Syracuse Basketball: ‘Cuse a fringe top-25 team with Alan Griffin on board
By Neil Adler
National pundits aren’t super high on Syracuse basketball in 2020-21, but wing Alan Griffin in the line-up should boost the squad’s outlook.
Pre-season prognostications on Syracuse basketball haven’t proven all that lofty to date, with Alan Griffin not factored into the equation. The Orange frequently has gotten deemed by experts as a squad that will reside on the proverbial NCAA Tournament bubble and finish somewhere in the No. 8 to No. 10 range in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Yes, the ‘Cuse struggled a stanza ago. Yes, Syracuse basketball leading scorer Elijah Hughes – the immensely talented forward who paced the entire ACC in scoring during 2019-20 – has departed the Hill for the professional ranks.
But … the Orange returns four starters heading into the 2020-21 campaign. Syracuse basketball boasts a 2020 recruiting class featuring a four-star wing, a four-star power forward, and a four-star center.
And now the ‘Cuse will have Griffin officially in the line-up this fall and winter, after the NCAA recently did a logical thing and granted the transfer from Illinois a waiver for immediate eligibility.
Look, I’m not opining here that Griffin, a rising junior, all by himself can replace Hughes. No one can. He put forth one of the most spectacular individual terms in recent program memory.
However, with Griffin available, Syracuse basketball possesses a 12-man roster that is relatively deep at each position. Each of the team’s starters has a year of additional experience under his belt.
Syracuse basketball wing Alan Griffin competing in 2020-21 makes the Orange a fringe top-25 bunch.
Griffin, an extremely efficient scorer and rebounder who shoots quite well from beyond the arc, is versatile and can suit up at either small forward or shooting guard.
From my perspective, Griffin could help propel the Orange to hover around the cutline as a top-25 crew in the major polls, although I don’t believe that the ‘Cuse will enter the 2020-21 campaign as a ranked group in the pre-season ballots.
What’s more, with Griffin in tow, Syracuse basketball is a top-six crew in the ACC, likely behind – in order – Virginia, Duke, North Carolina, Florida State and Louisville.
Perhaps most importantly, I feel that Griffin having the ability to play in 2020-21 will enable the Orange to garner some breathing room as it pertains to March Madness.
In other words, hopefully with Griffin, Syracuse basketball won’t have to sweat out whether its name gets called on Selection Sunday.