Syracuse Basketball: Player Grades vs. Lehigh

Nov 13, 2015; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Kaleb Joseph (14) drives to the basket past Lehigh Mountain Hawks guard Kahron Ross (1) during the second half at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse defeated Lehigh 57-47. Photo Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Kaleb Joseph- 8 points, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2-3 from 3, 2-2 from FT line

Joseph also had a great game. I was actually quite baffled why Boeheim took him out at the times he did. He was a huge energy boost off the bench and was incredibly solid with the ball in his hands. He made a very nice drive to the rim that, unlike last year, was completely in control.

He drained a pair of three pointers, including one right before the half that pushed the lead to twenty points. I would have liked to see him get more minutes, as he proved that he is a completely different player from last year. He wasn’t hesitant at all to let fly and showed off his greatly improved shooting stroke.

His defense was also much improved over last year. He consistently kept his hands up and kept players in front of him. He also didn’t give up any uncontested threes, which was a huge liability last year in the zone.

I give Kaleb an overall grade of A. Again, I wish he had more minutes to see if he could maintain his high level of play, but the time he was out there he looked great. He was bigger, faster, and stronger than last year and you could see the difference in his confidence level.