Halfway through the season, we’ve witnessed some Syracuse Orange players rise to the occasion and others fall through the cracks.
The Syracuse Orange are 11-4 overall with a 2-2 in-conference record. In a conference as tough as the ACC, wins are certainly hard to come by. Some leaders on this Orange squad have truly come out of the woodwork to help secure some big-time wins. Other players who once had high ceilings have disappointed fans by merely serving as another body on the court. Luckily, there’s still time for both of these groups to improve and either step up to answer the call or let someone else take care of it.
Exceeding Expectations: Chris Bell
Sophomore forward Chris Bell has really grown into his place on the floor. He’s currently averaging 10.9 points per game, 4.3 more than last season’s average. Along with being the third-highest scorer on the team, he’s scoring double-digits in almost every win that Syracuse has. It’s very apparent that Bell’s scoring efforts are helping lead to victories. Coach Adrian Autry says that Bell is, “an elite shooter,” and they are constantly encouraging him to shoot the ball.
Bell has also served as a key defender. You can catch him sprinting down the court in transition to block shots or chase after the opponent with the ball. Bell says that he’s never looked at himself as someone who could be an elite defender, but Autry has encouraged him to keep working on his defense because he’s capable of being one.
Underperforming: Benny Williams
Junior forward Benny Williams has had some off-the-court issues that have hurt him, including a suspension early in the season. While some players could look at this adversity as a way to get better, it seems that Williams isn’t one of them. Last season, Williams started all but six games. This season, he hasn’t started in any. He’s averaging 5.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and only 15.0 MPG. All numbers that have decreased from last season.
This could be a situation where someone is just beating him out for the starting job. There have been games however this season that Williams didn’t leave the bench hardly at all. Williams showed a lot of promise last season and this season he seems to be in a slump. If things don’t start looking up, we could be seeing Williams in a different color jersey this time next season.
Exceeding Expectations: Judah Mintz
Sophomore guard Judah Mintz had a great freshman season, and most probably expected him to continue his growth into his sophomore season. Mintz has instead become a full-blown powerhouse and leader, exceeding any expectations that fans could’ve dreamed of. He’s averaging almost 20 PPG, has become a defensive weapon, and is the driving force behind Syracuse’s transition offense.
Mintz put his NBA dreams on hold and returned to Syracuse to better prepare himself for the big league. It’s safe to say that his confidence keeps climbing every game just like his skill set. Mintz says that being able to hit those open shots makes him a better point guard and it shows. He’s the team’s leading scorer and his shooting percentage is miles from where it was this time last season. It seems as just as his shots, he can only go up from here.
Underperforming: Justin Taylor
Sophomore forward Justin Taylor isn’t a bad player. If he were more aggressive, then he wouldn’t be underperforming. In Syracuse’s biggest games, he has yet to score double digits. He’s also struggled defensively, rarely grabbing as many rebounds as he should and never exceeding one block per game.
Now that we’re in conference play, Taylor has the opportunity to step up and help his team on both defense and offense. Coach Autry has started him in every game this season so he must see something in him. We’ve seen Taylor do well against some less talented opponents so it’s obvious that he’s capable of performing well.
Exceeding Expectations: Quadir Copeland
While sophomore forward Quadir Copeland just got his first start in place of Judah Mintz, who violated a team rule prior to the BC game, he’s still an important piece for the Orange. He’s improved in points, rebounds and blocks. Copeland however does things that go beyond statistics. He brings an energy and hustle to the court that doesn’t show up in the box score.
It seems to me that every time Copeland takes the court, things just start getting exciting. You can always find him battling it out on the boards or diving on the floor for a loose ball. When he’s not on the court, he’s the first one on the bench to cheer for his teammates. In a world where looking out for yourself and no one else has become the norm, Copeland is a team player who unselfishly wants his whole team to succeed.
Underperforming: Naheem McLeod
At 7-4 and 248 pounds, one would think that junior center Naheem McLeod would be tearing it up in the paint. McLeod isn’t even in the top three rebound leaders on the team though. Averaging 3.9 PPG, he’s not shooting the ball great either. When you land a player with this size (especially after losing your future NBA center) you expect big numbers down low.
McLeod seems awkward when going up against his opponents, who are most of the time smaller than him. Whether it’s just a fundamental issue or a mental block, it’s disheartening to see someone who could be so successful struggle so much. McLeod does lead his team in blocks, and he usually does a great job at swatting the ball away. He seems to almost be a one-trick pony with no other skills besides that. He still has time to improve upon these skills, but with only one year of eligibility left after this, the clock is certainly ticking.