Syracuse basketball 2014-15: Syracuse vs, Kennesaw State
Syracuse's Ron Patterson dishes off in the second half against Kennesaw State on Nov. 14, 2014, at the Carrier Dome.
(Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com)
Syracuse, N.Y. — Ron Patterson, Syracuse University's shooting/scoring guard, found himself shifting to the point Friday night with Orange backup Michael Gbinije unavailable for basketball duty.
Patterson, the 6-foot-2 sophomore, was asked after his Orange dominated Kennesaw State 89-42 whether he'd ever played point guard.
"Not really," he said. Then he quickly qualified that answer.
"But back at home I did. I wasn't really the point, but I always had the ball," he said. "When I have the ball, my confidence goes up."
Kaleb Joseph, the Syracuse starter at the lead guard spot, said he offered no strategic words of wisdom to Patterson. Joseph did not believe advice was warranted. All he told Patterson was "to do what you do, play your game."
"We all do the same drills, we all run through the same system," Joseph said. "He plays (there) a little bit."
Patterson said he "rushed" his shots a bit Friday, which accounted for his 2-of-9 performance. But he felt fairly good about his spot point guard duty. Patterson recorded four assists and had just one turnover.
"You know, it's not his position," SU coach Jim Boeheim said. "He did OK there."