MEN'S SOCCER

Syracuse dominates possession battle in 2-0 victory over Massachusetts

BY TREVOR HASSSTAFF WRITER

Published September 25, 2012 at 11:14 pm

All season, Ian McIntyre has placed emphasis on urging his team to keep fighting and add a second goal to separate itself from opponents. The Syracuse head coach has often watched his defense have to stave off late comeback attempts in nail-biting games.

The Orange finally gave itself a cushion late in its game on Tuesday against Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass. Skylar Thomas scored in the 76th minute to propel Syracuse (8-2, 1-0) to a 2-0 win over the Minutemen (3-4-2, 0-0). Thomas received a pass from Jordan Murrell and took a shot on goal. After his first attempt dinged off the post, he retrieved his own miss and beat the goalie, icing the game for the Orange.

“When that second goal went in, it gave us a little cushion and we did a good job finishing the game,” McIntyre said in a phone interview.

SU outshot UMass 16-4 and attempted 10 corner kicks compared to none for the Minutemen.

McIntyre said his team came out aggressive from the get-go and put constant pressure on UMass. He said the game wasn’t pretty at times, but the Orange found a way to nullify the Minutemen’s attempts on goal while SU’s offense found the back of the net.

“We were good,” McIntyre said. “Especially in the first half I thought we really pushed ourselves and negated UMass’ opportunities. It’s very important on the road to not sit back and to attack.”

Murrell started the attack for the Orange with a goal in the 17th minute on a left-footed strike from outside the box, giving the visiting team a 1-0 advantage.

Murrell and Thomas provided offense at important moments on Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s nice that we’ve been able to share the goals around a little bit,” McIntyre said. “Today we had two of our defenders scoring, which alleviates some of the pressure on the forward players.”

Murrell and Thomas also anchored a Syracuse defense that prevented UMass from attempting any shots on goal.

Alex Bono returned to the field after a one-game absence following a red card against Cal State Fullerton, but the goalie wasn’t seriously challenged.

Senior Mark Brode also played for the first time since Sept. 3when he helped the Orange rout Colgate 6-0.

Brode played 50 minutes on Tuesday, which is the most he’s amassed all season. He has been recuperating from a fractured finger that kept him sidelined for weeks.

McIntyre said it was great to see Brode back out on the field and playing substantial minutes.

“We’ve got such a young team that it was very pleasing to have a senior go out there and settle things down,” McIntyre said. “I’m delighted for him because he’s been a big part of our team on and off the field.”

While Bono and Brode returned for Syracuse, senior forward Lars Muller missed his second straight game. McIntyre said Muller is getting treatment on a groin injury.

McIntyre said he hopes Muller will be ready to go when the Orange faces Cincinnati on Saturday night.

McIntyre said Cincinnati is a very athletic and technically sound opponent, and that his team is in for a challenge in its first Big East road game. Despite the difficult matchup, McIntyre believes his players will be ready for yet another road game.

“We’re a team that’s shown resilience to go on the road and get results,” McIntyre said. “Now we’re gonna need those same results as we go on the road in conference play.”

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu

Sam Maller | Staff Photographer

Freshman goalkeeper Alex Bono has enjoyed a successful start to his Syracuse career, posting six shutouts to help the program to its best start in more than a decade.

Area product Bono lives up to high expectations in net for Syracuse

BY TREVOR HASSSTAFF WRITER

Published September 18, 2012 at 1:42 am

As Alex Bono weighed his college choices, his father asked him a simple question.

He asked whether or not his son, a top recruit, wanted to go to a Top-25 school or an up-and-coming program looking to change its culture.

“It’s really appealing to me to go to a team that is on the rise and is really trying to progress, and have the opportunity to be on the team that really turns the program around,” Bono said.

Bono found that at Syracuse, he could play right away, and through eight games, he has led a previously struggling program to a 6-2 start while posting six shutouts. He was rated the No. 1 recruit in New York by TopDrawerSoccer.com and was listed as the sixth-best goalkeeper by ESPN Rise. The freshman goalie from Baldwinsville considered St. John’s, Northeastern, Georgetown and Villanova, but ultimately decided to stay close to home and try to improve a team that finished 3-12-1 a season ago.

