Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim hasn’t said this phrase much this year, but he’s uttered it in the past (I’m looking at you 2005 team that lost to Vermont in the NCAA tournament): “we will go as far as our sophomores will take us”. Boeheim may not be saying it this year, but it reigns true nonetheless. If you’re looking for a reason why Syracuse has struggled as of late and why they have not asserted themselves as one of the best teams in the nation, simply look at the development, or lack thereof of their three sophomores.
Headlining the sophomore class is starting point guard Michael Carter-Williams, who has frequently been the scapegoat for losses this season. Carter-Williams has not been nearly as bad as Orange fans have made him out to be, and he remains a legitimate lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft, but he has not lived up to expectations and fulfilled the potential that his talent indicates he possesses. The decision making from Carter-Williams has not improved as much as it should have for a player that has almost a full season of experience as a starter under his belt, especially one that’s averaging 35 minutes per game. He is too turnover prone at times and does not always make smart choices at the end of games when the team is reliant on him to make a play that can be the difference between winning and losing. Carter-Williams has also yet to fully adjust to the way defenses are playing him and sometimes forgets that he is at his best when he’s being a playmaker and a pass-first point guard. Until he can show more maturity in his decisions and play more to his strengths, the Orange will continue to struggle with turnovers and struggle to pull out close games.
The biggest problem Syracuse may have among its sophomore this year starting center Rakeem Christmas. Christmas is Syracuse’s most athletic center, but he has developed as such a slow pace this season, leaving the Orange shorthanded at the center position. The biggest issue with Christmas is rebounding, where he has not showcased the aggression nor the fortitude required to rebound in a conference as tough and physical as the Big East. With Syracuse’s traditional wiry and thin contingent of forwards, Christmas needs to be a physical presence for the Orange in the middle, but instead he has been bullied and pushed throughout the conference season. On the offensive end, Syracuse expects less from its centers, but Christmas has still managed to underperform. The Orange have gone the entire season without any inside presence offensively, which has especially hurt when started playing zone defense against them. Without the ability to get the ball to a reliable post player has put Syracuse at a great disadvantage against zone defenses. Christmas hasn’t even been able to capitalize on the zone defenses by grabbing more offensive rebounds, which are easier to come by with zones. Unless Christmas can become a trusted and productive part of the offense or provide a more intimidating presence at the defensive end, the center position will be more of a liability than an asset for the Orange the rest of the season.
While he’s technically a redshirt freshman, Trevor Cooney is still a member of the sophomore class in his second year in the program. Cooney is yet to carve out a significant role for himself on the team and is not playing as big of a part on the team as he needs to at this point in the season. He has struggled to make perimeter shots on a consistent basis all season and has not found a way to stand out in other areas either, which would at least give him the opportunity to stay on the court more and have more time to find his shooting stroke. Cooney’s struggles with what was supposed be his biggest strength have been compounded by the struggles of Carter-Williams and senior Brandon Triche making perimeter shots, giving Syracuse no consistent outside threat among their guards. As a result, Boeheim doesn’t trust Cooney enough to play him more than a few minutes a game, which means he has no choice but to stay with Carter-Williams and Triche, even when they struggle. Unless Cooney can breakout late in the season from the perimeter and start to provide a spark off the bench, he will continue to be a non-factor.
So even if Boeheim isn’t saying it, Syracuse is likely to go as far in March as their sophomores will take them. All three have the potential to play better down the stretch than they have played up until this point in the season. But if not, then the Syracuse team we’ve seen for the past month is the same team we’ll see in March; and by the looks of things, that may not be good enough to go all that far.