Two years have passed without Syracuse participating in the NCAA tournament. And the Orange has not made it to the Sweet 16 since its magical run to the NCAA title in 2003.

Jim Boeheim's club also has seen its Big East Conference luster fade in the last several seasons. SU has not finished higher than third since 2002-03 and has a pair of ninth-place finishes sandwiched around a fifth place in the last three campaigns.

Those are outrageous sentences for Orange fans, who have been accustomed to success (eight Big East regular-season titles, five tournament crowns) and NCAA bids (25) on a regular basis in Boeheim's 32 seasons at the Orange helm.

With the regular season beginning today against Le Moyne in the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in the Carrier Dome, SU must start answering several basic questions that will be pivotal to its success and help the team regain not only its Big East swagger, but a national reputation as well. Namely:

■ Will the return of Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins open up the offense and make the Orange tougher to defend?

Their return will certainly make up for the loss of Donte Greene, who took many bad 3-pointers. Devendorf and Rautins are big guards who can shoot over most defenses. They shoot at a much higher percentage than did Greene, and shot selection is huge against better teams. The improved perimeter offense will also take some of the pressure off Arinze Onuaku in the middle and possibly open up some room underneath for the forwards. Both Devendorf and Rautins can also spell Jonny Flynn, who was forced to play way too many minutes last year. And don't forget Devendorf and Rautins are big defenders in the front of the SU 2-3 zone.

■ Can Flynn improve his game even more and carry this club?

The smiling point guard from Niagara Falls became the face of the program in one short season. He is a dynamic leader who makes everybody better. And with a little rest, he will probably be better down the stretch with fresher legs. Flynn's outside shooting has improved, and his decision-making is top-rate.

■ Is Arinze Onuaku still improving, and will he be a bigger force in the middle?

The big guy from Maryland gave Boeheim much more than he ever expected, especially on the offensive end. He was SU's best post player since Etan Thomas and looks even more agile and polished this season. Effective with either the left or right hand, Onuaku has a soft touch and quick feet for someone his size. He needs to rebound more consistently and become a more complete defender.

■ What can Boeheim expect from his newcomers?

Not even the maestro even knows at this point. Kris Joseph has emerged in the preseason as a pretty good scorer, a fine defender and an energy guy. He definitely will fit into the rotation. Mookie Jones is, as Boeheim said, a streaky shooter. Some games he will light it up. Some games he will stink. But both have the potential to make significant contributions.

■ Will the difficult schedule make this a better team, or keep it from reaching its potential?

There are still enough powder puffs on the pre-Big East slate to pile up some wins. But playing Florida, Kansas, Memphis and Virginia before January is a difficult task. However, it should better prepare the Orange for the rigors of the Big East. The conference is tougher and deeper than ever before. SU was picked just eighth in the preseason with almost its entire starting lineup returning. If the Orange should emerge from that schedule with 20 wins, that would be quite a statement.