Now that South Florida graduate transfer Geno Thorpe has committed to Syracuse Basketball, it’s time to examine our squad for 2017-18.
The Syracuse basketball squad is all set for the upcoming campaign. Guard Geno Thorpe, a graduate transfer from South Florida, has pledged his commitment to SU. With that, head coach Jim Boeheim and his staff are out of scholarships for the 2017-18 stanza.
It’s way too early to make any sort of prognostications about how this group of guys will fare. And, no doubt expectations in Central New York are way lower than a season ago. Especially after our boys bowed out in the NIT’s second round this past spring.
I can almost guarantee that no one will have the ‘Cuse in their initial top-25 rankings. The bracketologists will surely leave the Orange out of their inaugural projected fields of 68. Totally fine by me. I feel like Syracuse seems to have a great deal of success when it flies under the radar, so to speak. Case in point, the 2003 national-championship team.
Thorpe coming in brings much-needed experience and leadership. He’s a veteran player on a relatively young outfit. Joining him are two juniors, center Paschal Chukwu and point guard Frank Howard.
Analysis:
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The sophomores are Tyus Battle, a combo-guard, along with forward Matthew Moyer and Taurean Thompson, who can suit up at either power forward or center. The incoming freshmen are forwards Oshae Brissett and Marek Dolezaj, power forward/center Bourama Sidibe, and point/combo guard Howard Washington.
The roster’s final component is Elijah Hughes, a wing who has transferred to SU from East Carolina, according to NunesMagician.com. He has to sit out 2017-18, but then will have three years of eligibility left.
Sizing up this bunch is a bit challenging. Other than Battle and Thompson, no one else saw much, if any, court time- for the Orange, that is. Thorpe logged considerable minutes for South Florida, while Hughes got decent minutes for East Carolina.
I’m curious to see whether Boeheim gives Howard the starting nod at point guard, following a somewhat disappointing 2016-17. Perhaps Thorpe, similar to grad transfer John Gillon a season ago, will take the lead at point.
Battle and Thompson will, barring anything crazy, start. I assume Moyer, or maybe even Brissett, the premier high-school stud in Canada, will get into the first five. Honestly, though, I’m really just guessing at this juncture.
Athleticism:
What I can say is that this ‘Cuse crew is super long and athletic. Hopefully, that will result in a strong defensive showing. Yet, as we witnessed in 2016-17, a plethora of new players proved troublesome in trying to execute Boeheim’s famed 2-3 zone.
With Gillon, sophomore Tyler Lydon and fellow grad transfer Andrew White III gone, we have to replace an abundance of shooting. Battle can stroke it, and I’m praying that both Dolezaj and Thorpe, among others, will add some firepower from long range.
Keep an eye – no pun intended – on Chukwu and Sidibe at the center position. They are extremely tall and will represent key roles anchoring our zone. Chemistry seemed problematic in numerous instances this last go-round, and I sense a possible repeat in 2017-18. We just possess so many new faces, and only a few upperclassmen.
Then again, Boeheim is set to roam the sidelines for several more years. That may help with recruiting and the overall mentality of the Syracuse basketball program.
Next: Syracuse Basketball: Pre-Summer Player Rankings for 2017-2018 Season
Save for that miraculous Final Four appearance in 2015-16, things have gotten a little shaky in recent terms. But lest we forget, you can never, ever count out JB. Because, when you least expect it, he’ll do something magical. And prove all the naysayers wrong.