Syracuse Orange vs Colgate Player Ratings and Recap

Here are my player ratings and recap of Syracuse's season opener victory over Colgate. The Team Rating is determined by a weighted average of the players. The more minutes the player played, the more weight their rating is given when determining the team's overall rating. 
19 Syracuse Orange[men] 83 Colgate Raiders 55

Syracuse: 6.68

C DaJuan Coleman Sr. 6.5

Despite starting, Coleman played fewer minutes than any of the nine main rotation players. That's right in line with what occurred last season. In just 15 minutes, Coleman ranked up 4 fouls. He was 3-4 from the field, powering his way inside. He added 6 rebounds, and a block. He deserves more minutes, but needs to stay out of foul trouble.

F Tyler Roberson Sr. 7.5

Roberson was the team's leading scorer, 18, despite playing only 24 minutes. Roberson moved well without the ball, cutting to the basket, and getting open for easy buckets. He just looked to big, and athletic for the opposition. Roberson shot 9-13 from the field, although he missed the one mid-range jumper he took. If he could knock down that shot, he would be a NBA prospect. He only had 4 rebounds, but he did not need to rebound this game.

F Tyler Lydon So. 5.5

Lydon struggled offensively, which I feared coming into the season. Lydon did not look capable of creating his own shot. He also missed open looks from outside. Gillon, Battle, Howard, and White are all capable of driving to the basket, and that will open up Lydon outside, like last season, but he needs to knock down those shots. Lydon did not look like a go-to scorer. He did come up with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. Lydon's defense continues to look good, and he and Chukwu together are lethal.

G Andrew White III Sr. 8

White looked the part of a go-to scorer. He was aggressive on the offensive end, driving to the basket, pulling up for mid range opportunities, and shooting from outside. He does need to be more consistent from beyond the arc; he finished just 2-7 from there. White finished the game with 17 points and 5 rebounds. He led the team playing 29 minutes.

G Frank Howard So. 9

Howard looked much improved to a season ago. He looked more assertive on the offensive end, putting up his shot without hesitation. Howard hit all three of his 3pt attempts, and also showed a good ability to drive in the lane. Howard has also clearly been working on his passing and distribution. He finished the game with 9 assists, and did so in just 22 minutes played. Howard nearly had a double-double, as he scored 11 points on 4-4 shooting overall. He also looked comfortable defending in the zone, and had four steals. Howard is an all-around player. He looked fantastic this game.

G Tyus Battle Fr. 3

Many of Syracuse's players looked impressive in the opener, Battle was not one of them. He looked a little lost on the offensive end. Battle was not often handling the ball, and had difficulty getting involved, and while White moved great without the ball, Battle always seemed on the other end of the court. Then, it seemed Battle just forced things when he would get the ball. He finished the game just 1-7, missing all three of his 3pt attempts. He had 6 points.

C Paschal Chukwu So. 5

Chukwu was 2-2 for four points. He also grabbed five rebounds, and a block. He is not going to be the most productive offensively, but is a nice anchor in the zone. He also avoided fouling defenders. Chukwu, almost comically, went 0-6 from the FT line. It was embarrassing.

G John Gillon Sr. 8

Gillon was Syracuse's most productive playing off the bench. He was very aggressive on offense, pushing the tempo whenever he got the ball. Gillon charged at defenders to get in the lane, although sometimes it seemed he to drive into tough shots if he wasn't bailed out by a foul. Gillon finished 5-8 for 13 points, making one of his two attempts from 3pt range. He also had 6 assists, and no turnovers. Between he and Howard, Syracuse looked good from the PG position.

F Taurean Thompson Fr. 6

Thompson got extended playing time this game, playing 18 minutes. He was 1-4 for three total points. But, made his mark on the boards, leading the team with 7 rebounds. It's possible with Moyer redshirting that Thompson will get regular playing time this year, especially since Boeheim enjoys yanking Roberson from games for no reason. Or, he could ride the bench once Syracuse's schedule gets tougher.

Team Overview:

Syracuse destroyed Colgate—not a surprise. However, there were big question marks about what the rotation would be, and who would play when, some of those questions have begun to be answered. White looks like a go-to scorer, and Syracuse needs that on offense. Another big question entering the season was at point guard, but Howard and Gillon both look like adequate, or better, options. Howard especially looked excellent this game. Roberson is somehow unheralded despite being the senior, but is still capable of being very productive. Lydon and Battle were two of the most highly anticipated players on this team, but they both struggled. It did not matter though, because of Syracuse's depth. Syracuse has more depth than ever before, but they have talented depth, players who can step up when Lydon, or Battle have a bad game. That's important for this season.