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| Coleman has struggled in Big East play. (US Presswire) |
As a team with just nine available scholarship players, Syracuse could ill afford another personnel loss. Forward James Southerland is out with an academic issue, which has made the Orange’s bench thinner.
Now, coach Jim Boeheim will be forced to make due with even less, as freshman big man DaJuan Coleman will undergo surgery on his left knee Tuesday and is expected to miss up to four weeks.
Coleman has struggled during Big East play, but he has started every game f this season. The 6-9 post player has shown flashes of his potential, although he has totaled just 12 points and six rebounds in seven conference games. His minutes have steadily decreased over the last month. For the season, Coleman is putting up 5.0 points and 4.4 rebounds.
Without Coleman, more pressure falls on Rakeem Christmas and Baye Keita in the paint. Both players can block shots and rebound, but neither offers much production on the offensive end. Freshman Jerami Grant has come on strong since Southerland’s suspension, averaging 10 points and 4.5 rebounds in four games.
Syracuse (18-2, 6-1) faces Pittsburgh on Saturday, looking to bounce back after falling to Villanova over the weekend.
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