Each game, the secret leaks out. Each game, more people know who Scoop Jardine is.

But don’t expect him to remove that tattoo any time soon. One, it’d hurt like hell. Two, Jardine thrives off the ‘Best Kept Secret’ motto inked on his shoulder.

‘That’s my motivation. I am a secret,’ Jardine said. ‘I get overlooked a lot, so I pride myself on working hard and being that secret.’

Soon, he’ll be a secret no more. Quarterbacking the No. 1 team in the nation, Jardine was – again – the offensive jolt Syracuse (28-2, 15-2 Big East) needed. Jardine punched in an electric first half to key SU in its 85-66 win over St. John’s (15-14, 5-12). As the Big East schedule has progressed, he has only heated up. In 25 minutes Tuesday night, the freewheeling Jardine had 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

With a quick flurry in the first half against the Red Storm, Jardine’s need-for-speed style keyed the Orange’s offense. As attention floats to Andy Rautins and Wes Johnson, opportunities open up for him.

‘It’s money time right now,’ Jardine said. ‘Going down the stretch, we’re going to need my aggressiveness. Teams are going to try to close out on Andy, close out on Wes. They’re going to try to take the big players away, and that’s when my penetration can help us be a better team.’

St. John’s hung around early. At the 8:29 mark, Syracuse only led by three points. Then, as he has time and time again throughout conference play, Jardine injected life into SU’s offense. He found Rautins for a 3-pointer, drove coast to coast for a 3-point play, then kissed another soft banker from the right side. And, boom, the Orange led 38-24.

Syracuse never led by less than 11 points the rest of the way. Again, Jardine’s boost off the bench was the difference. On Saturday against Villanova, it was his shooting. Today, his driving.

‘He’s been playing good,’ head coach Jim Boeheim said. ‘He didn’t make his jump shot tonight. He really had a monster first half. Fortunately, he made them Saturday. That was more important.’

With one game left, Syracuse’s approach at point guard hasn’t changed – ride the hot hand. Whenever Triche succumbs to turnovers, Boeheim is quick to go to Jardine. Though his presence comes with risk – see the end of SU’s win over Connecticut – Jardine is more dynamic in the open court. He pushes the ball upcourt with abandon, shedding any layer of hesitation he ever had. Often, it nets a transition 3 for Rautins.

On senior night, Rautins nailed four 3-pointers, which raised the senior’s tally to 27 treys in seven games. Jardine always keeps his Rautins Radar on high.

‘That’s when we’re getting our best looks,’ Rautins said. ‘It’s easier for me to get my shot up that way than in the halfcourt. When we get going like that, everybody else gets going, too.’

Scoring in double figures only once in his last 12 games, Triche has gradually relinquished minutes to Jardine. Against Villanova, he played only 13 minutes to Jardine’s 29. On Tuesday, Jardine held a 25-17 advantage. At times, they played together. Other times, Triche was on the bench with a towel draped around his neck.

Jardine can sympathize with Triche. He knows the feeling. He has slipped into ruts himself this season. So when Triche drained a spirit-lifting 3-pointer in the second half, Jardine went wild. At the scorer’s table, he held his arms up and jumped up and down.

‘You’re going to have ups and downs,’ Jardine said. ‘The thing about Brandon, I know he’s a great player. I want him to know that. He’s going to be a pretty hard damn player to stop.’

Right now, though, Jardine is the triggerman. The respect is mounting. More off-the-ball hand checks from opponents. And more love from outsiders. But still, Jardine will live by that tattoo he got in 11th grade. It’s a daily reminder. He wants to be overlooked, wants teams to disrespect his jump shot.

When skeptics hunt for flaws on Syracuse’s two-loss roster, they often nitpick at point guard. That’s the wild card, they say. The soft spot. Jardine is a shell of Kentucky’s John Wall or Kansas’ Sherron Collins, they say.

So Jardine uses it as motivation to stay in the gym past closing time. He takes it to heart.

‘That’s why I’m a secret,’ Jardine said. ‘I feel like I am one of the most underrated guards in the country.’

thdunne@syr.edu

Published on March 2, 2010 at 12:00 pm