Jim Boeheim has no explanation, only possible theories. Brandon Triche’s struggles are confounding given how much talent and potential he possesses. There’s no easy answer as to what’s causing his struggles, but Boeheim said the senior guard will continue to be the Orange’s go-to scorer.

“I have no explanation for it, but he’s our guy,” Boeheim said. “We’re going to go with him.”

Triche scored only eight points on a paltry 2-for-11 shooting in Syracuse’s 58-53 loss to Louisville on Saturday in the Carrier Dome. He missed all three of his 3-point attempts, and turned the ball over seven times. Syracuse’s outside game has been up and down all season and Triche’s streaky shooting is much of the reason why.

Triche didn’t hit his first basket of the game until about nine minutes in when he knocked down a jumper from the right elbow off the dribble that made the score 12-11 Louisville. He wouldn’t hit another basket until early in the second half when he hit a jumper in the lane that made it 25-23 Cardinals.

While Triche’s shooting has been inconsistent, his seven turnovers on Saturday were uncharacteristic. His first came almost 12 minutes into the game when he stole the ball away from Louisville guard Russ Smith, but he quickly rendered the play meaningless when Cardinals forward Luke Hancock stole the ball from him.

Louisville’s a dangerous team already. Triche’s seven turnovers – Syracuse finished with 16 overall – made taking down the Cardinals an even more challenging task.

After the game Triche said his performance was especially painful because he’s not used to committing so many turnovers. Triche averages just 2.8 turnovers per game.

Just five games ago, Triche scored 29 points against Seton Hall. In his last four games, though, Triche is only 15-for-45 from the field.

Boeheim said after the game that Triche’s struggles could be because he’s trying too hard to help get Syracuse back on track.

“Brandon if anything, he tries too hard to get something done,” Boeheim said. “He doesn’t play well when he tries hard.”

The offense hinges on Triche. When he’s knocking down shots, the Orange has a dependable threat on the outside. Right now, he’s not meeting that capability.

At this point of the season, Syracuse needs a productive and efficient Triche to start winning games again.

“We’re not going to win when he’s 2-for-11 and seven turnovers,” Boeheim said. “We need him to be better than that. He’s a four-year player and he’s a good player. He’s a very good player. He can have an occasional bad game.”

Published on March 2, 2013 at 5:57 pm

Contact Chris: cjiseman@syr.edu | @chris_iseman