SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
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(Stats are last year, per 40 minutes of play, except minutes are per game. m = minutes p = points, r = rebounds, a= assists, s = steals, b = blocks, mfg = missed field goals, mft = missed free throws, to = turnovers, pf = personal fouls, NP = net points, which is p + r + a + s + b minus mfg + mft + to + pf)
CENTERS
Jesse Edwards, a 6-11 230 senior 28.0m 17.2p 9.3r 1.5a 1.6s 4.0b - 2.9mfg 2.5mft 1.8to 5.3pf = 21.1NP
All three of these guys may be fully seven feet but SU, (JB) seems to have a thing about not listing players that way. When Jesse came here he was listed at 188 pounds so building himself up to 230 is an impressive achievement. He’ll never be bulky but hopefully he won’t be pushed around by anyone. His forte is quickness. He can run the court and is dynamite on the pick-and-roll. Jesse was sporting a streak of white in his hair last year so I dubbed him “The Streak”, which is appropriate to his game. He’s also a mobile shot-blocker. He was really blossoming at the point of his injury. He’d just destroyed Louisville with 19 points and 8 rebounds on 9 for 11 shooting along with 2 blocks, 3 steals and 3 assists. In the previous game against NC State He was 8 for 9 from the field and scored 19 with 6 rebs and 3 blocks. Earlier he had 15 points, 11 rebs and 5 blocks against Clemson and 22 points 9 rebounds, 7 blocks on 10/13 shooting against Miami. Boston College was the first team to decide that he had to be stopped, despite all of the shooters we had, and they roughed him up, holding him to 0 points and 2 rebounds in 13 minutes. He also fouled out, which has been a problem, and complained of pain in his wrist after the game. X-rays showed it was broken and his season was over. He would have learned to adjust to the added defensive pressure and to avoid fouling had he continued to play. Those adjustments will have to be made this season – and his teammates need to do their part by burning defenses that overcommit to stopping Jesse, as we were able to do last year with all the shooters we had, (we beat BC in that game). Jesse was rated #198 by 247 coming out of high school and then the 38th best center. There are not 37 better centers in college ball than The Streak. Highlights from last year:
Mounir Hima, a 6-11 230 sophomore
Jesse Edwards only played 28 minutes a game, both due to fatigue and foul problems and then broke his wrist, so his back-up was an important player. That important player was Frank Anselem, a 6-10 210 sophomore with a 7-5 armspan, (armspan is normally about equal to height). Frank was the 201st best recruit and 32nd best center coming out of high school per 247. He played only 26 minutes as a freshman. He’d reclassified from the 2021 class to the 2020 class and the coaches felt he should have spent another year in high school developing his body and skills. Last year he was ready and did a good job of backing Jesse up, although he lacked Jesse’s mobility and offensive skills. He was a strong rebounder with those long arms. His per 40 minute numbers were: 7.4p 10.9r 1.1a 0.7s 1.5b – 1.6mfg 1.4mft 1.5to 5.7pf = 11.4NP. He had 15 rebounds against both Virginia Tech and Florida State. He was all set to back up Jesse one more time while continuing to hone his skills and then become the starter as a senior. But this is the age of “If I’m not startin’, I’m departin’.” He’ll be grabbing rebounds and developing his other skills at Georgia.
So Jim Boeheim and his staff needed to find a new back-up center. They got a guy who in some ways is a clone of Anselem. Mounir Hima has a 7-6 wingspan. Frank was from Nigeria. Mounir is from Niger. He wasn’t even reviewed by 247. As a freshman at Duquesne, he played 202 minutes, far more than Frank did as a freshman here but less than Frank did as a sophomore. His per 40m numbers: 7.7p 11.5r 0.2a 0.5s 4.2b – 4.5mfg 0.2mft 2.2to 6.9pf = 10.3NP. Basically, he’s Frank except he blocks more shots. Much has been made of the fact that he played for a lousy Duquesne team (6-24, 1-16 in the Atlantic 10 – and we thought we were bad). That doesn’t mean that he was the reason they were bad or that he couldn’t help us. The Dukes biggest problem was that they couldn’t shoot straight and we aren’t relying on Mounir to score. I look forward to seeing Symir lob it to Mounir for the dunk. I was unable to find a highlight video on Mounir, high school or college.
Peter Carey, a 6-11 200 freshman
I’ve seen Peter listed at 7-1 205. He’s a skinny but well-conditioned kid who missed the last two seasons due to a covid shut-down and an injury, so it’s hard to know what to make of him. 247 has him at #248 and the 55th best power forward. What highlights there are show him to a be a quick leaper and an explosive dunker who can really run the court:
https://video-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v...vWnn6ALfwbo0J3CLdLzyTXZKihUebruAQ&oe=63520F75
www.bing.com
Despite being listed as a power forward, I see him as similar to Jesse Edwards and at 7-1 his future would seem to be at center, at least at this level. I think he got similar physical and athletic skills. He just needs to get stronger and to adapt to this level of play. Hopefully he can do that this year and be ready compete for this spot in the starting line-up next year. He could see some time at power forward if we need someone there who can score. Peter and Jesse would make a pair of mobile ‘twin towers’.
