Syracuse vs Charlotte
Syracuse Orange
C DaJuan Coleman: 5.5
Don't look now,
but DaJuan Coleman played 21 minutes tonight! That alone deserves a
ton of recognition, and it is awesome to see. Coleman only scored two
points this game, despite playing just more than half of it. However,
he made some big contributions in other ways. Coleman grabbed seven
rebounds. He also acquitted himself to middle of the zone, and
blocked three shots. Although, he also ended the game with four
fouls. Coleman proved to be a decent passer for a big man; he had
three assists, including one from the perimeter where he dropped a
pass to Gbinije on the low block over his opponent for an easy two.
One of the most intriguing moments of the game came when DaJuan
Coleman, Tyler Roberson, and Tyler Lydon all occupied the frontcourt
simultaneously. That lineup was only in for a minute or two, so it is
difficult to project just how productive it would be, but it is an
interesting look that may need to be tested against bigger teams.
F Tyler Roberson: 3.5
Roberson,
coming off a career high 20 points effort against Elon, struggled to
find the bottom of the net. He shot only 3-10, scoring six points.
His shots often came off of offensive rebounds, and in traffic
underneath basket, where Tyler struggled to finish. Roberson also
continues to prove to be an inconsistent jump shooter at best.
Furthermore, he struggled trying to drive to the basket with the
ball, and ended up turning the ball over four times. Combine all of
that, and it is easy to see this was a forgettable night for
Roberson. He did finish the game with eleven rebounds—six of which
came on the offensive glass, but it is frustrating that he could not
make more of his followup shots. Roberson shows flashes of being an
outstanding, versatile forward, who can play at a high level on both
ends of the floor, but he is hugely inconsistent.
F Malachi Richardson: 7.5
It would be
easy to look at Richardson's point total, 12, the lowest of his four
game career, and suggest he had a down game. However, the biggest
criticism I have had of him this season has been his shot selection.
Richardson shot four of six from the field, and three of four from
beyond the arc. That is a very good line for the team's third scoring
option. Richardson could one day be the star for Syracuse, but right
now I like seeing him defer to the seniors, when they're on—that
helps, and take fewer—better—shots.
G Trevor Cooney: 8.5
The old adage
is let shooters shoot their way out of shooting slumps (say that ten
times fast). I typically roll my eyes when announces suggest this as
basketball gospel. Sure, let a struggling shooter shoot his way out
of a slump—but let him do so in practice, or in the shoot around
before the game. More missed shots are just as likely to further
dampen the confidence of a struggling shooter, as made shots are to
lift his confidence. That said, Trevor Cooney entered tonight's game
shooting 31.4% from the FIELD, and shot 47.1% while taking a team
high 17 shots. He scored 19 points. In addition to his offensive
resurgence, Cooney proved to be Syracuse's emotional leader,
constantly playing with 100% effort on both sides of the ball. Cooney
also dished out five assists, and only turned the ball over once.
G Michael Gbinije: 9
Michael Gbinije
was lights out on offense tonight. He shot 9-11 from the field,
making six of his eight shots from behind the arc, scoring 26 points.
Incredible. He also record four assists, and turned the ball over
only twice. I criticized Gbinije's shot selection (yes, I criticize
most of Syracuse's shot selection) in the first couple games, but he
has been on fire lately. In his last two games Gbinije has shot 9-11
from 3pt range, and is now shooting 42% from there for the season.
His two turnovers against Charlotte was his lowest total thus far
this season. Despite how great Gbinije was on the offensive end, he
was dreadful on defense, particularly in the final ten minutes of the
game. He just did not seem to care that Charlotte were taking the
ball passed him for easy layups consistently.
F Tyler Lydon: 10
Tyler Lydon
played less than 30 minutes for the first game since the opener, but
that did not stop him from having the most productive game of his
young career. Lydon played most of his minutes under the basket like
he has most of the season, but the increase in Coleman's playing time
meant Lydon also spent a significant amount of time on the wing as
well. Lydon came into this game 6-15 shooting. He shot 7-10 from the
field against Charlotte, and 2-4 from three point range. In all he
scored a career high 18 points. Lydon showed off a good variety in
his offense this game. He knocked down 3pt shots when left open, and
showed effort running the floor to score in transition. Lydon is
proving to be an interesting asset in the middle of the zone. He is
extremely long, and troubles attackers when the zone is set. He
blocked six shots this game. Lydon also grabbed eight rebounds (seven
of which came on the defensive end), and two steals. Nothing more
could be asked of Lydon than how he performed tonight. However, I
still have a could worries about Lydon...that is, I have worries
about how Syracuse intends to use Lydon moving forward. Lydon is very
slight of frame. It is a good thing basketball is played inside the
dome, because if he was outside I'm afraid Lydon would be swept up by
the wind, and sent spiraling down the hill toward Marshall Street. I
fear Lydon is going to be bullied by bigger teams, who have big men
capable of scoring inside. I'm thinking about teams like North
Carolin with Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson, and Miami with Tonye
Jekiri in the ACC specifically. Can Lydon defend against punishing
big men? Will he become foul prone when facing better big men? I just
don't know, and I'm afraid Syracuse doesn't have another option right
now.
