ACC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season
team. 445. . . . Orange . 9
The transfer portal gives and it takes away. That was the case this past offseason for Syracuse basketball as they lost Kadary Richmond, Quincy Guerrier, Woody Newton, and Robert Braswell to the portal but gained Cole Swider, Jimmy Boeheim, and Symir Torrence. But will the additions be enough to offset the losses?
Buddy Boeheim is back, giving them one top scorer from a season ago. He led the way with 17.8 ppg this past season while shooting 38.3 percent (2nd in ACC basketball) from 3-point range. That leaves just Joe Girard III as the only other returner with positive production in last year’s rotation, leaving things a bit scarce on the offensive side of the ball for 2021-22.
It will be interesting to see how the Orange adjusts to the changes on their roster. They’ll have some interesting pieces out of the portal that will have to adjust, especially defensively given their style of play.
Benny Williams, the lone name in their 2021 recruiting class, that’s a freshman at least, is one player to keep an eye on with his athleticism and strength. He has the ability to play multiple roles and make an impact right away in their patented 2-3 zone.