Three years ago, ITLH ranked the top 10 three-point shooters in Syracuse basketball history. Buddy Boeheim has now changed that ranking.
One of my first articles on Syracuse basketball for this Web site came back in May of 2018. I tried to put my knowledge to the test of what I’d seen over the years and what had been passed down to me. I’m 23-years-old, so while there’s been a lot of great Syracuse basketball players in my generation, I’ve had to rely on stories from the past about many others.
My list wasn’t perfect and in fact, there are some changes besides the purpose of placing Buddy Boeheim in a spot that he deserves. I’ve also included an honorable mention to showcase a few of the guys that sure hit big shots for the Orange, but didn’t do enough to earn top status.
There’s no real way to come up with a rubric for the top ten. It’s more of a combination of the eye test and statistics. Big shots create memories and 45% is better than 40%. Sometimes it’s just that simple. The complex part is figuring out how to weigh the different eras of basketball.
There are also some outside factors that ultimately play a role in tiebreakers where it’s nearly impossible to come up with an actual ranking of who’s better. Years played in the program, versatility from outside and other factors all play a role in deciding between seemingly even players.
Let’s get started!
Honorable Mentions
- Andrew White III
- James Southerland
- Joseph Girard III
- Lawrence Moten
- Scoop Jardine
- Todd Burgan
- Tyler Lydon
- Tyus Battle
All of these players just missed the criteria for similar reasons. For Lydon and White, too short of time in the program wasn’t enough to cut it. I had both of them inside my top ten the last time I did this ranking, but a few years removed and perhaps the recency bias wore off.
White had one of the best three-point shooting seasons in Syracuse basketball history, but it’s tough to put him in over guys who wore the Orange for multiple years. White’s 112 threes made in 2017 would’ve put him on pace to break the Syracuse record, but his only year in town was his senior season.
Lydon spent two years with the Orange program and as I eluded to in my previous ranking, he is quite possibly the best stretch-4 shooter from long-range Syracuse has ever had. Lydon hit exactly 49 threes in each of his two seasons.
For Girard III, shooting percentage is the issue. He may very well crack the top ten when it’s all set and done, but 32.8% from deep in his short career is brutal. If we’re going by how far back he can hit them, it’s a different story, but I need to see more consistency out of Girard.
Moten falls into the same category as Girard. The all-time leader in points scored in an Orange uniform, Moten also ranks eighth in threes made. However, just 31.6% in his career from downtown doesn’t do any favors. If we’re talking scoring, Moten’s right there at the top. Put purely as a shooter, it isn’t enough.
Battle, Burgan and Southerland fall into the unfortunate category of having most of the criteria, but just too tough of competition.
If Battle stayed one more year, he likely would have finished top five in career threes made at Syracuse. However, he ranks tenth and was really known more for his mid-range game. I guess that ranking may need to come next.
Burgan played every year with Marius Janulis, forming perhaps the most deadly combo the Orange has arguably ever had from beyond the arc. However, he just missed the cut, largely based on being outside the top ten in threes made and a percentage of less than 36%.
Southerland was a fantastic spot-up shooter, but was largely one-dimensional, with a less than stellar ability to pull up from three. Southerland was lights out his senior season, but it was also the only year he hit even more than 40 threes, making it tough to put him above guys who were key components in multiple seasons.
Finally, Scoop Jardine has to get a mention here. Jardine was pass first and drive first before anything else, yet still sits 21st all-time in threes made. He tried becoming a big shooter his junior year when he took 4.5 attempts from three per game. He wasn’t half bad, averaging 36.4% for his career, and deserved at least a mention for it being the third part of his skillset.
10. Elijah Hughes
Hughes is the lone player on this list who was with the Orange for less than three seasons. However, he also has the most threes for any Syracuse basketball player in that category and it isn’t even close.
From 2018-2020, Hughes connected on 165 threes. Next up for an Orange player through two years is Joe Girard III with 120 trifectas. That’s hardly even comparable, and Hughes also did it at a much higher percentage.
