PHILADELPHIA — Kevin Belbey didn’t even tell his own brother, Syracuse walk-on Shaun Belbey, who the Boeheim’s Army ringer was. From two hours before the midnight deadline on Monday night to about two hours before tipoff on Thursday, the mystery man’s identity stayed hidden while on social media every Syracuse shooter from the past decade was floated as a possibility to join the team in Philadelphia.

It turned out to be James Southerland, who didn’t even know if he was going to make it to the East Coast in time for the game, hence Belbey withholding the former SU sharpshooter’s name until right before he walked in the door at Philadelphia University.

“I was all the way in California,” Southerland said after Boeheim’s Army’s 91-84 Thursday night loss to The Untouchables in The Basketball Tournament’s Round of 16. “I literally flew in less than 24 hours before I got in.”

On Monday night around 10 p.m., Belbey sent the email to TBT indicating Boeheim’s Army would activate their right to add a player. He didn’t even type out Southerland’s name in the email, instead sending only a highlight tape of Southerland hitting nine 3-pointers against Arkansas from Nov. 30, 2012. He had 35 points that game, a fitting indication of the scoring prowess from deep Belbey hoped he’d bring to Boeheim’s Army.

On Thursday he only hit one long ball that accounted for all three of his points as Boeheim’s Army struggled mightily from deep while the Pittsburgh alumni hit twice as many shots from behind the arc.

Despite the end result, Southerland’s frantic journey across the country was almost as suspenseful as the secret he and Belbey kept for three days.

When Southerland landed in New York City, he made a pit stop at home in Bayside, New York to gather his belongings. He then headed back to meet Brandon Triche, who would drive him to Philadelphia for the game. Southerland, who already packed lightly with only the clothes he needed to play and a pair of compression shorts, forgot his wallet at home and didn’t have an identification to present at the player entrance.

He and Triche entered the Gallagher Athletic Center shortly after 4:30, the mystery officially solved.

“I told Brandon that he was the real MVP,” Belbey said. “…held James captive in the car on the way up here…Part of the reason we were keeping it a secret is ‘cause I needed to make sure James could get here first.”

It turned out to be a short stay for Southerland as Boeheim’s Army came up short of the $2 million for a second straight summer.

The last time he played Pittsburgh, he went 6-for-6 from 3-point range. This time didn’t yield anywhere near the same results, but it was a captivating arrival nonetheless.

Published on July 21, 2016 at 10:17 pm

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman