Syracuse Basketball: Top 30 Players in School History

Michael Carter-Williams was anything but your traditional guard. While playing for Syracuse, he wowed fans with his ability to use incredible and athletic plays as well as his unselfishness with the basketball. Known as a good distributor coming out of high school, he lived up to that at SU.

He didn’t play much freshman year as veterans Brandon Triche, Scoop Jardine and Dion Waiters stole most of the minutes at guard. In his sophomore year, he took over the reins at the point and did not disappoint. Though a bit erratic at times and often turnover-prone, he still was a great distributor and scorer.

Carter-Williams was a great defender and his wingspan was perfect for intercepting passes out of the 2-3 zone. He struggled hitting threes but was very capable at getting to the rim any time he wanted to.

Michael Carter-Williams was a huge reason why Syracuse made it to the Final Four that year. The Orange would lose against Michigan, but his guidance and leadership at the point helped the Orange get there. That season he averaged 11.9 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds.

Carter-Williams may not have been the best point guard Syracuse has ever had, but he’s definitely up there. Though he only made a real impact in one of his two years at SU, his legacy will be how he distributed the ball and his ability as a great on-ball defender.