In the Paint: January 31, 2014

IN THE PAINT

syracuse vs duke

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t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r o f s y r a c u s e , n e w yo r k

DeMatha days Syracuse’s Jerami Grant and Duke’s Quinn Cook were high school teammates. See page 9.

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jan. 31- feb. 1, 2014 3

WHO IS THE BETTER FRESHMAN? courtesy of the duke chronicle

chase gaewski managing editor

Parker’s consistency, elite scoring ability make him nation’s premier rookie

A

week of conference play had gone by and something had gone horribly wrong for Duke.

The Atlantic Coast Conference’s premier team was somehow only 1-2. Jabari Parker, its superstar freshman — the one who topped Wooden Award watch lists just weeks earlier — had suddenly become human.

Maybe he was taking bad shots. Maybe he wasn’t multi-dimensional enough. Maybe his pedestrian defense had come back to haunt him — the basketball gods don’t like stuff like that.

While the rest of the nation was relishing in the Blue Devils’ struggles, the 18-year-old forward would be tasked with righting the fastsinking ship.

Duke topped Virginia in its next game to pull to .500 without much help from Parker, but it wasn’t a particularly impressive Blue Devil performance.

Then North Carolina State came to town.

Everything that Parker had failed to do well during the first four games of ACC play, he fixed against the Wolfpack. He scored 23 points, his most in 2014. He shot 50 percent from the field and drilled both of his 3-point attempts. He grabbed seven rebounds. He even played a little bit of defense, and Duke won 95-60.

“Changing habits is not easy, especially when you’re so successful with those other habits,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said after the game. “Today he really attacked.”

DAVID WILSON

ALL IN THE GAME YO

Passiveness plagued his game for a couple of weeks, but when he’s playing active there’s no other freshman like him. He plays with the confidence of a senior and the skill of an NBA player.

Even with Tyler Ennis, Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle in this freshman class, Parker has consistently stood above the rest.

He already outperformed Embiid and Wiggins with 27 points in a loss back in November, and Saturday is another prime opportunity to prove his rookie superiority. No. 17 Duke (17-4, 6-2 ACC) might not beat No. 2 Syracuse (20-0, 7-0) when they square off at 6:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome, but with another chance against a star freshman in front of a national audience, he’ll remind everyone why he, and not Ennis, was the one with all the hype.

Ennis has snatched some of those headlines away for two reasons. The first is how he seems to just keep getting better all season long.

To put it in football terms, because the point guard position is so often compared to quarterback, at the beginning of the year he was a “game manager.”

Now he’s also the closer.

see wilson page 17

Ennis brings late game composure, team value unparalleled by Parker, others

T

he strong contingent of Syracuse fans in Joel Coliseum let out a collective gasp late in the second half Wednesday night. Tyler Ennis had turned his ankle.

Not the cold-blooded, courageous freshman.

Not the horse SU has rode through all but 31 minutes of its 13 games against power-conference teams. Not the Orange’s golden ticket back to the Final Four.

Ennis stood with his hands on his knees, teammates circling around him at the free-throw line.

Jim Boeheim asked the referee to check on him.

Did he need to come out?

Ennis lifted his head toward the official, held up his right hand and shook his head. No. But for one brief moment, the same thought crept through everyone’s head — what would Syracuse do without him?

“It’s hard to say,” SU forward Jerami Grant said. “It’s something that we really haven’t been able to think about because he’s been there the whole season.”

Said C.J. Fair: “He’s the most important piece of the team.”

Ennis turned in his third straight heroic performance with 16 second-half points against Wake Forest. He gave No. 2 Syracuse (20-0, 7-0 Atlantic Coast) a chance for its best start in program history when it hosts No. 17 Duke (17-4, 6-2) and fellow stud rookie Jabari Parker on Saturday.

Parker is touted by many as the ACC’s best

STEPHEN BAILEY IN THE MIDDLE ANYWAY

player, but flash and flair and scoring ability will only get you so far in the college game. Great players have the ability to raise their individual performance, but the best players have the ability to raise their team’s performance.

In the last five minutes of games this season, Ennis hasn’t committed a single turnover and is shooting nearly 50 percent.

“Tyler Ennis is having as good a year as any freshman,” Boeheim said after the St. John’s game on Dec. 15.

That was back when Ennis was still getting going. He’s since proven more than a court general. He’s the team’s best crunch-time option.

Against Pittsburgh on Jan. 18, he tallied the goahead bucketin the final 1:48 as part of a 14-point second half. Against Miami last Saturday, he scored a crucial three-point play and the go-ahead jumper. And against Wake Forest on Wednesday, he had two more field goals in the second half alone than any of his teammates had all game.

Parker, who shoots 46.5 percent, hasn’t made more than half of his shots in a game since Dec. 19. His rebounding numbers have been staggering, but Ennis counters with the most steals per see bailey page 17

UNITED MINDS 4 jan. 31 - feb. 1, 2014

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Boeheim, Krzyzewski become close friends as coaches for USA Basketball program

By Josh Hyber staff writer

F

or Spain, everything was clicking. Ricky Rubio and Juan Carlos Navarro sliced into the paint with ease. Marc Gasol was unstoppable in the low post. A once-unsettling 13-point deficit was all but erased.

With ball possession and trailing by only one with 17 seconds left, the Spaniards called timeout.

It was a game in August of 2010 billed the “Global Community Cup” — a matchup in Madrid of the world’s premier basketball teams: the United States and Spain.

Halfway through the timeout, U.S. assistant coach Jim Boeheim suggested to head coach Mike Krzyzewski a defensive adjustment for the game’s final possession.

Krzyzewski listened. Team USA switched to a 2-3 zone, Kevin Durant blocked two shots and the Americans escaped with a onepoint victory.

“We haven’t tried it since,” Boeheim joked.

“I guess we’re saving it. We’re saving it for a big moment someplace down the road.”

Krzyzewski, the master general. Boeheim, the artful tactician.

The elite of the elite — 1,914 combined victories on the Division I college level. Hall of Famers. Cornerstones of two of the most storied programs in college sports. Two of the most respected individuals in all of basketball.

But as Krzyzewski talked about in his Hall of Fame induction speech, “two is better than one, if two can act as one.” And together, as coaches for the U.S. men’s national team, Krzyzewski and Boeheim have acted as one.

