Syracuse Basketball: Benny Williams working hard, not taking easy road

This is why I love Syracuse basketball freshman forward Benny Williams.

It’s a brave new world out there in major collegiate athletics due to the transfer portal, and even though the 6-foot-8 Williams may have hoped for a “better” start to his Orange career, he isn’t taking the easy way out.

He isn’t bolting because times are tough. He’s sticking it out, he’s working hard, and I remain confident that he will have an exquisite ‘Cuse career.

You see, Williams, the Bowie, Md., native by way of the powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., came to Central New York over the summer as one of the highest-rated recruits in recent program history.

He was a consensus four-star, top-45 player in the 2021 recruiting cycle. Rivals.com ranked him as five stars and in the top-25 overall within this class.

Expectations were certainly high for him, even as a freshman, but let’s be real, it takes time for the majority of prospects to adjust to the college level. Carmelo Anthony is the exception, not the rule.

Syracuse basketball forward Benny Williams will be a major contributor on this roster.

As the ‘Cuse began the 2021-22 campaign with a daunting docket and a so-so record (5-4, 1-0), Williams continues to adjust to the college game and determine his role within the Orange line-up.

He’s averaging around 14 minutes per game, according to ESPN. His “numbers” aren’t great, but what I see in Benny Williams is superior athleticism, solid defensive instincts, and a jump-shot that needs a bit more arc on it.

What’s amazing to me, although not particularly surprising, is that as Williams has somewhat struggled out of the gates, and head coach Jim Boeheim hasn’t been shy about offering his take on the freshman’s performances to date, a contingent of Syracuse basketball fans is declaring that Williams is overrated, that he isn’t any good, and that he’s on his way into the transfer portal.

I always respect my fellow fans’ opinions, but I don’t agree with any of this. First of all, I find it pretty remarkable that some Orange fans think they know what Williams is going to do, but they don’t know even know him personally.

It’s baseless conjecture and speculation, if you ask me. Because the NCAA now allows student-athletes to transfer once and retain immediate eligibility, the transfer portal in college basketball is like a free-agency market.

Just this past off-season, Syracuse basketball brought in three transfers and saw multiple guys leave the program via the portal. It’s going to happen each and every year moving forward.

So I get all that. But simply because Williams needs more time to find his groove and find his place for the ‘Cuse doesn’t translate to him fleeing the Hill after nine games.

And to be clear, the rumor machine about Williams and this so-called transfer possibility didn’t come from the media. It came from fans, and I have a hard time believing that these fans have any inside information about Williams.

So to put that non-sense in the rear-view mirror, Williams went on the fabulous Exit 31 radio show earlier this week and said he’s fighting through this less-than-stellar beginning to his Orange career and not going anywhere.

Some other players around the country, if in a similar situation, might have bolted. Not Benny Williams. He’s got high character. He’s talented. He’s got work to do. And I’ve admired and respected this young man from the minute he verbally committed to the ‘Cuse in June of 2020.