BIG EAST TOP TWO-GUARDS 2008-2009: 5) ERIC DEVENDORF

November 11, 2008


When Eric Devendorf went down last December with a torn ACL, the March Madness betting odds of the Syracuse Orange took a tremendous hit. Devendorf's season would be over after just 10 games and SU was headed to a second straight NIT appearance.

Devendorf, a junior, was off to a very good start in 2007-2008, averaging 17 points a game and showing signs of becoming a leader for the young Orange. The 6-foot-4 guard, a Michigan native, was showing improvements in his offensive game, hitting nearly 41% from three-point range, and still averaging in the neighborhood of four assists a game.

The outlook for 2008-2009 is a little fuzzy for Devendorf as everyone responds from an injury differently. It has been 11 months since he injured his knee, so it is at full strength, physically, there is always a concern mentally how the player reacts to the injury. That will not be known until Devendorf gets back into the grind that is a 30+ game high-major schedule.

When he is healthy, Devendorf can do a little bit of everything on the offensive end of the court from the two-guard position. He is very impressive at going to the basket, especially to his left, and catches teams by surprise with a hesitation more and contorting his body to maneuver into the paint to score. When he is given room he will knock down the perimeter shot as well, not a pure looking shot, but one that needs to be respected.

For the Orange to return to the NCAA Tournament and move up in the Big East standings, Eric Devendorf will need to return to form this year. If he can, the Orange have a valuable and versatile weapon at the two-guard position.