Syracuse basketball to face Rochester native, UB star Jeenathan Williams

One-time Syracuse basketball target Jeenathan Williams is on fire for Buffalo.

Jeenathan Williams, a native of Rochester, N.Y., held around 20 scholarship offers from a range of high-major programs, including Syracuse basketball, as a four-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class.

Williams, a 6-foot-5 forward, ultimately opted for fellow New York state foe Buffalo over the Orange and many other suitors. Now he and the Bulls are preparing to travel to the ‘Cuse for an in-state bout this Saturday night from the Carrier Dome, and Williams has put forth a tremendous 2020-21 campaign to date.

After his squad just got by Northeastern, 62-56, at home this past Wednesday afternoon, head coach Jim Boeheim praised Buffalo as a physical, tough team.

Plus, as Syracuse basketball fans would like to forget, the Bulls erased an 18-game victory streak for the Orange in their series together on Dec. 18, 2018, when Buffalo defeated the ‘Cuse on the Hill, 71-59. Still, Syracuse basketball owns a 28-6 overall edge versus the Bulls.

Buffalo, led by Rochester native Jeenathan Williams, presents a huge challenge for Syracuse basketball.

The Bulls (3-2), picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference (“MAC”) according to that league’s pre-season coaches’ poll, most recently on Dec. 15 destroyed Miami of Ohio on the road, 90-62. Williams contributed a contest-high 21 points.

Williams, who suited up for his senior stanza of high school at Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif., is displaying a stellar junior term so far in 2020-21.

He paces Buffalo at 20.0 points per encounter, according to ESPN statistics, along with 8.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 29.8 minutes of action.

The Bulls are not a particularly strong 3-point shooting group, at 31.3 percent, but then again, the Orange (5-1) was a lousy 2-of-18 when it barely squeaked out a conquest of the Huskies a few days ago.

However, Buffalo does produce 79.4 points per affair while shooting 47.2 percent from the field as a whole, and the Bulls also grab about three more rebounds a game than the ‘Cuse.

Syracuse basketball, undeniably, will have to regain its offensive footing to best Buffalo. These two Empire State teams will go toe to toe beginning at 6 pm this Saturday inside the Dome, with the ACC Network providing television coverage.

ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives the Orange a commanding 87.3 percent chance to prevail.