New year's resolutions have been around for over 4,000 years, dating back to the Ancient Babylonians. The Babylonians were the first people known to hold celebrations of the new year and wrote down their goals for the upcoming year.
Today, resolutions include going to the gym more, losing weight, becoming organized, or saving more money. While these might be some of the more typical resolutions, Syracuse Men’s basketball has other goals in 2023 with hopes of making the NCAA tournament.
Before the crystal ball drops, let’s dive into some of Jim Boeheim and the Orange’s new year’s resolutions they need to commit to in order to be in the big dance come March.
Fix the Three-Point Defense
Syracuse has problems on both sides of the ball, but the defense has to improve from beyond the arc. While the Orange have been solid this season in terms of the percentage allowed from deep (32%), it's the quantity of three-point buckets that has plagued SU. The ‘Cuse has conceded over 130 threes, placing them last in the ACC by almost 20 triples.
LISTEN: @Pitt_MBB is making almost half of its tries from deep, and guard Nelly Cummings is leading the charge. WAER's @zachletson_ had the call. pic.twitter.com/uoQfXyKwAT
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) December 21, 2022
In the last game against Pittsburgh, Syracuse allowed 13 three-pointers, eight of which came in the first half. “We didn’t play defense,” Head Coach Jim Boeheim remarked. “Period, that’s it. It had nothing to do with spacing, we just didn’t play good defense.”
One way to fix the three-point defensive struggles is to force teams to drive inside the arc. The Orange lead the ACC with over five blocks per game and have one of the best shot blockers in the country; Jesse Edwards is top three in the nation in total blocks and blocks per contest. SU needs to close out harder on the three point arc and force teams to drive the ball into Jesse Edwards down low.
A positive that should help the ‘Cuse defense is its next opponent Boston College is the worst three-point shooting team in the conference. The Eagles drain only 4 shots from downtown per game, and they shoot 26% from beyond the arc on the season.
Get Jesse Edwards Involved
The Orange need to get their big man more involved in the offense every single game. Jesse Edwards has been fantastic to start the season averaging over 14 points and 11 rebounds per contest. However, SU isn’t consistently feeding him on offense.
In wins this year Jesse Edwards averages over 16 points per game, while in losses he scores only 11. The ‘Cuse need to engage the Flying Dutchman more on offense to incorporate the post element of its offensive attack. Edwards is the only player on the SU roster that is a constant scoring presence down low.
LISTEN: @Cuse_MBB center Jesse Edwards made his presence felt early in the first half against @Pitt_MBB. WAER's @johnnygwitz had the call. pic.twitter.com/H0r01oNwNT
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) December 21, 2022
Not to mention, if Syracuse gets Jesse Edwards involved consistently down low it should space the floor and open up three’s for Joe Girard and driving lanes for Judah Mintz. In essence, feeding the Flying Dutchman on a constant basis could be the key to opening up the ‘Cuse’s offense.
A great chance to put this resolution to work is today against Boston College. The Eagles have only one player 6-foot-10 or above, and that one guy hasn’t played more than 10 minutes in a game this season. This sets up a perfect opportunity for the Orange to feed Jesse Edwards the ball and balance out the offense.
The Forwards Need to Step Up
Syracuse’s last new year’s resolution needs to address a problem that Jim Boeheim has been groaning about all season, the forwards have to play better.
“We just had no effort from our forwards today at all,” Coach Boeheim bemoaned after the ‘Cuse’s 84-82 loss to Pittsburgh on December 20th. “It’s hard to watch, Quadir came into the game and got six rebounds in 12 minutes, Benny and Chris got one rebound between the two of them in 12 minutes each”
The starting forwards this season have been no-shows each and every game. Between the two of them, Benny Williams and Chris Bell, average only 13 points per contest and 5 rebounds. That’s not individually, but between both players.
The problem with the forwards though isn’t the fact that they’re not playing well, but their effort. “It’s hard when your two starting forwards just don’t have the effort,” Coach Boeheim remarked about Benny Williams and Chris Bell. “I don’t know what they think their game is, but there is no effort from them.”
Something for Jim Boeheim to consider: change the starting lineup. Yes, a lot of coaches preach it’s not about who starts, but who finishes. However, the concept of continuously starting players who don’t give enough effort is foolish. If Chris Bell and Benny Williams continue to start, what would motivate them to change their play? Conversely, a trip to the bench to start the game for Benny, Chris, or both could provide the spark needed to ignite their on-court effort.
The ‘Cuse look to kick it into gear by implementing these New Year’s resolutions a day before the calendar resets. Syracuse takes on Boston College inside the JMA Wireless Dome at 2, with McClurg Team Countdown to Tipoff beginning at 1:30.