Syracuse Basketball: Boeheim’s Army selects Arinze Onuaku, Jordan Crawford

Boeheim’s Army has completed its’ initial roster. Here’s what former Syracuse basketball star Arinze Onuaku, Jordan Crawford can add to the roster.

Boeheim’s Army hit their first buzzer-beater of the TBT season by completing their initial roster ahead of the TBT deadline at noon on Saturday, June 1.

Here’s a look at the initial roster for Boeheim’s Army:

• Chris McCullough, forward
• Brandon Triche, guard
• John Gillon, guard
• Eric Devendorf, guard
• Darryl ‘Mookie’ Watkins, forward/center
• Hakim Warrick, forward/center

On top of those names, we already knew were on the Boeheim’s Army roster, two more have been added to the fray early Saturday morning.

Former Syracuse basketball fan-favorite Arinze Onuaku. He’s not only just a popular vote, but he’s an effective player. Onuaku continues to bring some power down low for Boeheim’s Army.

I had a chance to speak with general manager Kevin Belbey on what Arinze brings to the squad:

"“Arinze was great for us last year and I’m excited to have him back. He’s a steady presence in the middle on both ends of the floor and wants to win as bad as anyone I’ve ever met.”"

While the team is called “Boeheim’s Army” which is an homage to the Hall of Fame Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim, not every player who suits up is a former member of the Orange.

That is true for the first time on the 2019 roster with the announcement that NBA guard Jordan Crawford is taking his talents to Boeheim’s Army. He has played on five different NBA teams and overseas during his nearly 10-year professional career.

"“Even though he didn’t go to Syracuse, I’m confident Jordan will fit in well, just like Willie Deane and Olu Famutimi did for us in the past. He’s a guy you can give the ball to when you need a basket and those are the types of players you need to win the TBT crown. He’s still playing at a very high level — he was in the NBA just last year on a playoff team and this season averaged over 35 points per game in China.”"

The secret connection? Jordan Crawford and Eric Devendorf have been friends for a long time through their Detroit roots which aided in the recruiting process.

While all of that is certainly exciting, there’s also some bummer news to share. It was initially reported that Michael Gbinije was joining the roster this Fall (Gbinije announced it on his Instagram), it appears that he put the cart before the horse.

I asked Kevin Belbey for an update on Michael Gbinije’s status Saturday morning and received this message:

"“Things could change, but I don’t anticipate him playing.”"