Syracuse Recruiting Update

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Mike Jones, F (Lower Richland, SC)

Projected 2006-2007 Roster:

Seniors: Louie McCroskey (G), Demetrius Nichols (SF), Terrence Roberts (F), Daryl Watkins (C), Matt Gorman (BF)
Juniors: Josh Wright (PG), Dayshaun Wright (F)
Sophomores: Eric Devenderf (G), Arinze Onuaku (BF/C), Andy Rautins (G)
Freshmen: Paul Harris (G), Mike Jones (F)

Note: SU has also picked up early 2007 commitments from Johnny Flynn (PG) and Antonio Jardine (G)

Previous SU Orange recruiting features: August 12, July 14 report and June 28 Report. Also, the July 25 Round-Up.

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As we expected from earlier in the week, Syracuse has added Mike Jones to their 2006 recruiting class. Jones, who visited SU earlier in the month, hosted hall of fame coach Jim Boeheim for an in-home visit earlier this week and decided Syracuse was where he wanted to call home over in-state South Carolina. He also was considering Miami and UNC-Charlotte late in the process, but it was really just a 2-horse race at the end.

The good news did not stop there, and if the scenario of a 2006 wing and a 2007 point guard for SU sounds familiar, well, it is...because aboiut 2-months ago, we went through a similar scenario with Paul Harris and Johnny Flynn, this time, it was Antonio "Scoop" Jardine, from Neumann-Goretti HS in Philadelphia, to also pledge to the Orange. Jardine was set to be one of the most highly recruited guard prospects in the country for 2007 and he pulled a surprise by choosing early. He also visited Syracuse earlier this month, with highly regarded HS teammate Rich Jackson, and decided not to wait and pulled the trigger.

Here is the Syracuse Post-Standard article from this morning's edition on the Jones and Jardine commitments: Orange Hit Daily Double with Jones & Jardine.

Jones is an excellent addition. At 6'6 and about 210 lbs, Jones is an ideal small forward for Syracuse because he has the athletic ability to play inside and outside. He also averaged 12 rebounds a game last season for Lower Richland HS. This is an important note because the small forward in Jim Boeheim's 2-3 zone is called on to rebound and play defense on the block on many instances. He should really fit prefectly on their roster and compliment Paul Harris.

Jardine was a surprise. Not that he chose the Orange, but he had the makings of a player that was going to be wooed by everyone on the east coast and beyond. Also, Syracuse already has a 2007 PG commitment from Johnny Flynn, so the common beleif was Jardine would look around a little more in the process, but Syracuse was going to remain a player in his commitment. Jardine considers himself a scoring guard and that would allow him and Flynn to play together. Jardine is nearly 6'2, so his size should not hurt if he does play off the ball. We have maintained all along that SU will be poised for a blockbuster class in 2007 and with two commitments and recent visits from Donte Greene, Taylor King and Richard Jackson, they seem to be well on their way.

In the class of 2006, they still have one scholarship left. I fully expected that scholarship to be Brad Sheehan's and I whiffed on that call from earlier in the summer. Sheehan, from the Albany-area, chose Georgia Tech eariler this week. I still feel they need to add a C/BF in this class, even if it is just a serviceable body. If they do not, that will mean just one player at that position in three classes (Arinze Onuaku). An athletic forward like Austin Wallace could still be a possibility, but Wallace, along with Niagara Fall's Tyrell Lynch (teammate of Flynn and Harris at NFHS), both might end up in the class of 2007. Damian Saunders from Connecticut and Justin Burrell from NYC are also a pair of athletic forwards that have, at one time or another, received some looks from Syracuse and could be in the mix, but they might not be exactly what the Orange are looking for to round out the class.

Earlier in the week, there was a little concern about the Syracuse recruiting among fans, it is funny how quickly things can change in the world of recruiting!

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Syracuse Team Notes

September 1, 2005

If you scroll down in the linked article, there is a blurb on Syracuse's Dayshawn Wright. There had been reports citing his family that he had achieved the necessary grades this summer to be eligible to return, however, when we saw the official team roster, it did not have Wright's name listed. I had a feeling it was not an oversight, and it is looking more and more like Dayshawn will not be with the Orange this season. Matt Gorman better be ready....Basketball Notebook.

FoxSports.Com also has their quick hits on recruiting and mentions that one of the top small forwards in the country, Mike Jones, has cut his list to Syracuse, South Carolina, UNC-Charlotte, Miami and Maryland. There is also a note on which Big East school that Taylor King is currently on an unofficial visit with (Villanova) and the article leads off with a Paul Harris commitment story. Here is the link: Recruiting Quick Takes.

