Last year Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said his team would go as far as the juniors took it. This season, they’re seniors and nothing has changed for Boeheim.

‘It’s up to them,’ Boeheim said. ‘I think they realize that. This is their team to be the guys and lead the way. They’re more than prepared for that.’

Try telling that to the TV cameras.

Much of the media blitz Friday afternoon during SU’s annual media day at Manley Field House focused on freshman Paul Harris, Boeheim’s highest-rated recruit since Carmelo Anthony.

‘He’s a good passer,’ Boeheim said of Harris. ‘He’s very competitive, and he brings a lot of energy to the game and I think that’s his strongest attribute. In high school he overpowered people, and in college you can’t overpower people quite as easily, but what he does, he does well.’

OK, so maybe the broadcast media didn’t get their sound bytes from Boeheim.

Harris, hardly displaying the typical characteristics of a freshman, embraced the bright lights, even if he couldn’t smile. Harris had root canal surgery on Wednesday and refused to be photographed. But he talked.

‘This is it,’ Harris said. ‘Get ready, four years of this. Get ready.’

And instantly SU fans conjure images of a certain former player who wore No. 15. But Harris is wearing No. 11 in 2006-07 – and he’s not trying to be another ‘Melo.

‘It’s not just 11, you know,’ Harris said. ‘You got four strong seniors. They know this is their last go-around. I left them all messages on their phone last night. It is amazing what can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.’

Already it’s clear that Harris, the No. 1-ranked prep school prospect by HoopScoop and the 12th overall prospect in the class of 2006 by Rivals.com, is taking a leadership role on a team with four seniors.

‘He’s not your average freshman,’ senior forward Terrance Roberts said. ‘He’s Paul.’

As Syracuse begins year one A.G. (After Gerry), it will need to replace McNamara’s off-the-court leadership qualities, but more importantly, the command he brought to the game itself – and the scoring production.

Syracuse returns four starters – Roberts, fellow seniors Darryl Watkins and Demetris Nichols, and sophomore guard Eric Devendorf – but the main question asked was, How can the Orange replace the one missing starter?

‘It’s going to be hard,’ Boeheim said. ‘Gerry did a lot for us down the stretch in games. He ran the offense for four years.

‘He did a lot of things for us, and of course he was very good in late game situations. All that, those are things that have to be replaced by a combination of guys.’

Harris is expected to be a key cog in replacing McNamara’s minutes, but Boeheim still has not indicated whom he will start at point guard – junior Josh Wright, Devendorf or Harris.

‘I’m not even worried about starting, I just want to win,’ Harris said. ‘As long as we win, everybody will be happy.’

All clichs aside, Harris looks to be the early candidate for team leader. He says the seniors have something to prove in 2006-07, and he’s here to help them, not to be the main act.

‘The last couple of years, they’ve lost in the first round,’ Harris said. ‘I just don’t want to be the person to get them over the hump; I want it to be a team game. So hopefully we can get back to the Final Four and the National Championship.’

Boeheim says dreams of grandeur can wait just a few months.

‘From watching the little bit I’ve watched, I feel like these guys have improved,’ Boeheim said. ‘The seniors have improved over the summer, and I think that’s important. That’s a good sign.’

This and that

Syracuse debuted new uniforms at media day. At first glance they look identical to last season’s, but the crest ‘Syracuse’ is in a new font, as are the numbers and names on the back. The shorts no longer have the old interlocking ‘SU’ logo; instead it is the block ‘S’ with arched text ‘Syracuse’ on the side. …Leo Rautins, former SU forward and father of current Orange guard Andy Rautins, was in the stands at Manley during the first practice Friday night.

Published on October 14, 2006 at 12:00 pm