Nov. 26, 2006

Syracuse hasn't looked very impressive despite a soft early season schedule.

The 17th-ranked Orange (6-0) hope to get off to a better start when they take on Holy Cross (5-0) in a matchup of unbeaten teams at the Carrier Dome on Monday night.

The Orange are playing their first 15 games in New York state, but won't see a ranked opponent until Saturday when they face No. 25 Wichita State. The Shockers knocked off No. 6 LSU on Saturday.

Based on its recent efforts, Syracuse may need to make substantial progress Monday in preparation for next weekend's matchup. The Orange trailed by as many as 15 points before rallying for an 81-71 victory at Canisius on Saturday.

It was the second time in three games the Orange trailed by as many as 15 after they came back to beat Northeastern 81-58 on Nov. 15. Syracuse also struggled in a 79-67 win over Charlotte on Wednesday after leading only 31-30 at the half.

"I hope we learn soon, to tell you the truth. We can't take these teams for granted," Syracuse guard Eric Devendorf said Saturday. "We've just have to go out there and, mentally, be ready. And tonight we weren't."

Syracuse starting center Darryl Watkins missed his second straight game with a nose injury, and the Orange were outrebounded 54-32.

Watkins averages only 3.8 rebounds per game, but the Orange have outrebounded all four opponents when he has played. They were beaten on the boards for the second straight game without him.

Still, coach Jim Boeheim's biggest concern is fixing his club's slow starts.

"We'll work on it," Boeheim said. "If we finish good, that's not a bad thing. But we need to get better early."

One encouraging sign is the improved play of Paul Harris, the preseason Big East newcomer of the year. Harris is averaging 15.0 points on 62.5 percent shooting over the last three games after averaging 9.0 points on 33 percent shooting in his first three college contests.

Syracuse has been relying on 3-point shooting in the early season, averaging more than 19 attempts per game. Devendorf, leading scorer Demetris Nichols and Josh Wright are each shooting at least 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Holy Cross got another solid effort from Keith Simmons and posted a 66-57 victory over William & Mary on Saturday. The senior guard had 16 points, eight rebounds and a career-high seven steals for the Crusaders, who are off to the 11th 5-0 start in school history.

Simmons is averaging 18.2 points and has recorded at least five steals twice this season.

The Crusaders are beginning a four-game road trip that includes stops at Yale, Dayton and No. 9 Duke.

Boeheim is 7-1 in his career against Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard, who was his assistant when Syracuse reached the national title game in 1986-87. That mark was compiled during Willard's Big East stint at Pittsburgh from 1994-99.

Syracuse and Holy Cross are meeting for the first time since 1981. The series is tied 12-12.