All the mood swings of Syracuse’s season correlate with the performance of one player.

John Gillon usually doesn’t straddle the line between goat and G.O.A.T. In most games he’s either been ineffective or terrific. The Good John Gillon authored some of SU’s signature memories this year: stunning Duke, downing N.C. State in overtime with 43 points and jumpstarting the Orange’s revival with consecutive wins against Miami and Pittsburgh. The Bad John Gillon ran Syracuse’s offense astray in road losses to Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Louisville.

Whichever version of the senior point guard shows up this postseason will be paramount for SU. It could spell the difference between NIT and NCAA Tournament.

“We go as John Gillon goes,” head coach Jim Boeheim said after Gillon beat the Blue Devils. “… When he’s good, we haven’t lost.”

Gillon’s already left an indelible mark in his only year with the Orange. Now his final act is to dictate what kind of March SU will have. Whether it’s memorable or forgettable comes down to him. Gillon’s been the lynchpin all season, just as he will be when Syracuse (18-13, 10-8 Atlantic Coast) plays Miami (20-10, 10-8) in the second round of the ACC tournament on Wednesday at noon in the Barclays Center.

Even against a Hurricanes defense that Gillon’s already faced, there’s no guessing how the fifth-year senior will fare in his second go around. Syracuse’s latest home-and-home against the Yellow Jackets highlighted the senior’s stark contrast in play. On the road, Gillon shot 2-of-10 as he oversaw an offense that squandered a nine-point lead. Then in the Carrier Dome Saturday, the Colorado State transfer stitched together his third double-double of the season in a winning effort.

Like the Orange’s dramatic home and road splits, Gillon embodies the same dual personality trait. But now that toss-up decides how this season will be remembered.

“I owed (my team) one,” Gillon said of his improved performance against GT on Saturday. “I wasn’t going to let that happen again. I told everyone I wasn’t going to play like that again, I was going to do what it takes.”

The 6-foot point guard at this point needs confidence, a cliché attribute that’s ebbed along with his performances this year. A lack of confidence is why Gillon crumbled under an early-season platoon with Frank Howard, fearing he would be swapped out of the game after any mistake. A surplus of it is why Gillon challenged his Twitter critics to a game of one-on-one. Just the right amount allowed the veteran to rack up points against N.C. State and prompted a wink toward a heckling fan on the sideline.

Without a sense of direction from Gillon on the court, Syracuse quickly becomes undone. Andrew White doesn’t get the same looks from behind the arc if Gillon doesn’t drive and feed an outlet pass, or effectively set ball screens. Tyus Battle needs the same assistance to get going. Taurean Thompson gets sealed off in the post if opponents know he’s the only viable scoring threat inside. Tyler Lydon is capable of doing the heavy lifting on offense without Gillon, but has done it only on occasion.

The onus to key SU’s starters rests on Gillon, not the other way around.

“When he’s scoring, making plays, getting in the lane and getting assists, our team is good,” White said. “When he’s not, our team isn’t as good.

“He knows now how important he is to this team.”

Gillon’s been at the forefront of this season’s turning points. He buried his face in both hands as Boeheim leaned down to berate him on the Notre Dame sideline. That was the Orange’s second straight blowout loss on the road in a season seemingly destined for nowhere.

Teammates swallowed Gillon on the court after beating Duke. That was Syracuse’s third win of the season against a Top-10 team, a victory some national pundits speculated had earned SU a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Through the best and worst of this season, Gillon is the common thread.

“He’s given our team a chance,” White said, “to be what we want to be.”

Syracuse wants to be a winner, but that’s a label only attainable outside of the Carrier Dome at this time of year. Winning on the road has been SU’s greatest challenge. The player most fit to alter that script is Gillon, who’s already rewritten and redirected this season more times than anyone anticipated.

Connor Grossman is a senior staff writer at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at [email protected] or Twitter @connorgrossman.

Published on March 8, 2017 at 2:32 am