Bono hopes his terrific play translates to the Big East. Syracuse faces off against Seton Hall on Saturday at SU Soccer Stadium.

Head coach Ian McIntyre has been impressed by Bono’s ability to lead the team and make clutch saves as a freshman.

“I think, for a young goalkeeper, he’s commanded his area very well,” McIntyre said. “He’s stopping a lot of aerial threats. Balls have been put in there and he’s got the confidence to come and claim them, and that presence for a young goalkeeper is very impressive.”

Bono’s destiny as a top-notch goalie wasn’t always set in stone. He didn’t start playing soccer until the age of 8 or 9. At 6 feet 3 inches and 195 pounds, Bono always had a passion for basketball and had a tough time deciding which sport to pursue.

He played basketball through his freshman year of high school, but he then realized that his future was in soccer and committed to the sport.

“He really liked basketball a lot, but as time went on, he really excelled at soccer,” his father, Mark Bono, said. “At some point in time, you have to give up one, and it was basketball.”

Bono’s decision to give up basketball and dedication to soccer paved the way for a spot on Empire United to play for U-16 coach Paul Valenti and U-18 coach Ben Cross.

Valenti said much of Bono’s success on Empire United, and now with Syracuse, can be attributed to the size of his hands.

“He’s got enormous hands,” Valenti said. “He loves to shake people’s hands or give people five. Especially other coaches, because I think he wants them to know how big his hands are as a goalie. We always bust his chops about that.”

Cross said that Bono is always trying to improve and is never content with settling for anything less than his best. Mark Bono said that Alex’s drive is what makes him such a terrific goalie and that he has helped his brother become a better goalie over the years.

“He hates to lose,” Mark Bono said. “He’s just that kind of kid who’s going to give 110 percent every time he steps on the field. He once told his younger brother, ‘When you step on the field, you have to play every game like it’s your last game,’ and that’s what he does.”

That vocal leadership and passion has translated to the college level, as Bono has already won Big East Goalkeeper of the Week and saved 27 shots en route to six wins.

Teammate Lars Muller noted Bono’s vocal leadership as a particular strength and said he has a strong voice on the team, despite being a freshman.

“I think, first of all, it’s his personality on the field,” Muller said. “He always knows what he’s going to do, his shouting is really good and the way he talks is unbelievable. I think he’s got the whole package.”

Syracuse defender Jordan Murrell said having Bono in net improves the play of the defense because of his constant communication and command of the team. His confidence permeates the entire SU backline.

Freshman Stefanos Stamoulacatos, who played with Bono on Empire United, said Bono’s presence and poise in goal is what differentiates him from other keepers.

“It’s those moments where we need it most where he makes that amazing save,” Stamoulacatos said. “There are so many things that I could name off. He’s just a great all-around keeper.”

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu

Courtesy of Stony Brook Athletic Communications

Marcus Coker will lead a talented rushing attack when Stony Brook plays Syracuse this Saturday. Coker, who was a star at Iowa, transferred to Stony Brook after he was suspended in 2011.

Hitting home: After controversial exit from Iowa, Coker finds fresh start at Stony Brook

BY TREVOR HASSSTAFF WRITER

Published September 12, 2012 at 3:02 am

Marcus Coker opened the front door of his Beltsville, Md., home and walked inside. After two years at Iowa — more than 900 miles away from his mother — Coker now has the chance to see her on a regular basis.

Since transferring to Stony Brook in January, Coker has visited home more than 10 times, often without telling his mother, Tammy Money, in advance.

“That’s one of the best surprises ever, to see your kid walk through the door,” Money said.

Coker transferred to Stony Brook after he was suspended for the Insight Bowl following an accusation that he sexually abused a woman. By joining the Seawolves, Coker brings big-time experience from playing in one of the nation’s top conferences. He’s given a significant boost to Stony Brook’s run-heavy offense, which Syracuse will try to contain Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

After emerging as the second-leading rusher in the Big Ten in 2011, Coker’s season and life took a dramatic twist on Oct. 28, when Iowa’s athletic department was informed of the accusation.

