Syracuse men’s basketball recorded a statement win over the Northeastern Huskies on Saturday, topping the Huskies 76-48.
The highlight of the victory, however, was the performance of several freshmen on the Orange squad. Here’s a breakdown of each one’s contributions to the victory.
Judah Mintz:
Judah Mintz was sensational Saturday night. He put up 18 points for the Orange, one of three players to hit double digits in the points column. It was his craftiness with the ball, however, that set him apart.
Mintz has taken over Joe Girard III’s role as the primary ball handler this season. With both Buddy and Jimmy Boeheim gone, Girard III has been able to move off the ball a bit, and into a more shooting-heavy role.
As the team’s primary point guard, Mintz has used his athleticism and shiftiness to create shot opportunities for the Orange offense. With five assists and no turnovers, Mintz was effective in his role and was a key part of the Orange’s tight offense.
A highly touted recruit coming into the season, Mintz has mostly lived up to the hype so far. His level of play as of late is encouraging headed into an ACC schedule loaded with teams likely to make it to the postseason.
Joe Girard III
As aforementioned, Joe Girard III has moved from point guard to shooting guard this season. This comes in the wake of Buddy and Jimmy Boeheim’s departure from the team. Last year, Girard III was primarily responsible for setting up shots for the Boeheim brothers, seeing an occasional scoring opportunity for himself. This year, he’s stepped into Buddy Boeheim’s role as the team’s sharpshooter.
Girard III showed flashes of his shooting abilities last year, even as the team’s point guard. He’s crafty and is able to weave around defenders. He is on the shorter side, which can work to his advantage when he gets swarmed by defenders.
He knocked down five three pointers against Northeastern, a season high. He’s doing exactly what Coach Boeheim needs him to do. Girard III is a veteran, and one of the few seniors that gets into the rotation for the Orange.
Going into the season, Girard III was expected to be a leader on this Orange squad. He’s done just that, and if he continues to be the sharpshooter he’s expected to be, the Orange will be successful on the offensive side of things.
Jesse Edwards:
The bar was set pretty high for Jesse Edwards coming off a sensational season cut short by an injury. Edwards has excelled thus far, and Saturday night was no exception.
At 6-foot-11, Edwards is one of the tallest centers in the ACC, and college basketball, for that matter. Just a few seasons ago, Edwards’ lanky build and lack of strength raised some questions about his ability to compete in such an elite basketball conference.
From the 2020-21 season to the 2021-22 season, Edwards put on 30 pounds, a weight he’s maintained. He’s gotten stronger, and has the ability to muscle his way to the basket. With his height and improved strength, he’s proven difficult to stop. His height gives him the ability to throw down dunks and limit the opportunity for opposing centers to block his shots.
His rebounding skills play a key role in the Orange’s offensive scheme. This team struggled with rebounding last season, and it’s evident that Coach Boeheim was determined to fix that issue this season. Edwards is getting more aggressive at the rim, and his offensive rebounds are giving the Orange more opportunities to score second chance points.
While Edwards has shown up so far, he needs to watch his fouls. He did a great job of this against Northeastern, recording just one foul in 21 minutes, but against more competitive teams, he’ll need to be mindful.
It’s worth noting, though, that Edwards has a seemingly solid backup in Mounir Hima, a sophomore transfer from Duquesne, in the event that he does foul out. Hima has been great as a backup, allowing Edwards to rest without worrying about the team struggling in his absence.