2008 Woodie Awards
The Daily OrangeMBB | Freshmen Jones, Joseph infuse Syracuse with versatility
By Tyler Dunne
Posted: 10/22/08, 5:24 AM EST Section: Sports
Mookie Jones knows these were only pickup games. No fans were inside the Carrier Dome, only the faint echo of the bouncing basketball.
But Jones was on a mission to earn respect from his Syracuse teammates this summer. So in the win-by-two format - amidst the Orange veterans - Jones demanded the ball and nailed game-clinching shots in the pickup games, one after another.
That cold-blooded, Peekskill High School forward who hit a game-winning dagger in the 2007 Federation Championship still is undaunted by the big shot.
"I started hitting big, big shots (in the pickup games) and got more comfortable," Jones said.
So far, Jones and SU's other headliner freshman, Kris Joseph, have gotten comfortable quick. Orange head coach Jim Boeheim vows to boast a "minimum" nine-man rotation, which likely will include the 6-foot-6, 210-pound Jones and 6-foot-7, 220-pound Joseph.
The similar-built newcomers possess cloned games. Both prefer to loiter behind the arc, where it's difficult for smaller guards to block their shots. Both can flash to the foul-line for short jumpers. Both have the long arms Boeheim covets for his 2-3 zone. Both infuse Syracuse with a jack-of-all-trades quality that was in short supply last season.
"They're going to play, they're going to be a part of it," Boeheim said. "How much? You never know until you get into the season. There have been years where I thought a freshman might not contribute that much and they end up being one of the best players. You never know until you get into practice and into the first few games."
Three practices in, Jones and Joseph have given Boeheim plenty to chew on. The duo is linked together throughout practice - guarding each other in a drill or chatting on the sideline about a previous play.
The freshmen have their moments. During a 2-on-2 segment, Jones and Joseph teamed up against juniors Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf. On one play, Jones took the bait on a Rautins pump fake, heaving himself out of the play, but Joseph quickly slid over to help. In the sudden 2-on-1 situation, Joseph cut the cord between Rautins and Devendorf, and forced a turnover out of bounds.
But Jones was on a mission to earn respect from his Syracuse teammates this summer. So in the win-by-two format - amidst the Orange veterans - Jones demanded the ball and nailed game-clinching shots in the pickup games, one after another.
That cold-blooded, Peekskill High School forward who hit a game-winning dagger in the 2007 Federation Championship still is undaunted by the big shot.
"I started hitting big, big shots (in the pickup games) and got more comfortable," Jones said.
So far, Jones and SU's other headliner freshman, Kris Joseph, have gotten comfortable quick. Orange head coach Jim Boeheim vows to boast a "minimum" nine-man rotation, which likely will include the 6-foot-6, 210-pound Jones and 6-foot-7, 220-pound Joseph.
The similar-built newcomers possess cloned games. Both prefer to loiter behind the arc, where it's difficult for smaller guards to block their shots. Both can flash to the foul-line for short jumpers. Both have the long arms Boeheim covets for his 2-3 zone. Both infuse Syracuse with a jack-of-all-trades quality that was in short supply last season.
"They're going to play, they're going to be a part of it," Boeheim said. "How much? You never know until you get into the season. There have been years where I thought a freshman might not contribute that much and they end up being one of the best players. You never know until you get into practice and into the first few games."
Three practices in, Jones and Joseph have given Boeheim plenty to chew on. The duo is linked together throughout practice - guarding each other in a drill or chatting on the sideline about a previous play.
The freshmen have their moments. During a 2-on-2 segment, Jones and Joseph teamed up against juniors Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf. On one play, Jones took the bait on a Rautins pump fake, heaving himself out of the play, but Joseph quickly slid over to help. In the sudden 2-on-1 situation, Joseph cut the cord between Rautins and Devendorf, and forced a turnover out of bounds.
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