Coker was not charged, and the case was dropped after the alleged victim decided not to take criminal action. But 10 days before the team’s bowl game — after the case was dropped — the university suspended Coker for violating the UI Student-Athlete Code of Conduct.

His future with the Hawkeyes was in question. He withdrew from Iowa in January, and the direction of his college career was uncertain. Coker began to explore other options, meeting with the Stony Brook coaching staff later that month.

He quickly decided to transfer to the Football Championship Series school, which allowed him to play right away rather than sitting out a season under NCAA transfer rules.

“He chose Stony Brook because he felt like it was the right fit,” Money said. “He really wanted to get right back into the swing of things, and that’s what Stony Brook was offering him.”

Coker has excelled in his first two games at SBU, playing in front of family. He rushed for 157 yards and three touchdowns as part of the team’s high-powered running attack, and he’ll look to continue his hot start this weekend against the Orange.

Head coach Chuck Priore said Coker developed a connection with the players and the campus community during his official visit.

After much deliberation, Coker officially decided to transfer to be closer to home and to his mother. The running back was also intrigued by Stony Brook’s offense, which piled up 3,475 rushing yards in 2011.

“It’s just a downhill, hard type of offense,” Coker said.

Coker has helped the Seawolves total 822 rushing yards through their first two games. He is already an integral part of SBU’s offense, just as he was at Iowa.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said he expects Coker to continue to excel at Stony Brook.

“What he brought to our team last year was just outstanding play,” Ferentz said during the Big Ten coaches’ teleconference on Sept. 4. “He’s a tough, competitive guy. He’s a strong runner and a great young man.”

Marcus honed his running skills at DeMatha Catholic High School, where he played under coach Bill McGregor. McGregor recalls Coker as a strong player with great speed and toughness.

With Coker lining up in the backfield, McGregor was able to be creative with his play calling.

In one particular game, DeMatha was down three points with one minute remaining. McGregor ran a draw play for Coker, who took it 70 yards for a touchdown to win the game.

“That’s the kind of young man he was,” McGregor said. “You could always count on Marcus to make the big play for us, and he always did.

“I know he had some trouble at Iowa, but he’s a very, very fine young man.”

And now, his mother can support Coker on a weekly basis in person. Money only attended three of his games at Iowa in his two seasons with the Hawkeyes.

She watched her son on TV as he rushed for 1,384 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2011.

Now, she drives more than four hours from Beltsville, Md., to Stony Brook, N.Y., to see him play, but she doesn’t go alone. Money was one of 16 family members to watch Coker play his first game as a member of the Seawolves against Central Connecticut on Sept. 1.

“It just felt totally right,” Money said. “We missed being at games live. We always watched him play on television when he was at Iowa, but to be there in person is amazing.”

Priore said the opportunity for Coker to be closer to his family was an important factor in his decision to transfer.

“They’re a very close family, and the family loves football,” Priore said. “I think he loves to have the opportunity to have them here each and every week.”

Coker appreciates having the chance to play in front of his mom and the rest of his family.

“My mom’s my best friend,” he said. “She used to go to all my practices and games. Now she’ll be able to come out to all the games, and that’s important for her, too.”

Money said he has made the transition smoothly and enjoys the culture of Stony Brook football. His teammates have embraced him as part of the family already.

Coker appreciates spending more time with his mother at home and having her in the stands at every home game.

“I think he loves Stony Brook. He seems to be really happy at Stony Brook,” Money said. “We’re really happy with him here. He loves being able to come home when he wants to.”

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu

Murrell, Vale connect to lift Syracuse to 2nd straight win

BY TREVOR HASSSTAFF WRITER

Published August 29, 2012 at 1:18 am

Never before had Jordan Murrell recorded an assist and never before had Jordan Vale scored a goal.

Both changed Tuesday.

Murrell sent the ball into the box on a corner kick and freshman Vale swooped in and headed it into the goal. The goal propelled Syracuse to a 1-0 win over Binghamton, giving the team its second straight victory to open the season.

