The health of Syracuse’s point guards was put into question on Saturday following the Orange’s (8-4) 82-52 win over Arkansas State (5-7).

Jim Boeheim said Howard Washington would be exploring a medical redshirt, and he said Jalen Carey is dealing with a “bruise. ” Before the game,  SU announcer Matt Park reported that Carey has a hip injury. Both guards had worked back from early season injuries. The Orange are off for a week before they play again on Dec. 29 against St. Bonaventure.

Washington underwent surgery on Feb. 16 to repair a torn ACL. He recovered enough to play in three of SU’s first five games: the opener against Eastern Washington, then on Nov. 16 against Oregon and Nov. 21 against Colgate. But he hasn’t played in the last month, and Boeheim acknowledged he’d pursue a medical redshirt.

“He’s had some issues this fall that were just too much to overcome,” Boeheim said.

Carey didn’t miss a game for Syracuse before Saturday, but he’d spent time on the shelf during the exhibition slate due to an ankle injury that slowed the freshman point guard’s development. But he worked his way into the starting lineup by SU’s two games at Madison Square Garden in mid-November, and played a key role off the bench after Howard returned from his leg injury.

Saturday, though, Carey spent the game on the sidelines. He warmed up with the Orange in his usual pregame attire of warmup shirt and sweatpants. During halftime, he laughed with his teammates as he participated in the drills he normally does. But he never made it onto the floor during the game.

“I don’t know,” Boeheim said of whether Carey would be back next week. “I stopped trying to figure those things out a month and a half ago. When he’s healthy.”

The absence of reserve point guards meant that Boeheim played Tyus Battle for a sizable stretch at point guard, a role he held down in the preseason exhibition games. Frank Howard played 27 minutes himself, even as he struggled to a 1 for 6 shooting line, because there wasn’t a bench option.

And as Syracuse approaches its final nonconference game with four nonconference losses — a total the Orange have never made the NCAA Tournament after reaching — the early-season point guard question is back. It’ll have to be answered in the coming weeks. After Saturday’s game, though, Boeheim just wanted to focus on what he felt his senior point guard, who he said is healthy now, means to SU.

“I’m not gonna make excuses,” Boeheim said. “If Frank Howard was ready from day one, we’d be a whole different team. It’s as simple as that.”

 

Published on December 22, 2018 at 6:14 pm

Contact Billy: wmheyen@syr.edu | @Wheyen3