Syracuse Basketball: Next season, ‘Cuse may end up facing Joe Girard III

There’s a 50/50 chance that former Syracuse basketball senior shooting guard Joe Girard III could wind up playing for another Atlantic Coast Conference team during the 2023-24 season.

As first reported by the awesome On3 national analyst Joe Tipton, the 6-foot-1 Girard, who hails from Glens Falls, N.Y., is down to two finalists.

In the 2023-24 stanza, he will compete for the Tigers, as his finalists are fellow ACC squad Clemson and Southeastern Conference member LSU.

Next season, Girard will be a graduate student, after finishing up his four-year tenure on the Hill as a top 20 all-time scorer in the history of the Syracuse basketball program.

In late March, Joe Girard III said via Twitter that he would test the 2023 NBA Draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility. He also said at the time that he would enter the NCAA’s transfer portal.

Former Syracuse basketball player Joe Girard III is down to two finalists.

After Girard said that he would hit the portal, he heard from a bunch of high-major programs, according to media reports. Earlier this month, Joe Girard III took visits to both Clemson and LSU.

Tipton’s article says that at this juncture, Girard doesn’t have a timetable for a commitment announcement.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Joe Girard III was often criticized on social media by Orange fans, and I felt that a lot of such criticism was misguided and unfair.

As a senior for the ‘Cuse in the 2022-23 term, when the Orange went a disappointing 17-15 overall, Girard moved from point guard to shooting guard, and he had a solid season.

In 2022-23, Joe Girard III led Syracuse basketball in scoring, at 16.4 points per game. He also averaged 2.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per encounter, while connecting on 40.3 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from beyond the arc and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Girard was a key contributor on a ‘Cuse squad that advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

For the entirety of his Syracuse basketball career, Joe Girard III tallied averages of 13.2 points, 3.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds per affair, while hitting on 37.8 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from 3-point land and 86.3 percent from the charity stripe.

As far as the Orange’s backcourt in 2023-24, Girard is headed to another ACC team or the SEC. Senior guard Symir Torrence is also in the transfer portal. Freshman point guard Judah Mintz is testing the 2023 NBA Draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility.

Recently, Syracuse basketball coaches have picked up commitments from two transfer guards, Central New York native and Notre Dame freshman J.J. Starling as well as Auburn freshman Chance Westry.