On to Boston

Yes, I know. Cuse has been in Boston for several days. But tomorrow morning, we are getting on the road, and heading to the Garden to see the Orange play in the regional finals. It’s their first trip to the finals since 2003, when I saw them beat Auburn in the sweet sixteen. There’s all kinds of interesting symmetry with 2003. That year the first two rounds were played in Boston; this year it’s the regionals. That year, in the sweet sixteen, they won by one point, same as tonight. They haven’t had a one-point win in the tournament since 2003. So who knows?

Good thing there are no style points in basketball, because that sure was an ugly finish tonight. Couple good points from the win. CJ Fair had his first good game in the post-season, and we needed every one of his points, and his rebounds. Our guards played a great game, driving the lane, and hitting four of six threes. Keita filled in adequately in the post, even though he choked on a couple shots from six inches out. Christmas was mostly AWOL tonight, but as long as we get a credible game from one of the big men, there are enough other guys who can put points on the board. The Orange scored only 64 tonight, but still had four guys in double figures. That balance has been a strength all year long.

As I post this, Louisville has already knocked out Michigan State, meaning two Big East teams are in the regional finals, and one number one seed is heading home. Right now Ohio State is handling Cincinnati, who has already over-achieved in my opinion, but Marquette is off to a decent start against Florida.

One more thing. I didn’t have the Orange Fashioned at half-time, because I thought they played a good first half, and there was no need to change anything. But when Wisconsin tied things up, I went downstairs and made one, and who’s to say that it didn’t help out. I mean, everyone has to do his part. Saturday night -- Go Orange.

The Orange Fashioned

Big turnaround in the second half today, not unlike Thursday. Everyone has been talking about the seniors stepping up in the second half. Today, the team started to hit their threes, and that opened up the lane, giving the guards room to drive, and either go to the hoop or dish. And they rebounded better in the second half; didn’t Christmas have a great game? But there is another factor that no one has yet talked about yet: the Orange Fashioned.

See, on Thursday, I was at Murphy’s Law with Matt and some of his buddies, and we were drinking beer all through the first half. During halftime, I realized that we needed a change. Someone had to do something different. So I asked the gal behind the bar to make an old fashioned, using only oranges. Actually, I asked her if she had orange bitters but no luck there. (In fact, I was lucky she could even make an old fashioned.) Anyway, that’s what Matt and I drank in the second half on Thursday, while Cuse rallied to pull away from NC Asheville.

Today, another lackluster first half, despite the 17-2 run. Fortunately, the defense kept K-State from scoring very much and we held onto that skinny one point lead. But this was now four games in a row with no offense, and little sign they could play deep into the tournament, even if they scratched out another win. So what to do? I made another Orange Fashioned. This one was one hundred percent orange, and look how well they played in the second half.

Here’s the recipe, because John thinks that the more of us there are drinking Orange Fashioneds, the better their chances: Muddle a slice or two of orange with sugar and water (or simple syrup), and some bitters. If you can get the Fee Brothers Orange Bitters, all the better. But if not, any bitters will do. Add a couple ounces of Crown Royal (or other rye whisky), ice, and stir. Don’t shake.

Most important, wait until half-time. Don’t break the cocktail out too early. And let’s see if they can keep advancing on Thursday. Go Orange.

Carpano Antica

Good news for those who appreciate fine quality beverages: the definitive sweet vermouth is now readily available in the States; I say that because if I could buy it here in Rochester, I assume it’s on the shelves pretty much everywhere.

We’ve always been fans of vermouth. It’s an essential ingredient in some of the classic cocktails: sweet for Manhattans, and dry for Martinis. More importantly, it makes an excellent aperitif, all by itself. Susan drinks it half and half (that’s half sweet, and half dry, with a twist) which some folks call a French Kiss, and which Cinzano actually bottles in that mixture, although I haven’t seen it on shelves for a long time. Also, vermouth is great for cooking; all the herbs give it a more interesting flavor than, for example, white wine. And among the vermouth variations, we’ve also long been fans of Punt e Mes, a sweet vermouth, bottled by Carpano, and made more interesting by the addition of bitters.

