The Highlander 24-25 season

[Niastri]

I found myself thinking about advanced stats as found on Sports Reference.

We all had mixed to poor reviews with the eye test on Naheem McLeod, the Highlander.

To our casual eyes, McLeod seemed slow to react in the pick and roll, never got any rebounds, rarely scored and only was good for blocking shots.

But looking at our advanced stats, a very different story is told.

McLeod is our best returning player my both BPM and PER, second on last year's roster only to Maliq Brown.

The Highlander led the team in both offensive and defensive rebounding% along with block%. He also was second only to Brown in ts% and eFG%. Based purely on advanced statistics, you could make a case that McLeod was our second most valuable player last season, ahead of Mintz, Bell, and Starling.

So... Are we going to believe the analytics or our own eyes?

Naheem McLeod College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Naheem McLeod - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

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2023-24 Syracuse Orange Men's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out the detailed 2023-24 Syracuse Orange Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

www.sports-reference.com

 

[General20]

He looked pretty good to my eyes. Is he one dimensional? Yes. He's a shot blocker, that's what he is. But he's elite at that, and he made a major difference in our defense in only 10-15 min a game.

I also think people were holding him to starting quality expectations because he started games, even though he was a clear number two behind Brown and didn't even play big minutes by back up center standards.

To me if your back up center can come in and contribute in some way and make some kind of difference he's successful, and McLeod did that.

 

[cusefan88]

I think he makes for an excellent backup Center and situational player.

 

[Orangezoo]

He looked pretty good to my eyes. Is he one dimensional? Yes. He's a shot blocker, that's what he is. But he's elite at that, and he made a major difference in our defense in only 10-15 min a game.

I also think people were holding him to starting quality expectations because he started games, even though he was a clear number two behind Brown and didn't even play big minutes by back up center standards.

To me if your back up center can come in and contribute in some way and make some kind of difference he's successful, and McLeod did that.

You go back and look at the early games-

Tenn - JJ 9 pts 5 ast and shot 4-13 with 4 TO; Judah shot 4-14 15 pts 2 ast and 4 TO; Taylor 0 pts and 7 rebs.

McLeod had 1 pt 3 rebs and 4 blocks in 21 min

Against the Zags he had 7 pts 4 reb and 4 blocks in 20 mins- JJ and Judah were decent against the Zags minus Judahs 5 turnovers. The forwards did nothing against the Zags and Benny didn’t play.

Two games but that was also when Maliq was hurting some still from the early season injury. We never got to see a 1-2 punch with those two both healthy. He fits well as a backup to Lampkin if he is healthy. He also fits better next to forwards that produce. You can’t put a defensive minded big like him out there whose a lob catcher on offense with forwards that are offensive liabilities or extremely inconsistent.

I think the bigger issue is health- a foot injury is a huge deal for a big guy like Naheem even 10 months after…

 

[Dinkyspond]

He was playing hurt with a foot injury. It slowed him down immensely. He could not move. Yet he still was a presence inside on defense and had a few dunks on dump downs to the post. I am optimistic he can be a good, effective player for us when healthy.

 

[HoustonCuse]

I have had a hard time understanding the attitude about him here. He's been pilloried unjustly in my opinion. We were a roster full of flawed players last year, everyone had their weaknesses. I thought he was a serviceable to good center, certainly not standing out as terrible, but I'm just Joe Sixpack.

 

[Niastri]

The fact we haven't seen him working out or heard much about him concerns me a little.

Westry and Cuffe have both posted video of themselves, but McLeod is most often heard from on the recruiting trail.

 

[Dinkyspond]

The fact we haven't seen him working out or heard much about him concerns me a little.

Westry and Cuffe have both posted video of themselves, but McLeod is most often heard from on the recruiting trail.

I read he was at the "Jim Boeheim Way" ceremony without the walking boot. It was the first time the reporter, I believe Donna Ditota, said she has seen him without it. That's a positive sign.

 

[Sbucketball]

Happy with him as C2 on the roster. Different story if he’s C1. I imagine the coaches agree.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Happy with him as C2 on the roster. Different story if he’s C1. I imagine the coaches agree.

Exactly this.

 

[kcsu]

I found myself thinking about advanced stats as found on Sports Reference.

We all had mixed to poor reviews with the eye test on Naheem McLeod, the Highlander.

To our casual eyes, McLeod seemed slow to react in the pick and roll, never got any rebounds, rarely scored and only was good for blocking shots.

But looking at our advanced stats, a very different story is told.