FORWARDS
Benny Williams, a 6-8 208 sophomore 10.8m 7.2p 5.4r 0.8a 1.5s 0.9b – 5.2mfg 1.3mft 2.2to 3.1pf = 4.0NP
I haven’t kept historical recruit rankings but if I did and made a comparison of ranking vs. statistical performance in a freshman year, then Benny Williams would likely be at the bottom of the list, at least at SU. He came in ranked #32 overall and the #8 small forward. He was a deer in the headlights all season. Nothing he tried to do seemed to work – when he was actually trying to do something. He shot 34% from the field, 9% from the three point line and 62% from the foul line. On January 8th he made a jumper with 5:31 left in the first half against Wake Forest. On February 19th against Boston College, 42 days - 6 weeks - later, he made a lay-up with 11:31 left in the first half. In between those shots, he missed 16 shots in a row. He didn’t rebound a lot, rarely made a successful pass, made a few steals but not many blocks. At least he avoided turnovers and fouls pretty well for a freshman. He had one good game – and it was against Duke! On February 26th, he scored 14 points on the Blue Devils on 5 for 7 shooting and had 6 rebounds. The 32nd best recruit in the country might have been expected to average 14 points and 6 rebounds for the season. Two things about that game: (1) It was a blow-out. Duke bolted out to a 14-0 lead, pushed it to 41-13 and won 97-72. We never got within 15 points after that start. Games like that aren’t played with the intensity of a close game and reserves tend to have a much longer leash. (2) Three recruits from this year’s class were sitting behind the SU bench: Peter Carey, Justin Taylor and Chris Bunch. All can play forward. Benny might have been spurred on by seeing the competition, something we can hope happens this year. Another thing that might happen this year: Benny was the sole freshman last season among a bunch of juniors and seniors. He may have felt a little isolated and irrelevant. The new class has several players he knows from camps, AAU competition and all-star games, with whom he might be more comfortable. Actually, you could combine those last two reasons: who do want to beat more than your friends? Some highlights:
Occasionally, Benny would show off his athleticism:
www.bing.com
Here he is in high school, earning that recruiting ranking:
5-Star Benny Williams DUNKED EVERYTHING! Full Myrtle Beach Mix
Where was that guy last year? I’m hearing that Benny has grown two inches since last season, making him 6-10. What he needs is to grow his confidence so he can use his skills to dominate at this level. Maybe it was too easy for him to dominate high school kids. If he does have a big comeback year, he essentially becomes another member of this year’s recruiting class, maybe the most important one. Last year he was an imposter.
Maliq Brown, a 6-8 213 freshman
Maliq hasn’t gotten as much attention as most of the other freshmen but I found him a very impressive player on his highlight films, with one notable reservation. 247, (which lists him as 6-9 210), has him as the #220 overall prospect and #48 power forward. When I look at his highlight film I see an aggressive, athletic defender with long arms, quick hands a natural knack for blocking shots and making steals. He’s also a fine passer, both from the outside in and from inside out, especially to start fast breaks. He’s got a lot of moves to and around the basket. His tape is unique for two things: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tape that has extended sequences of what I call sneaker-to-sneaker defense: just getting all over players defensively, denying them a shot or a route to the basket. And I’m sure I’ve never seen a highlight film in which a player doesn’t at least attempt a jump shot, even a short one. Apparently, Maliq has no game facing the basket at all but he has everything else. Also, in his tape he’s playing center, not power forward. I think he’s classified as a forward at the college level because he’s not a seven-footer but he really has the skills of a center and looks as if he could play it better than most taller players. He could see time at forward but he also could be in the mix to back-up Jesse Edwards. He may be the biggest reason why Jim Boeheim is considering playing some man-to-man this year. Maliq is a guy who could definitely ‘man-up’, although he could also be very effective in the center of a zone.
The Highlights:
Maliq Brown - 2022 Forward: 20-21 Season Clips
Chris Bunch, a 6-7 180 freshman
Chris was the most highly ranked of the original five recruits, (before Judah Mintz signed on). 247 rated Chris #107 overall and #27 small forward in their composite rankings but their own scouts rated him higher than that: #61/#19. He’s known as an athletic leaper with an excellent and deep jump shot. We’ve lost a lot of firepower with the Boeheims and Cole Swider leaving and he could supply some of the deep threat we need to open up defenses. He’s not known as a great ball handler or defender. 247 describes him as being good at “straight line rim attacks”. He does like to use his leaping ability to come out of nowhere for “help” blocks or to mess up fast breaks. In that respect he reminds me of both Alan Griffin, (not our coach of the same name) from two years ago and also Wes Johnson from our 2010 team. One thing many have noticed and wondered about is that Chris seems to start his shot from his chest, not above his head. It seems likely that could lead to blocked shots or difficulty getting a shot off at all against aggressive defenders. But others have pointed out guys in the pros who seem to have a similar motion and the highlight clip shows Chris using his quick leaping ability and also a ‘step-back’ move to get his shots off. He won the three-point shooting contest at the team’s first public scrimmage in Rochester by making 11 of 14.
His Highlights:
Chris Bunch Basketball Highlights
Update: Chris Bunch announced on 10/25 that he’s legally changing his name to Chris Bell. (And then he shot 1/9 vs. Indiana of Pa – but he hasn’t changed it back.)
Justin Taylor, a 6-6 205 freshman
Justin was described early-on as Buddy Boeheim clone. He looked, sounded and played like Buddy. But there are differences. For one thing, he’s already bigger than Buddy, (I’ve seen him listed as 6-7, 205). For another, he’s doing things in his highlight tape I haven’t seen Buddy do, like driving through the defense to the rim to dunk the ball in. He seems like a more complete player as a high school senior than Buddy was as a college senior. And, unlike Chris Bunch, he holds the ball high to keep it away from defenders and seems like a deadeye in his tape, able to score at three levels. He hit a slump late in his senior season, causing the more cynical posters to declare that he isn’t much of a shooter and can’t help us get out of our rut. But he sure looks good on the tape:
2022 Syracuse Commit Justin Taylor's Senior Season Highlights
I see a guy who can make all the shots. He might not have Buddy’s range but he’s a more versatile scorer. He’s also big enough to be a legitimate forward and help out on the boards a bit. 247 has him #124 and #30 small forward.
John Bol Ajak, a 6-10 216 junior 5.1m 2.5p 6.4r 2.5a 0.4s 1.1b – 2.8mfg 0.3mft 1.4to 5.4pf = 3.0NP
John Bol came in with Jesse Edwards and had a similar reputation as a good offensive big man but wasn’t as talented or far along in his development and redshirted his first year and has hardly played since. He entered the transfer portal after the 2020-21 season but came back when he got no offers. He’s played 112 minutes in his career here, with his averages above. If he plays significant minutes with all the options we have at forward this year, the season will likely be a disaster.
