|
| INSIDE THE NUMBERS |
|
2000-01 record: 23-13;
9-7 in Big East
(Tied 3rd/West)
Postseason: Lost to Temple 65-54 in NIT third-place game
RETURNING LEADERS
Points: Duany 12.2
Rebs: Duany 5.3
Assists: Duany 1.6
FG: McNeil 68.7%
3pt: Duany 34.1%
FT: Forth 63.0%
01-02 Stats:
Sryracuse | Big East
KEY LOSSES
Pre. Shumpert | 20.7 ppg
De. Williams | 15. 9 ppg
James Thues | 5.6 ppg
PROJECTED STARTERS
G | Billy Edelin | Fresh
G | Josh Pace | Soph
F | Ca. Anthony | Fresh
F | Kueth Duany | Senior
C | Craig Forth | Soph
Player to Watch
Kueth Duany
Senior Guard
Will be counted on for as much leadership as points this season.
DATE TO REMEMBER
Georgia Tech comes to the Carrier Dome, bringing with it one of the best freshmen in the country in 6-10 Chris Bosh. He and Anthony will be in the NBA one day, probably sooner than later.
|
SYRACUSE ORANGEMEN
 |
Carmelo Anthony decided not to explore the NBA draft, and for that reason Syracuse ought to be exploring March Madness after missing the NCAA Tournament last season for only the fifth time in Jim Boeheim's 26 years as coach. Anthony, a 6-8 freshman from Baltimore, has the size, skills and youth the NBA covets (see: Tracy McGrady), but he opted for college -- giving the Orangemen their biggest recruiting coup in more than decade, probably since Billy Owens. Syracuse will need Anthony, as well as fellow freshmen 6-3 Billy Edelin (who sat out last season for off-court reasons), 6-2 Gerry McNamara and 6-9 Matt Gorman, to join an already young lineup featuring sophomores 6-8 Hakim Warrick (6.1 ppg), 6-6 Josh Pace (4.3 ppg) and 7-0 Craig Forth (4.5 rpg). That's a young group, but it's an especially skilled young group. And there is senior leadership in the form of 6-6 Kueth Duany (12.2 ppg), whose work ethic allowed him to become one of the Big East's most improved players last season.
TOUGH ENOUGH..............................
Anthony is ridiculously skilled, which you know if you watched the 2002 McDonald's All-American game. Anthony apparently got the itinerary wrong, because he spent most of that game -- against the best players in the country -- as if it were a slam-dunk competition. He also can dribble, drive and shoot a bit, and at 6-8, 220 pounds he has an NBA-ready body right now. He'll step into two-time all-league forward Preston Shumpert's starting spot.
TOUGH ENOUGH?..............................
The Orangemen could have been stocked at point guard, but starter DeShaun Williams (academics) and backup James Thues transferred after last season, leaving the job to the talented, but inexperienced, McNamara and Edelin. McNamara is the shooter, Edelin the scorer. Somebody better prove to be a passer.
BOTTOM LINE..............................
Boeheim probably would like his team to be a bit older, but with this kind of talent, he'll take his chances. The Orangemen ought to improve greatly from November to February, and should be hitting their stride in March, when they return to the NCAA Tournament.
| |
|