If Hughes had been a four-year player with the Orange, it isn’t unreasonable to say he would’ve finished top five in threes made in ‘Cuse history. To finish 16th with just two years at SU is out of this world.
Hughes was also more than just the typical catch-and-shoot player. He had the ability to hit off the dribble and from anywhere on the court. I mean ANYWHERE.
Hughes left with one year of eligibility remaining and was drafted and signed to the Utah Jazz. He actually got a decent run with the Western Conference contender, playing in 18 games and averaging 1.7 points. He connected on 8-of-23 shots from long distance, showing his range at the NBA level.
Hughes was a polished scorer from all areas on the court in college basketball. It almost goes without saying that his best trait was the long ball.
9. Demetris Nichols
Nichols stays exactly in the same spot as the last version of this ranking at number nine.
Nichols was a part of the first Syracuse basketball recruiting class after its national championship in 2003. He developed into a strong four-year player and graduated as one of the best all-around scorers in program history. Nichols’ 1,344 points still rank tied for 34th.
One of Nichols’ most deadly assets was his ability to hit from three as a 6-foot-8 small forward. He came into SU with not much of a shot from long range – 23.6% as a freshman and 25.0% as a sophomore.
Nichols turned on the burners by his junior season, sinking 73 threes at 36.3%. He leveled up in time for his senior season, hitting triple digits with 100 made threes at an even better rate of 41.7%.
Without that persistence, there’s no way Nichols would have come close to making this list. With a little work, he was able to become a deadly wingman.
Some of Nichols’ best three-point shooting performances came against the best competition and in the biggest games. As a junior against Florida, Demetris went 5-of-10 from deep in a 24 point scoring outburst. He would go on to have two games of six threes in the season, once against TCU and another time against UConn. Nichols went 4-of-5 from outside against Pitt to help seal the improbable 2006 Big East Tournament.
The next season saw more of the same. Nichols had nine games where he hit at least four threes, going for seven in a game twice. Sadly, his 7-of-11 fireworks from three against UConn in the 2007 Big East Tournament would be his last big night. The Orange would lose in the next round to Notre Dame and miss the NCAA Tournament. He had a few decent outings in the NCAA Tournament, but a loss to Clemson in the quarterfinals ended Nichols’ college career.
Nichols’ story was that of a lot of hard work, with a lot of his progress showing up from deep.
8. Matt Roe
I omitted Roe from my previous ranking back in 2018 and won’t make that mistake again. I’ll admit my mistake went I see it – I paid too much attention to three-pointers made and not enough to the efficiency behind it.
I’ll also take this time to say players ranked 4 through 8 could have been anywhere on this list. My decision was to go with Roe at 8.
Roe spent three seasons on The Hill and finished his Syracuse basketball career first all-time in three-point field goals. A whopping 43.32% from downtown still stands as the best mark for any player who attempted at least 200 threes.
Roe would transfer to Maryland for his final season of college basketball, but that doesn’t matter. He’s still recognized as one of the best catch-and-shoot players in Orange history.
A lot of Roe’s decision to transfer came about due to playing time and usage. He exploded in College Park for 17.8 points per game, up from 11.0 points during his junior year at SU.
However, he never channeled his sharpshooting abilities at Maryland quite as he did with Syracuse basketball. Roe was lights out his sophomore and junior seasons, shooting it at 40.7% and then 47.4% in consecutive years.
Roe was a part of the 1987 Final Four team but wasn’t used in the latter half of the season. However, during Syracuse basketball’s 1989 Elite Eight run, Roe was called up often, hitting 10-of-22 three-pointers attempted throughout the four games.
Younger Syracuse basketball fans may have never heard of Matt Roe, but as far as a pure shooter goes, the Orange have had few better.
7. Preston Shumpert
Preston Shumpert happened at a weird time in Syracuse basketball history. The Orange never made it past the Sweet 16 during his four years, despite having some really impressive rosters. They would go on to win the national championship the year after he graduated.
Sometimes that championship can overshadow how good Shumpert actually was. He was a scorer, averaging 14.2 points for his career, but 19.5 as a junior and 20.7 as a senior. Shumpert fell just short of 2,000 points career points (1,907 to be exact), eighth all-time in Orange history. Like Roe, he graduated as the program leader in all-time three-pointers made, a record that he held by over 50 these made.
