ST. LOUIS – Frank Howard knew he probably wasn’t getting in. In seven of Syracuse’s first eight games of the season, the freshman logged single-digit minutes. Michael Gbinije manned the point for almost the entirety of every game and Howard was nearly invisible on the stat sheet, save for a 13-minute outing against Georgetown in which he scored four points.

Late in the season, it’s been the mirror opposite. He’s played double-digit minutes in seven of the last eight games, including 18 in the Orange’s Atlantic Coast Conference tournament opener. As Syracuse clawed back against Pittsburgh in the second half, Trevor Cooney sat while Howard took his place in the lineup and directed the offense to a comeback that fell just short.

“Especially being the point guard, experience is key,” Howard said Thursday. “…I think it’s been great … that type of level toward the end of the year, it kind of builds that momentum going into the Tournament.”

Howard has flashed his ability to thread pinpoint passes but also his hesitancy to take his own shot. The latter is something that’s slowly diminished with more experience, and the freshman has accumulated valuable minutes while proving to be a stable option at the point for 10th-seeded SU ahead of its matchup with seventh-seeded Dayton in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64 on Friday at 11:15 a.m. local time.

“We knew that, at least I knew that, he had the ability to do what he’s doing now,” freshman Tyler Lydon said. “He’s really developed as a whole.”

With Howard manning the point and Gbinije off ball, it’s given the fifth-year senior more opportunity to find his own shot and be on the receiving end of passes that set up open shots rather than vice versa.

Against the Panthers last Wednesday, Howard tried to zone out that he was playing over Gbinije even though it was far from what he was once accustomed to.

“At that point, you’ve just got to become a player,” Howard said. “You don’t really think about who’s in, who’s out at that point.”

On Thursday, Boeheim was asked about Howard’s development and how effective he can be in the NCAA Tournament. He laughed off the question before saying “some development,” and moving on.

The head coach has been critical of the freshman (when missing 10-foot floaters in the lane) and also showered him with praise (when he logged six assists in 14 minutes against Georgia Tech). For the first two-thirds of the season and at spots in the last stretch, the reviews have been mixed.

But Howard’s gradual improvement has given Syracuse another option in its thin rotation, and one that’s added a dimension to an offense that can’t afford another comeback falling short.

“I kind of got some comfort now so I’m a little bit more aggressive,” Howard said. “I’m trying to soak everything up.”