On the same night Rakeem Christmas had arguably the best offensive performance of his career, he was told by Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim that he played his worst half of the season due to a lack of rebounding and defense.

The Orange center’s eight points at the break were misleading according to Boeheim, as he entered the break without a rebound or a “good, significant defensive play.”

“You’ve just got to take it, listen to him and go out in the second half and play your game,” Christmas said. “I tried to rebound more and block shots more.”

Christmas finished with 15 points against the Eagles, matching a career-high on 7-of-8 shooting, but his lack of defense again bore the brunt of Boeheim’s frustration throughout No. 2 SU’s (13-0) 70-48 win over Eastern Michigan (7-5). Christmas has been the head coach’s most popular target this season, and with center DaJuan Coleman out due to a left leg contusion, that only multiplied Tuesday.

He grabbed just three rebounds in 22 minutes and allowed frequent penetration, starting in the middle of SU’s 2-3 zone for the first time this season.

“Rak’s tough,” SU forward Jerami Grant said. “He gets a lot of yelling and screaming at him, but at the same time he knows he has to get better for us to be a championship contender.”

Christmas has improved on the offensive end of the court. The post moves he debuted in Madison Square Garden against St. John’s on Dec. 15 returned in the form of hook shots and short jumpers, and he made the most of his 6-foot-9 frame when he leaped to catch a Tyler Ennis lob at full extension and threw it down with two-handed ferocity.

But the defense is still porous. No stretch of plays made that more obvious than when Christmas fouled EMU forward Glenn Bryant from behind on a putback attempt with 5:25 left in the first half. One minute later, he allowed Bryant to dribble past him, then committed another foul as Bryant laid the ball in.

Enter Baye Moussa Keita.

“I wasn’t being as aggressive as I normally am,” Christmas said.

In closing his postgame press conference, Boeheim was asked what one or two things Christmas most needs to improve on defensively.

He smirked and said: “There’s more than one or two things. I don’t have time for that.”

Then he walked away.

Published on December 31, 2013 at 10:36 pm

Contact Stephen: sebail01@syr.edu | @Stephen_Bailey1