Plenty of Talent Here | Syracusefan.com

Plenty of Talent Here

SUMinistry

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I know last year left a bad feeling in mostly everyone's mouth. And it was sad to see Boeheim have a losing season with his two sons on the team. And while I don't think this year's team is world-beater's after watching last night's game, they should be able to make it back to the tournament. There is plenty of talent between Jesse and the guards as a good nucleus. The forwards may largely be a year away, but I think we will get enough sporadic performances out of that group to supplement our consistent contributors. Didn't watch the preseason games and know Lehigh isn't great, but I saw a lot of things I liked last night. Like our chances to get back to the tourney this year.
 
Like the optimism. The one thing that separated SU from Lehigh last night -- we had Jesse Edwards and they did not. Our guards are good; all the forwards are raw. The young forwards will have the opportunity to sort themselves out and get better.

It will be hard to judge this SU team until we play teams that have a center who can match with Edwards.
 
how many centers can, though?
Not many as good as Edwards, but there will be plenty of 6ft 10in centers who will keep Edwards from getting ridiculously easy baskets. Many ACC teams will also have legit power forwards who can combine with a hefty center to cut off the inside stuff SU got against a small Lehigh team.

As we know, basketball life is easy when your center can get simple finishes and can control the defensive boards,
 
Not many as good as Edwards, but there will be plenty of 6ft 10in centers who will keep Edwards from getting ridiculously easy baskets. Many ACC teams will also have legit power forwards who can combine with a hefty center to cut off the inside stuff SU got against a small Lehigh team.

As we know, basketball life is easy when your center can get simple finishes and can control the defensive boards,

I don't totally disagree, but I also feel like the most effective player in the league at keeping Edwards in check is himself. If he can stay on the court and out of foul trouble, I think he's the best big in the ACC.
 
I don't totally disagree, but I also feel like the most effective player in the league at keeping Edwards in check is himself. If he can stay on the court and out of foul trouble, I think he's the best big in the ACC.
His footwork is much better on offense. If he touches the ball on every possession on offense, good things will happen for everyone. With man to man, he is able to get in better position for rebounds and will avoid dumb blocking/over the back fouls on defense.
 
I don't totally disagree, but I also feel like the most effective player in the league at keeping Edwards in check is himself. If he can stay on the court and out of foul trouble, I think he's the best big in the ACC.
I love Jesse but he's not better than Bacot. And Lively is probably better as well. Saying he's the best in the ACC just isn't true
 
I don't totally disagree, but I also feel like the most effective player in the league at keeping Edwards in check is himself. If he can stay on the court and out of foul trouble, I think he's the best big in the ACC.


Here's hoping he gets "senior" calls this year, as an established player.

Over the past two years, he hasn't gotten the benefit of the doubt on most whistles. Maybe he will as an all-league candidate.
 
I love Jesse but he's not better than Bacot. And Lively is probably better as well. Saying he's the best in the ACC just isn't true

I think Bacot is great. A monster on the glass. He also effectively has two years of experience on Jesse, despite being the same class year. He started 60 games his freshman and sophomore years and played over 1,400 minutes. Jesse started 0 games and played a total of 305 minutes his first two years. He finally came into his own last season and it feels like his confidence level this year will be through the roof.

I think 18 points, 9 boards and 3-4 blocks per game is a totally reasonable expectation if Jesse can stay healthy and out of foul trouble. That would absolutely put him in the conversation of best big in the ACC.
 
I love Jesse but he's not better than Bacot. And Lively is probably better as well. Saying he's the best in the ACC just isn't true


This feels like Rak's senior year all over again. Senior who is hitting his stride, with top flight offensive skill, who rises to be one of the top players in the ACC.

Despite the phenomenal season, Rak wasn't "better" than Jahlil Okafor, who helped lead Duke to the national championship. But he was the second best center. Bacot is a powerful dude. Maybe Jesse's length will give him fits this year, maybe Bacot is just too big / strong for Jesse to handle. Time will tell. But Jesse will be about as good as any center we play this year -- in the league or OOC. Whether he's "better" is subjective, and will be borne out on the court.
 
