With diminishing production coming from the small forward spot, Jim Boeheim tried a new ingredient – another sophomore.

But instead of the same droning offensive performance, the Syracuse men’s basketball team found a spark.

Sophomore Louie McCroskey replaced Demetris Nichols in the starting lineup Saturday as SU stomped Binghamton, 86-56, before 21,316 at the Carrier Dome. In his first career start, McCroskey scored 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting. He also grabbed four rebounds and poked away two steals in 28 minutes.‘Louie did a good job tonight,’ said Boeheim, SU’s head coach. ‘He had a good game. But I think he could have had an even better game.’

McCroskey’s night started regrettably. His first shot – and miss – came on a lay-up just 40 seconds in. A minute later, he tried driving to the lane but mishandled the ball and turned it over.

But after hitting back-to-back shots midway through the first half, the ‘Louuuu’ cheers rained down.

‘I remember how nervous I was during my first start,’ forward Hakim Warrick said. ‘I thought he did really well.’

At least McCroskey offered a different look than Nichols. Entering Saturday’s game, Nichols was averaging six points, 3.6 rebounds and was shooting 39.5 percent. In his previous two games, Nichols shot a combined 0-for-4, scoring one point and grabbing three rebounds.

McCroskey hadn’t fared much better. In his previous two games, McCroskey shot 1-for-3 for three points and five rebounds.

But with Nichols’ playing time dropping – he played 10 minutes against Oklahoma State on Dec. 7 – a change seemed necessary. That it would be so soon, though, considering McCroskey played just four minutes against the Cowboys, seemed unlikely.

‘It was definitely a little weird,’ McCroskey said of starting after playing just four minutes in his previous game. ‘A lot of times you think you’re doing something wrong if you’re not playing. But it’s just the coach’s decision.’

After Nichols’ two games, Boeheim made the switch.

‘(Demetris) made the decision,’ Boeheim said. ‘Not me.’

Boeheim told McCroskey and Nichols about the switch earlier this week, so McCroskey had time to prepare.

Early, though, McCroskey and Syracuse looked rusty.

For most of the first half, SU held a comfortable 10- to 15-point cushion. But an Alex Adediran lay-up with 1:23 left in the first half cut SU’s lead to 34-28.

After halftime, SU (8-1) employed a full-court press, which stifled Binghamton, causing turnovers and leading to easy lay-ups. Six-and-a-half minutes into the second half, SU had extended its lead to 24, 60-36, after McCroskey forced a turnover and dunked. Binghamton (2-5) never threatened again.

‘In the second half, we backed off the zone a little bit,’ Boeheim said. ‘We played it softer. We caused more turnovers, and that gave us momentum. We moved the ball better in the second half.’

Nichols, too, improved, albeit barely. After finishing the first half with a predictable stat line – 0-for-1 shooting, no points and no rebounds in five minutes – he drained a 3 in the second half, his first field goal in almost 30 minutes of game time.

‘I’d say the first 90 percent (of Nichols’ play) was all bad,’ Boeheim said, ‘and the last 10 percent was better.’

As for whether McCroskey earned another start when SU plays Drexel on Dec. 18?

‘We’ll see,’ Boeheim said. ‘I thought he did a good job.’

Both McCroskey and Nichols refused to predict who would start against the Dragons, calling it Boeheim’s decision. But based on production, McCroskey might earn the edge.

‘They’re pretty much the same player,’ Warrick said. ‘They’re both good shooters and defenders. It doesn’t really affect the rest of the team who plays.

‘Demetris will go out there and learn from this. He’ll continue to get better. It was just good to go out there and get back on the winning track. Hopefully we can carry this through to Big East play.’

Published on December 11, 2004 at 12:00 pm