Syracuse basketball ‘really, really good offensive team,’ Jim Boeheim says

Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim has said a couple of times in recent interviews that he’s pumped about the upcoming season for his boys in Orange.

Coming off a Sweet 16 run in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, the ‘Cuse has undergone a sizable roster make-over, much like many other teams amid the NCAA’s new transfer policy and the sport’s free-agency explosion.

In looking ahead to the 2021-22 campaign, Syracuse basketball is likely to have 11 scholarship players, numerous veterans, several incoming transfers, and a five-star freshman in forward Benny Williams out of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Boeheim thinks that this coming year’s team can amount to a better offensive unit than a season ago, and the Orange was pretty darn good at scoring the ball during the 2020-21 term.

"In a recent interview with college basketball insider Adam Zagoria on forbes.com, Boeheim said in part, “We could be good. We will be a really, really good offensive team. We will score better and more than last year and we were in the top 40 in offense. … We got nine good players but they all can shoot. We got knockdown shooters. We’re a little slow so how much that affects us I don’t know.”"

Syracuse basketball boss Jim Boeheim is optimistic about 2021-22.

Taking a glance at the ‘Cuse line-up for next season, it’s understandable to be cautiously excited about the group’s offensive potential.

Junior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim showed what he’s capable of doing in the second half of 2020-21. Sophomore point guard Joe Girard III was a tad inconsistent, but I think he will shine as a junior.

Williams is a top-20 prospect within the 2021 recruiting cycle, according to Rivals.com. Villanova transfer Cole Swider, a forward, is a sharp-shooter.

Buddy’s brother, Jimmy Boeheim, is a solid forward who transferred from Cornell and scored a ton of points in his most recent campaign with that school.

Marquette transfer Symir Torrence, a point guard, is an athletic and versatile scorer. Then you have a cadre of four centers, and they’re certainly unproven to some extent, but they also possess promise.

It’s true that, this off-season, Syracuse basketball saw a half-dozen players leave via the transfer market, or to move on to the professional ranks. So that’s something to monitor, of course.

However, I think that the ‘Cuse in 2021-22 can surprise many of the so-called pundits, in a positive manner. For me, it all comes down to how the team’s 2-3 zone fares.

The Orange shouldn’t have an issue scoring the rock. The key will be whether Syracuse basketball can hold its own on the defensive end.