Top 25 roundup: Gators get gobbled up by Orange

TAMPA, Fla. — California, North Carolina and now Florida.

It doesn't matter which ranked team Syracuse plays, the seventh-ranked Orange seem to have all the answers during an impressive run to start the season.

"With all the problems you can have in the world, we don't have a lot right now," coach Jim Boeheim said Thursday night after Syracuse remained unbeaten with an 85-73 victory over No. 10 Florida in the SEC

Big East Invitational.

"We'll probably encounter some problems," Boeheim added. "But right now, we don't have a lot."

Rick Jackson scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Andy Rautins had 18 points and Wes Johnson finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds for Syracuse (9-0) in its ninth double-digit victory.

The Orange beat Cal by 22 points, defeated defending national champion North Carolina by 16 and pulled away in the closing minutes against a Florida team that looks like it is capable of making some noise in the Southeastern Conference this season.

Reserve Kris Joseph contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds against the previously unbeaten Gators (8-1).

"I think these early games like this, when you play really good teams, the things you don't do well in a particular game generally get really, really exposed," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "Some things that I think came out to light, transition defense, rebounding."

Syracuse led most of the game, but the Gators stayed close by making 12 3-pointers in 30 attempts.

Kenny Boynton made five 3s and led the Gators with 20 points and seven assists. Chandler Parsons scored 19 and Erving Walker added 14.

"Just based on what I've seen with Syracuse, they are capable of winning a national championship," Donovan said.

"I haven't seen everybody play, but I would be hard pressed to say that there's three or four teams better than them. I think they have everything. They've got a low post presence. They rebound. They shoot the 3. They're an unselfish team. They can turn you over. They can beat you in a lot of different ways."

NO. 12 MICHIGAN ST. 88, OAKLAND (MICH.) 57: At East Lansing, Mich., Draymond Green scored a career-high 19 points and matched his best effort with 12 rebounds to lead Michigan State.

Green hit his first nine shots from the field and finished 9-of-11. He had 16 points and seven rebounds as the Spartans (8-2) took a 44-21 halftime lead.