But only on a few occasions have I had the chance to taste another Carpano product - the Antica Formula. Gramercy Tavern has had it behind its bar for a several years, but they’ve got one of the most interesting bar menus I’ve ever seen. Until recently it was hard to find here in the hinterlands. The label suggests that Carpano Antica originated in 1786, and perhaps it was the original Italian vermouth. (By the way, when vermouth first came to this country after the civil war, sweet vermouth was known as Italian vermouth, and dry was known as French vermouth. I’ve been reading Imbibe, which reprints the original Jerry Thomas cocktail recipes, and all of them use that terminology -- Italian or French.) According to Imbibe, when it first arrived in this country, vermouth was drunk without spirits. So the Jerry Thomas vermouth cocktail is merely sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist. And by the way, the Carpano Antica is absolutely delicious when served that way. Eventually, someone in New York invented the Manhattan, and vermouth became relegated to the status of mixer only. That’s too bad. We’ve always felt that good vermouth, Cinzano being our household standard, can be drunk on its own. But this Carpano Antica is clearly a step up. It’s a terrific aperitif, and not bad as a digestif either.

So that’s the good news for today; that and the fact that Kentucky was upset by Vanderbilt. Let’s tune in to the selection show this evening and find out if the Orange are playing in the east. And if they are, a beverage or two will be called for, maybe a chilled glass of Carpano Antica.

Ugly Times Two

It would be comforting to think that coming all the way back from a seventeen point deficit, that playing hard all through the second half, showed that this year's team has heart. And it would be nice to think that last night's loss to Cincinnati was a wake-up call, ensuring that the team will be ready for the NCAAs less than a week from now. But I'm not so sure. I think there were some very disturbing signs of trouble ahead.

First of all, where was the senior leadership? The Orange were playing in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a conference tournament, in Madison Square Garden, and in front of a national TV audience. One would assume that the seniors could be depended on to steady the team, or to pick up the slack when others wilted in the Garden's bright lights. Unfortunately, nothing of the kind happened. Kris Joseph went 3 for 14 for the two nights, and even though he managed double figures against UConn, he was hardly instrumental in that win. Last night, he was a non-factor. It was worse for Scoop Jardine, who did nothing against UConn, and not much more against Cincy. Jardine did hit two threes last night, but that was the extent of his scoring. Worse, he had five turnovers, one more than the entire team did a night earlier. And in the second half, when the team began mounting a comeback, and Cincinnati's threes finally stopped falling, Joseph and Jardine both committed bonehead plays on more than one occasion. They played as one would expect the underclassmen to play -- throwing the ball away, dribbling into traffic and giving up steals.

When they fell behind by seventeen last night, I thought back to 2003, and the Oklahoma State game. That one started off just like last night, with the Orange ice cold, and Oklahoma State running out to a big lead. But in 2003, once the Orange righted the ship, once they began to play well, they dominated the rest of the game, in the end, running away from the Cowboys. Last night that never happened. Late in the first half, they finally started to get some stops, but on three consecutive possessions, could not convert. They threw up bad shots, or tossed the ball away. And in the second half, even though the defense played better, they kept giving the Bearcats second and third chances by surrendering offensive rebounds. And even though they kept chipping away at the lead, there was never a stretch when they played well at both ends of the court, and ran off a string of consecutive points. I admit that they played hard in the second half, and maybe if they had played that hard for forty minutes there would have been a better outcome. Of course, if they had hit their foul shots, or hadn't committed all the turnovers, or maybe if someone else, aside from Waiters had hit some threes.... but what good is all that? If Perkins hadn't hurt his knee.... if AO hadn't gotten injured.... But the problem is that those things happen, and if they want to play deep into the coming tournament, they need to find a way to succeed, even when that stuff happens.

OK. So in 2003, the Orange got bounced out of the Big East tournament in the semis by UConn. UConn's guards ate up the zone that night, and the Cuse looked like anything but a championship team. And one thing we know for sure, is that all the Big East coaches know the 2-3, and know how to beat the 2-3. This year's Big East tourney has been a string of upsets, with a four-seed now playing a seven for the championship. I'm hoping it's different in the NCAAs; and I'm hoping that, just like 2003, the team learns from this loss, and comes into the tournament with something to prove. If that's the case, then this ugly loss last night will have served a useful purpose. Not to mention that we won't even remember much about the game a month from now. Wouldn't that be nice?

