I have no idea how Syracuse basketball will fare in the upcoming season. None of us do. And the Orange is seeing a tremendous overhaul of its roster, with some unfortunate transfers out and some promising transfers in.
So while I’m not going to sit here and make any grand proclamations about the ‘Cuse in 2021-22, I will say this. Next year’s squad is going to prove fun to watch, for a variety of reasons.
First and foremost, former Cornell forward Jimmy Boeheim recently electing to suit up on the Hill is a really cool story. He’s got one stanza of eligibility remaining, and Boeheim will join his younger brother, junior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim, as well as their father, head coach Jim Boeheim, on the Syracuse basketball roster.
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— Jimmy Boeheim (@jimmyb_23) April 16, 2021
Look, how Jimmy Boeheim will perform after sitting out the 2020-21 campaign remains to be seen. But as a junior for Cornell in 2019-20, the 6-foot-8 Boeheim averaged 16.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest, according to ESPN statistics. That’s pretty good.
Add in that Buddy Boeheim absolutely crushed things at the end of the most recent season, including in the Big Dance, and I’m quite intrigued about having the Boeheim brothers together in Central New York.
Syracuse basketball will have an entertaining line-up in the upcoming campaign.
Beyond the Boeheims, there is a ton of excitement about the arrival of 2021 five-star commit Benny Williams, a talented forward out of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
Williams, rated as high as No. 15 nationally in his class by Rivals.com, should have a major impact for the Orange in his freshman stint. Another newbie is Villanova transfer Cole Swider, an excellent forward who can really stroke it from beyond the arc.
Both Swider and Marquette transfer Symir Torrence, a solid point guard who has pledged his services to the ‘Cuse, were recruited by Syracuse basketball coaches in high school, so they know the Orange program and should fit in nicely.
With guys like Buddy Boeheim, Williams, Swider and sophomore point guard Joe Girard III, the team will have a bunch of options from deep. Hopefully, the center spot will perform at a credible level, but some ‘Cuse fans are understandably concerned about that position.
As we all know, sophomore forward Quincy Guerrier is testing the NBA Draft process. A lot of Syracuse basketball fanatics think his return to the Orange is highly unlikely. We’ll have to wait and see on that. If Guerrier did come back, that would be a major boost for the ‘Cuse.
Either way, I’m pumped to watch this Syracuse basketball roster get going later this year.