Syracuse Basketball: Dishing out player grades, good and bad, for 2021-22

Joe Girard III, junior point guard

Aside from the Boeheim brothers, Girard was perhaps the most polarizing player among Orange fans. I honestly don’t understand the constant trashing of Joe by some ‘Cuse fans on social media.

Like other players on the Syracuse basketball roster, Girard had his ups and downs in 2021-22. He ended the season averaging 13.8 points, 4.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.8 turnovers per encounter, while hitting on 39.2 percent from the field, 88.2 percent from the free-throw line, and 40.3 percent from 3-point land.

For me, it’s pretty simple. Girard is better at the two-guard spot than playing point guard. He’s a knock-down shooter, but like many other Orange fans, I grew frustrated with some of the bad turnovers that he would make near the end of games. Looking ahead, if he would suit up at shooting guard next season, with junior guard Symir Torrence manning the point, I think that would prove an effective backcourt.
Grade: B-

Jimmy Boeheim, graduate student forward

Jimmy came to the Hill from Cornell, and he didn’t play a year ago because the Ivy League canceled that season due to the pandemic. I wasn’t sure how the elder Boeheim brother would fare in moving from the Ivy League to the ACC.

Candidly, on the offensive end, Boeheim exceeded what I thought that he would do in 2021-22. His dad, Jim Boeheim, said at least once that he felt Jimmy exceeded the head coach’s expectations.

For the entire campaign, Jimmy averaged 13.7 points and 6.2 boards per affair, while connecting on a strong 46.6 percent from the field, a so-so 64.4 percent from the free-throw line, and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Like the entirety of the Syracuse basketball roster in 2021-22, Boeheim had his share of woes in the zone defense. However, he was certainly a good scorer, both in the paint and on the perimeter.

My biggest issue with Jimmy was his consistency. He went for 28 points and nearly helped carry a depleted Orange line-up to an upset win over Duke in the 2022 ACC Tournament, and Boeheim also chipped in a stellar 27 points in a close loss at Notre Dame.

Conversely, there were games throughout the 2021-22 stanza when Jimmy Boeheim didn’t do much at all. That being said, I felt he had a solid, solid term.
Grade: B-