Syracuse Basketball: Geno Thorpe leaving opens up opportunity

Geno Thorpe left the Syracuse Basketball program this afternoon. So what’s next? Inside the Loud House previews the upcoming changes and talks about what’s ahead.

Syracuse Basketball fans might be freaking out right now about Geno Thorpe leaving the program. They have every right to.

Heck, when I heard the news I had a *facepalm* moment. He was the only real guy not named Franklin Howard who had any leadership or upperclassman experience.

He was the guy we thought this team could count on to pull through when the freshman hit the wall throughout the course of the season.

Alas, Thorpe was not the man we thought he was. However, things are not that bleak for this Syracuse Basketball team. They have another talented guard waiting in the wings, Howard Washington, as well as other freshman who would like to score and hold the ball more.

If you don’t know who I’m talking about you clearly don’t follow Syracuse Basketball. The obvious person in question: Oshae Brissett.

It’s no secret Brissett is a special talent. Yeah he’s raw in some areas, but his athleticism reminds me of a young Lebron James. He’s got height, long arms, can decently shoot it, and can get by his man at any time off the dribble.

Additionally, he can alter and block shots and rebound with the best of them; especially on offense. His potential is sky high, and more opportunity and time with the ball in his hands will help him develop him into the star we’re already seeing is starting to blossom.

Thorpe leaving is sad don’t get me wrong.

We will miss him, but it wasn’t like taking our head coach away for eight games, or losing Tyus Battle to a really serious injury. If that happened, we all would throw in the towel for this season pretty much. Luckily, neither of those things has happened, so the Orange should count their blessings.

In addition to Brissett getting more minutes, Howard Washington will get more backup point and shooting guard duties for the Orange. He offers a different style than Thorpe does, and that’s a good thing! He will need time to grow into the offense and learn what his real role is, but other than that, it will help this team become really good by the end of the year. There’s a reason he’s considered Tyler Ennis 2.0. Just keep that in mind because we all know how good Ennis was in his time with the Orange.

Even if Washington struggles, there is so much talent on this team that someone is bound to pick up what he couldn’t provide.

He will play a big factor though in whether the second unit runs effectively this year. If it doesn’t improve after a couple of weeks, expect Boeheim to cut down his rotation once again, and give Brissett more time at point forward and relegate Washington back to bench.

Lastly, just consider for a moment what these opportunities and minutes will mean for next year’s team.

The Syracuse Basketball team will be more ready and have the experience it needs to have to do well next year. That’s a huge positive from all this. More playing time now can only help future Orange teams.

The Orange are already a pretty decent team this year, but just imagine how good they’d be next year together. Especially with the other additions they’ll be adding in. That’s right we’re looking at you Darius Bazley, Jalen Carey, and Buddy Boeheim!

You may think I’m crazy, but I’m really not too upset about Thorpe leaving. Will I miss him yes, and so will the team. But they have the talent to replace him.

So I’m not too worried. If anything, Thorpe leaving helps team more than he ever could. By him forcing Syracuse’s hand and leaving them early in the season, he presents them with a lot of options. Maybe it’s just me, but all these opportunities the Orange now have is pretty exciting.

Next: Syracuse Basketball: Geno Thorpe Leaves Program

This Syracuse team has a lot of season left, starting with the game against #2 Kansas tomorrow afternoon at 5:30pm in Miami, according to Syracuse.com. Regardless of whether the Orange win or not, it will be a great learning experience on the road for these youngsters and the start of what could be a year of opportunity and growth for the Syracuse Basketball team and its freshman.

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