|
|
|
Sunday, June 24
Updated: July 23, 4:34 PM ET
Team preview: Syracuse Orangemen
ESPN.com
|
The lowdown
2000-01 record: 25-9; 10-6 in Big East (t2nd in West)
Final Ranking: No. 18 ESPN/USA Today; No. 17 AP
Postseason: Lost to Kansas 87-58 in second round of NCAA Tournament.
Three Questions for 2001-02
1. How will Billy Edelin fit in with DeShaun Williams and Preston Shumpert? Will there be enough quality shots for the three to coexist? Can Edelin be the kind of impact player the Orangemen need for them to be a surprise again? Can they make this threesome a Duke north?
2. How much will the Orangemen miss Damone Brown's versatility inside and out? Can the Orangemen count on Jeremy McNeil or incoming freshman Craig Forth to be a force in the paint?
3. Will the Orangemen have the depth upfront to be a factor in the face for the Big East title? They faded down the stretch last season but need bodies up front to get past Georgetown in the rugged Big East West.
Three Key Facts
1. The Orangemen open the season by hosting Manhattan in the first round of the Preseason NIT. The schedule also includes two ACC foes (North Carolina State and at Georgia Tech), a rematch at Tennessee (which beat the Orange in the Carrier Dome last season) and America East defending champion Hofstra.
2. Head coach Jim Boeheim was put in charge of the 2001 U.S. World Championship for Young Men squad this summer, which traveled to Japan.
3. In case you forgot, the Orangemen were outrebounded by Kansas 56-23 in their NCAA Tournament second-round loss. A healthy Billy Celuck should help avoid such debacles from happening again, not to mention better board work by Jeremy McNeil.
Andy Katz's Scenarios
Best case: The Orangemen win the West Division and a game or two in the tournament.
Worst case: Drop to third, but still get back into the tournament.
|
Key Players Returning
|
|
Player
|
Yr.
|
Pos.
|
Ht./Wt.
|
Comment
|
|
Preston Shumpert
|
Sr.
|
G
|
6-6/188
|
PTS: 19.5 | REB: 5.9 | AST: 1.6
|
|
DeShaun Williams
|
Jr.
|
G
|
6-3/198
|
PTS: 12.4 | REB: 2.9 | AST: 3.4
|
|
Key Losses
|
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Ht./Wt.
|
Comment
|
|
Damone Brown
|
F
|
6-9/200
|
PTS: 16.4 | REB: 8.8 | AST: 1.9
|
|
Allen Griffin
|
G
|
6-1/186
|
PTS: 10.8 | REB: 3.3 | AST: 6.5
|
|
Syracuse Signings
|
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
High School/College
|
|
Billy Edelin
|
G
|
6-3
|
Silver Spring/Oak Hill Academy (Md.)
|
|
Craig Forth
|
C
|
7-0
|
East Greenbush/Columbia (N.Y.)
|
|
Mark Konecny
|
F
|
6-10
|
Waterbury/Holy Cross (Ct.)
|
|
Josh Pace
|
G
|
6-6
|
Griffin/Griffin (Ga.)
|
|
Hakim Warrick
|
F
|
6-8
|
Wynnewood/Friends Central (Pa.)
|
|
|
|
|