The win marks the first time since 2006 that SU is 2-0 to start the season.

“We’re very happy to secure a win on the road against a good opponent,” head coach Ian McIntyre said. “It’s a very tough place to play. We knew that going in.”

Syracuse (2-0) controlled the tempo against Binghamton (0-2) much like it did against Albany in the season-opener. The Orange outshot the Bearcats 15-11 and took nine corner kicks compared to two for the home team.

McIntyre said that Syracuse’s play was strong at the beginning of the game but dipped off a bit toward the end of the first half. In the second half, things started to change for the better for McIntyre’s squad.

“Second half I think they came out a bit stronger, but we started to grow and really started to see the difference,” he said. “I thought we worked very hard to frustrate them and limit their chances.”

Vale capitalized on his opportunity in the 59th minute. Murrell sent SU’s seventh corner kick of the match into the middle and Vale connected, knocking the ball into the right side of the net.

Jake Keegan, Binghamton’s all-time leader in career points, took three shots Tuesday night and nearly scored in the 30th minute, but he was not able to place the ball past goalie Alex Bono.

The game was closely contested and evenly played, but the Jordan-to-Jordan corner kick pushed SU over the top.

“We enjoyed it on the bus ride home, but now we realize we’ve got to go back to work, and we have another big game on Friday,” McIntyre said.

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu

Top 10 Stories of the Day in the World of Sports - By Trevor Hass

Thursday August 9th was a busy day in the world of sports.  At one point last night I was flipping between Patriots-Saints (the offenses looked in midseason form), Red Sox-Indians (yet another loss), a Nebraska-Missouri Little League World Series regional game (the highlight of the night), Packers-Chargers (Rodgers had a 0 passer rating?) and Olympic diving (no but really, how do they do that?).  Here’s a rundown of the Top 10 stories of the day:

1)      USA Women's Soccer – The USA women’s national soccer team won the gold medal yesterday behind a heroic performance from Carli Lloyd and fierce goalkeeping from Hope Solo.  Lloyd scored in the eighth minute and again in the 54^th.  The first goal came off a brilliant pass by Alex Morgan.  Morgan delivered a bullet right toward Abby Wambach.  Known for scoring with her head, Wambach nearly notched her 144^th interinational goal.  But it wasn’t Wambach’s head this time.  Instead, a slashing Carli Lloyd came out of nowhere to head the ball into the net.  A celebration and inevitable pig pile ensued as the USA took a 1-0 lead.  Lloyd’s second goal was a laser beam (fire the laser beam!!!) from way downtown.  It was like an Antoine Walker three-you question it while it’s happening and then erupt once it somehow goes in.  Yuki Ogimi scored for the resilient Japanese squad in the 63^rd minute.  Japan had many chances, including one in the 83^rd minute off a misplay from USA defender Christie Rampone.  Solo made a stellar save and the USA preserved a 2-1 win.  After losing to Japan on penalty kicks in the 2011 World Cup finale, the USA is back on top, and, as their t-shirts so modestly say, “Greatness has been found.”

2)      Dwight Howard- Dwight Howard is actually going to the Lakers.  This seems like I accidentally copied and pasted a Tweet from May, June or July, but this time it seems like a deal is imminent.  Part of a four-team mega-deal, Howard joins Kobe, Gasol and Nash, catapulting the Lakers back into elite status after a one-year respite.  Bynum is heading to the 76ers along with Jason Richardson, while Iguodala is off to Denver and Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington are going to Orlando (the only team that didn’t win personnel-wise in this trade).  Basketball-wise, there are pros and cons for LA.  Nash, Kobe and Dwight are all playmakers and require the ball a lot to be effective, which can be both good and bad.  Nash to Howard alley-oops will certainly be “Nash-ty.”  From a Hollywood, media and fan standpoint, the deal has people salivating and fantasizing about a Lakers-Thunder Western Conference Final.  It will still be tough to get by the Spurs, Clippers and Grizzlies, but LA certainly took a Super(man) step in the right direction. 

