Vegas pays off for ’Cuse’s Brissett

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

That’s how the saying goes. And it might work well for gamblers, the Las Vegas Visitors Bureau and the cast of “The Hangover.”

But not for Oshae Brissett.

After putting up outstanding numbers during his freshman year at Syracuse, Brissett spent a month in Las Vegas last summer, working to improve his game.

Now, the sophomore is hoping to bring Vegas back to Syracuse this season.

His Vegas trip paid off better than the jackpot on a one-armed bandit in Syracuse’s season-opening win over Eastern Washington on Tuesday night at the Carrier Dome. Brissett led an otherwise lackluster offense with a game-high 20 points in the 16th-ranked Orange’s 66-34 victory over the Eagles. The 6-foot-8 forward made eight of his 14 field-goal attempts and also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.

“He was very aggressive,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. “He’s got to do what he did. He got on the boards. He was physical. He got to the basket. He’s been shooting the ball well, but that’s what he does best.”

As a freshman, Brissett averaged 14.9 points and 8.8 rebounds. Both figures rank among the top five all-time for Syracuse freshmen. But there were holes in Brissett’s game. He shot just 35.4 percent from the field, a very low number for a power forward. His 3-point percentage hovered at 33 percent.

Brissett’s main goal in Vegas was to improve on his shooting. He chose Las Vegas because he wanted to get away from the distractions in both Syracuse and his hometown of Toronto. He knew the Las Vegas area because he had spent his junior year of high school at Nevada basketball powerhouse Findlay Prep.

“I just wanted to get away,” Brissett said.

He worked out under the guidance of Younis Hussein, who had coached Brissett at the Athlete Institute in Mississauga, Ont. He also received coaching from Findlay coach Rodney Haddix. He also worked out with Drew Moore at the Impact facility, which is the offseason home of many NBA players.