(Saturday, February 2, 2002) -- Matchup: Syracuse (17-5 overall, 6-2 Big East) at Rutgers (14-7, 5-4).

When: 7:30 tonight.

Where: Piscataway, N.J.

TV: WB-16.

Radio: WHAM, WACK

Syracuse update: The struggling Orangemen are hoping leading scorer Preston Shumpert, who has a painful eye infection, will be able to play. Coach Jim Boeheim called it a game-time decision.

Shumpert tried to play Monday against Georgetown, but sat all but one minute of the second half after scoring just three points in a a 85-70 loss.

''You know what it feels like when you get a piece of sand in your eye,'' Kenneth Spitzer, Shumpert's ophthalmologist, told the Syracuse Post-Standard. ''He's got a bucket-full of sand in his eye. That's how miserable these things are. He could barely lift his head off a pillow when we saw him on Tuesday.''

Shumpert was feeling better later in the week and practiced lightly while wearing goggles.

Meanwhile, SU backup center Jeremy McNeil is not expected to play after missing practices this week. He is unhappy over playing time and was considering transferring.

Rutgers update: Rutgers lost to SU by 87-66 at the Carrier Dome on Jan. 2, but that was with a healthy Shumpert and when the Orangemen were doing a better job on the boards.

The Scarlet Knights are also much better at home, going 10-1 in front of their rowdy faithful at The RAC.

Rutgers stunned Connecticut 61-53 this week as junior guard Jerome Coleman (15.8 ppg.) pumped in a career-high 26 points.

The Scarlet Knights are led by 6-6, 275-pound Roshod Kent, the Big East's leading rebounder at 9.8 per game.