Jim Boeheim subbed out star guard Tyus Battle early in the first quarter of a tie game against Pitt on Tuesday with no fouls, and it took even Battle aback.

“I was really surprised,” Battle said. “But it felt good a little bit.”

Battle enjoyed the breather because Syracuse’s iron man averages more minutes per game in ACC play (40.5) than there are minutes in a regulation college basketball game (40). Battle checked back in two minutes later on Tuesday night in the Carrier Dome, but the respite, albeit brief and unusual, foreshadowed the days of rest to come.

As Syracuse (13-6, 2-4 Atlantic Coast) hustled off the court and into the locker room after escaping lowly Pittsburgh (8-11, 0-6), it walked into a seven-day break, the longest stretch without a game the Orange will have for the rest of the season.

After a four-game losing streak — each a competitive game SU saw slip away in the final minutes — Syracuse entered its week-long layoff by finally earning a win. SU does not play again until it hosts Boston College (13-6, 3-3) on Jan. 24. Boeheim sees this as a crucial time to rest his taxed players and figure out how to pick up more wins when the slate resumes.

“We need practice days,” Boeheim said. “This team more than any team I’ve had at this stage of the year, we really need some days of practice.”

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Boeheim wants to address the offense, which has stagnated much of this season despite increased spacing and recent tinkering with a three-guard lineup. The Orange are one of the worst teams in the nation from beyond the arc — shooting just 31.9 percent, even when factoring in Frank Howard’s hot hand — and the offense overall ranks as Boeheim’s worst unit ever in effective field goal percentage on KenPom.com, which began tracking in 2002. The Orange currently have an effective field-goal percentage of 47.5, which ranks 297th in the nation.

The goal, Boeheim said, is to “make sure we understand what we’re trying to do.” He pointed to Florida State, when Battle had a career-high 37 points, as the moments when one player can carry the offense. But that cannot happen regularly, the team understands, because the workload has taxed the sophomore.

When asked if the heavy minutes load had taken a toll, Battle demurred. He said he’s in good shape and playing a high volume of minutes required more mental toughness than physical, but he’s still looking forward to the days off.

“They’ll be much needed,” Battle said. “I know I need it. Recovery, just tying things up and getting skills together.”

Boeheim emerged from Syracuse-Pitt with one positive: When Syracuse struggled early, players other than Battle or Howard stepped up.

“We’ve got a long way to go offensively,” Boeheim said. “I think these few days will help us.”

Players themselves, such as Battle and freshman forwards Oshae Brissett and Matthew Moyer, see the break as a chance to hone in on defense, Syracuse’s identity and the crux upon which the Orange must operate if it’s to upset stronger teams down the stretch.

“We’ve let down on our physicality and a lot of teams have out-rebounded us,” Brissett said. “If we win those rebounding battles, if we move the ball, we’ll win these games.”

Moyer added: “It’s the first week of class for us, so it’s a good week to get our feet under us. We’re going to sit back, watch film, game-plan, tweak some of those dumb mistakes that can be fixed.”

Battle wants to refocus the defense by absorbing the scouting report. Three times this season, SU has allowed a shooter to hit seven 3-pointers in one game. Most recently, Boeheim tore his suit jacket off in exasperation as Pitt’s freshman guard Parker Stewart camped at the top of the key and lit it up. Battle understands the importance of closing on those shooters because this year’s team branded itself on defense and uses it to stay in games.

But he’s not overlooking the rest aspect, either.

“This break is going to be great,” Battle said. “I can’t wait. There’s going to be a lot of ice baths.”

Published on January 17, 2018 at 9:51 pm

Contact Sam: sjfortie@syr.edu | @Sam4TR