Quincy Guerrier, a forward for Syracuse basketball, looks to have one of the biggest freshman to sophomore jumps in college basketball.
Quincy Guerrier brings the hustle for Syracuse basketball.
The 6-foot-7 rising sophomore from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is an x-factor for the Orange. In 32 games last season, Guerrier had averages of 6.9 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks, while shooting 49.7% from the field. While not astronomical numbers, he will easily the fourth or fifth option any time on the court, while having to play behind fellow front court members Marek Dolezaj and Bourama Sidibe. Guerrier will most likely be behind them again this season, but with leading scorer Elijah Hughes gone to the NBA Draft, it does open up a starting spot at small forward.
This spot will most likely be given to either Guerrier or incoming transfer Alan Griffin. However, if Griffin is ruled ineligible this season due to transfer rules, Guerrier seems like the most likely suitor for that open 3-spot starting role.
For people who don’t watch Syracuse basketball, those numbers probably seem average for a freshman. However, is game goes far beyond what any stat sheet shows. Guerrier’s tenacity in the paint can be seen by his strength, ability to box out bigger defenders, and coach ability. Head Coach Jim Boeheim often criticized Guerrier for taking long range jumpers. And how did he respond? By listening to his coach and driving the lane. That isn’t to say Guerrier isn’t actively working on is three point shot, which was at a dismal 12.5% in 2019-20. However, it is to say that he has an open mind for constructive criticism, which is every coach’s dream.
While Guerrier can definitly score the ball in the low post, it’s his rebounding that often propels Syracuse basketball to wins. Guerrier had 13 games of seven or more rebounds a year ago. For an interesting correlation, he seemed to perform better statistically when chasing those rebounds. Guerrier scored in double figures in 11 games overall last season, but seven of them came in those games where he also totaled at least seven rebounds. In other words, his hard work on the boards has often paid off in more buckets. Syracuse has gone without a dominant inside presence for quite some time now. If Guerrier can continue to improve, he has shown the potential of becoming that guy.
The easiest player comparison I can think of would be Oshae Brissett. This is partially because it is such a recent comparison, as Brissett competed for Syracuse last in the 2018-19 season. But it’s easy to see the hustle Brissett brought, and ability to rebound and score down low, despite only being 6-foot-8. Guerrier lacks the shooting touch Brissett has, but they are both Canadian, so they have that going as well.
Perhaps an even better comparison could be Paul Harris. Harris’ freshman stats were very similar to Guerrier’s, as he averaged 8.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and shot a dismal .050% from behind the arc. However, Harris upped that three point shot to above 30 percent the following season, while also becoming a decent scorer as well at over 14 points per game.
If Guerrier can keep working hard, especially on his jumper, it should fall in to place, as he has a lot of great qualities to surround it with.