Syracuse Basketball Officially Underway
10/14/2005 5:24:34 PM | Men's Basketball
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SYRACUSE, NY -- The 2005-06 edition of the Syracuse men's basketball team officially began its season with media day on Friday, October 14, in Manley Field House. Following an hour of questions and answers and photos, the team had a brief break before jumping into its first practice session at 7:00 p.m.
Coach Jim Boeheim embarks on his 30th campaign at the SU helm. A recent inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Boeheim has also been announced as the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching recipient for this year.
Senior guard Gerry McNamara, a candidate for the Wooden Award for the third straight season, is the lone three-time letter winner in the lineup. Juniors Louie McCroskey, Demetris Nichols and Terrence Roberts each spent time in the staring five a year ago, and figure to compete for a front-line spot again.
Matt Gorman and Darryl Watkins are two other frontcourt players in the mix. Gorman, a senior academically, used his redshirt season last year. Watkins faces a junior year in which he is the most experiene post player on the roster.
Sophomore guard Josh Wright is a candidate for increased backcourt time. The Orange are also bolstered by McDonald's All-American Eric Devendorf, Andy Rautins and Arinze Onauku, three newcomers to the Hill.
The Orange are without mainstays Craig Forth, Josh Pace and Hakim Warrick, who each earned their degrees last spring. Each player ranks in the school's top 15 for career games played.
Syracuse has exhibition games scheduled with Saint Rose (Nov. 1) and Le Moyne (Nov. 3) before opening the regular season at home against Bethune-Cookman in the first round of the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament (Nov. 8) in the Carrier Dome.
