NEW YORK — Syracuse may be bolting for the ACC, but Scoop Jardine will finish his career in the Big East.
And that is good news for the reporters who cover basketball in the league.
Thoughtful, funny and always entertaining, Jardine may be the best player interview in the league.
“There’s nothing like the Big East,” Jardine told SNY.tv during an exclusive interview Wednesday at Big East Media Day. “I’m happy I’m a part of it. If this is the last year of the Big East, this is my lsat year so I’ll be a part of something special, and that’s all I care about right now.”
Jardine, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound guard from Philadelphia, hopes his last year in college is special.
The Orange are tied with defending NCAA champion UConn for first in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll and are ranked as high as No. 4 in several national preseason polls. They certainly have the talent and depth to make a Final Four run. Senior forward Kris Joseph was chosen to the All-Big East First Team, and Jardine is on the Second Team.
They also bring back junior Brandon Triche, one of the top point guards in the league, and enigmatic sophomore Dion Waiters. Highly touted freshman guard Michael Carter-Williams figures to make an impact right away, too.
Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim told USA Today this team has “more weapons than we’ve had since 2003,” the year Carmelo Anthony led the Orange to the national championship. “We have more weapons. Now, whether we’ll be as good as that, we’ll have to find out,” Boeheim added.
“We don’t really go off of what people pick of our team,” Jardine told SNY.tv of the preseason poll. “We got one goal and that’s to win a national championship. We’re going to do everything in our power to work very hard this whole season to try to fulfill that dream.”
Jardine said the challenge will be trying to blend all the talent together and not to let egos get out of control.
“We just have to leave our egos at the door and play and help one another and do one thing, and that’s try to win a national championship,” he said.
Up front, the Orange are loaded with big men in sophomores C.J. Fair, Baye Moussa Keita and Fab Melo, as well as freshman Rakeem Christmas.
Melo was the Preseason Rookie of the Year pick last season, but disappointed with averages of 2.4 points and 1.9 rebounds.
He was suspended two games in February and also faces a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge involving his girlfriend. He has a court hearing scheduled for Nov. 30, but a team spokesman said Melo will not miss any games as a result.
“Fab’s been solid,” said Jardine, who spent time with his Syracuse teammate during the World University Games this summer in China. “He’s working really hard, worked hard on his body.
“I got a lot of respect for Fab. He went through a lot this summer but he handled it as well as I’ve ever seen anybody handle that. Our team is behind him 100 percent and now he’s back on the court and he’s bringing energy. He’s bringing it every day in practice. and I’m happy that he’s on our team.”
A team that Jardine hopes to lead to the Final Four in his final season at Syracuse.
