Syracuse Basketball: One position group’s strong start an early bright spot

Fresh off a Sweet 16 run a year ago came the return of 7 players for the Syracuse Basketball program, with two of them being Junior Center Jesse Edwards and Sophomore Center Frank Anselem.

While the veteran backcourt of point guard Joe Girard and shooting guard Buddy Boeheim are off to fantastic starts to the season and garnering a rightful amount of both local and national attention, for the team to reach their full potential this season they will be looking for an increased impact from the men in the middle.

So far, led by Edwards and Anselem, the early returns have been promising.

Edwards in two games played has already compiled seven (!) blocked shots, with that 3.50 average leading the entire Atlantic Coast Conference. Edwards finds himself ahead of established shot-blockers such as Armando Bacot (UNC), Mark Williams (Duke), and Malik Williams (Louisville).

Syracuse basketball centers are performing at a solid level this season.

Frank Anselem has shown himself to be active on the offensive glass as well, bringing down five offensive boards within the first two contests. As Dan Shulman highlighted on the ESPN2 broadcast in Sunday’s game versus Drexel, the coaching staff believes that no player has improved more since the end of last season than Anselem.

The results certainly have backed that up, as Anselem looks more confident and sure of himself when out there. As seen below, the footwork and composure around the basket are just some of many improvements Anselem has made in his second season.

Edwards through two contests is a perfect 8/8 from the field, while Anselem is a solid 5/7. While some may point to the level of competition and lack of size in their opponents so far, it is nevertheless a good sign that these two big men are efficiently taking some of the scoring load off of the backcourt and wings.

"When told in his post-game press conference following the Drexel game that the center duo had combined for 14 points and 10 boards, head coach Jim Boeheim remarked quickly, “That’s good, I’ll take that every night. That’s really good production.”"

The Orange are also leading the entire conference in Field Goal% at 54.9%. While certainly some of that can be attributed to the outside sharpshooting of Buddy Boeheim, Girard, and senior forward Cole Swider, as seen above, don’t overlook the efficiency so far of the two big men.

Switching ends, Syracuse comes in at #4 in the ACC in Field Goal % Defense, holding opponents thus far to 37.8% from the field. Edwards and Anselem’s activity in the middle has gone beyond just blocks, as their length and increased understanding of the 2-3 zone principles have forced both the Leopards and the Dragons into taking tough, low percentage shots.

After the Drexel game, Boeheim spoke further about the impact of both Edwards and Anselem.

"“I thought Jesse and Frank were good in terms of the defensive end and the offensive end. I thought they did a really good job. They changed some shots, I thought they were really solid.”"

Another positive early development has been the defensive rebounding from the Cuse, as they are bringing down 29 per game, good for T-3 in the ACC. Edwards and Anselem limiting second-chance opportunities and finishing opposing possessions is a trend the Orange coaches will definitely be looking to continue as the season progresses.

Overall, while the veteran duo of Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard III might help get the Orange back to the Big Dance, their longevity in the tournament might very well come down to the play of that Center position. So far, so good.