On the heels of Syracuse’s brutal loss to Georgetown, Jim Boeheim took some time to reflect and reminisce on his program’s 34-season run in the Big East. Boeheim, who was at the helm from start to finish, spoke of the league’s beginnings and the rivalries that formed.

He remembered the late Dave Gavitt who made the league what it was, and he laughed about all the battles the coaches had in league meetings over the years.

Then, he turned his attention back to the present. Boeheim said he thinks his team is better than its 5-5 finish in the regular season – a stretch that saw the Orange drop four of its last five games – but he also admitted he’s not sure what to make of its play right now.

“The great thing about New York is if you end on a bad note – which we have – we have a chance to go to New York and try to play better,” Boeheim said.

Syracuse’s final run through the Big East will officially come to a close this week at the conference tournament in New York City. But as Boeheim said after a 22-point loss to the Hoyas, it represents a chance to start over and build momentum heading into the NCAA Tournament, one that begins with No. 19 SU’s (23-8, 11-7 Big East) game against Seton Hall (15-17, 3-15) at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

The 12th-seeded Pirates beat South Florida 46-42 in overtime in the first round Tuesday night. Syracuse bested SHU 76-65 at the Prudential Center in the teams’ only meeting during the regular season in February.

SU point guard Michael Carter-Williams and his teammates have been looking forward to turning the page on their historically poor performance against Georgetown since the final buzzer sounded at the Verizon Center last Saturday.

“The real season starts Wednesday so I’m focused on that right now,” Carter-Williams said after his team scored 39 points – the fewest in Boeheim’s 37-year coaching career.

Boeheim’s team looked lost on offense against the Hoyas’ hard-nosed defense. Carter-Williams, who finished with 17 points, was the only SU player to find success getting to the rim.

Seniors Brandon Triche and James Southerland combined to go 1-for-17 from the field for three points. They couldn’t get going from the perimeter, going 0-for-5 from 3-point range, and they struggled to assert themselves in the lane.

It played a large role in the embarrassing loss despite another strong performance by the 2-3 zone.

“I think we’ve lost a little of our confidence offensively,” Boeheim said. “Our defense is as good as it’s been. You just can’t keep playing defense when you keep misfiring.”

Triche’s confidence has taken the biggest hit during Syracuse’s struggles down the stretch.

The senior has gone 40-for-115 (34.8 percent) from the field and 8-for-45 (17.8 percent) from 3-point range in the team’s last 10 games. His lone standout performance in that span came against Seton Hall, when he scored a career-high 29 points and knocked down four of his seven attempts from beyond the arc.

Triche came out aggressively in that game at the Prudential Center, taking SU’s first three shots. He looked to get to the rim on drives early and didn’t hesitate letting it go from the perimeter.

Triche admits he’s been thinking too much on the court during his slump, including the game against Georgetown last Saturday. His jumper has gone cold, and it’s affected his ability to get into the lane for pull-ups and easy layups.

“I think sometimes we just have to hit jump shots, just loosen them up a little bit but we’re missing jump shots,” Triche said after the loss to Georgetown. “You come off a pick, somebody’s right there, you go one-on-one somebody’s like right there so it’s like they played solid one-on-one defense.”

He’ll look to get back some of his confidence when he sees the Pirates on Wednesday.

And Boeheim wants to see the entire team find its rhythm again. The Orange has been struggling to put points on the board in its last four losses, and it’s coming off its worst game of the season.

But this week at the Garden, anything can happen.

“We’ve got to play better offensively – I think we can,” Boeheim said. “We have at times and we’ll see but we’re going to New York with the idea that we can play better there and get a more positive note.

“I’ve seen it happen a million times.”

Published on March 13, 2013 at 12:00 am

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu