Syracuse senior Matt Gorman streaked down the floor at Manley Field House on Tuesday, leaped over Darryl Watkins and slammed down a lob from Louie McCroskey.

It was only a preseason practice drill, but it illustrated how a lighter Gorman could help a thin Syracuse frontcourt.

Gorman, who redshirted last season after sitting most of his first two seasons behind Craig Forth and Hakim Warrick, finally has a chance to play significant minutes this season. He continued to work out despite not playing last season. He’s listed on the Syracuse roster as five pounds lighter than the 240 pounds he weighed in 2004.

‘I think this is a good opportunity for him this year,’ SU head coach Jim Boeheim said. ‘He’s come back in better shape. He’s lost some weight. He’s a lot more mobile. I think he’s worked hard in the offseason.’

The Orange will look to Gorman for an offensive spark in the paint. With most of the defensive attention focused on stopping guard Gerry McNamara on the outside, Gorman should have opportunities to dump in close and mid-range shots.

Despite Gorman’s tenacity, he’s never played more than 15 minutes in a game. He scored a career-high eight points against Binghamton in December 2003.

‘I think Matt’s a very good offensive player,’ Boeheim said. ‘I think that’s what he does best. He shoots, he scores. He’s a good low post player. I think there’s an opportunity down there for him to give us some offensive contributions.’

Gorman is looking forward to his opportunity to lead. The Orange is a young team – only Gorman and McNamara are seniors – and McNamara can only do so much. Some of the leadership responsibilities ultimately fall on Gorman.

Gorman is well-suited for the job. He knows he can’t replace Warrick or Forth and has called on his teammates to bond together to fill the void.

‘Play and win games – that’s what I want to do,’ Gorman said. ‘I hope (I get a lot of playing time).

‘If we play as a team, we can do anything we want to. ‘If we play as a team, our success is unlimited.’

Missing madness

While many schools across the United States rejoiced the official start of the new college basketball season last week with a ‘Midnight Madness’ celebration, Syracuse took a less eventful approach.

Syracuse welcomed fans to watch its Oct. 14 practice at Manley Field House, and fans in attendance could grab a new Syracuse basketball poster and a few player autographs. Under new NCAA rules, SU’s 7 p.m. practice qualified as Midnight Madness.

In the past, teams could start practicing at midnight on the designated date – hence the Midnight Madness title. The NCAA moved the time up to 7 p.m. this season.

The Orange tried a true Midnight Madness celebration once a few years ago but only 3,000 fans showed up and the late start threw off an entire weekend of practices. The women’s team started its practice at midnight and the men’s team followed. By 1:30 a.m., most fans had left and SU performed poorly in both that night’s and the next day’s practices, Boeheim said.

Syracuse considered bringing Midnight Madness to Manley Field House last year, but with many students home for a long weekend, he decided not to hold anything.

‘I thought about doing it for just the students last year, and then I found out it was the students’ break,’ said Boeheim, referring to Columbus Day weekend. ‘I’ve never bought into it. You get two good practices in versus no good practices in.’

Other Big East schools, like Rutgers, held a Midnight Madness event. Big East newcomer Louisville opted for an approach similar to Syracuse’s.

Rutgers’ event, held at the Louis Brown Athletic Center, had inflatable jungle gym activities for children while fans could watch the Scarlet Knights participate in a three-point shooting contest and a dunk contest. The event at Rutgers concluded at midnight due to the new rules.

‘It’s always something our community looks forward to,’ Rutgers associate director of athletic communications John Bisser said. ‘What it really is, is interaction between our players and our fans. We want students to come, but we also want young kids. It’s an amusement park setting. It’s a fun atmosphere.’

This and that…

Manley Field House will be part arena, part dining area on Friday evening. Fans will be at Manley on Friday to watch Syracuse scrimmage. Then players and coaches will join the guests in a post-practice meal. … Boeheim and McNamara are in New York City today for Big East Media Day.

Asst. Sports Editor Ethan Ramsey contributed to this story.

Published on October 25, 2005 at 12:00 pm