Syracuse Basketball: Boeheim brothers dazzling to date, leaders in scoring

The nerve of Syracuse basketball senior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim to outscore his other brother, graduate student forward Jimmy, in the team’s 15-point victory over Drexel this past Sunday night on the Hill.

I’m rooting for the Boeheim brothers to average the same amount of points per game during the 2021-22 campaign. Why? No real reason, I just figured it would prove kind of cool to see.

In the season-opener, an Orange demolition of Lafayette last week, Buddy and Jimmy both collected 18 points. In the win versus Drexel, however, Buddy tallied a team-high 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from deep.

Jimmy, meanwhile, produced 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field as a whole, and he was 1-of-2 from 3-point land. The season is just getting going, I recognize that, but in the ‘Cuse 2-0 start, Buddy and Jimmy are No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in scoring for the Orange.

Pretty neat stuff, if you ask me.

Syracuse basketball players Buddy, Jimmy Boeheim are performing well so far.

The 6-foot-6 Buddy Boeheim, a pre-season All-America candidate, is averaging 20.5 points, a stellar 5.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals a game, according to ESPN’s Web site. He’s hitting on 46.7 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from long range.

The 6-foot-8 Jimmy Boeheim, a transfer from Cornell, is averaging 16.0 points and 4.5 boards per affair, while connecting on an impressive 73.7 percent from the field and a terrific 60.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Now, the ‘Cuse has a long way to go in its 2021-22 regular stanza, and a lot of tough opponents await Syracuse basketball. But I’m certainly feeling elated about what the Boeheim brothers have done through the Orange’s first two games.

Between those two guys, junior point guard Joe Girard III and senior forward Cole Swider, the ‘Cuse has an arsenal of strong 3-point shooters.

However, what has me jazzed up is that, at least so far, Syracuse basketball players aren’t just hoisting up attempts from deep. Jimmy Boeheim is driving to the basket and getting points in the paint.

Buddy Boeheim is backing down smaller defenders and pulling up to score in the mid-range. Swider is taking, and making, some shots from inside the 3-point line. And Girard is facilitating for others, intent on making sure that the Orange centers are getting touches.

All in all, the scoring balance for Syracuse basketball, both in terms of who is scoring and how they’re scoring, is impressive. The Boeheim brothers are huge factors in this regard.