There has been no one single source for the data in OrangeHoops. Syracuse Media Guides have been helpful, but my primary source of information has been researching newspaper archives. It is a tedious process to read through the game summaries for every game each season, but it is also fascinating to follow the teams from the sportswriter's perspective. These articles were written as recaps of the previous day's game, and the writer of course had no idea how the season was going to end.

The statistics from 1975 until present are mostly from media guides, and so they will match Syracuse University's records. Most of my statistics prior to that season I have compiled from game box scores, either found in newspaper archives or on web sites. I am sure there are some errors in my records; some of the box scores are very difficult to read, and I am sure there were times that the newspapers had factual errors on the previous night's player scoring.

However, I have found some notable instances where Syracuse University's records are clearly wrong, particularly when it comes to games played by players. The Syracuse Media Guides list Dennis DuVal as having scored 1,504 points with a 15.0 average (meaning he played 100 varsity games). However, freshman could not play on the varsity when DuVal played, and Syracuse only played 83 games his three years (of which he played 81 games). So DuVal's career scoring average should be 18.6 points per game.

Similarly, Syracuse lists Ed Stickel with 1,096 career points with a 11.0 average (again, meaning he played 100 varsity games). Syracuse played 101 games during the four years of his career. However, in the 1947-1948 season, Stickel hurt his leg and missed five games. If you follow through all the box scores, he missed a few more, so he played only 93 games in his career, raising his average to 11.8 points per game.

I've also caught errors where the media guides have the wrong games listed in the records (such as the 1947-1948 season where the Media Guide has Syracuse vs Canisius on March 10th, and Syracuse vs. Canisius on March 3rd). If you follow through the newspaper articles, the games were the other way around.

I bring this up, not to criticize the statistics found elsewhere. I just want to make it clear that I have taken many steps to ensure my data is as accurate as possible. If you do find errors with my data or my recap of a game or season, please let me know. I acknowledge I do make mistakes, and I want to correct any that do exist.

Thanks. Let's go Orange!

©RLYoung 2008