Holy Cross knocked down the first basket of the game. But on Syracuse’s first possession, Andrew White answered with a 3 of his own, erasing the Crusaders’ only lead of the game.

Within the first 12 minutes, White had nailed four of his five 3-pointers. He served as a safety valve for an offense that is still putting the pieces together. And while Syracuse has options at every position, White was the constant of the Orange’s offense early on.

He barely celebrated each make. That’s because he expects the ball to fall through the net every time he launches it from deep. That’s what he was brought in to Syracuse to do.

“Andrew was geared up tonight. He was ready to go,” Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. “He’s a shooter. He was focused and obviously that’s what he does.”

White finished with 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting from behind the arc in No. 18 Syracuse’s (2-0) 90-46 win over Holy Cross (0-2) in the Carrier Dome. The fifth-year graduate transfer from Nebraska played 25 of the game’s first 27 minutes and sat out the final 13 as the Orange cruised.

White dazzled with the shooting ability that allowed him to shoot 41 percent from deep last season. But for him, this is a new year on a new team and he expects even more.

“My motto is, if I shoot a shot, it’s supposed to go in,” White said. “… My coaches and my players expect for the shot to go in when I attempt it. That’s why every day I prepare as if that’s my job, because that is my job, to make shots for this team.”

Holy Cross played zone against Syracuse and within the first few moments of the game, White knew exactly what spots would be open. Between the wing and the top in the half-court set and in the corners or on the wings in transition. It just came down to his teammates getting him the ball. All five of his 3s were assisted.

Against Colgate in the season opener, White put up 17 points but went only 2-for-7 on 3-pointers. His five 3s showed the part of his game that makes him the dynamic wing scorer that he is. Three of his triples came as Syracuse broke the game open with a 18-3 run in the middle of the first half.

“He’s gaining our respect as a shooter,” sophomore guard Frank Howard said. “That’s what he is, he’s a shooter.”

Once the competition gets stiffer, White knows he’ll be even more important. Boeheim said after the game that expectations have to be tempered before SU reaches that point in the schedule. But for now, the Syracuse coaches encourage White to be the offensive weapon he was against Holy Cross. The more he creates for himself, the more it will open up the offense.

“Good teams will take that guy away,” Boeheim said referring to White, “so you got to have other people. But he’s a good player, a very good shooter, a very good shooter.”

From the moment White joined Syracuse, he knew he’d have a big role on the team. His coaches told him that from the get-go.

He subbed out with 13 minutes to play. By then, there was nothing left to prove.

After the game, White was asked if he views himself as the X-factor of the Orange.

“I think it’s a little early now to be saying that,” White said, “but I’m just trying to come in and do my job.”

Published on November 15, 2016 at 11:16 pm

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds