As the procession of fans made their way up the bleachers and outside the Carrier Dome, the victors appeared decided. There were a few minutes left in Syracuse’s matchup with Seattle, and the Orange comfortably led by double-digits. Yet, Jim Boeheim kept Syracuse’s starters on the floor. 

Boeheim intended to avoid risk, as he hadn’t three days prior. He said emptying the bench jeopardized the eventual 16-point margin. And despite now facing a non-conference opponent (Seattle) ranked 176th in the country by KenPom, Boeheim limited his rotation to eight players before two walk-ons checked in during the game’s final minute. 

“This is not an experiment,” Boeheim said of his rotation postgame. “… (Seattle’s) taken a 22-point lead down to 15 and you’re not going to put (just) anybody into the game in that situation because they’re not ready.” 

Those deemed ready included the usual veterans who average 30-plus minutes a game in Syracuse’s system, and for the first time this season, a group of freshmen expected to complement their abilities. 

Led by Joe Girard III, the Orange’s freshmen class made their largest impact to date during Syracuse’s (2-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) 89-67 win over Seattle (2-3). Girard, making his first start at point guard in lieu of sophomore Jalen Carey, starred with a game-high 24 points, six rebounds and two assists. Quincy Guerrier (14 points and seven rebounds) tallied career-high’s across the board in his first real dose of collegiate action. And Jesse Edwards and Brycen Goodine filled their positional depth charts with quality minutes. In Saturday’s rout, Syracuse’s supporting cast revealed itself.

“As the freshmen, I feel like we’ve been underrated,” Guerrier said, “We just want to show to everyone we’re ready.”

In the game’s open, Girard spearheaded an offensive attack more effective than the one featured against Virginia and Colgate. Girard’s first collegiate start saw him trigger the offense mainly from the fast break. One of his first passes granted Buddy Boeheim a transition 3 that missed, but seemed good enough on the way down that Girard mirrored Buddy’s follow-through. 

With Buddy and Elijah Hughes commanding attention on the wings, Girard grabbed defensive boards and made sure to be the first option on outlets passes. He slinked through the Redhawks defense and picked out open white jerseys. On two separate occasions, he and Hughes strummed air guitars to the crowd’s chagrin. 

The game’s highlight — a full-court sequence bookended by a Hughes block and Buddy 3-pointer — was facilitated by Girard pushing pace. 

“Joe is a leader,” Guerrier said. “…He was just in control today. He was playing like a real point guard.” 

As Syracuse’s offense rolled, Guerrier stayed in an orange long-sleeve shirt on the bench. Syracuse’s first subs checked in more than seven minutes into the game, with Goodine and Edwards replacing Girard and Bourama Sidibe. Edwards didn’t attempt a shot in his six minutes of action. Instead the 6-foot-11 center disrupted shots and fought for positioning on the boards. Goodine clanked two mid-range jumpers in 13 minutes, and more importantly, didn’t turn the ball over. 

Their development less apparent than Girard’s or Guerrier’s, but they showed potential with Sidibe in foul trouble and Carey benched.

With Seattle focusing on shooters around the perimeter, Guerrier had room to operate during his season-high 17 minutes. In recent weeks, coaches have wanted Guerrier to play like a “bully” and use his physicality. At times Saturday night, Boeheim yelled at Guerrier with two hands extended to simulate grabbing a rebound forcefully. On back-to-back possessions, Guerrier was able to slip his defender for an open dunk.

“We need Brycen to get better,” Boeheim said. “I think he has a chance to really help us. Quincy obviously has to, Jesse obviously has to give us a little bit more, but as we go forward we’ll see.” 

Later in the game, when the Redhawks shot their way back into it, it was the freshmen again helping on the periphery. Seattle 3-pointers cut the lead to seven and cheers sprung from the black jerseys on the visiting bench. Before the lead could shrink further,  Girard tracked down a loose ball, canvassed the court and muscled inside for a lay-in. He then swished a catch-and-shoot 3 a few possessions later, forcing a Seattle timeout. Guerrier also slowed the pace by getting to the free throw line 14 times. 

In the locker room after the final buzzer, Edwards sat next to starter Sidibe and chuckled. A few feet away, Girard was in a swarm of recorders and cameras. Across from Girard stood Guerrier, who joked about the six missed free throws that would’ve given him 20 points. 

The opponent an also-ran. The win an inconsequential in an NCAA Tournament resume. The freshmen’s growth occurred all the same. 

“We have had the set in stone team when you have juniors and seniors, like that’s who’s playing,” Boeheim said. “This year we have freshmen and sophomores and that can fluctuate.”

Published on November 16, 2019 at 11:28 pm

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