Tuesday, November 25, 2008
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Syracuse missed junior guards Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins a lot last season.
Devendorf and Rautins could only watch as the Orange limped to a 19-11 overall record and missed the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year for the first time since 1982. They both tore their ACLs early in the season before Big East Conference play began.
But Devendorf and Rautins are back this season, and their combined 24 points helped lead Syracuse to an 89-83 victory against Florida in the first game of the CBE Classic at the Sprint Center. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said he was pleased with his team’s performance but didn’t consider the victory a statement.
“This year, there are four or five teams in our league that are really good and, obviously, North Carolina,” Boeheim said. “But after that, it’s completely wide open.”
Without the duo of junior guards last season, Syracuse lacked depth and shooters. The Orange ranked 13th out of 16 teams in three-point shooting percentage in the Big East. At one point in the season, only seven scholarship players filled the roster.
Both of the problem areas appear to be strengths this season. The Orange’s bench — Rautins, sophomore forward Rick Jackson and freshman forward Kris Joseph — combined for 26 points.
Syracuse shot better than 50 percent from the field.
Rautins started it all. In the first half, the Gators focused on slowing Devendorf and Syracuse sophomore guard Jonny Flynn, which left Rautins open behind the three-point line.
Rautins proceeded to show Florida why he has a reputation as a three-point shooter. He converted on 5 of 7 attempts from beyond the arc in the opening half. He separated the Orange from the Gators in an otherwise equal game.
Syracuse headed to the locker room with a 41-38 lead. Rautins scored 15 points in the first 20 minutes but failed to score again in the game. It didn’t matter.
Devendorf, who finished with nine points and three assists, stepped in. He scored five points in the first five minutes of the second half to put Syracuse ahead 53-44. The team never struggled for the rest of the night.
The Florida defense started paying less attention to Flynn and he, in turn, found his way to the basket. Flynn finished with 18 points — the majority of them coming late in the game.
As smothering as Florida’s defense was on Flynn early in the game, the Syracuse defense pestered Florida guard Nick Calathes just as much. Calathes, an All-American candidate and Florida’s leading scorer this season, often found himself double-teamed by the Orange.
Although Calathes finished with 16 points and seven assists, he wasn’t able to key Florida’s offensive attack. Sophomore center Alex Tyus played that role and finished with a career-high 24 points.
It wasn’t enough. The Gators could never cut it down to a one-possession game for the final 19 minutes.
“We don’t have a defensive commitment at all,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said. “And we’re working to get it and we’re going to get it.”
Devendorf and Rautins are back, which means Syracuse is at full strength. The Orange will try to prove it again tomorrow night in the CBE Classic Championship.
— — Edited by Rachel Burchfield
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