It’d be clich to suppose that Andy Rautins bleeds orange. But then again, he does have Syracuse in his blood.

Rautins, a senior at Jamesville-DeWitt High School, is one of the Syracuse basketball team’s four recruits for the 2005-06 season. He is also the son of former Orange, Leo Rautins, who played from 1980-1983.

While some sons of former players tend to shy away from any comparisons, Rautins is proud of his genes. He made a point to thank his father for his basketball development during a press conference at J-D last Wednesday, and spoke appreciatively of his father’s help in the process.

Rautins said that his father played devil’s advocate, ensuring that the decision to attend Syracuse was an informed one.

‘I wanted to make sure that he wasn’t doing it for me,’ Leo Rautins said. ‘I want to make sure he was going to Syracuse for the right reason. I talked to him about being a local kid, sharing the same last name, the comparisons, just things he’ll have to deal with. I did it sometimes just for the heck of doing it. But it didn’t matter what I did or what I said – everything always came back to Syracuse.’

The Rautins’ will also carve a place in basketball history. Leo said he couldn’t think of any father-son combination that played for the same coach and the same school. He spoke of how much head coach Jim Boeheim and assistant coach Bernie Fine mean to him and is excited that his son will get to share the same experience.

But be assured: It was not the bloodline that made Andy Rautins appealing to the Orange as much as his prowess beyond the 3-point line.

‘I know (Syracuse) needs a shooter,’ Rautins said. ‘They lacked that in the tournament, and I’m hoping to go in there and help them out.’

The Orange shot a meager 31 percent from 3-point range this season and only 29.5 percent in Big East play – last in the conference. Unquestionably, it needs a shooter to compliment Gerry McNamara. And Rautins’ range might as well be from the Carrier Dome to DeWitt.

‘He’s got great range,’ said J-D head coach Bob McKenney. ‘He’s known in the area because he’s had a couple 40-point games. Word got out about his shooting, but there’s more to his game than just shooting.’

McKenney cited Rautins’ passing ability and ball handling. He pointed out that some of the passes that Rautins makes will be caught and converted at the college level more so than they were at the high school level.

Rautins is excited that he’s going to be dishing those passes at Syracuse. He took visits to St. Bonaventure and Providence. But whenever he thought about those schools, his mind always drifted to Syracuse, where he’ll have to live up to the home-town hype.

‘It’s pressure being the home-town kid, but I think I can handle it,’ Rautins said ‘(The coaching staff) hasn’t promised me anything, so I have to go in and work for it.’

There is always an adjustment, but the elder Rautins insists that regardless of the level, basketball is basketball.

‘The game’s the same,’ Leo Rautins said. ‘He’ll be playing with better players, and that will give him better opportunities to shoot. I see it as being a real good fit, now it’s up to Andy to work hard and produce.’

Like most recruits, Rautins must get stronger. Just as his teammates will be better, so will the opposition. To make a successful transition, McKenney says that Rautins must fill out his 6-foot-5 frame.

‘That’s what they pay the strength guys at that level to do,’ McKenney said. ‘They can take a guy like (Rautins) and make him bigger.’

Any old-time Syracuse fans who watched Leo play for the Orange know that Rautins might have hope of filling out. Leo was listed at 6 feet, 8 inches, 215 pounds during his playing days. McKenney, a lifelong SU fan, remembers Leo’s three seasons for the Orange and can imagine similar success from Andy.

‘Leo was bigger, that’s the hidden factor – the missing component,’ McKenney said. ‘He was a great passer. He always looked to pass first, and Andy can end up being a lot like his dad. Physically, they’re a lot different, but Andy might not be done growing. If he puts on 30 pounds, they’ll look a lot alike.’

Though Rautins seems proud that he’ll continue a legacy, he’s hoping to start his own, as well.

‘It’s a lot of pressure (to follow in my dad’s footsteps),’ Rautins said, ‘But with a lot of work, I can go out there and make a name for myself.’

Published on April 19, 2005 at 12:00 pm