Syracuse gets the ‘Scoop’

Antonio "Scoop" Jardine is used to the endless stacks of college recruiting letters filling his mailbox. Arizona, Wake Forest, Syracuse and Villanova were just some of the schools in hot pursuit of the 6-foot-3 guard.

Being a junior at Ss. John Neumann-Maria Goretti, he still had more than a year to talk with potential coaches, make official visits and discuss options with his family.

Less than a month into the school year, Jardine decided he had heard all he needed. So, last week he called up Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Boeheim and verbally committed to Syracuse University.

"[Boeheim] was going to wait for me," he said. "He wasn’t going to pressure me."

But Jardine, of the 1800 block of South Taylor Street, said he was putting too much pressure on himself about the decision.

After making the official announcement, Neumann-Goretti coach Carl Arrigale said he noticed a major difference in his player’s personality.

"Scoop was thinking about it all the time and it was driving him crazy," Arrigale said. "We had an open gym [last week] and he was so much more at ease."

As a middle-school student, Jardine, now 17, dreamed of playing basketball for coach Jay Wright at Villanova. The two met at a basketball camp when Jardine was a seventh-grader.

Following last month’s official visit to Syracuse, which included attending a football game against West Virginia, that university got bumped to the top.

"That was a big experience for me," Jardine said of the visit. "I’ve never seen a campus like that. I knew I could be up there for four years."

The guard averaged 12 points, 6.5 assists and three steals a game for the Catholic League champs the Saints last season.

ARRIGALE SAID HE wasn’t expecting the decision to come so early in the recruiting process. When Jardine told his coach Syracuse is where he wants to be, he responded, "let’s do it."

The All-Catholic guard is passing on, in addition to the schools mentioned above, Virginia, North Carolina State, Iowa State, Georgetown and Rutgers. He knew before becoming a junior he was going to pick a school this year.

"I didn’t want to come into my senior year and worry about impressing anyone," he said. "I wanted to focus on my grades and get ready for college."

Jardine is the latest member of the Saints 2005 Catholic League championship team that has committed to a Division I scholarship. In June, senior Derrick Rivera announced he would attend St. Joseph’s University next fall. Recent grad David Burton, who is attending prep school this year in Massachusetts, will play at St. Francis College in Brooklyn.

Arrigale said he provides pointers along the way, but leaves the final decision to his players.

"I prepare the kids the best I can," he said. "I just want them to be happy. The kids have to be comfortable. I want the adjustment to be as easy as possible for them."

Jardine put together his best sales pitch to convince 6-foot-9 forward and classmate Rick Jackson into joining him at Syracuse. Arrigale said St. Joseph’s University was targeting Jackson, but, sure enough, Monday night Jackson decided to join his teammate at Syracuse.

"I guess they won’t have to worry about picking roommates" Arrigale said.

Jardine said he liked his chances of Jackson picking Syracuse.

"Rick and I have been talking since freshman year about going to the same school," he said last week.

Senior Earl Pettis is also going through the recruiting process. The guard made an official visit to Temple University last weekend with La Salle University and Connecticut also in the running.

The college news is making big headlines at 10th and Moore streets before the season even starts.

"It’s a great opportunity that you can’t pass up," Jardine said of the Division I scholarship offers. "We are going to college for free, getting an education and playing basketball."

In two short years, Jardine will pack his bags for Syracuse, where he will play for the legendary Boeheim. Boeheim has more than 703 career wins, ranking him fifth among active Division I coaches. The Orangemen are also regulars in the NCAA Tournament, which includes winning the 2003 NCAA championship.

"Coach Boeheim told me he has only seen me play one time and I dominated the whole game," Jardine said. "It was amazing just hearing that from Boeheim."