Spring Break
The Daily OrangeRehabbed and ready
One is stronger. The other more mature. Both Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf used their ACL injuries as an opportunity to transform themselves
By Tyler Dunne
Posted: 11/12/08, 7:33 PM EST Section: Basketball 2008
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The first ACL victim, Andy Rautins. Speaking into a bevy of microphones and tape recorders at Syracuse's media day in mid-October, Paul Harris put it on record. Rautins, the once-bony featherweight who loved McDonalds, snapped up as many bench-press repetitions as a heavyweight.
Nah, this wasn't emasculating. More like being an eyewitness to a transformation on Harris' turf - the weight room.
"He did 225 just as many times as I did yesterday," said a wide-eyed Harris. "He was just a skinny guy, but he put on some weight."
The second ACL victim, Eric Devendorf. During the first week of a practice - a volatile blur of drills paced by assistant coach Mike Hopkins' thunderous cadence - Devendorf took part in a drill where guards took charges from senior Jake Presutti.
On Devendorf's first of three turns, Presutti dribbled into him and Devendorf crashed into the hardwood. He screamed a profanity. Alarmed, Presutti winced and pointed to his own knee. To his relief, Devendorf hopped up. On Devendorf's next turn, a cautious Presutti dribbled softly into him and the guard lethargically flopped to the ground.
Devendorf jolted up and scowled at Presutti. "Go hard!" he demanded.
So on the do-over, Presutti rope-a-doped with a quick stutter step and blasted all of his 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame into a waiting Devendorf. Bulky black knee brace and all, Devendorf smashed into the ground.
For three seconds, he lay there. Not in pain, rather vindication. A smirk embroidered on his face. Any head games with his rehabbed knee were over.
***
Finally, they're back.
The slasher and the marksman. Thirty points worth of offense per game. More one-on-one matchups for others. More impromptu water breaks. And - get this - an actual rotation for head coach Jim Boeheim. All of it, back. Two familiar faces have the once-depleted Orange feeling liberated.
"There's no telling how much we're going to score this year," Rautins said.
Last year, NCAA Tournament hopes evaporated early. In the summer prior, Rautins severed his ACL playing for Team Canada in the 2007 FIBA World Championships. Ten games into the season, Devendorf tore his ACL against East Tennessee State. The fallout was unprecedented.
Syracuse started three freshmen, four players averaged at least 30 minutes per games, the team's 3-point percentage sunk to 30 percent in conference play (15th of 16 teams) and, for only the second time in Boeheim's 32-year career, SU played in the NIT in back-to-back years.
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