3)      Usain Bolt – The puns are hackneyed and unexciting at this point when it comes to Usain Bolt.  His speed is not.  Bolt bolted to a win in the 200-meter dash (couldn’t resist the bad pun-shucks) and became the first person to win gold in the event twice.  Just to boost his swag and add to his legend, Bolt has essentially trademarked the “Shhhh As You Cross The Finish Line While Everyone Else Stumbles Hopelessly Two Seconds Behind You (or the SAYCTFLWEESHTSBY if you will-you probably won’t.  I wouldn’t either.).  Supposedly he does the SAYCTFLWEESHTSBY to silence his critics.  What critics?  Last time I checked, people recognize that he’s a fast runner.  No, Chris Johnson doesn’t count.  And no, there’s no way Johnson would beat Bolt in a 40-yard dash.  Bolt will be considered one of the greatest athletes of all time, whether he plays professional soccer or not.

4)      Football – Are you ready for some football?  Of course you are.  During what feels like the longest offseason in sports every year (maybe because it is), NFL fans are often forced to hide in their rooms and prep for Fantasy Football drafts months in advance, sleep and eat to pass the time.  Now that period of hibernation is history and the preparation finally comes to fruition.  Football is here.  Here are some storylines from yesterday: Peyton Manning was intercepted.  I guess that means he’ll have a terrible season now…Michael Vick hurt his thumb.  Fans cheered for Andy Reid, a few days after his son tragically passed away.  Curtis Painter threw three touchdowns for the Ravens (yeah!).  The Chargers-Packers game featured six fumbles and three interceptions.  Chargers RB Ryan Mathews broke his collarbone and will be out 4-6 weeks.  RG3 threw a touchdown.  Shannon Eastin became the first female to ever ref an NFL game.  Great for the sport.  But none of that matters-the Jets are playing tomorrow and Tim Tebow will likely take more than a few snaps.  That’s what all of America wants to see and what the whole country cares about!  Tebow Time, baby!

5)      Decathlon – While all of these other occurrences captured the public’s attention (including mine), Ashton Eaton was “Eaton” the competition alive in the Decathlon.  It was the 100^th anniversary of the event.  Jim Thorpe won in 1912 in case you were wondering.  The always modest Usain Bolt even had words of praise for Eaton: "I'm a great athlete, but to do 10 events, especially the 1,500 -- I've got to give it to him," Bolt said on ESPN.com.  Eaton dominated in the 100-meter dash, long jump and 400.  Props to Ashton Eaton.  Now Ashton Kutcher (aka Kyle Korver) isn’t the only Ashton grabbing headlines in the USA.  The decathlon is one of the most incredible events in the Olympics.  Possessing the ability and work ethic to excel at such a wide variety of events in tremendously impressive.

6)      The Red Sox lost.

7)      Baseball - R.A. Dickey improved to 15-3 on the season (Who saw that one coming?), giving up only one run while going the distance and ending Jose Reyes’ 26-game hit streak.  Michael Morse homered twice and the Nationals beat the Astros (whoop-dee-doo) 5-0 behind a gem from Jordan Zimmerman.  Zimmerman is very quietly having one of the best seasons in Nationals/Expos franchise history.  Evan Longoria is making his presence felt.  The Rays’ star went 3-5 in his third game back since coming off the DL as the Rays beat the Jays.  The Cardinals once again have the same record as the Giants after beating San Fran 3-1.

8)      POP! – American runner Manteo Mitchell’s leg popped while he was running the 4x400 relay.  “It felt like somebody literally just snapped my leg in half," he said.  Sounds like fun.  Yowza.  He remarkably finished the last lap while limping on what was later diagnosed as a broken fibula.  I ain’t fibbing when I tell you that’s impressive stuff.  The team incredibly finished tied for first with the Bahamas and tied the all-time record for a first-round race with a time of 58.87 seconds.  The Americans have won gold eight times in a row in the event, so Mitchell knew he had to do his job, despite the agonizing pain.  That’s exactly what he did.  He’ll be out 4-6 weeks while wearing a walking boot and watching from the sideline.

