Hey, folks, Syracuse basketball is here! Well, sort of.
I know that we’re all enjoying the 6-1 start by Syracuse football, but the 2022-23 regular season for Syracuse basketball is right around the corner as well.
Orange hoops will begin its upcoming campaign on November 7 at home versus Lehigh, but prior to that, the ‘Cuse has two exhibition contests, one of which transpired on Tuesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome.
The Orange found itself in a battle on Tuesday evening versus Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania (“IUP”), but the ‘Cuse did manage to pull away in the second half for an 86-68 triumph.
Let’s look at some key takeaways for Syracuse basketball in its win over IUP.
Props to IUP
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is an excellent squad. The Crimson Hawks are well-coached, and I’m getting the sense that they will be a significant contender to capture a national title at the Division II level.
Despite coming into the Dome and playing a big-name brand program, IUP in no way was scared of the ‘Cuse. The Crimson Hawks appeared confident throughout this exhibition game, and they expected to keep this encounter close, if not pull off the upset. Kudos to IUP players and coaches.
SU runs through its senior starters
The Orange’s 2022-23 roster is flush with a lot of underclassmen, including six freshmen, a young big-man transfer, and sophomore forward Benny Williams.
There is loads of talent and potential within the ‘Cuse line-up, but this squad will be led by its two senior starters, shooting guard Joe Girard III and center Jesse Edwards.
I love that Girard (17 points) is going to play primarily at the two-spot this season, and on offense, Syracuse basketball has to make a consistent and concerted effort to get the ball to Edwards (16 points) through pick-and-rolls and other schemes.
Hi, Benny Williams
Williams’ jump shot looks much improved, at least through one exhibition game, and he was a beast on the boards against IUP. He finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Williams had a ton of confidence on Tuesday night. His athleticism and energy were on full display. He’s going to have a strong sophomore stanza, in my opinion.
Judah Mintz is the real deal
Mintz, a 2022 four-star prospect, got the start at point guard. Like the other freshmen, we can expect some mistakes from him as they all adjust to the collegiate game.
However, Mintz is uber-quick and gets into the lane with seemingly relative ease. He has a decent-looking jumper and isn’t shy about pulling the trigger. I hope that the team’s zone defense can force a lot of deflections and steals, because seeing Mintz in transition will be fun.
Man defense, say you?
Okay, so this was an exhibition contest, and head coach Jim Boeheim did put his boys in a man-to-man defense at times. Is that going to continue through the 2022-23 term? I’m not convinced of that, but we’ll see.
A campaign ago, when the ‘Cuse went 16-17 overall, the Orange struggled on the defensive end. This year’s group is likely to fare better, because it’s more athletic and physical.
But the 2022-23 roster is also fairly young, so I wouldn’t expect the squad to roll out a defense similar to 2013 anytime soon.
The Syracuse basketball zone enticed IUP to hoist up a lot of 3-pointers, and the Crimson Hawks didn’t shoot all that well from the perimeter. We’ll see if this sort of scenario occurs in the regular season.
How long will the rotation be?
The starters versus IUP were Girard, Mintz, Edwards, Williams and freshman Chris Bell (formerly known as Chris Bunch). All 12 scholarship players got run.
It’s a running joke – maybe “joke” is the wrong word here – among some Syracuse basketball fans that even when Boeheim has a deep roster, he only ends up playing six or seven guys.
Will Boeheim have a longer rotation in 2022-23? Who the heck knows. I’m not convinced that Bell will be a permanent fixture in the starting rotation.
Plus, other freshmen such as wing Justin Taylor, guard Quadir Copeland and forward Maliq Brown should compete for quality minutes.
And let’s not sleep on senior guard Symir Torrence, a Central New York native. He’s also a veteran leader on this team.
Taylor is strong, Copeland is versatile
Mintz will likely get the most minutes of all the freshmen, but man, I really am high on Taylor and Copeland, who both came to the Hill as four-star players and competed together last year for the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
Somewhat unfairly, I think that Taylor has this “reputation” as being primarily a shooter. He can shoot well from the perimeter, but I believe he’s an underrated athlete and defender. Taylor’s frame is also strong, and he already looks ready, physically speaking, to play major college basketball.
Copeland was a point guard coming out of the IMG Academy, and he possesses stellar court vision. But I’m getting the sense that Boeheim may use him at point guard, shooting guard or even out on the wing as a small forward. That kind of versatility will serve Copeland well in regularly garnering minutes.
Intrigued by young big men
Freshman power forward/center Peter Carey, freshman forward Maliq Brown and sophomore Mounir Hima, a big man transfer from Duquesne, each played a bit against IUP.
I’ve read reports that Brown has been pushing Williams for a starting forward position, but after what Williams did on Tuesday night, I don’t see that happening.
But Brown, a 2022 three-star player, is known for his excellent defense and rebounding. Carey, also a 2022 three-star prospect, didn’t play his senior year of high school due to injury, but I could envision both him and Hima serving as solid back-ups to Edwards at center.
All three of these guys, when they see the court, have to defend at a high clip, rebound like it’s nobody’s business, and crash the offensive glass to get some easy put-backs off of missed jumpers.
Bell isn’t afraid to shoot it
A four-star player in the 2022 class, Bell has a nice-looking shooting stroke, and I could see him getting hot in a hurry during some games.
But I could also see him being a streaky shooter. He didn’t shoot well versus IUP, which is no big deal. What I did take issue with is that he hoisted up a few 3-point attempts that were just not good looks. Bell will have to improve his shot selection.
How much time will John Bol Ajak get?
The redshirt junior power forward/center is one of the veterans on this Orange roster, and he did play a couple of minutes in this exhibition game.
But with so many other forwards on the 2022-23 roster, is Ajak going to get run beyond mop-up duty? He plays with energy and does the dirty work in the interior, however, I don’t envision him playing a lot.
Disjointed on offense
IUP, which is based near Pittsburgh, had a lead in this battle for a good amount of time. The Crimson Hawks didn’t back down one iota. In the end, Syracuse basketball was able to pull away, but the Orange’s offense appeared disorganized and stagnant.
In all fairness, this was the first exhibition game, and the ‘Cuse players are still getting used to one another. I’m sure the flow of the offense will improve.
Orange is talented for sure
I have no idea how the ‘Cuse will fare in 2022-23. National and Atlantic Coast Conference pundits aren’t super high on the Orange, but preseason prognostications don’t mean much.
Could Syracuse basketball, despite its young roster, get to the 2023 Big Dance? Boeheim sure seems to think so.
A line-up that blends a few veterans with a whole lot of underclassmen will need some time to forge a cohesive unit, so we could see some growing pains as it relates to offensive sets, the zone defense and turnovers committed.
It also remains to be seen just how good Syracuse basketball will be from 3-point land after having a ton of long-range guys a stanza ago.
All of that being said, the 2022-23 roster looks promising, and I’m excited for the regular season to commence.
Another exhibition encounter
Before that, though, the Orange will host Southern New Hampshire in the second and final exhibition tune-up for the ‘Cuse. Syracuse basketball and the Penmen are expected to tip off at 7 pm from the Dome on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
The ACC Network Extra will provide live streaming coverage, similar to the Orange’s game versus IUP.