Shumpert actually came into Syracuse as a fairly decent three-point shooter. As a freshman who played just over 14 minutes per game, the guard still went 27-of-93 from deep.
Sophomore year, it was a whole different story. Shumpert had one of the best single-seasons from three of any player in Orange history. He went 54-of-126, good for 42.9%.
As a junior and senior at Syracuse, Shumpert was called on for a much bigger role in the offense. In turn, the tougher defense led to a bit of a drop in efficiency, but not by much. He still hit over 80 threes both seasons and each at 37% or higher.
Preston Shumpert may not have been the typical catch-and-shoot guy that pops into your head when talking about someone who is lights out from three. Instead, he was an all-around athlete who could score in a lot of ways and still finished as one of the top long-distance marksmen in Orange history.
6. Marius Janulis
Janulis was quite possibly my biggest omission from when I first ranked the best shooters in Syracuse basketball history. He’s also who I struggled with the most to rank in this list.
Janulis was the perfect blend of an efficient and well-used shooter there has ever been in Orange history, but often goes so low under the radar. He played from 1994 to 1998, which included the loaded 1996 Final Four team. Janulis shared the floor with Lawrence Moten, John Wallace, Otis Hill, Jason Hart, Ryan Blackwell and Etan Thomas. That’s a lot of star power.
Even though he played his entire career outside of the top three options on the court, Janulis excelled at his role. In four years under Jim Boeheim, he never had a season worse than 33% from three and was as consistent as they come.
One of Janulis’ biggest moments came in the 1998 NCAA Tournament when he hit a buzzer-beating three to give Syracuse basketball the first-round win over Iona.
To this day, Janulis has one of the prettiest releases ever from a player who wore Orange. He was never the go-to scorer or even the Robin to Syracuse’s Batman. Despite that, Marius Janulis got it DONE from beyond the arc.
5. Eric Devendorf
Eric Devendorf was hated, despised, called overrated, you name it. But Syracuse basketball fans didn’t care, still don’t, and he sure didn’t give a darn.
You really can’t even write a summary of Syracuse basketball without mentioning Devendorf. Just as a player alone, he means the world to Orange hoops.
As a three-point shooter, he combined for one of the most deadly duos in ‘Cuse lore, playing with Andy Rautins for three seasons (both entered the program in 2005 but an injury cost Rautins an entire season). Devendorf also was injured for the majority of that 2007-08 campaign.
Despite only playing in ten games that season, Eric still sits in sixth all-time in three-point makes in SU’s record book. Devendorf’s tough style of playing and ability to score at the bucket and from the mid-range opened up many chances for three-point attempts.
Devendorf’s most famous shot literally didn’t even count, but we don’t care. In the 2009 Big East Tournament quarterfinals, Devendorf hit a three from the wing that would have sent Syracuse to the semifinals over Connecticut. Upon review, it was called back and set up the 6 overtime thriller that ultimately did end up in the favor of the Orange.
But let’s not act like he didn’t have a knack for hitting clutch shots and a lot of them. Devendorf shot 37.6% from downtown as a freshman, hit 208 triples for his career, and always had a word to say about it.
Devendorf’s name often comes up in discussions of the most hated players in college hoops history, and if you don’t believe me, he graced the cover of this article that came out just two years ago.
Like him or not, you can’t deny his talent to play the game of basketball, and hitting shots from deep was one of Devendorf’s best traits on the court.
4. Trevor Cooney
This might be my most heated take in this article. There seems to be a decently sized population of Syracuse basketball supporters who weren’t huge fans of Trevor Cooney. I’m here to dispel that.
Cooney came to Syracuse with the expectations of the next great shooter to replace Devendorf and Rautins. He was rated 3-stars by the 247sports composite ranking.
Cooney finished his Orange career 30th in points scored, 43rd in assists, 10th in steals, and third in three-pointers made. He led the ‘Cuse in threes made in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons.
