We are two pieces away from being top 4 in the ACC next year. I have faith in Red and the staff to pull in either Judah (unlikely) or another PG and a Center prospect. We are quickly going to return to the top 4 in the ACC. I understand the negativity after the past few years (decade), but we have too much to sell. Syracuse is still one of the top brands in the ACC and we will return to where we should be. I think Red will have the right offense and defense in place to lure top talent back to the dome to compete in front of the largest fan base in the country. Donnie knows this. Choppa knows this. JJ knows this. Chance knows this. Two more pieces to take the next step.
i agree that there is promise in the near future.
The team melding together, the distribution of the ball on offense, the offensive players standing out and the defensive strategies that Red employs are all factors that will decide how well this team will play.
Syracuse lost two of their three best scorers and the return of last year’s play maker is in serious question.
They picked up JJ and Chance which along with Quadir should handle the point guard distribution role. All three of them are really strong defenders. JJ is a scorer and I believe Chance will get his points.
Offensively, JT, Chris Bell and Benny need to show consistency in putting the ball in the basket and that will come with plays designed to show off their strengths. Without the introduction of a strong rebounder, these three can not just stand outside the three point circle, they have to crash the boards. I know that 3 point shooting is a desired skill but I am hoping that Red employs a better passing, ball movement offense that creates opportunities for both three point and closer scoring.
At the center position, currently there are 15-20 fouls available between the four centers/power forwards (Himar, Peter, Maliq and Patterson. Hopefully one or two of these take a big step forward and shines at this these positions. Wonder if Red would consider playing Benny at the center position on offense. He could be an effective passer and scorer there.