Here's Jon in high school, doing things we haven’t seen him do in college:
6' 11" JOHN BOL AJAK Westtown School c/o 2019 (Syracuse Commit)
GUARDS
Joe Girard, a 6-1 190 senior 34.8m 16.2p 3.3r 4.9a 1.9s 0.0b – 7.9mfg 0.4mfg 3.3to 1.5pf = 13.2NP
The team’s leading returning scorer, Joe can return to his high school mode of being the big gun on the team, (although Judah Mintz may have something to say about that). Joe is one of seven players in high school history who have averaged 50 points a game in a season:
www.maxpreps.com
He followed that year up by averaging 48.6 and leading his teams to state (Class B) championships in both football, (as a quarterback) and basketball. I googled the other 6 fifty-point scorers. All I got for Finnell White was an SI “Faces in the Crowd” listing from his high school career and the above list. Bobby Joe Douglas scored 840 points, (7.5 per game, 13.4 per 40 minutes) in four years at Louisiana-Monroe. Ervin Stepp almost went to Western Kentucky but Coach Gene Keady made the mistake of uttering a bad word and Ervin’s father told him “You aren’t going there.” (They were devout Baptists). Instead he went to Eastern Kentucky, where he scored 237 points (4.6 per game but 15.9 per 40) in three years. Then there was a coaching change and the new guy talked like Keady so Ervin transferred to an NAIA school, Alice Lloyd College. Johnny Benjamin played one year for Auburn, scoring 65 points (6.5 per game, 11.6 per 40). Johnny got into drugs and was dismissed from the team for theft and wound up in jail. Benny Fuller was deaf and went to Pensacola Junior College because they were the only school to offer him a translator who knew sign language. Later he played at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Kent Hyde went to South Dakota State, where a ruptured disc ended his career. Joe has easily had the best collegiate career of any of them. Joe has started for three years for a Power 5 team and scored 1,126 points (12.1 per game, 15.2 per 40).
Joe was only #202 and the 29th best combo guard in 247’s composite rankings. When he came here the two great hopes at the point were Jalen Carey (61/7) and Brycen Goodine (97/15). Both were busts, (a warning for over-estimating the current group of recruits), and transferred out, leaving Joe as our only viable option at the point, even though his natural position was shooting guard. Fortunately, he’d been the primary ball handler as well as the primary scorer for Glens Falls high school. He proved an acceptable, if not exceptional, option at the point for this level, even if it wasn’t really his natural position. Joe has two basketball heroes: Jimmer Fredette, who came from Glens Falls to become the national player of the year at BYU and our own Gerry McNamara, who faced a similar situation when he came here in 2002 as a natural shooting guard who should have been paired with Billy Edelin, a natural point guard. But Billy was suspended by the NCAA and his career evaporated due to personal problems. Gerry played the point for four years and never got the chance to just focus on getting open and shooting the ball. That reduced his efficiency as a shooter but he still managed to score 2,099 points (15.5 per game and 17.5 per 40) and win a national championship with 6 threes in the final. Joe hasn’t done that or quite matched Gerry’s output but his numbers haven’t been that far out of line.
Gerry (career) 35.5m 17.5p 2.8r 5.4a 2.2s 0.1b – 8.7mfg 0.5mft 3.2to 2.0pf = 13.6NP
Joe (career) 31.8m 15.2p 3.6r 4.7a 1.9s 0.1b - 8.3mfg 0.4mft 2.9to 1.7pf = 12.2NP
Joe now gets the opportunity neither he nor Gerry have had: the chance to play his normal position. We’ll get to see what difference it makes.
Despite his success here, Joe has been a lighting rod for criticism. He’s too short. (I doubt he’s 6-1 just as I doubt Gerry was 6-2). He was too slow, which made him a lousy defender. He had trouble handling defensive pressure and did little to break down a defense and set up his teammates. Those complaints were not false. But those who made them often didn’t give Joe enough credit for what he did for the team. And the position switch should be helpful. Joe can still help out with the ball handling and help keep the ball moving before he gets his deadly shot.
His highlights:
Joseph Girard III Regular Season Highlights | Syracuse G (as a junior)
Two concerns: How will Joe respond to being the focal point of the defense, (although he was triple-teamed in high school and got plenty of defensive attention as a shooting point guard), and will he see the ball enough if Mintz is playing the point?
Judah Mintz, a 6-3 172 freshman
Jim Boeheim saved the best for last in his recruiting class. We thought we had a good class with Copeland, Taylor, Bunch, Brown and Carey. It was thought that Mintz would be going to DePaul but a late visit changed his mind. 247 has Judah #51 and the 7th best combo guard in the country. Looking at his highlights and reading what’s been said who have seen him in practice, it seems amazing that someone thinks there might be 50 better freshmen, (or 78 per Lindy’s) in the country. He’s a legitimate three level scorer, meaning he can hit from outside, pull up for short jumpers or drive by people to score. Nunes: “For starters, the athleticism is off the charts for Mintz. In high school, Mintz flashed his ability in transition, get to the rim, and finish through contact. An underrated part of his athletic abilities is that his jump shot looks smooth (when he’s willing to take them). Considering his speed and size at guard, coach Boeheim is right: it’s been a long time since the Orange have rostered a lengthy, athletic, and versatile point guard on the court. The athletic pop Mintz brings translates on both ends of the court. On offense, the Orange really missed an efficient slasher at the guard position who can still hold his own as a playmaker…Defensively, Mintz flashed excellent skills on the ball, especially against elite perimeter players. The obvious concerns for Mintz’s defense center on if Mintz can take strides as an off-the-ball and help defender.”
Mintz is the sort of player who is inadequately described by the limits of a ‘position’. His position is likely to be ‘star’. I had originally envisioned a set up similar with what we had with Dion Waiters, Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine back in 2012. Jardine and Triche were veteran starters and Jim Boeheim is loyal to his starters so Waiters became the ‘6th man’ and third guard coming off the bench. All three of them averaged about 25 minutes a game and all there were very productive. I thought Symir Torrence and Joe Girard might start with Mintz coming off the bench. But Boeheim has made comments to suggest he’s putting Mintz right into the starting line-up: “He’s as explosive a point guard as we’ve had here in a long time. He’s like Johnny Flynn, but he’s much bigger.” In the scrimmage in Rochester, Mintz and Girard played together in the starting line-up.