Together, they have won two Olympics gold medals — Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.

Boeheim and Krzyzewski met at a Duke celebrity golf tournament and have been friends ever since. But in the nine years they’ve been together with USA Basketball, they’ve become family. Even their wives, children and grandchildren have become close.

“Coaching, it’s such a competitive field,” Boeheim said. “You’re not going to have a lot of friends in coaching because you’re trying to beat each other’s brains out, for the most part.

But it’s good to have a really good friend in coaching. It’s been great.”

In October of 2005 — when the USA Basketball program underwent an overhaul — USA Basketball Board of Directors Chairman Jerry

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI AND JIM BOEHEIM have developed a close relationship with each other through the USA basketball program and from being two of the winningest coaches in Division I basketball. courtesy of andrew d. bernstein usa basketball

Colangelo wanted Krzyzewski to lead the new regime. And Krzyzewski wanted Boeheim alongside him. Colangelo made no protest.

During a USA Basketball teleconference last

week, Krzyzewski called Boeheim the guy he most respects in all of basketball, and also said he’s “brilliant.”

“We’re a good team,” Krzyzewski said.

“That’s the way I look at it.”

In eight years, the Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski are two of the most accomplished coaches in two have represented the United States on NCAA history. Here’s a look at how they stack up in the regular season, conferbenches in A rgenence tournaments and the Big Dance. tina, Japan, China, boeheim krzyzewski Overall record 940-314 974-301 Turkey, London and Conference record 371-192 356-155 Spain. They’ve walked Conference regular season titles 9 12 together on the Great Conference tournament titles 5 13 Wall of China. They’ve NCAA tournament record 46-27 82-25 visited the Arlington NCAA tournament championships 1 4 ( Va.) National Cem-

HEAD TO HEAD

etery.

They even heard Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sing at a coach’s dinner in Washington, D.C. “You hang around with good people like coach Krzyzewski and Boeheim and Jerry Colangelo,” said Mike D’Antoni, an assistant with the U.S. from 2006-12, “then you’re just a much richer person on and off the court because of them.”

Carmelo Anthony played for Boeheim at Syracuse. Krzyzewski recruited Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to play at Duke. But as the only two members of the staff with no NBA experience, their mastery of the game quickly won over players and staff. see usa

basketball page 13

jan. 31 - feb. 1, 2014 5

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Syracuse hosts Duke as ACC team to beat

By Stephen Bailey sports editor

For months, Saturday’s Syracuse-Duke game was pegged as the christening of an epic rivalry. The Orange’s chance to prove its worth as a new Atlantic Coast Conference member. A chance for Duke fans to come experience the Carrier Dome.

Then both teams started playing basketball. Syracuse won 20 straight games. Duke lost to a Jerian Grant-less Notre Dame and Clemson by double digits.

Now the No. 17 Blue Devils (17-4, 6-2 ACC) are playing to retake their position as an elite team, while the No. 2 Orange (20-0, 7-0) is playing for the best start in program history.

Syracuse has become the premier power in its new conference, likely followed by travel buddy

“

No. 18 Pittsburgh.

Major storylines aside, this game has taken on a whole new meaning as the newcomer has become the frontrunner.

“It’s another must-win game for us to secure a top spot in the ACC,” Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon said. “We know they’re the top of the ACC right now, and we know it’s going to be a hostile environment, a record crowd and everybody’s ready for it.”

It’s possibly the most hyped regular-season game in Syracuse history. It’s motivated SU students to spend as many as 12 nights out in the frigid cold for the best seats. It’s the beginning of a newborn ACC rivalry.

Since falling to Clemson on Jan. 11, Duke has reeled off five straight wins, including an 80-65 win over Pittsburgh on Monday. The slow start has become a distant memory and

It’s going to be a really good game. It’s going to come down to the end of the game.

The winning team is just going to have to make plays.

Tyler Ennis SU GUARD

the Orange is well aware.

“Definitely excited for this game,” sophomore forward Jerami Grant said. “I just want to be ready for it when it comes.”

And if there’s any place Syracuse needs to be ready, it’s on the glass. Grant led the Orange to a plus-20 rebounding performance against the Demon Deacons with 12 boards, matching a season-high.

The Blue Devils’ rebounding margin is three fewer than SU, but freshman forward Jabari Parker has grabbed 40 total rebounds in the last three games.

“We’re going to come out with more intensity even on Saturday and try to rebound even harder,” Grant said.

Freshman point guard Tyler Ennis said the Blue Devils also bring shooting depth the Orange hasn’t faced except maybe against Cornell and Boston College — and the Eagles gave SU arguably its biggest scare all season.

Andre Dawkins, Rodney Hood and Sulaimon all shoot better than 44 percent from 3-point range.

“It’s going to be a really good game,” Ennis said. “It’s going to come down to the end of the game. The winning team is just going to have to make plays.

“Whoever stops the other team offensively is going to win the game. So that’s what we intend to do.”

If the Orange does win, its claim as the top team in the conference will only grow stronger. With a third conference loss, Duke will need to get lucky to have any shot at the regular-season title. see duke page 13

6 jan. 31 - feb. 1, 2014

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80, SYRACUSE 67 LAST TIME THEY PLAYED | DUKE SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1998

Brand, Battier lead Blue Devils past Orangemen in Sweet 16 No. 5-seed Syracuse had a chance to upset No. 1-seed Duke and advance to the Elite Eight.

The score was tied at 49 with 12:21 to go. SU was hanging around despite being the clear underdog. Duke’s roster was loaded with talented players Elton Brand, Shane Battier and Trajan Langdon. Syracuse had Jason Hart, Etan Thomas and Marius Janulis, but was outmatched on paper.

The Orangemen didn’t let the difficult matchup faze them, and they nearly shocked the world. Duke (32-3) held SU off, though,

beating Syracuse (26-9), 80-67, in front of 40,589 at Tropicana Field. Brand finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds, Battier added 14 and seven, and Mike KrzyzewskiÕs Blue Devils used an 11-0 spurt to pull away in the second half.

Duke’s offense averaged 85.1 points per game on the season, which was good for sixth in the country. But on Saturday, its defense was just as good.

