Matt Gorman always had Gerry McNamara by his side, whether it was on the court or at the apartment they shared for the past four years at Syracuse.

The two teammates were inseparable.

It had always been that way, until McNamara graduated this spring and traveled to play in Europe. Gorman, with one extra year of eligibility, is now left without one of his best friends. And instead of living in an apartment for two, Gorman is in a single.

‘It’s going to be interesting,’ Gorman first said when asked at Media Day on Oct. 13 about G-Mac’s absence. ‘He’s been around since I’ve been here. It’s a whole new ballgame with him out of the picture.’

But this isn’t a sob story.

Gorman paused, and continued, ‘But we have a lot of veterans, so we’ll step up and fill his shoes.’

This season for the fifth-year senior will be different than any other. Not only because his friend McNamara isn’t here anymore, but because as the sole remaining player from the 2003 NCAA championship team, Gorman has seen more in his five years than anyone else on the team. And he plans on using that to help his teammates.

‘I know what we need to do,’ said Gorman, who hails from Watertown. ‘This preseason I’ve been telling the guys what we need to do more. Now I’m a veteran. I need to bring what I know to the table.’

The 6-foot-9 forward decided this is the year he needs to provide advice-such as stressing perseverance-to his younger teammates. Gorman also has become more vocal in leading Syracuse.

And why not? Who better for young players such as freshman Paul Harris to turn to than Gorman-who’s been at SU for five years, and has always worked hard?

It’s a role Gorman is relishing, and the coaching staff is noticing.

‘Every year the seniors are great guys to set the tempo, set the pace,’ head coach Jim Boeheim said. ‘It’s up to them. I think they realize that.’

‘He’s more outspoken than he’s ever been,’ assistant coach Mike Hopkins said. ‘He kind of isolated himself with Gerry a little bit. It’s fun to see him interact, and how these guys are around Matty. Matty has just been off the charts.’

Hopkins said he’s enjoyed watching Gorman take Harris under his wing and has also liked seeing Gorman take a leadership role.

‘I’ll go hang out with him and eat some chicken wings,’ Harris said of Gorman. ‘He’s a funny dude.’

The leadership position is new for Gorman, because for four years he has been in the shadows of other Orange players. His first year in 2002-03 was the Carmelo Anthony craze. The next year, Hakim Warrick developed into a star. Gorman redshirted in 2004-05 because the forward position was stacked. And last year, he was lurking behind McNamara.

That doesn’t mean Gorman will be in the limelight as the MVP this season, or will run the team. He won’t start. But he will get more of an opportunity to have an effect this year than any other. Hopkins said Gorman will be a big part of the team.

‘Matty kept playing and working,’ Hopkins said of Gorman’s career. ‘He never got down when a lot of people would have gotten down. A lot of people would have transferred, too. His commitment to this program has been unparalleled.

‘These guys respect Matt and what he’s been through and how hard he’s worked, and how committed he’s been to the program. We do as coaches, I can tell you that.’

With all his effort and selfless attitude, Gorman should see significant playing time. Last year he averaged a career-high 10 minutes per game and also appeared in a career-best 29 games. With the frontcourt relatively thin and Gorman improving, his numbers may keep going up. And while Gorman said he knows his role off of the bench, he’ll give it his all when minutes come his way.

High-energy play is a trademark of Gorman’s game. He’s like the youth league player that coaches love, the guy who’ll run out on the court and give enough effort to spark the rest of the team. The crowd at the Carrier Dome has started to catch on, too. Gorman has developed into a fan favorite for his scrappy, workman-like play. That mentality stretches all the way back to when Gorman lived in South Carolina.

Then, though, the diving and intensity that have become familiar to Orange fans came on the soccer pitch, rather than a basketball court.

Before he was a teenager, Gorman’s soccer team won a state championship with him as the goalie. When he moved to Watertown in sixth grade, Gorman played baseball, soccer and basketball. But he always knew basketball would be his sport, especially when he hit his growth spurt.

‘I got too tall (for baseball) and the umps didn’t give me a fair strike zone,’ Gorman said. ‘So I got frustrated by that and gave it up before high school.’

He excelled in basketball, and with his size and ability to consistently hit jump shots, Gorman garnered attention from colleges. He said he always wanted to return to South Carolina for college, but when Syracuse expressed interest, he decided SU basketball was the right program for him.

Even after years of being in the background, Gorman hasn’t changed his mind.

‘It’s not about him,’ Hopkins said. ‘It’s about SU and the name on the front of the jersey.’

Now he is sensing not only big things from himself, but from the team as well. This summer, to get in shape, Gorman was constantly in the weight room, and also worked out and ran with the football team to stay fit.

Then he arrived for preseason workouts, and was immediately impressed, enough so to say, ‘This is the best preseason that we’ve had since I’ve been here.’

It’s a statement based upon the team’s talent with four senior contributors and a heralded freshman class. But also adding to the mix, maybe a little bit, is the fact that his time at college is ticking down.

‘I’ve wanted to get out of college for a while,’ Gorman said. ‘I can’t take another class in my life. Everything besides class is fun, but I’m ready to move on. It’s good that I feel that way ’cause all I want to do is play basketball and that’s my main focus.’

Turns out this year might finally be the season when others’ focus is on Gorman, because the crowd, the players and coaches are looking for a leader. And Gorman is up for the task, despite being without his wingman and despite being hidden behind other’s shadows for most of his time at SU.

‘I’m the big honcho left,’ Gorman said. ‘Gerry’s gone, but we have guys that can step up and lead just as well in a combined effort. The best thing with seniors is that everyone knows what to do. I’ve been looking forward to this season more than any other one.’

Published on November 6, 2006 at 12:00 pm