So let's tune in tomorrow evening and see where the Cuse will be playing, and who's in their bracket. And let's hope that when the tournament opens, they have a chip on their shoulder, and come to play, for forty minutes each night. Go Orange.

Cuse Sweeps up after UConn

Down eight midway through the second half; getting murdered on the boards; and struggling offensively against UConn, with Jim Calhoun back on the bench. Does that sound like the recipe for a win in the Big East tourney? Let’s add the fact that Joseph, Jardine (the two seniors) and CJ Fair collectively shot 2 for 18 from the field. Yet despite all that, Cuse managed a three-point win, and moved on to the semifinals, where they will face Cincinnati (and not Georgetown) tomorrow night. So how did that happen?

First of all, it was the defense, as it’s been all season long. The Orange have managed thirty-one wins, many of them coming on nights when no one seemed able to hit an outside shot, by playing tough D. Today was no different. They held UConn to 34 percent shooting, and only 26 percent from beyond the arc. Second, it was the bench, who today scored more than half of the Orange points. Waiters led the way with 18, most of them coming on drives through traffic. But the difference maker today was Southerland, who had shown signs of regaining his touch in the Louisville game, and ended up scoring ten of the team’s final fifteen points -- and all ten of them coming in the final eight minutes of the game. How’s that for clutch? Third, and this escaped the attention of ESPN, but Christmas gave the Orange quality minutes in the first half. He had only two points, but grabbed five boards, and had two blocks. I really liked him in the role of backup center; he seemed to give the Orange much more presence down low than Keita has been providing.

Right now, as I compose this posting, Georgetown is gone, and Marquette is trailing. It turns out that the bye is not such a great deal, especially in the first tournament game. Whoever has the bye may be rested, but they have to face a team that’s already tournament tested, and used to playing under the pressure of one-and-done. Cuse was lucky to eke out this win, particularly against the Huskies. Tomorrow night, I hope they aren’t as tight, and that the offense shows up, even if it’s just for one of those runs that they’ve produced all year long. In the coming weeks, they’re not going to get by on defense alone. And they’re going to need the seniors. But right now, I’m going to enjoy the fact that the Orange swept UConn, beating them in the Dome, on the road, and in the Garden, their home away from home. Go Orange.

Thirty Wins

In most seasons, thirty wins would be a great accomplishment; not to mention that it would suggest that the Cuse had gone deep into the tournament. But this year, thirty is just a number. OK, it’s a number that’s indicative of how well they have played; and it’s also the reason our expectations are so high. But who will be happy with thirty plus wins if the Orange don’t make it to New Orleans?

After starting slow, perhaps because of the week off, for the middle of the game -- the second half of the first half, and the first half of the second half -- Cuse looked really great yesterday. The defense was smothering Louisville, completely frustrating their efforts to get the ball inside. And the offense looked as good as in the UConn game, which was probably the high water mark for the season. There was good ball movement leading to open shots; guys were hitting threes when they were open; and turnovers led to fast break baskets. For about twenty-four minutes, they looked like they could walk through the NCAA tournament.

But the game was forty minutes long, not twenty-four, and the Orange need to avoid those extended dry spells that have seemed to follow many of their runs all year long. The defense had kept the game close in the first half, when the offense took a long time to get untracked. But the end of the game was more troublesome, as the Orange took the air out of the ball; slowed their offense down; and allowed Louisville to claw back into the game. I know they ended up with close to a double digit margin, but how often this year have they surrendered big leads and turned potential blowouts into nail biters?

The best thing about yesterday's win, aside from the fact that it’s always great to beat Pitino, was the way Triche and Southerland led the offense. Both of them have been quiet of late, Southerland in a slump, and Triche not playing with a lot of confidence. But all year long, different guys have led the team on different nights. Joseph, Jardine, Waiters, Fair, and Triche have all led the team in scoring at different times. And Boeheim left the hot hands in the game, even having Jardine sit for more than half the game, despite it being his last game in the Dome. The hope is that, in the post-season, someone will heat up on any given night, making up for other guys being cold. We’ve talked about how there isn’t really one go-to guy on this team; but at the same time, there are several guys who can make plays.

So it’s Thursday in the Garden, and even with a loss, I think they are still looking at a number one seed. Not only that, but they should stay in the East, meaning that they have a chance to play in Boston for the regionals. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but wouldn't that be great? Go Orange.