Thirteen seconds into the second half, Tyler Roberson pressured Florida Southern’s Dylan Travis into a turnover on the right sideline. The ball trickled out of bounds and Trevor Cooney turned the other way, clenching his fists and clapping his hands.

The Mocs 17th turnover of the afternoon was the fourth one Roberson caused, topping his single-game high from last season.

“I want to try and do that consistently throughout the year,” he said.

While Syracuse’s fate didn’t hinge on Roberson disrupting a frantic Florida Southern offense, the junior forward displayed another improving branch of his game during Syracuse’s 96-54 win on Sunday in the Carrier Dome.

The four steals complemented five defensive rebounds, while 10 points and four assists rounded out a performance for a player becoming more complete just in time for when his expanded role counts for something on Friday.

“He’s definitely getting in the grove of things,” senior guard Michael Gbinije said. “He always had a motor to go for rebounds. Now, he’s got his mid-range jump shot going and he’s running better in transition.”

Almost two hours before tip-off, Roberson circled around the perimeter, firing jump shots from just inside the arc as he received passes from assistant coach Adrian Autry — an extension of a habitual offseason routine.

Roberson showed flashes of a perimeter game that Jim Boeheim has said needs work. After Sunday’s game, the head coach said to “let the numbers speak for themselves” when asked if Roberson’s outside game is improving.

Against the Mocs, those numbers included a 5-of-9 mark from the field, sprinkled with two foul-line jumpers that struck nothing but net.

“I feel like it’s been paying off a ton,” Roberson said of his offseason work. “I want to consistently be able to do that all year.”

Gbinije has noticed improvements in Roberson’s jump shot from staying after practice with him and Autry. Boeheim noted his activity on defense. Now, Roberson wants to put it all together.

Against a smaller Florida Southern team, he would’ve liked to pull down more rebounds. He admitted to missing out on a couple and his five defensive boards were well short of the double-digit total he posted in nine games last year.

The strongest part of his game last year was the weakest on Sunday, by his standards. But with the other branches of his game being fine-tuned, the consistency Roberson harped on is beginning to materialize.

Said Gbinije: “I think he’s getting there.”

Published on November 8, 2015 at 5:50 pm

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