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

Benny Williams, freshman forward

Well, the first campaign for Benny in a ‘Cuse uniform wasn’t what we all had expected or hoped for, but he showed what he’s capable of near the end of 2021-22, going for 14 points and six boards versus top-10 Duke from the Carrier Dome in late February.

That output, easily his best performance of the season, included a fabulous reverse layup that deservingly made it onto the ESPN SportsCenter top-10 list.

For all of 2021-22, Benny averaged 10.8 minutes, 1.9 points and 1.4 rebounds per contest, while shooting 33.9 percent from the field, 61.9 percent from the free-throw line, and 9.1 percent from beyond the arc.

Williams’ playing time, or lack thereof, was probably the most discussed and debated topic among Syracuse basketball fans who I interacted with on social media this stanza.

Considering his lofty recruiting rankings coming out of high school, I understand why some of my fellow Orange fans wanted him to play more.

But as I noted throughout this campaign, Benny isn’t the first highly coveted high-school prospect to not get a ton of run as a freshman for Jim Boeheim. I’m optimistic that Williams will make great strides and generate a stellar sophomore stint in 2022-23.
Grade: C