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Twitter Question Of The Week: Who’s The Better Grad-Transfer?

By Paul A. Esden Jr.

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The Inside the Loud staff is back with their weekly Roundtable to debate and discuss who was the better grad-transfer for the Syracuse Orange this year. Amba Etta-Tawo or John Gillon?  Lets see what the fans voted…

Every week we’ll start proposing a Twitter question of the week that #OrangeNation can vote on via our Twitter account @LoudHouseFS. While we received a few comments that said that this comparison is “apples to oranges”, we politely disagree.

John Gillon may have played for the Syracuse basketball team and Amba Etta-Tawo may have played for the Syracuse football team. But the dynamic is really intriguing, what do you value more?

Consistency? Game winning plays? There are so many variables, so we proposed this question on ESPN Radio in Syracuse on the Bud and the Manchild show after releasing our poll a few days ago. Here’s what the fans had to say:

To provide some context we released this poll shortly after Gillon made his buzzer-beating three pointer to beat Duke. So we let this sit a while until the season concluded. Then we re-asked the same question after everything has settled, here’s how the voting went this time around.

So here’s the argument: Etta-Tawo had mind numbing numbers and broke several long-standing records in the process. He had the greatest season by a Syracuse Football WR in program history.

While John Gillon made game-changing plays that saved SU’s season several times early on. If a couple of his game-changing shots don’t go in, Syracuse Basketball wouldn’t have been in the NIT tournament.

So what did our contributor’s think? We have their answers:

Neil Adler- Contributor

I must confess that my “expertise” lies squarely with the Syracuse hoops squad, and college basketball in general. So I am likely biased in my response here.

From a pure statistical standpoint, wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo clearly crushed point guard John Gillon. Etta-Tawo had perhaps the most accomplished receiving season in Syracuse football history. He set 10 Syracuse receiving records during his one stint in Central New York, including: receptions and receiving yards. In addition, he got named to four All-America groups, according to Cuse.com, the University’s official athletics web site.

In 2016-17, Etta-Tawo secured 94 receptions, 1,482 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. The stud notched at least 100 yards in seven affairs, and more than 200 yards in a pair of contests. Those numbers are all ridiculous. Seriously, they are insane. And I would imagine that Etta-Tawo will get drafted and shine in the NFL.

But: what are the criteria to determine who is the “better” graduate transfer? If you’re a stats guy or gal, then Etta-Tawo outperformed Gillon by a wide margin. For me, however, it’s less about individual accolades, and more about what you mean to your particular program.

The Syracuse football team finished 4-8, and really had no shot at getting invited to a bowl game.

Head coach Jim Boeheim’s basketball crew, meanwhile, suffered through an up and down 2016-17 campaign. However, after starting sophomore Frank Howard at the point for a bit, Boeheim eventually settled on Gillon for the bulk of the term.

Gillon, who I assume could play professionally overseas, proved inconsistent. That much is evident. And Syracuse ended on a frustrating note, losing a bunch of close battles, and getting relegated to the NIT. Still, if not for some of Gillon’s heroics, I doubt that SU even has a shot at the NCAA Tournament, nor the NIT.

On the year, Gillon averaged about 11 points, five assists, two boards, one steal and two turnovers. He connected on 42 percent from downtown and 86 percent from the charity stripe.

Most importantly, his buzzer-beater to conquest then-No. 10 Duke at the Carrier Dome kept the ‘Cuse in the Big Dance conversation. Moreover, he tallied a massive 43 points in an overtime road triumph against NC State, which featured an off-balance 3-pointer near the end of regulation to propel the match-up into an extra session.

In summation, I would argue that Etta-Tawo possessed undoubtedly more dominant numbers, but I believe Gillon proved more valuable to his squad.

Josh Peelman- Contributor

Follow: @jnpmessenger

Neil, I think you make a good argument, but I gotta disagree man. I am a hardcore Syracuse Basketball and Football fan, and I can definitely say Amba-Etta Tawo was more valuable to his team. I know you’re a basketball guy as compared to a football guy, so I’ll let it slide.

I think since these two are in two completely different sports that it is hard to evaluate them side by side. However, if you’re asking who is more valuable to to their team, I think its a landslide for Etta Tawo.