McLeod is our best returning player my both BPM and PER, second on last year's roster only to Maliq Brown.

The Highlander led the team in both offensive and defensive rebounding% along with block%. He also was second only to Brown in ts% and eFG%. Based purely on advanced statistics, you could make a case that McLeod was our second most valuable player last season, ahead of Mintz, Bell, and Starling.

So... Are we going to believe the analytics or our own eyes?

Naheem McLeod College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Naheem McLeod - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

2023-24 Syracuse Orange Men's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out the detailed 2023-24 Syracuse Orange Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

www.sports-reference.com

I have always like McClead. If he had stayed healthy i believe we would have made the dance last year.

I expect great things out of him this year if he is at 100%

 

[M2MPrinciples]

He was miscast as a starting C. His injury history even before he arrived, along with our lack of a decent backup who could keep Maliq at the 4, spelled trouble from the beginning.

I know Red was in a bind after the Jesse stuff but I was hoping he'd have nabbed someone a little more reliable like Ernest Udeh who we had reached out to.

McLeod fits much better into this season's picture.

 

[SWC75]

Naheem McLeod
14.4m 10.7P 11.9r 0.2a 0.6s 5.3b = 28.7+ 2.6mfg 1.4mft 1.2to 2.2pf = 7.4- = 21.3NP 6.7OE 14.6FG

21.3NP was best on the team. Most big men commit too many fouls to play 40 minutes but Naheem avoided them. I agree that the foot injury is a serious consideration and why we need a third option at center. And I don't think any of our forwards would be that option, although Chris McCullough and Tyler Lydon played some center as freshmen. But I'm tired of having power forwards play center.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I read he was at the "Jim Boeheim Way" ceremony without the walking boot. It was the first time the reporter, I believe Donna Ditota, said she has seen him without it. That's a positive sign.

They used him to actually put that sign up.

 

[pearl31]

Happy with him as C2 on the roster. Different story if he’s C1. I imagine the coaches agree.

I'm thinking (hoping) that with a healthy McLeod we'll have a good situation at the center spot with him spelling Eddie and when rim protection becomes more important than offense at the other end.

 

[MikeSU02]

I think he can be a functional/solid backup big when we're going against teams with other bigs that like to work down low.

I think he'll get cooked if we go against a team that's small. May have to consider what our small ball lineup would look like, because I think Lampkin would get cooked too in that situation.

He has to stay healthy and hopefully does. Make sure he stays out of foul trouble. Grab rebounds, use verticality, don't bite on pump fakes, etc.

Our team isn't a title contender, he's fine for what we need in a backup center. Really hope he can stay on the court.

 

[tptcuse]

I like this thread, and if we all call him the Highlander, we won't have to worry about spelling his last name correctly.

 

[721Comstock]

I like this thread, and if we all call him the Highlander, we won't have to worry about spelling his last name correctly.

Yeah, nobody can screw up Hylandeer!!

 

[Niastri]

I like this thread, and if we all call him the Highlander, we won't have to worry about spelling his last name correctly.

The Hi-lander says hello.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'm hoping we press some and he holds down the rim like Etan and McNeil used to.

 

[two3zone]

I like this thread, and if we all call him the Highlander, we won't have to worry about spelling his last name correctly.

I thought that was my nickname.

 

[Niastri]

I thought that was my nickname.

Because you're tall, too?

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I found myself thinking about advanced stats as found on Sports Reference.

We all had mixed to poor reviews with the eye test on Naheem McLeod, the Highlander.

To our casual eyes, McLeod seemed slow to react in the pick and roll, never got any rebounds, rarely scored and only was good for blocking shots.

But looking at our advanced stats, a very different story is told.

McLeod is our best returning player my both BPM and PER, second on last year's roster only to Maliq Brown.

The Highlander led the team in both offensive and defensive rebounding% along with block%. He also was second only to Brown in ts% and eFG%. Based purely on advanced statistics, you could make a case that McLeod was our second most valuable player last season, ahead of Mintz, Bell, and Starling.

So... Are we going to believe the analytics or our own eyes?

Naheem McLeod College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Naheem McLeod - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

2023-24 Syracuse Orange Men's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out the detailed 2023-24 Syracuse Orange Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

www.sports-reference.com

My eyes told me he was much better than others thought. Add to that the fact that he was hurt all year and is presumably healthy, and we should be excited for our center tandem.

 

[orange79]

Because you're tall, too?

No.

 

[Orangezoo]

I thought that was my nickname.