SU shot just 38.1 percent from the field and 61.9 percent from the line, struggling to gener-

ate any consistency against Duke’s aggressive defense. Syracuse finished with 16 turnovers, as the Blue Devils’ defense proved stymying when it mattered most.

For seven-and-a-half minutes, Syracuse was silenced. A 49-49 game quickly transformed into a 60-49 cushion for Duke.

The game was nearly even the rest of the way, but it didn’t matter. Duke was going to the Elite Eight and the Orangemen were going home.

Duke scored 40 points in both halves. Its consistent offensive output, coupled with

steady defense, propelled it past SU. The Blue Devils pulled away thanks in part to a breakaway dunk by Chris Carrawell, who scored 10 points. Battier stole the ball and threw it up ahead to Carrawell, who flushed it home.

William Avery hit a 3, which upped DukeÕs lead during its pivotal run. Krzyzewski said Avery was crucial during the stretch and he helped Duke pull away.

Duke burst out to a 14-5 lead at the start of the game, looking every bit the part of a No. 1 seed.

SU had trouble converting around the basket, while the Blue Devils hit shots from all angles.

The Orangemen embarked on a mini spurt, but Duke ensured SU never seized the lead.

A 28-16 Duke advantage turned into a 28-24 game, thanks to an 8-0 run by SU. But the Blue Devils closed the half on a 12-6 tear to bump the lead back to double digits.

Duke outrebounded SU by 11 and racked up more assists and blocks than the Orangemen. It was the kind of complete game necessary in the NCA A Tournament, and Duke’s superb all-around performance paved the way to victory.

Jim Boeheim’s team couldn’t slow down the high-octane offense of Krzyzewski’s crew.

Brand, who was the first pick in the 1999 NBA Draft the following year, was the best player on the floor. He dominated inside, hitting 10-of-14 field goals in 29 minutes.

The Blue Devils fell to Kentucky, 86-84 in the next round, failing to advance to the Final Four.

—Compiled by Trevor Hass, asst. sports editor, tbhass@syr.edu @TrevorHass

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8 jan. 31 - feb. 1, 2014

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Gbinije finds comfort, new start at SU after leaving Duke

By Trevor Hass asst. sports editor

Michael Gbinije spoke with his high school coach Sean McAloon after Duke was bounced from the NCAA Tournament in 2012.

“How you doin’?” McAloon asked Gbinije.

“I’m thinking about leaving,” Gbinije responded.

Leaving Duke — one of the most storied programs in college basketball.

Buried on the bench behind Austin Rivers, Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton, Gbinije played just six minutes per game, and didn’t see the court in nearly half of the Blue Devils’ games. After that tumultuous stretch, Gbinije did transfer to Syracuse following his freshman season.

Now, after redshirting last season, Gbinije is the Orange’s seventh man and is averaging 12.7 minutes per game. He has struggled adjusting to playing point guard and finding his shot, but has earned rotational minutes.

He’ll get a chance to face his old team Saturday when No. 2 Syracuse (20-0, 7-0 Atlantic Coast) takes on No. 17 Duke (17-4, 6-2) at 6:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

“I got blessed to have a second chance and come to a school like Syracuse,” Gbinije said. “I just wanted to take full advantage of it.”

Initially, Gbinije admitted he rushed his decision to go to Duke. Pressure from the outside was overflowing.

His dad, Frank, loved coach Mike Krzyzewski’s military background. Both of his parents

loved the academics at Duke. His friends were wowed by the idea of Gbinije playing at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Krzyzewski had just guided Team USA to a world championship. He had already molded the games of Grant Hill, Luol Deng and Shane Battier, among many others. Those around Gbinije wanted him to seize the opportunity, thinking he could follow in the footsteps of

“

When Duke came back from a trip to China, Gbinije told McAloon how far behind he was with his development.

Frank Gbinije said Michael didn’t fit the mold of a Duke player. Getting him to open up is like “getting through a brick wall,” as McAloon put it. He craftily picks and chooses when he wants to talk and what he wants to say.

Like his father and brother, Gbinije is very

T he reality is he just wasn’t happy with the situation.

They wanted him to be a different person.

Frank Gbinije

MICHAEL GBINIJE’S FATHER

these former Duke wings.

“Everyone and their mother was like ‘You got to do this,’” McAloon said. “It was just pressure, on pressure, on pressure.”

So he did. Without taking an official visit beforehand. Without any idea how little he’d end up playing.

But once he was there, everything changed.

The prospect of playing key minutes for a championship contender faded. Gbinije rode the bench.

methodical in his approach to both the game and human interaction. He’ll make occasional wisecracks, but generally prefers to pop on his bulky red headphones and tune everything out.

Between the lack of playing time and the team dynamic, the pressure at Duke simply wasn’t for him.

“The reality is he just wasn’t happy with the situation,” Frank Gbinije said. “They wanted him to be a different person.” see gbinije page 18

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jan. 31 - feb. 1, 2014 9

the daily orange in the paint

Grant, Cook reflect on high school careers at DeMatha

By Sam Blum asst. copy editor

Quinn Cook stood waiting by the basket to see if Jerami Grant could back up the talk.

It was the beginning of Grant’s sophomore year at DeMatha (Md.) Catholic High School, and he wanted to prove to his good friend, and teammate, that he could dunk.

In one quick moment, Cook’s skepticism turned to disbelief.

Grant threw it down.

“I told him now he better start catching my ‘oops,” Cook said. “I think in that year we got about two or three.”

Grant and Cook had been best friends since they played county basketball together when they were just 7 and 8 years old. Their lives were basketball, whether it meant sitting at home together playing basketball video games, or watching Tracy McGrady — Jerami’s favorite player — go up against Kobe Bryant, Cook’s favorite player.

On Saturday, the focus will remain on the hardwood when Cook’s Duke travels to the Carrier Dome to play Grant’s Syracuse at 6:30 p.m.

“We’ve been friends since we were in kindergarten,” Grant said. “We always played together.”

The two continued to play together at DeMatha, one of the premier high school basketball programs in the country.

Their 2009-10 team included the Orlando Magic’s Victor Oladipo, Georgetown’s Mikael Hopkins and Pittsburgh’s James Robinson.

With all the talent surrounding him, Grant was the quiet one on the team. He hadn’t quite broken out of his shell.

