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Rebounding will be key when SU plays Pitt after 21-point embarassment

Louie McCroskey still remembers the uproar.

Calls pouring in. Concerns abounding. Questions swirling.

Friends and family from the McCroskey’s Bronx home all wanted to know the same thing: What happened?

‘It was the worst, man,’ said McCroskey, a freshman. ‘It was the worst feeling in the world. It’s just something you want to forget about. Nobody could understand what happened.’

What happened was the Syracuse men’s basketball team suffering an embarrassing, nationally televised, 66-45 loss to Pittsburgh, breaking offensive lows not seen since Jim Boeheim took over as SU’s head coach 28 years ago.



That’s what everyone noticed. But beyond that – or, perhaps more accurately, what led to that – was a discrepancy in rebounding margin. Syracuse has a chance to redeem itself from its nationally telecast embarrassment against No. 3 Pittsburgh on Sunday at 4 p.m. on CBS at the Petersen Events Center.

‘A loss like that, it sticks with you,’ forward Hakim Warrick said. ‘You want to remember something like that. They played really aggressive, really hard. The only way to stop that is to be just as aggressive, especially on the boards.’

Indeed, a quick sampling of Orangemen reveals rebounding was a more important part of the Pittsburgh game than scoring.

Besides Warrick’s 10 boards, no Orangeman grabbed more than four. Syracuse (18-6, 8-5 Big East) only used two centers that game – Craig Forth and Darryl Watkins. They grabbed a combined three boards in 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s big men – and small men – controlled the boards. Forward Chevon Troutman grabbed 11, center Chris Taft had eight in 23 minutes and 5-foot-11 point guard Carl Krauser grabbed 10 for Pittsburgh (25-2, 11-2).

But since then, Syracuse has grown bigger. Demetris Nichols, a 6-foot-8 freshman, now starts in place of the 6-foot-4 Billy Edelin, who has been out with a personal issue for five straight games and seven this season.

The taller lineup may give Syracuse a chance to handle Pittsburgh’s physical play, which contributed to the rebounding discrepancy.

‘Rebounding is going to be key,’ Forth said. ‘We have to handle ourselves better on the glass.’

The lineup should improve the defense, too. With Nichols’ long arms joining Warrick and juniors Josh Pace and Craig Forth, Pittsburgh should have a more difficult time passing into SU’s 2-3 zone.

‘Last time, we just let (Pitt) get inside too much,’ Forth said. Last game, the Panthers outscored Syracuse, 40-18, in the paint. ‘Other than that, defensively we played well.’

Sunday marks the beginning of a defining part of Syracuse’s season. After playing Pitt, Syracuse travels to West Virginia before hosting No. 7 Connecticut on March 7.

After winning two straight games against midlevel teams, Syracuse could reassert itself as a definitive Top 25 team.

‘(This stretch) is very pivotal,’ junior Josh Pace said. ‘We need to keep playing well and keep winning. There’s no telling what’s going to happen, but if we keep playing hard, then hopefully we’ll come out on top.’

The games will go a long way in determining SU’s NCAA Tournament bid, which has fluctuated from in doubt to nearly a guarantee over the past two weeks.

‘It’s going to be tough,’ Warrick said. ‘Pittsburgh hasn’t lost at home in 40 games, so that’s going to be a tough atmosphere with a sold-out crowd. But we’re looking forward to it.’

That’s because Syracuse knows what happened last time: A 21-point loss with the whole country watching.

‘It’s not something we take personal against them, just something we take personal by looking within ourselves,’ Pace said. ‘We didn’t give them a good game. We have to take it upon ourselves to show them what Syracuse basketball is all about.’

At the very least, Syracuse is hoping it won’t have to explain itself again.





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