Kueth Duany sees the faces on the locker room wall, pictures of famous New York Knicks teams from all-time.

Gerry McNamara sees the highlights replaying in his mind — Michael Jordan firing fadeaways and Reggie Miller launching three-pointers.

Syracuse men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim, though, relives a different memory every time he walks into Madison Square Garden. He remembers the inescapable heat of the New York lights on the back of a freshman.

‘I remember my first time,’ Boeheim said of his Garden debut against New York University in 1963-64. ‘I could barely get on the court. They’re aware of what it’s like coming to New York. They’re aware of the Garden, the tradition and the history.’

Tonight at 7, three or four Orangemen make their debuts in the Garden. Carmelo Anthony, Matt Gorman and McNamara all start their SU careers in style, taking on Memphis in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Billy Edelin remains questionable because of a possible suspension.

While most other major programs begin the season notching wins over nobodies, Syracuse opens on national television, against one of college’s most charismatic coaches, John Calipari, and most important — in the Garden.

‘They’re definitely excited about going down to New York,’ said Boeheim, who lost both his parents, Jim Sr. and Janet, to cancer and is the most significant contributor to the Coaches vs. Cancer program. ‘National TV and a quality team the first time out. I just hope they’re not too excited.’

Judging by their reactions at practice, handling the Garden hype doesn’t concern SU’s freshmen.

In his other New York City appearance, Anthony impressed at the McDonald’s All-American Game, totaling 19 points. McNamara, meanwhile, said the Garden’s not even tops on his motivational list.

‘I look forward to seeing half of Scranton down there,’ McNamara said. ‘They’ve got a couple buses going. There’s going to be about 600 of them down there.’

Chances are, though, the spotlight’s going to catch up with somebody.

Like the Orangemen, the Tigers may start a pair of freshmen. Unlike SU, though, it’s not by design.

Besides losing guard Dajuan Wagner to the NBA Draft after last season, Memphis won’t have senior forward Chris Massie, who’s academically ineligible, or freshman forward Almamy Thiero, who’s injured.

They will also likely be without junior point guard Antonio Burks, who is appealing a one-game NCAA suspension after Avis rented him a car without asking Burks for his age or credit-card information.

Like Burks, Syracuse’s Billy Edelin may also miss the game after playing in an adult recreational league while suspended last year. Both players could catch late flights to New York City if not suspended, though.

Without Burks or Massie, the Tigers will most likely start freshmen Jeremy Hunt and Rodney Carney. The missing Memphis players allows for duals between newcomers. McNamara would match up with Hunt, while Carney would aim to shadow Anthony.

‘That guy can embarrass you,’ Calipari said of Anthony, who scored a team-high 37 points in Syracuse’s exhibition opener. ‘We understand that. We’re going to pick straws. Whoever gets the small straw has to guard him.’

Calipari, though, is more concerned with Memphis’ shooting than stopping Anthony. With a freshman-laden offense opening the season, the Tigers eked out a 72-68 exhibition win over the Universal All-Stars.

Memphis shot a jittery 34 percent, hitting 16 percent of its three-pointers.

‘It’s great playing in New York City in front of guys like Dick (Vitale) and Digger (Phelps),’ Calipari said. ‘But the downside is, I’m going to have a couple guys looking like deer in headlights.’

Syracuse hopes it doesn’t have the same problem.

‘It’s different playing your first game in one of the most famous places of the world,’ McNamara said. ‘But we go out, we get the exposure early. We might struggle a little bit at the beginning. We’re a young team, so it might happen.’

Published on November 13, 2002 at 12:00 pm