PS: Is Bourama Sidibe Syracuse's next unheralded center? (SU player evaluations)

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Fly Rodder]

Maybe?

Who was the Syracuse (edited to add: center) recruit who played meaningful minutes as a freshman (other than PF Tyler Lydon)? Thompson, maybe - but that was really an emergency situation and I doubt anyone was impressed with his D. I'd think for Sidibe 3rd string center (70%) is more likely than starter (10%).

 

[cuseincincy]

Maybe?

Who was the Syracuse recruit who played meaningful minutes as a freshman (other than PF Tyler Lydon)? Thompson, maybe - but that was really an emergency situation and I doubt anyone was impressed with his D. I'd think for Sidibe 3rd string center (70%) is more likely than starter (10%).

Tyus Battle? Tyler Ennis? Malachi Richardson?, Chris McCullough?

 

[RF2044]

Key player next season, no matter what his role ends up being.

 

[DoctorBombay]

Tyus Battle? Tyler Ennis? Malachi Richardson?, Chris McCullough?

Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Coleman, Lawrence Moten, etc.
Not for nothing, but why are some narratives taking hold, ie; JB doesn't play freshmen, despite all facts to the contrary? #alternativefacts

 

[cuseincincy]

Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Coleman, Lawrence Moten, etc.
Not for nothing, but why are some narratives taking hold, ie; JB doesn't play freshmen, despite all facts to the contrary? #alternativefacts

On the Tucker recruiting thread someone said it's a different era and we don't recruit like this anymore...and they had Richardson on their list! And didn't Tyus Battle play for SU this year? Pretty sure Tyus didn't play just because our cupboard was bare! People need to calm down. :bat:

 

[cuseincincy]

Key player next season, no matter what his role ends up being.

Yep. Pretty sure we're not bringing in any more bigs this season. That makes him one of 3.

 

[dasher]

Maybe?

Who was the Syracuse recruit who played meaningful minutes as a freshman (other than PF Tyler Lydon)? Thompson, maybe - but that was really an emergency situation and I doubt anyone was impressed with his D. I'd think for Sidibe 3rd string center (70%) is more likely than starter (10%).

K joseph? Other have given a whole host of names.

 

[RF2044]

Yep. Pretty sure we're not bringing in any more bigs this season. That makes him one of 3.

I can really only envision three scenarios up front with the starting lineup.

Thompson starts at 4, Chukwu bounces back big and starts at 5, now having two years of practice in our system.

Thompsons starts at 5, with either Moyer [who spent a redshirt year learning our defensive system] or Brisset manning the 4.

Thompson starts at 4, with Sidibe stepping into the starting lineup as a frosh.

Will be interesting to see how it plays out

 

[Fly Rodder]

Tyus Battle? Tyler Ennis? Malachi Richardson?, Chris McCullough?

Sorry, I meant at center ... missed that word in the post.

 

[Melancer46]

Who was our last "unheralded" center?

 

[AlaskaSU]

Sorry, I meant at center ... missed that word in the post.

Etan Thomas started as a frosh, Rak, Watkins, Seikaly.

 

[DoctorBombay]

Sorry, I meant at center ... missed that word in the post.

Etan Thomas started as a frosh, Rak, Watkins, Seikaly.

Danny Schayes, Fab Melo (RIP), Craig Forth...

 

[iommi]

I don't get Mike's last paragraph. How can Sidibe's ceiling be Baye if he has better hands and the promise of an offensive game?

I must say, these individual player previews have been pretty lame.

 

[Fly Rodder]

All that to say, I don't think it is likely Sidibe plays big minutes out of the gate. The 5-spot in the zone is difficult to pick up and play it well as a freshman and JAB has a quick hook with centers that don't get it. Forth did it pretty well and Etan was a natural, but they were 14 and 19 years ago. Lydon fell into it and did OK, but I think that if Coleman could jump at all, he would have played more minutes there. If Sidibe can come in and outplay Chukwu and Thompson defensively, which isn't saying much, it would be a big deal.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Keita played 15 MPG as a freshman.

 

[BlackSquirrels]

Maybe?

Who was the Syracuse (edited to add: center) recruit who played meaningful minutes as a freshman (other than PF Tyler Lydon)? Thompson, maybe - but that was really an emergency situation and I doubt anyone was impressed with his D. I'd think for Sidibe 3rd string center (70%) is more likely than starter (10%).

I think the answer to your question is Baye Keita in 2010-11. Looking at the season totals from that year, Fab Melo got token starts for most of the year and Keita replaced him in the starting lineup the final part of the season. He only averaged about 15 minutes a game, though. Rick Jackson played a lot of 5 that year.

But yeah, freshmen 5s ordinarily don't play a lot and when they do, it's because there aren't other good alternatives.

If Thompson doesn't improve defensively and Sidibe is competent, I can see him getting 10-15 minutes per game. He played at a top-notch high school and I wouldn't be surprised if Chukwu's recovery from eye surgery is slow. But admittedly those are guesses.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Keita played 15 MPG as a freshman.

Well there you go. Once every 6-7 years, a freshman center does well.

 

[OttoMets]

Etan Thomas started as a frosh, Rak, Watkins, Seikaly.

Only briefly in the middle of the year. Ovcina was in the starting lineup to start the season, he had problems and Hill was moved to the 4 and Etan started after a few games, but after Burgan's suspension ended, so did the Etan starting experiment. His famous fouling out in the first half came as a reserve.

Rakeem was a token starter (at power forward). Mookie Watkins didn't start a game until his junior year. Danny Schayes started three games before his senior year, never at center, and never as a freshman. Fab was another token starter.

Like FlyRodder said, it's rare for Boeheim to start a freshman center.

 

[RF2044]

I don't get Mike's last paragraph. How can Sidibe's ceiling be Baye if he has better hands and the promise of an offensive game?

I must say, these individual player previews have been pretty lame.

Ditto -- didn't make any sense. I believe Sidibe has a much higher potential ceiling than Baye [no disrespect to BMK].

 

[iommi]

We have a lot of 4's on next year's roster, so I think Thompson starts at the 5 with Sidibe backing him up.

 

[SUGIANT]

Didn't Forth play as a freshman

 

[HOFCeluck]

Didn't Forth play as a freshman

Yeah but that doesn't undermine flyrodders point.

 

[rrlbees]

I don't get Mike's last paragraph. How can Sidibe's ceiling be Baye if he has better hands and the promise of an offensive game?

I must say, these individual player previews have been pretty lame.

I think that statement meant as a defender in the zone.

 

[721Comstock]

Ditto -- didn't make any sense. I believe Sidibe has a much higher potential ceiling than Baye [no disrespect to BMK].

Yeah, this.
Lots of love for BMK, because without The Matrix, we don't win a LOT of those games he played in.
Amazing knack for anchoring the zone, superior defender, excellent motor, great human being.

But - his hands were like cinderblocks over which he wore oven mitts.
And, as overall steady as he was, he never really got any better over his career.
Other than a few Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moments (like against GTown in the BET), he was a huge liability on O.

IF Sidibe is "only" as good as Baye, we take that every day and twice on gamedays.
But, he already has more offensive polish than Baye had as a Sr. - so there's a LOT more upside.