Neither of Syracuse’s starting guards entered the season with much experience. The last time that the Orange faced Indiana — less than a year ago — Trevor Cooney played just four minutes and Tyler Ennis was still in high school.

They’ve played just eight games together as SU’s starting backcourt, but already play with a sort of twin telepathy. They spend the majority of the game on the floor together and Ennis knows where Cooney likes to shoot, but Gerry McNamara and the Syracuse coaching staff have even made sure the two have a good relationship off the court.

“We play together every day,” Ennis said, “and I kind of know where his spots now where he’s going to be and where he likes to play.”

The Orange’s starting guards, on both ends of the floor, once again guided No. 4 SU to victory, igniting a 23-3 second-half run that propelled Syracuse to a 69-52 win against the Hoosiers (6-2) as part of the Big 10/ACC Challenge.

In front of 26,414 in the Carrier Dome, Cooney led the Orange (8-0) with a game-high 21 points. The well-rounded Ennis approached a triple-double with 17 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Defensively, the two guards combined for eight steals as part of a defensive performance that head coach Jim Boeheim said won his team the game.

“Both those guys are playing way beyond any hope or expectations and that’s why we’re in good position,” Boeheim said. “If they were playing like you would expect we’d probably have at least a couple losses.”

Cooney gives SU its outside presence, and Ennis has the presence of mind to get into the lane and fire passes out to the perimeter. Four of Cooney’s five 3s against Indiana were assisted by Ennis.

When IU drew the score to a tie just 2:09 into the second half, Cooney and Ennis helped SU embark on its extravagant run.

Cooney deflected a pass and started in transition with Ennis. The freshman guard brought the ball up as Cooney nestled into his familiar spot on the left wing. Ennis found him, and Cooney delivered.

“All I have to do is find the open spots and he’s going to find me,” Cooney said.

On Syracuse’s next possession, Cooney pulled up again. This time he was fouled and sunk all three at the line. Then Ennis hit a jumper.

A tie game transformed into a 10-point lead in just two and a half minutes and would eventually balloon as large as 21.

“I don’t think you could ask for them to play at a higher level than what they’ve played,” Boeheim said. “It’s really been amazing the level of play that they’ve had.”

Defensively, Ennis said picking up the 2-3 zone was a bit of a process at first — he didn’t play it much in high school or AAU and even those were “nothing like this.”

But Tuesday was the fourth time that Ennis racked up at least four steals and the fourth straight game with at least three.

“I think I’m still learning a couple things, just off reads and what the other team’s doing,” Ennis said. “The zone, I think I’m learning it.”

He and Cooney form a different style of backcourt than the one that Michael Carter-Williams and Brandon Triche did a year ago, but the defensive production has been similar. The Orange’s recent stretch of strong play, starting in Hawaii, has coincided with the backcourt’s improvement on both ends of the floor.

The expectation was for a freshman point guard and an inexperienced shooting guard to struggle.

Cooney found the ire of Syracuse fans last season as his limited 3-point attempts frequently clanged off the rim — or missed it all together. Ennis was simply an unknown.

But now they’ve become more complete players. In only eight games, expectations have flipped. What was once considered a weakness of the team has become one of its clear strengths.

“They’ve really picked up the whole team,” Boeheim said. “I don’t think you can say enough about how they’ve played this year.”

Published on December 3, 2013 at 9:22 pm

Contact David: dbwilson@syr.edu | @DBWilson2