2006-2007 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 3) SYRACUSE

October 29, 2006


Maybe this is a stretch placing the Orange this high. Afterall, I vividly remember Jim Boeheim telling the world how many games the Orange would have won last year without Gerry McNamara. How many was it, coach?

"Without Gerry McNamara, we wouldn't have won 10 (expletive) games this year. OK, not 10. The other guys just aren't ready. They needed him."

Well, last year Syracuse won just seven games in conference play. However, they rebounded from a disappointing couple of months to become the first team to win four games to capture the Big East Tournament Championship, mostly behind the heroics of Gerry McNamara.

So, what do I see in them this year that makes me think they will be better, actually, significantly better in the Big East?

To be honest, I don't even know. It is a series of factors that I think will help this Orange team rebound from last year's disappointment, that had them in the NIT prior to a McNamara miracle (or two) at Madison Square Garden. There are not too many teams with three senior starters as experienced, or as talented, as Terrence Roberts, Darryl Watkins and Demetris Nichols. Add in junior Josh Wright, sophomore Eric Devendorf and freshmen Paul Harris and Mike Jones and you have a roster with seven players who were ranked as top 50 recruits coming out of high school.



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So, the talent is there, will these players realize that talent? Well, the key will be with this group of seniors. It is very rare that a group of such highly regarded players enter college together and are there to play their senior year together. The Orange did lose one member of the class in the offseason when Louie McCroskey decided to transfer and taking his distracting, volatile personality with him. The fourth senior is back-up forward Matt Gorman, himself a top 100 prospect coming out of high school, to add depth behind Watkins and Roberts. Will this class come together in their last season like the group at Villanova (Foye, Ray, Sumpter and Fraser) did over the course of their junior and senior seasons? That is the question we look to have answered.

The Syracuse seniors need to show improvement and development, both in their mental approach and in their skill sets. This team, with Gerry Mcnamara, led some to wonder about the rate Syracuse has been developing their players of late. Roberts, McNamara, Watkins and Nichols all showed flashes of an elite team and as individuals at times last year, however, they also made mind-boggling errors and showed inconsistencies that are common for freshmen, and, the same concerns that they all showed as freshmen at times.

So, what will be different this year? Well, after deferring to Hakim Warrick and McNamara the last couple years, it is finally their team. Instead of being just another option, Syracuse will look to defer to this trio this year and become a more balanced team. Watkins is a player that still seems to be improving on a regular curve and played his best basketball while in college last year in the post-season. He was a threat offensively, showing life in creating his own offense, and is still an intimidating presence in the pain with his long arms and athletic ability. Still prone to finding himself out of position and committing a silly foul from time to time, those instances started to become less and less later in the season last year.

Roberts continues to be one of the biggest enigmas in the conference. Another player with excellent size and athletic ability, he can be a tremendous asset running the floor and finishing on the break, but after three seasons, he still does not look like he has developed any sense of a half court game. When he is not dunking the ball, his shooting is an adventure, especially from the foul line. However, the Big East coaches feel strong enough that his potential will finally be realized by making him a member of the preseason all-conference 1st team. Roberts needs to dedicate himself to rebounding and playing within himself, if he does, Syracuse has enough pieces around him to allow him to find his spots offensively and capitalize. If he shows the missing development skill-wise, at this point, it would be a big bonus for the Orange.

A player I always thought was ideal for Jim Boeheim's system was Demetris Nichols. At 6'8, Nichols is the long and lean small forward that can shoot from the perimeter and defend (and rebound) his spot in the zone, much better than when the Orange had to plug Josh Pace on the blocks of their zone. However, Nichols seems to be the one most impacted by a couple missed shots. There is just no way someone as good of a shooter as he is to be shooting under 30% from 3-pt range. If Nichols can start believing in himself, expect to see a player take a major step-up this season. If not, Nichols could be the one feeling the pressure for time behind him with the talented newcomers in Paul Harris and Mike Jones.

Although the seniors are expected to take on leadership roles and begin to (better late than never) assert themselves consistently, the Syracuse talent does not end there. Sophomore shooting guard Eric Devendorf was McNamara's running mate last season and enjoyed an excellent freshmen season in Big East play, averaging 14.5 PPG in the 16-game conference season. He also showed that he could be a clutch performer by making big baskets in key moments throughout the season. Expect more of th esame this year for the spunky and confident 2-guard.

Also helping this team improve this season will be the highly touted and highly anticipated Paul Harris, the 6'4 manchild from Niagara Falls (NY). Harris plays the game with a tenacity and toughness that, if contagious, could change the demeanor of this Orange team. Harris is ultra competitive and will not back down to any challenge on the floor. A physical defender and tenacious rebounder for his size, Harris is the ultimate team player on the floor excelling in passing, defending and doing all the little things that helps a team win.

Now, even with all that talent, getting them to work together as a cohesive unit will also be a tall order. For his first two seasons in Orange, Josh Wright has not been a consistent contributor to the Orange cause. However, as the only true point guard on the team, it is time for Wright to take command of the offense and give the Orange some direction. Even with Gerry McNamara running the show, he was always their biggest offensive source as well, which can be a tough combination for a point guard, also in charge of getting everyone else involved. The Orange may need Wright to be able to play 20 or more minutes a game on a consistent manner to get everyone into comfortable positions. If they are patch-working the point guard position with a few minutes from Wright and more from Harris and Devendorf, it might be harder for the rest of the team to find their comfort zones. This, to me, is the key development of the SU season.

Syracuse never tends to be a deep team, and that depth may have taken a bigger blow this offseason with a knee injury to sophomore Arinze Onuaku. As a freshman, Onuaku was a pleasant surprise as he used his big body effectively to rebound and bang in the Big East. Without him, Matt Gorman becomes the main reserve for both Roberts and Watkins alone. Gorman will work hard and be ready when called on, but he has his limitations and might not fight in with the Syracuse system that calls for their big men to be long, lean and athletic. The other body upfront is Canadian freshmen Devin Brennan-McBride. However, the most likely route for Brennan-McBride could be a redshirt, but in any event, his time looks to be very limited.

On the wings, Andy Rautins returns and is a dangerous shooter. Son of former SU star Leo Rautins, Andy needs to get stronger to defend and be more of just a spot-shooter on the wing. As mentioned earlier, Mike Jones is a smooth looking athlete that could force his way into the mix on the wing. Boeheim is not one to substitute freely, but Jones has the potential to be an excellent Syracuse wing in the future.

As usual, Syracuse is a team in demand with the television networks and they get handed a pretty tough conference slate, seeing Connecticut, Villanova and St. John's two times each. While they do luck out getting both Pitt and Georgetown just once and both at home, they aren't helped out by the conference schedule maker with Seton Hall and West Virginia being left off their schedule. They probably do have the toughest series of home and homes with St. John's expected to be much improved.


Well, to sum up Syracuse this year, it is now or never! Terrence Roberts, Darryl Watkins and Demetris Nichols arrived on campus shortly after Carmelo Anthony left and Syracuse claimed a National Title. The trio was widely expected to help the Orange continue to contend annually for the big prize, but they have not lived up to preseason expectations the last couple years. Now, many seem to be doubting that the group ever will, and, they are pressed for time, but maybe, with it being their show, it is the motivation and confidence builder they need to finally take that step. It is not like they have to do it alone, either, as players like Eric Devendorf, Paul Harris and Josh Wright also came to SU with pedigrees that you expect to see from players that compete at the elite level. If they can get past some of the inconsistencies that have held them up recently, look for the Orange to be a surprise team this year.

Predicted Big East record: 11-5




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