Syracuse Basketball: Way-too-early conference and team projections
Ryan Lee
PROJECTIONS
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- Duke
- Georgia Tech
- Florida State
- Louisville
- NC State
- Clemson
- Miami
- Virginia Tech
- Pitt
- Syracuse
- Notre Dame
- Boston College
- Wake Forest
Lee on the ACC
When it comes to predict a college basketball season, I will always value proven talent over unproven. That is why I am going with Virginia and UNC to pace the league over Duke.
I believe in the returning talent of Kihei Clark (UVA) and Garrison Brooks (UNC) over what the Blue Devils need to do to replace not only the reigning ACC player of the year in Vernon Carey but almost more importantly replacing Tyus Jones and several upperclassmen.
That is also the theme with picking Georgia Tech so high. They return their top three leading scorers while Louisville and Florida State are looking to retool immediately. The talent probably leans towards the Seminole and Cardinals and that can flip it when it is all said and done; but for now I’ll take my chances.
The rest of the ACC out side of the top six teams can be a toss up. The previous season eight teams won double digit games and a ninth, Clemson, won nine. This year I can see much of the same with the bottom of the league competing for five-ish wins. And this year that may include Syracuse basketball.
Lee on the Orange
I won’t lie when I say I have serious concerns with this upcoming year’s Orange. I did last season as well to an extent and they exceeded my expectations of offense. Elijah Hughes was a true All-ACC performer and did everything the Orange asked of him. On the flip side I expected more out Marek Dolezaj in the terms of playmaking.
Without Hughes, Dolezaj will need to become that guy who facilitated the offense. Neither Quincy Guerrier or Kadary Richmond are going to average 19 a game next year. But the trip of Guerrier, Richmond, and Dolezaj need to add some scoring to take pressure of of Buddy Boeheim and Joseph Girard III.
Boeheim is not athletic enough nor Girard III big enough to be true number one option for an ACC contender. Neither have shown yet that they can create their own shots efficiently enough to carry the load.
Boeheim’s athleticism and Girard III’s size also present deficiencies on the defensive end of the floor. They both play hard enough to attempt to make up for some of them, especially with Girard III’s ability to come up with steals. The problem is that those steals sometimes result with big gambles and when they didn’t payoff it usually resulted in open perimeter shots.
Defense will be the tell of how competitive the Orange will be this season. The offense will also takes a step back and pose challenges.
However, if the season doesn’t go the way we expect out of Syracuse basketball don’t be lose all hope or call to local talk shows and say Syracuse basketball is dead, because this team has pieces that can win and the rebuild from the NCAA sanctions might be entering its final season.