Syracuse Basketball: Marek Dolezaj at center if Bourama Sidibe is out

Syracuse basketball senior Marek Dolezaj played a fabulous game against Bryant on Friday afternoon.

Hopefully, the injury suffered by senior starting center Bourama Sidibe on Friday versus Bryant isn’t serious, but senior power forward Marek Dolezaj will play center if Sidibe isn’t able to do so, according to Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim.

Sidibe suffered a left-leg injury in the first half of the Orange’s one-point victory over the Bulldogs inside a Carrier Dome without fans on Friday afternoon in the 2020-21 campaign opener for both squads, per a tweet from Syracuse basketball spokesman Pete Moore.

In the post-game press conference, Boeheim said that Sidibe was scheduled to have an MRI on Friday evening. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that Sidibe is okay.

The ‘Cuse has three other true centers on its present roster. They are sophomore Jesse Edwards, redshirt freshman John Bol Ajak and freshman Frank Anselem.

Both Edwards and Anselem played a small amount of time against Bryant, however, Boeheim says they’re not ready to significantly contribute at this point in the young 2020-21 stanza.

Boeheim says that if Sidibe can’t play for any period of time, Dolezaj is the next option at the center spot. Versus the Bulldogs, Dolezaj generated a monster performance, finishing with 20 points, six rebounds, nine assists and five steals in 37 minutes. He shot 50 percent from the field and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line.

Syracuse basketball senior Marek Dolezaj could be in store for more minutes at center.

According to Boeheim, Dolezaj did some “unbelievable stuff out there” and was “tremendous” on both ends of the floor. He had a “really good game,” Boeheim said.

Should Dolezaj spend considerable time at center, that will put junior Alan Griffin and sophomore Quincy Guerrier at the forward positions. The Orange will have to wait and see about Sidibe, but if he’s out for an extended amount of time, it “hurts” the team, Boeheim said.

In the post-game press conference, Dolezaj got asked by a reporter about suiting up at center. He says that he’s played that position in the past, and he doesn’t think about it much as to whether he ends up at the power forward or center slot.

Junior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim said after the ‘Cuse win over Bryant that Dolezaj has to remain aggressive. As his shots fall, his confidence continues to grow, and he’s a “really good player,” Boeheim said of Dolezaj.