Judah’s highlights:
Top 100 senior prospect Judah Mintz shines with Oak Hill Academy
JuuuDaaah MINTZ!
This one emphasizes his playmaking for his teammates: Judah Mintz Had That Ball ON A STRING!
The opinions of two experts, (who are focused on Judah as an NBA prospect):
Judah Mintz Preseason Scouting Report: 2023 NBA Draft Prospects
Top 50 Guard | Judah Mintz Breakdown
Symir Torrence, a 6-3 195 senior 13.1m 7.9p 4.8r 9.0a 1.3s 0.2b – 4.6mfg 1.0mft 2.7to 2.1pf = 12.8NP
The departure of Kadary Richmond a year ago caused plenty of angst among Syracuse fans. He looked like the point guard we’d been waiting for to help us rise out of the muck of mediocrity, but he and JB didn’t seem to get along. Supposedly Jim didn’t want him to shoot and Kadary wanted more playing time, (over Joe Girard) and to have the green light to shoot. He transferred to Seton Hall. Jim brought in Symir Torrence, a reserve at Marquette but a Syracuse native who’d played for the Syracuse Academy of Science. Kadary had played 21 minutes a game for us and averaged 6.3 points and 3.1 assists while Symir played only 13 for Marquette, averaging just 2.4 points and 1.6 assists. He hardly seemed an adequate replacement He also was a bit smaller- Kadary was 6-5 with a 7 foot armspan, quite a weapon at the to of the zone. Here are their actual per 40 minute numbers in the 2020-21 season:
Kadary 12.0p 5.0r 5.8a 3.1s 1.0b – 5.1mfg 1.1mft 3.0to 2.6pf = 14.1NP
Symir 7.3p 4.2r 4.7a 0.9s 0.1b – 4.6mfg 1.0mft 2.7to 2.4pf = 6.5NP
The irony is, coming out of high school, Symir was actually the higher rated player, although at different positions. 247 had Kadary at #90 overall and the #19 small forward while Symir was #75 and the 11th best combo guard. Symir is not a combo guard. He has shown no outside shot to speak of. He’s shown an ability to score from floaters in the lane and even hit a couple of bank shots late in the season. (I’ve always had a love for the “kiss off the glass” since the days of Sam Jones with the Celtics – but he could do it from 20 feet.) What he does do well is to penetrate a defense off the dribble, make them come to him and then look for his teammates. Surrounded by jump shooters, his assists per 40 minutes soared, (see above). Pressed into service as the starter in the ACC Tournament because of Buddy Boeheim’s suspension, Symir had 20 assists in two games against Florida State and Duke, two of the top programs in the conference and he and Joe Girard looked like they were made for each other. They looked like next year’s backcourt – until we recruited Judah Mintz. Now Symir seems limited to a reserve role, held back by the fact that he’s just not much of a scorer. He was said to have worked on his jump shot all spring and summer but so has Judah.
Here are Symir’s two big games in the ACCT. He’s #10:
Syracuse vs. Florida State Condensed Game | ACC Men’s Basketball (2021-22)
Syracuse vs. Duke Condensed Game | ACC Men’s Basketball (2021-22)
Quadir Copeland, a 6-6 203 freshman
Before Mintz was recruited, Quadir Copeland was to be the point guard in the new class. (247 has him #136 overall and the #17 combo guard prospect. Someday he may be the point guard, perhaps paired with Mintz in a dynamite backcourt. In his highlight films, he’s actually playing forward. But he clearly has excellent passing skills. He can penetrate and dish but he also throws Nolan Ryan-like fastballs through the defense to players in the paint or along the baseline, something we’ve not seen since the Leo Rautins days. He also shows the ability to drive to the basket and score, either with finesse or throwing down dunks and can make the occasional outside shot. Some people questioned his commitment to defense in high school but, as a forward, he was more likely to wait for the offensive players to come to him. In Rochester, as a guard, he was very aggressive, shutting down Joe Girard when he was on him. He’s also been working on his shot. (Who doesn’t?) With his height he could be a point guard or a point forward. If we went to a three-guard line-up, he could be the third guard and essentially a small forward at the same time.
His highlights:
QUADIR COPELAND is the BEST KEPT SECRET IN PENNSYLVANIA! BOUT TO BE FAMOUS! 6' 6" Guard 2021
Here he is playing against DJ Wagner, the #1 recruit in the country, (son of DaJuan, son of Milt):
DJ Wagner vs. Quadir Copeland!! Camden Remains Undefeated
Jim Boeheim has called this his “best recruiting class ever”. That may be a bit of pre-season hyperbole. Jim tends to hype his team in the offseason to create interest, then tries to lower expectations once the season begins to take some of the pressure off the team, (and himself). But I like this class very much. Copeland and Mintz seem like very dynamic players. Taylor and Bunche are good shooters. Brown is a demon on defense and Carey a very athletic big man. Williams could still develop into a star player and Edwards and Girard are already there, or close to it. I called our 2009-10 team our ‘Noah’s Ark’ team because we seemed to have two of everything and this current team seems to have multiple options at every position and a great balance of skills.
Jim says that he will play 9-10 players and also play some man-for-man for the first time in years to take advantage of the athletic ability of this group. People say that they will believe those things when they see them. But Jim has had teams that did that before. He played both defenses for years before deciding to go all zone after the 2009 LeMoyne game. The 1982-83, 1996-97, 2004-05, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2016-17 had 9 players average 10 minutes a game or better and 1985-86 and 1998-99 had 10. Some of those years, (96-97, 98-99 and 16-17) weren’t among his best: he wasn’t taking advantage of great depth, he was searching for combinations of players who could help him. The other years he legitimately had 9-10 players who proved they could be an asset in a competitive game and he used them all.
