Syracuse's Flynn an untiring Big East beast

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Jonny Flynn did not leave the Big East Tournament with a championship. But Syracuse's scintillating sophomore point guard was the player no one could stop talking about.

Even though the Orange suffered a 10-point loss to Louisville in the title game Saturday night, Flynn was named tournament MVP. He was only the fourth player from a losing team to win the award in the tournament's 30-year history.

"It was an honor to be mentioned with some of the great players who have played in this conference," Flynn said. "A lot of great players and Hall of Famers came through the conference, and to get it despite a loss shows how much everybody thought of how well I played. I would have rather traded it in for a Big East championship."

Mostly on the strength of what it did at Madison Square Garden, Syracuse (26-9) was rewarded with a No. 3 seed in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament and moved up five spots in this week's Associated Press Top 25 to No. 13.

Flynn was the catalyst of the Orange's three victories in New York City, including the epic six-overtime triumph over Connecticut, averaging 19.8 points and 9.3 assists over four games.

Syracuse opens the NCAA Tournament tomorrow against No. 14 seed Stephen F. Austin in Miami, giving Flynn another chance on a national stage.

If any of the Orange faithful didn't realize Flynn was something special when he arrived in Syracuse from Niagara Falls High School in western New York, it didn't take very long for him to make a lasting impression.

In his first game for the Orange, Flynn set a school record for points by a freshman in a debut with 28, two more than Carmelo Anthony's benchmark 5 years earlier. Flynn hit three three-pointers in a 61-second span, went 6-for-7 from beyond the arc, and added nine assists in a 97-89 win over upstate New York foe Siena.

Even when pressed, coach Jim Boeheim remained reserved in his early praise.

"He was good," Boeheim said. "What do you want me to say? It's one game."

Flynn must have been in earshot. One night later, he hit a three-pointer with 5.3 seconds left in regulation to break a 68-all tie and give Syracuse a 72-69 victory over Saint Joseph's.

Flynn, who then used his 42-inch vertical leap to wow the home fans with an alley-oop dunk against Cornell, has been turning heads ever since.

"He's a gamer," Boeheim said. "He wants to be there."

Much has been made in the past week of Flynn's stamina. In the Big East Tournament he played 35 minutes in Syracuse's victory over Seton Hall, 67 of a possible 70 minutes against UConn, all 45 in an overtime win over West Virginia, and 34 against Louisville.

Just 6-foot and 185 pounds, Flynn possesses surprising strength and, coupled with his agility, can penetrate the lane almost at will or pull back for a fadeaway jumper. And he's a deft and daring playmaker with an array of no-look passes that always seem to find their mark.

"I think my leadership out there on the court has meant a lot to our team," said Flynn, a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, given each year to the top point guard in the nation. "Me only being a sophomore and having guys 2 and 3 years older than me listen to me really does a lot for me as a person." *