The general thought is that Syracuse basketball senior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim is likely to pace the Orange in scoring average during the 2021-22 campaign, but what about the rebounding department?
It’s an interesting topic to consider. After a massive roster overhaul in the off-season, due in part to the NCAA’s new transfer policy, the ‘Cuse saw six players leave Central New York, while four new guys joined the team.
In taking a look at last year’s statistics for the Orange on ESPN’s Web site, the squad lost its top-three rebounders from the ‘Cuse 2020-21 group.
By extension, the top-three returning rebounders from a stanza ago are junior point guard Joe Girard III, Boeheim and junior center Jesse Edwards.
Here are our thoughts on which players will lead Syracuse basketball in rebounding.
My initial thinking is that Edwards, assuming he is the starting center for the Orange throughout 2021-22, could possibly be the team’s leading rebounder.
He’s so long that I could envision him grabbing not only his share of defensive rebounds every game, but also a couple of offensive rebounds per contest.
Beyond Edwards, my sense is that the three primary forwards for the ‘Cuse could follow him up. Those forwards are graduate student Jimmy Boeheim from Cornell, senior Cole Swider from Villanova and five-star incoming freshman Benny Williams.
Of that trio, I envision Boeheim getting the most rebounds, because he is a physical player, and I see him doing a lot of good things in the paint on offense.
Swider is more of a sharp-shooter, so I don’t necessarily think he’ll grab as many offensive rebounds as Boeheim, although hopefully both of them, along with Williams, are forces to be reckoned with on the defensive glass.
I’ve said more than once of late that I’m concerned about the Orange’s 2-3 zone this coming season, given so many new faces, and all three of the team’s main forwards are new to the program. That’s something to monitor.
With graduate student center Bourama Sidibe unfortunately injured and out for at least several weeks, this will give sophomore Frank Anselem an opportunity to receive decent run at the center spot. He’s so athletic, and Anselem absolutely could grab a few rebounds per encounter.
For me, when it comes to rebounding, a pivotal theme is the three primary guards for Syracuse basketball coming up huge in this arena.
A term ago, I thought that both Buddy Boeheim and Girard could have done a bit better job of rebounding from the starting guard spots, and I believe both will fare better on the boards in 2021-22.
Additionally, junior guard Symir Torrence, a Marquette transfer, is getting a lot of buzz for his athleticism, facilitating and defense. He isn’t likely to play as many minutes as either Boeheim or Girard, however, I think that Torrence will prove solid in the rebounding department.