It’s typical that the Syracuse basketball roster will experience some changes from season to season. New commits come in, guys transfer in and out of the program, players leave early for the professional ranks. You know the drill.
However, head coach Jim Boeheim says that the upcoming off-season could result in a huge overhaul of not only the Orange line-up, but also for teams around the country.
According to various reports, including an article from Chris Carlson of Syracuse.com, Boeheim commented on his team’s roster during his weekly radio show on TK99, which occurs on Thursday evenings with ‘Cuse play-by-play broadcaster Matt Park.
"Per Carlson, Boeheim had this to say about the topic. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. This offseason, I think, will be one of the most dramatic changing of the guard and changing of personnel in our history and in college basketball history. I think there could be multiple guys leaving from virtually any program and you’re going to have no idea. In the past if you were a little unhappy, which a lot of guys are, not enough shots or whatever, you never thought about transferring because you didn’t want to sit out. Now I can transfer over here and get a lot more shots.”"
What Boeheim is referencing is the expected move by the NCAA to allow student-athletes in all sports, including college basketball, to transfer once and still retain immediate eligibility.
I’ve said for a while now that the NCAA needs to get with the program and institute a one-time transfer exception for all sports, although such a measure will have ramifications for college basketball.
Let’s discuss which Syracuse basketball player or players might be gone after 2020-21.
The Orange has 13 scholarship players on its 2020-21 roster, with two seniors in power forward/center Marek Dolezaj and center Bourama Sidibe, who unfortunately has been injured for much of the present term.
Both Dolezaj and Sidibe could come back for another stanza, as the NCAA has granted all winter-sport athletes an extra campaign of eligibility amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The ‘Cuse also has one 2021 commit in five-star forward Benny Williams out of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. I sincerely doubt that Syracuse basketball will bring in additional 2021 players from the high-school level, but the Orange could hit the transfer market.
According to Carlson’s story, Boeheim said that Sidibe may return to the Hill, assuming that he’s healthy. Dolezaj recently said in a Zoom call with media members that he will decide his next step after the 2020-21 term concludes.
Even though junior forward Alan Griffin and sophomore forward Quincy Guerrier have put together solid 2020-21 performances, neither is getting a whole lot of buzz as it pertains to the upcoming NBA Draft.
Still, per Carlson, Boeheim said, “(We’re going to) see the status of what Quincy wants to do in terms of going to the league, trying out, taking that path. Alan Griffin if he wanted to work out in the NBA, go to the NBA. Those things are all options.”
With freshman combo guard Kadary Richmond faring quite well in 2020-21, a lot of Orange fans are speculating on social media that sophomore point guard Joe Girard III could look to transfer out. I understand that line of thinking, but we’ll have to wait and see regarding Girard.
Depending on what guys like Griffin, Guerrier and Dolezaj decide to do, and factoring in Williams’ arrival, does that cause other current forwards, such as redshirt sophomore Robert Braswell or freshman Woody Newton, to think about a new collegiate home?
Finally, if Sidibe comes back, could that lead another center, whether sophomore Jesse Edwards, redshirt freshman John Bol Ajak or freshman Frank Anselem, to depart Central New York?
"All of this speculation is, for now, just that – speculation. However, it may make for one heck of an off-season. Said Boeheim on his radio show, “There could be a lot of movement. We do have some good young players that I think will be back. We’ve got a good recruit coming in. We will look at the transfer area, for sure. Everything is in flux until we get another month along or two and we see what decisions guys want to make. I think there will be a lot of stuff going on this summer. I think there will be movement. Quite a bit of movement.”"