party in Madison Square Garden. On Thursday, he had six blocks against Cal, and we saw how that happened, as he skied to take rebounds away from Carolina's bigger front line. He hit a dagger three in the second half run that vaulted Cuse to a seventeen point lead Carolina could never really challenge. But my favorite play of the night was when he was back alone, defending against a 2 on 1 break, and instead of trying to draw a charge, or block a layup, and ending up surrendering a three-point play, he poked the ball away on the dribble, prevented UNC from scoring on the break, and forced them to set up against the 2-3, which by them had become impenetrable.

The Garden is a great spot for a coming out party. Forget about all the media attention that is focused on that venue, as a result of which Johnson and the Orange became the favorite flavors of ESPN and the NY papers, at least for the weekend. What I liked was the crowd. The place was loud and electric all night. In the first half, when Cuse and Carolina were back and forth, and the game still close, both teams' fans made themselves heard. By the second half, when it was all Orange, the crowd chanted "Let's Go Orange!" and "Overrated!", relentlessly. I love the Dome, especially when the Dome gets loud, and the Garden never reached the deafening levels one encounters when the crowd pushes 30,000 and beyond. But the Garden crowd stayed on its feet, and kept cheering long after the game had become a runaway, and there was no doubt about the outcome. Maybe that had something to do with beer sales continuing in the second half. I know that the kids sitting below us, who wanted to hate on Lemoyne with us, had reached a state of loud but congenial inebriation; we exited before they turned hostile or sloppy, although it took seven or eight handshakes and hugs before we could manage to leave.

Here's the best statistic of the young season. Cuse has won its first five games, and in those five games, they have had five different leading scorers. Some are predictable, like Johnson and Rautins. Some we'd like to see more often, like AO. But how about Jardine and Triche leading the way against Cal and Cornell? I hate to keep bringing up '03, but that year we had all the starters (not including Forth, of course), and even Edelin off the bench, leading the team on different nights throughout the season. It makes it tougher for opponents to shut them down. Right now, my biggest fear is that they'll climb too high in the rankings, because between now and the start of conference play, the only really tough game they face is Florida on a neutral court. It's good they lost to Lemoyne; hopefully that will remind everyone they aren't invincible. But it wouldn't be a bad thing to lose a game, or even to win one late, say from the foul line. There haven't even been any close finishes as yet. But in the meantime, I'm thinking I'd like to return to the Garden in March. Jonny who?

Jardine's Garden Party

It's been a bleak November, notwithstanding the many bright and sunny days that have graced upstate NY. First we had to watch the RedSox bullpen melt down, giving the Angels a three-game sweep. The after the Angels fell apart in the ALCS, we had to endure the indignity of the Empire winning its twenty-seventh title. Give credit where credit is due, however. The Yankees stepped up, and earned that title with a dominant post-season. And let's show respect for Matsui, who is the antithesis of the modern self-absorbed athlete.

Then forget about football season. Syracuse has had another dismal fall. They may not have been as inept as during the Robinson years, but still have managed to find new and creative ways to give away games. I've said this in the past, but I really think I've seen my last game from Section 130, Row V, Seats 7 and 8, where my dad and I sat through many a great game in the 80s, under Coach Mac, and even through the early 90s. But enough already. I saw victories this year over Maine and Akron, but in the old days, who would have taken heart from a win over a mid-major, or major-minor, or some Division 1-AA school? It's 22 years now since Cuse beat West Virginia in the best game I ever saw in the dome, trading TDs through the fourth quarter until the Orange won in the final seconds to go undefeated. Five years later, they lost to the number one ranked Hurricanes, when Gedney was tackled at the three yard line as time ran out. And forget about fifty years ago; we won't even go there.

But there is some promise for the winter months, after this demoralizing fall. Last night Cuse beat a highly ranked California team in the Garden, their home away from home. Not just beat Cal; but ran all over them. 95 points. They had that wake-up call against Lemoyne a couple weeks ago, and clearly stepped up their defensive intensity. And the team has those long and athletic guys, who can make the 2-3 so effective. (Remember Duany at the top of the zone?) Everyone expected Wes Johnson to contribute on the offensive end, and he has lived up to those expectations, but six blocks? The front line looks tough this year, and they have some help off the bench if AO and Jackson get in trouble.

But the star of the night was Scoop Jardine. I've been high on Scoop since his freshman year; he runs the floor well, he's unselfish; he keeps his teammates involved. I went back and checked, and last April, after Flynn declared, I predicted that the Orange would be OK at the point with Scoop and Triche running the team. Last night, off the bench, Jardine really filled up the stat sheet. 22 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds -- ESPN recognized him as the player of the game. But my favorite stat of the night was that in twenty-seven minutes he had a single turnover. So when your point guard leads the team in scoring (many of those points coming off the break), and in assists, and never turns the ball over, that's a recipe for 95 points against a ranked team.

I was worried, before the season, about vulnerability from three-point range, but with Rautins and Johnson, and some decent shooters off the bench, on any given night they ought to have someone who can knock down threes, and loosen up defenses, so that the guards can get the ball inside to the big guys. I'm sure there will be nights when no one shoots well; in part, that's what happened with Lemoyne. But there's enough firepower to make up for the loss of Devo, and to keep the offense balanced.

Tonight they play Carolina, the defending champs, but win or lose, it looks like this is a team with potential, perhaps a team that can go a few rounds in March. So tomorrow night, amid all the hating, we'll raise a glass of scotch and take time to spread some optimism for this year's Orange, and a brighter, more cheerful winter.