BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jim Boeheim has had plenty of good shooters during his days at Syracuse. During the last decade alone, he’s coached Gerry McNamara, Andy Rautins, Eric Devendorf and James Southerland.

In his mind, Trevor Cooney fits right in with that group — and he proved why in the Orange’s second-round NCAA Tournament win against No. 14-seed Western Michigan on Thursday. During his slump that’s lasted the better part of two months, he’s never been afraid to shoot the ball.

“I like the ones that don’t think much, or maybe can’t think much is even a better description, because they just forget things,” the SU head coach said. “They forget what happened or what didn’t happen. They just get the next shot. And the best shooter, those are the guys.”

Maybe Cooney won’t go off like he did against the Broncos on Saturday when No. 3-seed Syracuse faces No. 11-seed Dayton, but he won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

In the college ranks, that’s what makes a great shooter.

“It just spaces the floor a bit when I’m making shots and defense has to come out on me when I’m out there,” Cooney said after the Orange’s win over WMU. “It opens up other lanes for other people.”

It’s not like in the NBA, where shooters are supposed to be automatic — they just need to be confident and keep the defense honest. There are no Reggie Millers, Boeheim said, who even on their worst nights will hit 4-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Coaching the United States at the Olympics, Boeheim got to watch Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant rarely miss in shooting drills.

“College kids, if they make 10, we call them great shooters,” Boeheim said. “These guys make 19 out of 20 like 10 times. If Kevin Durant makes 15 out of 20, well, look at the ball because there’s something wrong with the ball there.”

Great college shooters have the same confidence as the NBA’s best, but the difference becomes repetition. The best NBA shooters “shoot the same shot every time,” Boeheim said.

When shooters struggle, it’s when their feet are moving too much or they’re sliding into their shot. Cooney has gotten most of his looks while curling around screens, but when he gets good, set shots he tends to make them.

“I’m very confident when we get him good shots, he’s going to make them,” Boeheim said. “I’m very confident in that until the game’s over and he doesn’t.”

Published on March 22, 2014 at 5:12 pm

Contact David: dbwilson@syr.edu | @DBWilson2