2022 Record: 17-15 (10-10)

Head Coach: Adrian “Red” Autry (1st Career Season as a Head Coach)

Projected Rotation:

PG: JJ Starling (Notre Dame 11.2 Pts, 2.8 Reb, 1.1 Ast)

SG: Judah Mintz (16.3 Pts, 2.6 Reb, 4.6 Ast)

SF: Chris Bell (6.6 Pts, 1.8 Reb, 0.4 Ast)

PF: Benny Williams (7.2 Pts, 4.1 Reb, 0.8 Ast)

C: Naheem McLeod (Florida State 3.8 Pts, 2.7 Reb, 0.2 Ast)

6: PF Maliq Brown (5.7 Pts, 4.2 Reb, 0.9 Ast)

7: SG Chance Westry (Auburn 2.5 Pts, 0.7 Reb, 1.0 Ast)

8: SG Justin Taylor (4.2 Pts, 1.8 Reb, 0.7 Ast)

9: SG Kyle Cuffe Jr (Kansas 0.0 Pts, 0.5 Reb, 0.0 Ast)

10: PG Quadir Copeland (2.1 Pts, 1.6 Reb, 0.5 Ast)

11: C Mounir Hima (1.0 Pts, 1.7 Reb, 0.1 Ast)

12: C William Patterson

13: C Peter Carey (0.0 Pts, 1.0 Reb, 0.3 Ast)

Syracuse’s biggest win of the offseason was getting Judah Mintz to return to Syracuse for his sophomore season despite chatter that he would be a 2nd round NBA Draft pick. Mintz really surprised last season as he was tied with Joe Girard for highest scorer on the team. Mintz is an extremely athletic guard that can score from nearly anywhere on the court. A few areas where he can improve is defense and three point shooting. Mintz shot 30% from 3 last season, but he’s capable of shooting closer to 35%. Syracuse also added Notre Dame transfer guard JJ Starling which was a big win for the Orange as he was one of the highly sought after players in the portal. Starling, also a freshman last season, was another player that outplayed his expectations. He is transferring within the conference so he has experience at the high major ACC level. Like Mintz, Starling could also improve in categoies such as defense and outside shooting.

Chris Bell is another rising sophomore returning to the Orange this upcoming season. Bell also impressed in his freshman season last year starting all 30 games and contributing on both sides of the ball. He is a player that could be relied on for a breakout season this year. Another returner for the Orange that is expected to be in the starting lineup is rising junior forward Benny Williams. He had a drastic improvement in his game from his freshman to sophomore season. He was playing with more confidence this past year which led to more success on the court. Williams has good nice and length for this position. He’s also the best three point shooter of the projected starters and will be relied heavily on in that regard.

Additional returners for the Orange next season include Maliq Brown, Justin Taylor, and Quadir Copeland. Maliq Brown is another player who had a very productive season as a freshman. He averaged 6PPG and 5RPG this past season as a freshman. He also shot 70% from the field this past season finishing very well around the rim. Justin Taylor is another rising sophomore and former 4 star recruit. He is mainly known as a three point shooter, but is capable of doing other things on both sides of the ball too. He shot 39% from 3 this past season and is capable of shooting in the 40s this upcoming season. Quadir Copeland is another rising sophomore who played sparingly this past season. He should have a more expanded role that will see more play time this upcoming season.

Syracuse also signed transfers Chance Westry from Auburn and Kyle Cuffe Jr from Kansas this past season. Both Cuffe and Westry were 4 star recruits in the 2022 season. They are athletic guards with a ton of potential that will be key contributors for the Orange this upcoming season. Westry saw action in only 11 games last season due to injury. He struggled from the field this past season, but after recovering from his injury and with a new change of scenery he should be a much improved player next year. Cuffe only played in 2 games last season at Kansas due to a torn acl. He’s a player that has great range and a ton of athleticism. Cuffe broke this hand during the offseason, but should be fully recovered and ready for action long before the season starts.

Syracuse also added big man transfer Naheem McLeod from Florida State this offseason. The 7-4 center is one of the tallest players in college basketball and should add a great deal of value to both sides of the ball for the Orange. He’s very active around the rim and finishes very well when he gets the ball. Syracuse also returns big men Mounir Hima and Peter Carey. Hima saw minimal action in 27 games this past season. He is mainly known as a defensive first player with strengths for rebounding and shot blocking. Peter Carey only saw action in 3 games last year then he was sidelined for the rest of the season with an injury. Syracuse also signed 7-2 center William Patterson out of Brooklyn, NY who will add some depth to the frontcourt.

Syracuse should be an improved team with the additions they made this offseason. It will also be interesting to see how they respond after this will be their first season without Jim Boeheim since 1976. Boeheim had a tough last few seasons at Syracuse, but he is still a legend and one of the best coaches of all time. In this new era, Red Autry will be in charge of taken over the Orange squad after being promoted from assistant to head coach. Syracuse should finish around the middle of the ACC and might be in the mix for a tournament bid although and NIT bid is more likely.