Syracuse Basketball: Success lies on shoulders of the Forwards

The Syracuse basketball team has a chance to be very special. A lot of that pressure falls on the forwards. ITLH breaks it down.

Not a whole lot is expected out of the Syracuse basketball team this season. ESPN Insider John Gasaway ranks Syracuse as the 77th best team in the country.

The Orange are coming off of a disappointing season last year, missing the NCAA tournament. That coming after Syracuse hauled in promising grad transfers Andrew White III and John Gillon.

To make matters worse for the 2017-2018 Orange, they are losing six of their top seven scorers from last year’s team to graduation.

New faces will be hitting the hardwood this season for Syracuse. Tyus Battle returns after averaging 11 points per game last season as a true freshman. Frank Howard is back after two up and down seasons on the hill.

Throw in Paschal Chukwu and Matthew Moyer, those are the only two returning scholarship players that were on the roster last year. There are a lot of unknown pieces on this Syracuse team.

Syracuse brings in another grad transfer in Geno Thorpe from South Florida. Last year Thorpe

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averaged 15 points per game, a very respectable number. Expect the Syracuse back court of Thorpe, Battle, Howard, and freshman Howard Washington should be a solid group for the Orange.

Battle and Thorpe will be deadly scorers, while an improved Frank Howard should facilitate in the Syracuse offense. Howard Washington could potentially be a playmaker as he is reportedly a pass-first point guard.

Where the question marks are for the Orange are at the forwards. Oshae Brissett is a highly touted freshman, but he is going to have to try and replace a small forward in Andrew White III, who averaged 18 points per game. He will need to contribute double figures in scoring throughout the season. The reputation is that Oshae can score the basketball and he will need to do so this season.

Syracuse.com’s Donna Ditota had this to say about Brissett after he scored 20 points in the inter-squad scrimmage:

"“The athletic 6-foot-8 forward can run the floor, like he did on a pretty transition chance that featured passes from Howard Washington and Tyus Battle before he finished with a dunk. Brissett did a few other interesting things in this scrimmage. He grabbed a rebound, pushed the ball himself, went coast-to-coast and was rewarded with free throws when he was fouled at the rim. And perhaps more importantly, he made four 3-point shots. That’s an area in which Syracuse could use substantial help, what with almost all of its 3-point threats gone from a season ago. (I see you, Tyus.) Brissett has an engaging personality and the potential to be a star.”"

Syracuse fans should be excited about this talented youngster from Canada. His progression will be fun to follow.

Matthew Moyer is the other Syracuse forward who will likely start and Syracuse will need production from him. Moyer redshirted last season after suffering an injury in early season practices. The Ohio product runs at about 6-foot 9 inches. Syracuse fans should expect him to start at power forward this season. He will try to replace Tyler Lydon, but don’t expect him to be a similar type of player. Moyer may see some success this year, but don’t expect him to replace Lydon’s production of 15 points per game and nearly 9 rebounds per game. I think Moyer will resemble Tyler Roberson in his junior season when he averaged 9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. If Syracuse can get him to average double figures on the season, the Orange could surprise people.

Ditota had this to say about Moyer after his first action in a Syracuse uniform:

"“And though Friday’s scrimmage didn’t count as anything official, it did allow him to show what he’s worked on. He remains very much a worker, a scrappy guy who can battle for rebounds and do the dirty work around the rim. He scored 11, including a turnaround jumper that beat the shot clock buzzer.”"

Another freshman who could have an impact is Marek Dolezaj.

He is a lengthy wing player from Slovakia and has been known to score the basketball. Over the summer in FIBA U-20 qualifying competition, Dolezaj averaged 17 points per game. While the Slovak native is listed at 6-foot 9 he only weighs 180-pounds and that might even be generous.

Dolezaj reportedly can put the ball on the floor and drive and can also shoot the three a little bit. His development might be the most interesting one to follow throughout the season. He played great in full-court press last night in the scrimmage against Southern New Hampshire.

The final player to watch out for is Bourama Sidibe, a 6-foot 10 inch rim protector from New Jersey. Sidibe was probably the least hyped recruits out of the four freshman that Syracuse has brought in this offseason.

However in the preseason, Sidibe has maybe been the most impressive. In his debut against Southern New Hampshire he did a great job protecting the rim, recording six blocks. I know its Southern New Hampshire, but still six blocks is impressive. I believe Sidibe could give Syracuse quality minutes in the middle of the zone and any offense is a bonus. The freshman also has provided good offense so far. From all reports its sounds as if he could fit the mold of a Baye Moussa-Kieta with an offensive game.

Ditota also shared positive thoughts about Sidibe:

"“At 6-foot-10, he is a long, agile and graceful athlete. He moves well in the zone, but his offensive work around the rim was unexpected. Sidibe drained a soft little hook. He battled and converted inside. He never stopped moving.”"

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While the Syracuse basketball team doesn’t have many expectations heading into the season, if their young wings step up it could change the outlook of their season. These young guns were impressive in their first scrimmage and if they replicate this in the season Syracuse will be much better than expected.