SYRACUSE - With the game on the line, who's taking the shot?
It's been a while since Syracuse basketball fans have had to ponder this question. Maybe because Gerry McNamara has spoiled the hoards of Orange faithful.
Since 2003, the formula's been simple - give the ball to No. 3. McNamara personifies the word “clutch.” His career highlight reel overflows with game-winning shots and clips of trophy presentations.
Beyond McNamara, Syracuse has had stars such as Hakim Warrick and Carmelo Anthony - two of the best go-to guys in the game.
You can even go back 10 years to the days of John Wallace and Lawrence Moten. The ball always found those guys in crunch time and they usually delivered.
As the 20th-ranked Orange begin the 2006-07 season this Friday, the answer's not as clear-cut.
“It'll be hard. Gerry did a lot for us down the stretch in games,” Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. “He ran the offense for four years. He probably didn't get as much credit as he should have, but he made sure we stayed in the offensive pattern. During the course of games, he did a lot of things for us and he was good in late-game situations. Those are things that have to be replaced by a combination of guys.”
That combination will revolve around the team's four seniors: Terrence Roberts, Demetris Nichols, Darryl Watkins and Matt Gorman.
Roberts, Nichols and Watkins are returning starters, starting all 35 games in 2005, while Gorman, who red-shirted during the 2004-05 season, is the last remaining member of the 2003 national championship squad.
All four have had their individual success, but it's only come in flashes as their play has been plagued mostly by inconsistency.
“Every year the seniors are the guys we need to set the tempo and the pace,” Boeheim said. “It's up to them and I think they realize that. This is their team to be the guys and lead the way. They're more than prepared for that. They've all been good players - they've all had good stretches. I'd like to think that this year they'd be more consistent over the course of a season.”
Roberts, who averaged 10.7 points and 7.6 rebounds a game in 2005, is Syracuse's top post threat. He's arguably the team's most athletic figure, but his decision-making is often questionable and he typically finds himself in foul trouble.
While sometimes letting his emotions get the best of him, Roberts relishes his role as a leader and believes its time for the seniors to take control of this team.
“When it's time to make a play, we are going to be the ones who have to step up,” Roberts said. “We have the most experience so Coach (Boeheim) expects us to do great things.”
Nichols is the team's returning high-scorer (13.3). When he finds a groove, the lanky wing is a dangerous 3-point threat but like any outside shooter, he's streaky. Scoring shouldn't be a problem for Nichols, but Boeheim's more focused on improving his rebounding and defense.
Watkins (7.1, 7.3) can be a force under the rim but the soft-spoken center typically struggles to put solid performances together in back-to-back games. He's the best scoring center the Orange have had since Etan Thomas, and he's strong enough to out-muscle most opponents on the boards.
Gorman has played sparingly throughout his career but capped his junior season with a breakout performance in the Big East Tournament. Gorman outplayed Roberts in wins over Connecticut and Georgetown and even had a steal that led to the go-ahead hoop in the semifinals against the Hoyas.
Gorman is known more for his scoring - he's developed a soft touch from outside - but he's made a name for himself in the preseason for his shot-blocking ability. Gorman has blocked 13 shots in two games.
The leading candidate to take over for McNamara in the scoring department is feisty guard Eric Devendorf (12.2). During his freshman season, Devendorf played with the confidence of a proven veteran. When the Orange need a score, Devendorf will want the ball in his hands. He's a slasher with a potent outside shot, as demonstrated by his 6-for-9 performance from behind the arc in a preseason game against Bryant.
Junior Josh Wright is expected to be the starting point guard and will share ball-handling duties with Devendorf. Boeheim has been impressed with his play at practice even though the speedy Wright has shot poorly in the preseason (2-for-13).
“Josh is the only pure point guard we have,” Boeheim said. “He's going to get a lot of minutes at the point but I would think that we could play without a true point guard. We have a couple guys who can handle the ball.”
While he may not crack the starting lineup, there's no question freshman Paul Harris is the most hyped player on the Syracuse roster. Harris has already been chosen as the preseason Big East rookie of the year and even received some All-American votes.
Harris is the most highly-recruited player since Carmelo Anthony and already carries a tremendous amount of expectations on his broad shoulders. Although the comparisons to Anthony are unfair - Harris is less of a scorer and more of an all-around, Josh Pace-type player - the freshman from Oak Hill Academy has already earned the respect of the team's upperclassmen.
“Paul is such a good competitor,” Gorman said. “You can't really compare him and (Carmelo) in terms of style of play, but they both arrived at college with the same mentality. They got to college and were ready to go. Carmelo took a no-pressure approach, and Paul's doing the same thing.”
