By Staff and Wire Reports
Democrat and Chronicle

(Wednesday, January 30, 2002) -- The Syracuse University basketball team hopes to have leading scorer Preston Shumpert back in the lineup for Saturday night's road game at Rutgers.

Shumpert, who played just 19 minutes of Monday night's 75-60 loss at Georgetown, returned to the eye doctor Tuesday after having problems with the scratched cornea he suffered late last season. His status was called "day to day" by associate head coach Bernie Fine.

"Hopefully he can go by Saturday, but who knows?" Fine said. "He was really in a lot of pain (Monday)."

Wearing goggles but barely able to see, Shumpert had his worst game in more than two years, scoring just three points. Coach Jim Boeheim pulled his star after just one minute of the second half.

"Before the game, he really couldn't see out of it, but he thought he could go," Boeheim said. "We need him out there. He was in more pain at halftime. It flared up, and I just didn't think he could go anymore.

"I don't think a good player should be playing when he can't see. Obviously, without him, we're not the same team."

Boeheim said the eye was swollen shut when Shumpert woke up Sunday morning. The coach said the eye wasn't reinjured, and doctors said the condition could simply clear up in two or three days.

Losing Shumpert only helped magnify Syracuse's major problem: rebounding. Georgetown had 18 offensive rebounds as SU was badly outrebounded (47-22) for the fourth consecutive game.

Over the last four games, SU (17-5) has been outrebounded by 172-93.

"We have a problem there, there's no question about it," Boeheim said. "(Georegtown) is bigger and stronger than we are, and we've got to find a way to get a few more rebounds to be competitive."