Author: Brad Klein
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What Does Syracuse Have to Play For?
Regardless of what this team does in the remaining five regular season games, they probably won’t make the NCAA Tournament, they might not make the NIT, and in all likelihood won’t go far in the ACC Tournament either. But, that doesn’t mean that this is a completely lost season. It doesn’t mean there’s no longer…
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Evaluating the Legacy of Joe Girard III
Joe Girard is the 65th player in Syracuse history to reach the 1,000 point milestone. That’s pretty rare company for a point guard who’s not a point guard at all. So, even though there is plenty of time for Girard to give his legacy a facelift, the question of how SU fans will remember him…
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2021 Syracuse Transfers Check-in
Syracuse lost a bunch of key pieces from their magical Sweet 16 run last year. In the middle of the season, let’s check to see how the former Syracuse players are doing at their new programs. Quincy Guerrier, Oregon It never helps to lose a 33 minute/game starter. Quincy Guerrier‘s absence is felt most on…
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Three Keys to Beating Wake Forest
It’s redemption time for Syracuse. After a crushing OT loss on the road earlier this month, Wake Forest comes to the Dome tomorrow. Here’s what SU needs to do to flip the script. Stop Alondes Williams After 25 points and 12 rebounds in the first bout, Alondes Williams should have a big target on his…
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Three Keys to Beating Pittsburgh (Again)
Force Them Outside Believe it or not, the 32% clip that Pittsburgh shot from beyond the arc in the first bout for Syracuse was a bit better than the scouting report predicted. This is the worst perimeter shooting team in the conference. Without the extra length of Symir Torrence at the top of the zone,…
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Here’s What Syracuse has Proven
Syracuse is back to their .500 bench mark after a win over Clemson. That still leaves them far away from the NCAA Tournament bubble, but just as the Orange look like they are about to bury themselves, they bounce back. Here’s what the rollercoaster ride taught us so far. Offense Can Win Games Jim Boeheim…
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Did Jim Boeheim Find the Antidote?
Towards the end of the loss to Florida State, Syracuse tried something for the first time. Jim Boeheim played a lineup that, until recently, did not make much sense. Suddenly, the vision is becoming clearer and the lure grander. The small lineup is breaking the mold. No, not the small lineup with 6-foot-8 Jimmy Boeheim…
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Is Jesse Edwards Really Underutilized?
With Syracuse basketball under .500 through 15 games for the first time in the Boeheim-era, everyone wants to simplify the problem by saying a little more of this or a little more of that will be the solution this team needs to turn it around. It’s almost never that easy. It’s no surprise that the…
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Wait, so Bourama is Back?
The standing ovation at the end of the Brown win was a nice moment for Bourama Sidibe. After a year and a half of setbacks and tough luck, the sixth year senior made it back to the court on knees that have only failed him in the past. The question is will Sidibe stay on…
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Who are Robert Anae and Jason Beck?
With early signing day in the rearview mirror, Dino Babers seems to be focussing on his coaching staff. After a five-win season that Babers defended as a success considering the low expectations the nation had for the Orange going into the year, SU saw a mass exodus from the coaching staff. Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks…
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Syracuse’s Class of 2022 Early Signing Day Defensive Commits
Syracuse football’s coaching overhaul likely put a dent in the Class of 2022 as a whole. Then again, the defensive side of the ball was left relatively unscathed with Tony White sticking around as defensive coordinator. So, SU can still recruit for system in the 3-3-5 base set. Without further-ado, meet the defensive commits from…
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The World’s Most Famous Recruiting Showcase
Syracuse basketball fans have to be feeling themselves after two big wins to get back on track after a rough trip to Atlantis. A 2OT win over Indiana and a narrow and rare road win over Florida State have the pessimists rethinking some things. Jesse Edwards’ recent play likely has some recruiting pessimists stirring too.…
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Your Guide to Syracuse’s BIG 10/ACC Challenge with Indiana
Syracuse comes back home after a rough trip to the Bahamas farther away from the bubble than they were when they touched down in Paradise. The scramble to get back on track begins now. After winning all five matchups against Indiana since the 1987 title game, that might seem a little more probable than it…
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How Long Can JGIII Keep This Up?
It’s Joe Girard’s world right now. We’re just living in it. The junior ended last season strong, notching 12 points in each of Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament games. For the first two years, Girard was only as productive as his shooting ability. Now, his shooting is actually icing on the cake. Before the season began, Jim…
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What is Cole Swider’s Ceiling?
Cole Swider looks like the shiny new toy for Syracuse basketball. Coming from Villanova, the sharpshooter was promised to be just that after hitting 40% of his shots from beyond the arc last year. But Swider might be more than a spot-up shooter. In fact, he has to be. After Syracuse’s 75-60 win over Drexel,…
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A Tale of Two-Halves: Syracuse Powers Past Drexel 75-60
A Tale of Two-Halves It was hard to recognize Syracuse out of the locker room compared to the first half. Jim Boeheim kicked the scorer’s table in the waning moments before halftime and his team put their feet on the gas on the defensive end. Eleven second-half steals led to 15 fast break points. Of…
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What does Success vs. Lafayette Look Like?
