By JOHN KEKIS
AP Sports Writer
SYRACUSE, N.Y.(AP) -- Maybe it was his new digs or knowing he's
going to have a pretty good team again. Coach Jim Boeheim seemed
so content at Syracuse's basketball media day that he actually
asked reporters to move closer to his lectern before he began.
"Glad to take your questions," he said, smiling inside the
sparkling new $19 million Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center.
Entering his 34th season as head coach at his alma mater and on
the verge of his 800th career win, Boeheim has had to retool the
Orange since he lost his top three scorers from last season -
point guard Jonny Flynn, shooting guard Eric Devendorf, and
swingman Paul Harris, who also led the Orange in rebounding.
"We had three high-volume shooters that are gone, so the ball
will get spread around a little more and more guys will get
opportunities," Boeheim said.
That would include freshman Brandon Triche, a Syracuse native
who started at point guard alongside Andy Rautins in both of the
Orange's exhibition games, and Iowa State transfer Wes Johnson,
who's ready to roll after sitting last season.
"We have some young guys that we think are good players,"
Boeheim said. "When you look at overall experience, we have as
much experience as most teams have, and that's a very important
ingredient."
On the roster are two fifth-year players - Rautins and 6-foot-9
center Arinze Onuaku - and a third-year player in 6-9 forward
Rick Jackson. They helped Syracuse finish 28-10 last season,
giving Boeheim his 31st season with at least 20 wins, an NCAA
Division I record.
"I expect more out of Andy than he's given us," Boeheim said. "I
think he's played well. I think he hasn't really had the
platform to give him the ball."
Rautins, who did not play in 2007-08 because of a torn knee
ligament, emerged as an effective outside threat last season
with 102 3-pointers, five off Gerry McNamara's school record for
a season. He welcomes the extra responsibility of being one of
the veterans.
"It feels good," he said. "I take on the challenge of being a
leader out here mentally and keeping these guys in it vocally."
Onuaku (10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game), who's been
recovering from a bad case of tendinitis in both knees, has
dropped 15 pounds but has devoted a lot of energy to the weight
room the past few months and needs to get in game shape.
"Arinze has had a slow recovery process. We've taken it very
easy with him," Boeheim said. "He has played some, but not a
lot. His wind and stamina are going to be down, but he looks
good. He feels good. He hasn't been pain-free for the last three
years."
Guards Scoop Jardine and Mookie Jones are pain-free after being
injured last season. Jardine missed his sophomore season with a
stress fracture in his left leg and Jones, a redshirt freshman,
played sparingly in nine games before a hip injury required
season-ending surgery. Kris Joseph gained valuable playing
experience in 34 games his freshman year.
The 6-7 Johnson, who averaged more than 12 points per game at
Iowa State, had 34 points in the Orange's exhibition loss
Tuesday night to Division II Le Moyne.
Besides Triche, Syracuse has two other freshmen in 6-7 James
Southerland and 6-11 center DaShonte Riley. Southerland was 7 of
7 from the field, including five three-pointers, to lead the
Orange in an exhibition win over Division II Cal State-Los
Angeles.
Syracuse, led by Flynn's 17.4 points per game, had five players
average in double figures and averaged 80 points per game in
2008-09. That was tops in the Big East, as was the Orange's 48.7
field goal percentage.
Boeheim thinks this team can be even better defensively, though
the Orange's lackluster defensive performance against Le Moyne
led to a half-hour postgame locker room analysis by the Hall of
Fame coach.
"Defensively, we were a little underrated last year. Our defense
was pretty good. We gave up a lot of points, but field-goal
percentage defense was pretty good, one of the better teams,"
Boeheim said. "We should be a better defensive team than we were
last year, size-wise and experience-wise. Offensively, we won't
be as explosive as we were, but I think we can still be a very
good offensive team this year."
News
