After such a great start to the 2013-2014 season Syracuse was eliminated by Dayton fairly early in the NCAA Tournament. This year Syracuse is a brand new team losing many seniors and adding two freshman to their starting five.
So far this has not been the start the Orange were hoping for, losing to the two ranked teams they have played in Michigan and Villanova. They have also lost to California and St. Johns who are two solid non ranked teams. Syracuse's wins have been against sub par teams aside from the Iowa Hawkeyes who recently defeated Ohio State. Overall the Orange stand at a record of 10-4 and do not have an easy road ahead of them. Here is a look at some of the players on this years team.
PG: Kaleb Joseph, Fr:
Kaleb Joseph was one of the high profile recruits that the Orange brought in this year. They hoped to keep up the trend of developing young point guards into NBA caliber players. Joseph is extremely athletic and can score from both inside and outside. Thus far he has done a solid job for the Orange averaging 7 points and 5 assists. As the season continues Syracuse hopes that Joseph can be a leader and a floor general for this team much like Tyler Ennis last year.
Trevor Cooney has worked his way up the ranks at Syracuse and is now a leader of this team who needs to perform well in order for the Orange to compete. Cooney is purely a shooter who shoots nearly 40% from beyond the three point arch. He is now the second leading scorer on the team averaging 13 points a game. Cooney is going to have keep his production up to help the Orange fight their way back in the tough ACC.
SF: Michael Gbinije, Jr:
Michael Gbinije, a former Duke Blue Devil is taking on a major role for Syracuse this season. This year Gbinije starts at the small forward and is depended upon to score and rebound the basketball. He is debatably the most athletic player for the Orange this year and can score from three point range as well as get to the basket. He is an X factor for the Orange and they need him to improve throughout the season.
PF: Chris McCullough, Fr:
It was evident from when he committed to Syracuse that Chris McCullough was going to be a major part of this year's team. At 6'10", 220 lbs McCullough is a force in the post, but his athleticism makes him even more of a threat. So far he has been great for the Orange averaging nearly 11 points and 7 rebounds. With McCullough alongside Rakeem Christmas the Orange have one of the best front-courts they have had in a while.
As a four year senior Rakeem Christmas understands the system that Jim Boeheim runs at Syracuse. This year all of his hard work is finally paying off. After never averaging more than 6 points in his previous three seasons, Christmas is averaging 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks a game making him one of the top players in the ACC. He has dominated on both ends of the floor and leads the team in points and rebounds. If he keeps up the good work Christmas will cause havoc to just about every front-court the Orange face.
SF: Tyler Roberson, So:
Roberson comes off the bench for the Orange and effectively scores and rebounds the ball averaging 7 points and 5 rebounds. He is a great relief for Gbinije.
SF: B.J. Johnson, So:
Johnson has the build of a small forward, but he can also play at the shooting guard. He is an exceptional shooter who can come into the game and give the Orange a spark.
G: Ron Patterson, So:
Patterson is an extremely athletic player who can get himself open shots off the dribble. He is an even better defender and can lock down guards in the ACC.
Looking ahead Syracuse has games against the likes of Duke, Louisville, Notre Dame, Virginia and UNC. Although these games will be tough they are not out of reach for the Orange. They have plenty of talent on their roster they just have to gel. I believe the Orange will pick up some quality wins in the ACC and may creep into the top 25. Syracuse is a NCAA tournament caliber team and are just as good as last year's team that was undefeated at this point. It is a tough road ahead and the will of this Orange team will be tested.
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