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Syracuse guard Ron Patterson is trying to prove he's a reliable second shooter for the Orange.
(Dennis Nett | syracuse.com)
Syracuse, N.Y. — Ron Patterson played fewer minutes than any scholarship player on the Syracuse basketball team last year, leaving him looking to deliver a message from the opening tip this preseason.
After a pair of double-digit performances to kick things off, Patterson thinks he's starting to be heard.
"I send a message in practice," Patterson said. "I send a message every day."
Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim was slightly less emphatic after the Orange's 84-35 exhibition win over Adrian, an overwhelmed Division III opponent with no answer for anything the Orange attempted.
"We'll see," Boeheim mustered, when asked if Patterson was on the verge of carving out a permanent rotation spot.
For the second consecutive preseason game, though, Patterson was the Orange's most effective shooting guard on offense, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and providing SU a second-half burst.
He scored 10 points, shot 4-for-10 and provided the defining individual effort of the game, scoring five points in a 28-second span in the second half. His 3-pointer gave Syracuse a 50-24 lead in the second half and seemed to lift the lid off the basket for the Orange. His breakaway dunk moments later blew it off.
After Patterson connected, a team that shot 2-for-13 on 3-pointers in the first half found its range, turning a woeful shooting performance into a mediocre one. He was one of three players to score in double-digits in both preseason games.
Boeheim noted that he considers the preseason more important for young players than veterans. Few needed the hot start more than Patterson, a 6-foot-2 sophomore with a penchant for explosive played and an inconsistent outside shot.
A slow start could have meant Patterson would be buried on the bench. With Trevor Cooney returning and a stacked recruiting class arriving, that positive might have been permanent.
"It was big for him to come in that first game and establish himself as a real threat," point guard Kaleb Joseph said. "His confidence carried over and that's what we'll need from him. He's a big spark off the bench."
Patterson said the worry about being buried never crossed his mind. All he's been concerned about was earning a bigger role.
A year after earning the NEPSAC Player of the Year Award and leading Brewster Academy to a league title, Patterson played just 54 minutes in 10 games for the Orange.
"It was hard going to practice like, 'Man, I have practice, I'm not playing,'" Patterson said. "It messed with my head a little bit. I thought I could play last year, but we were winning, so I was happy. This year I said, 'I know I can play. I'm going to show them I can play.'"
Patterson's shooting progression is potentially critical to a Syracuse team that witnessed what happens when a solitary outside shooter goes cold late last year. While Cooney has struggled getting started this season, Patterson has momentarily filled the void.
And while it's wise to take Boeheim's conservative view for the moment, Patterson is eager to change it.
"I'm letting Coach know I can play," Patterson said. "I can play anytime, any game."
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