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Keifer Sykes looked up to Eric Devendorf “all his life.” Sykes watched Devendorf dominate Big East offenses during his time at Syracuse in the late 2000s. And more than a decade later, Devendorf and Boeheim’s Army would need new additions to exemplify the team’s roster — and Sykes got the call.

“He’s underrated, people don’t really know how good he is,” Devendorf said before the tournament. “He’s a pretty outstanding dynamic point guard.”

Devendorf marked Sykes as one of the X-factors in Boeheim’s Army’s quest to win The Basketball Tournament’s championship title. And with $1 million riding on if Boeheim’s Army could score one last basket before Team 23, Sykes got the ball from his role model.

Sykes waited patiently near the half-court line, dribbling a little bit towards the right-wing as he studied his defender. Sykes’ defender wasn’t looking at him — instead, he was looking at the bench for direction — so Sykes zoomed to the left wing for a shot attempt.

Jumping off his left, Sykes scored and leaped onto the scorers’ table as the confetti hit the hardwood floor signifying Boeheim’s Army’s first TBT championship victory.

“He got distracted for the money and I wanted it,” Sykes said about his dagger.

After seven straight seasons of disappointment for No. 3 seed Boeheim’s Army, they finally got over the TBT championship hump with a 69-67 win over No. 6 seed Team 23. Sykes led all scorers on the floor with 21 points off the bench, shooting 63% from the field.

Sykes’ reliable offense for Boeheim’s Army off the bench wasn’t limited to the championship game, it’s something that he’s been perfecting the entire tournament. After recording two points in less than 10 minutes during BA’s opening tournament win, Sykes headed into the second-round matchup against Team Heartfire with an increased role.

Despite having an uptick in minutes, Sykes started off the bench — just as he would for the remainder of the tournament. Midway through the first quarter against Team 23, Sykes checked in for Tyrese Rice, taking off where Rice left off with a score from deep off a pass from DeAndre Kane after checking into the game.

“You’re not losing anything when you sub in,” Devendorf said. “One through ten, everyone’s been a starter.”

However, the circumstances were different from BA’s second-round win. After Kane successfully beat a Team 23 defender for a layup, he limped over to the bench holding his left leg. Kane left the game with a groin injury, prompting head coach Jeremy Pope to throw Sykes into the starting rotation.

Sykes played college basketball at Green Bay and led the Syracuse alumni team to its first-ever TBT title. Courtesy of Ben Solomon

This time, Sykes wasn’t going on to the court to replace Rice, he was put in alongside him. With Sykes substituting for Kane, Rice controlled the offense, isolating himself at the top of the key before using one head fake to enter the lane and score.

Sykes wanted to make a quick impact as Boeheim’s Army trailed by one, like he did against Team Heartfire. By imitating Rice, Sykes isolated himself at the top of the key. He hesitated and drove, gaining a step on his defender to give BA an 18-17 lead before the first period’s conclusion.

Throughout most of the tournament, Sykes has taken off where Rice has left off. Following Rice’s 20-point performance against Forces of Seoul in Boeheim’s Army’s opening win, Sykes rallied 17 in the next game against Team Heartfire.

After Rice dropped 24 points in BA’s semifinal win over Florida TNT, Sykes was rebounded in the championship game for his own 20-plus point game with success in the fourth quarter. Boeheim’s Army entered the final period with a four-point deficit after Team 23 rallied a 10-4 run in the third quarter.

With five minutes left before the Elam Ending, Sykes directed traffic for Boeheim’s Army, taking over Rice’s position as the main facilitator. Like earlier games, he isolated himself on most offensive possessions, starting at the top of the key before making his move in either direction.

First, Sykes drove to the right, taking a floater with one hand and finishing with contact. On the next possession, he took the ball up again before working to the other side and draining a deep two from the left wing.

But Sykes wasn’t always able to score on his own. After sinking two shots he dished the ball to Chris McCullough, capping off a 7-0 run in which he was a part of every make.

Still, Boeheim’s Army only had a one-point lead heading into the Elam Ending. While entering the Elam Ending in a deficit, the team usually relied on Rice for the majority of the points since he had secured the past three previous wins with game-winning shots.

But with Sykes’ momentum after Boeheim’s Army’s 7-0 run, he was called up again for facilitating duties. And again, Sykes delivered. As Devendorf expected before the season, Sykes’ catalyzed Boeheim’s Army’s first TBT championship title and made the championship-winning team $1 million richer.

Published on August 4, 2021 at 2:32 am

Contact Anish: asvasude@syr.edu | @anish_vasu