At the least, this will be a very different team than last year’s, with much more speed and athleticism and a more aggressive attitude on defense, running the break and driving to the basket. We need at least two outside shooters to position on opposite sides of the court. I think Girard and Bunche/Taylor will give us that and we’ll have other guys who can hit threes. October is the time for optimism in basketball, (in football, it’s August). Once the season stars, it gets harder. Since it’s my choice as to how to feel at this time of the year, (or what color glasses to wear), I choose to feel that this will be a better team than we’ve seen in recent years, maybe not the type of national championship contenders we saw a decade ago but at team that will be ranked and should have no trouble starting a new streak and making the Big Dance.
CENTERS
Jesse Edwards, a 6-11 230 senior 28.0m 17.2p 9.3r 1.5a 1.6s 4.0b - 2.9mfg 2.5mft 1.8to 5.3pf = 21.1NP
All three of these guys may be fully seven feet but SU, (JB) seems to have a thing about not listing players that way. When Jesse came here he was listed at 188 pounds so building himself up to 230 is an impressive achievement. He’ll never be bulky but hopefully he won’t be pushed around by anyone. His forte is quickness. He can run the court and is dynamite on the pick-and-roll. Jesse was sporting a streak of white in his hair last year so I dubbed him “The Streak”, which is appropriate to his game. He’s also a mobile shot-blocker. He was really blossoming at the point of his injury. He’d just destroyed Louisville with 19 points and 8 rebounds on 9 for 11 shooting along with 2 blocks, 3 steals and 3 assists. In the previous game against NC State He was 8 for 9 from the field and scored 19 with 6 rebs and 3 blocks. Earlier he had 15 points, 11 rebs and 5 blocks against Clemson and 22 points 9 rebounds, 7 blocks on 10/13 shooting against Miami. Boston College was the first team to decide that he had to be stopped, despite all of the shooters we had, and they roughed him up, holding him to 0 points and 2 rebounds in 13 minutes. He also fouled out, which has been a problem, and complained of pain in his wrist after the game. X-rays showed it was broken and his season was over. He would have learned to adjust to the added defensive pressure and to avoid fouling had he continued to play. Those adjustments will have to be made this season – and his teammates need to do their part by burning defenses that overcommit to stopping Jesse, as we were able to do last year with all the shooters we had, (we beat BC in that game). Jesse was rated #198 by 247 coming out of high school and then the 38th best center. There are not 37 better centers in college ball than The Streak. Highlights from last year:
Mounir Hima, a 6-11 230 sophomore
Jesse Edwards only played 28 minutes a game, both due to fatigue and foul problems and then broke his wrist, so his back-up was an important player. That important player was Frank Anselem, a 6-10 210 sophomore with a 7-5 armspan, (armspan is normally about equal to height). Frank was the 201st best recruit and 32nd best center coming out of high school per 247. He played only 26 minutes as a freshman. He’d reclassified from the 2021 class to the 2020 class and the coaches felt he should have spent another year in high school developing his body and skills. Last year he was ready and did a good job of backing Jesse up, although he lacked Jesse’s mobility and offensive skills. He was a strong rebounder with those long arms. His per 40 minute numbers were: 7.4p 10.9r 1.1a 0.7s 1.5b – 1.6mfg 1.4mft 1.5to 5.7pf = 11.4NP. He had 15 rebounds against both Virginia Tech and Florida State. He was all set to back up Jesse one more time while continuing to hone his skills and then become the starter as a senior. But this is the age of “If I’m not startin’, I’m departin’.” He’ll be grabbing rebounds and developing his other skills at Georgia.
So Jim Boeheim and his staff needed to find a new back-up center. They got a guy who in some ways is a clone of Anselem. Mounir Hima has a 7-6 wingspan. Frank was from Nigeria. Mounir is from Niger. He wasn’t even reviewed by 247. As a freshman at Duquesne, he played 202 minutes, far more than Frank did as a freshman here but less than Frank did as a sophomore. His per 40m numbers: 7.7p 11.5r 0.2a 0.5s 4.2b – 4.5mfg 0.2mft 2.2to 6.9pf = 10.3NP. Basically, he’s Frank except he blocks more shots. Much has been made of the fact that he played for a lousy Duquesne team (6-24, 1-16 in the Atlantic 10 – and we thought we were bad). That doesn’t mean that he was the reason they were bad or that he couldn’t help us. The Dukes biggest problem was that they couldn’t shoot straight and we aren’t relying on Mounir to score. I look forward to seeing Symir lob it to Mounir for the dunk. I was unable to find a highlight video on Mounir, high school or college.
Peter Carey, a 6-11 200 freshman
I’ve seen Peter listed at 7-1 205. He’s a skinny but well-conditioned kid who missed the last two seasons due to a covid shut-down and an injury, so it’s hard to know what to make of him. 247 has him at #248 and the 55th best power forward. What highlights there are show him to a be a quick leaper and an explosive dunker who can really run the court:
https://video-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v...vWnn6ALfwbo0J3CLdLzyTXZKihUebruAQ&oe=63520F75
Peter Carey Highlights - Search Videos
Despite being listed as a power forward, I see him as similar to Jesse Edwards and at 7-1 his future would seem to be at center, at least at this level. I think he got similar physical and athletic skills. He just needs to get stronger and to adapt to this level of play. Hopefully he can do that this year and be ready compete for this spot in the starting line-up next year. He could see some time at power forward if we need someone there who can score. Peter and Jesse would make a pair of mobile ‘twin towers’.