G Kaleb Joseph: 3
Joseph played
more against Charlotte than he had in Syracuse's past two games
behind. Joseph ran the point for the Orange while he was on the
court, often with both Gbinije and Cooney playing with him. Joseph
misses all six of his shot attempts, including four from 3pt range.
However, he did finish the game with two assists, and only one
turnover—limited playing time though. Joseph was not impressive on
the defensive end, and helped to spearhead, along with Gbinije, the
lackadaisical defense that allowed Charlotte to come back some in the
final ten minutes. Joseph is clearly behind Cooney, Gbinije, and
Richardson who will soak up most of the minutes during conference
play. The way he is playing Joseph may need to worry about Howard
jumping him on the depth chart next season, especially with Tyus
Battle coming to the team, and another scholarship opening up.
G Franklin Howard: N/A
Franklin Howard
has played just a little in each of Syracuse's first four games. He
has yet to make a field goal attempt, and has made only one free
throw in four tries. Despite having trouble putting the ball in the
basket, Howard has looked good dishing out assists (he's averaged
more than one a game), and using his considerable size for his
position to grab rebounds as well (he has averaged 1.5 of those a
game). Howard has also yet to turn the ball over. Howard will likely
continue to play sparingly this season, but he looks to have some
good skills, and is getting some experience for next season. He did
not play enough this game to qualify for a grade.
C Chinoso Obokoh: N/A
Obokoh has
hardly played the three games. He looked like a solid defensive
specialist in the opener against Lehigh. However, Syracuse seems to
be committed to Tyler Lydon in the center of the zone this season. He
did not play enough this game to qualify for a grade.
Team Rating: 7.35
This was far and away the best Syracuse has looked all season. The offense, and particularly the distance shooters were firing on all cylinders. Syracuse as a team shot 49.2% from the field, and 50% (14-28) from three point range. When Syracuse is shoots like they did today, they can compete with anyone. Gbinije is finally playing like the star I predicted him to be in my ACC preview. However, Gbinije, Cooney, and now Malachi Richardson are all streaky shooters, and need to show more consistency. The frontcourt of Tyler Roberson and DaJuan Coleman also struggled offensive this game, combining to shoot just 4-15 from the field. It is encouraging to see Coleman play more, and he should improve the more he plays. Roberson is just another terribly inconsistent player. He has great potential. His combination of strength, athleticism, length, and tenacity allows him to be one of the best rebounders in his conference, but he needs to do a better job of finishing the ball in traffic, and needs to improve his jump shot. One of the people I was watching the game with was disgusted with Syracuse's defense in the second, especially in the final ten minutes. Charlotte kept pushing the ball up court quickly, and scored easy layups on five or six consecutive possessions. Gbinije and Joseph (specifically, though there were others) kept just backing up on these attackers, and did nothing to disrupt them on their way to the basket. My companion suggested they needed to stop Charlotte before they reached the free throw line, and Boeheim teams had a common weakness waiting too long to cover the drive. I am curious if the new rules caused Syracuse defenders to back up, and hesitate to attack the ball carrier for fear of fouling. It could also be lazy defender when up by double digits late in the game. Regardless of the reason, Charlotte exposed the not-so-secret weakness of the zone—attacking it before it is set up. The other big problem I find with the zone involves the man occupying the center of it, either Lydon or Coleman in most cases. Both Lydon and Coleman did a great job when the zone was set this game. However, in other games the zone has looked weak. One of the main causes for this is the absence of Rakeem Christmas, who was more than just a great rim protector on defense. He was Syracuse's defensive leader. He controlled that zone, and commanded his teammates around him. This year there are a couple of newcomers, and no one commanding in the middle. Also, Lydon has been relied on heavily to play underneath the basket, but I question how effective he is going to play there against bigger, better teams. Syracuse will get a chance to begin to answer this question tomorrow night, as they will play 18th ranked UCONN, who have seven-footer, Amida Brimah.
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