Class of 2019 C Jesse Edwards (NL/IMG) SIGNED WITH SYRACUSE

[Cheriehoop]

Why did it take 4 yrs for Christmas to develop?

Syracuse Basketball: Reflecting on Rakeem Christmas' Season, Career

Rakeem Christmas will play his final game for Syracuse tomorrow. We reflect on his breakout season.

www.nunesmagician.com

How Rakeem Christmas has kept Syracuse relevant despite its postseason ban

Syracuse's Rakeem Christmas is enjoying a breakout senior season and steadying his team, which is unable to play for hte NCAA tournament because of a school-imposed postseason ban.

www.si.com

 

[cuseattle]

I want to see this guy play.

 

[orangemass]

I want to see this guy play.

I think u might

 

[Trueblue25]

It took 4 years for Rak to develop because he had to split time with BMK and was another renter at the JB Doghouse.

 

[sugrad68]

It took 4 years for Rak to develop because he had to split time with BMK and was another renter at the JB Doghouse.

In Rak's first 3 years, he never saw the ball on offense. He had a breakout senior year because he was the focus on offense. Makes me wonder how well he would have done if he had seen the ball on occasion earlier in his career.

 

[NYCorange]

In Rak's first 3 years, he never saw the ball on offense. He had a breakout senior year because he was the focus on offense. Makes me wonder how well he would have done if he had seen the ball on occasion earlier in his career.

He certainly could have done more. That said, I remember his freshman season and he was NOT ready offensively at that point.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

In Rak's first 3 years, he never saw the ball on offense. He had a breakout senior year because he was the focus on offense. Makes me wonder how well he would have done if he had seen the ball on occasion earlier in his career.

Yep.

 

[moqui]

In Rak's first 3 years, he never saw the ball on offense. He had a breakout senior year because he was the focus on offense. Makes me wonder how well he would have done if he had seen the ball on occasion earlier in his career.

his first 3 years the offense was built around dynamic talents like dion waiters, mcw, cj fair, jerami grant. those teams earned protected seeds each year & averaged 31 wins per season. they were the final three seasons of the latest syracuse golden era.
i am not at all curious how different rak's personal numbers would have looked if jb had changed that successful system to fit a single player

 

[Dave]

his first 3 years the offense was built around dynamic talents like dion waiters, mcw, cj fair, jerami grant. those teams earned protected seeds each year & averaged 31 wins per season. they were the final three seasons of the latest syracuse golden era.
i am not at all curious how different rak's personal numbers would have looked if jb had changed that successful system to fit a single player

BOOM. Discussion over.

 

[OrangeDW]

It took 4 years for Rak to develop because he had to split time with BMK and was another renter at the JB Doghouse.

That and we had a LOADED team in 2012, and a final four team in 2013. We had Coleman come in too. Plus Fab Melo was here his freshman year.

Lots of guys, lots of scoring options. He didn’t really get the ball much until his senior year.

 

[Cusefan0307]

We went 92-21 Rak's first 3 years.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

his first 3 years the offense was built around dynamic talents like dion waiters, mcw, cj fair, jerami grant. those teams earned protected seeds each year & averaged 31 wins per season. they were the final three seasons of the latest syracuse golden era.
i am not at all curious how different rak's personal numbers would have looked if jb had changed that successful system to fit a single player

Except...

He made massive improvement as a junior, scoring more points per game than he did as a sophomore even though he took half a shot a game less, on the strength of massive improvement to his field goal percentage and free throw percentage.

His first two years he was limited, but he really started to show ability as a junior. As I recall, he missed a shot late on a post up against BC, and never saw the ball as much after that. Due to his efficiency, I think he could have likely produced more had he been given the chance.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Didn't he miss a bunny to win the game and JB flipped out that he didn't dunk it or am I making this up?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Didn't he miss a bunny to win the game and JB flipped out that he didn't dunk it or am I making this up?

Something like that. I don't think he could have dunked it though if I'm remembering right.

I think it was a turn around. It was in close, over a guy as I recall. Definitely a shot you'd expect a guy to make, but he didn't. I mean, when he got the ball there I thought we were getting two points.

 

[RF2044]

Except...

He made massive improvement as a junior, scoring more points per game than he did as a sophomore even though he took half a shot a game less, on the strength of massive improvement to his field goal percentage and free throw percentage.

His first two years he was limited, but he really started to show ability as a junior. As I recall, he missed a shot late on a post up against BC, and never saw the ball as much after that. Due to his efficiency, I think he could have likely produced more had he been given the chance.

Another important factor to remember is that as a team, we SUCKED collectively getting the ball fed into the post during Rak's first three years.

The one [and only] player on those teams that Rak played with who made a concerted effort to feed the post was Brandon Triche. And he was gone after Rak's sophomore year.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Another important factor to remember is that as a team, we SUCKED collectively getting the ball fed into the post during Rak's first three years.

The one [and only] player on those teams that Rak played with who made a concerted effort to feed the post was Brandon Triche. And he was gone after Rak's sophomore year.

Yep.

 

[Cusesky8214]

 

[kcsu]

Yes love it!!

 

[Orangefizz]

LeRon Ellis type of skilled big man

 

[albanycuse]

Love his attitude and personality already...

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

LeRon Ellis type of skilled big man

Wait. Why is this on the Internet? SU basketball only uses carrier pigeons and calligraphy to communicate with fans and recruits.

 

[sutomcat]

LeRon Ellis type of skilled big man

I hope he is more skilled than Leron was. While he was a good defensive player, he could barely make a layup.

 

[OrangeDW]

I hope he is more skilled than Leron was. While he was a good defensive player, he could barely make a layup.

I was just a kid, but I had a hard time understanding how a guy who averaged 16 ppg for Kentucky looked like such a stiff on offense in his first year at Cuse.

He came around a bit as a senior, at least.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I was just a kid, but I had a hard time understanding how a guy who averaged 16 ppg for Kentucky looked like such a stiff on offense in his first year at Cuse.

He took a cut in pay when he left UK.

 

[Ghost]

Didn't he miss a bunny to win the game and JB flipped out that he didn't dunk it or am I making this up?

Yeah, it was a tad over the top. My recollection was a short turnaround in the lane.

Anyway, his Junior year we could have used him much more imo. The Ennis season is remembered far too fondly - but probably because our offense has somehow slowed down even more since then. We were fairly miserable to watch.