FORWARDS
Benny Williams, a 6-8 208 sophomore 10.8m 7.2p 5.4r 0.8a 1.5s 0.9b – 5.2mfg 1.3mft 2.2to 3.1pf = 4.0NP
I haven’t kept historical recruit rankings but if I did and made a comparison of ranking vs. statistical performance in a freshman year, then Benny Williams would likely be at the bottom of the list, at least at SU. He came in ranked #32 overall and the #8 small forward. He was a deer in the headlights all season. Nothing he tried to do seemed to work – when he was actually trying to do something. He shot 34% from the field, 9% from the three point line and 62% from the foul line. On January 8th he made a jumper with 5:31 left in the first half against Wake Forest. On February 19th against Boston College, 42 days - 6 weeks - later, he made a lay-up with 11:31 left in the first half. In between those shots, he missed 16 shots in a row. He didn’t rebound a lot, rarely made a successful pass, made a few steals but not many blocks. At least he avoided turnovers and fouls pretty well for a freshman. He had one good game – and it was against Duke! On February 26th, he scored 14 points on the Blue Devils on 5 for 7 shooting and had 6 rebounds. The 32nd best recruit in the country might have been expected to average 14 points and 6 rebounds for the season. Two things about that game: (1) It was a blow-out. Duke bolted out to a 14-0 lead, pushed it to 41-13 and won 97-72. We never got within 15 points after that start. Games like that aren’t played with the intensity of a close game and reserves tend to have a much longer leash. (2) Three recruits from this year’s class were sitting behind the SU bench: Peter Carey, Justin Taylor and Chris Bunch. All can play forward. Benny might have been spurred on by seeing the competition, something we can hope happens this year. Another thing that might happen this year: Benny was the sole freshman last season among a bunch of juniors and seniors. He may have felt a little isolated and irrelevant. The new class has several players he knows from camps, AAU competition and all-star games, with whom he might be more comfortable. Actually, you could combine those last two reasons: who do want to beat more than your friends? Some highlights:
Occasionally, Benny would show off his athleticism:
benny williams highlights - Search Videos
Here he is in high school, earning that recruiting ranking:
5-Star Benny Williams DUNKED EVERYTHING! Full Myrtle Beach Mix
Where was that guy last year? I’m hearing that Benny has grown two inches since last season, making him 6-10. What he needs is to grow his confidence so he can use his skills to dominate at this level. Maybe it was too easy for him to dominate high school kids. If he does have a big comeback year, he essentially becomes another member of this year’s recruiting class, maybe the most important one. Last year he was an imposter.
Maliq Brown, a 6-8 213 freshman
Maliq hasn’t gotten as much attention as most of the other freshmen but I found him a very impressive player on his highlight films, with one notable reservation. 247, (which lists him as 6-9 210), has him as the #220 overall prospect and #48 power forward. When I look at his highlight film I see an aggressive, athletic defender with long arms, quick hands a natural knack for blocking shots and making steals. He’s also a fine passer, both from the outside in and from inside out, especially to start fast breaks. He’s got a lot of moves to and around the basket. His tape is unique for two things: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tape that has extended sequences of what I call sneaker-to-sneaker defense: just getting all over players defensively, denying them a shot or a route to the basket. And I’m sure I’ve never seen a highlight film in which a player doesn’t at least attempt a jump shot, even a short one. Apparently, Maliq has no game facing the basket at all but he has everything else. Also, in his tape he’s playing center, not power forward. I think he’s classified as a forward at the college level because he’s not a seven-footer but he really has the skills of a center and looks as if he could play it better than most taller players. He could see time at forward but he also could be in the mix to back-up Jesse Edwards. He may be the biggest reason why Jim Boeheim is considering playing some man-to-man this year. Maliq is a guy who could definitely ‘man-up’, although he could also be very effective in the center of a zone.
The Highlights:
Maliq Brown - 2022 Forward: 20-21 Season Clips
Chris Bunch, a 6-7 180 freshman
Chris was the most highly ranked of the original five recruits, (before Judah Mintz signed on). 247 rated Chris #107 overall and #27 small forward in their composite rankings but their own scouts rated him higher than that: #61/#19. He’s known as an athletic leaper with an excellent and deep jump shot. We’ve lost a lot of firepower with the Boeheims and Cole Swider leaving and he could supply some of the deep threat we need to open up defenses. He’s not known as a great ball handler or defender. 247 describes him as being good at “straight line rim attacks”. He does like to use his leaping ability to come out of nowhere for “help” blocks or to mess up fast breaks. In that respect he reminds me of both Alan Griffin, (not our coach of the same name) from two years ago and also Wes Johnson from our 2010 team. One thing many have noticed and wondered about is that Chris seems to start his shot from his chest, not above his head. It seems likely that could lead to blocked shots or difficulty getting a shot off at all against aggressive defenders. But others have pointed out guys in the pros who seem to have a similar motion and the highlight clip shows Chris using his quick leaping ability and also a ‘step-back’ move to get his shots off. He won the three-point shooting contest at the team’s first public scrimmage in Rochester by making 11 of 14.
His Highlights:
Chris Bunch Basketball Highlights
Update: Chris Bunch announced on 10/25 that he’s legally changing his name to Chris Bell. (And then he shot 1/9 vs. Indiana of Pa – but he hasn’t changed it back.)
Justin Taylor, a 6-6 205 freshman
Justin was described early-on as Buddy Boeheim clone. He looked, sounded and played like Buddy. But there are differences. For one thing, he’s already bigger than Buddy, (I’ve seen him listed as 6-7, 205). For another, he’s doing things in his highlight tape I haven’t seen Buddy do, like driving through the defense to the rim to dunk the ball in. He seems like a more complete player as a high school senior than Buddy was as a college senior. And, unlike Chris Bunch, he holds the ball high to keep it away from defenders and seems like a deadeye in his tape, able to score at three levels. He hit a slump late in his senior season, causing the more cynical posters to declare that he isn’t much of a shooter and can’t help us get out of our rut. But he sure looks good on the tape:
2022 Syracuse Commit Justin Taylor's Senior Season Highlights
I see a guy who can make all the shots. He might not have Buddy’s range but he’s a more versatile scorer. He’s also big enough to be a legitimate forward and help out on the boards a bit. 247 has him #124 and #30 small forward.
