Quincy Guerrier isn’t the highest-rated recruit in this ambiguous incoming freshman class for Syracuse. Brycen Goodine owns that title. Guerrier isn’t the most-hyped recruit in this five person class. That belongs to Joe Girard and his laundry list of NY state records. However, Guerrier has the highest ceiling this year of anyone in this class.
He’s the one freshman that could start game one against Virginia. He’s the freshman that has the best chance of going one-and-done. He’s also the most likely candidate of the freshman group to finish with double-digits points per game this season.
Why Syracuse Needs Him?
One word: playmaking. Fans were pleased with the amount of passing and three-point shooting they saw on this years roster after the Orange/White scrimmage last Friday and, for the most part, the positive early reviews were warranted. But, let’s face it a stress-free pickup game is one thing. On the road at Georgetown, Iowa at home and, of course, Virginia at home to start the season is another.
The bottom line: there isn’t a ton of shot creators on this Syracuse roster. Elijah Hughes is the obvious one. Outside of that, though, who is next? Jalen Carey certainly has potential but we’ve yet to see it outside of a freshman trip to MSG. We know Buddy can shoot but can he create off-the-dribble? Girard maybe down the road but in his first year? Seems far-fetched.
Guerrier could be that additional playmaker this team really needs. Everyone, including Jim Boeheim, has compared his game lazily to Oshae Brissett because of the similar background. In reality, they aren’t that similar.
Guerrier is more of a shot-creator with better ball-handling skills. While Guerrier is working on developing his shot, he’s a more physical player than Brissett. At 6-7, 220, the physicality stands out when you see Guerrier up close. His body type is not like Brissett. He won’t be the stretch four type of player, at least not right away. Guerrier will spend plenty of time in the paint and slashing to the rim. He thrives with the ball in his hands.
Best Case Scenario
He breaks out with a similar freshman season to Brissett stats wise (15 PPG, 8 RPG). His physicality translates to the next level right away and is a consistent double-double machine, even in ACC play. He rocks the Spongebob Squarepants shoes all the way to a one-and-done season, which by the way, Canadian scout Wes Brown said is likely on a FizzCast. He believes he would be ranked top-30 in the ESPN class if he was from America.
Worst Case Scenario
Turnovers become an issue (they were a little bit in Italy). He struggles finishing at the rim and gets a reputation for forcing bad, off-balance shots. Doesn’t fit the mold of a pass-first team and his outside shot never develops. Leading to some occasional minutes on the bench in ACC play and roughly five points a night. 
We’ll continue to unveil our top five up until Halloween. Check back here on these days as we continue to get you ready for the much-anticipated 2019 basketball season. Also, make sure to check out our audio content on SoundCloud at Orange Fizz. We post a weekly show, podcasts and more.
Thursday, October 17th: Quincy Guerrier
Monday, October 21st: #4?
Thursday, October 24th: #3?
Monday, October 28th: #2?
Thursday, October 31st: #1?
