TAMPA, Fla. — For Syracuse’s two freshman centers, Saturday’s 72-49 win over South Florida was about pushing through a wall. One did. One knows he has to continue to do so in order to keep playing.

The first member of the Syracuse bench to stand up after Fab Melo dunked, Baye Moussa Keita cheered for his embattled fellow rookie with SU up 41-28, a minute into the second half. Melo ran to the SU bench with a sheepish grin. Moussa Keita congratulated him, slapping him on the behind.

‘Yeah, boy!’ Moussa Keita shouted. ‘You got this!’

What the struggling Melo got was extended time on the floor. Time he begged for to SU head coach Jim Boeheim. Time he wanted in front of his former Florida host family, who drove four hours northwest along the Florida coast to the St. Pete Times Forum.

Following another poor start for the former McDonald’s All-American against Connecticut on Wednesday, Melo played 12 minutes Saturday. A little more than one quarter of the game.

In reality, that’s a very small amount for the Big East preseason Rookie of the Year. But Moussa Keita realizes what it means. Time given to Melo is time taken away from him.

Said Moussa Keita: ‘Fab’s play, it pushes me to work harder.’

After playing 27 clutch minutes to spell Melo in SU’s win over UConn, Moussa Keita played only six minutes against South Florida, failing to score. Melo pushed himself to his aerobic limit in his dozen minutes, running the floor and fortifying SU’s 2-3 zone as he finished the game with four points, three rebounds and a block.

Moussa Keita relinquished time to Melo in his homecoming but remained chipper during and after the game. A better Melo may steal time from him, but he is happy when Melo plays well. It is what SU needs to completely help Rick Jackson down low.

Postgame, Boeheim delved more into why each center is where he is.

‘(Melo) is going to have a hard spring and summer and fall,’ Boeheim said. ‘When he gets his conditioning there, I think he can be the kind of player he can be. He hasn’t played basketball. He has played one year of basketball, really. You just can’t make that adjustment to college basketball when you haven’t played.

‘I mean, Baye played at Oak Hill for two years, the best program in the country in high school every year. It helped him. It really helped him. Fab is just learning what to do.’

In spurts of playing time throughout, Melo pushed through his conditioning limits. SU head coach Jim Boeheim was pleased with Melo’s outing. Though relegations to the bench continued for Melo when he faltered.

During one of those instances, with 6:23 left in the first half, Boeheim signaled Moussa Keita to sub for Melo after he gave up an easy basket. As soon as the ball went through the net, Melo looked to the bench, saw Boeheim’s signal and shook his head as he trotted down the court.

In front of his Florida family, he wanted every possible minute. More than usual. Boeheim then burned a 60-second timeout to almost exclusively talk to Melo.

On the bench, Melo’s headshake turned to nod after nod of approval. A thumbs-up followed.

He is pushing through, but even he says he understands he isn’t all the way there yet.

‘I was telling Coach, ‘I am in better shape, so let me play more,” Melo said. ‘And he said, ‘It is going to take time.’ But today I went out there and played more.’

Staying within flow, freshman Fair produces

Jim Boeheim called him the key in a decisive first half. Scoop Jardine said he resembled Wes Johnson.

High praise for C.J. Fair.

In SU’s 23-point win over South Florida, the freshman wing was as potent, in doses, as they come. In a game that flowed from defense to transition offense ? and for a coach that stresses efficiency ? Fair showed reassuring glimpses.

‘He reminds me of how Wes was, with how he is lanky, balanced, can get blocks, can get rebounds and dunks,’ Jardine said. ‘That is what we are going to need from C.J.’

Registering an increased role in 27 minutes, Fair did everything for the Orange. He shot 3-of-5 from the field for seven points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots.

His role as the epicenter of several of the Orange’s forced turnovers, which led to fast breaks, earned him that time.

For Fair, his complete outing was all about staying within the flow. His three timely swats spoke to that.

‘I see it as it happens,’ Fair said. ‘Once I see an opportunity, I try not to foul so I can block it from behind.’

aolivero@syr.edu

Published on February 4, 2011 at 12:00 pm