John Bol Ajak, a 6-10 216 junior 5.1m 2.5p 6.4r 2.5a 0.4s 1.1b – 2.8mfg 0.3mft 1.4to 5.4pf = 3.0NP
John Bol came in with Jesse Edwards and had a similar reputation as a good offensive big man but wasn’t as talented or far along in his development and redshirted his first year and has hardly played since. He entered the transfer portal after the 2020-21 season but came back when he got no offers. He’s played 112 minutes in his career here, with his averages above. If he plays significant minutes with all the options we have at forward this year, the season will likely be a disaster.
Here's Jon in high school, doing things we haven’t seen him do in college:
6' 11" JOHN BOL AJAK Westtown School c/o 2019 (Syracuse Commit)
GUARDS
Joe Girard, a 6-1 190 senior 34.8m 16.2p 3.3r 4.9a 1.9s 0.0b – 7.9mfg 0.4mfg 3.3to 1.5pf = 13.2NP
The team’s leading returning scorer, Joe can return to his high school mode of being the big gun on the team, (although Judah Mintz may have something to say about that). Joe is one of seven players in high school history who have averaged 50 points a game in a season:
High school basketball: Every player to average 40 points per game or more
MaxPreps News - Joe Girard III, Luke Kennard and Trae Young among recent players to achieve rare scoring feat.
www.maxpreps.com
Joe was only #202 and the 29th best combo guard in 247’s composite rankings. When he came here the two great hopes at the point were Jalen Carey (61/7) and Brycen Goodine (97/15). Both were busts, (a warning for over-estimating the current group of recruits), and transferred out, leaving Joe as our only viable option at the point, even though his natural position was shooting guard. Fortunately, he’d been the primary ball handler as well as the primary scorer for Glens Falls high school. He proved an acceptable, if not exceptional, option at the point for this level, even if it wasn’t really his natural position. Joe has two basketball heroes: Jimmer Fredette, who came from Glens Falls to become the national player of the year at BYU and our own Gerry McNamara, who faced a similar situation when he came here in 2002 as a natural shooting guard who should have been paired with Billy Edelin, a natural point guard. But Billy was suspended by the NCAA and his career evaporated due to personal problems. Gerry played the point for four years and never got the chance to just focus on getting open and shooting the ball. That reduced his efficiency as a shooter but he still managed to score 2,099 points (15.5 per game and 17.5 per 40) and win a national championship with 6 threes in the final. Joe hasn’t done that or quite matched Gerry’s output but his numbers haven’t been that far out of line.
Gerry (career) 35.5m 17.5p 2.8r 5.4a 2.2s 0.1b – 8.7mfg 0.5mft 3.2to 2.0pf = 13.6NP
Joe (career) 31.8m 15.2p 3.6r 4.7a 1.9s 0.1b - 8.3mfg 0.4mft 2.9to 1.7pf = 12.2NP
Joe now gets the opportunity neither he nor Gerry have had: the chance to play his normal position. We’ll get to see what difference it makes.
Despite his success here, Joe has been a lighting rod for criticism. He’s too short. (I doubt he’s 6-1 just as I doubt Gerry was 6-2). He was too slow, which made him a lousy defender. He had trouble handling defensive pressure and did little to break down a defense and set up his teammates. Those complaints were not false. But those who made them often didn’t give Joe enough credit for what he did for the team. And the position switch should be helpful. Joe can still help out with the ball handling and help keep the ball moving before he gets his deadly shot.
His highlights:
Joseph Girard III Regular Season Highlights | Syracuse G (as a junior)
Two concerns: How will Joe respond to being the focal point of the defense, (although he was triple-teamed in high school and got plenty of defensive attention as a shooting point guard), and will he see the ball enough if Mintz is playing the point?
Judah Mintz, a 6-3 172 freshman
Jim Boeheim saved the best for last in his recruiting class. We thought we had a good class with Copeland, Taylor, Bunch, Brown and Carey. It was thought that Mintz would be going to DePaul but a late visit changed his mind. 247 has Judah #51 and the 7th best combo guard in the country. Looking at his highlights and reading what’s been said who have seen him in practice, it seems amazing that someone thinks there might be 50 better freshmen, (or 78 per Lindy’s) in the country. He’s a legitimate three level scorer, meaning he can hit from outside, pull up for short jumpers or drive by people to score. Nunes: “For starters, the athleticism is off the charts for Mintz. In high school, Mintz flashed his ability in transition, get to the rim, and finish through contact. An underrated part of his athletic abilities is that his jump shot looks smooth (when he’s willing to take them). Considering his speed and size at guard, coach Boeheim is right: it’s been a long time since the Orange have rostered a lengthy, athletic, and versatile point guard on the court. The athletic pop Mintz brings translates on both ends of the court. On offense, the Orange really missed an efficient slasher at the guard position who can still hold his own as a playmaker…Defensively, Mintz flashed excellent skills on the ball, especially against elite perimeter players. The obvious concerns for Mintz’s defense center on if Mintz can take strides as an off-the-ball and help defender.”
Mintz is the sort of player who is inadequately described by the limits of a ‘position’. His position is likely to be ‘star’. I had originally envisioned a set up similar with what we had with Dion Waiters, Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine back in 2012. Jardine and Triche were veteran starters and Jim Boeheim is loyal to his starters so Waiters became the ‘6th man’ and third guard coming off the bench. All three of them averaged about 25 minutes a game and all there were very productive. I thought Symir Torrence and Joe Girard might start with Mintz coming off the bench. But Boeheim has made comments to suggest he’s putting Mintz right into the starting line-up: “He’s as explosive a point guard as we’ve had here in a long time. He’s like Johnny Flynn, but he’s much bigger.” In the scrimmage in Rochester, Mintz and Girard played together in the starting line-up.
Judah’s highlights:
Top 100 senior prospect Judah Mintz shines with Oak Hill Academy
JuuuDaaah MINTZ!
This one emphasizes his playmaking for his teammates: Judah Mintz Had That Ball ON A STRING!
