As Cole Swider has caught fire, Syracuse basketball is totally different team

Syracuse basketball senior forward Cole Swider has put forth a phenomenal stretch of performances as the Orange has won four Atlantic Coast Conference clashes in a row.

The 6-foot-9 Swider, a transfer from Villanova, is scoring in droves and hitting the boards well. His stellar play is a huge difference-maker for the ‘Cuse, and when he competes at this kind of level, the Orange is a really dangerous squad.

On Tuesday night from the Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass., Swider tallied a team-high 21 points and eight rebounds as Syracuse basketball triumphed over a pesky Boston College group, 73-64.

In the victory versus the Eagles (9-13, 4-8), junior center Jesse Edwards immensely struggled. Senior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim was off in his shooting from the field.

So the solid output from Swider, junior point guard Joe Girard III, sophomore center Frank Anselem and graduate student forward Jimmy Boeheim enabled the ‘Cuse (13-11, 7-6) to dispatch of Boston College.

Syracuse basketball senior forward Cole Swider is in a zone of late.

In taking down the Eagles, the Orange has beaten Boston College seven straight times and now holds an all-time edge of 54-26. The ‘Cuse only shot about 39 percent as a collective unit from the field, but Syracuse basketball did hold its own on the glass and commit just 10 turnovers.

During this four-affair success streak, Swider is averaging 17.3 points and 6.3 boards per encounter. He is connecting on 65.8 percent from the field and 73.7 percent from 3-point land. Swider is also 5-of-5 from the charity stripe.

That is wonderful production. As Swider lights it up on offense, it helps space the floor, opens the perimeter up for the Boeheim brothers and Girard, and this also provides opportunities for Orange players to drive the lane.

To date in the 2021-22 campaign, Swider is averaging 34.1 minutes, 13.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists a game. He’s hitting on 43.6 percent from the field, 39.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 88.0 percent from the free-throw line.

Syracuse basketball has seven contests left in the 2021-22 regular season. The Orange, at present, is not in the Big Dance conversation, however, this squad is on a roll.

With opportunities arriving soon against the likes of Virginia Tech on the road this Saturday, Notre Dame, Duke, North Carolina, Miami and others, the ‘Cuse can absolutely play itself into the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

And Cole Swider, if he plays as he has been, will prove a critical piece for Syracuse basketball moving forward.