Syracuse Basketball: Joe Girard III focused on staying positive, winning

Syracuse basketball guard Joe Girard III speaks to the challenges of playing during a pandemic.

The 2020-21 campaign for Syracuse basketball and its peers around the country has proven tough, with game postponements, program pauses and the like, but Orange sophomore point guard Joe Girard III is doing his best to stay positive, work hard, improve his craft, and help his team pile up victories however he can.

The entire ‘Cuse program already has been on pause twice in the present term, and its most recent hold on basketball activities means that the squad hasn’t suited up for an official game since mid-December, and the Orange only recently returned to full practices.

After an overtime conquest of Buffalo inside the Carrier Dome on Dec. 19, Syracuse basketball had to go on pause for the second occasion due to a positive Covid-19 test within the Buffalo program.

Subsequent Atlantic Coast Conference contests versus Notre Dame, Wake Forest and North Carolina got postponed. The Orange was supposed to host Florida State on Jan. 6, but a positive Covid-19 test in the Seminoles program led to the ‘Cuse (6-1) now welcoming Pittsburgh (5-2) to the Hill for an ACC bout at 4:30 pm this Wednesday, followed by a scheduled non-conference bruiser at home versus Georgetown this Saturday night, beginning at 8 pm.

Of course, after such a long layoff, Girard and his Orange teammates are excited to return to court action. But the uncertainty over the current stanza, given the novel coronavirus pandemic, has made 2020-21 a challenging season, to say the least, Girard acknowledged on a Zoom call with media members.

Girard says it’s human nature to wake up in the morning, see “something new” regarding games being postponed or teams going on pause, and wondering whether you’ll get to continue playing.

His mindset is to remain focused, be positive and move forward as best that he can, while trying “to avoid thinking about it,” even though that is no easy task.

Through seven encounters, Girard is averaging 11.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 31.0 minutes per game, according to ESPN statistics. He’s had some terrific outings and some sub-par performances.

When asked by a reporter if the pandemic has affected his personal growth from a freshman to a sophomore, Girard said “a little bit.” Girard displays strong character and humbleness, noting that everyone on the Syracuse basketball roster and all the other teams nationwide are dealing with the pandemic, too.

In essence, Girard said, you can’t use the pandemic as an excuse. Plus, the ‘Cuse has a solid record out of the gates, a strong NET ranking, and its sole loss is to a top-25 Rutgers team on the road minus two of its starters.

The mental aspect of coping with the pandemic is a “big thing,” Girard said, adding the importance of “staying positive mentally … but it’s really hard. It’s draining.”