Syracuse basketball roster ‘best team we’ve had in a while,’ Boeheim says

Syracuse basketball, in a few weeks, will embark on a new season, and it will be the 47th campaign for Jim Boeheim as the Orange’s head coach.

Boeheim endured his first losing stanza ever as the team’s boss in 2021-22, when the ‘Cuse went 16-17 overall, lost a bunch of close games, and really struggled on the defensive end.

Fast-forward to the present, and Boeheim is super optimistic that the 2022-23 version of the Orange will make significant improvements over last season’s line-up, which included his sons, shooting guard Buddy Boeheim and forward Jimmy Boeheim.

The Boeheim brothers, and others, have departed the Hill. The 2022-23 roster is significantly revamped, and it includes three seniors and a ton of underclassmen.

“We’re going to be in the NCAA Tournament,” Boeheim recently told college basketball insider Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. “This is the best team we’ve had in a while.”

Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim likes his Orange line-up for 2022-23.

Now, I love Jim Boeheim, and I respect his candidness, whether he’s saying positive stuff or negative stuff. Correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t Boeheim said similar things about other recent rosters?

Plus, after experiencing his first losing term in 46 years as the squad’s head coach, shouldn’t we hope – and expect – Boeheim to dish out some pre-season hype for his 2022-23 group?

Since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference from the Big East Conference in 2013-14, the ‘Cuse has not proven all that stellar in the vast majority of its regular seasons.

However, Syracuse basketball did journey to the Final Four in 2016 as well as the Sweet 16 in 2018 and 2021 – with that trio of runs all made as a double-digit seed in March Madness.

When Rothstein asked Boeheim if the 2022-23 team could be on par with those 2018 and 2021 Sweet 16 units, Boeheim responded, “I think we could be better.”

Okay, that works for me. Of course, we’ll have to see how the Orange fares on the court over the next several months. Syracuse basketball has a promising six-member 2022 class and a big-man transfer.

The ‘Cuse also, on paper, seems to have a softer non-conference schedule than a stanza ago, and its Atlantic Coast Conference docket later on in the 2022-23 campaign appears favorable for a relatively young line-up that may need time to come together as a cohesive unit.

With Buddy, Jimmy and forward Cole Swider all off on professional routes, it remains to be seen just how potent the Orange will be this coming term from beyond the arc.

But the 2022-23 roster, to me, does seem to boast more athleticism, length and quickness. I’m hopeful the 2-3 zone won’t be such a weakness for Syracuse basketball in the upcoming campaign.

Boeheim added in Rothstein’s story: “We’re so much different this year. We’re going to play 9-10 guys. We’re faster. We’re quicker. We’re better.”