In this Boeheim’s Army 2019 Player Series we will feature the members of this year’s TBT (The Basketball Tournament) squad, and what’s happened since we saw them last. Up next: Darryl Watkins.
Boeheim’s Army is back and better than ever with lots or fresh faces this summer to bring to TBT (The Basketball Tournament). Among the new faces is Andrew White III, Chris McCullough, Michael Gbinije BJ Johnson, and Jordan Crawford.
Returning members include Eric Devendorf, Brandon Triche, Hakim Warrick, Arinze Onuaku, John Gillon, and Darryl Watkins. Watkins, in particular, is back for his second go-round with the team, his last appearance being in 2016 for Boeheim’s Army.
Watkins played for Syracuse Basketball from 2003 to 2007. At 6-foot-11 and around 258 lbs according to Basketball-Reference.com, he was a center who was terrific offensively but could play pretty good defense down in the post.
For Boeheim’s Army, he is a big guy down low in the post that will be hard for opposing players to back down, can grab a ton of rebounds, and can block shots when players drive to the rim. Though not great offensively he does have a somewhat decent game near the basket and in the post.
In his four years in the hill, Watkins improved each year. As a freshman in 2003-2004, he averaged 1.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game in only 12 games of action in which he started none of them, according to Sports-Reference.com. As a sophomore he played in 26 games, still starting none of them, but averaged 3.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks.
However, by his junior year, he finally got a chance to show how good he could be. He would play and start all 35 games he was in and double most of his averages: 7.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.8 blocks per game. He became a reliable center for Syracuse down low and his ability to block shots multiple times a game made opponents think twice about driving to the rim.
He would finish his senior year with similar numbers: he would start 32 of 33 games he played in, and averaged 8.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 3.4 blocks. In addition, he would tally 112 blocks in that final year, which was ranked 7th best in the country in average (3.4), fourth overall in single-season program history, and the highest amount for a senior in Syracuse basketball history, according to Cuse.com.
After Syracuse he played in Europe and Asia and has had a pretty exceptional pro career, according to Syracuse.com
Though Watkins was never a star his junior or senior year in an expanded role, he was exactly the type of role player the team needed. They did not need him to score in droves as they had plenty of players who could pick up the slack. What they needed from Watkins was a player who could defend well from the center position in the 2-3 zone, and grab rebounds and block shots. He more than did that in his two upperclassman years.
Boeheim’s Army will likely expect a similar role from Watkins in TBT. Though a much more experienced player, they do not need a ton of scoring from him. As long as he plays good defense, runs the floor well, and grabs rebounds that will help the team get out on the fast break, (which is crucial when playing out of the 2-3 zone I might add) then he’s doing exactly what the team needs.
Watkins is the perfect player for Boeheim’s Army. He accepts his role, does not need to be a star, and just goes out and does what needs to be done. He will make a fine addition to this year’s roster and hopefully going forward.