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2005-2006 SYRACUSE TEAM PROFILE

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ORANGE

Official 2005-2006 roster and coaching staff from the official SU Orange site: SU Orange Roster & Staff.

Home Court: Carrier Dome.



OVERVIEW: About this time last season, Orange fans were counting down the days until they embarked on a journey that was expected to take them to the final four. As one of the pre-season favorites, it was expected to be another banner season for Hall of Fame Coach Jim Boeheim and his Syracuse program.

It was a season that had some ups and downs, but it came to a surprising early end with a 1st round NCAA tournament loss to Vermont, in overtime. With the end of that game, came the end of SU careers for seniors Hakim Warrick, Josh Pace and Craig Forth and also marked the end of Billy Edelin’s career at Syracuse. Those four were all key members of their 2002-2003 team, led by Carmelo Anthony, that culminated their surprise run with a National Championship. Last year, they did finish with a Big East Conference Tournament championship, but the Vermont loss still stings the Orange faithful.
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Last year Coach Boeheim was very candid that the hopes of their season rested on the development and contribution from their very talented sophomore class. Now, as the calendar flips to September and the 2005-2006 season begins to near, the hopes for the upcoming Syracuse Orange season once again revolves around the ability of that class, now juniors, to step up into key leadership roles.

Last season, Syracuse was undone by their lack of scoring threats on the wing to complement guard Gerry McNamara and give more space to Hakim Warrick inside. The Syracuse zone was forced to go small all to often with Josh Pace playing down low and that was an area that bigger teams attacked on the glass or in the paint. Teams were able to back off the SU perimeter players and add extra attention to hounding McNamara and wearing him down and shut down the rest of the team, allowing Warrick to get his points, but make it very difficult for anyone else to score consistently. The inability for another player or two to step up consistently ended the Orange season prematurely.

A CLASS ON THE BRINK: As mentioned earlier, the hopes of this upcoming Syracuse Orange season will once again rely mostly on the development of the four juniors: Roberts, Nichols, Watkins and McCroskey. I think the biggest key here is the play of Demetris Nichols. Nichols had some bad luck last season with an aching back that kept him out of a couple non-conference games. Last season, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim sorely needed his team to develop another outside threat to take the perimeter burden off of Gerry McNamara. Nichols has the reputation of being a pure shooter from deep, however, a shooting slump has hurt his confidence and has made him reluctant to turn it loose and finding his stroke should be a main priority for the SU staff this preseason. At 6’8 and 205 lbs, Nichols is considered a plus defender and rebounder at the wing position and his size and length would work very well at the small forward spot in their zone. If Syracuse is forced to go to three guards or a smaller wing player, they are hurt greatly in the zone they love to play, when it comes to rebounding and post defense.

Another key player is Terrence Roberts. We fully expect this to be a breakout season for the 6’9 225 lb Roberts, who spent his first two seasons as the direct back-up to Hakim Warrick and was forced to find other minutes at the C spot and moving Warrick to the wing at times. Roberts played very well with the US U-21 squad that competed in the World Championships this summer and has shown signs of being one of the next great forwards at Syracuse. He still needs to show more consistency and not to pick up quick fouls. Losing Roberts to foul trouble will cause havoc to Coach Boeheim’s game plan and take a true scorer and rebounder out of the Syracuse line-up.

Jim Boeheim has marveled at the upside of 6’11 250 lb C Darryl Watkins since the day he stepped foot on the SU practice floor. Watkins is a very athletic and aggressive defensive force in the middle and is an intimidating shot-blocking presence at the back of the Orange press. He is long and lean and fits the middle of their zone perfectly. He is still raw offensively and relies mostly on put backs or easy looks to score, but he is improving. He also needs to cut down on the quick fouls and must stay on the floor and give the Orange more of an offensive presence in the half court offense.

The least-heralded member of the junior class is Louie McCroskey. McCroskey gives it everything he has every night and is a tough NYC guard. Not a great shooter or ball-handler, but his aggressive style of play offers a nice complement to the other talents on the SU roster. If he could develop a more consistent outside shot, he could find more of a role, but if Nichols lives up to his potential and freshmen Eric Devenderf is as-advertised, McCroskey could see a reduced role. The past couple seasons, the lack of consistent play of others has opened the door for him to see significant time.