I think Bacot is great. A monster on the glass. He also effectively has two years of experience on Jesse, despite being the same class year. He started 60 games his freshman and sophomore years and played over 1,400 minutes. Jesse started 0 games and played a total of 305 minutes his first two years. He finally came into his own last season and it feels like his confidence level this year will be through the roof.

I think 18 points, 9 boards and 3-4 blocks per game is a totally reasonable expectation if Jesse can stay healthy and out of foul trouble. That would absolutely put him in the conversation of best big in the ACC.

So - Jesse is gonna put up Sr Rak points and boards, while also matching Etan in blocks?

That… would be awesome.

Also, highly unlikely he can do all of that.

Etan is unmatched in swats at Cuse.
And Jesse is very good, but certainly not GOAT level at blocking shots.

So…. you maybe don’t wanna hold your breath on all of that.
 
So - Jesse is gonna put up Sr Rak points and boards, while also matching Etan in blocks?

That… would be awesome.

Also, highly unlikely he can do all of that.

Etan is unmatched in swats at Cuse.
And Jesse is very good, but certainly not GOAT level at blocking shots.

So…. you maybe don’t wanna hold your breath on all of that.
Jesse will also rescue three kittens from trees on campus ;)
 
So - Jesse is gonna put up Sr Rak points and boards, while also matching Etan in blocks?

That… would be awesome.

Also, highly unlikely he can do all of that.

Etan is unmatched in swats at Cuse.
And Jesse is very good, but certainly not GOAT level at blocking shots.

So…. you maybe don’t wanna hold your breath on all of that.

Jesse averaged 12.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 2.8 bpg last year in his first real year of meaningful action. Etan's junior year was 13.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 4.0 bpg. Jesse is - at worst - the number two option on offense this year. I don't think anything that I said is all that outlandish. Since he already averaged 3 blocks per game last year (which led the ACC), I don't see how that is out of reach.
 
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My confidence in Jesse this year is based on a combo of things - increased confidence/improved skill, ability to stay healthy/out of foul trouble and increased usage rate. In the 14 games last season that he played 30 minutes or more, he averaged 14.3 ppg, 3.2 bpg and 7.7 rpg. I'm hopeful he'll play 35 mpg this season. He only did that three times last year (against Indiana, Miami and Arizona State). Small sample, but in those games, he averaged 20.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 4.0 bpg.
 
It's a little ironic that this team looks solid in the areas that hurt the 2014-2021 teams for the most part (C and PG)

I'm not confident on it, but I would love for Benny to get it together and at least be a solid contributor this year. Desperately need someone to step up on offense to help the 3 J's
 
I think Bacot is great. A monster on the glass. He also effectively has two years of experience on Jesse, despite being the same class year. He started 60 games his freshman and sophomore years and played over 1,400 minutes. Jesse started 0 games and played a total of 305 minutes his first two years. He finally came into his own last season and it feels like his confidence level this year will be through the roof.

I think 18 points, 9 boards and 3-4 blocks per game is a totally reasonable expectation if Jesse can stay healthy and out of foul trouble. That would absolutely put him in the conversation of best big in the ACC.
18/9 +3 blocks?!?! You have him better than Oscar Tshiebwe. Those numbers are better than Chet Holmgren last year (minus the three point shooting). I think you are way overvaluing Jesse. This is not a knock on Jesse, you just have him as, arguably, the best player in college basketball. I think those expectations are WAY overhyped.
 
This feels like Rak's senior year all over again. Senior who is hitting his stride, with top flight offensive skill, who rises to be one of the top players in the ACC.

