Ron Naclerio couldn’t believe the display his star pupil had just put on.

At an otherwise mundane, early January basketball practice at Benjamin Cardozo (N.Y.) High School, forward James Southerland decided to put on a show.

In a 10-minute span of one-on-one drills, Southerland showed why Syracuse locked him up last April as the second member of the 2008-09 recruiting class. Naclerio watched as Southerland repeatedly made fade-aways over 6-foot-7 teammates and blew past fellow starters to dunk. On the defensive end, Southerland locked down opponents, swatting balls away when his man actually got a shot off.

So impressed was Naclerio, Cardozo’s head basketball coach, that he felt compelled to stop play and pull Southerland off to the side.

‘For 10 minutes, he had looked so unbelievable that I pulled him over and I said, ‘James, I’m going to say something to you now, and if anybody else heard me say it, they’d think I’m crazy,” Naclerio recalled. ‘For the last 10 minutes, you looked like Mike (Michael Jordan).’

Nobody, including Naclerio, is attempting to portray Southerland as the next Jordan. Southerland, the 39th-best small forward in the 2008-09 class according to Scout.com, isn’t even the highest-rated of Syracuse’s recruits for next year, ranking behind Archbishop Carroll (D.C.) wing Kris Joseph (Scout.com’s 9th-best small forward). Rather, the outburst illustrated exactly what makes Southerland such a tantalizing prospect – his upside. As a 6-foot-7, 200-pound wing with an already deadly 3-point shot, Southerland naturally stands out on the court.

Now Southerland just has to transform the talent he showed that day into predictable success. It’s something he will attempt to do at a new school after transferring to Notre Dame Prep (Mass.), the former school of current SU players Paul Harris and Sean Williams, in the hopes he will be ready to make an impression at Syracuse in 2008-09.

‘I’m going to play a lot of D-I players,’ Southerland said about moving to Notre Dame Prep. ‘Every game is going to be a tough game, and playing in the Big East is going to be tough. Players are going to be bigger, faster, taller.’

That’s not to say Southerland has been a slouch in terms of filling up the stat sheet. He averaged 17.6 points and 11.2 rebounds last year as a junior for Cardozo. Perhaps even more appealing than those stats is the fact Southerland shot 44 percent from 3-point range last season. It’s a shot Southerland has spent perfecting since the second grade, learning proper mechanics on the outdoor courts of Queens, N.Y., from his father.

Southerland’s size and ability to shoot are what make him stand out from the multitude of quality players that come out of New York City each year.

‘The one thing that’s different about James is he’s a 6-foot-7 kid that can play the two or the three because he shoots the ball so well,’ Naclerio said. ‘He bangs the shots from 20 or 24 feet.’

Southerland’s height and his ability to shoot fits the mold of many recent SU players such as Demetris Nichols and newcomer Donte Greene – tall and lanky with good jump shots that can play the wing in Boeheim’s 2-3 zone.

It’s a fact that isn’t lost on Southerland, who has wanted to come to Syracuse after watching Carmelo Anthony lead the Orangemen in 2003.

‘I remember growing up, watching guys like Carmelo Anthony, Hakim Warrick and Demetris Nichols, and people comparing me to them,’ Southerland said. ‘I love watching tall people who can shoot – who get the ball and have a quick release and shoot over smaller guys.’

The next task for Southerland, Naclerio said, is making sure those skills show up on a more consistent basis. Southerland said he wants to improve his ball handling, strength and focus while at Notre Dame. Southerland admitted at times he can tend to ‘slack off.’

‘The biggest thing with him is the only thing holding James back is James,’ Naclerio said. ‘He’s just a nice kid. He’s got to be a lot meaner and a lot tougher on the court.

‘James is a kid that’s starting to mature. I think he’s going to get there, but not as quickly as maybe some people expect him to get there.’

When exactly Southerland will get to Syracuse remains unclear. Southerland only recently turned 17, and will play his entire senior season at Notre Dame a year or two younger than most seniors. There is speculation Southerland will reclassify and play a second season at Notre Dame before coming to Syracuse.

But Southerland is hoping to get to Syracuse as soon as possible.

‘I’m definitely shooting for next year,’ Southerland said. ‘And if I have to sit out a year, I’ll redshirt.’

As for Naclerio, he cautioned that as Southerland matures, it could take him time to come into his own.

‘Honestly, knowing the kid and knowing what he needs, if he gets everything he needs in one year, that’s good, but if it takes two years, that might be what’s best for him,’ Naclerio said.

Jones to visit SU

Highly-touted prospect Mookie Jones from Peekskill (N.Y.) High School will make an official visit to Syracuse on Friday, Oct. 12, Peekskill head coach Lou Panzanaro confirmed in a phone interview.

That day also happens to be the Syracuse men’s basketball squad’s first day of practice and media day – a convenient coincidence for Boeheim and company.

Jones, a 6-foot-6, 180-pound wing, is rated as the 13th-best small forward in the nation by Scout.com. Were he to commit, he would be the third member of SU’s 2008-09 recruiting class.

Syracuse is not the only stop on Jones’ itinerary. Panzanaro said the senior will visit Marquette this weekend and DePaul on Oct. 6 before making his way to Syracuse. After that, he will use the final two of his five allotted official visits to stop by Rutgers on Oct. 18 and St. John’s on Oct. 26.

Panzanaro has said previously Jones will almost certainly make all five of his visits before making a decision on which school to choose, so don’t expect a decision from the athletic wing until at least the end of October.

Walk-on tryouts scheduled

For those Syracuse students who think they’re good enough to play with the Orange, this is the chance to prove it.

Tryouts for the men’s basketball team will be held Oct. 12 at 10 p.m. at Manley Field House. Those trying out should bring their SUID and athletic gear. All athletes should be in good academic standing.

Published on September 25, 2007 at 12:00 pm