Bilal Dixon had an idea of how his first matchup against Arinze Onuaku would go.

The Providence freshman knew he was similar in size and felt he could go right at the fifth-year senior. Trade blow for blow, grind through what would be an inevitably physical engagement.

But just five minutes into Tuesday’s game, assurance shifted to bemusement. Onuaku had already registered six points, three blocks and a rebound.

Dixon realized it may be time for a new strategy.

‘I played big,’ Dixon said. ‘I needed to play a little bigger. I tried to match him with force, but none of that worked.’

In Dixon’s defense, there wasn’t much that could stop Onuaku during Syracuse’s 85-68 victory over Providence at the Carrier Dome. The 20,205 in attendance bore witness to the center’s season-high 20 points and seven rebounds in an emphatic 28 minutes of play, giving Onuaku his highest point total since Jan. 30, 2008, when he tallied 22 points against DePaul.

The win, Syracuse’s eighth in a row, gives the Orange (22-1, 9-1 Big East) its best start in program history.

‘I think (Onuaku) just went out there and got sick and tired, basically,’ forward Rick Jackson said. ‘I mean, he just wanted to show everyone that he can score. He can do that a lot, and he can be a big threat in the Big East.’

It all started with a game Onuaku and Jackson play called ‘who gets the littlest man.’ Jackson said the two forwards stake out the opposing defense and wait to see which way they go. In this case, Onuaku drew the inexperienced Dixon and Jackson got the smaller but scrappier Jamine Peterson.

Onuaku won, for now – Dixon was more of a pushover. He had the best matchup and the go-ahead to signal his teammates, take the inside feed and pound the ball down low.

And just three minutes into the game, Onuaku did just that. After his first made basket, Onuaku posted in front of Dixon the next time down the court. Raising his hand, he took the feed from Jackson, forced the ball inside and finished over the top with a smooth one-handed hook.

Game on.

‘Whenever we can start the game pounding the ball inside, the bigs strive off that,’ Onauku said. ‘Whenever me and Rick can get touches and finish them early, I mean, that gets you going. That’s always good.’

The first two touches turned to four, then six as it was clear Dixon defending Onuaku in the Friar’s matchup zone was not the solution. Each trip down the court was identical to the last, as Onuaku continued to dominate en route to a 10-for-12 performance from the field.

When the Friars’ Peterson came over to force a double team, it would slow Onuaku down, but this was only a temporary solution. Drawing the extra defender on Onuaku opened a gaping hole in Providence’s defense, allowing slashers like Kris Joseph – who led the Orange in scoring with 23 points – and Brandon Triche to swoop in and steal easy baskets.

‘We knew they had no one,’ Joseph said, ‘no one that could guard A.O. I feel like there’s nobody in the country that can guard A.O. He’s like a luxury for us to have on this team because he’s so versatile down low.’

On the defensive end, Onuaku chipped in four blocks and worked in tandem with Jackson to create a restless frontcourt supplement to the 2-3 zone. Dixon, the Friars’ center, was held scoreless as he went 0-for-4 from the field.

‘Arinze was really active out there on offense and defense tonight,’ Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. ‘Especially defense – he was the most active he’s been all year. That’s a huge key for us going forward. He hasn’t been having the kind of year we need from him, and he was very active tonight.’

In the locker room after the game, Onuaku dismissed anything special surrounding the game. The good looks came from solid communication and sharp feeds from Jackson. The command of Dixon was simply good technique. He brushed off the notion that he came out of the gates with any extra fury – it was just like any other night.

But on a team where it seems any player can go for 20 points on any given night, perhaps it was a signal. A way to let opposing teams know that he’s another, formidable, option.

‘When he really decides to score,’ Joseph said, ‘he will score.’

ctorr@syr.edu

Published on February 2, 2010 at 12:00 pm