Matt Glaude of the ever optimistic Orange 44 and I engage in yet another Q&A of Pitt-Syracuse match-ups to start 2007. My responses to his questions are here. And here are his to mine.

I. What expectations did you have with the leaving of Mr. Overrated? the arrival of Freshman sensation Paul Harris, and the team that was still there? How have they changed after the non-con if at all?

My expectations entering this campaign were fairly tempered. Having seen this squad adjust to seismic changes in the past (save 2003), I was fairly concerned with the amount of transition that this team was going to go through.

Gerry McNamara, despite his significant deficiencies, was pretty much played “Mr. Everything” last year and with his departure, I knew that the team was going to feel some growing pains.

As for Paul Harris, I bought into the hype a little bit. With his body build, he had the potential to immediately impact the game on the glass and on the defensive end. What I didn’t know, however, was how poor his shot was. There were indications in the preseason that his offensive game needed significant development (which is probably why I didn’t buy into Harris hook, line, and sinker), but nobody could have convinced me that he would be this one-dimensional offensively.

With respect to the rest of the roster, I really thought that the Orange senior corps would take a drastic leap forward. Toward the end of last season, Terrence Roberts and Mookie Watkins looked like they had enough game to really pace the squad in 2006-2007. Moreover, now-sophomore Eric Devedorf showed flashes of offensive genius last season and a toughness that could define the team’s confidence.

As this season has shown, however, I really missed the boat on Demetris Nichols. He has become an all-around player with an ability to really burn down the nets (save his dunk/layup gaffe against Wichita State). It has been his senior class compatriots, for the most part, the have not taken that step forward that I anticipated.

Like most fans following Big East teams, my expectations have not changed much following the non-conference slate (with notable exceptions illustrated above). Syracuse still has a lot of room to grow and can still make a trip to the Sweet Sixteen or beyond. Boeheim has clearly groomed this team for Big East play; it is simply a question of whether or not the roster is ready to take that step forward.

II. Nichols has been shining the last few games, Devendorf is struggling and Paul Harris is still learning. Basically, what is the deal with this team?

If Jim Boeheim doesn’t have the answer yet, neither do I.

The problem with Devendorf the last couple of weeks has been a combination of sickness and a hometown tragedy where he lost a childhood friend in a shooting. Both distractions occurred back-to-back over the last month and his production has connectedly struggled. He showed flashes of life again against Hofstra, and should be back to his thuggish form soon.

Overall, though, the team is relying too heavily on Nichols to carry the offensive load. With Roberts essentially turning in a no-show and Andy Rautins failing to find his outside shooting form, the team is still looking for two other reliable offensive weapons to run Boeheim’s offense. Until those options surface, this team is going to have troubles with consistency.

Personally, I think that “eureka” moment will come when Josh Wright establishes himself as a stabilizing fixture at the point. Right now, he is still learning where to distribute the basketball and when to penetrate and create contact and easy scoring opportunities. He has all the physical tools to really get the offense cooking, but right now, he still seems tentative on the offensive.

But when you lose Gerry McNamara, that kind of indecision is easy to see happening.

III. As far as Harris, Coach Jim Boeheim spent all summer/fall pumping this kid to every basketball writer who asked — Mike DeCourcy, Andy Katz, Seth Davis, etc. — that he was a big time player. With his inconsistent play (which isn’t really unexpected) , Boeheim has defended Harris at times as blaming the media for expecting too much from him. Um, why hasn’t anyone pointed out the reason for those expectations? What are your expectations regarding him? Will he stick for more than one year?

Honestly, I think writers are genuinely frightened of calling Boeheim on his boasting. Ever since his tirade in the Big East Tournament last year, writers have been very selective about what topics Boeheim should address. As Boeheim has been struggling with Harris’ development as of late, I’m sure that nobody wants to light the torch that sparks the gasoline.

As I noted above, I took a wait-and-see approach with Harris. There are only a handful of freshman that can step in and pull a Carmelo Anthony-like performance. Given the book on Harris’ offensive game coming into the season, I didn’t expect him to have All-World potential like Kevin Durant down at Texas.

With respect to Harris sticking around for more than one year, I think it is in his best interest to do so. He has almost limitless potential, but just doesn’t know how to play the game quite yet. Until he shows flashes of development on the hardwood, I am fairly certain that everyone associated with the hoops program at Syracuse will advise him similarly.

The X-factor, of course, is the fact that he does have a daughter and is not the strongest student in the classroom. If the money begins to drop early and/or academic probation looms, there is a good chance that Harris makes the jump.

IV. How are Syracuse fans adjusting to this new Big East? Not just the size, but the shift in powers at the moment. Syracuse, by virtue of its success and coach get plenty of attention and TV exposure; but the last few years the expectations for who will rule the Big East has stayed in Storrs, Pitt’s gotten the attention, Villanova and this year it’s Syracuse behind Pitt, UConn, Marquette, G-town and possibly ‘Nova pre-season. No one’s putting Syracuse out of the NCAA, but they aren’t talking seriously about them in the Big East race.

The lack of focus on Syracuse really hasn’t discouraged the Orange faithful. Everyone seems to understand that this year is one of transition, and with an awesome class of freshman poised to take residence on The Hill next year, there is a general feeling that this edition of the Orange simply needs to “not fall apart.”

Plus, Syracuse really didn’t carry the league’s banner the last two seasons. And those years led to two tournament championships (and two forgettable first-round NCAA exits). But the former point seems to be sticking in everyone’s mind (although the last isn’t too far behind).

The real point of emphasis, though, is that the Syracuse program is never going to fall too far from national consciousness. The Big East naturally sees these cyclical shifts in power over the years. From St. John’s, to Providence late-80’s/early 90’s performances, to Seton Hall’s efforts under P.J. Carlesimo, to Boston College actually looking like they understood the game of basketball under Al Skinner, the Big East inherently posts new faces in dominant places every few years. It’s just a matter of time before Syracuse assumes its rightful place somewhere among the top three teams in the conference.

Hell, it took Georgetown almost 10 years to figure its way back into Big East relevance. If anyone thought that would happen during the “Hoya Destroya” era, you’d think they were crazy. With that in mind, it’s not the worst thing in the world that Syracuse has had two “down” years with a bright future ahead. The Orange will get back, because if they don’t, we may be witnessing not only the fall of Big East royalty, but the end of one of the most important basketball head coaching tenures in the nation. And I’m not ready to accept that fate quite yet.

More tomorrow and hopefully before gametime.