S
Keeper of knowledge Syracuse hired Matt Palumb to be the new goalkeeper coach after players and staff re-evaluated. See page 11
Youth movement The Orange adds a three-star running back as the 22nd member of its 2018 recruiting class. See dailyorange.com
S PORTS
Patience is a virtue Sofya Golubovskaya has been forced to stay patient following an early-season injury. See dailyorange.com
dailyorange.com @dailyorange jan. 30, 2018 • PAG E 12
FREE SHOT
Peter Dourdas has trained SU basketball players for years at no cost Community Center in Dewitt before he became a four-year starter for the Orange. Former SU star and 2010 NBA draft hen Peter Dourdas met pick Andy Rautins’ shot was refined by Jimmy Boeheim about 10 Dourdas. Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph, years ago, Boeheim could the senior duo that led the Orange to the not shoot. He had little No. 1 ranking for six weeks in the 2011-12 speed or quickness, and opposing play- season, both had their games molded by ers and fans in youth games told him, Dourdas in nondescript gyms. “You stink,” Dourdas said. “He’s always about repetition,” “I was small and not very good,” the said Eric Devendorf, former Syracuse now 6-foot-8 Boeheim said. “But Mr. guard and current assistant strength Dourdas got me hooked on basketball. It and conditioning coach whose shot made me really comwas improved by Dourpetitive and laid the das. “He’s a smart guy groundwork. I’m forever who knows the game, grateful for what he did.” He’s a smart guy and he’s had a big impact What he did was program.” who knows the on the help transform the oldWhile he does not est child of Syracuse’s game, and he’s had work with a current Hall of Fame coach of the SU a big impact on member into a Division I player. men’s basketball team, Dourdas drilled him Dourdas trained soonthe program. on ball handling and to-be-freshman Buddy form shooting, using Boeheim as recently as Eric Devendorf screens effectively and last summer. The secret former syracuse guard creating space for othto some of Syracuse’s ers. Jimmy Boeheim plays at Cornell success over the past decade is rooted these days, but not before he worked in Dourdas, a financial planner by day, out with Dourdas for many Saturday basketball trainer by night. A former sessions at the Syracuse Downtown Wall Street financial guru, Dourdas has YMCA. His younger brother, Syracuse worked with about one dozen former and commit Buddy Boeheim, would join in. future Syracuse players, voluntarily. He The YMCA is where the foundation said he currently works with 250 youth for Jimmy and Buddy’s playstyles were players in the Syracuse area. NCAA rules born. Since Brandon Triche was 10 years restrict players from paying third-party old, he trained with Dourdas at the Jewish see dourdas page 11 By Matthew Gutierrez senior staff writer
W
PETER DOURDAS has worked with past and future Syracuse players, including Andy Rautins and Buddy Boeheim. hieu nguyen asst. photo editor
women’s basketball
men’s basketball
Syracuse stands by the 3-pointer Boeheim, Pastner size up SU-GT matchup By Billy Heyen
asst. sports editor
Quentin Hillsman has said he wants Syracuse to shoot 30 3-pointers every game. He said he hopes for 10 makes from beyond the arc every time out. Syracuse’s route to reaching those numbers hasn’t always looked efficient on paper. The Orange shoots just 30.8 percent from distance. Even when SU’s players miss shots, Hillsman urges them to keep shooting, and for good reason. The Orange (17-5, 5-4 Atlantic Coast) ranks third in the country with 679 3-pointers attempted, ninth with 209 made 3-pointers and 11th with 9.5 made 3s per game. But Syracuse ranks 209th in 3-point field goal percentage at 30.8 percent. But, its effective field goal percentage bears out a much more
productive offensive team. Effective field goal percentage accounts for the fact that 3-pointers are worth 50 percent more than 2s. Thirty-three percent from 3 equals 50 percent from 2. So for Syracuse, the amount of 3s it attempts are bound to make the Orange more effective scoring than the simple percentages. Syracuse has tallied a 48.5 effective field goal percentage on the season. That’s higher than its 41.1 percent overall from the field. Sometimes, the strategy to keep shooting it from deep backfires. Against N.C. State on Jan. 14 and Miami on Jan. 18, Syracuse made nine 3s, near its season average. But against the Wolfpack, SU missed 20 3s and the Orange went on to miss 26 3s against the Hurricanes. The Orange lost both those games. “It doesn’t matter how many
shots I miss, he’s gonna tell me to keep shooting,” Gabrielle Cooper said on Nov. 28.
48.5
Syracuse has tallied an effective field goal percentage of 48.5 this season, using the 3-ball relentlessly
In the long run, the strategy pays off for the Orange. Percentages that on paper look putrid from inside the arc can still be somewhat effective from deep. Tiana Mangakahia makes 26.2 percent from deep, Digna Strautmane makes 22.6 percent from 3 and Isis Young makes
see 3-pointers page 11
By Tomer Langer
senior staff writer
Syracuse (15-6, 4-4 Atlantic Coast) will fly to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech (10-11, 3-5) at 8 p.m. on Wednesday night. Yellow Jackets head coach Josh Pastner and Orange head coach Jim Boeheim both went on the weekly ACC coaches teleconference. Here are three things they said about the matchup.
Fill it up
While Pastner did eventually praise Syracuse’s defense — which ranks second in the ACC in points allowed and field goal percentage allowed, only behind No. 2 Virginia — the first thing he mentioned was the
Orange offense. “They can really score the ball,” Pastner said. “(Tyus) Battle, he can flat out fill it up, he’s averaging 19 a game in the ACC. Frank Howard, he’s averaging 15.” Battle and Howard are top 15 scorers in the ACC, as Syracuse is just one of four teams to have multiple players in the top 15. But as a team, SU is in the bottom four of the ACC standings, averaging just 70 points per game, and its 42.8 field goal percentage is the second-worst in the conference.
Block party
Pastner pointed out that both teams play similarly on defense. The Yellow Jackets and the Orange use see teleconference page 11