Unlike Gillon, Etta Tawo was the star of his team. He proved that early on and never let up from there. Many thought coming into the season last year that starting quarterback Eric Dungey would be the only real playmaker on the team. When Etta Tawo joined as a grad-transfer, no one thought he’d be the star of the team. Most wrote him off based on his mediocre success at Maryland.

Then the season started, and boy did he show up. In his first game, against Colgate, he nabbed 12 receptions for 210 yards and one touchdown, according to ESPN.com. Now, we know Colgate is a nobody in terms of football, but still. That stat line is pretty impressive! In his second game, he faced great competition in #13 Louisville, yet he still produced eight receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns. After that performance we all knew he was a star and should not be taken lightly.

Some fans, like me, wondered if it was just Dungey’s ability to throw well that was giving Etta Tawo success, but it wasn’t. We all quickly learned that Etta Tawo had the ability, talent, and height to jump up and grab most long balls thrown his way. It became even more apparent he was the star of the team (over Dungey) when Dungey went down to injury near the end of the season.

With less talented quarterback play, Etta Tawo still nabbed 19 receptions, 324 yards, and seven touchdowns in the last three games. Without him, Syracuse football would have been blown out even worse in these games, let alone all season.

In his last game of the season, Etta Tawo once again had a noteworthy performance. He had 13 receptions, for 178 yards, and five touchdowns; a pro-worthy performance. It was clearly one of the best statistical performances by a wide receiver anywhere in college that season.

Fact is, Etta Tawo carried the Syracuse Football team as its star all season long without fail. That is not something Gillon can claim for the Syracuse Basketball team. He was outshone time and time again.

Head-to head, Gillon and Etta Tawo both missed out on their end goals. Gillon’s goal was to make the NCAA Tournament, while Etta Tawo’s goal was to get the Orange to a bowl game. Though both were unsuccessful in reaching their end goals, only one was consistent all season: Etta Tawo.

When Gillon didn’t show up, the Orange lost most times. However, the basketball team still occasionally found ways to win despite him. That is something the football team can’t claim without Etta Tawo.

Without Etta Tawo, the Orange football team would not have won four games this season. That’s

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not doubt of Dino Babers or the talented Eric Dungey: it’s a fact. Look at the impact the other role players had for Syracuse football last year outside of Etta Tawo. They don’t even compare to Etta Tawo’s impact.

Running back play was horrible all year long. The lead back, Dontae Strickland had 162 carries for 566 yards, and four touchdowns in 12 games! That’s 3.5 yards per carry, according to ESPN.com, is just dreadful. At the wide receiver position, Dino Babers moved Ervin Phillips to wide receiver from running back because he needed another talented pass catcher on the wings. He alone, outside of Etta Tawo had a decent year. Phillips nabbed 90 receptions for 822 yards and six TD’s. After that it was a major drop off.

Steve Ishmael, the presumed go-to receiver coming into the season only had 48 receptions for 559 yards and one touchdown. So much for an impact…. After Ishmael, the numbers just get worse so I won’t even begin to depress you with them.

In comparison, Etta Tawo had almost as many yards through the air and more touchdowns than all three of these players put together. Combined, these three had 1,947 yards, while Etta Tawo had 1,482. Etta Tawo had 14 touchdowns, while they had 11 combined. I think I’ve made my point.

Etta Tawo did the work of three major Syracuse football role players over the course of the year. So in comparison, can you really say Gillon did the work of three other major Syracuse basketball role players?

I know without Gillon we wouldn’t have had miracle game winners or much leadership this year, but i’m not sure I, or anyone could say Gillon was more valuable than the efforts of say Lydon, White, and Battle combined. Heck, i’m not even sure I can say Gillon was more valuable than Andrew White III, another SU basketball grad-transfer, so how can I say he was just as good as three others on the team?

That’s the impact Etta Tawo had for Syracuse football though, which is why I think Etta Tawo was the more valuable grad-transfer for Syracuse this year.

Boy Green and Ty Butler discuss all of these answers in their weekly segment, “Inside The Twitterbag” via Sports War Radio.

Paul A. Esden Jr.- Site Expert

Follow: @BoyGreen25

Ty Butler- Contributor

Follow: @TyDButler

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