Cook was the outgoing one. He had a different handshake with every single teammate.

When they were together off the court, nothing was different. But on the court, Cook tried to fire Grant up.

“Being the athlete that (Jerami) was, you could count on him for a block or dunk” DeMatha head coach Mike Jones said. “Then the first opportunity after those plays, you’d have Quinn running up to him. He’d run up to him and do the handshake with him.”

The Stags went 32-4 that season and won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Championship. It was an outstanding season, but it still had its bumps in the road. The team started out 16-0.

Their 17th game was against Mater Dei in the Hoop Hall Classic in Springfield, Mass. The game was televised on ESPN, and despite all the excitement surrounding it, DeMatha lost.

After that game, with players in the locker room crying, Cook was the guy that told everyone not to worry, and that there were better things to come.

“You only remember the losses, you never remember the wins,” said Marcellous Bell, who played for DeMatha that season. “It kind of brought us together and helped us build toward that championship goal.”

Cook was right, and DeMatha eventually

QUINN COOK hugs Jerami Grant (25) after Grant’s dunk in the conference championship game in 2010. This photo is on the wall of DeMatha head coach Mike Jones’ office. Cook and Grant have been friends since elementary school. courtesy of dematha high school

won the city championship, and it was largely due to the play of Grant and Cook.

In the championship game, Grant, who had first shown off his dunking prowess to Cook only at the beginning of the season, threw one down with authority.

Cook, who was in more disbelief than when he saw it for the first time months before, ran over to Grant and gave him a huge hug. Cook said it was the best play of the season. A photo of their moment was plastered on the Washington Post the next day, and it still remains tacked to Jones’ wall.

Jones, DeMatha’s head coach, has led a countless number of terrific basketball teams. He doesn’t like to compare them, but was willing to relent when it came to the talent of that 2009–10 team.

“You won’t get me to say they were more talented than other teams,” Jones said. “But common sense, well, it is what it is.”

On Saturday, Jones said he plans to do whatever he can to watch his two old players go at it, even though the Stags have a game in California.

Watching his old players means a great deal to him, and he also knows that Cook and Grant see dematha page 13

10 jan. 31- feb. 1, 2014

jan. 31- feb. 1, 2014 11

GET HYPED Otto’s Army, Cameron Crazies bring varied perspectives to fandom

By Matt Miselis staff writer

T

outed as one of the premier fan bases in college athletics, Otto’s Army makes its presence known through the number of fans attending games. The student section can reach a capacity as high as 5,000 people, a number that could surface during Saturday’s matchup with Founded: 2006 Duke.

Tent city: But in Boeheimburg Size: 5,000 (maxithe mind of mum capacity) Otto’s Army Notable chants: president Ben “Let’s Go Orange!”; “ Glidden, some Whose house? ‘Cuse of the group’s House!”; “Who’s best perforHe?” “So What?” mances have Fun fact: Otto’s been on the Army was born when a group of five road.

“Some of students devised a my favorite list system for seat memories of placement to Gerry McNamara’s Otto’s Army last game are the trips to away games,”

THE `BURG

andrew renneisen staff photographer

35,446 Syracuse expects to reset the national on-campus attendance record on Saturday against Duke.

LOUD HOUSE

Syracuse is expecting 35,446 fans inside the Carrier Dome on Saturday, which would be the most in Carrier Dome history.

Here is a list of the top five turnouts of all time.

1. 35,012 FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Georgetown 57, Syracuse 46 Otto Porter crashed the rivalry’s going-away party at the Carrier Dome with 33 points on 12-of-19 shooting as No. 11 Georgetown rocked No. 8 Syracuse and its 38-game home winning streak.

C.J. Fair and James Southerland were the Orange’s top scorers with just 13 points each. As a team, SU shot just 4-of-20 from

he said. “The students who go on the bus trips to games are some of the most committed.

“When you’re thrown into an opposing team’s arena or stadium, you’re put in an interesting position.

Otto’s Army is always the loudest.”

As Otto’s Army prepares for its most amplified home game in recent memory, the chant of “Let’s Go Orange” will likely draw the attention of the expected record crowd of 35,446 in the Carrier Dome. While the cheer is simple in nature, it’s a message that connects with Syracuse fans across the country.

Glidden couldn’t help but find himself impressed with how he heard the chant in Miami while watching the game on television.

“That’s unbelievable,” Glidden said.

“Can you imagine how great that must feel as a player or coach to know that you have fans backing you up even when you’re 1,400 miles from home?

It’s amazing.”

Otto’s Army will have an opportunity to display why they are the best student section in collegiate athletics.

A fan base that has received the repu-

tation of obtaining such honor is the Cameron Crazies, the ruckus crowd at Duke basketball games.

Originated in 1986, they have a historical edge over the Syracuse fan base, which hasn’t even existed for a full decade.

But Glidden believes that Otto’s Army is the tougher student section by camping out for basketball games in frigid temperatures.

“The average high temperatures are 50 degrees in Durham, N.C. this time of year. That makes camping out easy,” Glidden said. “We camp in frigid temperatures, often below-zero temperatures. It shows how committed we are to the basketball team.”

Glidden says that Otto’s Army stands out because of the commitment to every sport at Syracuse University.

While the Cameron Crazies are a basketball student section, Otto’s Army represents all sports.

“We have thousands of students at football games,” he said. “We pack the hill at soccer games. We’re out there supporting no matter what the sport is.” mjmiselis@syr.edu

long range and committed 16 turnovers to Georgetown’s 12.

regular-season title, not to mention the No. 1 ranking.

2. 34,616

3. 33,736

Syracuse 95, Villanova 77 No. 4 Syracuse defended its home court with a thrashing of the No. 7 Wildcats. Led by Rick Jackson’s 19 points, Syracuse overcame an early 23-14 deficit to take a 46-36 lead at the half and pull away after the break. The win set Syracuse on track for its eventual Big East

Villanova 83, Syracuse 72 Syracuse lost despite 23 points from Kris Joseph and 16 points and 15 boards from Rick Jackson. Maalik Wayns led the Wildcats — who shot 50 percent from the floor and 45.8 percent from downtown — with 21 points.

Villanova also hit 22 of its 24

FEBRUARY 27, 2010

JANUARY 22, 2011

By Tyler Piccotti staff writer

K

rzyzewskiville.

