Syracuse’s James Southerland says he farts all over the basketball court

Despite losing center Fab Melo for the entire 2012 NCAA Tournament, Syracuse was still able to pull off an impressive run. The Orange marched all the way to the Elite 8 before before being eliminated by Ohio State, and their success was due in large part to the shooting of forward James Southerland. Southerland averaged only 6.8 points per game during the regular season, but he scored 15 in each of Cuse’s first two tournament victories. His secret? Possibly farting.

According to the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician, some of the Orange players recently participated in a match game during the annual “Cuse Awards” where they had guess their teammates’ answers to random questions. When senior guard Brandon Reese was asked to give away a secret about Southerland that no one knows, he responded that Southerland farts all over the basketball court. Low and behold, the junior forward then held up a sign that read, “I fart on the court.”

“He thinks it’s a secret, but I know all these guys will say the same thing,” Davis said. “He farts all over the basketball court.”

Unless the two players cheated — which I don’t see what the fun in that would be — we have to assume this is true. As for the increase in production in the NCAA Tournament, maybe Southerland discovered the perfect blend of food to make his aroma unbearable to opponents. In theory, that could have led to more open jump shots.

H/T Beyond the Arc
Photo credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE