Syracuse’s 104-54 thrashing of Northern Colorado was surreal. Everything was going the Orange’s way. Every bounce, every tip, every loose ball.

That is, until midway through the second quarter, when sophomore Terrence Roberts went down hard after a rebound, twisting his left knee. The forward lay on the court for several minutes while head coach Jim Boeheim and trainers attended to him. He had to be helped to the locker room by Craig Forth and Darryl Watkins.

The crowd was quickly hushed while everyone stared at the court.‘I thought I’d be in the hospital for a couple days initially,’ Roberts said. ‘It was real sharp pain. When I came down, I got bumped, and as I hit the ground my leg was behind me. It just buckled and there was just tension.’

Roberts came back to the Syracuse bench several minutes later, much to the delight of the crowd at the Carrier Dome. Immediately after he appeared, a ‘Rob-berts!’ chant began from the student section.

Boeheim did not provide any further information at his postgame press conference.

‘We won’t know until tomorrow,’ Boeheim said. ‘I don’t think it’s anything too bad, but it’s sprained, and we’ll just have to wait and see tomorrow.

‘You don’t want anyone to get hurt. That’s for sure.’

Roberts logged only eight minutes total. He played like a man possessed, though, running up and down the court and snatching rebounds. He scored eight points.

Roberts fielded questions after the game from a seat in the corner of the Syracuse locker room. When he stood up to leave, he did not put any weight on the injured left knee.

‘I’ll get an X-ray tomorrow and see what the doctor wants,’ he said. ‘I’m just gonna go to the hotel tonight, get something to eat and ice it. We’ll see how it is tomorrow.’

When Hakim Warrick decided to return to Syracuse for his senior season, he vowed to improve his game. Pundits said he was too thin, that he lacked an outside shot and that he didn’t fit into any position in the NBA.

In SU’s first regular-season game against Northern Colorado, Warrick showed off an impressive mid-range jump shot. He finished the game with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and five assists against an athletically inferior team.

‘I felt comfortable out there tonight,’ Warrick said. ‘I’ve been working in the off-season on that. If the shot’s there, I’m gonna take it.’

Though he went 0-for-3 from 3-point range, fans still had reason to be excited after he swished a couple from inside the key.

‘I’m more confident to go out there this year and take it,’ Warrick said. ‘I’ve just been putting in the work in the off-season; I just wanted to improve.’

After Syracuse’s last exhibition game against St. Rose, head coach Jim Boeheim said he was not happy with the decision-making of freshman point guard Josh Wright.

Though Wright finished with only five points and three assists in 18 minutes of play against Northern Colorado, he ran the offense with conviction and moved the ball up court well.

‘I definitely felt more comfortable,’ Wright said. ‘After the first two exhibition games, it really helped me a lot.’

Wright’s highlight play of the night happened with 4:22 left in the game. Wright carried the ball up court and dished a sweet alley-oop to Watkins for the slam.

Wright said he has grown accustomed to the team and he feels comfortable as one of SU’s two freshmen.

‘I’m the little brother to the fellas,’ Wright said. ‘I’ll always be shorter than the other guys, but at heart we’re the same age.’

‘He’s got a lot to learn,’ Boeheim said. ‘In high school he was so quick and he could get by people and finish. Now he gets by people and there are bigger people there waiting. He works hard and he’s got pretty good judgment. He’s got a good feel for the game overall.’

Published on November 11, 2004 at 12:00 pm