2011 Syracuse Basketball Predictions
Written by James Zerfoss - Google +
2010-11 Results:
Overall: 26-7 (Home 18-3 Road 8-3 Neutral 1-2 Post Season 2-2)
Big East: 12-6
Conference Tournament: Lost in the semifinals to eventual Big East tournament champion Connecticut.
Postseason: Lost in the second round of NCAA tournament
Jim Boeheim guided Syracuse to a 26-7 record and into the NCAA Tournament last year. Syracuse tied for third in the Big East conference and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Syracuse got off to a surprising 18-0 start before losing to Pittsburgh, the regular season Big East champion. The fast start led to exceeded expectations that the Orange could not maintain. Rick Jackson, the Big East player of the year, led the way averaging a double-double. Kris Joseph was the leading scorer averaging 14.3 points per game and will return as the Orange’s number one scoring threat this year.
Syracuse ranked 6th in the Big East in scoring last year and third in scoring defense. Expectations are high for the Orange this year but to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament they need to improve on their foul shooting after only shooting 66% from the line last season. The Orange last year did well overall from the field with a 47.2 field goal percentage which makes their low free throw shooting percentage a bit astounding.
Roster
Returning Starters
Fab Melo
Baye Moussa Keita
Kris Joseph
Scoop Jardine
Other Returning Players
Russ DeRemer
C.J. Fair
Nolan Hart
Griffin Hoffman
Mookie Jones
James Southerland
Matt Tomaszewski
Brandon Triche
Dion Waiters
Newcomers
Rakeem Christmas
Trevor Coonet
Michael Carter-Williams
Head Coach
Jim Boeheim
Key Losses
The loss of Rick Jackson will be critical. Before last season no one predicted the impact that he would make. All season long he was a force in the middle of Syracuse 2-3 Zone and was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-Big East Second Team. Last season he averaged 13.1 PPG and 10.3 RPG.
2011-12 Preview
After a surprising start last year expectations are high for the Orange. Many experts believe that this is Jim Boeheim’s best team since he had Carmelo Anthony in 2003. If Fab Melo and Baye Moussa play up to expectations Syracuse should challenge for the Big East Championship and make a run at the Final Four. They were ranked second in the Big East preseason coaches’ poll. The Orange feature a variety of scoring options, though there is some doubt whether they will be able to replace Jackson’s leadership in the locker room.
Backcourt
Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche will return to provide veteran leadership in the backcourt. Jardine was the Big East leader in assists though he lacked the consistency that will be needed to win the Big East. He also needs to work on his shooting after his shooting percentage dropped to 41.5 percent last year. Triche averaged 11.1 points per game last year and shot 33.3 percent from beyond the arch. Boehiem will be expecting him to improve on those figures this year.
Frontcourt
Senior Kris Joseph will lead an outstanding frontcourt which consists of Fab Melo, Baye Moussa Keita, C.J. Fair, James Southerland and freshman Rakeem Christmas. Last year Joseph led the team with 14.3 points per game and is Syracuse best inside scoring threat. The lingering question is who will get the key rebounds. Joseph packs excellent leadership with a prowess for scoring but lacks the ability to control the glass the way Rick Jackson did last year.
C.J. Fair returns after having averaged 6.4 points last year. Look for him to take a step forward this year and earn more minutes. Fair is 6-8, 203 pounds and is always after the ball. He plays hard and can give the Orange that defensive lift they need. James Southerland a junior is also back. Time will tell whether he will be a regular part of the rotation.
Rakeem Chrstmas, a 6-9 freshman is expected to get the starting nod at power forward or center. His defense and shot-blocking skills are excellent but he needs to work on his offensive game. Syracuse will look for him to pick up some of the slack on the boards due to Jackson’s departure.
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