@Syracuse.Hoops Q&A Session 3
@Syracuse.Hoops Blog
Thank you for reading our third blog! The Q&A’s seem to be getting great feedback. All of your questions were great! It is always difficult to choose which ones to answer, but keep on sending in your questions. Follow us on instagram @Syracuse.Hoops. We would LOVE your feedback so comment on this blog or DM us! Enjoy the blog and go Cuse!
Q&A- Session 3
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Q1: Who is mostly likely to leave for the NBA after next season?
-Via @Bryce_Kelly
A: This comes as a surprise to none, Tyus Battle. Battle's game translates very well to an NBA player. He obtains multiple vital attributes to have success in the NBA; he is athletic, he can shoot the ball, and he can play defense. His athleticism was second to none on the team last year. He is 6'5" and he is very physical. Battle is very quick on his feet and it gives him an advantage on the offense and defensive end of the floor. His shiftiness allows him to shake defenders at ease. Tyus proved he is a great scorer. He proved this in the second half against Duke as he scored 14 points. These points came from defensive switches that led to isolations for Battle. He used his quickness to get space from defenders and knocked down shots. Tyus shot 37% from three last season. Nearly half of his shots came from behind the arc. He showed signs of being a lethal shooter as he connected on 4 or more threes in 5 games. The NBA is moving to a 3-point concentrated league and you almost cannot succeed as a guard if you cannot shoot. If Tyus can quicken his release he will be a lethal shooter. Finally he is a very good defender. Although it's hard to notice at times because Cuse plays a zone, he has proven he can defend. Tyus averaged an outstanding 1.3 steals last year a top the zone (Top 15 in ACC) all while defending some of the best college guards in the country. His lateral quickness is great and it shows on the defensive end. I would compare Tyus to Victor Oladipo. They have similar bodies and playing styles. A few things Tyus must improve on is his handle and finishing around the rim. If Tyus has a good, injury free season it would not surprise me if he explores the NBA market.
Q2: Who do you think will make it to the NBA from last years team and how will they do?
-Via @will_prkr
A: Tyler Lydon and Andrew White I predict will be drafted. Lydon, although he had an off year, will have a very successful NBA career. He is an incredible shooter when he gets his feet set and he is a capable defender. Physically, he is quite unique. He has a 6'10" frame which is larger for a power forward and a 7'0" wingspan. He still has plenty of room to get bigger as he is only 220 pounds. He has a surprising leaping ability and can run the floor like an NBA big. He is a pretty good athlete but lacks lateral quickness. His post presence could use work but he showed flashes of his potential. Like I said before though he is a great shooter with time and space. A lot of players are big and a lot of players can shoot but fewer can do both. This combination is the ticket for Lydon. Lydon is like a more athletic Ryan Anderson. I predict he will go late first round and have a solid NBA career. Andrew White has potential too. He has risen on numerous NBA mock drafts. He was clearly the best player for Syracuse last year. He averaged over 17 points per game in a loaded ACC. His shooting ability will allow him to have an easier transition to the league. I can think of 30 NBA teams that would want an athletic shooter like himself. Both players will have solid NBA careers. One can only hope they get drafted to teams that will give them a chance to shine. Stay tuned to updates on their draft stock.
Q3: What recruits do we have a chance at with percentage and top 3 schools for each?
-via @aidan.owens
A: Syracuse is pretty much down to only three players. Jordan Tucker, Tremont Waters, and Chris Duarte. Tucker recently visited the Orange April 7-9 and loved the campus. He went to the team’s practices and played some pickup games with the team. His list is only down to three schools, too. The Orange, Oregon, and Georgia Tech. Tucker recently had a visit to Oregon, but it’s unknown how much he really loved the place. Georgia Tech is right near his home. He moved down to Marietta, Georgia in the winter and the place would be really close to his family. But right now, I’d say the chances of getting him are super high and Syracuse is once again the heavy favorite in landing him. Tucker even had some fun with Matt Moyer on Twitter a few weeks ago. Tucker hopes to make a decision by the end of April. I’ll say 80% chance he wears Orange. Tremont Waters and Chris Duarte, though, are different stories. Waters got his release from Georgetown and is looking for a new college home. Syracuse was connected, but reports have the staff not doing too much with him. He’s been connected to Western Kentucky and Kansas, but WKU has really taken a step forward. They’ve called him many times since he was released from his NLI and want to him visit the campus. Mitchell Robinson, WKU 5-star signee, has been talking to Waters and wants to be his teammate for the 2017-18 season. He listed Creighton as one of his top schools, but it’s unknown what the school has done. His top three are probably Western Kentucky, Syracuse, and I’ll throw in both KU and Creighton because you don’t know what either program will do. Devonte Graham could leave the Jayhawks for the draft and then there’s one more guard spot open. But, his chances with Syracuse aren’t considerably high, however, they’ll be in it to the end. Chances are 25%. Duarte hasn’t even been offered by the Orange yet. He has to hope for Tucker not to go to the Orange for them to offer, in my opinion. It would suck up a scholarship for the 2018-19 season as well, and Syracuse is going after more high-caliber players in that class. His recruitment hasn’t gone far because of how he’s been waiting for that Syracuse offer. He hasn’t been connected to too many others schools. Chances are 15%.
