Dajuan Coleman, Rakeem Christmas combine for 21 points, 18 rebounds in Syracuse basketball win

After saving the ball from going out of bounds, Rakeem Christmas gets back into the lane for a dunk in second-half action Tuesday against Ryerson at the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse, N.Y. — If Rakeem Christmas is measuring his progress by the volume and frequency of his coach's criticism, then the Syracuse junior has made noticeable improvement this young season.

"I know what he wants," Christmas said. "It's not as bad as a couple years ago."

Jim Boeheim wants his big men to rebound, play solid defense and to score when the Orange bangs the ball inside. On Tuesday, in SU's 81-46 exhibition win over Ryerson, Christmas and sophomore Dajuan Coleman combined for 21 points and 18 rebounds. (Baye Moussa Keita played just 10 minutes and contributed four points and four boards.)

Boeheim knows what he has in Keita, an intelligent defender with a high motor who can also score around the basket. Christmas and Coleman, the two prized recruiting targets, have needed to marinate in the Syracuse system, to accumulate a veneer of college knowledge.

"Big guys, offensively, sometimes take three years, sometimes the fourth year before they get to where you'd like to see them," Boeheim said.

Christmas, with his sometimes stunning athleticism, scored SU's first basket Tuesday on a drive, then followed his own miss to stake the Orange to a 6-3 lead. He made a few succinct cuts to the basket and his teammates rewarded him with passes underneath that he converted to dunks. Christmas played 20 minutes. He also grabbed eight missed shots, blocked three Ryerson attempts and had two steals.

"Coach wants us to get the ball in the post and when we get in the post, make a strong move. That's what we've been doing in practice. He wants us to do it in games, too," Christmas said. "In high school, I was always bigger than everyone, so I would always try to (push people around). In college, you gotta use your quickness and your athleticism and be smart."

Syracuse's Dajuan Coleman grabs a rebound in the lane and gets position in the second half at the Carrier Dome.

Coleman, one of the most heavily recruited centers in his high school class, has shouldered his own difficult transition from overpowering high school big man to hesitant, uncertain college player. Coleman, who has trimmed his 6-foot-9 body to a more aerodynamic size and shape, has struggled to finish plays beneath the basket, often rushing to shoot before assessing the defense.

Boeheim wants Coleman to finish better. He wants Coleman's teammates to pass him the ball in the proper position to score.

"It's just taking your time," Coleman said. "In high school, I'd just get the ball and go. Just taking your time and making sure you have the right post move because college players are a lot smarter and they try to take the charge and everything. So you gotta take your time."

"He's still working on it. He was able to pretty much just turn and make layups in high school because of the size differential. And now, it's bigger guys," Boeheim said. "He's learning how to get position, how to make that move. He works hard every day. He's making improvements."

He sank seven of his 10 free-throw attempts Tuesday, a stat that pleased Coleman, who said he's worked diligently on that aspect of his game. His physicality beneath the basket tends to draw fouls. He also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, a stat that pleased his coach.

Coleman and Christmas were shiny spots in SU's tidy win over Ryerson. But bigger, better opponents await. And Boeheim will continue to push his big men to rebound with more purpose, to score when the opportunity presents itself. They're improving, Boeheim said, "in spurts."

"Before practice, after practice, we work out with (SU coach Mike Hopkins) and the bigs," 'Christmas said. "So I've just been getting comfortable. And I'm working on it in the game, too."

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