9)      College basketball – ESPN College Game Day released its schedule.  March 9^th: Syracuse vs. Georgetown at noon and Duke vs. UNC at 9:00.  Hubba hubba. 

10)  USA Women’s basketball – The USA women’s basketball team beat Australia 86-73 to advance to the gold medal game.  Diana Taurasi and Tina Charles led the USA with 14 apiece as the team held Australia to 26 points in the second half.  They’ll face France on Saturday in pursuit of the gold. 

Pivotal juncture for Beckett, Sox - By Trevor Hass

Last year a Josh Beckett vs. Justin Verlander showdown would have featured two of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.  This year, while Verlander has continued to excel, Beckett’s ERA has consistently hovered around 4.50 and his record has dipped to a pedestrian 5-9.

Just one year ago he was 13-7 with a 2.89 ERA and was the undisputed ace of a loaded Red Sox staff while flirting with Cy Young contention.  Since then, however, it’s been all downhill.  After the fried chicken and clubhouse drinking kerfuffle and a late-season drop off amidst a team-wide debacle, Beckett finds his name blazoned all over NESN, Twitter and the likes for all the wrong reasons. 

His future with the team is in question as the Sox decide whether to be buyers, sellers or remain quiet.  Trade rumors are rising as Beckett’s ERA does the same. 

The 3 p.m. deadline is rapidly approaching like an Aroldis Chapman fastball, as Sox fans wait impatiently, twiddling their thumbs and refreshing ESPN.com.  Fans will question Ben Cherington and company’s decision to keep or trade Beckett regardless of what the GM decides to do.

Option A is to get rid of Beckett and his hefty contract in exchange for two or three young prospects and cash.  Option B is to keep Beckett and pray to the baseball Gods that he returns to 2011 form.

What makes this situation slightly unusual is that the decision will be immediately justified or questioned based on Beckett’s performance tonight.

            The stage is set.  Winners of three in a row, the Sox’ playoff hopes are starting to look slightly more promising, yet every time the team shows signs of a turnaround, something goes wrong.  When Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford came back from lengthy stints on the DL, David Ortiz went down with an Achilles injury. 

One game above .500 with August essentially here, it’s make or break time for the topsy-turvy, always fluctuating Sox.  While the offense has been potent and consistent, the main area of concern is starting pitching.  Clay Buchholz pitched a gem of a game last night as the Sox picked up a 7-3 win over the Tigers.  Now it’s Beckett’s turn.

The Red Sox are 1-7 in Beckett’s last eight starts.  He has given up 19 first inning runs in 17 starts this season.  In his last outing against the Rangers he gave up four runs on nine hits and needed 114 pitches to get through seven tumultuous innings.  The numbers speak for themselves.

            If Beckett is still a Red Sox a few hours from now (which it looks like he will be), he’ll be on the hot seat to produce.  An X-factor for the Sox’ chances at a playoff push, all eyes will be on Josh Beckett tonight at Fenway. 

            He doesn’t need to be Justin Verlander.  He doesn’t need to post Cy Young numbers.  He just needs to pitch well enough to get the Red Sox a win.   Otherwise, Cherington will be wishing he was Bill Murray from Groundhog day and it will be a long winter in Boston if Beckett doesn’t find himself.

No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown: Which NBA Draft spot fields the better team?

By Trevor Hass - Syracuse University '15 - 168 views

Many people (myself included) get great amusement out of making fun of draft picks gone awry, such as former No.2 pick Darko Milicic and the classic No. 1 bust of all-time, Kwame Brown.  Something about witnessing GMs make terrible mistakes (i.e. Hasheem Tha-bust) and seeing injuries derail potential stars’ careers (insert Greg Oden joke here) makes it easy to poke fun.

It’s funny to think that the Portland Trail Blazers passed up on Kevin Durant, who’s now arguably the best pure scorer in the world.  Well, at least the Oden pick worked out…he played in part of two NBA seasons and has had five knee surgeries.  That’s a success, right?  You really can’t help but feel bad for the guy.

