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Buddy Boeheim’s March has put the NBA community on notice. 

Even heading into the NCAA Tournament, scouts had Buddy circled as a player to watch, Bleacher Report draft expert Jonathan Wasserman said. In six games this month, the Syracuse junior is averaging 26 points per game on 48% shooting from 3.

The NBA is something Buddy said he’s never even dreamed of. 

“That’s crazy to me, to be honest,” Buddy said Wednesday of NBA praise. “I never thought about being an NBA player even once.”

He said he still has plenty to work on and is not yet close to the floor-spacers of the modern NBA. Whether Buddy decides to put his name in the NBA Draft bucket or return for his senior year is a mystery. But the buzz surrounding him remains as No. 11 seed Syracuse (18-9, 9-7 Atlantic Coast) surges into the Sweet 16. 

“I think he’s still got a lot to prove,” one Eastern Conference scout said. “He’s limited. He’s obviously a shooter. We knew he was a shooter. I think now is about being able to develop other parts to his game.”

The scout, who’s not authorized to speak publicly about players, stressed the need for Buddy to become more multidimensional offensively. He said another year at Syracuse would benefit him, and age isn’t as big a concern for shooting specialists compared to bigs or slashers. “It’s an obvious decision,” he said. 

The scout said people tend to overreact to performances in the NCAA Tournament, when the spotlight’s brightest — Tyler Lydon and Malachi Richardson famously rose their draft stock in March. Wasserman gives Buddy a second round grade. 

“That’s why I’d say Buddy should come back,” the scout said. “A lot of guys who benefit from the tournament, it can be a bit of a flash in the pan. And I think you’ve got to look at things from a season perspective … I don’t think you can get too high or too low over a few games.”

Buddy has flashed improved playmaking and off-the-bounce playmaking this season. He dished five assists in SU’s ACC Tournament win over NC State and three more in its loss to Virginia. The scout’s not convinced he’s anything but a shooter.

“There are guys in the league who are just shooters, but I think you want to be as multidimensional as possible,” he said. “That’s always going to be the challenge with him. How is he as a ball handler? How is he as a defender? How is he athletically? As someone who can create for himself off the dribble and for others? Right now I think the only box he checks is as a shooter.” 

Others are more enthusiastic. ESPN’s Mike Schmitz wrote that Buddy’s ability to shoot on the move separates him from other draft prospects and compared him to Duncan Robinson, JJ Redick, Kyle Korver and Joe Harris.  

An Eastern Conference coach said every NBA team needs shooting. He said Buddy, who’s on scouts’ radars, fits the mold. The coach pointed to Buddy’s high basketball IQ as a major additional skill to go along with his elite shooting. 

“He’s been around the game his whole life,” the coach said. “He’ll figure out how to get his shot off, create some space. Obviously his shooting translates over to the NBA. But there’s a lot of intangibles that go into making it at the next level. You don’t have to be the quickest guy out there. He’s not the most athletic guy when you go to the next level, but you learn those nuances.”

There will always be questions about his defensive abilities, a classic concern for Syracuse prospects because of the zone, but Buddy has good size for a shooting guard at 6-foot-6. Buddy’s a known commodity on offense, where Wasserman said he’s a “versatile, advanced shooter.” 

Buddy will face a decision whenever Syracuse’s season ends on whether to stay at Syracuse or enter the NBA Draft. He could try to further develop at SU or ride the momentum of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. 

“I think he should go,” Wasserman said. “I don’t know what else he’s going to be able to do next year to improve his stock. At this point, he’s got to strike while the iron’s hot. And his stock is hot right now.” 

Published on March 24, 2021 at 11:18 pm

Contact Danny: [email protected] | @DannyEmerman