Tyler Roberson grinned as he peered over a photographer’s shoulder at Syracuse media day on Oct. 18.

The photographer was scrolling through portrait shots of other freshmen: Ron Patterson flexing his biceps. Tyler Ennis crossing his arms. B.J. Johnson holding his hands behind his back.

With each progressive click, Roberson let out a chuckle. His smile widened.

And when the roll was through, Roberson took a basketball in each hand and extended his arms to each side, showcasing his 7-foot-1 wing span.

Syracuse fans around the country share the excitement that Roberson emitted. The Orange’s freshman class ranks 11th in the country and will make its preseason debut when the Orange hosts Holy Family in a scrimmage on Friday at 7 p.m.

Ennis is expected to see far and away the most court time of any of the freshmen as Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim expects Ennis will play 38 minutes per game this year. Roberson and Johnson are in line behind a slew of talented frontcourt stars including C.J. Fair. Patterson may be the fourth guard for SU behind Ennis, Trevor Cooney and Michael Gbinije. And center Chinonso Obokoh is redshirting.

“We don’t really have any plan as of right now in terms of playing time,” Boeheim said. “That works itself out usually. We’ll see how things progress, but it’s important to have depth and we have good depth at the forward and center positions.”

Additional preseason practice time allotted by the NCAA this year has helped prepare the freshmen to acclimate to college play more quickly. Boeheim estimated the Orange is holding an additional 21 preseason practices this year, in addition to its four-scrimmage Canada tour in August.

Roberson, who was not academically cleared until Sept. 5, was the only player unable to make the trip.

“It helps us a lot,” Ennis said. “We have different classes of guys. We have some seniors, juniors, and a lot of freshmen so being able to practice earlier, along with the Canada trip, is going to help us a lot getting everyone comfortable.”

Ennis showcased his smooth ball handling and nifty passing ability at Orange Madness on Oct. 18, flashing the point guard play that made him the No. 5 point guard recruit in the country.

Teammates and coaches have been immediately impressed with his poise and leadership, already taking command of the team without hesitation.

“He impressed me a lot, even in Canada, with the passes he makes,” center DaJuan Coleman said. “He is real smooth. He makes all the right plays.”

For the rest of the freshmen, their roles are less defined. Patterson is working his way into the rotation while Roberson — who said at media day he was still growing accustomed to his teammates — and Johnson have been matching up with Fair and Jerami Grant in practice.

Stuck behind the pair of athletic wings, they’ll likely be used sparingly, if at all, in Boeheim’s regular rotation.

“B.J. has had really good practices thus far,” Boeheim said. “He’s one of the better shooters on our team. He’s very long and has a ton of athleticism. At the same time, he’s continuing to learn and progress as we go.”

Patterson and Ennis agreed the biggest adjustment to the college game has been the speed of play, but at Orange Madness both appeared comfortable. Johnson and Roberson looked quick on the wing.

And Patterson and Johnson participated in the post-scrimmage dunk contest, showcasing their athletic ability.

On Friday, the Orange’s highly touted freshman class will get its next chance to reveal its potential.

Get your cameras ready.

Published on October 31, 2013 at 1:28 am

Contact Stephen: sebail01@syr.edu | @Stephen_Bailey1