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Dion Waiters tweeted late Wednesday night he would be returning to Syracuse, which should allow Orange Nation to breathe a sigh of relief.
“Ohk for everybody wanting to kno the answer YES I’m coming back to syracuse next year.”
Dion was arguably the best player on the floor of SU’s 2nd-round loss to Marquette and is undeniably an extraordinary talent. The concerns have always been upstairs with Waiters – could be sublimate his ego enough to buy into team concepts, accept coaching and improve himself as a player?
The easy speculation is Jim Boeheim – at his advanced age and in the twilight of his coaching career – simply no longer has patience with headaches. And a freshman to tell you to “f*** off” on the floor certainly qualifies as a headache of the largest proportion.
Via Twitter this week, Dion has denied he was ever leaving and not to believe the speculation. Wednesday night he took it a step further and declared his intention to return. But actually this doesn’t settle anything. It’s not Dion’s decision to make. It’s Boeheim’s.
Scholarships are renewed on an annual basis by the school. Dion has no prospects of being drafted by the NBA this early in his career. Unless he’s as delusional as Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf, leaving to play overseas or transferring are ridiculous options. Essentially, Dion can’t choose to come back. Syracuse has to choose him.
If Dion is indeed returning, the program is better for it. Love him, hate him – kid can ball. With a potential top-5 team, having Waiters as a scoring threat and part of the arsenal can only raise the ceiling of potential for the Orange. The Per’fesser seemed to back off his comments as well, telling BudPo some of them were taken out of context.
Maybe it was all a loud and clear message from Boeheim: this is still my team. I decide who plays and who’s sent packing to Philly. Maybe it was just Boeheim spouting off to a national reporter as a wink to the local ones he battles with so often. Maybe the entire situation is still unsettled and Dion has no idea what he’s talking about.
One of the most talented players on the team says he’s returning to the Orange… so why doesn’t this feel like it’s over yet?
Posted: D.A.
