yeah.. game time decision

Orange limps into R.I.

Is there a doctor in the (Manley Field) House?

The injury-riddled Syracuse University basketball team - or at least what's left of it - practiced at Manley Field House on Tuesday afternoon before heading off to Providence for tonight's game against the Friars at the Dunkin Donuts Center.

The number of injured players reached the point on Tuesday that the only way for the Orange to stage a five-on-five scrimmage was to have Wes Johnson, who is sitting out this season after transferring from Iowa State, and Scoop Jardine, who is taking a medical redshirt this season, play along with two walk-ons.

The Orange didn't need a chartered jet for the trip to Providence. It could have used a M*A*S*H helicopter.

Syracuse (17-4 overall, 5-3 in the Big East) will be without one and possibly two starters tonight as it takes on a surprising Providence squad (13-6, 5-2).

Andy Rautins, Syracuse's starter at the two-guard position, will miss tonight's game with a severely sprained right ankle. Rautins suffered the injury in the second half of Syracuse's 67-57 loss to Louisville on Saturday. He did not practice on Monday or Tuesday and did not travel to Providence with the team Tuesday night.

Rautins, a 6-foot-5 junior, had started the last 10 games for Syracuse. He is averaging 10.4 points per game for the season and his 38.1 shooting percentage from 3-point range leads the Orange.

Meanwhile, the status of starting center Arinze Onuaku is in doubt. Onuaku experienced pain and swelling in his right knee following Sunday's game with Louisville. Onuaku missed practice Monday and Tuesday. He is expected to warm up prior to tonight's game to see how the knee feels.

Onuaku, a 6-9 junior, is averaging 12.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He has started every game for Syracuse over the past two seasons.

There’s more.

Eric Devendorf, who has been coming off the bench since his two-game suspension in late December, figures to start in place of Rautins at Providence. However, Devendorf has been bothered by a bruised right hip since Syracuse’s Jan. 2 game at South Florida. Devendorf has practiced the past few days and appears ready to go.

And on Monday Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said that Orange freshman Mookie Jones will miss the remainder of the season due to a muscle tear in his right hip. Jones will have surgery within the next week or two. He has played in just nine games and is eligible to receive a medical redshirt for this season.

Tonight’s game loomed large for the Orange even before the recent spate of injuries.

Syracuse has lost two straight, albeit to two top 10 teams in Pittsburgh and Louisville, and needs a win to keep pace with the Big East’s upper-echelon teams.

Providence, however, is no pushover. The Friars are one of the more experienced teams in the country. Providence’s top eight players include four seniors, a fourth-year junior, a junior and a sophomore.

“They’re a good team,” Boeheim said. “They have a lot of seniors. They’re playing well. It’s going to be a difficult game.”

The only thing the Friars lack is a win over one of the Big East’s marquee teams. Providence has beaten St. John’s, DePaul, Seton Hall and Cincinnati (twice) with losses to Georgetown and Marquette.

Keno Davis, Providence’s first-year coach, downplayed the need for a big win.

“We’ve got 11 games left,” Davis said. “If we get enough victories, we’re going to have beaten some good teams. There are too many rated teams in this league and not enough games on the schedule.”

The Friars have struggled to stop teams from scoring, especially teams with a strong inside presence. That’s why Onuaku’s health could be critical for the Orange tonight.

Providence has averaged 78.7 points in Big East play, but the Friars have given up an average of 73.7 points in their seven conference games.

Syracuse is 16-1 this season when it scores more than 70 points in a game. Onuaku is averaging 12.5 points this season, but he hasn’t scored more than 11 points in any of Syracuse’s four losses and he’s averaged 9.0 points in those games.

Davis sounded as if he had a premonition Monday morning when he described the task ahead of the Friars, while refusing to focus on tonight’s game with Syracuse.

“It sounds like coach-speak, but we need to focus on getting better,” Davis said. “The teams on the outside, we need to improve. The top 10 teams, they might not need to improve. They need to stay in shape.”

Right now, the Syracuse Orange isn’t in great shape.

first of all, cuse was up 16 in the USF game and let them back in. I admit. But this is not the same shit S Florida team. Theyve brought in new players that took a bit to get the system. Also, I have a lot of WVU fans as friends and your gereralization of WVU just shows your ignorace and age.  To tell you the truth, I constantly forget Providence has a team...When was the last time you guys did ANYTHING...I cant even remember the last time you guys even put up a fight in the Big East tourney. Have fun following a bunch of losers...I guess birds of a feather stick together huh

I don't know many Providence fans; actually any Providence fans, but if they're all like you then I'm putting ya'll near the top of that list. Definitely one of the more annoying homers I've come across on this site.