Former Fizz is a new interview series where we talk with previous Orange Fizz staff writers about Syracuse sports from when they were on campus. Topics include specific players and games, special memories and of course Jim Boeheim throughout the years. You can listen to all of the episodes on the Orange Fizz SoundCloud or orangefizz.net.
On the fifth episode, Brendan Glasheen comes on to share his SU knowledge. Brendan works in Boston now for DraftKings Live and 98.5 The Sports Hub, but called the Salt City home from 2011-2015. He remembers the recruits SU brought in and the pros that SU turned out during those four years. The interview is below, followed by an abbreviated Q&A from the discussion. We hope you enjoy!
QUESTION: Out of football and basketball, which sport did you enjoy more following while you were at SU?
ANSWER: I really enjoyed following the football recruiting, but as for a product on the field or court I would have to go with basketball because the team was so good.
QUESTION: Who was the best recruit SU football had when you were a student?
ANSWER: I would say Zaire Franklin was the biggest deal while I was on campus. AJ Long also was a big recruit, but Ebenezer Ogundeko drew a lot of attention on the recruiting path and we did a lot to cover his decision on the Fizz even though he ended up going to Clemson.
QUESTION: Between Scott Shafer and Doug Marrone, which coach did you like personally and which one fit the program better?
ANSWER: Marrone was nice, but Shafer was just such a good guy and his press conferences were always something. As for a fit for the program, Shafer was a great defensive mind, but he couldn’t really handle the offense.
QUESTION: Which roster was better between the 2012 or 2013 teams?
ANSWER: It was definitely the 2012 team because it had a lot of NFL talent with the likes of Ryan Nassib and Justin Pugh.
QUESTION: How did the change from the ACC to the Big East affect the players in terms of basketball?
ANSWER: I think initially everyone was very excited because of the increase in competition and it helped with recruiting players.
QUESTION: As a student, what was it like to hear about the Fab Melo debacle as it was unfolding?
ANSWER: It was interesting because he missed multiple games and that created the debate of if he was on the court, where would Syracuse be right now. I remember Boeheim always skirted the question when asked about Fab during press conferences.
QUESTION: When was the loudest you heard the Dome for a basketball game?
ANSWER: This is easy, when they played Duke in the Dome for the first time in 2014.
QUESTION: If you could put together a starting five of Syracuse basketball players that played while you were a student, who would be in it?
ANSWER: Michael Carter Williams, CJ Fair, Kris Joseph, Jerami Grant, Rakeem Christmas (Sixth man: Dion Waiters)
