Syracuse Basketball: It’s okay, Jesse Edwards, you can be mean on court

By all accounts, Syracuse basketball sophomore center Jesse Edwards is a really nice young man. Based on interviews he’s given, articles written about him, and also a Zoom call that he conducted with media members on Thursday, myself included, it’s safe to say that the 6-foot-11 Edwards is hard-working and humble, polite and confident.

But once he steps onto the court, anchoring the Orange 2-3 zone on defense and looking to score, dish to teammates or grab offensive rebounds on offense, Edwards says that he has to put that nice-guy demeanor to the side and be aggressive, assertive – even mean, to some extent.

There is a difference between a player on the court and off the court, Edwards notes. Once you enter a game, you have to “turn the switch,” so to speak, and embody a “different personality” when you’re competing in a basketball contest.

That’s not necessarily an easy thing to do, particularly for a person as genuinely nice as Edwards, who has also not received tons of run to date in the 2020-21 campaign for the ‘Cuse.

However, I’m hopeful that Edwards’ outstanding performance earlier this week in the team’s blow-out win over Miami on the Hill is not only instilling more confidence in him, but also in head coach Jim Boeheim to utilize Edwards on a consistent basis in Boeheim’s often relatively short rotation.

Syracuse basketball sophomore Jesse Edwards could be emerging as primary back-up center.

Against the Hurricanes, Edwards suited up for 23 minutes, recording seven points, six rebounds, two steals and one block. Edwards told me and the other reporters on the virtual call that he was glad to be part of a solid all-around effort by Orange in handling the Hurricanes.

“It really felt good,” he said, adding that he’s “really going to try to build on this.”

Perhaps most importantly for Edwards, he and freshman combo guard Kadary Richmond provided a spark off of the bench after the ‘Cuse fell behind early in the first half to Miami.

Edwards says he’s been working hard “behind the scenes” and whenever the opportunity arises for him to see court time, “I know I gotta take the opportunity.”

Because senior Bourama Sidibe, the Orange’s starting center, still hasn’t made it back to official game action after injuring his knee in the 2020-21 season opener versus Bryant, Boeheim has acknowledged that the center position is a bit vulnerable for the ‘Cuse.

Senior big man Marek Dolezaj is an excellent player who has filled in admirably for Sidibe, however, Dolezaj is going to need a breather here and there. He can also land in foul trouble, which is what occurred in the Miami affair, so Edwards contributing in a positive manner is huge for this roster.

He is continually putting in long stings practicing with assistant coach, Allen Griffin, on things such as conditioning, defensive positioning, and decision-making in the heart of the Syracuse basketball zone.

Boeheim has said that Edwards is a young player and has a long way to go, but the Orange sophomore is clearly getting better. Just stay mean on the court, Jesse.