A year ago, Jim Boeheim cautioned everyone about expecting too much from freshmen. There’s a bit of a different sentiment from the Hall of Fame head coach now. And why not? Last season, Benny Williams was the only freshman Syracuse had. But this year, four star recruits Judah Mintz, Chris Bell and Justin Taylor, along with three stars Quadir Copeland, Maliq Brown, and Peter Carey, make up a six man class that Coach Boeheim has called maybe the best of his 47 year career. It’s a deep and talented class, but every band has its headliner, and for this group it’s Mintz.
The 6’4 guard is an Oak Hill Academy product, the same prep school that gave SU Carmelo Anthony and Eric Devendorf. Mintz was named the starting point guard before an exhibition game was even played. And if that’s not enough, Boeheim called the Maryland native one of the most talented he’s ever worked with.
He has the skill of a point guard and the athleticism of a wing, according to Boeheim. No wonder why Mintz was a top 35 recruit in the entire nation. Speaking of wings, the Orange have two highly touted ones in this class. Bell and Taylor were also four star prospects.
“I’ve been hitting shots my whole life. That’s what most people know me for is three point shooting, so I’ve never been afraid to shoot the ball and I never will be,” Bell said.
The same applies to Taylor. The two sharpshooters are counted on to help fill a 45 point per game void, left by Cole Swider, plus Buddy and Jimmy Boeheim. Speaking of Buddy, there have been some parallels made between the former all-ACC first teamer’s game and Taylor’s, a comparison the freshman welcomes.
“He’s a good guy to look up to. He recruited me here a lot, texting me, calling me, facetime, all that in the recruiting process. Obviously, I watched his game a lot his junior and senior year, learned from him,” Taylor said.
Hard to find a better role model in recent SU memory than Buddy. But, while Taylor and Bell figure to get most of the minutes at small forward, watch out for Copeland. The 6’6 guard by trade provides some versatility.
“Quadir is like a magician with the basketball, more of a pure point, but because of his size and athleticism you can move him all around the court. He’s shot it a lot better than he has,” said assistant coach Gerry McNamara, who knows a thing or two about making plays in a Syracuse uniform.
Maliq Brown and Peter Carey round off the class. Brown is 6’8 forward who’s self-described priorities are defense and rebounding. Carey, meanwhile, is a 6’11 center who the coaching staff has high hopes for down the line.