SYRACUSE - Life without junior guard Eric Devendorf begins in earnest on Tuesday night when Syracuse hosts upstate rival Colgate.
Devendorf, the team's second-leading scorer at 17 points per game, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Saturday night's 125-75 victory over East Tennessee State and is out for the season.
Devendorf made a brief appearance at practice on Monday, and his absence already was being felt.
“It's going to be hard,” said sophomore forward Paul Harris, who is expected to see action in Devendorf's spot in the lineup alongside freshman point guard Jonny Flynn. Freshman guard Scoop Jardine also is expected to share the backcourt load. Devendorf will have surgery on his left knee once the swelling abates, and the university was investigating whether he would be eligible for a medical redshirt.
“He's a huge part of our team,” Flynn said. “You try not to even think about it. I'm not even going to try to say how it's going to be without him.”
Colgate (6-3), in the midst of a six-game road trip, travels to the Carrier Dome for the 15th straight year. It will be the 160th meeting between the teams, and Syracuse (7-3) leads the series 113-46.
Last year, Syracuse defeated Colgate 79-52 to extend its winning streak over the Raiders to 41 straight. Colgate's last win in the series came during the 1961-62 season, when the Raiders swept a home-and-home series.
But Colgate is off to its best start since 2001-02, when the Raiders lost 70-51 to the 12th-ranked Orange. The Raiders were within 40-35 with 14 minutes remaining in that one, and the previous year Syracuse won by only 73-65 despite scoring the game's first 14 points.
Colgate has held opponents to under 42 percent shooting from the floor this season and has the athleticism to defend most teams. Which means the Orange likely will get a good idea of the impact of the loss of the fiery Devendorf.
Junior Kyle Roemer is averaging 19.2 points per game to lead Colgate, which leads the Patriot League in field goal percentage (47.6 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage (45.8 percent), the latter mark the fourth-best percentage in the nation.
Syracuse's 125-point outburst, which matched the fifth-most points scored in school history, was the Orange's highest total since tallying 129 against C.W. Post in 1989-90 and raised the team's scoring average to 86.2 points per game.
Notes: Syracuse has five players averaging in double figures, led by freshman Donte Greene at 18.9 points per game. Besides Devendorf, Flynn is averaging 14.5, Arinze Onuaku 13.1, and Harris 12.4. ... Harris leads the team in rebounding with 9.8 per game, followed by Greene at 8.5, and Onuaku at 7.6. ... Senior guard Daniel Waddy is Colgate's only other double-figure scorer at 10 points per game, while senior forward Kendall Chones is averaging 9.3 and senior forward Tim Pounds 8.3. Junior Alex Woodhouse is the team's leading rebounder at 5.1 per game.
Devendorf made a brief appearance at practice on Monday, and his absence already was being felt.
“It's going to be hard,” said sophomore forward Paul Harris, who is expected to see action in Devendorf's spot in the lineup alongside freshman point guard Jonny Flynn. Freshman guard Scoop Jardine also is expected to share the backcourt load. Devendorf will have surgery on his left knee once the swelling abates, and the university was investigating whether he would be eligible for a medical redshirt.
“He's a huge part of our team,” Flynn said. “You try not to even think about it. I'm not even going to try to say how it's going to be without him.”
Colgate (6-3), in the midst of a six-game road trip, travels to the Carrier Dome for the 15th straight year. It will be the 160th meeting between the teams, and Syracuse (7-3) leads the series 113-46.
Last year, Syracuse defeated Colgate 79-52 to extend its winning streak over the Raiders to 41 straight. Colgate's last win in the series came during the 1961-62 season, when the Raiders swept a home-and-home series.
But Colgate is off to its best start since 2001-02, when the Raiders lost 70-51 to the 12th-ranked Orange. The Raiders were within 40-35 with 14 minutes remaining in that one, and the previous year Syracuse won by only 73-65 despite scoring the game's first 14 points.
Colgate has held opponents to under 42 percent shooting from the floor this season and has the athleticism to defend most teams. Which means the Orange likely will get a good idea of the impact of the loss of the fiery Devendorf.
Junior Kyle Roemer is averaging 19.2 points per game to lead Colgate, which leads the Patriot League in field goal percentage (47.6 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage (45.8 percent), the latter mark the fourth-best percentage in the nation.
Syracuse's 125-point outburst, which matched the fifth-most points scored in school history, was the Orange's highest total since tallying 129 against C.W. Post in 1989-90 and raised the team's scoring average to 86.2 points per game.
Notes: Syracuse has five players averaging in double figures, led by freshman Donte Greene at 18.9 points per game. Besides Devendorf, Flynn is averaging 14.5, Arinze Onuaku 13.1, and Harris 12.4. ... Harris leads the team in rebounding with 9.8 per game, followed by Greene at 8.5, and Onuaku at 7.6. ... Senior guard Daniel Waddy is Colgate's only other double-figure scorer at 10 points per game, while senior forward Kendall Chones is averaging 9.3 and senior forward Tim Pounds 8.3. Junior Alex Woodhouse is the team's leading rebounder at 5.1 per game.
Citizen
Hot Jobs
New! Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are No comments posted.