Syracuse Basketball: Joe Girard III has his swagger back, and that’s huge

Syracuse basketball junior point guard Joe Girard III had somewhat of a rough sophomore campaign. In fairness to him, he did get infected with Covid-19, and that certainly took its toll.

The 6-foot-1 Girard saw his minutes decrease in 2020-21 as compared to his freshman year, when he put forth a really solid first season on the Hill.

Some of those minutes, a stanza ago, went to then-freshman Kadary Richmond, who showed flashes of brilliance in 2020-21, particularly on the defensive end, facilitating for others, and in driving to the rim.

But Richmond is now a member of Seton Hall, and Girard will be the starting point guard in 2021-22. His minutes should go back up. And from what head coach Jim Boeheim is saying, Girard should be a key cog for the ‘Cuse this coming term.

Syracuse basketball junior point guard Joe Girard III is critical to the Orange’s success.

Girard joined the ‘Cuse after smashing the New York state scoring record while in high school. I think that the expectations set on him prior to arriving on the Orange campus were probably a little bit unreasonable and unrealistic.

Yet as a freshman for Syracuse basketball, Girard averaged about 12.5 points, 3.5 assists and 3 rebounds per game. However, as a sophomore during a strange season brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic, Girard had an up-and-down year.

He struggled at times, there’s no denying that. But, man, some of my fellow ‘Cuse fans just were relentless in trashing him on social media, and I thought that was unfair.

Girard and his backcourt mate, senior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim, will be teaming up together for the third-straight season in 2021-22. They also have additional sharp-shooters on the roster, which hopefully will free up open looks for Girard, Boeheim and others.

At the Orange’s annual media day on Friday, Jim Boeheim said that of all the players within the squad’s backcourt, Girard has likely improved the most, according to a tweet from Syracuse.com’s Donna Ditota. That’s highly encouraging.

Per a variety of comments from journalists who cover the ‘Cuse, it seems that Girard has reclaimed his swagger, and he has more confidence than he did a stanza ago.

Also on Friday, Syracuse basketball held a scrimmage as well as some skills competitions. During the 3-point event, Girard connected on 13-of-15 attempts.

During the scrimmage, Girard made several shots from beyond the arc, hit from the mid-range, passed the ball well, and seemed to be comfortable taking on a leadership role as the Orange’s point guard.

I recognize that Friday’s scrimmage was just, well, a scrimmage. At the same time, it’s a positive first step as Girard looks to shine in his junior stint.