Happy New Year everybody! For Syracuse basketball fans there was a lot to like about 2012: the team ran away with another Big East regular season championship, a trip to the elite eight capped off a program-high 34 win season, three players were selected in the NBA draft, and Jim Boeheim notched his 900th career victory. Now with 2012 in the books, let’s take a look at the top five things Syracuse basketball fans have to look forward to over the twelve months:
5. More Orange in the NBA – Syracuse hasn’t always had a strong presence in the NBA draft, but last year they had three players drafted, including the 4th overall pick, and this year there’s a chance for more. Seniors Brandon Triche and James Southerland will both get a look from the NBA, Triche because he has as much strength and athleticism as any guard in college basketball and Southerland because of his size and shooting ability. The Orange also has several underclassmen that could make the jump to the NBA, including Michael Carter-Williams, Rakeem Christmas, C.J. Fair, and DaJuan Coleman. Not all of them will leave after this season, but every time David Stern says Syracuse on draft night, the program’s reputation continues to grow, which helps recruiting, and in turn, helps the team to bounce back quickly from losing three draft picks, just as they’ve done this year.
4. Another great recruiting class – Their arrival is still several months away, but next fall Syracuse will welcome yet another high profile recruiting class. The assistant coaching staff has undergone some changes in the past couple of years, but the recruiting remains the same, as this is the fourth straight year that Syracuse will bring in a class that is stacked. The backcourt of the future appears set with the addition of point guard Tyler Ennis, a five-star recruit, and two-guard Ron Patterson, who’s had an extra year of polishing at prep school and will be ready to make an impact right away. Tyler Roberson will be the next great long and athletic swingman to come to Syracuse and patrol the back line of the zone while getting dunks in transition at the other end. Swingman B.J. Johnson and center Chinonso Obokoh won’t make the sudden impact that the other three guys will, but the Syracuse faithful do enjoy seeing guys develop and get better over the course of four years, which is exactly what they’ll be getting from Johnson and Obokoh. Syracuse had a couple early exits last year and there could be a couple more this year, but with another talented recruiting class coming in, there’s plenty to look forward to.
3. The maturation of Michael Carter-Williams – Point guards with the vision, the passing ability, and the overall talent of Carter-Williams are rare. After waiting his turn behind three veteran guards last year, Carter-Williams has now taken center stage for what could be his only season as a starter at Syracuse. Carter-Williams is leading the nation in assists, second nationally in steals, and has been praised by analysts as one of the best point guards in the country. That being said, he has only scratched the surface as far as his overall talent and is just now beginning to get meaningful game experience, something that will expedite his development as a player. As impressive as Carter-Williams has been thus far, Syracuse fans have yet to see him at his best. The youthful mistakes he has made should become less frequent as he gains more experience. Also, his level of play should rise as he faces tougher competition during the conference season. Right now, there’s no telling how good he could be by season’s end, as Carter-Williams is quickly becoming one of the best and most entertaining point guards that Syracuse fans have had the privilege to watch since Sherman Douglas and Pearl Washington. Watching the maturation and improvement of Carter-Williams over the next three months will be a treat for Syracuse fans, and if he can come anywhere close to his potential, he may be able to carry this Syracuse team deep into March.
2. The Big East farewell tour – With Syracuse’s move to the ACC becoming official this summer, this will be the Orange’s last basketball season as a member of the Big East. It’s bound to be a bittersweet experience playing the likes of Georgetown, Villanova, St. John’s, Providence, and Connecticut for the final time as conference foes, but it also may very well end up being one of the most memorable seasons that Syracuse basketball has had in the Big East. Knowing that these will be the final Big East games against each opponent, even the ones that will be following Syracuse to the ACC, as well as the final Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden will allow fans to take stock of what the Big East and those rivalries have meant and take special notice of it being the end of an era, a truly wonderful era. Things will never be the same again after leaving the Big East, but if you pay close attention and take it all in, there’ll be memories formed this season that will last a lifetime. Just think, years from now we can all look back and say “you remember that last year in the Big East when…” as we fondly remember a great season and a great conference.
1. Another sweet 16 and beyond – There’s no doubt that Syracuse is one of the most talented teams in the country, and with three sweet 16 appearances in the last four years the Orange look more than capable of advancing to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament again this year. As easy as it is to get caught up in the nostalgia of Syracuse’s final season in the Big East, it will be how Syracuse does against teams outside the Big East in the NCAA tournament that dictates how the 2013 season is ultimately remembered. The Orange may not be able to breeze through the regular season virtually unscathed the same way they did last year, but once March rolls around their talent gives them as much of a chance to win a national championship as anyone in the country. For this team, an appearance in the sweet 16 is the least we can expect from them, but they certainly have what it takes to progress even further, and the possibility of the program’s 5th trip to the final four and a second national championship is the biggest thing that Syracuse fans have to look forward to in 2013.
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