Population: 1,200 ravenous college students, many of who don blue wigs and face paint.

But when their beloved Duke Blue Devils take the court at CamFounded: 1986 eron Indoor Tent city: Stadium, they Krzyzewskiville go by their Size: 1,200 alter ego.

Notable cheers: T h e y “Let’s Go, Duke!”; the “See Ya!”; “You let the become C a m e r o n whole Team Down!”

Crazies. And Fun fact: The Crathey turn the zies are believed to be the creators of the intimate 9,314“Air ball” chant often seat gymnaheard at games. sium into a raucous bandbox.

“We have 20 percent of our student body out there jumping up and down in blue paint supporting a team,” Cameron Crazies head line monitor Gabrielle Hodgins said. “That’s pretty cool, and it’s pretty cool to be a part of.”

For the Crazies, the party begins

THE `VILLE

outside the arena.

Because students are not guaranteed a seat inside Cameron, a campout in Krzyzewskiville is more often a necessity than an act of team spirit.

Luckily, the team and school do all they can to make the experience enjoyable. The Devils might organize a NERF gunfight or some other diversion, and school officials often reward campers with free pizza.

Then, the real fun happens inside the 74-year-old venue.

The Crazies approach every home game with ardent fervor, and their first duty is always their “homework.”

While Hodgins moderates communications with the team prior to each game, the other line monitors dig up whatever dirt they can find on the Blue Devils’ opponent.

Once armed with an array of taunts and poster fodder, they tell the rest of the students to prepare for war.

When the ball is tipped, the directive is always the same.

Make noise. Lots of it.

Hodgins said there’s no better example than Duke’s comeback victory against hated rival North Caro-

free throws, deliberating slowing down the pace and hurting the Orange from both inside and out.

4. 33,633 MARCH 5, 2006

Villanova 92, Syracuse 82 Gerry McNamara’s final regularseason home game didn’t end the way the senior hoped it would.

McNamara scored 29 and dropped eight assists, but Syracuse lost to Villanova. Allan Ray scored 28 for the Wildcats, Randy Foye

lina in 2011.

“ESPN documented that the inside of Cameron was as loud as a space ship taking off in the second half of that game,” she said. “It was nuts.”

Sometimes, though, opposing fans counter that it can get too crazy, and that the taunts cross the line.

Hodgins disagreed and said much of the venom results from the program’s sustained success.

“If you go to a Maryland game, you’ll hear them say stuff like, ‘F**k Duke,’ but we would never do something like that,” Hodgins said. “Coach K has made it so clear to us that we’re courtesy of the duke chronicle there to support our team, not bring another team down.”

But that doesn’t mean the Crazies aren’t aware of their effect on opposing teams. They know they can make Cameron seem downright hellish.

We have 20 percent of our student body “There’s a reason we’re a Top 10 out there jumping up and down in blue venue to watch a game in,” she said. paint supporting a team that’s pretty “Playing in Cameron is something you’re going to talk about for the rest cool, and it’s pretty cool to be a part of of your life.”

Cameron Crazies. tfpiccot@syr.edu

“

Gabrielle Hodgins

HEAD LINE MONITOR OF THE CAMERON CRAZIES

added 21 and Kyle Lowry posted an impressive 17, eight boards and six dimes, as ‘Nova quieted the initially raucous crowd.

5. 33,430 FEBRUARY 11, 2012

Syracuse 85, Connecticut 67 Scoop Jardine scored 21 points as No. 2 SU fended off UConn.

Syracuse shot 59.3 percent from the field, Jim Boeheim called it the best SU had played offensively all season up to that point.

12 jan. 31 - feb. 1, 2014

the daily orange in the paint

Sulaimon finds motivation from parental expectations

By Matt Schneidman staff writer

In fifth grade, Rasheed Sulaimon’s parents made him sit out of an Amateur Athletic Union game.

Angela and Kenny Sulaimon didn’t hold him out because of an injury. He didn’t get in trouble at school. He even had A averages in all but one of his classes.

But Sulaimon had a B in math.

“Rasheed knew that if he received a B+,” Kenny Sulaimon said, “he shouldn’t settle for that good grade.”

He was always a bright kid, but with five siblings, a mother who emigrated from Jamaica and a father who emigrated from Nigeria, things weren’t always easy for him and his family.

Sulaimon still faces challenges as a sophomore guard at Duke. But with the help of Blue Devils assistant coach Jeff Capel, along with the values instilled in him by his parents, Sulaimon has been able to overcome obstacles on and off the court.

This season he’s faced one of his hardest tests yet, and is keeping his same positive outlook.

“My parents did a great job of supporting me,” Sulaimon said. “ Both of them humble me, having come from foreign countries. They’ve always told me not to take anything for granted.

“Even if money was an issue, they never let me know.”

Even though being held out of a fifth grade basketball game perplexed a young Sulaimon, he acknowledged that his parents simply want-

ed to set a standard of excellence for him.

“Just like in basketball, being a ‘good’ player is sometimes not good enough,” Kenny Sulaimon said. “You should work on the skills that will help you become a ‘great’ player.”

The Sulaimons weren’t the wealthiest of families. But Sulaimon said as long as he showed his parents he was giving nothing short of 100 percent, they’d reciprocate and put all their effort into transporting him to workouts, getting him to games and paying for him to travel.

Kenny Sulaimon mentioned how he and his wife raised all six of their children to support one another and that their family is very tight.

He said that Rasheed is very close with his brother and four sisters. When Rasheed wasn’t playing basketball, he was attending his little sister’s volleyball matches.

“We raised our children to work hard and value the opportunities,” Kenny Sulaimon said.

“We take the time to make sure we help our children understand how fortunate they are to live in the United States.”

Sulaimon adopted these morals, maximizing his academic and athletic potential at Strake Jesuit High School in Houston.

He was highly recruited by major schools, eventually committing to Duke over UNC, Arizona and Baylor.

In his freshman season with the Blue Devils, Sulaimon started 33 games, averaging 11.6 points and 3.4 rebounds. He was also named to

RASHEED SULAIMON turned heads in his freshman season, averaging 11.6 points per game and 29.2 minutes per game. His sophomore campaign got off to a rough start, though, as his points and minutes dropped. courtesy of the duke chronicle

the ACC All-Freshman team and the All-ACC Academic Team.

