On any other team in any other year, Mike Jones would be the freshman. On Syracuse this season, Mike Jones is the other freshman.

Paul Harris is Syracuse’s most heralded newcomer. But Jones will play a featured role on the team, too.

‘It depends what type of game it is,’ Jones said. ‘I’m just going to do what I’m going to do. I’m going to do what Boeheim tells me to do.’

Boeheim told the media that Jones’ role is a scorer.

‘He has a scorer’s mentality,’ Boeheim said. ‘He’s quick and he’s active. He’s a guy looking to score.’

The freshman from South Carolina has emerged as an offensive contributor in SU’s two exhibition games. It comes with the caveat that this is preseason; the opponents will be better in regular season and freshmen not named Carmelo often undergo growing pains at some point.

That was not the story on Sunday, though. In Sunday’s 99-51 win over Cal State-Los Angeles, Jones dropped 14 points in 18 minutes. He was 6-of-12 shooting, 2-of-3 on 3-pointers.

Jones is soft-spoken off the court, but he’s not shy on the court. In the first exhibition game, he attempted eight shots. His 12 shots on Sunday give him 20 in the preseason, the tied for third-most on the team.

And he’s not the type of player who’s a specialized scorer. He can shoot from the outside and finish on the inside. He showed his explosiveness to the hole Sunday with two fast-break dunks and a deft outside touch with a 3-pointer on his first attempt of the afternoon and one right before halftime.

On both Wednesday and Sunday, he nailed a trey on his first attempt.

‘It makes you feel more confident when you take your second and third shots,’ Jones said.

SU will utilize Jones off the bench this season. He has versatility with his 6-foot-8 frame, filling a Demetris Nichols-like role where he can shoot from the outside but also play the back of the zone.

His scoring will also be important off the bench. Last season, SU didn’t have a scorer off the bench. Its top two reserves, Josh Wright and Louie McCroskey, filled other roles. Jones is a clearly defined scorer.

SU has the potential to play with a deeper roster – and certainly a more versatile roster – than it has in the past and especially last season. The Orange is particularly strong on the wings, a key spot for depth purposes because those are often players who can play multiple positions depending on the opponent.

‘This year, coming out supporting the guys off the bench is important,’ Jones said. ‘Coming off the bench, you have to take a look at what is going on in the game and make the changes within the game.’

It’s why Jones – who insists he didn’t look at high school rankings – will be an important part of this year’s team, even if he’s the other freshman. After two exhibition games, he’s established a name and role for himself.

The opponents won’t become any easier, but he’s ready to find out.

‘I don’t know,’ Jones said. ‘I’ve been waiting for this since June, so I’m ready to get it started.’

Published on November 4, 2006 at 12:00 pm