The biggest knock on Trevor was his inconsistency. He struggled as a freshman and never truly met the lofty expectations thrown at him from day one. Even then, a 33.65% career shooter from downtown isn’t horrible, and given he made two Final Fours – something only accomplished by Cooney and DaJuan Coleman – I’ll take that. He played a big role in the 2016 Final Four appearance and was also a minor rotation player during the 2013 run.
Although not to the extent of Devendorf, Cooney did bring a lot of emotion to the court, which has to be under consideration for this ranking. If he hit a three, you’d be sure to hear it from the crowd, and Cooney would often play along and get Syracuse fans fired up.
Cooney’s 281 threes rank third in Orange history, but it was almost second if it weren’t for a guy named Andy Rautins…
3. Andy Rautins
Andy Rautins hit 282 threes in his Syracuse career. How about that for numbers!
Rautins was another crowd-pleaser, although mild compared to Devendorf, his brother on the court.
Rautins’ mark of 282 threes on 37.40% is by far the best combination of someone who launched a whole lot of triples but didn’t let that affect his accuracy. In fact, Rautins improved from deep each season in Orange, going from 32.6% as a freshman to 40.7% as a senior.
That tireless efficiency from deep was seen on display in that famed 6 OT game. Eleven of Rautins 20 points came in the overtime periods, including three makes from deep.
It’s crazy to think that Rautins actually shows up at third on this list, and given you probably know the top two, it shouldn’t be of many surprises or to any debate.
To be fair, Rautins didn’t take a whole lot of twos in his collegiate career. He attempted 754 shots outside the arc, and just 154 inside the line, so most of his game was either catch-and-shoot or off the dribble threes. But he did it at a highly impressive clip and for that, deserves the third-ranking.
2. Buddy Boeheim
Buddy Boeheim has already asserted himself into the second spot on this list and there isn’t much of an argument. Boeheim’s 221 threes made are the most through three seasons of any player in Syracuse basketball history. The next closest would be Tyus Battle, 42 threes behind.
Among players who rank in the top ten of threes made at Syracuse, Boeheim has the fifth-best percentage, so he’s also comparatively efficient at launching from afar.
The past two seasons, the coach’s son has been anything but that label. Ninety-seven trifectas his sophomore season and another 77 last season give all the reason to believe he should move into second all-time in program history when it’s all said and done. He would need just 62 hits from deep to pass Rautins for second place, so the real mark to watch would be 79 to reach 300 for his career.
During the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Boeheim rose to the occasion, drilling shot after shot from three to the point where he was practically unconscious. In a four-game stretch during the ACC and NCAA Tournaments, Boeheim shot an incredible 24-of-43 from distance, leading the Orange to the Sweet 16 in the process.
I’m not so sure he can even touch Gerry McNamara, but if you want a number that could, here goes: 125 made threes at a 43% clip.
The bar is high for that top spot, but that would blow away any season in Syracuse basketball history, so if it’s done, McNamara just might have some competition.
1. Gerry McNamara
Gerry McNamara is the single greatest shooter in Syracuse basketball history. He’s one of just 19 players in college basketball history to eclipse 400 threes over a career. At the time, McNamara was only the sixth player to reach the mark.
G-Mac made at least 100 threes in each of his last three seasons at SU, another record that seems virtually impossible to match, even with the game expanding to a three-point shooting style of play.
His first memorable moment on the big stage was in the 2003 National Championship game when McNamara hit a record six threes in the first half alone.
McNamara would have plenty of outbursts along the rest of his career, including an 8-of-12 showing from downtown against Davidson and the entire 2006 Big East Tournament, when McNamara went on a rampage, hitting a game-winning buzzer-beater, a game-tying three, and an assist that led to a game-winner in the span of three straight days. He capped it off by leading the Orange to a Big East Tournament Championship on day four.
Not enough can be said about how great of a shooter and overall player Gerry McNamara was. When you look at his accolades and records from behind the arc, it’s hard not to be wowed. It would either take an unheard-of season from Buddy Boeheim or another 25 years to find a player who can dethrone G-Mac as the Syracuse basketball three-point king.