But then things changed.

Three freshmen came in, a transfer was now

eligible and a senior stayed for a graduate year.

In 10 games from Nov. 15 – Dec. 28, Sulaimon failed to amass more than three made field

see sulaimon page 18

the daily orange in the paint

from page 4

usa basketball “It doesn’t matter if they’re employed at Syracuse University or the Boston Celtics,” said Casey Smith, an athletic trainer who has worked with the national team since 2005. “It doesn’t diminish the way players think of them.”

Smith said that Boeheim and Krzyzewski are so comfortable around each other, and like to give the staff a hard time.

The trainer recalls Krzyzewski breaking down film immediately after games, even after 9:30 or 10 p.m. tipoffs — which, according to Smith, Boeheim wasn’t too fond of.

“He did his best to struggle through some of those late-night film sessions,” Smith joked. “It was always kind of a source of amusement seeing if those two could make it through.”

With Team USA, Krzyzewski was always open to the opinion of his staff, a statement echoed by Boeheim, D’Antoni and Nate McMil-

from page 9

dematha playing against each other means a lot to their former teammates.

from page 5

duke

At Syracuse media day, Fair said he had his sights set on taking the ACC title in Syracuse’s first season.

After the team’s 57-45 win over North Carolina on Jan. 11, Fair said the only way the

lan, another U.S. assistant.

But there was a time during a game against Greece when Boeheim suggested to Krzyzewski that the team not run a zone defense.

“Boeheim didn’t feel comfortable with the zone because we hadn’t worked on it,” McMillan said. “He really didn’t feel that we should play the zone. We really didn’t have to because our guys were really good in man-to-man defense. We hardly ever played zone.”

While Boeheim and Krzyzewski’s teams have only crossed paths twice, their resumes are similar.

Their names are synonymous with winning, and winning at one school. Both have an affinity for hiring former players as assistants. They even both poked fun at good friend P.J. Carlesimo during their Hall of Fame induction speeches.

Now, together, they represent the best of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Said Colangelo: “It’s been a great marriage, so it’s going to be exciting to see them compete against one another in the ACC.” jmhyber@syr.edu

They’ll take the court as opponents, but consider each other to be more than that.

“That’s my little brother,” Cook said.

“To play Jerami in college, it’s just surreal. I watched him grow up.” sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3

Orange will lose is if it has an off night and another team puts together a balanced offensive effort.

And after the Wake Forest game on Wednesday, Fair said the team’s goal hasn’t wavered.

Said Fair: “It’s our first year and we can make history. Take it one game at a time and we can pull this off.” sebail01@syr.edu | @Stephen_Bailey1

jan. 31 - feb. 1, 2014 1 3

14 jan. 31 - feb. 1, 2014

the daily orange in the paint

Former guard Scheyer comes back to Duke as assistant

By Phil D’Abbraccio asst. copy editor

In April, Jon Scheyer sensed his playing days were possibly nearing an end, and he wondered if the next chapter of his career was ready to begin.

With his career at a crossroads, Scheyer called Mike Krzyzewski.

“I called just to see what Coach thought about me coaching,” Scheyer said, “and he could tell I was ready. He told me he would love to have me back here.

“This is a career I want to pursue and I’m

excited to do that. I’ve hung up the shoes for now.”

One day later, Scheyer called him back and said, “Let’s do it.”

The former All-American point guard left Duke on top of the world, cutting down the nets after winning the 2010 national championship his senior season. But just a few months later he suffered an eye injury, which still plagues him to this day and kept him from latching on to any professional teams.

Conveniently, former assistant Chris Collins left Duke in late March to be Northwestern’s head coach. Now, Scheyer’s path to one day becoming a head coach himself is underway as a special assistant for the No. 17 Blue Devils (17-4, 6-2 Atlantic Coast).

“Everyone’s really embraced me coming back, which has meant a lot to me,” said Scheyer, now 26 years old. “I feel Duke is a very special place, so the fact I was able to play here and now work here is something I’m really, really grateful for.”

He’s there every day at practice, but he’s not involved with coaching players on the floor. But once the Duke coaches hold their meetings to game plan, Scheyer has an established voice in the room.

It’s been a learning process for Scheyer.

The coaches are starting to mold him, and have taught him the ways they scout, edit and analyze film. He didn’t realize just how much work is required of a coach until he became one.

“The biggest thing I’ve been learning from those guys is it’s a different art form,” Scheyer said.

His biggest joy from his new position has been talking to the players and seeing those same players thrive on the hardwood.

It’s the same selfless attitude Scheyer had as the team’s point guard and captain just a few years ago, as he rounds out a coaching staff that includes four former Blue Devil captains.

“Most teams have captains but to be quite frank, at some places I don’t know how serious it is,” associate coach Jeff Capel said. “Here, it’s a pretty big deal.”

Scheyer can relate to the current players better than the rest of the coaching staff. It was just four years ago that Scheyer ran the point for a program he called “the most high-profile place in the country.”

Now he can easily connect with and remind the team of the high expectations that come with joining such a highly regarded program.

“He tries to give back his knowledge of what he took from the game and help our guards out right now,” said shooting guard Rasheed Sulaimon. “He’s always giving us feedback and advice to become better.”

After Scheyer won the national title, he went undrafted and never signed a guaranteed contract.

He was playing with the Miami Heat’s summer league team when a defender took a swipe for the ball and instead got Scheyer’s right eye, essentially ending his NBA hopes.

The injury required five stitches to close a cut on his right eyelid. Surgery was required to reattach his torn retina, but damage to his optic nerve couldn’t be repaired.

His playing confidence took a hit as he adjusted to wearing protective goggles on the court. Scheyer had opportunities with three NBA franchises, but none worked out. He tried a stint in Israel and was even satisfied with his play last year in Spain.

But Scheyer felt it was time for a change, and Krzyzewski’s staff at Duke had a hole to fill.

“By the time it was said and done after playing for a few years,” Scheyer said, “I was really proud of what I was able to do. But I was ready to coach.

