Syracuse, N.Y. – He answers questions with a “Yes, ma’am,” and his polite, cheery personality paints a jarring contrast to his menacing, harassing presence on the basketball court.

Sadiq White, a 6-foot-9 forward, arrived in Syracuse last summer as the highest-ranked of the Orange men’s six freshman recruits. He was billed as extremely athletic and a willing, capable defender.

He started slowly here, mostly playing behind leading scorer Donnie Freeman but sometimes playing alongside the SU sophomore.

But with Freeman down for an indefinite period with an undisclosed lower-body injury, White has stepped into the SU starting lineup and for two straight games has produced.

In games against Iowa State and Tennessee, two of the nation’s better defensive teams, White averaged 12 points and s

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