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Marek Dolezaj shoved Rich Kelly back, creating a glimmer of space, and called for the ball. In the early minutes of the second half of Syracuse’s game on Saturday, the Orange had built a six-point lead against an undermanned Boston College team, and Dolezaj returned to hover by his spot near the foul line and high post.

After receiving a pass from Buddy Boeheim, Dolezaj squared up Kelly and spun his way toward the basket, floating his shot off the backboard to extend SU’s lead to 43-35. That same move, that same look from the high post, had led to so many other Syracuse baskets throughout the 2020-21 season, floating crosscourt passes to guards on the opposite wings or initiating post-ups for Quincy Guerrier on the blocks.

Despite what Jim Boeheim called one of Dolezaj’s “worst offensive halves,” the senior center finished with 13 points, four rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes, continuing his development at a position he was thrust into full-time after Bourama Sidibe left Syracuse’s season-opener with an injury five minutes in. While playing as an all-around center, he’s lifted his points per game average from 4.1 two seasons ago to 10.8 and already is approaching his assists output from last season with at least five games left for Syracuse — starting with Wednesday’s game at Louisville. 

And while Boeheim admitted that Dolezaj is severely undersized at times, especially defensively, he has ignited a Syracuse offense and helped it rank the 37th-most efficient in the country, per KenPom.

“He’s just easily, by far, been our most valuable player because we need him, we don’t really have anybody else that can do that,” Boeheim said Monday. “We have other people that can score, we have other people that can pass, but we don’t anybody that can really play that position.”

When Boeheim watched film from the Boston College game again Monday, he picked up on something he’d never seen before: teams face-guarding guards Joe Girard III and Buddy off the ball. If the Syracuse guards hovered by the 3-point line, the BC defenders stayed with them, backs turned to the rest of the play and anyone driving.

That created openings for players like Dolezaj, often the recipient of a pass from Girard or Buddy in the high post. Five minutes after the spinning basket on Kelly, Dolezaj again flashed up to the high post and took a pass from Kadary Richmond. This time, he bumped off Richmond’s defender before swinging his arms over DeMarr Langford Jr., beating him on another drive to the right and finishing a layup.

As the season progressed for Syracuse, Dolezaj’s role became more defined. Sidibe’s absence immediately lifted the need for him in the middle of Syracuse’s 2-3 zone, but just how many minutes he needed to play there depended on the development of Jesse Edwards, John Bol Ajak and Frank Anselem.

It turned out there wasn’t much development there, wasn’t much of the short-term, immediate solution the Orange needed. That meant Dolezaj needed to play 35 or more minutes every game, something he’s done in all but four of Syracuse’s games.

“Marek’s done an unbelievable job staying out of foul trouble, playing the middle, helping create offense for guys, passing, screening,” Boeheim said after Syracuse’s win over NC State.

He’s yet to foul out this season, allowing his presence to remain on offense and create openings for Syracuse’s other four players on the court. It’s a luxury Syracuse didn’t have the past three seasons with Sidibe and Paschal Chukwu. Boeheim said on Monday that SU’s offense has traditionally run through Dolezaj in his four years at Syracuse, but just in different ways because of the true center on the court.

But against Miami on Jan. 19, Dolezaj went scoreless. He took just one shot, didn’t attempt a free throw and evaporated from SU’s offense. Postgame, Boeheim said he told Dolezaj in the locker room he needed to take more shots, any shots. Four days later, in Syracuse’s best win of the season over then-No. 16 Virginia Tech, Dolezaj finished second on SU with 18 points, just two fewer than Guerrier.

“They had the big guys and I knew I could drive on them and make something at the basket,” Dolezaj said on Jan. 23. “So that’s what I did today.”

Marek Dolezaj’s performance as an all-around center has helped Syracuse stay afloat this season with Bourama Sidibe sidelined. Dennis Nett, Syracuse.com

This season, defenses have sometimes taken their traditional center off of Dolezaj and passed him off to Guerrier, adapting to Dolezaj’s ability to drive and win races to the lane from the high post. Other times, when that true center remains, cutting lanes open for Guerrier or Alan Griffin through opposing defenses. 

“His numbers don’t really reflect what his value is for our team,” Boeheim said.

In the bigger picture of Syracuse’s season, it’s given the Orange a chance. A chance that this offense that operates with the 31st-shortest possession length in the country, per KenPom, could latch together enough successful possessions to make a run. To mitigate the damage done by defensive and rebounding mishaps that have constantly reappeared.

And to create fluid openings like he did with 15 minutes left in the first half against the Eagles, driving toward the basket and drawing a step from their help defender before whipping the ball to Girard in the corner — where he took two steps in and swished a jumper.

Published on February 15, 2021 at 10:32 pm

Contact Andrew: arcrane@syr.edu | @CraneAndrew