Syracuse is giving Lafayette 22.5 points. It’s far from a hot take to say last year’s opener against Bryant was a complete failure. Surviving by one point at home and losing your center for basically the rest of the season set SU up for early season struggles. Here’s what the Orange have to do to…
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It’s the Least Wonderful Time of the Year for SU Football
At this point, it‚Äôs fair to ask what‚Äôs not to like about Syracuse football right now. The Orange were projected to win three games this year, began the season as an underdog to a MAC team, and scraped together five wins in a season when they could have three or even four more wins with…
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SU Football’s Bye-Week To-Do List
1. Get Healthy This has become a bye-week clich√© in football, but it’s especially true for Syracuse this year. While the Orange have been elusive in avoiding the injury bug compared to last year, there are still a lot of bumps and bruises that need to heal in order for SU to continue playing their…
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The Recruiting Ripple Effects of Boeheim’s Richmond Remark
No program in the nation knows that recruiting reputation is a valuable and delicate thing better than Syracuse. The Orange went from household name and National Championship contender in 2013 to NIT loser four years later. Now, it seems like the recruiting stream is back on the up and up. Jim Boeheim called the Class…
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What’re the Odds the Mid-Season All-Americans are there at the End of the Year?
Don’t be fooled by the caveat. Even if Sean Tucker and Cody Roscoe are mid-season All-Americans, that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Only Alabama has more mid-season All-Americans (3) than Syracuse. Iowa and Georgia are the other two programs with multiple nods. While there is cause for celebration, it’ll be tough to convince Tucker of that.…
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The Biggest Variable for ’21-’22 SU Hoops
Jim Boeheim already said this is a very experienced team. Despite losing Marek Dolezaj, Quincy Guerrier, Kadary Richmond, and Alan Griffin Syracuse returns their entire backcourt. Forward Cole Swider brings in three years of collegiate experience from Villanova. Combo-guard Symir Torrence played two seasons at Marquette. The real question is what will the big-man situation…
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How Realistic is the Maxwell Award for Sean Tucker?
Sean Tucker’s early success in his second season is generating plenty of buzz around the Hill. Now, the nation is taking notice. Tucker was added to the Maxwell Award Watch List for Player of the Year. The last Syracuse player to make the list was Eric Dungey in 2018. The lone Orange winner is Don…
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Here’s Why Syracuse’s FSU Loss is a Net Positive
Alright, a loss is going to sting, especially this year when Syracuse is competitive. But after the 33-30 road loss, there might actually be more positive takeaways than negative. This column won’t change the fact that SU is still winless at Doak Campbell Stadium, and that they begin ACC play 0-1 after a win slipped…
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After Carey’s Commitment, There’s Still a Missing Piece to the Class of 2022
Zero-star recruit Peter Carey might not be the big man that Syracuse fans dreamed of, but he’s the big man that they got. There’s a lot riding on Carey’s ability to anchor the Zone in the middle, and defy the scouting reports and small offer sheet. Now that Carey is in for 2022 with Quadir…
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What Does Elmore’s Return Mean for SU?
Rhino is stampeding to Tallahassee for a Syracuse team that is better than when he left it. Everyone knew, heading into the season, the Orange’s offensive forte is the run game. Sean Tucker’s breakout freshman season was a great omen, and to have such a relentless runner behind elite run blockers was supposed to be…
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Liberty: 2020 vs. 2021
Syracuse fans are still having Malik Willis nightmares from last year. Two touchdowns, 182 passing yards, 70 rushing yards, and one year later, the Orange are expecting more of the same from the quarterback after Liberty’s 38-21 win over Syracuse. “He’s one year older. One year faster. One year stronger. One year knows the offense…
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Syracuse Spanks UAlbany in 62-24 Record Showing
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Syracuse cruised to their second win of the year over UAlbany. The Orange have never lost to an FCS opponent, and it quickly became clear that they weren’t going to start now. SU slapped 45 points in the first half, which matches the Dome record set in 1998…
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How Good Is Mikel Jones?
So often Syracuse is referred to as defensive back U. Rightfully so. Trill Williams, Iffy Melifonwu, and Andre Cisco were the anchors of the Syracuse defense when healthy last year. But when the secondary was banged up, which ended up being most of the year, one player’s production remained a common denominator. Mikel Jones led…
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How Close is Garrett Shrader to Playing?
After all the excitement in Central New York with an athletic, shiny, SEC quarterback transferring to Syracuse, many fans might have walked away from the 29-9 win over Ohio unsatisfied. Garrett Shrader only had one pass for eight yards and one carry for eight yards, while Tommy DeVito managed a run-heavy offense. Head Coach Dino…
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Syracuse’s Most Important Players: #3 Taj Harris
Any time a player is the best in his position group, there is an increased importance on his role. Taj Harris’ importance goes beyond his potential. It goes beyond the uncertainty behind center. It even goes beyond the leadership switch Dino Babers is asking him to flip. Why Syracuse needs him If Taj Harris doesn’t…
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Best Matchups You Might See with the Three Conference Alliance
A part of the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 alliance is to stop the bleeding before it happens. With Texas and Oklahoma moving on to the SEC, these three conferences had to be sure there wouldn’t be any more programs on the move, blind-sighting the rest of the nation. But there will also be a scheduling…
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How to Prevent Another Decommitment
To compare the Dior Johnson and Kamari Lands situations is to compare apples and aircraft carriers. But the bitter taste in the mouths of Syracuse fans, and the budding reputation as the program who loses star recruits is a constant. Lands decommitted from Syracuse with name, image, and likeness in mind. Unlike Johnson or Darius…
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Why is SU Hoops Suddenly a Recruiting Hotbed?
Alright, nobody is complaining, but it’s a fair question. Fresh off the heels of the ACC’s ninth best recruiting year in 2020, and then the 11th best recruiting pool in the conference in 2021, Syracuse basketball already reeled in three four-stars in 2022. That ranks second in the ACC with only North Carolina in front…
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Evaluating Syracuse in the Summer League
Oshae Brissett – Pacers Maybe the biggest compliment Brissett could receive right now is Syracuse fans wondering why he‚Äôs even playing in the summer league. After all, he just inked a three-year contract, was the most valuable player for the Pacers down the stretch last year (including a 31 point double-double against Charlotte), and was…
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