NEW YORK — Here are three takeaways from Boeheim’s Army’s 90-72 victory over the South Jamaica Kings on Saturday night in Brooklyn.

John Gillon rekindles upset memories

With his hands on his hips and his chin up, Gillon looked into the stands off to his left. He locked eyes with Syracuse rising junior guard Tyus Battle.

“Ty, Ty: They better not let me heat up,” said Gillon, who drained three of four 3-pointers in the first half.

Later, after he rolled in a floater, Gillon again turned to his left to exchange a laugh with Battle, who announced in May that he would return to SU for his junior season.

Gillon’s call-outs to Battle on Saturday night in No. 1 seed Boeheim’s Army win were both subtle and brief. But it conjured the games — and displays of confidence — that cemented him as a key figure on the 2016-17 team that didn’t make the Big Dance. After SU upset No. 9 Virginia on Feb.4, 2017, inside the Carrier Dome, Gillon said he wished he was at the center of the court-storming celebration, fans holding him up and “me dancing with everyone.” Later that month, he banked in a game-winning 3 against Duke.

Gillon, a 6-foot guard, led Boeheim’s Army with a game-high 32 points (6-for-7 from deep) to its 10th all-time victory, the latest coming at Long Island University-Brooklyn in its first game of The Basketball Tournament 2018.

Demetris Nichols’ big night

Nichols is 33 years old, a few years older than many of the players in TBT. A second round draft pick in 2007, Nichols spent time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks. He has played pro ball overseas since 2009.

A 6-foot-8 forward, Nichols led all scorers through three quarters, with 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting and five 3s. He was both quick and smooth. The 3-point showing came as little surprise, as he finished his Syracuse career third in 3-point field goals (205). Through the night, Nichols proved comfortable inside and from deep, stretching the Kings’ defense in a similar way he did to Big East defenses as an SU standout from 2003-07.

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First step to $2 million in front of a pro-Syracuse contingent

The arena was packed and almost entirely pro-SU, despite South Jamaica, Queens, being only about 10 miles from the venue. A “Let’s go Orange!” chant broke out throughout the contest, and former SU guard Malachi Richardson was among those in attendance.

This is Boeheim’s Army’s fourth year in The Basketball Tournament, a 72-team, single-elimination, winner-take-all tournament. The jackpot: $2 million. BA, a team composed of solely SU men’s basketball alumni, lost in the final four a year ago to eventual-champion Overseas Elite, which has won three-straight TBT championships.

On Saturday, BA’s record improved to 10-3 over the past three-plus summers, thanks largely to Gillon and Nichols. The Army plays next on Sunday at 4:40 p.m. in Brooklyn. That winner plays in Atlanta next weekend.

Published on July 21, 2018 at 8:33 pm

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