“I kind of feel like those things happened in order for me to come back this year.” @PhilDAbb | pmdabbra@syr.edu

jan. 31 - feb. 1, 2014 1 5

the daily orange in the paint

2014 Basketball Rosters Syracuse No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Year 0 Michael Gbinije F 6-7 200 So. 2 B.J. Johnson F 6-7 185 Fr. 3 Jerami Grant F 6-8 210 So. 4 Nolan Hart G 5-10 152 Sr. 5 C.J. Fair F 6-8 215 Sr.

10 Trevor Cooney G 6-4 195 So. 11 Tyler Ennis G 6-2 180 Fr. 12 Baye Moussa Keita C 6-10 220 Sr. 21 Tyler Roberson F 6-8 212 Fr. 23 Russ DeRemer G 6-5 203 Sr.

25 Rakeem Christmas C 6-9 250 Jr. 32 DaJuan Coleman F 6-9 280 So. 33 Albert Nassar F 6-6 195 Jr. 34 Ron Patterson G 6-2 200 Fr.

35 Chinonso Obokoh C 6-10 210 Fr.

Hometown/High School Richmond, Va./Benedictine College Prep Philadelphia, Pa./Lower Merion Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic Albany, N.Y./Albany Academy Baltimore, Md./Baltimore City College H-S/ Brewster Academy (N.H) Wilmington, Del./Sanford School Brampton, Ontario/St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.) Saint Louis, Senegal/Oak Hill Academy Union, N.J./Roselle Catholic Wrentham, Mass./Xaverian Brothers/St. Andrew’s/Worcester Academy Philadelphia, Pa./Academy of the New Church Jamesville, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt Stuart, Fla./South Fork Broad Ripple, Ind./Broad Ripple/Brewster Academy Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney

Duke 1 2 3 5 13 14 15 20 21 34 40 45 52

Jabari Parker Quinn Cook Tyler Thornton Rodney Hood Matt Jones Rasheed Sulaimon Josh Hairston Semi Ojeleye Amile Jefferson Andre Dawkins Marshall Plumlee Nick Pagliuca Todd Zafirovski

F G G F G G F F F G C G F

6-8 6-2 6-2 6-8 6-4 6-4 6-8 6-7 6-9 6-5 7-0 6-3 6-9

235 180 190 215 200 190 235 230 210 215 260 175 245

Fr. Jr. Sr. So. Fr. So. Sr. Fr. So. Gr. So. Fr. Gr.

Chicago, Ill./Simeon Career Academy Washington, D.C./Oak Hill Academy Washington, D.C./Gonzaga Meridian, Miss./Meridian DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto Houston, Texas/Strake Jesuit College Prep Fredericksburg, Va./Montrose Christian Ottawa, Kan./Ottawa Philadelphia, Pa./Friends Central School Chesapeake, Va./Atlantic Shores Christian Warsaw, Ind./Christ School (N.C.) Weston, Mass./Milton Academy Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest Academy

Lunch Hours

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Monday – Saturday 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Closed Sunday Bar is open between lunch and dinner

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16 jan. 31 - feb. 1, 2014 16 january 17-18, 2014

the daily orange in the paint the daily orange in the paint

DUKE AT 2SYRACUSE

(17-4) 17

(20-0)

CARRIER DOME, 6:30 P.M., ESPN

STARTING LINEUPS POINT GUARD

TYLER ENNIS

6-2, 180, FR. 12.3 PPG, 5.5 APG

QUINN COOK

6-2, 180, JR. 12.4 PPG, 5.5 APG

POWER FORWARD

JERAMI GRANT

Everyone’s looking at the Tyler Ennis-Jabari Parker matchup. But the point guard position features Ennis against Quinn Cook, a junior point guard who shoots more than a third of his shots from beyond the arc.

Ennis, though, has been sensational, posting a 3.9 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Advantage: Syracuse

6-8, 210, SO. 12.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG

JABARI PARKER

6-8, 235, FR. 18.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG

C.J. FAIR

SHOOTING GUARD

TREVOR COONEY

6-4, 195, SO. 13.2 PPG, 2.2 SPG

RASHEED SULAIMON

6-4, 190, SO. 8.3 PPG, 2.1 APG

RODNEY HOOD

CENTER

RAKEEM CHRISTMAS

Rasheed Sulaimon had a rough stretch in the middle of November and December, as he didn’t connect on more than three field goals over a nine-game stretch. He rebounded for a 21-point performance against Virginia on Jan. 13. Cooney has been disappointing in conference play, and was 0-for-5 from 3 on Wednesday at Wake Forest.

Advantage: Syracuse

TYLER ENNIS

6-9, 250, JR. 5.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG

QUINN COOK

AMILE JEFFERSON

6-9, 210, SO. 6.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG

RAKEEM AMILE CHRISTMAS JEFFERSON

SMALL FORWARD

C.J. FAIR

6-8, 215, SR. 16.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG

RODNEY HOOD

6-8, 215, SO. 17.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG

JIM BOEHEIM

TREVOR RASHEED COONEY SULAIMON

940 - 314

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI JERAMI GRANT

PREDICTIONS

RANKINGS TRACKER

Devil dodge Syracuse narrowly edges the Blue Devils in the first of two matchups this season.

1 2 3 4

FREE THROWS SYRACUSE

Syracuse has 126 steals while its opponents have 71.

DUKE

5

Duke shoots 41.4 percent from 3-point land, good for fifth among all Division I teams.

6 7 8 9

DUKE 67, SYRACUSE 71

Heaven or hell Syracuse might finally have its match, but the Orange edges the Blue Devils at home.

TREVOR HASS

Oh boy. These two men don’t really need an introduction. Two Hall Of Famers, two faces of their program and their school. Their storyline is as good as any other on Saturday.

Advantage: Toss up

974 - 301

JABARI PARKER

Data based on AP Top 25 poll

DUKE 63, SYRACUSE 65

DAVID WILSON

Jefferson is shooting 66 percent from the field during conference play, and is leading Duke in rebounding during that stretch with 71.

Christmas has been better though, shooting 69 percent for the year.

He’s made 12 of his last 19 shots.

Advantage: Duke

HEAD COACH

Fair has lived up to his Preseason ACC Player of the Year title, leading Syracuse along with Ennis to a 19-0 start. Hood has played well too, shooting 47 percent from behind the arc since the start of Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Advantage: Syracuse

STEPHEN BAILEY

Grant and Parker will arguably be the two most explosive players on the court Saturday. Parker is a doubledouble machine, as he recorded seven of them this season, including his last three games. Grant has scored in double figures in his last six games.

