NEW YORK — Frank Howard won’t make his season debut on Friday, Jim Boeheim said after Syracuse’s Thursday loss to UConn.

“If he could play tomorrow, he could’ve played today,” Boeheim added. “I mean how would you be able to play tomorrow, with what, a miracle cure?”

SU’s senior point guard has been out since a left-leg injury announced on Sept. 14. For a while, he wore a boot on his lower left leg, although during Syracuse’s last couple games, he’s been boot-less. He has yet to dress in uniform or warm up with the Orange prior to games.

Before Thursday’s games, reports had circulated that Howard was a game-time decision. But Boeheim refuted those after the game, saying that those words never came from him.

“I never said that,” Boeheim said. “That is not true. He didn’t practice yesterday. He has practiced hardly at all. I didn’t envision him playing.”

Without Howard, SU has been forced to play Tyus Battle, naturally a shooting guard, for long stretches at the point. It’s also pressed freshman Jalen Carey quickly into duty after he also was injured during the preseason, although Carey responded in his first start against UConn with 26 points. The third Orange point guard option is Howard Washington, who is less than a year removed from a torn ACL, although he did make it back to the court for SU’s opener with Eastern Washington.

On multiple occasions, Boeheim has alluded to missing Howard being like a football team without its quarterback. Boeheim said “I don’t even know when” Howard would be back.

“It’s hard when you don’t have the guy you need to run your team,” Boeheim said. “We hope he’ll be back in a week, two weeks maybe. But we don’t know.”

The Orange get back in action at 4:30 p.m. Friday against the loser of the ongoing game between Iowa and No. 13 Oregon. Carey, presumably, will start at point guard for the second-straight day.

Published on November 15, 2018 at 10:33 pm

Contact Billy: wmheyen@syr.edu | @Wheyen3