Top 20 Centers in the Country

[Col. Bleep]

It's the Athletic so it's a pay site.
But guess who is NOT on the list.
That fellow who used to play center for Syracuse...sorry his name escapes me but he's got a year left somewhere else.
It's hard to believe there are 20 centers better than he is.

College basketball’s top 20 bigs for 2023-24: Zach Edey leads a star-studded group

College basketball is stuffed full of standout centers. Here are the best of the bigs.

theathletic.com

 

[Niastri]

It's the Athletic so it's a pay site.
But guess who is NOT on the list.
That fellow who used to play center for Syracuse...sorry his name escapes me but he's got a year left somewhere else.
It's hard to believe there are 20 centers better than he is.

College basketball’s top 20 bigs for 2023-24: Zach Edey leads a star-studded group

College basketball is stuffed full of standout centers. Here are the best of the bigs.

theathletic.com

Sounds like the writer might be a Cuse fan that's a little salty.

I think Edwards probably deserves to be on any top10 list, much less top20.

 

[rrlbees]

I think he should be on the list but it’s not top 20 centers. It’s top 20 bigs which includes forwards.

 

[Trueblue25]

He was a decent piece on a bad Syracuse team, lets move on

 

[Orangezoo]

I think he should be on the list but it’s not top 20 centers. It’s top 20 bigs which includes forwards.

Every one of those players play the 5 for their team though. All but 4 I think are officially labeled as centers as well

 

[MikeSU02]

Dude can’t set a good pick.

We just overrated him bc we were so bad.

Onwards.

 

[baggerbob]

Dude can’t set a good pick.

We just overrated him bc we were so bad.

Onwards.

Jesse is definitely overrated by some people on here.
Does anyone really believe that a DC in place of Jesse wouldn't by himself made us a top 10 team.

 

[Niastri]

He was a decent piece on a bad Syracuse team, lets move on

Bleh, I'm not going to spend a lot of time defending Edwards, because I'm pissed that he chose to leave. But:

He is the only player since Rick Jackson to average 10 rebounds per game. It's exceedingly difficult for centers to lead Syracuse in rebounding at all, much less to 10/game. Usually our team leaders are forwards, and since Jackson, only one player even averaged 9 boards a game.

Going back to 2010-2011 season, only Edwards and Rakeem Christmas averaged 14 or more from the center position. Only guys playing out of position like Lydon and Dolezaj even scored 10 ppg out of the center position. And he scored this much even though guys like Boeheim and Girard required a ton of shots every game, on a team where nobody could drive and dish it to him. Edwards was arguably our best post player since Onuaku, although you have to argue Christmas and Jackson are in the same tier.

Even in comparing Edwards to Christmas and Jackson, Edwards was a superior shot blocker, who did it without getting himself into foul trouble.

Unlike the other big guys mentioned, Edwards could actually run the floor and finish on the break.

Don't kid yourself that this team is better off without him.

It sucks he left the team for a better offer.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Jesse is definitely overrated by some people on here.
Does anyone really believe that a DC in place of Jesse wouldn't by himself made us a top 10 team.

Last year? Yeah, me.

 

[rrlbees]

Jesse is definitely overrated by some people on here.
Does anyone really believe that a DC in place of Jesse wouldn't by himself made us a top 10 team.

DC? Sure. DC would make any decent team top 10 probably.

 

[rrlbees]

Every one of those players play the 5 for their team though. All but 4 I think are officially labeled as centers as well

There’s 5s then there’s 5s. That’s why the article labeled each as a center, a forward or a big. Depends on the offense run and how a player is used. Jesse was a true center. Like I said, imo, Jesse should be on the list but it’s not a top 20 centers list.

 

[Trueblue25]

Bleh, I'm not going to spend a lot of time defending Edwards, because I'm pissed that he chose to leave. But:

He is the only player since Rick Jackson to average 10 rebounds per game. It's exceedingly difficult for centers to lead Syracuse in rebounding at all, much less to 10/game. Usually our team leaders are forwards, and since Jackson, only one player even averaged 9 boards a game.