Despite the phenomenal season, Rak wasn't "better" than Jahlil Okafor, who helped lead Duke to the national championship. But he was the second best center. Bacot is a powerful dude. Maybe Jesse's length will give him fits this year, maybe Bacot is just too big / strong for Jesse to handle. Time will tell. But Jesse will be about as good as any center we play this year -- in the league or OOC. Whether he's "better" is subjective, and will be borne out on the court.
Bacot has been massively productive player for 3 seasons and I love Jesse, but no chance I'm putting Jesse in that class at this point. I hope Jesse has a monster year, and he seems to be trending in that direction, but I have major concerns that he can stay on the floor enough, consistently, to put up Bacot type of numbers.
 
My confidence in Jesse this year is based on a combo of things - increased confidence/improved skill, ability to stay healthy/out of foul trouble and increased usage rate. In the 14 games last season that he played 30 minutes or more, he averaged 14.3 ppg, 3.2 bpg and 7.7 rpg. I'm hopeful he'll play 35 mpg this season. He only did that three times last year (against Indiana, Miami and Arizona State). Small sample, but in those games, he averaged 20.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 4.0 bpg.
35 minutes a game is overly optimistic. He hasn't shown, yet, that he can stay out of foul trouble consistently. Plus, asking a center with his build (especially when they get into ACC play) to play 35 minutes a game is asking a lot.
 
18/9 +3 blocks?!?! You have him better than Oscar Tshiebwe. Those numbers are better than Chet Holmgren last year (minus the three point shooting). I think you are way overvaluing Jesse. This is not a knock on Jesse, you just have him as, arguably, the best player in college basketball. I think those expectations are WAY overhyped.

Maybe 15-16 ppg is more realistic, but if this team is going to be any good at all, that’s gonna have to be the minimum for him, since like I said, I think he’s at worst out #2 option on offense. I also really don’t get why people are getting so hung up on 3 blocks per game when that’s literally what he averaged last season in 28 mpg. It’s unreasonable to expect him to at least replicate that this season?

We’ve seen time and time again young bigs at SU that can’t stay on the court due to foul trouble, and nearly every single one of them improves on that year over year. I don’t see why it’d be any different with Jesse. Hell, just take away the silly fouls 75 feet from the basket that he seems to commit at an alarming rate, and that probably buys him an average of 3-4 more mpg.
 
Bacot has been massively productive player for 3 seasons and I love Jesse, but no chance I'm putting Jesse in that class at this point. I hope Jesse has a monster year, and he seems to be trending in that direction, but I have major concerns that he can stay on the floor enough, consistently, to put up Bacot type of numbers.

I'm not sure why you posted that in response to my post, but I'll bite. For perspective:
  • Bacot averaged 16ppg / an eye popping 13 rpg, with 1 bpg, while shooting 50% from the floor.
  • Jesse averaged 12ppg / 6.5 rpg, with 2.8 bpg, which shooting 63% from the floor.
He's not too far off in points / being on par with rebounds seems like it would be a huge stretch, but he exceeds Bacot with respects to blocks and field goal percentage. No argument that Bacot is highly productive, and his junior year rebounding stats are elite, but Jesse could certainly up his points and boards as a senior focal point this year. At minimum, he should be in the same ball park as a scorer and a more effective rebounder this year [although I don't envision he'd get to double figures].

Jesse would need to be a bit more productive to post Bacot like scoring numbers. He's poised to do so.
 
Not many as good as Edwards, but there will be plenty of 6ft 10in centers who will keep Edwards from getting ridiculously easy baskets. Many ACC teams will also have legit power forwards who can combine with a hefty center to cut off the inside stuff SU got against a small Lehigh team.

As we know, basketball life is easy when your center can get simple finishes and can control the defensive boards,
And FSU probably has their usual 4-5 7'4" guys.
 
Here's a hypothesis - Benny's development (as a 5*) is stalled because he was the only freshman, and fell in the Boeheim Brothers void/trap last year?
That is - he never got a chance of regular significant game time, and had no one to really relate/hang with, because he was in a recruiting class of one?

Otherwise I have no answers. 2 points. 1-5, 23 minutes... in his season two "coming out" party after one decent game all last year - a blowout vs. Duke.
 

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