Just like he did prior to the Cornell game, Jerami Grant shot warm up jumpers more than an hour before tipoff.

This time, though, instead of changing into street clothes, he played. And he posted his first career double-double, scoring 16 points and notching 10 rebounds. Grant returned from a one-game suspension due to playing an extra summer league game, and Syracuse felt his presence immediately.

Grant’s point and rebound totals were both career highs. His all-around performance and spark off the bench ignited Syracuse (2-0) to an 89-74 win over Fordham (1-1) on Tuesday night at the Carrier Dome in front of 22,667. He looked sharp in his first action of the season, showing off an improved mid-range jumper and dominating on the glass.

“He brings energy and scoring,” Syracuse point guard Tyler Ennis said. “We missed him a lot.”

When Grant checked in at the 17:21 mark in the first half, he almost did so with a boom. Ennis lobbed a pass Grant’s way, but it was overthrown and sailed out of bounds. Grant hung on and bent the rim, clearly eager to be back on the court. It was his first regular season game in eight months.

Just more than a minute later, though, Grant tapped in a C.J. Fair miss to give Syracuse an 8-2 lead. That was his first of seven offensive rebounds, three of which led to field goals.

“He’s such a good offensive rebounder,” Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said.

Boeheim said that the increase in fouls — there were 55 total on Tuesday — favors Grant and complements his game. He naturally wants to drive to the basket, and with the new rule, Boeheim says, there’s a “90 percent chance” there’s going to be a foul called.

It helped that four of Fordham’s starters were 6 feet 3 inches or shorter, but Grant gobbled up rebounds all evening and lived at the free throw line, attempting nine foul shots in all. He bullied Branden Frazier and Ryan Rhoomes on the glass, establishing himself early inside.

But Grant also showcased an improved jumper. Before the game, when he warmed up with assistant coach Adrian Autry, Grant canned jumpers from all over the floor. He rotated around the court, taking 15-footers from five different spots.

His jumper looked smooth and natural, and in the game it was no different. In the second half, with Syracuse up by 22, Grant power-dribbled past Mandell Thomas to the middle.

He pulled up and shot a one-handed floater that swished through the net.

“I definitely can hit those shots I took today,” Grant said. “I missed a couple, but at the same time I can hit them.”

Ennis said Grant worked diligently with Autry and by himself in the offseason to hone that element of his game. Fair added that Grant is more confident taking mid-range jumpers than he was last season.

“It helps me out personally a lot,” Fair said. “He’s one of them players that can knock down the open shot.”

Grant said Fair told him to be aggressive when he got in. That’s what Fair did a couple years ago, and now it’s Grant’s turn.

For a player who averaged just four points last season, his minutes and numbers will likely see a significant spike this year. Tuesday was just a glimpse of what the 6-foot-8 forward may provide this year.

Fair is Syracuse’s main scoring guru. He had a career-high 26 himself. But when teams focus in on Fair, Grant is there to provide a second punch. He scored eight points before Fordham cracked double digits.

In the first half, he flushed home a dunk off a pass from Ron Patterson to give the Orange a six-point lead.

But his highlight-reel play came with 5:28 to go in the game and clamped the faintest of comeback hopes Fordham had. Grant swooped in and corralled a Fair miss mid-air. He thrust the ball through the hoop with one hand as the Carrier Dome crowd erupted.

“Jerami’s going to have a lot of those,” Fair said. “We’re expecting a big year from him.”

Published on November 13, 2013 at 12:07 am

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu | @TrevorHass