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Syracuse had just finished one of its biggest games of the season, nearly upsetting the nation’s sixth ranked team. But the first question Jim Boeheim received in his postgame press conference had nothing to do with what had just unfolded on the court. 

That was because Benny Williams, who had started all but two games entering Monday, was absent from the JMA Wireless Dome. He wasn’t there for pregame warmups, nor for the game itself against Virginia. Williams wasn’t in the locker room afterwards either. Once seen as a candidate for a breakout season, Williams has seen his minutes diminished, only recording seven minutes against Virginia Tech on Saturday after starting on the bench for the first time all season. 

Boeheim wasn’t happy with the question. “That’s the most important question you have?” he asked the reporter, before announcing that Williams had taken a “personal day” and would be back at practice Wednesday. 

Williams’ season, and Syracuse’s season as a whole, has been an up-and-down one. The Orange dropped their third straight game, 67-62, against No. 6 Virginia on Monday, missing out on another opportunity for a marquee win that has eluded them as they drift further and further from the NCAA Tournament picture.

Williams sat alone, his hoodie pulled above his head, in the SU locker room after recording only 11 minutes against Notre Dame on January 14. Two days later, he bounced back with 12 points in 30 minutes against Miami. Boeheim said Saturday that Williams has been struggling in practice recently, and Maliq Brown started in his place against VT. His absence Monday sent the status of Syracuse’s forward positions further into flux, with Brown starting again, Chris Bell only receiving nine minutes and Justin Taylor shooting 2-for-6. What the future looks like for Williams, and SU’s forwards, still remains unclear. 

“Obviously, it hurts not having one of our main guys with us,” Taylor said. “But we’re still a team, we’re still playing together. And no matter what happens, we’re still playing as a team and trying to get the win.”

The freshman didn’t go into detail about Williams’ absence, but said he has great chemistry with Bell and Brown, and envisions all three playing well together on the court. Bell agreed, saying he’s comfortable playing with all of SU’s forwards and trusts each one of them. 

Already down one starting forward, Boeheim decided to take another one out just 15 seconds into the game Monday. Syracuse had won the opening tip, and Judah Mintz moved the ball to Bell on the wing. Bell took a dribble, but Armaan Franklin swiped it right from him, leading to two Virginia free throws on the other end. Taylor ran right to the scorer’s table. 

“You can’t play and do that. You can’t,” Boeheim explained postgame. “There’s some things you can’t do. Like if you catch the ball and you hold it, and the guy comes up and takes it out of your hands, you can’t play.” 

Taylor said he’s used to checking into games quickly, just not that quickly. Still, the freshman is “always” ready for when Boeheim calls his name. Minutes after checking in, Taylor drilled a 3-pointer from the wing, and used a pump fake to hit a jumper on the next possession. 

Boeheim said earlier in the season that Williams was playing more like a guard or shooting forward than a true four, where Syracuse has played him. Bell and Taylor have split time at the three positions throughout conference play, and Taylor played 31 minutes to Bell’s nine on Monday. 

“You never really know, just always staying ready for when coach calls your name. And whether I’m playing 10 minutes or 30 minutes, like tonight, it’s just always staying confident and ready for when an opportunity comes,” Taylor said. 

When Bell checked out of the game, Boeheim told him he wasn’t ready to play, and therefore, wouldn’t, the forward said. Bell didn’t check back in until four minutes into the second half, with Syracuse down six. He said he wanted to prove to Boeheim that he was ready to play. 

Jesse Edwards drew a double team before kicking the ball crosscourt to Bell on the wing. The freshman showed no hesitation as he launched his 3-pointer. Moments later, Bell got fouled on another shot from deep, and hit all three free throws to give Syracuse a two-point lead. 

“I was just trying to go out there and be aggressive,” Bell said. “It was a really close game. I tried to make a couple shots to keep us in it.”

Bell, though, wouldn’t score over the final 13 minutes. Boeheim said Bell rushed a few 3s, but was still happy with the freshman’s response after being benched right after tip-off. Taylor eventually came back in, but he couldn’t provide any scoring assistance, either. 

With Williams out, Bell knew Syracuse would need to crash the glass hard with its third-best rebounder absent. Virginia outrebounded SU by four, getting a game-high eight from 6-foot-6 wing Jayden Gardner. Edwards and Brown led the Orange with seven each, but Taylor and Bell combined for just three. 

Brown played the entire 40 minutes for the first time in his career, another milestone for a freshman whose role has continued to expand over recent months. He had eight points on Monday, converting a few layups off nice passes, and driving for one in the first half. Bell said Brown plays his role — built around rebounding, strong defense and finishing inside — “really well,” and was impressed with Taylor’s defense, too. 

“Maliq and Justin did really good,” Bell said. “Maliq does great every game he’s in, rebounding, always fighting down there with those big guys. I don’t think you could ask (for) too much more (from) those guys.” 

While Boeheim was frustrated with Syracuse’s loss, he told the team after the game that he was proud of how they fought to the end, Taylor said. He echoed that moments later while talking to reporters, saying the Orange “easily” played their best game of the season, despite falling short. 

Then, Boeheim finished talking, opening up the floor for questions. And after some back-and-forth with the reporter, the future of Williams’ rollercoaster season still, despite his expected return, remains murky. And what Syracuse will get from his fellow forwards over the rest of the season does, too.

Published on January 30, 2023 at 11:29 pm

Contact Connor: [email protected] | @csmith17_