ACC Basketball: 3 bold predictions for the 2019-20 season

By Brian Rauf | Oct 24, 2019

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 20: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts with teammates Jack White #41 and Javin DeLaurier #12 during the final seconds of the second half of the game against Texas Tech Red Raiders during the Ameritas Insurance Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 20, 2018 in New York City. Duke Blue Devils defeated Texas Tech Red Raiders 69-58. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

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WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 02: Head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange reacts against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during their game at LJVM Coliseum Complex on March 02, 2019 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

2) Syracuse finishes in the bottom third of the conference

One of those teams that is going to struggle in a big way is Syracuse. It sounds blasphemous to think that Jim Boeheim and the Orange will be one of the bottom feeders in the ACC, but I think they’ll finish in the bottom third of the conference (11th, to be exact).

Syracuse lost their three best players in Tyus Battle, Frank Howard, and Oshae Brissett, but they aren’t the only school tasked with replacing several key players. However, the Orange don’t appear to have the depth and talent necessary to replace them, and that’s the recipe for a disastrous season.

Elijah Hughes is going to have to step up and be “the guy” in 2019-20, as he’s the only returning player that averaged over seven points per game last season and he’ll be relied on to be the go-to guy offensively. He should be fine and has shown he can produce at a quality level against ACC opponents in flashes.

But after Hughes? Yeesh.

Buddy Boeheim and Marek Dolezaj look like they will be Syracuse’s secondary scoring options, which is more of an indication of the lack of talent on the roster than anything else. Buddy Boeheim is one of the better spot-up shooters in the conference, but he doesn’t have much else to his game and is reliant on others to create his shots for him. As for Dolezaj, he didn’t score more than 10 points in a game last season and only hit that 10-point mark three times.

Offense is going to be a major struggle for Syracuse even if they get good contributions from freshmen Brycen Goodine and Joe Girard III, and their defense won’t be able to carry them. They don’t have the size, athleticism, or the rebounding that has traditionally made Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone so successful. In fact, Boeheim has said the Orange will play some man-to-man this year because of it.

Expectations are still relatively high because of Syracuse’s prestige but don’t expect the Orange to do much of anything.