When Carl Krauser first stepped into a boxing ring as a young boy, he showcased the toughness and quickness necessary for fighters to succeed in the ring.

But even after a 2-0 start as an amateur, the beatings he took became too much. He decided to use his athletic ability in a sport that wouldn’t demand such regular abuse.

Krauser turned his concentration to basketball, and with the agility he used to dance around competitors in the boxing ring, he’s averaging 15.7 points and 4.6 rebounds. On Saturday night, Krauser and the No. 9 Pittsburgh Panthers visit Syracuse at the Carrier Dome at 8.

‘I’m a little flashy with the ball,’ Krauser said. ‘I don’t mean to be, it’s just how I play from growing up in New York. Maybe people don’t give me credit because they think I’m a flashy player from New York. But as soon as the lights go on, I’m like a Broadway show. I’m never going to run away from a fight.’

Krauser’s vicious crossover dribble, earning him the nickname ‘Black Magic,’ stems from his street-ball days. He now serves up a variety of hocus-pocus moves as the starting point guard for Pittsburgh. Krauser has been a large reason for the Panthers’ impressive 18-1 (4-1 Big East) start this year, Pitt’s best since the 1927-28 season.

‘Carl is one of the best point guards I have ever seen, and he is probably one of the best in prep history,’ said Bill Barton, Krauser’s high school coach. ‘He’s a tough guy and he has a dynamite first move to the basket that no one would want to go up against.’

Even with a lavish nickname and the fact that Krauser plays for one of the top teams in the nation, there hasn’t been much hype surrounding the sophomore until recently. The situation is similar to when he first came out of high school.

Despite scoring 51 points in his final high school game and leading Notre Dame within three points of the Independent League title, he was virtually unknown until the Panthers coaching staff discovered him.

‘His improvement between his junior and senior year of high school went unnoticed by people in a lot of circles,’ Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon said. ‘His eagerness to learn and his coachability are a big reason why he’s made such a jump in a short time.’

Krauser played well in a supporting role last year, averaging six points in limited action, but wasn’t counted on to produce down the stretch with the likes of Brandin Knight, Ontario Lett and Donatas Zavackas running the show.

His toughest challenge this season has been replacing Knight, a former Co-Big East Player of the Year, who averaged more than six assists and 2.1 steals last year for the Panthers.

Although there have been some growing pains, Krauser has filled the void nicely by becoming an effective scorer while also becoming more vocal.

‘After every time-out in games, Carl is the one who brings the guys together and makes sure everyone is on the same page,’ Dixon said. ‘His improvement in that regard is as impressive as his on-court play.’

Krauser has also been the go-to guy late in games this season, dribbling the length of the court for a game-tying lay-up with less than 10 seconds to go against Miami. The lay-up led to a double-overtime victory. He also came up big against No. 1 Connecticut on Monday, leading the Panthers with a career-high 24 points in a losing effort.

But Pitt’s reliance on Krauser could eventually end up hurting them, as the Panthers have yet to develop a capable backup. Krauser has been forced to play 32 minutes or more in 15 of the 17 games that the Panthers have played, including a season-high 44 against Miami.

Despite his possible overuse, the Bronx native has shown those who passed on him coming out of high school that they missed out on a good thing.

‘You look at the big three point guards that came out of New York – Omar Cook, Taliek Brown and Andre Barrett – and I think Carl can be, if he isn’t already, better than all of them,’ Barton said. ‘His focus on the court is amazing, and his improvement in such a short time has been a credit to his hard work.’

Published on January 21, 2004 at 12:00 pm