In high school, Harris was known as a lock-down defender. At 6-5, 228 pounds, Harris is quick enough to match up with guards and strong enough to body up with forwards. For his height, he's a tremendous rebounder, hauling in 13 boards against Cal State Los Angeles in Sunday's preseason game.
“Paul is a tough, physical player,” Boeheim said. “He's good with the ball, he's a good passer and he's very comptitive. He's going to bring a lot of energy, and that's probably his strongest attribute.”
Another freshman lost in the Harris hoopla is Mike Jones, a 6-8 forward from South Carolina. Jones will likely be Nichols' replacement off the bench and is already raising eye brows with his play.
He dropped 14 points and hit two 3s against Cal State Los Angeles in only 18 minutes off the bench. Boeheim expects Jones to play multiple positions and said he is “ahead of most freshman in terms of ability.”
Jamesville native Andy Rautins is the team's best shooter and should pick up some extra minutes if his preseason play is any indication. Rautins, who has added some offseason muscle to his 6-5, 193-pound frame, went 4-for-9 from behind the arc in both games.
If Devendorf and Nichols struggle from 3-point range, Rautins' minutes should increase as the Orange must possess a balanced attack from the outside to take pressure off the big men.
It may take some time for Syracuse to adapt to life with McNamara, but the Big East coaches don't seem to think so. The Orange were picked to finish third in the conference behind Pittsburgh and Georgetown.
Syracuse is one of the most veteran-laden teams in the Big East, a conference that's more wide open than last season. The two-time defending Big East Tournament champs are expected to make some noise in the conference with the loss of such high-profile players as Connecticut's Marcus Williams, Villanova's Randy Foye and Allen Ray and West Virginia's Kevin Pittsnogle.
“I think it's closer together,” Boeheim said of the Big East. “I think last year Connecticut and Villanova were one and two in the nation for most of the year. I think Georgetown and Pittsburgh are the two, on paper, best teams but after that everybody is in there. There are seven or eight teams that are right there after them. We've got a great conference.”
The way the last two seasons ended will also serve as some added motivation for the Orange. Syracuse was bounced from the NCAA Tournament in the first round each of the last two years, both times to teams ranked well below them.
“We don't want to have an early March again,” Roberts said. “Last year is said and done but you don't forget what happened. We're focused on improving this team, and I think we've got a shot to be a contender.”
Since 2003, the formula's been simple - give the ball to No. 3. McNamara personifies the word “clutch.” His career highlight reel overflows with game-winning shots and clips of trophy presentations.
Beyond McNamara, Syracuse has had stars such as Hakim Warrick and Carmelo Anthony - two of the best go-to guys in the game.
You can even go back 10 years to the days of John Wallace and Lawrence Moten. The ball always found those guys in crunch time and they usually delivered.
As the 20th-ranked Orange begin the 2006-07 season this Friday, the answer's not as clear-cut.
“It'll be hard. Gerry did a lot for us down the stretch in games,” Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. “He ran the offense for four years. He probably didn't get as much credit as he should have, but he made sure we stayed in the offensive pattern. During the course of games, he did a lot of things for us and he was good in late-game situations. Those are things that have to be replaced by a combination of guys.”
That combination will revolve around the team's four seniors: Terrence Roberts, Demetris Nichols, Darryl Watkins and Matt Gorman.
Roberts, Nichols and Watkins are returning starters, starting all 35 games in 2005, while Gorman, who red-shirted during the 2004-05 season, is the last remaining member of the 2003 national championship squad.
All four have had their individual success, but it's only come in flashes as their play has been plagued mostly by inconsistency.
“Every year the seniors are the guys we need to set the tempo and the pace,” Boeheim said. “It's up to them and I think they realize that. This is their team to be the guys and lead the way. They're more than prepared for that. They've all been good players - they've all had good stretches. I'd like to think that this year they'd be more consistent over the course of a season.”
Roberts, who averaged 10.7 points and 7.6 rebounds a game in 2005, is Syracuse's top post threat. He's arguably the team's most athletic figure, but his decision-making is often questionable and he typically finds himself in foul trouble.
While sometimes letting his emotions get the best of him, Roberts relishes his role as a leader and believes its time for the seniors to take control of this team.
“When it's time to make a play, we are going to be the ones who have to step up,” Roberts said. “We have the most experience so Coach (Boeheim) expects us to do great things.”
Nichols is the team's returning high-scorer (13.3). When he finds a groove, the lanky wing is a dangerous 3-point threat but like any outside shooter, he's streaky. Scoring shouldn't be a problem for Nichols, but Boeheim's more focused on improving his rebounding and defense.