There’s a lot of second-guessing in retrospect and the “I-knew-it-all-along” phenomenon comes into play, as fans get restless, coaches get fired, and GMs lose sleep (and their hair).

Sometimes they get it right.  Picking Dwight Howard over Emeka Okafor would elicit a “You made…a good deal!” from Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel.  But Mandel’s praise of a “good deal” isn’t thrown out too often when it comes to No.1 and No. 2.

Picking players is kind of like picking fruits and vegetables.  A tomato may be juicy and succulent and appear to have a lot of potential, but it may not translate well in a different climate (Milicic).  You may think you find the perfect apple in the orchard full of thousands of delicious apples, yet that apple may not ever ripen (or mature) and may develop a nasty, unfortunate bump (Jay Williams).  Let’s just say Gregor Mendel’s pea plant theory is more dependable and bulletproof than a Howie Mandel-approved good deal guarantee when it comes to selecting a superstar.

I think now is an ideal time to look back at the No. 1 and No. 2 picks of the past 12 years and see which crops have survived the long winters (alright, the fruit and vegetable analogy is probably rotten at this point).  I’m going to compare the best lineup of No. 1 picks from the past 12 years to that of the No. 2 picks.  Here it goes.

Center: No. 1 Dwight Howard (2004) vs. No. 2 Tyson Chandler (2001)

Center is a terrific matchup.  You have Superman, Hannah Storm-captivating and 59% from the line Dwight Howard on one side of the ring.  Drafted first overall in 2004 from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, Howard was the National High School Player of the Year and Co-MVP of the McDonalds All-American Game.  He didn’t skip a beat, becoming the eighth player in NBA history to average a double-double in his rookie season.  Howard is now arguably the most explosive, unguardable center in the league.

On the other side of the ring (no but seriously, how good of an actual fight would this be?) you have Tyson Chandler.  Chandler is an NBA champion, a title Howard cannot claim (pun intended).  Ten years after being drafted No. 2, he was the backbone to the Mavericks’ defense in their championship run.  Now he has “transformed the defensive culture” in New York.  Though that term is hackneyed, it is somewhat applicable and accurate for what the Defensive Player of the Year brings to the table.

I give the slight edge to Howard, mostly because of his physical prowess, but Chandler is a beast and very rarely lets his opponent dominate a game.

Power Forward: No. 1 Blake Griffin (2009) vs. No. 2 LaMarcus Aldridge (2006)

At power forward, it’s another diaper-dandy matchup.  You’ve got No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin up against No. 2 pick LaMarcus Aldridge.  If you combined Griffin’s explosion and Aldridge’s 14-16 footer, you’d have the best power forward in the league, hands-down.  Each player brings something different to the table.  With Griffin, you can count on “Lob City” being in full effect every time he steps out on the court.  Aldridge wears you down and plays his way into a game.  He’s much less flashy, but is equally effective and you can count on 22 and eight from him night in, night out.

LA (LaMarcus Aldridge) gets the slight edge over the other LA (the actual city LA) in my book, mainly because of his experience and multi-faceted game.  Griffin is still improving his inconsistent jump shot, while Aldridge is one of the most underrated superstars in the NBA.

Small Forward: No. 1 LeBron James (2003) vs. No. 2 Kevin Durant (2007)

You already know what matchup is coming at small forward:  1) Because it’s written right above this line, 2) Because it features arguably the league’s two best players.  It’s Marvin Williams vs. Andrea Bargnani (actually an eligible matchup under these circumstances)!  Pause, nahhht.  It’s LeBron and Durant.  It’s weird that LeBron has a ring now.  The jokes about not having a fourth quarter and the phone not ringing are still hilarious, but they’re less amusing now that LeBron has a title and put on one of the best playoff performances of all-time, including in the fourth quarter.  LeBron was one of the few players in the past decade that attracted more hype than consensus No.1 Anthony Davis is getting this year.  Scouts knew that LeBron’s game would translate immediately to the NBA, and many people are projecting that Davis will excel right away with the New Orleans Hornets.  Many consider James the best player in the game, but there’s another man who will have something to say about that for the next 10-15 years: Kevin Durant.

