BOSTON — It’s remarkable what winning an NCAA Tournament game or two can do for your outlook.

A few weeks ago, Jeremy McNeil was moody, sullen and brooding. Questions about his play brought unprintable answers more often than not.

But after securing CBS’s player of the game honor and helping the Syracuse men’s basketball team to the Sweet 16 with four points and four blocks in a 68-56 win against Oklahoma State on Sunday, McNeil sported a grin.

For good reason, too. Without McNeil, Syracuse might be preparing for next season rather than Friday’s game against Auburn in Albany.

‘I just try to go out and play as hard as I can,’ McNeil said. ‘I don’t want to let my teammates down.’

McNeil’s carefully chosen words were nothing compared to the volumes of praise his teammates heaped on him.

‘They’re coming at him like 100 miles per hour,’ forward Hakim Warrick said. ‘He’s a freak of nature to be able to take hits like that. I’d try to take a charge or something.’

Said Carmelo Anthony: ‘No. Hell no, I can’t take those hits. Once he gets one block, everybody starts changing their shots. Some guys kept trying to dunk over (McNeil), but he kept getting them.’

McNeil’s teammates aren’t guilty of exaggeration.

Down 17 points Sunday, Syracuse was forced to use a pressure defense against Oklahoma State. The Cowboys often broke through easily, swarming two or three players toward McNeil.

The first time the Cowboys came at him, McNeil had what looked like a clean block on center Andre Williams but was called for a foul.

‘I thought Jeremy had a great block on the first block that they called a foul,’ SU head coach Jim Boeheim said. ‘Then he had a couple other blocks. When they got playing faster, they got out of their offense.’

As the Oklahoma State offense sped up, it spent more time running into SU’s brick wall.

Moments after the foul, guard Tony Allen attempted to dunk over McNeil. Although McNeil failed to get a piece of the ball, his body stopped Allen’s momentum, and the ball flew off the backboard.

The stat sheet had McNeil finishing with four blocks, but he altered countless shots. He also started the second half for the first time this season, relegating Craig Forth to the bench.

‘When one plays well, the other’s upset because he doesn’t,’ said associate head coach Bernie Fine, who works with the centers. ‘You just wish they both would.’

During the past three games, in which McNeil has totaled 15 blocks, he’s been the one playing well.

To see what McNeil means to SU’s press, all you have to do is take him away. During two possessions with McNeil on the bench, the Cowboys broke out in transition. SU guard Josh Pace had the unenviable task of being the last man back. During his first attempt, Pace allowed Williams to dunk and then caught a knee to the face.

After leaving the game for three minutes, Pace returned and found himself in the same vulnerable position. With three Cowboys charging toward him, Williams plowed over Pace, while Ivan McFarlin converted the layup.

Fine said McNeil’s impact has been two-pronged. As McNeil continues to block shots, his intimidating aura grows, making opponents hesitant about entering the lane.

More important, McNeil has begun to stop falling for head fakes. Although he still leaves the ground too often, he’s improving, allowing him to stay out of foul trouble.

‘I don’t know how to take a charge,’ McNeil said. ‘I hope they keep coming into the lane. That way I can keep getting more blocks.’

Published on March 24, 2003 at 12:00 pm