1975-1976 Syracuse Orangemen
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Overall 20-9 NCAA 1st Round Schedule Results
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Coach: Roy Danforth

Player Cl Pos G GS FG FGA FG% FT FTA FT% Ast Reb Fls DQ TO ST BS Pts Ppg Apg Rpg
Jimmy Williams Jr G
29
29
183
410
44.6%
77
126
61.1%
89
42
94
2
119
55
2
443
15.3
3.1
1.4
Ross Kindel So G
29
24
87
209
41.6%
51
70
72.9%
96
66
59
1
69
19
0
225
7.8
3.3
2.3
Chris Sease Sr F
29
29
160
366
43.7%
67
98
68.4%
51
218
81
3
75
43
21
387
13.3
1.8
7.5
Dale Shackleford Fr F/C
29
25
140
272
51.5%
51
83
61.4%
62
256
98
5
71
39
14
331
11.4
2.1
8.8
Marty Byrnes So C/F
29
29
138
274
50.4%
101
150
67.3%
45
209
91
3
58
23
27
377
13.0
1.6
7.2
Kevin James So F/G
27
1
52
93
55.9%
24
39
61.5%
31
62
30
0
31
21
9
128
4.7
1.1
2.3
Earnie Seibert Jr C
23
4
43
88
48.9%
29
38
76.3%
10
96
47
2
12
11
13
115
5.0
0.4
4.2
Larry Kelley Jr G
21
0
46
103
44.7%
9
19
47.4%
22
28
29
0
15
8
1
101
4.8
1.0
1.3
Kevin King Sr G/F
24
4
44
86
51.2%
12
24
50.0%
29
36
31
0
25
8
2
100
4.2
1.2
1.5
Billy Keys Fr F
22
0
19
44
43.2%
9
23
39.1%
11
42
19
0
8
1
3
47
2.1
0.5
1.9
Bob Parker Jr C
16
0
8
22
36.4%
8
17
47.1%
1
15
18
0
1
3
1
24
1.5
0.1
0.9
Larry Arrington Jr G
12
0
6
16
37.5%
7
9
77.8%
6
6
7
0
10
2
0
19
1.6
0.5
0.5
Mike Danforth So G
7
0
1
6
16.7%
0
0
0.0%
2
0
3
0
1
0
0
2
0.3
0.3
0.0
Reggie Powell Fr F
7
0
0
3
0.0%
0
2
0.0%
1
6
5
0
1
0
2
0
0.0
0.1
0.9

It was a going to be a young team that had to follow in the footsteps of the previous season's Final Four appearance. Gone were seniors and leaders Jimmy Lee and Rudy Hackett. Roy Danforth was looking for a big man and a shooter to replace those two. Danforth started the season with a seasoned lineup. But after four games the team was 2-2. Freshman Dale Shackleford was playing extraordinarily well at both the center and forward positions (and playing most of the game anyway), while Ross Kindel was bringing a poise to the guard position, so Danforth started those two over Kevin King and Earnie Seibert.

Danforth settled on a permanent lineup with Shackleford, Marty Byrnes and captain Chris Sease up front, Jimmy 'Bug' Williams and Kindel in the backcourt. Byrnes provided the muscle under the basket, Shackleford had an all around exciting game, Sease was the explosive driver to the hoop, Williams the flashy and spectacular guard driving to the hoop, and Kindel the steady assist man. None of the lineup was over 6'6", but that didn't keep this combination from getting on a roll.

Using a deep bench (nine players averaged more than 4 ppg), and keeping the starters fresh, the team would win 16 of its next 18 games, running its record up to 18-4. The Orange played primarily a zone defense but switched to man-to-man whenever the matchups suited it. Sease was having a disappointing season, with expectations for him to score much more, but Shack and Byrnes were picking up much of the slack (rotating with each other at the forward / center position).

On February 18th they played undefeated Rutgers (#4 in the nation) and lost 93-80. The Orangemen then played some sloppy basketball over the next few games with some poor defensive efforts and lost four in a row, the longest streak since 1968-69. Their record now at 18-8, they would need to win the ECAC tournament to get an NCAA bid.

Fortunately, the 'Rocket Man' Sease got his shooting touch together and led the Orangemen to two ECAC victories with a total of 40 points and a bid to the NCAA. The team played solid, all the players were handling the ball well and looked cohesive again.

The team took on Texas Tech in the first round of the tournament. Unfortunately, Tech had some talented big men, something the small SU front line could not easily handle, and the Orangemen were sent home with a 69-56 loss. There would be no miracle run to the Final Four this season.

It would also turn out to be Roy Danforth's last season at Syracuse. Disappointed with the facilities and athletic administration at the University, and offered the athletic directors position at Tulane, Danforth left after the season. The team would have to find a new coach for 1976-77.

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