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NCAA Basketball: The last decade’s most random 40-point scorers

By Nathan Dillon

SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 23: General view of the seat reserved for head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange prior to the game against the Duke Blue Devils at the Carrier Dome on February 23, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 23: General view of the seat reserved for head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange prior to the game against the Duke Blue Devils at the Carrier Dome on February 23, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images) /
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NCAA Basketball John Gillon Syracuse Orange (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

John Gillon (Syracuse): 43 Points

Syracuse isn’t the first place you look for a big scoring night. Their zone defense forces opponents into long possessions, creating a slow pace and many low-scoring games. Offensively, Syracuse’s motion offense lends to a deliberate pace that even on its best nights fails to produce high point totals. Recent history reflects this – in the last decade, just 13 times has a Syracuse player eclipsed 30 points.

One of the 13 times happened in 2017 when guard John Gillon laid 43 points on North Carolina State. He made 9 of 10 threes and added nine assists to this massive offensive output. He outdueled NC State’s Dennis Smith Jr., who notched a triple-double. Syracuse won, 100-93, in overtime.

Dating back to 2010, Gillon’s 13 field goal attempts are the fewest for any player who scored 40+ points. Gillon’s 43 points tied Gerry McNamara (2004 vs BYU) for the fourth-highest total in Syracuse history.

The 2017 season with Syracuse was Gillon’s senior year, following stints at Little Rock and Colorado State. He was more of a pass-first point guard at Cuse, ranking 4th in the ACC in assists per game, at 5.4, compared to a modest 10.6 scoring average. Since graduating, Gillon has played professionally in several circuits. He’s currently with Dacka in the Turkish Basketball League.

For a pass-first guard playing in a slow-paced system, Gillon’s scoring night against NC State was pretty random.

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