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Syracuse Basketball: The shackles are almost off of Jim Boeheim

By Paul A. Esden Jr.

OMAHA, NE - MARCH 23: Head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange reacts against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 23, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE - MARCH 23: Head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange reacts against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 23, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim has been dragged down by the weights of the past. ITLH breaks down those shackles almost being removed.

Clearly head coach Jim Boeheim juiced this orange as much as he could. No one could’ve predicted this version of Syracuse basketball could’ve possibly made it into the Sweet 16, but they did.

They did in spite of the penalties that were cast against them back in 2015.

To give you an update and also a look back at the original sanctions here’s a recap:

  • “The NCAA had originally sanctioned Syracuse with the loss of three scholarships a year for a four-year period. That penalty was part of the NCAA’s report on violations within the Syracuse basketball program”, per Syracuse.com.
    • But if you remember the Orange had a self-inflicted wound by taking away three scholarships in the 2015-16 season, which the NCAA accepted as part of the eight total scholarship reduction.
  • On top of that, back in December of 2016, “the NCAA reduced the scholarship penalty, docking Syracuse just two scholarships a year for the next four years”, per Syracuse.com.

While last year was hard to swallow, SU has taken their punishment on the chin and has risen past it. Consider this, despite the sanctions, Syracuse has been to a Final Four and a Sweet 16 during these sanctions. In other words, suck it NCAA!

Now the shackles are almost completely off for Boeheim. Which means the last remaining portion of this punishment is a single scholarship reduction for the 2018-19 season. Which leaves the Orange program possessing 12 scholarships for the next term (one short of normal regulation which allows 13 scholarships).

Orange Nation and Boeheim can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Despite the dark cloud hanging over the University it seems like the worst of the storm is in the rear-view mirror for the Orange.

Plus this coaching staff deserves a ton of credit for doing a lot with a little. Despite being down a scholarship for the upcoming campaign, this could be one of SU’s most talented teams they’ve ever put together:

  • Buddy Boeheim
    • 6-foot-5
    • 170 pounds
    • Shooting guard
    • Three-star recruit who is not only Boeheim’s kid, but a real sharp shooter who can add some offensive punch to next year’s squad.
  • Elijah Hughes
    • 6-foot-6
    • 205 pounds
    • Shooting guard
    • Was forced to sit out the 2017-18 campaign, but will have three years remaining of eligibility.
    • While a lot of Syracuse fans have been down on Matthew Moyer this year, he’s a big reason why Hughes chose the Orange. Hughes mentioned several times that Moyer texted him often to bring him to Central New York.
  • Jalen Carey
    • 6-foot-3
    • 170 pounds
    • Point guard
    • Finally Syracuse has a true point guard at the position. Over the last several years they’ve had guys who had to move to the point. For example, Michael Gbinije was a forward at Duke, Frank Howard was a shooting guard in high school, Carey can finally be the guy who can handle the rock and look like it for the Cuse.
  • Darius Bazley
    • 6-foot-9
    • 200 pounds
    • Forward
    • Five-star prospect, considered top-10 consensus recruit
    • This is clearly the prized gem of this class. For the critics who say the game has passed Boeheim by and this University in the cold tundra of Central New York can’t recruit… well results speak for themselves.

Those are some of the new faces who will be joining the program next Fall. This list obviously doesn’t include some of the players who will be returning:

  • Matthew Moyer (Junior)
    • After redshirting in 2016-17, Moyer had an up and down campaign last season. His lone bright moment vs UConn at the Garden was more so a fluke than anything else. Moyer never had a scoring night like it the rest of the season, but hopefully can continue to develop.
  • Howard Washington (Sophomore)
    • At the beginning of the season he got little to no playing time. But eventually he worked himself into a role, sadly his season would end on a torn ACL. But there is high hope for this youngster next season off the bench.
  • Paschal Chukwu (Senior)
    • Speaking of up and down campaigns, this past season was a lot more up than down. Chukwu was one of the best rim protectors in the country and had a prowess for the big block. If he can develop his hands in the offseason, he could be an unstoppable player.
  • Marek Dolezaj (Sophomore)
    • Another player who had a slow start to the season in terms of scoring, but really picked it up late in the season and specifically in the March Madness tournament. Dolezaj always seems to make ‘winning plays’. It doesn’t always show up in the box score, but he’s an integral cog to this Orange machine.
  • Frank Howard (Senior)
    • Howard is a player who never quite gets the love he deserves, but always is the first one to get the blame. He has accepted that role with the Orange and he had a monumental season last year. His scoring jumped through the roof and he proved to be a stabilizing force for an overall young team.
  • Bourama Sidibe (Sophomore)
    • Sidibe entered CNY as a four-star recruit who could rebound, score, and provide a punch whether he was starting or coming off the bench. Sadly he battled injuries throughout last year’s campaign and never realized his full potential. Many Orange fans forget about his impact and what he can provide. They’ll know next year pending health of course.

Guys who may be coming back for another run…

  • Tyus Battle (Junior)
    • Battle was the gem of this Syracuse basketball team. Projected to be a NBA lottery pick before the season started led this team and was second in the conference in scoring. While he isn’t appearing consistently in NBA Mock Drafts, all it takes is one team having interest. If he returns to the lineup next season for the Orange this could be a truly special team.
  • Oshae Brissett  (Sophomore)
    • The Canadian Sensation was better than advertised this past season with the Orange. He rarely played like a freshman and showed a knack for big time plays and consistent rebounding throughout the season. It seems more likely that Brissett would come back than Battle, but without much of the NBA world talking about them currently, I envision both returning to the squad next season.

If everyone returns that would complete the 12 scholarships for the Orange. Although a wrinkle in the rules could provide Syracuse some flexibility:

"“In this scenario, the son/player would count against the scholarship limit (which is 13) only if he receives financial aid related to athletics. Otherwise, he would be categorized as a walk-on,” Christopher Radford, the NCAA’s Associate Director of Public and Media Relations, said in an email via Syracuse.com."

Next: Syracuse Football: An inside look at SU star quarterback Eric Dungey

So if the Orange needed the scholarship they could simply bring Boeheim on as a walk-on. I’m sure Jim Boeheim isn’t hurting for cash, so Buddy wouldn’t likely need any financial aid to join Syracuse. That’s huge news for the Orange who could add to their already uber talented team for next season.

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