Syracuse basketball suffered a loss vs Notre Dame, but Quincy Guerrier had one of his best games. Here’s why that has earned him more playing time.
Syracuse basketball dropped an important conference game vs Notre Dame on Saturday and on top of that their depth is depleted due to injury.
Although it’s not all bad on the hill, freshman forward Quincy Guerrier is continuing to come into his own as he gains invaluable experience.
"“Quincy did a really good job coming in and got on the boards. Guerrier has earned some more playing time. He’s been good in practice so we’ll be seeing more of him.” – head coach Jim Boeheim after the Notre Dame game."
Guerrier played over 17 minutes and was perfect from the field going 3-for-3 scoring 10 points and banking his lone long-distance attempt.
Quincy did a really nice job on the boards snagging five of them and near the end of the game had a great putback slam that nearly was the dagger Syracuse needed to win.
Apparently Guerrier hasn’t only been playing well on the court, he’s been playing well behind the scenes in practice.
Jim Boeheim has been adamant that if you don’t play well in practice then you won’t play in the games.
"“My shooting has been way better in practice. I’m just more confident in what coach Boeheim is asking me to do. Earlier in the year, I was thinking when I was playing and I was over-anxious.When I was on the court instead of trying to make a play I was trying not to make a mistake and you can’t play like that. That was the main reason I was shooting some bricks earlier in the season because I was thinking too much I just have to play basketball the way I know how.” – Quincy Guerrier in the locker room after the contest."
Well, Syracuse needs him now more than ever because their depth has taken some massive hits with Jesse Edwards, Howard Washington, and Robert Braswell all getting banged up.
Quite frankly Q brings something to the table that seemingly no one else on the roster has: intensity, physicality, and the frame to bang inside. This year’s Syracuse squad has no inside presence, that has become painfully evident, so the Orange’s best shot to survive inside is the Canadian sensation, Quincy Guerrier.
Prior to the season, Quincy was listed as a first-round pick in an NBA mock draft and he still hasn’t reached his full potential. Although it’s an encouraging sign that Guerrier played so well against ACC level competition, but it’s only going to get tougher from here starting on Tuesday night vs Virginia Tech.