When the media convened to meet Syracuse for the first time in the 2016-17 season, television cameras and microphones took aim at Andrew White. Everyone wanted to know more about the fifth-year senior out of Nebraska.

The 6-foot-7 guard finished second on his team with 16.6 points per game last year and was expected to bandage the loss of SU’s three best shooters last year. So, reporters asked, what was his plan to do that?

“We’ll see, we’ll see,” White said at SU’s media day on Oct. 21. “I don’t like to talk a whole lot.

“With games coming up here in the next two or three weeks, the world will see.”

The Carrier Dome finally laid eyes on White last week against Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and his 2-for-9 shooting performance was nothing to gloat about. But in White’s second exhibition with the Orange, a 97-64 win over Le Moyne, SU fans, at least, finally did see. White led the Orange with 24 points and a 6-for-10 night from 3.

It was a promising performance with Friday’s season-opener looming, but it was an essential performance with Tyler Lydon dropping in eight points (only two in the first half). They’re the duo that will be leaned on to drive the offense, and in a meaningless exhibition, it didn’t matter that White provided the only fuel.

“When the game starts, you want to start on a good note. You don’t want your bench players to have to come back from a deficit,” White said. “Tonight that was my emphasis.

“I didn’t want to go down early and have it be my bad.”

White didn’t hesitate to underscore his focus. After the Orange sunk to a 12-point deficit in five minutes last week against IUP, the veteran guard converted on an open 3 in SU’s first possession. There would be no early sinkhole Tuesday night. Instead in the opening five minutes, the starters staked themselves to an 11-3 lead.

SU’s starters seemed to have a much better grasp on their game plan after they played flustered and disoriented themselves in a man-to-man defense. The Orange didn’t break out man-to-man on Tuesday, but unleashed the press with 12:30 remaining in the first half. The aggressive defense led to White’s brightest moment without the ball starting in his hands.

Just after hitting a step-in 3 to give Syracuse a 27-13 lead, White jolted into the press and poached Le Moyne’s inbound pass. He muscled his way under the basket and poured in an and-one layup to push the lead further out of the Dolphins’ reach.

“Andrew showed tonight how effective he can be shooting the basketball,” Jim Boeheim said. “He didn’t have a lot of time and he still knocked those shots down.”

Le Moyne’s Tanner Hyland did his best to nullify White’s 19 first-half points, blanketing SU fans with memories of a 2009 Le Moyne exhibition win in the Carrier Dome. Hyland shot and converted five 3s in the final five minutes of the first half, drawing Le Moyne within seven at one juncture.

But there was White, ready to counter with a 3-point contest of his own. In the face of C.J. Asuncion-Byrd, White shook off the 6-foot-3 guard near the top of the key and converted from 3. He hit twice more in the final three minutes to give Syracuse a nine-point lead at the half.

“He’s the best shooter on the team,” freshman guard Taurean Thompson said. “… Every time he misses is a surprise.”

There weren’t many unexpected turns to Tuesday’s trouncing. SU never looked back in the second half, outscoring the Dolphins by 24 in the final 20 minutes. White spent the final chunk of minutes on the bench, cheering a walk-on filled lineup.

As expected with the mild-mannered White, he didn’t yell or celebrate as jubilantly as his counterparts. He remained more stoic, digesting the 26-minute showcase he just displayed. Even though it took him a second try, White unveiled the player he was reluctant to talk about three weeks prior.

Published on November 9, 2016 at 3:56 am

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