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Syracuse Basketball: Top 50 Players of All-Time (50-46)

By Josh Peelman

Mar 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Syracuse Orange forward Tyler Lydon (20) reacts during the first half of the second round against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Syracuse Orange forward Tyler Lydon (20) reacts during the first half of the second round against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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#47: Donte Greene

Forward: 2007-2008

Donte Greene’s Syracuse Basketball career was short lived. He played one year in Orange before bolting to the NBA. Many fans were angry and upset with him for leaving early instead of staying another year. If i’m being honest, I was too, but unlike most fans I didn’t take it out on him online. Most experts would agree that Greene could definitely have used another year in Orange to become an even better player, but hindsight is 20/20, so they say.

Greene was super talented coming out of high school and showed a silky mid-range jumpshot to pair with decent three point range. He scored in bunches while in Orange, but really suffered on the defensive end. Had he stayed, he probably would have been higher up this list, but as a freshman you can only accomplish so much.

He averaged 17.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game, according to Sports-Reference.com. Standing at 6’11, Greene could have done so much more defensively considering how athletic he was, but instead that never really occurred.

It’s easy to write off Donte Greene because he only stayed one season, and was technically the best player on an NIT team. However, that would be ignoring the fact that he was a tremendous scorer and one of the best talents Syracuse has secured in the 21st century. That’s why he slots in ahead of players like Scoop Jardine and Craig Forth in our rankings.

Its a tough call putting him amongst so many other greats, but he was a special kid, with a special talent. As they say, having one season with a player is better than not at all.

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