Jerome Randle said he felt like he was on an island last January, with his California team watching a late eight-point lead to Arizona State deteriorate down to just two. He felt all alone, with the game on the line.

Randle, the Golden Bears’ point guard, had the ball in his hands with 2:13 seconds left. The Golden Bears ran their stagger option, a play designed to free Randle for an open look. He had a shot, but waited. Randle lingered until the screen popped up.

He pulled up for a 25-footer to put Cal up four, including the foul shot. The Golden Bears went on to defeat Arizona State, 81-71.

‘It was a big moment for me in terms of watching his progress,’ California assistant coach Travis DeCuire said of Randle’s play. ‘We needed to win some big games. We needed to prove to ourselves and the country that we could play with anyone. It was a tough atmosphere. He had the ball in his hands. It showed everything he worked for came together. He had a big smile on his face.’

The long-range 3-pointer late in the game when the Golden Bears needed it the most became a trend for Randle. It became his identity.

Randle, now a senior, is California’s ‘guy,’ head coach Mike Montgomery said. Despite four seniors returning to the Golden Bears, Randle leads the way. His junior year, he set the team’s single-season record for 3-pointers with 82. He averaged 18.3 points and five assists per game.

Randle will now have a chance to showcase his talents in a large arena when his No. 13 California team takes on Syracuse today (7 p.m., ESPN2) in Madison Square Garden as a part of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.

‘Well, he’s a little unorthodox,’ Montgomery said. ‘So he has the ability to make shots at odd times in odd situations. He has tremendous range. When you don’t expect it, he shoots deep 3. He has a lot of confidence on how he shoots the ball.’

When the game was close, Randle gave California the momentum it needed to pull away, DeCuire said.

Randle said he plays to contribute to the team. The Golden Bears have a few strong shooters, so any player on their veteran lineup can have the ball, and the team will be successful. But if California needs Randle to shoot big shots at big moments, that’s what he’ll do.

‘My teammates have a lot of faith in me,’ Randle said.

As the clock ticks closer to zero, and the Golden Bears put the ball in Randle’s hands, their faith is obvious.

He said he doesn’t feel the pressure of being needed when the game is on the line.

‘You just do what you’ve been doing your whole life,’ he said.

He doesn’t consider basketball pressure. His mentality: ‘It’s all about how you handle it.’ The ball. Life. It’s all relative.

DeCuire and Montgomery both preached the importance of allowing their athletes to play to everyone’s individual strengths. For Randle, that’s the deep 3-pointer. DeCuire said the way Randle creates his own shot makes him a dangerous deep-shooter.

‘I’ve never had a coach say, ‘Don’t take that shot,” Randle said. ‘They put us in the position to be successful and have people stick to do what they do best.’

Randle’s flaw rests in his size. At 5-foot-10, 172 pounds, he is the smallest player on the Golden Bears’ roster. But DeCuire said they found a way to turn his weakness into his strength.

‘We turned his speed into a quickness,’ DeCuire said. ‘What that does, it allows him to take advantage of other guys. He can use two defenders to contain him. It provides him opportunity.’

Size wasn’t Randle’s only obstacle while at Cal. The mental aspect of going from winning championship after championship back home in Chicago, to having two losing seasons with the Golden Bears, weighed on Randle. ‘It was hard to stay positive,’ he said.

He chose California because he wanted something new and different. He knew the history of past Cal point guards and the success they experienced.

So ultimately the losing seasons and his small stature didn’t let Randle affect his goals. He’s a gym rat, DeCuire said, ‘He lives for the day.’ His season average statistics began to rise, and he became Cal’s go-to guy.

Opposing coaches notice Randle’s ability as well. The problems he can cause for opposing teams by either shooting his own deep 3 or drawing two or three defenders and then dishing the ball out, makes Cal dangerous.

‘He’s a tremendous player,’ Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. ‘He’s as good as anyone in the country. He can really shoot the ball, and he can get by you.’

Randle tries to drown the hype out. He’s concerned with leading by example. He sees promise in freshman Brandon Smith and wants to help him grow into a better point guard.

‘But I’m still learning as well. Everything is an experience,’ Randle said. ‘I’m a harder worker. I feel like giving 110 percent effort walking on the floor. Work hard enough to play with the best of them. Toughness. That’s me.’

mkgalant@syr.edu

Published on November 18, 2009 at 12:00 pm