RETURNEES: Dome favorite and Scranton, PA’s favorite son Gerry McNamara returns to the Orange line-up for his senior season. McNamara is an all-league guard in the Big East that averaged nearly 16 PPG as a junior. Having to play point guard much of the season, McNamara seemed to wear down at times, especially against the physical teams in the Big East, and saw his shooting percentages fall to 34% from 3-pt land and just 37% overall. He will need the help from the junior class, as mentioned above, to take some of the burden off of him and give him more space to find his shot. Along with Roberts, Nichols, Watkins and McCroskey, PG Josh Wright and F Matt Gorman also return to the team. Wright is a talented and athletic sophomore PG that did not receive a lot of playing time as a freshmen. With Josh Pace graduating and Billy Edelin no longer with the program, Wright could get his change to be in the backcourt rotation in a more meaningful way. If he could spell McNamara from some of the ball-handling duties, the extra rest could be very beneficial to McNamara and the team. Gorman took a redshirt last season and will return this year with 2 seasons of eligibility remaining. Gorman is a skilled forward that has a nice shooting touch, somewhat limited athletically, but gaining strength in the weight room, Gorman could be a surprise contributor. One thing is for certain, if Dayshawn Wright is not back with the team, Gorman is going to have to be ready to play behind Roberts and Watkins, because their past history of foul trouble could mean extended time for Gorman. Dayshawn Wright is one of the mysteries of the SU off-season. Earlier in the summer, it sounded as if he was not going to be back with the program, much to his surprise. However, it was reported that a successful summer in the classroom had restored his status with the team, now, the official roster comes out and his name is missing, not sure if this is an oversight, or another turn in the story. If he is eligible and with the Orange, he could be a key contributing forward as he has the strength and game to battle in the paint in the Big East, despite getting limited time last season, he is a player that could make an impact this year.

INCOMING: The prize of their incoming recruiting class is highly rated Eric Devenderf. The Michigan native played last season at prep powerhouse Oak Hill Academy and brings a sweet shooting stroke to an Orange team in desperate need of additional perimeter scoring. Devenderf will be one of the top freshmen in the conference and should get plenty of opportunity to show what he can do. Arinze Onuaku is a 6’9 250 lb C that will play a back-up role behind Watkins. He adds solid depth, not in the mold of the usual run and jump SU front court players, but has the size to contribute in the Big East. The 3rd recruit was a late addition, Andy Rautins, son of former SU star Leo Rautins. It has been speculated that Rautins will probably redshirt, but with Tiki Mayben not making it to Syracuse, Rautins might be needed to add some depth. An excellent shooter with good size, Rautins did turn some heads this summer playing for the Canadian U-21 national team and has proven to be more than just a legacy recruit. Might not be much of an opportunity for him this season, but he should contribute in the future with his ability to shoot the basketball.

LOSSES: Syracuse was hit hard by graduation as Hakim Warrick, Josh Pace and Craig Forth all wrapped up their Orange careers last season. They have also officially parted ways with troubled PG Billy Edelin and PG recruit Tiki Mayben did not gain NCAA eligibility. There is also the uncertainty of F Dayshawn Wright. The loss of Warrick leaves a big hole in the SU line-up for offense and it is a very big key to their season to get players to consistently fill that hole.

SCHEDULE: Jim Boeheim has built a program at Syracuse that has national recognition and when the Big East sat down to make their schedule, Syracuse is a team they know will need to be on television a lot and with that, comes a tough conference slate. Syracuse has mirror games with Villanova, Connecticut and Cincinnati. They do not play Marquette or Providence. When this schedule came out, we viewed as the toughest in the Big East. The troubles at Connecticut and Cincinnati might make the schedule slightly less daunting, but your still talking about a killer slate. They face a road schedule that is going to make their season very interesting and with tough home games with Villanova, Louisville, Connecticut and West Virginia, this slate is really stacked against an Orange team that has several question marks heading into the season.

OUTLOOK: There was a SU fan this past week who left a very true comment and the gist of it is one that I agree with: Jim Boeheim seems to do his best work when people start to write-off his team. Syracuse still will probably find themselves ranked in most top 20’s and they definitely have the talent on the roster to be a top 20 team. Their fate will probably lie in the hands of Demetris Nichols, Terrence Roberts and Darryl Watkins. If those three can play to their potential and form a top-flight front court, this is going to be a very good SU team. If foul trouble or continued perimeter shooting woes continue, with this schedule, Syracuse could find themselves with some must-win games in tough venues late in the season. This team is going to have to work extremely hard night in and night out and challenged with a lack of depth up front. It is going to be an up and down season, but they have the potential to be very good by season’s end. They will need players to be much more consistent than in the past. If the consistency does NOT develop and Nichols, Watkins and Roberts do not step-up conistently, getting to 8-8 in the conference will be a challenge. Somehow, though, Jim Boeheim finds a way to win more than you think he might on paper. This season probably wont be an exception, but, getting to 10 conference wins and a Big East tournament bye is going to be a tall order with their conference schedule and the losses they suffered with graduation and the newcomers coming into the program. The conference is certainly not giving them any breaks.

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