Terrence Roberts:"A Lot of Prayer, a Lot of Hard Work"

Roberts (right) and "Mookie" Watkins (left) are longtime teammates
and friends, back together again playing for Boeheim's Army.

By Jake Lapin
Staff photos 

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Some familiar faces gathered in the Carmelo K. Anthony Center on Thursday. Yes, current Syracuse men's basketball players were there scrimmaging, but they were not the people half a dozen student reporters were looking to focus on. The spotlight, rather than on Coach Boeheim's current players, was on their competition - Boeheim's Army.

Boeheim's Army is a collection of Syracuse basketball alumni who come together to compete in The Basketball Tournament, a winner-take-all contest in Philadelphia. Players from the past decade who played for Boeheim join forces to create a tournament team in pursuit of the $2 million prize.. Among them is Terrence Roberts, 31, a former Orange power forward whose journey to get back to basketball has been a long and challenging one.

"The Knees Feel Good"

Roberts, 6'9", has undergone four knee surgeries since his playing days in the Carrier Dome. He bounced around from league to league in Europe and Korea, unable to stay healthy and find a basketball home. After several years of persistent rehabilitation, his health is finally back to normal, for now.



"The knees feel good," Roberts said in a courtside interview following the scrimmages. "They are way better than expected, honestly... A lot of prayer, a lot of hard work and rest and relaxation."

Roberts just finished up this past season with the Super City Rangers of the National Basketball League in New Zealand, his first professional action since 2013. He teamed up there with former Syracuse teammate and fellow Boeheim's Army member Eric Devendorf. The Rangers lost in the Grand Final championship last month.




Reunions

Roberts has also reunited on the court with former teammate and longtime friend Darryl "Mookie" Watkins, who also happens to be his son's godfather.

"Mookie's been a family member of mine pretty much since we've been in high school," Roberts said. "We've known each other for the longest, so it's always a pleasure."

Watkins helped Roberts through his financial struggles during his rehabilitation, and the two kept in touch throughout Roberts' comeback in New Zealand.

Boeheim's Army is a great place for reunions, but basketball is still first priority. For Roberts, expectations in Philadelphia this weekend will be high. "We just want to go in, play hard," Roberts said. "The teams are a lot tougher this year, so we'll go in, play hard, and look to come out with two W's."

As members of the current squad head out of the gym, the former Orangemen reminisce about old times over bags of ice draped around their knees. This ragtag bunch consists of ten players who play in seven different countries around the world. Pickup games in the Melo Center are fewer and further between for them nowadays, yet the Syracuse basketball fraternity lasts a lifetime. That's how Boeheim's Army, separated for 51 weeks out of the year, marches into battle, reunited once again.

Second-seeded Boeheim's Army will take on the fifteen-seed Basketball City NYC this Saturday at 7:30 pm EST.

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