Syracuse basketball is on a hot streak and it’s been a team effort. Here’s how important bench minutes have been to the teams’ success.
Syracuse basketball is riding a four-game win streak against ACC competition. A lot of the credit goes to Elijah Hughes and the other ‘Cuse stars. But we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the Orange bench.
Even though they don’t get the eye-popping stats or minutes, they are critical to these close victories. Despite the numbers, this year’s team is more well-rounded top to bottom than last year.
Syracuse had a few star contributors off the bench last season, but this team is cohesive. Coach Jim Boeheim does not ask a lot out of his reserves, but they exceed expectations when needed.
We will recap the four current bench player’s season’s so far and their impact:
Quincy Guerrier
First, let’s begin with arguably the most impactful bench player, Quincy Guerrier. The forward leads the bench in minutes played, averaging nearly 18 a game. Syracuse tends to get themselves into foul trouble early and often this season. Now Guerrier is a culprit of this as well but also a beneficiary.
Whenever Bourama Sidibe starts getting into foul trouble, it’s time for Quincy to hit the floor. His presence brings more athleticism to the court and forces Marek Dolezaj to man the middle of the zone.
Overall, Guerrier provides more speed matched with length than Sidibe can when he’s on the court. The one knock this season has been his shooting and consistency. He is 3-for-20 beyond the arc. This isn’t the most significant concern because his forte is being a threat in the paint, but it would add another dimension to his game if he could start converting from long distance.
The best aspect of his game is his rebounding abilities. Guerrier is averaging five rebounds a game which provides a spark off the bench for the Orange. Guerrier leads all bench players in points, rebounds, and blocks.
Howard Washington
Howard Washington is the definition of a floor general. When he steps on the floor, the entire team’s dynamic changes. He won’t put up a ton of points or lead the team, but there’s no doubt his impact is felt. I’d argue that in his limited minutes, he has been more effective than Jalen Carey was off the bench last season. Carey provided more scoring and padded the stat sheet more. But Washington’s presence goes beyond the scorebook.
Washington is a team player, and his teammates become better when he is on the court. The best example of this was the game against Virginia Tech. Washington only had two points, one assist, and a steal. But that isn’t the story.
Head coach Jim Boeheim understood the impact he was making, so he left him out there in the latter stages of the game. Against VT, Howard finished with 16 minutes forcing Joe Girard to play only 24. The ball moves around the floor better, and Washington is better at playing the top of the zone. So even though the stats don’t tell the story, Washington’s impact directly correlated to the team’s victory. On the year he is averaging, two assists, a rebound, and almost two points.
Currently, Washington has a sprained ankle, according to Syracuse.com. But when he returns, look for him to continue getting steady minutes for ‘Cuse.
Brycen Goodine
Everyone is aware that coach Boeheim likes to run a tight lineup. That means Brycen Goodine gets limited minutes, which also limits his impact. But when the squad needs another guard, they turn to Goodine. The majority of his minutes came against non-ACC opponents earlier in the year. He’s averaging over two points and a rebound.
The biggest issue for Goodine is the crowded backcourt. With coach Boeheim only playing six to eight players a game, it’s tough for Brycen to get minutes. And with the emergence of Howard Washington, he is third on the depth chart. It is unclear how Goodine factors into the overall plan, but if they need a guard in a pinch, Goodine is a good bench option.
Jesse Edwards
Jesse Edwards is an intriguing freshman with size but get’s the least minutes of any bench player. However, he can get essential minutes at times. Boeheim is forced to use Edwards early in games when foul trouble affects Dolezaj, Sidibe, and Guerrier. Now that might seem like a rare occurrence, but it happens all too often for the Orange.
On the year, Edwards appears in about seven minutes per game and contributes over two points and nearly two rebounds. The young center does not get a ton of playing time but does have a future with ‘Cuse. As the big men graduate, that leaves an opportunity for Edwards to mature and potentially fill the void in their absence.