I got to watch the game and came away with these thoughts...
I knew this would be a great game for Joe... these types of games against less physical guards he thrives on. I'm glad he played well.
Chris Bell had 5 rebounds!!! If he can average 5-6 rpg he can be so much more valuable to the team. He has a nice looking stroke.
Jesse played well considering he wasn't feeling well (I did hear that right?). He has really good hands for a big man. Wish he could get stronger without it effecting his mobility. I'd like to see him close out without buying every head/ball fake. Three point shooters can get him to leap and blow right by him. But he's really blossomed this year. It's been enjoyable to see him evolve as a player.
Mintz just oozes talent but until he shores up that handle and outside shot a bit better, he should stay right here at Syracuse... which is good for us because it would mean that we keep him another season or two.
I'd like to see Benny be more assertive with his game. This is a game, I felt, that he should've been able to take his man anytime he wanted to. He's progressing, and the talent is there.
As far as the other freshman Malik Brown has been the most impressive to me. He can finish around the rim, and rebounds. He doesn't try to do too much, and has a pretty high bball IQ. Justin Taylor will be really solid next year, and I think he'll have a couple of big games when he's clicking this year; a heady guy. Copeland has a ton of talent too and plays with so much energy that he almost plays hyper. That said I think he's going to make a great guard tandem with Judah next year when Joe is graduated. What a dynamic duo they can be with terrific hops.
Symir has disappointed me a bit this year. He dribbles around a lot, and doesn't seem to distribute the ball as well as he showed last season. Solid role player though off the bench.
As for the game itself, it was like watching two different Syracuse squads. I didn't much care for the team that started the game, but they found a groove and never looked back. Cornell took Miami and I think BC to the wire so this win is more impressive than it looks perhaps. Nice to see these guys getting better each game. Looking forward to watching them play against a more physical Pitt team. That'll be a good test.