You can’t put a value on the four-year college basketball player, especially in that wonderfully giddy stomach-tossing ride known as the NCAA Tournament.
That’s when the four years of experience, the hundreds of game minutes played, the thousands of shots in the gym, the quantum leap in confidence, makes the senior the most prized commodity in the game.
Jim Boeheim knows this. The Hall of Fame coach knows he can draw up the most brilliant play, call the perfect timeout, make the uncanny substitution but when the final horn sounds, it almost always comes down to how the players have played.
And in March, it usually comes down to senior players.
Brandon Triche is in his fourth season in orange and white, but he might have arrived last night. Triche scored a career-high 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting, in a 76-65 win over Seton Hall at the Prudential Center. He had six rebounds, five assists, two steals and just one turnover in 40 minutes of play.
When the Orange fell behind 21-12 early, his jumper sparked a 12-0 run that turned the game. Triche had half of Syracuse’s points in that run. He did what seniors are supposed to do, what Boeheim told him was needed after 66-58 loss at Connecticut last Wednesday.
“He told me I have to be the best player on the team,’’ said Triche as the winning locker room emptied out. “He told me it’s my team.’’
Triche, who has been starting since he was a freshman, hasn’t embraced that concept. He started his 132nd game last night and finally dropped some hints that he’s ready to step up, ready to lead Syracuse into March.
He had a season-high 26 points until there were nine seconds left and less on the shot clock when he lined up a 3 from the top of the key. The net went “Swish!” and the thousands of Syracuse’s fans that helped Seton Hall (13-13, 2-11) sell a season-high 13,569 tickets went bonkers.
“To be honest, I wanted to get 30,’’ Triche said with a smile.
Boeheim has been engaged in a season-long mind bending campaign with Triche. Boeheim wants him to be aggressive. And then he wants him to be more aggressive.
When sixth-ranked Syracuse (21-4, 9-3) went into last year’s tournament, even a prisoner in solitary confinement at the Patrick J. Corbett Justice Center knew Dion Waters was going to take the big shot for the Orange.
Michael Carter-Williams seemed to be the new flavor this season but defenses have wised up. James Southerland of Queens (11 points) still is getting his legs back after returning from a midseason ineligibility ruling. C.J. Fair has rebounded from last season’s late slump, but this is a guard-oriented team. And Triche is the senior guard.
“It was the same way in high school,’’ Triche said. “I was so naive as a freshman. But you grow up and get more confident. It was the same way here. Even though I started as a freshman, it wasn’t my team. Sometimes it takes a while to grasp that.’’
Syracuse fans will say, better late than never.