For a 32-second stretch, Kris Joseph’s all-around game became visible.

With SU up 14 early in the second half, Joseph ran across the baseline looking for an opening. The Syracuse forward crossed under the basket and received a crisp pass from guard Dion Waiters and went to his left around Fordham’s Alberto Estwick for a layup.

Then he came up with a steal on SU’s defensive end. In transition, Brandon Triche found Joseph on the left wing for a 3-pointer to push the Orange’s lead to 19, forcing a Fordham timeout.

‘It’s going to come full circle,’ Joseph said. ‘I’ve been working on my jump shooting a lot, and I’ve always been a guy that’s been able to slash. I’ve shown it since my sophomore year. So with the addition of the more consistent jump shot, I think I’ll be that much harder to guard.’

Joseph led Syracuse (1-0) with 16 points on Saturday, 11 of them coming in the second half of the No. 5 Orange’s 78-53 victory over Fordham (0-1). The senior forward — who has battled injuries in both his knees, inhibiting his ability to play much this summer — played the most minutes (27) of anyone on SU and got stronger as the game went on. Head coach Jim Boeheim said it is a process for Joseph to get back to full strength on the court, but in Syracuse’s season opener, he impressed.

‘I think Kris is, I think he’s healthy,’ Boeheim said. ‘I think he showed me a lot more movement tonight, I think it’s still a process. I think he’ll get back, hopefully pretty quick.’

Joseph hung out on the left wing most of the game in Syracuse’s offensive sets, and he was often the first guy to receive a pass from an Orange guard once the ball crossed half court. That gave him an opportunity to survey the defense and decide whether to drive, shoot or pass.

Early in the game, with both teams trying to feel each other out, Joseph gave SU the first cushion for both teams when he knocked down a 3 off a feed from Triche. That put the Orange up 9-5.

Joseph’s been working on developing a better jumper, he said, especially with his right knee still in healing mode. Joseph missed time in practice leading up to SU’s exhibition games with the injury.

He showed little hesitancy against the Rams, though.

‘He’s just being aggressive. He worked a lot on his jump shot,’ Triche said. ‘… And once he gets going, adrenaline gets pumping, no injury can stop you. I know when my knee was hurting a bit. Once I hit a few shots, it numbs it up.’

Joseph stayed aggressive throughout the first half even though his shots weren’t falling. A contested jumper from the left corner rimmed out early, and he missed his second 3-point attempt.

But Boeheim left him on the court. The other four starters were already taken out before C.J. Fair subbed in for Joseph at the 8:30 mark of the first half.

‘I just play,’ Joseph said. ‘I don’t really think about if I’m getting my shots up. In the first half I got to the basket, I just missed a few gimmes. And the second half a lot of them were falling for me.’

The buckets started falling with that complete five-point stretch for Joseph to give SU its largest lead of the game to that point at 47-28. He drove to the hoop without any inhibitions. He got inside and boxed out defensively.

After Fordham’s Bryan Smith took a 3 that bounced straight off the backboard, Joseph grabbed the rebound and quickly got the ball upcourt. Then, with the ball back in his hands moments later, he made a strong pass down low to freshman forward Rakeem Christmas, who went up for the dunk, was fouled and made the basket.

And with the game well out of reach, Joseph still made plays in his final minutes on court.

Receiving a pass in the left corner, Joseph drove baseline against his defender. He spun around, got to the hoop and made a contested shot while taking a foul. Once he made the free throw, SU took its biggest lead yet, 69-41.

It might be a process, but Joseph was at a capable stage for Syracuse on Saturday.

‘I definitely thought I was a little better as opposed to those first two exhibition games,’ Joseph said. ‘But it’s a process, and I’m doing well.’

mcooperj@syr.edu

Published on November 12, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Mark: mcooperj@syr.edu | @mark_cooperjr