Advantage: Duke

DUKE 65, SYRACUSE 60

Blue balls Syracuse can’t finish against Duke.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

STATS TO KNOW Syracuse’s Tyler Ennis has yet to give up a turnover in the last five minutes of any game this season.

Duke’s Jabari Parker hasposted a double-double in each of his last three games. His latest against Pittsburgh was a 21-point, 11-rebound performance.

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the daily orange in the paint

from page 3

from page 3

Parker’s been that all season long. Only twice this year has he been held to single digits, and never fewer than seven. Ennis has scored in single figures four times and was even shut out in 32 minutes against Eastern Michigan on New Year’s Eve. “Jabari’s one of the best players in the country,” Ennis said. “We’ll have to key in on him because he gets them going.”

The second is Ennis’ clutch play. During SU’s win against the Demon Deacons, Ennis scored just two points in the first half and trailed during the second. The guard awoke and finished with 18.

“I’ve been hearing real good things about him,” Parker said during the week. “He’s one of the big playmakers for their team.”

Only three of Duke’s wins have come by single digits. He was benched for the end of the Blue Devils’ narrow loss to Notre Dame, but his consistent play has outweighed his relative deficiencies late.

There’s good reasoning behind all the Ennis praise — a point guard is more valuable than a small forward — but almost every number points in Parker’s favor. He’s averaging 18.8 points to Ennis’ 12.3 and grabbing more than eight boards per game. He’s even shooting a higher percentage than Ennis.

Their roles are different, and Ennis’ value is incredible to the Orange, but Parker’s game should be a familiar sight for Syracuse fans. There have been better freshmen than Carmelo Anthony, but Parker embraces comparisons to the one-anddone who brought SU its only national title.

After Saturday, maybe Orange fans will see that, too.

David Wilson is a staff writer for The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at dbwilson@syr.edu or on Twitter at @DBWilson2.

game in the conference.

“He’s smarter than I am,” Boeheim joked.

Even during the other 35 minutes of each game where Ennis hasn’t been superhuman, he’s been Syracuse‘s only capable ball handler.

Without him, SU would have at least a few conference losses.

Junior Duke transfer Michael Gbinije’s attempted transformation from small forward to point guard has been a failure, and Trevor Cooney isn’t much better against pressure. The point guard depth is so bad that even freshman Ron Patterson could be considered the next-best option.

“Without Tyler this team would be totally different,” Fair said. “I think coming into Syracuse, he knew what the challenge was going to be and he did a good job prospering in the system.”

In the locker room after the WFU game, Grant cut me off before I could even finish the question.

Which freshman is more val— “Our freshman is more valuable than theirs,” he said.

Why? “Because he’s better.”

Ennis said he doesn’t like to compare himself to other players, especially when they play different positions. But he brought the conversation back to a player’s ability to help his team win.

This Saturday, Ennis said, the final score will prove who wins the individual matchup between him and Parker.

Said Ennis: “So as far as matchups, I think whoever wins the game is going to be the one who wins the matchup.”

Stephen Bailey is the sports editor at The Daily Orange where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at sebail01@syr. edu and follow him at @Stephen_Bailey1.

wilson

bailey

jan. 31- feb. 1, 2014 17

18 jan. 31 - feb. 1, 2014

the daily orange in the paint

from page 12

sulaimon goals in any contest. He didn’t even see the floor in a 10-point win against Michigan on Dec. 3.

As Capel explained, his senior season at Duke almost mirrored Sulaimon’s early-season predicament this year, which is why he’s been able to mentor him through the struggles.

Capel averaged 19 points in the conference and 16.6 on the year one season, but found trouble hitting that stride the next.

“You just assume next year those numbers are going to be the same, maybe a little bit more,” Capel said of his junior season with the Blue Devils. “Now all of a sudden when I’m a senior and you have more guys, you can look bad. I think that’s one of the things that hap-

from page 8

gbinije The decision to transfer came as a shock to his parents Frank and Yvette Gbinije. Yvette said Michael didn’t give them any clue. She even said she found out from newspapers and word of mouth, not from Michael himself.

They had been talking about it as a family, but she never expected him to follow through.

“He usually talks things over with us,” Yvette Gbinije said. “He thinks. He knows what he wants, too. He was very decisive, he took his decision like a man, and he did it.

“We never expected him to do it.”

No one did.

Now that he’s at Syracuse, though, Gbinije has found a spot in the rotation. It’s the fresh start he desperately needed, and it’s allowed him to not only see more playing time, but to step out of the

pened to Rasheed.”

Capel noted that Sulaimon didn’t come into the season in ideal shape, and this, in addition to the newcomers, provided for an obstacle.

“Rasheed had to change a lot of things,” Capel said. “It certainly knocked him back, but he’s stayed the course. I think he’s grown up a lot with how he’s handled it all.”

Through these struggles, Sulaimon said Capel has been a tremendous influence, as he was the first one to reach out to Sulaimon to help him get back to playing at a high level.

Against Virginia on Jan. 13, Sulaimon dropped 21 points, including the game-winning 3 with 19 seconds left in a 69-65 victory.

Said Sulaimon: “I just had to keep my head up and know that God won’t put you through anything you can’t get through.” mcschnei@syr.edu

funk he was perpetually in at Duke.

Syracuse always piqued Gbinije’s interest.

His long arms are a perfect fit for the 2-3 zone.

He’s 6-foot-7 but can also play guard. He can run the floor and rebound.

“Once he saw Syracuse,” Yvette Gbinije said, “he decided this was it. When he went out there and met everybody he fell in love.”

“I can tell his passion’s back,” Frank Gbinije said.

The passion he exudes playing in the driveway with his brother, Brandon. The energy he brought at St. Benedictine College Prep when he would “score 10 points within the blink of an eye,” according to his assistant coach Mike Strickland. The intensity he brought to AAU Team Takeover.

And the fire he lacked at Duke.

“He’s trying to give himself a fresh start,” Frank Gbinije said, “and I believe he’s gotten that at Syracuse.” tbhass@syr.edu | @TrevorHass

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