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Jul 12

Eric Devendorf, Boeheims Army TBT hero, on that lefty finish, his vegan diet: Hes a gamer – syracuse.com

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Syracuse, N.Y. Someone called Eric Devendorf the ageless wonder during the postgame media opportunity Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio.

Devendorf, Donte Greene and Ryan Blackwell laughed, but the sentiment was perfect for The Basketball Tournament moment.

Devendorf, now 33, was every bit as electrifying in Boeheims Armys 76-69 win over Men of Mackey as he was during his Syracuse playing days.

READ MORE: Box score

He converted 9-of-14 shots and scored 20. He finished in tall, 7-foot-3 Isaac Haas traffic during the crucial Elam Ending portion of the game to bring Boeheims Army to the brink of victory. He drove the lane. He made free throws. He provided running commentary during the game and addressed his team during huddled timeouts.

Blackwell keeps calling Devendorf the heart and soul of the Boeheims Army franchise. But on Tuesday, he provided the necessary basketball skills to lift the Army into the elite eight, where it will face Sideline Cancer Saturday at 4 p.m. (ESPN).

Devendorf did it mostly with the left-handed finish that has epitomized his career. The Syracuse guard is 6-foot-3. On Tuesday he dribbled into the lane and even when he encountered the mountain that was Haas, he used his body to protect the ball and finish at the rim.

Those lefty finishes, he said, stemmed from conversations he had with his late father, Curt, who stressed the importance of versatility.

My dad, I remember when I was 7-8 years old, he would tell me, You gotta go out there, man, and finish with that left just as good as your right, Devendorf said in a postgame news conference via Zoom. I remember being outside and just working with that left every single day. Every single day. And it just came about. I just got super comfortable with it.

People see me, Im right-handed. Maybe theyre not expecting it so much. But Im just super comfortable going left, and if they cut off that left, Im going right back to that normal hand. I enjoy going to that left, I enjoy attacking the bucket.

That hes still so good at it is one of the reasons why Boeheims Army lived to play another day.

Devendorf, at 33, is not particularly old from a basketball perspective. At least not for guys who continue to play in the NBA or overseas. The difference, for the former SU guard, is that he quit playing professionally four years ago and has devoted all his basketball energy into teaching and coaching the game.

For the last 2-3 years, Devendorf has been a devoted vegan. He credits the plant-based diet for keeping his body healthy, for eliminating soreness and inflammation after he works out.

Ive known Eric for a long time, said Blackwell, the Boeheims Army coach. Ive always said that hes been coaching for the last 4-5 years and hes in better shape than most of the guys who are playing professional. Thats a testament to his work ethic. Hes changed his diet. Hes a vegan now. He really takes care of himself.

He cares about causes, too. That was evident from the shoes on his feet.

Devendorf wore hand-painted Black Lives Matter shoes for Tuesdays game. Olivia Luciani, a Syracuse native who built her Laced by Liv business on customizing shoes, created themed shoes for Devendorf previously. Last summer, she designed shoes with images of Devendorfs two daughters.

He credited her for coming to him with a collaboration this time.

Its a lot of stuff going on in the world, obviously, the injustice of Black people, he said. And I want people to know my stance. I think if youre a decent human being, youll see whats going on. I wanted to put that out there and use my platform in the right way. I wanted to make a stance and not be silent about whats going on.

He was not silent on the basketball court Tuesday.

He never is.

Devendorf, whose poster hangs in the Nationwide Arena as testament to his TBT staying power, continues to be Boeheims Armys best player. He owes it all, he said, to his competitive nature. But anybody who knows him, who has observed him over the years, understands its more than that.

Hes just one of those guys who when hes 50 years old is going to be competitive at the Y, talking, getting technicals at 50 years old, his kids saying Whats wrong with my dad?,' Blackwell said. Hes just one of those guys. Hes a gamer. Hes a guy you want to have on your team. Hes the heart and soul and engine. He works so hard. Ive been in the gym with him so long. He works so hard, its unbelievable.

MORE ON BOEHEIMS ARMY

Donte Greene outplays 7-2 center Isaac Haas in Boeheims Army win: I think Boeheim would be proud of me'

Laced by Liv: How a Syracuse native created a custom shoe business to the stars

Eric Devendorf leads Boeheims Army to win over Men of Mackey in TBT 2020

How does Boeheims Army deal with 7-foot-3 Isaac Haas; whos No. 23 and whats up with that shirt?

Boeheims Army new guy Will Rayman: Scrappy defender, rebounder, shooter, Covid survivor

Demetris Nichols TBT diary Day 4: Outside the hotel for 1st time in 4 days

What happens in TBT quarantine does not stay in TBT quarantine; What Boeheims Army did

Donna Ditota is a reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard and syracuse.com. Got a comment or idea for a story? Reach her at dditota@syracuse.com.

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Eric Devendorf, Boeheims Army TBT hero, on that lefty finish, his vegan diet: Hes a gamer - syracuse.com

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