Trevor Cooney is like a ghost story. Everyone’s really interested, but no one has seen much of him.¬†Since getting to Syracuse in August of 2011, the Delaware native has yet to play an official game with the Orange. This year, he plans for that to change.
He redshirted last season because of SU’s depth in the back court. An October tonsillectomy knocked him out of 14 practices. He missed Thursday night’s exhibition game, then¬†resumed practice and finally played on Sunday afternoon. The Orange took on Bloomsburg of Pennsylvania 103-60, with six players in double figures. Although Cooney was not one of those players, he made the most of it. He told The Fizz after the game how much it meant to return to the court.
“Sitting out all of last year it was pretty much a full year since I had played a real basketball game. So I mean redshirting, then coming back this year and the tonsil thing happens. It’s like, wow, you’re just itching to play but I’m glad I was able to play today and played well.”
In 23 minutes of action, Cooney scored 6 points on 2-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. He also chipped in 3 assists and a steal. Just getting his game temp back was huge for Cooney.
“I’m glad I got to play one game, and get one game under my belt before going into the season. But I mean I only put together two full days of practice before today so I didn’t have my legs or wind that I would normally have. I’m looking forward to this week of practice, and putting together a full week of practice before playing on Friday.”
As for the opener against San Diego State, Cooney will be good to go medically.
“He’s fine,” Jim Boeheim said during his press conference. “He had 14 days where he couldn’t practice. He could just shoot and now he’s cleared to go full speed.”
Cooney simply wants to earn minutes and contribute on the court. While it’s been nearly a year and a half since his last time playing a real game, everything counts.
“This year I just want to be spark off the bench, really. I feel like we had that last year with Dion so I mean if I can just come off the bench and play hard and play well on top of the 2-3 zone and make shots and create for my teammates, that’s all I really want to do.”
After a long year and a half away from playing competitively, Cooney is more focused than ever on making the most of his opportunities. It all begins for him and his teammates on Friday in California. An aircraft carrier seems to be the perfect venue for a sharpshooter to make his debut.
Posted: Alex Kline
