Our hoops guru is debating the best scorers in Syracuse basketball history during the Jim Boeheim era.
Leading up to the 2021-22 Syracuse basketball campaign, it’s a good time for a 10-part series highlighting the best of the Boeheim era (1976-present).
I’ll give my takes, ranking the “Top 3” in many categories, from best free throw shooters to most exciting on a fast break. From top games in the Dome, to top games in the NCAA tourney and everything else in between.
I was 7-years-old in 1976 when Jim Boeheim, who is second all-time in career victories within Division I men’s basketball, became the head coach of the Orange. If I haven’t watched (or listened on the radio) intently to every single Syracuse basketball game since then, then it’s close to 98%.
Statistical facts in each Top 3 are fueled by the awesome OrangeHoops.org web site.
Part 1: Top 3 Triple Doubles.
Part 2: Top 3 Free Throw Shooters.
Part 3: Top 3 Most Exciting on Fast Break.
Part 4: Top 3 Games at the Carrier Dome.
Part 5: Top 3 Shot Blockers.
And today, Part 6: My Top 3 Scorers in the Boeheim era:
First of all, although he doesn’t factor into this ranking, the greatest scorer in Syracuse basketball history is Dave Bing. The Basketball Hall of Famer averaged 28.4 points on 54.1% shooting in his senior year (1965-66), without the benefit of the 3-point shot. Bing averaged 24.8 points for his three-year career (freshman didn’t play on the varsity back then) and scored 1,883 points in his 76 games in Orange, which still ranks in the top 10 in school history.
But again, Bing was Jim Boeheim’s teammate and roommate, not part of the Boeheim-coached team era.
Carmelo Anthony certainly is a Boeheim player and is one of the great scorers of the basketball in the game’s history, period, including the NBA…but even Melo couldn’t crack this Top 3 of players who put in more time and became iconic figures in Orange:
1. Lawrence Moten, 1991-1995.
I remember the first time I saw Moten play for Syracuse basketball. It was an exhibition game his freshman year in 1991, and unlike some other freshman who had come to the Dome in the past or even of that year, Moten was unheralded. I would say he was almost completely overlooked.
But then Moten got into the game. And the ball just seemed to find him. And he played so calm and cool. He was so smooth and wasn’t afraid to shoot. And he put the ball into the basket.
“Who is this guy?” quickly became, “Start this guy!” among the fan base.
Moten was inserted into the starting lineup the third game of the regular season vs. Florida State, two games later scored 21 points vs. St Josephs, and the rest is history.
“Poetry in Moten” was born. We had ourselves a special player. Moten’s presence, awareness, demeanor in all facets of the game befitted the nickname.
And he scored. In fact, Moten became the all-time leading scorer in Big East Conference history. He was rookie of the year in the Big East, and first-team All-Big East three times. He had six games where he scored 30 or more points, mostly from mid-range.
In his four-year career for Syracuse basketball, Moten averaged 19.3 points (a consistent 18.2 his freshman year, 17.9 as a sophomore, 21.5 as a junior and 19.6 his senior season), for 2,334 points, which remains the all-time Syracuse University scoring record. He scored almost 200 points more than No. 2 all-time scorer Derrick Coleman, and the next closest on the all-time list who played after Moten is G-Mac, more than 200 points behind.
Moten was drafted in the second round by the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies, his game didn’t really translate to the NBA and he lasted three years in the league, scoring 747 points.
Given the new trend of great players leaving school early, my bet is Lawrence Moten will hold the career Syracuse basketball scoring record forever. And anyone who watched his poetry on the court is good with that.
2. Billy Owens, 1988-1991.
Unlike Moten, Billy Owens came in with all the hype. One of Boeheim’s greatest coups ever as a recruiter, Owens was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in an Orange uniform before he ever played a game for Syracuse basketball.
A 6-8, do-everything power forward, Owens joined a star-studded team as a freshman and still managed to average 13 points per game. Then as a sophomore, he tallied 18.2 ppg, before big-time scorers Derrick Coleman and Stevie Thompson graduated, leaving the team in Owens’ hands as a junior.
In his 1990-91 junior campaign, Billy Owens became the first player to ever average more than 20 points per game for Jim Boeheim. Owens averaged 23.2 points, and he had 30 or more points in eight games. He lead the Orange to a 26-4 regular season record that year (the team inexplicably fell apart in the postseason).
Owens was All-Big East his sophomore year and the Big East Player of the Year as a junior.
Owens went pro after that junior year and was drafted No. 3 overall by Sacramento. He went on to play 10 productive years in the NBA, averaging 11.7 points per game.
In all, Syracuse basketball was 82-21 for Owens’ three years, living in or around the top 10 in the national rankings every year. He started all 103 games he played, scored 1,840 points (17.9 ppg) on 50.5% shooting. His points total is 12th all-time for Syracuse, second behind only Dave Bing for players who only played 3 years in Orange.
Billy’s son, Chaz, is a sophomore on this year’s ‘Cuse squad.
3. John Wallace, 1992-1996.
Wallace, a 6-8 power forward from Rochester, N.Y., in his first three years at Syracuse basketball was a steady, dependable starter, skilled at scoring, rebounding and free-throw shooting. He averaged 11.1, 15 and 16.8 points per game in those first three seasons.
Then as a senior in 1996, he became a legend.
He lead an Orange team with low expectations all the way to the NCAA championship game, and in the process scored a record 845 points (still the most ever for a Syracuse player in a single season). Wallace averaged 22.2 points per game that year.
In his previous three years, he was a total of 4-for-17 from 3-point range, but as an unleashed senior he was 37-88 (42.1%).
Wallace scored 29 points in the 1996 NCAA championship game vs. a loaded Kentucky squad, and he probably would have figured out a way to beat the Wildcats if he hadn’t fouled out with 2 minutes left.
Wallace, who was eventually drafted in the first round by the New York Knicks and played 7 years in the NBA, finished his Syracuse career with 2,119 points (3rd all-time), averaging 16.7 ppg.
Wallace, who wore No. 44, made many big shots in his career, none more memorable than his long-range jumper with 3 seconds left to beat Georgia in the NCAA Elite Eight game.
You can still hear him lead his Final-Four bound team in the chant after the game:
“‘Cuse is in the house, Oh my God, Oh my God! The ‘Cuse is in the house, Oh my God!”
There are many others of note, but the closest to making this list:
– Derrick Coleman (1986-90), is second all-time in Syracuse basketball points scored with 2,143 (15 ppg).
– Sherman Douglas (1985-89) was the first of Boeheim’s players to pass Bing in scoring with 2,060 (most scored his last three years when he averaged 17 ppg for those three seasons). The General is now 6th all-time.
Other players besides Moten, Owens and Wallace who scored more than 19 points per game for a season under Boeheim:
– Dave Johnson (19.8 ppg in 1991-92);
– Preston Shumpert twice (19.5 ppg in 2000-01, 20.7 in 2001-02);
– Carmelo Anthony (22.2 ppg in 2002-03);
– Hakim Warrick twice (19.8 ppg in 2003-04, 21.4 in 2004-05);
– Tyus Battle (19.2 ppg in 2017-18);
– Elijah Hughes (19 ppg in 2019-20).
And these players scored 40 points or more in a game under Boeheim, a rare feat:
– Gene Waldron, 40, 1983 vs. Iona.
– Gerry McNamara, 43, 2004 vs. Brigham Young in the NCAA tournament.
– John Gillon, 43, 2017 vs. North Carolina State.
– Andrew White, 40, 2017 vs. Georgia Tech.
Next time, Part 7: Top 3 Dunkers of the Boeheim era.