The opinions of two experts, (who are focused on Judah as an NBA prospect):
Judah Mintz Preseason Scouting Report: 2023 NBA Draft Prospects
Top 50 Guard | Judah Mintz Breakdown
Symir Torrence, a 6-3 195 senior 13.1m 7.9p 4.8r 9.0a 1.3s 0.2b – 4.6mfg 1.0mft 2.7to 2.1pf = 12.8NP
The departure of Kadary Richmond a year ago caused plenty of angst among Syracuse fans. He looked like the point guard we’d been waiting for to help us rise out of the muck of mediocrity, but he and JB didn’t seem to get along. Supposedly Jim didn’t want him to shoot and Kadary wanted more playing time, (over Joe Girard) and to have the green light to shoot. He transferred to Seton Hall. Jim brought in Symir Torrence, a reserve at Marquette but a Syracuse native who’d played for the Syracuse Academy of Science. Kadary had played 21 minutes a game for us and averaged 6.3 points and 3.1 assists while Symir played only 13 for Marquette, averaging just 2.4 points and 1.6 assists. He hardly seemed an adequate replacement He also was a bit smaller- Kadary was 6-5 with a 7 foot armspan, quite a weapon at the to of the zone. Here are their actual per 40 minute numbers in the 2020-21 season:
Kadary 12.0p 5.0r 5.8a 3.1s 1.0b – 5.1mfg 1.1mft 3.0to 2.6pf = 14.1NP
Symir 7.3p 4.2r 4.7a 0.9s 0.1b – 4.6mfg 1.0mft 2.7to 2.4pf = 6.5NP
The irony is, coming out of high school, Symir was actually the higher rated player, although at different positions. 247 had Kadary at #90 overall and the #19 small forward while Symir was #75 and the 11th best combo guard. Symir is not a combo guard. He has shown no outside shot to speak of. He’s shown an ability to score from floaters in the lane and even hit a couple of bank shots late in the season. (I’ve always had a love for the “kiss off the glass” since the days of Sam Jones with the Celtics – but he could do it from 20 feet.) What he does do well is to penetrate a defense off the dribble, make them come to him and then look for his teammates. Surrounded by jump shooters, his assists per 40 minutes soared, (see above). Pressed into service as the starter in the ACC Tournament because of Buddy Boeheim’s suspension, Symir had 20 assists in two games against Florida State and Duke, two of the top programs in the conference and he and Joe Girard looked like they were made for each other. They looked like next year’s backcourt – until we recruited Judah Mintz. Now Symir seems limited to a reserve role, held back by the fact that he’s just not much of a scorer. He was said to have worked on his jump shot all spring and summer but so has Judah.
Here are Symir’s two big games in the ACCT. He’s #10:
Syracuse vs. Florida State Condensed Game | ACC Men’s Basketball (2021-22)
Syracuse vs. Duke Condensed Game | ACC Men’s Basketball (2021-22)
Quadir Copeland, a 6-6 203 freshman
Before Mintz was recruited, Quadir Copeland was to be the point guard in the new class. (247 has him #136 overall and the #17 combo guard prospect. Someday he may be the point guard, perhaps paired with Mintz in a dynamite backcourt. In his highlight films, he’s actually playing forward. But he clearly has excellent passing skills. He can penetrate and dish but he also throws Nolan Ryan-like fastballs through the defense to players in the paint or along the baseline, something we’ve not seen since the Leo Rautins days. He also shows the ability to drive to the basket and score, either with finesse or throwing down dunks and can make the occasional outside shot. Some people questioned his commitment to defense in high school but, as a forward, he was more likely to wait for the offensive players to come to him. In Rochester, as a guard, he was very aggressive, shutting down Joe Girard when he was on him. He’s also been working on his shot. (Who doesn’t?) With his height he could be a point guard or a point forward. If we went to a three-guard line-up, he could be the third guard and essentially a small forward at the same time.
His highlights:
QUADIR COPELAND is the BEST KEPT SECRET IN PENNSYLVANIA! BOUT TO BE FAMOUS! 6' 6" Guard 2021
Here he is playing against DJ Wagner, the #1 recruit in the country, (son of DaJuan, son of Milt):
DJ Wagner vs. Quadir Copeland!! Camden Remains Undefeated
Jim Boeheim has called this his “best recruiting class ever”. That may be a bit of pre-season hyperbole. Jim tends to hype his team in the offseason to create interest, then tries to lower expectations once the season begins to take some of the pressure off the team, (and himself). But I like this class very much. Copeland and Mintz seem like very dynamic players. Taylor and Bunche are good shooters. Brown is a demon on defense and Carey a very athletic big man. Williams could still develop into a star player and Edwards and Girard are already there, or close to it. I called our 2009-10 team our ‘Noah’s Ark’ team because we seemed to have two of everything and this current team seems to have multiple options at every position and a great balance of skills.
Jim says that he will play 9-10 players and also play some man-for-man for the first time in years to take advantage of the athletic ability of this group. People say that they will believe those things when they see them. But Jim has had teams that did that before. He played both defenses for years before deciding to go all zone after the 2009 LeMoyne game. The 1982-83, 1996-97, 2004-05, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2016-17 had 9 players average 10 minutes a game or better and 1985-86 and 1998-99 had 10. Some of those years, (96-97, 98-99 and 16-17) weren’t among his best: he wasn’t taking advantage of great depth, he was searching for combinations of players who could help him. The other years he legitimately had 9-10 players who proved they could be an asset in a competitive game and he used them all.
At the least, this will be a very different team than last year’s, with much more speed and athleticism and a more aggressive attitude on defense, running the break and driving to the basket. We need at least two outside shooters to position on opposite sides of the court. I think Girard and Bunche/Taylor will give us that and we’ll have other guys who can hit threes. October is the time for optimism in basketball, (in football, it’s August). Once the season stars, it gets harder. Since it’s my choice as to how to feel at this time of the year, (or what color glasses to wear), I choose to feel that this will be a better team than we’ve seen in recent years, maybe not the type of national championship contenders we saw a decade ago but at team that will be ranked and should have no trouble starting a new streak and making the Big Dance.
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