SU’s Feast Week: Gbinije Transfers In, Whitehead Says Orange Leads

A big week for Syracuse hoops as Duke forward Michael Gbinije announces he will join SU after transferring from Duke, and Isaiah Whitehead Рone of the top basketball recruits in New York City (a top 20 guard nationally) Рsays Syracuse is at the top of his list.

Gbinije was caught in a numbers game with the Blue Devils, and joins a front court that already has incredible depth. While MG may not finalize a Transformers Lineup like Nerlens Noel would have, he does add a 6’7″ body that averaged 25/10/5 his senior season. He was lauded for his unselfish play and fundamentally sound game coming out of high school. Meantime, Whitehead¬†is just a sophomore, and has other offers such as Georgetown, UConn, Arizona, Iowa State, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Rutgers and Florida State.

The New York Post ticks off the reasons SU seems like a great fit for the NYC guard.

But Whitehead’s in no rush to make a decision.

Whitehead said he will begin to evaluate his choices at the end of the summer, and look at who has watched the most, and where he might fit in the best. This will already be a year of transition for SU’s backcourt.¬†Dion Waiters is on his way to the NBA, and Scoop Jardine awaits his walk down the aisle. Michael Carter-Williams will get plenty of minutes this season, and Trevor Cooney is expected to contribute. But Brandon Triche will be a senior as well. It only makes sense for SU to continue looking at guard options for down the road.

Orange Nation has fretted over Whitehead (Lincoln High School) before. In November, Whitehead’s mother, Erika Rambert,¬†said Syracuse was off his list¬†because of the¬†explosive Bernie Fine allegations. But his¬†coach Dwayne Morton cleared up that issue, as Rambert mistakenly thought Fine was the head coach instead of an assistant.

Here’s three reasons why Syracuse has a solid shot at landing I-Dub:

• Playing time is available

There should be be plenty of minutes in the backcourt for when Whitehead would eventually land on campus. He’s Class of ’14, meaning MCW would be a senior by the time he reaches campus, while Cooney would be a junior. While the front court has incredible depth, the guard rotation is not as deep. It’s hard to project college rosters two seasons into the future, but Whitehead would likely be a major piece of the puzzle. This week The Fizz discussed Boeheim’s recent visit to scout guard¬†Tyler Ennis, enabled by new NCAA rules. Whitehead projects as a two-guard in college. Imagine that backcourt combination at the Dome. Dajuan Coleman and Jerami Grant would be juniors, as would Gbinije – who finished his freshman season and will sit out this year.

• IW’s size and grit fits the Orange system

The 6’4″ guard provides exactly the type of length Boeheim loves. Triche stands at the same height, with¬†a wide frame that explains his 205 lbs. SU has always targeted bigger guards, guys that stretch the floor on the offensive end, as well as get to the basket and take advantage of their size. Whitehead has those intangibles. The size and grit he possesses fits seamlessly into the 2-3 zone defense, keeping the paint closed, and leading to defensive havoc.

• SU’s a program that keeps on growing

Whitehead has said he wants to make sure his school has sustaining success, since he’s just a high school sophomore. With DC 2.0, Grant, Gbinije, MCW, Cooney, and Rakeem Christmas potentially still on campus, Syracuse should be one of those schools.

Whitehead has SU as his top school right now, and there’s plenty of reasons to believe he should keep it there. His ability and position should lead to time on the floor in Boeheim’s system. His¬†tenacity fits the Orange style of gritty play, and he’ll be joining a talented group that will still be successful two years down the road.