Syracuse Basketball: With Jesse Edwards injured, debating center options

Syracuse basketball junior center Jesse Edwards is unfortunately out for the rest of the 2021-22 campaign due to a wrist injury that he suffered earlier this week in the team’s win at Boston College.

Fully replacing Edwards, who has performed at a high level throughout the current term, is a seemingly impossible task for the Orange (13-11, 7-6), which plays at Virginia Tech (14-10, 6-7) this Saturday night.

However, head coach Jim Boeheim and his assistants do have a variety of other options at the center position. It will be interesting to see what occurs at the center spot versus the Hokies and for the remainder of 2021-22.

Let’s examine some of the alternatives at center for Syracuse basketball.

Frank Anselem
Sophomore center Frank Anselem has served as Edwards’ primary back-up for the majority of this season. Anselem has made some nice contributions here and there in limited minutes throughout 2021-22.

Whether Anselem might get the starting nod at center on Saturday evening at Virginia Tech remains to be seen, but I imagine that his time on the court will substantially increase with Edwards no longer in the line-up.

Jimmy Boeheim
On occasion in 2021-22, graduate student forward Jimmy Boeheim has anchored the Orange zone defense in the center position. He’s not as tall as Anselem or Edwards, although Boeheim is a pretty physical player and a good rebounder.

If Boeheim were to play the five, I could envision the two forward spots then being occupied by senior Cole Swider, who has been on a tear of late, and freshman Benny Williams.

Again, that sort of rotation doesn’t provide the same shot-blocking presence that Edwards has this term, however, I do think that Boeheim, Swider and Williams manning the frontcourt is a legitimate option.

Bourama Sidibe
Graduate student center Bourama Sidibe, who was injured for virtually all of 2020-21, hasn’t played all that much in the current stanza. With Edwards out, I could definitely see Sidibe earning some more run.

John Bol Ajak
John Bol Ajak, a redshirt sophomore big man, has been used as a power forward during his limited minutes in 2021-22. However, perhaps he’s also an option at center on occasion. My guess, though, is that he will remain more of a power forward in the Orange rotation.

Three Guard Line-up
It’s certainly conceivable that Jim Boeheim could employ a three-guard line-up. Under this alternative, juniors Joe Girard III and Symir Torrence would be at the top of the 2-3 zone, while senior Buddy Boeheim could reside in a forward spot on defense.

The other two players in such a line-up could be comprised of either two forwards, or a forward and a center.