NEW YORK –– Rick Jackson was the alpha male. The ‘monster,’ as Jim Boeheim described him. Only this time, it was on basketball’s grandest stage: Madison Square Garden.

Under the brightest of lights, he beckoned his teammates to circle around him. Literally before the game. Figuratively during it.

‘He has been as good as any inside guy we could ask for,’ Boeheim said.

Jackson towered over his teammates as he stood in the middle of the Orange’s pregame circle, like he does prior to every game.

And during the game, he circled the troops as well. Jackson was the leader of the entire team. But most especially, he led of the trio of Orange big men that also includes freshmen Fab Melo and Baye Moussa Keita.

Against a tough Michigan State team, the performance of Syracuse’s three big men facilitated SU’s 72-58 win. Everyone did his job. Melo supplied 13 minutes of turnover-free basketball. Moussa Keita steadied the middle of SU’s 2-3 zone and controlled the transition defense with three crucial blocks.

And Jackson did what a leader in the center of it all does: dominate. With the pregame scene, the MSG crowd took note of SU’s MVP. And with his 17-point, 16-rebound performance, Jackson proved he was worthy of the attention.

He was the best player among two Top 10 teams. The toughest player, lasting 37 minutes. Yes, out-toughing the Big Ten bravado of Michigan State. Just ask Boeheim. Just ask SU forward Kris Joseph.

‘He has been a monster inside defensively, rebounding. Tremendous,’ Boeheim said. ‘He has been steady every game.’

Added Joseph: ‘He could probably play in the Big Ten if he wanted to.’

With that, Joseph supplied the understatement of SU’s season thus far. Jackson is fourth in the nation, averaging 12.8 rebounds per game — 28 spots ahead of the Big Ten’s best rebounder entering Tuesday night.

In their 40 minutes of combined action at the center position, Melo and Moussa Keita proved they could stack up against a physical Big Ten team. And they proved it from the start of the game.

After Syracuse started the game with five free throws, SU scored its next 24 points in the paint. Ten of those points came from Jackson. He threatened to post a double-double in the first half, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds. Two points came from Moussa Keita. The rest were eased for C.J. Fair, Scoop Jardine and Joseph, thanks to SU’s bigs imposing their will against those of the Spartans. With 4:56 left in the half, SU held a 29-23 lead, propelled by three Jackson dunks.

At the half, SU held a 20-15 rebounding edge over Michigan State. It was starting to wear on MSU big man Derrick Nix. Nix was the big body Tom Izzo called upon to stop the early bleeding. But his 6-foot-9, 270-pound frame couldn’t cut it. His stat line read all zeros at the half. That drew a little jawing from Nix at Jackson, at one point requiring a referee to intervene.

But Jackson downplayed the action postgame. It wasn’t relevant. The statement from the beast of the Big East was already made.

‘I can’t really tell you what was going on back and forth,’ Jackson said. ‘But when you are out there, I don’t think it is ever nice what is being said.’

In the second half, Jackson and the physical will of Syracuse’s big men continued to prevail. Every time Nix or Delvon Roe tried to defend Jackson, he would find his spot and seal, urged on from the stands by a former SU alpha male: Derrick Coleman.

Throughout the game, the former NBA All-Star Coleman hollered at SU’s newest monster: ‘Post harder! … Stay low!’

When he needed to post low, Jackson did, shooting 8-of-15 on the night. But when he needed to sky, he did that, too.

The moment of the game came once again with Jackson towering over his teammates. With 5:40 left in the game, Jackson dunked on Nix. It was a posterizing slam that gave SU a 60-50 lead.

The roar that followed from the MSG crowd was directed at the alpha male.

On this night, the Orange’s big men took it to their opponents from Michigan State. And it felt good for the ‘monster.’ From the scene in the middle of the circle to the slam on Nix.

Said Jackson: ‘To dunk on him just felt good.’

aolivero@syr.edu

Published on December 7, 2010 at 12:00 pm