Q4: Will Jimmy B. coach his way to 1K for a second time?
-via @ry.bo.2
A: I think it’s reasonable to think about that. Nonetheless, he still has to win 97 more games. So what’s that, about four years, maybe five years to get that number? Boeheim would be 76 or 77. I definitely see it happening, but it’s a long ways away. He’s still got almost one tenth to go. He’ll have a chance to get closer with the roster he has for 2017. We can all agree the vacated wins were an absurd decision. 101 wins gone, but we all still remember them. They’re not truly “gone” or “vacated.” He’ll have to go the distance, plus the length of his contract extension is unknown. But, I like his chances.
Q5: Could ‘Cuse be a top 10 or top 25 team next season?
-via @reed_richardson7
A: I do not think Top 10 is reasonable for Syracuse next year for the preseason polls, even with the addition of Jordan Tucker. They could be a borderline team to be chosen, but often the AP Poll goes with the teams that have more upperclassmen and returners who have shown what they can do, possibly with the previous year’s NCAA tournament run. Tucker gives them a lot more to choose from. He could start at the 3, be one of the first ones off the bench and play the 3, or play the 2 when Tyus Battle needs a breather. By the end of the season, I think Syracuse should be a Top 25 team. In order to do that though, they’ll have to make the tournament and make a run. They’ll have to win games on the road and have a good non-conference schedule.
Q6: How do you think Syracuse will play next year with all of their new players with or without Tucker committing?
-via @syracusefan2
A: Right now, Syracuse has eight scholarship players on next year’s roster. One junior, three sophomores, and 4 freshmen. They could end up getting of the top remaining recruits out there in Jordan Tucker, a sharpshooter from deep with tremendous length. Adding him would give the Orange some much needed depth and versatility. He’s a 6’8’’ small forward who can play the 2. That’s huge for Syracuse because Tyus Battle is the only returning shooting guard. Tucker being able to play the 2 will give him more playing time, which means more time to develop his skills and get better- what any top recruit wants. But, Syracuse lost five players from its roster last year in Tyler Roberson, DaJuan Coleman, Andrew White, and John Gillon exhausting their college eligibility, and Tyler Lydon leaving after his sophomore campaign for the NBA. That’s four of the seven man rotation Syracuse had by the end of the season. That means that new, young, and some inexperienced players will get the majority of the minutes this season. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. Battle was great when he was healthy last year as a freshman; Taurean Thompson was good on the offensive end, showcasing post moves that the Orange could use more of; Frank Howard ended his season on a strong note, playing double-digit minutes for the first time in about three months in their loss to Ole Miss, while scoring in double figures as well. Matt Moyer is a freshman, but that’s only a label. He redshirted last year and because of that, has become much stronger, thicker, and has really worked on his long jumper, which would help him develop into a dual-threat player. Their recruits are top-notch for their system. Oshae Brissett and Howard Washington are underrated to say the least. Both played at Athlete Institute this past season in Canada, where the three-point line is the same as the NBA. That should only help them for their freshman campaigns with the shorter distance. Bourama Sidibe is a special center with post ability and rebounding skills. With these players they’ll play their usual up-tempo, pick & roll offense. They should be much better this season in rebounding, especially on the defensive end. Brissett and Sidibe were both monsters last year on the glass. Oh, and the Orange get back their 7’2’’ center in Paschal Chukwu. I’m pretty sure he’ll help with rebounding too, plus a blocking threat whenever he steps on the court. This is a young ‘Cuse team, but I expect them to be a very exciting team with the potential to be really good if players step up and stick to their games.
Q7: What is your prediction for the team’s record next year (Overall and ACC)?
-via @kp3_11 and @cole.landmeier
A: I can’t say the specific record because the number of games they’ll play isn’t out, plus what their non-conference schedule is. So, I’ll predict the number of games they’ll win. However, I do expect the team to compete much better on the road and have a better record. It seems in the ACC that the magic number for a great season is 10-11 wins. That would mean 10-8 or 11-7. 11-7, I think, is reasonable for this team. They’ve got depth, versatility, and the talent to compete with the favorites at the top of the conference. Even more, I could see the Orange having the six seed for the ACC Tournament. Of course, you’ll have UNC, Duke, Louisville, and Florida State at the top. Miami has a lot of their team returning and will be competing for a double-bye. After that, though, is a mystery. Virginia lost quite a few players to graduation and transferring. Same with Pittsburgh. Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest have steadily improved. It’ll be a battle for the 6-10 seeds in the tournament. I expect the team to win about 10 or 11 games in the ACC this season. The ACC isn’t as deep this upcoming season. Syracuse could surprise a lot of people and could capitalize on the chance to win in the ACC. Overall, they should finally get back to winning more than 19 games, and I expect them to win between 20-23 games. We know Syracuse plays Kansas on 12/2, but the rest of the schedule has yet to be announced. We’ll have to wait-and-see until then. But the one thing this team has is the opportunity to shock others.
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That wraps it up for our third Q&A. Thank you for sending us questions! Comment or DM us on feedback of this Q&A and suggestions of what you would like us to do with the blog. we always love interacting with you all..
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