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Since Dion Waiters tweeted that he‚Äôs returning to Syracuse for his Sophomore season, The Fizz has been trying to figure out the implications of the Dion saga‚Äôs most recent plot twists. Is Dion‚Äôs status something that he has any personal control over? Based on the way he announced he‚Äôs coming back to SU, has Dion been initiating the transfer rumors all along, and not Jim Boeheim? And how is the guard‚Äôs attitude going to hold up through all of this drama? That’s discussed¬†on this week’s FizzCast.
- Listen to the Fresh FizzCast:¬†Dion’s HS Coach Speaks & SU Lax Crushes Rutgers¬†
While those questions won’t be answered for some time, new Fizzster Dave Van Moffaert was able to draw an immediate reaction from someone very experienced at dealing with Dion – his former high school coach Wilson Arroyo. On this week’s Fresh FizzCast, Van Moffaert looked back on his interview with Arroyo, and what it explained about the style of basketball Waiters plays. DVM thinks some of the Philly product’s problems stem from a low comfort level in Boeheim’s zone. 
“Dion’s played man-to-man all his life. He’s the perfect fit for a man-to-man defense. As a guard, he’s a big guard, and I think he’s the quickest guard on Syracuse’s team. I think he’s one of the most athletic players on the roster. As Coach Arroyo said, positioning is the thing he had to improve upon to play at the next level, and the zone is all about positioning. Dion is better suited to play the man and take more risks.”
I also defended my reasoning in a post that caught quite a bit of flack earlier this week. In my mind, Dion’s Twitter announcement was an acknowledgement that his transfer rumors were true.
“If Dion made it a special event to tweet to the world that he’s coming back to Syracuse, that means that there was a decision to be made. There was a decision to be made, and that was that he’s coming back. If there was no decision, why in the world would Dion make it his special business to tell everyone that he’s coming back. If we already knew that all along, there’s no reason to even send us that message, besides just brushing aside the rumors and saying they were nothing.”
In the final part of the FizzCast, we continued our coverage of SU lacrosse with special guest Ryan Koletty, Citrus TV’s Sports Director. Koletty broke down SU’s easy victory over Rutgers, keeping in mind that the game shouldn’t even have been played in gloomy Rentschler Field (UConn’s pathetic football “stadium”) in the first place.
“I have to say the weather dampened most of the magic surrounding this event. It is a ‘Classic’ (ESPNU Warrior Classic). Not only was this the fourth time around for Syracuse playing in a national venue like this, in front of national television. But Rentschler Field? UConn? These two teams had to travel far away from their homes. Really there weren’t that many fans there. The crowd wasn’t loud. I have to say it was a pretty weak event overall, but Syracuse played strong on the field.”
Listen to the Fresh FizzCast for much more lacrosse analysis from Koletty. He discusses the vital change Syracuse displayed in its attitude against Rutgers, and what the Orange’s chances are on Saturday against the nation’s top team, Notre Dame.
Posted: Andrew Kanell
