While center Eddie Lampkin Jr. might steal the spotlight as the highlight of Syracuse basketball's offseason, make no mistake - Jaquan Carlos is going to have a very impactful role.
The senior comes to the 315 after spending three seasons on Long Island, running point guard for the Hofstra Pride. He was a two-year starter, and in 2023-24, finished tied for 14th in the country with 6.3 assists per game.
Carlos figures to start at point guard for the Orange, or at least share those duties with junior JJ Starling. Last season, Judah Mintz led SU with 4.4 assists per game, so a replacement in that department is needed.
ITS TIME https://t.co/u5invT1xGs
— Jaquan Carlos (@iamJaquann) May 6, 2024
Transitioning from a mid-major conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference isn't easy, but there's reason to believe Carlos will make an easy jump to power conference basketball.
1. Carlos needs to take command
Syracuse basketball is calling on a leader in the backcourt. With Mintz gone, it opens up a lot of room for ball handling, something that Starling will also likely have a big part in.
But as a senior, and someone who started two years at PG for a successful Hofstra team, Carlos shouldn't be afraid of being a leader with his new team.
The Pride went 45-23 in the two seasons Carlos started. Not only were his numbers some of the best in the nation, but it translated to wins. Sure, teammates like Aaron Estrada and Darlinstone Dubar made that easy at times, but the talent around Carlos at Syracuse should be no different.
It's a bit of an older and more experienced Syracuse basketball group than they've had the last few seasons. So Carlos won't have to babysit a bunch of freshmen. There will be room for a lot of leaders on this squad.
However, as the likely leader of the backcourt, it'll be crucial for Carlos to take that leadership and play with it on the court. Running the offense, stepping up to make winning plays, and not being afraid to point out mistakes to his teammates are all important traits for a senior point guard to have. Carlos has the opportunity to put that into action.
2. Force the issue at the free throw line
Syracuse basketball fans should be familiar with a point guard taking trips to the line. That was arguably the biggest part of Mintz's game. Last year, he took an average of 8.3 free throws per game.
Carlos can be viewed as the opposite. He only took 2.2 FTA per game last season, but when he got to the line, he was nearly automatic, at 89.2%.
College Basketball Scouting, a YouTube page that breaks down highlights of transfers, noted that last season, 24% of Carlos's attempts came at the rim, and he made 54% of those. In other words, he doesn't shy away from attacking the basket, and is quite efficient for being a 6-foot guard.
While it's better to make the layup than miss it and try and earn it from the line, taking more aggressive trips to the paint could help Carlos make good use of his free throw percentage. It's no small feat to shoot about 90% from the charity stripe, and all points are good points.
There's no reason to change his offensive approach, but picking spots and being more aggressive could pay off.
3. Must make an impact defensively
At 6-foot, 180 pounds, Carlos is short in stature, but has enough size to not get completely overrun by offensive players.
With that being said, in the ACC, there will be taller, bigger, and stronger players. Carlos will need to hold his ground.
I'll make a safe bet that the Brooklyn, N.Y., native won't have much of a problem with that. After all, he's averaged about 1.5 SPG over the last two seasons, so defense isn't necessarily an issue of his.
But, Syracuse basketball fans have long been used to taller, lengthier guards. Of course, that was to recruit for the 2-3 zone, so as head coach Adrian Autry transitions to more man-to-man defense, the style of players, especially guards, will likely change.
With all that being said, there are weak spots in this Syracuse defense. Chris Bell has length, but stronger players can push him around in the paint. Lampkin is a beast, but how will he stack up against taller centers, or centers that can play from the outside-in?
All of this to say is that Carlos will need to be a good two-way player for Syracuse to be successful in 2024-25. He has the makeup to rise to the occasion, which is the most promising part of all.