Orange Opens With Media Day, First Practice
10/15/2010 6:43:23 PM | Men's Basketball
Coach Boeheim Quotes
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SYRACUSE, NY -- The men's basketball team officially began season preparations with the club's annual media day and it's first practice. For Coach Jim Boeheim it marked his 35th "first practice" for his Orange.
Syracuse is coming off back-to-back NCAA "Sweet 16" appearances. Gone from the 2009-10 squad are three key starters -- consensus All-American forward Wesley Johnson, guard Andy Rautins and center Arinze Onuaku. Johnson was a first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Rautins was taken in the second round by the New York Knicks and Onuaku is still in Syracuse rehabilitating from post-season surgery.
This year's edition features senior forward Rick Jackson, a two-year starter, sophomore guard Brandon Triche, who was the first unit for all 35 games a year ago. Junior guard Scoop Jackson, a high school teammate of Jackson's, is another key cog for the Orange. Junior forward Kris Joseph, the BIG EAST Conference's Sixth Man of the Year, is expected to step into a starting role this year.
Sophomores Mookie Jones and James Southerland are expected to compete for increased court time this season. Jones is one of the club's bettter three-point shooters and Southerland should compete at the three-spot.
Boeheim announced that DaShonte Riley, a sophomore center, will have surgery on his foot in the near future. His season status is up in the air pending the surgery.
The freshman class is one of the top-rated in the country and features McDonald's All-American Fab Melo, a 7-0 center. Dion Waiters, a highly-touted guard from Philadelphia is another top talent. C.J. Fair, a swingman from Baltimore, and center Baye Moussa-Keita, round out the newcomers.