Basketball fans are in for a treat.  It may not be Magic-Bird or Wilt-Russell, but LeBron-Durant could be a tremendously entertaining rivalry for the next decade.  Both players are extremely efficient and have pizzazz.  GMs have spent hours analyzing which player out of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson, Brad Beal and Harrison Barnes has that “it” factor after Davis.

I give the edge to LeBron here, based on what he did in the Finals, but it’s always quite a matchup, and one we’ll get to see for years to come.

Shooting Guard: No. 1 John Wall (2010) vs. No. 2 Evan Turner (2010)

Though Wall is customarily a point guard, the No.1 picks lack a legitimate two and he has the scoring ability and strength to step in quite nicely.  Let’s take a look at Wall and Turner.  Wall is 6’4” and weighs 195, while Turner is 6’7” and weighs 205.  Wall has averaged 16.3 ppg, 8.2 apg and 4.6 rpg over two seasons in the pros; Turner, meanwhile, has posted 8.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 2.4 apg.  Despite Wall’s superior numbers, you have to take into consideration that Wall is the 1a option in Washington, while Turner is a C option on a very balanced 76ers team.  Turner emerged in the playoffs against the Celtics and has an explosive, unpredictable first step.

More food for thought: Wall is only a 41.6 career shooter, whereas Turner is at 43.6%.  Though it’s only 2%, it shows that Turner’s shot selection (though not stellar) is better than that of Wall’s.  Having said that, I give Wall the slight edge, because he has everybody “doing the John Wall” and it’s no secret that he knows how to ball.

Point Guard: No. 1 Derrick Rose (2009) vs. No. 2 Jay Williams (2002)

Sadly, this is not a joke.  Williams is the only point guard picked at No. 2 in the past 12 years.  His No. 22 jersey was retired at Duke, as he finished his career as the sixth leading scorer in school history and won the Naismith Award and Wooden Award.  He averaged close to 10 points and five assists in his rookie season with the Bulls, but his career swerved off track when he suffered severe injuries in a motorcycle crash.  He was never able to recover, spending some time in the D-League and eventually disappearing.

Derrick Rose was the next Jay Williams.  The 2011 MVP was drafted first overall in 2009 and has not disappointed.  His 22 points, eight assists and three rebounds per game have sparked the Bulls to three straight terrific seasons.  Rose is a class act and gets where he wants to with ease.  He suffered a torn ACL against the 76ers in the first round of the playoffs, but doctors say he is progressing and should be able to make a return sometime next season.  It’s safe to say Rose wins this one.

There are the matchups.  Honestly, I think it would be a classic, down-to-the-wire game.  There are four great matchups and Jay Williams would have the unenviable task of staying with D Rose.  I would take the No. 1 picks in a close game.  Durant would have a tough time staying with LeBron and the Rose-Howard combo would be lethal.

That raises the question: Do No. 1 picks actually have more success than No. 2 picks, or is that a myth?  Though there are busts like Oden and Brown, I believe that No. 1 picks are generally more successful because they have been scrutinized as much as any other athlete in the country and people know their games inside and out.  It’s easier to spot a dud when everyone is watching the same player.  Plus, for players like James and Rose who are so intrinsically motivated, all of the pressure increases their level of play and motivates them to dominate.

In this year’s draft, I believe that there will be a drop-off between Davis and whomever is picked next, whether it’s MKG, Robinson, Beal, or Barnes.  Though I believe that all of these players have a chance to be starters for years to come, none of them have what Davis has.  He may very well overtake Howard in the role of No. 1 center of the past 12 years.  Davis has all the intangibles necessary to be a star.  The fact that he was 6’3” and a point guard in high school isn’t even fair.

NBA Mock Draft specialist Chad Ford says that Davis’ ceiling is as high as that of Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett, and that his floor is as low (or high, really) as that of Marcus Camby, which is saying something.  Stephen A. Smith has already compared him to Bill Russell…but that’s Stephen A. Smith for you.  I’d be shocked if Davis was a Brown or Oden-esque flop.  I think he’ll be a superstar for years to come and will be an elite No.1 pick.