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13. Syracuse The inconsistent Orangemen have lots of talent, but winning may be a matter of Hart
Syracuse started last season 6-0 and beat Indiana in the Maui Classic, only to lose to Ohio at home two games later. The Orangemen easily beat Seton Hall, Villanova and then-No. 1 UConn on the road but lost badly to all three at home. Part of the problem was the lack of outside shooting -- Syracuse made only 31.1% of its three-pointers -- something guard Jason Hart has been quick to remind his teammates. Before returning to campus this fall, Hart called all of his teammates from his home in Los Angeles. He asked them if they had been working on their outside shooting. He also asked if they were ready to dedicate themselves for the next six months. Hart has taken it upon himself to play a bigger leadership role this season and says the team has found the drive and focus it lacked. "There is no excuse for what happened last year," says Hart, who led the team with an average of 13.9 points per game. "We have to keep our heads together, and we have to hit our shots." Much of Syracuse's success hinges on 6'9" senior center Etan Thomas. He can block shots -- he averaged 4.0 a game last season and needs 106 rejections to break Patrick Ewing's Big East record of 247 -- but he must be more aggressive around the basket if he's going to increase his scoring from last season's 12.3 points per game. If Thomas gives the Orange a bigger presence in the middle, it will open the way for 6'8" junior forward Damone Brown, a slashing scorer who Boeheim says has a chance to be Syracuse's best player. "This is the most experience I've ever had coming back," says Boeheim. "We'll be deeper, quicker and more athletic than we've been in the past. If we can learn to be consistent, we'll be awfully good." Issue date: November 15, 1999
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