Syracuse Basketball: Benny Williams going to be problem for Orange foes

There is a fair amount of hype surrounding Syracuse basketball freshman forward Benny Williams, and while I don’t want to put a lot of undue pressure on a new guy on the team, I really believe that he’s going to shine on the Hill.

The 6-foot-8 Williams will soon embark on his initial season in an Orange uniform, and he is one of the highest-ranked recruits for Syracuse basketball in recent program history.

Williams, the Bowie, Md., native, who spent his senior season at the powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., was a consensus four-star, top-40 player across the country in the 2021 recruiting cycle. Some recruiting services rated him as five stars and a top-25 prospect nationwide.

Along with senior Cole Swider, a transfer from Villanova, and graduate student Jimmy Boeheim, a Cornell transfer, those two guys and Williams will form a strong trio at the forward spot within head coach Jim Boeheim’s rotation.

I honestly have no idea which two of those three players will get the starting nods at forward, but I feel pretty confident in saying that all of them will earn quality minutes during the 2021-22 stanza.

Syracuse basketball has a really talented newbie in forward Benny Williams.

Last Friday, the Orange roster participated in a scrimmage. According to an announcement from cuse.com, Williams collected 8 points.

He also was electric in the squad’s dunk competition. Both he and sophomore center Frank Anselem, the two finalists in this event, had some terrific dunks, displaying the athleticism that each possesses.

Williams runs the floor quite well. He can shoot from the mid-range and beyond the arc. He’s bouncy and agile. Williams hits the glass hard on both ends of the floor.

Full disclosure, I’m a huge fan of Williams. I think he’s got talent, and I think he’s a nice young man. I expect him to be a solid contributor as a freshman.

But … Williams is not Carmelo Anthony. Nobody is. So I think we do need to temper expectations a tad for Williams. He’ll get his minutes, points and rebounds, but the other two primary forwards are both much more seasoned players who have multiple years of experience competing at the collegiate level.

You never know how things will shake out, but I don’t foresee Williams heading pro after this first season. I think he’ll be in a Syracuse basketball uniform for at least two years.

He is dripping with skills, potential and promise. And with the 2022 class that the Orange has coming in, the future indeed looks bright for Syracuse basketball.