NEW YORK — In only two possessions and a handful of his lengthy, court-eating strides, Jerami Grant reminded the 16,357 fans in Madison Square Garden why he’s projected by some analysts as a lottery pick for the 2014 NBA Draft.

Catching the ball on the left side of the perimeter, he sliced into the St. John’s defense and threw down a one-handed tomahawk jam on Red Storm forward Orlando Sanchez.

Sixteen seconds later, he wiped away Sanchez’s dunk attempt with a two-handed volleyball-esque block.

The series was so degrading that St. John’s guard D’Angelo Harrison said Sanchez was sulking for the rest of the game.

“He kind of put his head down and I was like, ‘Orlando, we still have a game to play,’” Harrison said.

It’s spurts like that one, which occurred with a little over two minutes left in No. 2 Syracuse’s (10-0) 68-63 win over the Red Storm in Madison Square Garden on Sunday, that have defined Grant’s season through the nine games he’s played in. The highlight-reel plays are more than flashes — usually a string of two or three spectacular feats of athleticism — but have been sandwiched by long stretches of simply good play.

If that balance can become more parts meat than bread, the still relatively untested Orange can hang with any team in the country.

“We’re still searching for another guy to help us down the stretch,” Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. “We’re hoping that as guys develop they become able to do more.”

In those durations of normalcy, the youth that shows in Grant’s rounded cheeks is mirrored on the court. He relies on a two-dribble move from the high post that, while efficient, limits the hyper-athletic gifts that the sophomore forward shares with only a few players in the country.

Boeheim may have hinted at that room for improvement when he said the Orange has yet to establish secondary scoring threats to forward C.J. Fair and point guard Tyler Ennis.

“We don’t have the third or fourth options yet,” Boeheim said.

Now, this isn’t to say that Grant, who averaged just 14.3 minutes as a freshman last year, should be expected to play at a more consistently excellent level. He’s still adjusting to being put in scoring opportunities, and he’s making the most of more explosive chances in transition.

His dunk over Sanchez was so ferocious that Fair couldn’t help but laugh afterward.

“He does it in practice and he does it in games,” Fair said with a smile. “It’s just funny when you’re not on the opposite end.”

But if Grant can turn his 13.2 points per game to 16, and his 60.8 percent free-throw percentage to 70, he would give SU’s offense a critical boost. Every point counts for the Orange when only two teams have scored more than 67 points against it this season.

To do that, Grant will need to look for his shot more. He took only seven in 34 minutes against the Red Storm, and 22 total in Syracuse’s last three games — his lowest stretch of the season.

Fair and Trevor Cooney both shoot more frequently than Grant, but he has the highest field-goal percentage of the group by 6.7 percent.

In a little less than two weeks, Syracuse will host Villanova in the Carrier Dome — likely its toughest test of the season so far. And given the Wildcats’ scoring depth, Syracuse’s secondary scorers will be tested as well.

If Grant continues his irregular eye-popping, don’t be surprised if he does go as high as No. 12 in next year’s draft.

But if Grant develops consistency and increased aggression, expect Syracuse to make a run this March.

Stephen Bailey is the sports editor at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @Stephen_Bailey1

Published on December 17, 2013 at 12:22 am