Syracuse Basketball: Top 30 Players in School History

Preston Shumpert may not be a name that Orange fans will immediately recognize, but it’s one they should come to know. Here’s why: Preston Shumpert sits 8th on SU’s All-Time scoring list. Surprised? So was I.

Shumpert was often overshadowed by a bunch of other SU greats when he played. During his Syracuse basketball days, he played with the likes of Jason Hart, Etan Thomas, Damone Brown, and Allen Griffin. However, he might have had the best career of all of them.

As a freshman, he only scored 5.4 points a game in a sixth man type role. However, he would up his game as a sophomore, a trend that would continue until he graduated. In that sophomore season he earned the Big East Most Improved Player of the Year award and be named to the Big East’s All-Conference First Team, after averaging 10.3 points, 1.2 steals, and three rebounds a game.

As a junior, Shumpert continued to excel on offense. He doubled his scoring average to 19.5, increased his rebound average to 5.9, and dished out 1.6 assists a game. He also averaged almost two steals a game to pair with Hart. As a result, Syracuse became a stellar defensive unit heading into the 21st century.

In his final season, Shumpert would average 20.7 points, 2.3 assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per contest. He would also shoot 37% from three on route to setting the single-season three-point record at SU. That record has broken a few times since then, with Andrew White III setting the record again this past year.

Shumpert should be considered among the all-time greats in SU basketball history because of how efficient and stellar he was at shooting the ball. However, since he was a shabby defender to start his career and was never really a great passer, he sort of fell in our rankings. Yet he will remain among the best scorers SU has ever seen, so that must count for something.