Going back to 2010-2011 season, only Edwards and Rakeem Christmas averaged 14 or more from the center position. Only guys playing out of position like Lydon and Dolezaj even scored 10 ppg out of the center position. And he scored this much even though guys like Boeheim and Girard required a ton of shots every game, on a team where nobody could drive and dish it to him. Edwards was arguably our best post player since Onuaku, although you have to argue Christmas and Jackson are in the same tier.

Even in comparing Edwards to Christmas and Jackson, Edwards was a superior shot blocker, who did it without getting himself into foul trouble.

Unlike the other big guys mentioned, Edwards could actually run the floor and finish on the break.

Don't kid yourself that this team is better off without him.

It sucks he left the team for a better offer.

I forgot about him within a month of him leaving. Ready for the next chapter. Don’t know if we’re better or worse off, but happy to have kids who want to be here.

Best of luck to Jesse. WVU’s an NBA factory

 

[Sherman20]

Bleh, I'm not going to spend a lot of time defending Edwards, because I'm pissed that he chose to leave. But:

He is the only player since Rick Jackson to average 10 rebounds per game. It's exceedingly difficult for centers to lead Syracuse in rebounding at all, much less to 10/game. Usually our team leaders are forwards, and since Jackson, only one player even averaged 9 boards a game.

Going back to 2010-2011 season, only Edwards and Rakeem Christmas averaged 14 or more from the center position. Only guys playing out of position like Lydon and Dolezaj even scored 10 ppg out of the center position. And he scored this much even though guys like Boeheim and Girard required a ton of shots every game, on a team where nobody could drive and dish it to him. Edwards was arguably our best post player since Onuaku, although you have to argue Christmas and Jackson are in the same tier.

Even in comparing Edwards to Christmas and Jackson, Edwards was a superior shot blocker, who did it without getting himself into foul trouble.

Unlike the other big guys mentioned, Edwards could actually run the floor and finish on the break.

Don't kid yourself that this team is better off without him.

It sucks he left the team for a better offer.

You seem to be one of the only posters on here to have any real sense of Jesse Edwards’ worth. This team would be significantly better with him on it. To add to what you said, Edward was a very good rim protector, one of the best we’ve had in a long time. Hopefully Griff can teach McLeod to be a better shot blocker than he was at FSU.

 

[MikeSU02]

DC? Sure. DC would make any decent team top 10 probably.

DC would be the #1 pick in this years’ draft by a country mile. You are 100% correct with this.

 

[Orangezoo]

You seem to be one of the only posters on here to have any real sense of Jesse Edwards’ worth. This team would be significantly better with him on it. To add to what you said, Edward was a very good rim protector, one of the best we’ve had in a long time. Hopefully Griff can teach McLeod to be a better shot blocker than he was at FSU.

As good as Jesse's numbers were there is an element of hyperbole here. The two years he was the starting center were two of the worst seasons in the entire Boeheim tenure. Had he not been injured that one year it likely is not as bad but not far from what last year was.

Two things can be true - 1 that we all would love Jesse to come back as he was extremely productive and would have potentially made us a better team and 2- he still is a bit overrated and the difference between with and without is not as big as is being made out ( or could potentially go the other way) with the main reason being how he defends in mtm after developing for 4 years in the zone. McLeod is not Jesse and is a big step back on offense. He has however played in a mtm system. Furthermore- Brown is developing quickly.

Jesse and his family took a better offer. Always will appreciate what he did here.

 

[Wrinkle]

Jesse was one of the more infuriating players in recent memory imo. Stretches where he looked like the best big man on the country and others where he looked less coordinated than me

 

[CardiacCuse]

Jesse was one of the more infuriating players in recent memory imo. Stretches where he looked like the best big man on the country and others where he looked less coordinated than me

agreeed...his picking up the game relatively late in life was very apparent many a time

for a smart person, he was often surprisingly mentally slow (and physically slow of foot) at times, as well.

but you cant teach height...and he is very coordinated for a center...so...he has intriguing strengths too

even though he got good stats...I think on the overall balance...he was more neutral to the outcome of games than one might assume off of pure numbers.

 

[tbonezone]

defensively can they cover a corner trey ?