Two years removed from a national championship, the Syracuse men’s basketball team is widely considered a top 15 team in the country and a Big East championship contender this season. Expectations are extremely high for Jim Boeheim, who begins his 29th season as head coach in November.

Yet senior leader and Player of the Year candidate Hakim Warrick said Boeheim isn’t showing any signs of added pressure.

‘You can tell he’s happier,’ Warrick said. ‘He’s laid-back. I’ve never seen him with so much confidence.’

When the team met last Sunday for the first time this academic year, there was a certain familiarity and easiness around the players and coaches. The Orange returns all of its starters from last year’s Sweet 16 team and welcomes two new faces.

‘Expectations are going to be high,’ Boeheim said. ‘We have a lot of good players back.’

ESPN basketball analyst Dick Vitale has the Orange pegged at No. 11 in his preseason poll – a ranking SU assistant coach Mike Hopkins said is fitting.

‘We always have high standards,’ Hopkins said. ‘We believe every year that we’re going to be the team standing at the podium. We have the capabilities to beat anyone in the country.’

Vitale ranked 2004 national champion Connecticut No. 8 despite losing three starters, including last year’s co-national player of the year Emeka Okafor and guard Ben Gordon (taken No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in June’s NBA Draft).

The post-championship respect is reminiscent of the 2003 preseason poll when SU was given a top 10 ranking despite losing Carmelo Anthony.

Still, Boeheim feels UConn is right where it should be.

‘I think (the Huskies) are better than that,’ Boeheim said. ‘I like (Josh) Boone, (Rashad) Anderson and (Denham) Brown.’

Hopkins agreed.

‘They’re not overrated,’ Hopkins said. ‘They have a lot of talent and tournament experience.’

Warrick, who considered entering the NBA Draft last spring, worked hard in the weight room this off-season to make his senior season a successful one. The 2004 SU basketball prospectus lists Warrick at 209 pounds, up from 185 at the beginning of last season.

‘I’ve been trying to get stronger so I can play another full season,’ Warrick said. ‘I want to be able to finish plays around the basket better.’

In July, Warrick and a few other elite college basketball players traveled to Teaneck, N.J., for the Reebok ABCD basketball camp. The five-day camp showcased the top high school players in the country.

Warrick, UConn’s Charlie Villanueva and Arizona State’s Ike Diogu were among the big-name college prospects who served as counselors. It was an opportunity for them to show off in front of some NBA scouts while helping the younger players with their basketball skills.

‘I just tried to play as much as possible,’ Warrick said. ‘I worked on my perimeter stuff and I tried to get quicker so I can guard smaller.’

Warrick has continued his work this fall in preparation for a promising senior season.

‘Coming back there’s a lot of pressure on myself,’ Warrick said. ‘I feel like we have a good shot at the national championship.’

Edelin still a mystery

When the Orange begins its season in November, it will do so with whom at point guard? A. Billy Edelin, B. Gerry McNamara, C. Josh Wright or D. Other.

Take your pick – there is no wrong answer. Yet.

ESPN’s Andy Katz reported in August that junior Billy Edelin would miss the entire fall semester because he didn’t have enough credit hours to be a junior per NCAA rules, but Boeheim would not confirm Katz’s report when reached for comment.

Edelin, who left the team in mid-February, took classes at SU this summer and was awaiting approval from the NCAA to continue this fall as a junior. He is not currently on the team’s roster, but the 2004 Syracuse basketball prospectus stated: ‘(Edelin’s) status for the 2004-05 campaign is to be determined.’

Senior Hakim Warrick did say that Edelin is back on campus and is ready to play if allowed.

Schedule announced

The 2004-05 Syracuse regular season schedule was finalized on Friday.

SU will face 11 non-conference opponents with the potential of adding two more regular season games if the Orange advances past the first round of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. The highlight of the non-conference schedule should be Dec. 7 against Oklahoma State in the Jimmy V. Classic at Madison Square Garden.

The Orange will host the regional bracket of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in early November and face Northern Colorado on Nov. 11. SU will also face regional opponents St. Bonaventure, Colgate, Binghamton, Cornell and Albany at the Carrier Dome.

The regular season schedule concludes March 5, 2005 in Storrs, Conn. against UConn.

Said Hopkins: ‘With two games against our conference opponents, we’ll have one of the top power ratings in the country.’

Published on September 7, 2004 at 12:00 pm