ThePhiladelphiaPhotographer.com
If we’re to believe a young athlete’s Twitter feed, Dion Waiters will stay Orange for at least another season.
‚ÄúOhk for everybody wanting to kno the answer YES I’m coming back to syracuse next year‚Äù
If Waiters tweet can be believed (and that’s a big if), it indicates a couple things. For starters, Waiters-gate wasn‚Äôt just Boeheim-invented gossip. By making an event out of his return to SU, Dion is acknowledging there was indeed the possibility he would leave.
It would also appear from Dion’s tweet the choice was made by the player, not the coach. It’s hard to imagine Boeheim was stupid enough to nonchalantly hand private information to the media regarding the potential departure of a player. Dion may have been driving the bus on a potential transfer, because the NBA was never an option. Maybe he originally had qualms about being coached by Boeheim again, but realized the grass isn’t always greener and decided to stay.
Assuming he really will be back, Syracuse fans should be rejoicing. Egomaniacal tendencies aside, the Philly guard is worth having on the SU roster. Sure, there were growing pains during his freshman season. But his own cousin’s pains were far more severe, and now Scoop is the team’s leader (for better or worse).
Waiters may be the most talented player on the Orange. When he feels his offensive game, he can light up the scoreboard with the best of ‚Äòem. Pump out all the clich√©s and hyperbolic expressions you‚Äôd like ‚Äì you still won’t be overestimating Dion‚Äôs potential.
Granted, the guy’s been known to trip over himself a bit. It was his supreme confidence as a scorer that allowed him to explode for a career-high 18 points against Marquette (after having only scored in double figures twice in 22 prior games). But that same confidence led to ignorance about his defensive deficiencies, and repeated clashes with The Per’fesser.
We can only hope that Waiters matures and the side effects of his cockiness disappear. His arrogance is fun to watch, but only if it’s a force for good. There’s going to be a logjam at the guard position next season. Someone deserving of floor time will be squeezed out of it, and if Dion’s that guy, then he needs to respond the appropriate way: by putting his head down and working even harder.
Most of Jim Boeheim’s recent public utterances have been questionable, but one thing he said makes a ton of sense:
“I think I heard on a radio show somebody saying we have too many players coming back. That’s a good thing. I never thought it was a bad thing to have too many good players. I always thought it was bad to not have enough.”
With Dion back in the fold, intra-team competition should breed competitiveness. As long as everyone is focused on the same goal – winning a National Championship – they have the talent to deliver.
Posted: Andrew Kanell
