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STORRS, Conn. — Felisha Legette-Jack didn’t hesitate when asked about what’s been missing from her offense as of late. A 45-point dud against Duke succeeded a few games later by a stagnant first half in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament versus Florida State gave Syracuse cause for concern. Legette-Jack whittled the problem down to SU’s pace of play.

“We want the speed,” Legette-Jack said. “That’s when we’re at our best is when you speed us up and we’re not thinking.”

The second-year head coach mentioned how the Orange’s recent opponents have often sat back in a player-to-player set and let them “walk the ball up.” There, Dyaisha Fair is regularly doubled on drives and the perimeter while her supporting cast struggles to find open space.

Fair said SU is at its best when playing “freely.” Legette-Jack issued a resounding agreement. She said having more than a week of rest and preparation prior to the NCAA Tournament should prove beneficial in returning to a high-paced playstyle. But she even pointed out that lineup changes could be looming, too, in backup guard Kennedi Perkins.

Perkins has, at times, been inserted late in games to play the traditional point guard spot while Fair moves to the two-guard. That strategy spurred Syracuse’s comeback regular-season wins over Louisville and FSU, where Fair rotated off the ball and had more room to knock down a litany of 3-pointers.

Interestingly, Perkins only logged 10-plus minutes in two of SU’s last 12 games. Legette-Jack said she’s “earned the right” to play, though, citing recent practice performances. To get past an aggressive Arizona defense — which averages the fifth-most steals per game (11.6) in the country — Legette-Jack will do whatever’s necessary for the Orange to be fast on offense.

“I’m looking forward for us to go out there and play free,” Legette-Jack said. “And I think when we do that and we’re shooting the ball 78 times a game, we’re pretty special.”

Here are some more takeaways from No. 6 seed Syracuse’s (23-7, 13-5 ACC) press conference ahead of its NCAA Tournament round of 64 matchup against No. 11 seed Arizona (18-15, 8-10 Pac-12):

Frontcourt help is on its way

Legette-Jack confirmed Izabel Varejão would return to the floor against Arizona after she was ruled out for the ACC Tournament due to an illness.

Varejão, a center and graduate transfer from Michigan, has posted modest numbers for SU in 2023-24. She averages 6.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 17.5 minutes per game. Though, her return helps add a necessary frontcourt depth piece for the Orange.

Varejão has missed 15 of Syracuse’s 30 games thus far in 2023-24, including a two-month stretch in the middle of the season because of a concussion. When she’s been in, Varejão provides a spark — typically off the bench — as a versatile scorer and by utilizing her 6-foot-4 frame to create chaos in the paint.

Her previous game on Feb. 29 against NC State is the current highlight of her campaign, dropping 14 points and seven boards to keep SU close in an eventual loss.

Learning from past blunders

Losses don’t exist in Legette-Jack’s world. You either win or you learn, she says. The head coach’s newest lesson derives from SU’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal defeat to Florida State. In this case, Legette-Jack is teaching her team how to get off to a strong start.

The Orange trailed 14-4 halfway through the first quarter and never held a lead throughout the contest. They mustered just nine second-quarter points for a measly 27 after 20 minutes — their second-lowest first-half scoring total this season. Their shooting eventually caught up to Florida State’s, but in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach.

Legette-Jack said in recent practices leading up to the NCAA Tournament that running has been her players’ punishment for failure. She’s placed a heavy emphasis on Syracuse commencing each game the same way it finishes, with tenacity and execution.

Between SU’s 83-58 loss to NC State in the 2023 ACC Tournament — where it faltered late — and its latest blunder versus FSU, lulls in crucial situations have repeated themselves. Heading into the biggest game of Legette-Jack’s Syracuse tenure, she’s hammering down the little details to avoid another forgettable March.

“We kind of (used) Pavlov’s dog the last few practices to get us starting a little better but also ending better, keeping that forte as well,” Legette-Jack said.

Dyaisha’s last dance

A few days ago, Fair sent Legette-Jack — who’s been her coach for the past five years — an emotional text. Per Legette-Jack, Fair messaged “Can I have this last dance?” as her final season with SU nears a close.

“Of course I’m just a baby, and I cried and all that stuff,” Legette-Jack said of her reaction to the text. “And I said, ‘of course, D.’”

Ahead of Fair’s collegiate eligibility running out after the NCAA Tournament, both she and Legette-Jack reflected on their journey together and the significance of this last opportunity. The head coach said Fair has held the fabric of the team together ever since she transferred to the Orange in 2022. Though she expressed that it’ll be tough to see Fair go, Legette-Jack just wants to embrace Syracuse’s last days with its star point guard.

Whereas an often stern Fair took time at the podium to smile and ponder at her accomplishments with the school that’s “right down the street” of where she grew up.

“I haven’t really tried to reflect on it yet because we’re not finished,” Fair said of her Syracuse career. “But looking at it a little bit right now, it’s something special.”

Published on March 22, 2024 at 6:37 pm

Contact Cooper at: ccandrew@syr.edu | @cooper_andrews