Eric Devendorf hit 50 3-pointers for the Orange last season.
Syracuse Men's Basketball is Back!
10/30/2006 10:46:59 AM | Men's Basketball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Fans can catch their first glimpse of the 2006-07 SU men’s basketball team on Wednesday, Nov. 1 when it tips off the season with an exhibition contest against Division II Bryant University at 7:00 p.m. at the Carrier Dome. The Orange is ranked 20th in the preseason USA Today/ ESPN Coaches Poll and has won the last two BIG EAST Tournament Championships. Live streaming video and audio of Wednesday's game will be available as part of Orange All Access on suathletics.com.
In addition to its national ranking, SU was picked to finish third behind Pittsburgh and Georgetown in a vote of the conference’s head coaches released at last week’s BIG EAST Media Day in New York. The Orange garnered 182 points in the poll and received one first-place vote. Syracuse went 23-12 last season and put together a magical run at Madison Square Garden, winning four games in four days, to claim its fifth BIG EAST Tournament crown and earn its 31st bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Orange returns four starters from last year’s club, including three seniors. Senior Terrence Roberts (Jersey City, N.J.) received preseason all-league recognition and led the Orange in rebounding (7.6 rpg) last season. Classmate Demetris Nichols (Boston, Mass.) improved his scoring average from 3.9 points per contest in 2004-05 to 13.3 last season and is SU’s leading returning scorer. The third member of the SU’s senior trio is Darryl Watkins. Watkins ranks ninth in career blocks (151) for the Orange. He started every game last year and averaged 7.1 points per game. The fourth returning member of SU’s starting group is sophomore Eric Devendorf (Bay City, Mich.). Devendorf received all-conference honorable mention laurels from the league’s coaches and averaged 12.9 points per game in 2005-06.
Head coach Jim Boeheim, entering his 31st season guiding the Orange, brought in three newcomers for 2006-07 led by BIG EAST Preseason Rookie of the Year Paul Harris and Mike Jones, the reigning South Carolina Mr. Basketball.
Bryant is located in Smithfield, R.I. and competes as a member of the Northeast 10, a league in which LeMoyne College is also a member. The Bulldogs, under the direction of seventh-year coach Max Good, posted a 21-10 overall record and qualified for the NCAA Championship for the third year in a row last season.
The Bulldogs lost its top scoring threat, John Williams (20.3 ppg) to graduation, but return a pair of players that averaged double-figure points in 2005-06. Chris Burns netted 11.9 points per contest and Jon Ezeokoli averaged 11.6 points per outing. Bryant also has its top rebounder from a year ago back in the fold (Dan Hammond, 6.1 rpg).
In addition to the Bulldogs, the Orange will face Cal State-Los Angeles in a home exhibition tilt on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 2:00 p.m. before the opening the regular season against St. Francis (N.Y.) in the BCA Invitational at the Carrier Dome on Friday, Nov. 10.
Individual and season basketball ticket packages can be purchased on suathletics.com by clicking here or by calling the Carrier Dome Box Office at 1-888-DOMETIX.
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