Watkins (7.1, 7.3) can be a force under the rim but the soft-spoken center typically struggles to put solid performances together in back-to-back games. He's the best scoring center the Orange have had since Etan Thomas, and he's strong enough to out-muscle most opponents on the boards.
Gorman has played sparingly throughout his career but capped his junior season with a breakout performance in the Big East Tournament. Gorman outplayed Roberts in wins over Connecticut and Georgetown and even had a steal that led to the go-ahead hoop in the semifinals against the Hoyas.
Gorman is known more for his scoring - he's developed a soft touch from outside - but he's made a name for himself in the preseason for his shot-blocking ability. Gorman has blocked 13 shots in two games.
The leading candidate to take over for McNamara in the scoring department is feisty guard Eric Devendorf (12.2). During his freshman season, Devendorf played with the confidence of a proven veteran. When the Orange need a score, Devendorf will want the ball in his hands. He's a slasher with a potent outside shot, as demonstrated by his 6-for-9 performance from behind the arc in a preseason game against Bryant.
Junior Josh Wright is expected to be the starting point guard and will share ball-handling duties with Devendorf. Boeheim has been impressed with his play at practice even though the speedy Wright has shot poorly in the preseason (2-for-13).
“Josh is the only pure point guard we have,” Boeheim said. “He's going to get a lot of minutes at the point but I would think that we could play without a true point guard. We have a couple guys who can handle the ball.”
While he may not crack the starting lineup, there's no question freshman Paul Harris is the most hyped player on the Syracuse roster. Harris has already been chosen as the preseason Big East rookie of the year and even received some All-American votes.
Harris is the most highly-recruited player since Carmelo Anthony and already carries a tremendous amount of expectations on his broad shoulders. Although the comparisons to Anthony are unfair - Harris is less of a scorer and more of an all-around, Josh Pace-type player - the freshman from Oak Hill Academy has already earned the respect of the team's upperclassmen.
“Paul is such a good competitor,” Gorman said. “You can't really compare him and (Carmelo) in terms of style of play, but they both arrived at college with the same mentality. They got to college and were ready to go. Carmelo took a no-pressure approach, and Paul's doing the same thing.”
In high school, Harris was known as a lock-down defender. At 6-5, 228 pounds, Harris is quick enough to match up with guards and strong enough to body up with forwards. For his height, he's a tremendous rebounder, hauling in 13 boards against Cal State Los Angeles in Sunday's preseason game.
“Paul is a tough, physical player,” Boeheim said. “He's good with the ball, he's a good passer and he's very comptitive. He's going to bring a lot of energy, and that's probably his strongest attribute.”
Another freshman lost in the Harris hoopla is Mike Jones, a 6-8 forward from South Carolina. Jones will likely be Nichols' replacement off the bench and is already raising eye brows with his play.
He dropped 14 points and hit two 3s against Cal State Los Angeles in only 18 minutes off the bench. Boeheim expects Jones to play multiple positions and said he is “ahead of most freshman in terms of ability.”
Jamesville native Andy Rautins is the team's best shooter and should pick up some extra minutes if his preseason play is any indication. Rautins, who has added some offseason muscle to his 6-5, 193-pound frame, went 4-for-9 from behind the arc in both games.
If Devendorf and Nichols struggle from 3-point range, Rautins' minutes should increase as the Orange must possess a balanced attack from the outside to take pressure off the big men.
It may take some time for Syracuse to adapt to life with McNamara, but the Big East coaches don't seem to think so. The Orange were picked to finish third in the conference behind Pittsburgh and Georgetown.
Syracuse is one of the most veteran-laden teams in the Big East, a conference that's more wide open than last season. The two-time defending Big East Tournament champs are expected to make some noise in the conference with the loss of such high-profile players as Connecticut's Marcus Williams, Villanova's Randy Foye and Allen Ray and West Virginia's Kevin Pittsnogle.
“I think it's closer together,” Boeheim said of the Big East. “I think last year Connecticut and Villanova were one and two in the nation for most of the year. I think Georgetown and Pittsburgh are the two, on paper, best teams but after that everybody is in there. There are seven or eight teams that are right there after them. We've got a great conference.”
The way the last two seasons ended will also serve as some added motivation for the Orange. Syracuse was bounced from the NCAA Tournament in the first round each of the last two years, both times to teams ranked well below them.
“We don't want to have an early March again,” Roberts said. “Last year is said and done but you don't forget what happened. We're focused on improving this team, and I think we've got a shot to be a contender.”
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