Syracuse Basketball: Joe Girard III was a scoring and facilitating machine

Syracuse basketball junior point guard Joe Girard III had himself some kind of game in the Orange’s season-opening romp of Patriot League member Lafayette on Tuesday evening in Central New York.

For all the grief that the 6-foot-1 Girard received from some ‘Cuse fans a stanza ago – some of it warranted, perhaps some of it not – this year’s Orange group is his to lead.

And I wholeheartedly acknowledge that one regular-season contest is a tiny sample size, but Girard has played really well of late, whether it be the squad’s recent scrimmage, its two exhibition wins or the Syracuse basketball 97-63 dismantling of Lafayette on Tuesday night.

Not only did Girard pace the Orange in scoring versus the Leopards, with 20 points, but he also collected the highest number of assists for the ‘Cuse, at seven. You can’t ask for a better output, my friends.

Syracuse basketball junior point guard Joe Girard III is off to a stellar start.

In 2020-21, Girard’s stats dipped as a sophomore when compared to his pretty strong freshman campaign. Last season, his minutes decreased, he was inconsistent at times, and he also had to deal with a Covid-19 infection.

But in the Orange’s recent games, both unofficial ones and the first official one against Lafayette, Girard has proven confident and assertive, while unquestionably steering the ‘Cuse ship.

Let’s all remember that in high school, when he shattered the New York state scoring record, he was tasked with, well, scoring. And scoring a lot.

With Syracuse basketball, Girard’s role is still to put up points, but also to facilitate and serve as the team’s primary point guard. That shift in responsibilities is something that he continues to work on and enhance.

When the Orange knocked off Lafayette to commence its 2021-22 campaign, Girard played 25 minutes and scored 20 points, while connecting on 6-of-9 from the field, a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe, according to statistics from Syracuse.com.

Additionally, he registered those seven dimes against only one turnover, as well as tallied three boards and one steal. Girard and graduate student forward Jimmy Boeheim were magnificent in leading a balanced offensive attack for Syracuse basketball.

Boeheim, making his ‘Cuse debut after transferring in from Cornell, got the Orange going early on, then Girard got hot, as head coach Jim Boeheim put it during his post-game press conference.

Even though he wasn’t necessarily scoring a ton at the contest’s beginning, Girard was getting the ball to his teammates in the right situations, Boeheim said, adding that his point guard has been “really solid” through the team’s two exhibition encounters and the first regular-season affair.