College basketball: Syracuse star is more than pleased as he pursues title and NBA dreams.

Ever since his first youth basketball game in Rochester, N.Y., Syracuse’s John Wallace dreamed of playing in the Final Four.

He dreamed of the day he would get to play under the same national spotlight that turned players such as Christian Laettner and George Lynch into Final Four legends and future first-round NBA draft picks.

The dream in part kept Wallace from turning pro after his junior season a year ago.

“I decided that it wasn’t the right time for me to leave,” said Wallace, who withdrew his name from the eligibility list two days before last June’s draft. “I still had some holes in my game, and I had one more year of eligibility to improve them. I didn’t want to be just another late-round pick.”

Wallace figured that the best way for him to market his skills was to make sure the Orangemen were still playing when the NCAA tournament reached New Jersey.

On Saturday, Wallace’s dream will finally become a reality when Syracuse plays Mississippi State in a semifinal game at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford.

“I’m so glad that I came back,” said Wallace, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound power forward. “If I knew this was going to happen, I would have never declared myself for the NBA draft. I never would have considered it.”

After playing in the shadows of former Syracuse standouts Lawrence Moten, Lucious Jackson and Michael Lloyd his first three seasons, Wallace took over as the Orangemen’s leader for this season the instant he withdrew his name from last year’s draft.

It’s a role that came easily for Wallace, who worked hard during the off-season to improve his outside shot and ballhandling.

“I am so happy for John because he has meant so much to our program,” Coach Jim Boeheim said. “After he made his decision to come back, he really worked hard on his game and on becoming a leader. We’re [in the Final Four] because of John.”

Despite being the player every Syracuse opponent has wanted to stop and playing on a team with limited talent, Wallace has improved all phases of his game.

His scoring average increased from 16.8 points as a junior to 22.3 this season. His rebounding is up from 8.2 to 8.7, and his free-throw shooting from 68% to 76%.

Wallace’s biggest improvement, however, came in his perimeter game. He’s second on the team in assists and his 44% shooting on three-point attempts since January is among the nation’s best.

Just ask Georgia, which lost to Syracuse in overtime, 83-81, on Wallace’s game-winning three-point shot in a West Regional semifinal game last Friday.

“That John Wallace, boy, he’s a good one,” Georgia Coach Tubby Smith said after Wallace played the final 17 minutes with four fouls and finished with 30 points, including 10 in overtime.

“The thing about John is that he never focuses on himself as the star of the team,” Syracuse point guard Lazarus Sims said. “It’s his attitude that has helped us become more than a team. We’re a family that is all on the same [wavelength] right now.”

Wallace agreed with Sims.

“It hasn’t been a matter of how good my season has been or anyone else’s. . . . It’s about Syracuse basketball,” Wallace said. “You can’t get this far as a team with just one man.”

There’s no question that Wallace, 22, has improved his NBA stock by staying in school one more year. The question now is whether he will continue to develop at the next level or be an underachiever like former Syracuse star Derrick Coleman.

At last week’s West Regional, Wallace showcased his talent, but he also showed some of the traits that have plagued Coleman in the NBA.

“He has a chance to be a great pro. . . even an all-star,” said one NBA scout. “But you still have to wonder whether he wants it. There are times when he seems to just go through the motions.”

Wallace is aware that he still has critics, but he says that they are judging him on his past when he basically was known as a trash-talking, selfish player who lacked motivation.

“He’s a very emotional player, and I think this year especially, he’s really funneled his emotions into winning,” Boeheim said before the start of the NCAA tournament.

“When he gets emotional, that’s when he doesn’t lead. He’s now channeled that so that even when he gets emotional, he still keeps his focus on making sure we’re going in the right direction, and that’s important for this team.”

Wallace credits his desire to provide for his family.

“It’s a maturation process we all have to go through,” said Wallace, who has a 2-year old son, John III. “I want to be there for my family. Whatever I have to do, whatever sacrifices I have to make . . . I’m going to do. I’m going to be a father to my son.”

So is Wallace worried about making it in the NBA?

“I’m used to doubters,” he said. “I’ve been doubted all of my life. Some people didn’t even think I’d be wearing this [Syracuse’s] uniform at all this year. But look, not only am I wearing it, but we’re still playing and we’re not done yet.”