Expanding his presence: Fair plans to build on successful freshman season by broadening his role

UPDATED: Nov. 13, 2011, 11:34 p.m.

The 3-pointer from the corner against Cal State-Los Angeles provided a peek at the past and future for C.J. Fair.

Last year, it would have been completely unorthodox for the 6-foot-8 Fair to confidently bury a shot from long range. He attempted just three 3s as a freshman, making only one.

"I hit my first 3 and missed my next two," Fair said. "And I had to stick with what I knew I could do. My time was limited, so I didn't want to keep trying."

But flashback a few more seasons — to his time playing AAU basketball for the Baltimore Stars — and the story of Fair's jump shot is quite different.

"His jump shot? C.J.'s always had a jump shot," said Antonio Barton, a current Memphis guard and Fair's former AAU teammate. "I'd like to see him shoot more now that he's in college. When he was little, C.J. was one of the best shooters on our team."

The rare triple from Fair in SU's first exhibition game Nov. 1 — which brought his mother to her feet in the stands — showcased the beginning of the jump shot's rebirth. Following a freshman season in which Fair played 18.6 minutes per game and earned his time through strong rebounding and defense, he enters the 2011-12 season with the goal of expanding and unleashing more of his offensive game for the No. 5 Orange.

The egoless Fair did only what the coaching staff asked of him as a freshman, and, as a result, his minutes increased throughout the season. That fostered a sense of belief in the then-19-year-old forward. And it's something that pushed him toward a productive offseason.

"I earned my way into it," Fair said. "Going into this year, that gave me confidence in myself. I feel more comfortable out there. And this year I can start out with a bang."

Rediscovering that 3-point stroke is a big part of Fair's plan. During his first three years of high school, which were played at Baltimore City College (Md.) High School, Fair said he was known as a jump shooter. But a torn anterior cruciate ligament in 11th grade forced him to lose a full year of basketball.

Lost, too, was the shooter's mentality. When he returned for his senior year, after transferring to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, Fair subconsciously transformed into more of a slasher.

"I came back and I don't know what got into me, but I started being a driver," Fair said. "So I had to try and get the shooting back."

It was the focus of his work during the summer, both in Syracuse and at home in Baltimore, with the goal of extending his shooting range by the time he arrived back on campus. At home he trained with a family friend as well as the Barton brothers — the aforementioned Antonio and his brother, Will, who also plays at Memphis.

All shooting, all the time.

"Repetition, repetition, repetition," Fair said. "Until I couldn't even lift my arms."

The results are "unbelievable," SU assistant coach Adrian Autry said. Head coach Jim Boeheim went so far as to label it a "two-fold" improvement.

The better jump shot brings Fair closer, yet also distances him further from teammate James Southerland. Both are 6-foot-8 forwards who straddle the line of small forward and power forward. Both competed for playing time off the bench last season.

Southerland's strength has always been on the offensive end — a silky shooter with touch from beyond the 3-point arc. Defense and rebounding are his downfall.

For that reason, Fair's and Southerland's minutes developed an inverse relationship. Last year's Syracuse team didn't need more offense. It needed a defensive spark that could rebound and exude toughness.

"When you're out there and play extended minutes, you're going to have to contribute," SU graduate assistant Gerry McNamara said. "That's just the bottom line. If you're going to be on the floor, you're expected to do that. There were times last year where James didn't rebound at a high rate last year and C.J. did. And I think that affected how the minutes played out."

There's no better example than last year's crushing loss on the road at Pittsburgh.

Without star forward Kris Joseph, who was out with a concussion, Syracuse needed one of its bench players to emerge as a viable contributor. Fair and Southerland both played in excess of 35 minutes, but their stat lines read like opposites.

Southerland scored eight points and grabbed but a single rebound. Fair exploded for what was then a season-high of 16 points and hauled in nine rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end of the floor.