There have been countless amazing athletes to call Syracuse home. From Brown, to Melo, to Gait, and everyone in between. It’s a tall task to rank the top-100 SU athletes of all time, but today the Fizz embarks on a multi-week journey where we will do just that. We begin with the athletes from 100-96.
#100: Laura Hurff
Laura Hurff is one of the biggest names in Syracuse Field Hockey history. The midfielder played at SU from 2014-2017. Hurff was named an All-American three out of her four seasons, making her one of only six Orange players to be honored three times. She was also All-ACC those same three years. Hurff started almost every game at SU, beginning in her freshman year. The Delaware-native played a balanced game, both being able to score and distribute. During both her junior and senior seasons she recorded 16 points each year. Hurff was a stellar athlete and a great person to start our rankings with.
#99: Brianna Butler
Brianna Butler is hands-down the best shooter in Syracuse Women’s Basketball history. She ranks first in three-pointers made and sixth career points. When Butler graduated, she also ranked 12th in Division I history with 373 career three-pointers. Not to mention, the guard was durable. She started 135 games and has played more minutes than any other player in program history. Butler was an All-ACC Second Team selection her senior year and was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team her first year with the Orange. Butler was a walking bucket while she donned the SU orange.
#98: Louis Orr
Louis Orr was Jim Boeheim’s very first recruit and was half of the famed “Bouie ‘N Louis Show.” He and Roosevelt Bouie teamed up to go 100-18 in four years at SU. Orr’s height made up for his skinny frame. The forward averaged 7.6 rebounds per game over his career at Syracuse. Plus he increased his scoring each year, ending with an average of 16 points per game during his senior year. Orr helped the Orange win the Big East championship in its inaugural year and make it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen a few weeks later. Those performances and his senior season earned him All-American and Big East First-Team honors in 1980. Orr was an amazing individual player as well as a member of one of the most famous duos in Syracuse history, so of course he was going to make our list!
#97: Alyssa Murray
Two-time Tewaaraton Award Finalist, All-American, Big East Attacker of the Year, All-ACC First Team, All-Region First Team. The list just goes on and on for Alyssa Murray. The attacker played for Syracuse Women’s Lacrosse from 2010-2014. In those four years, she helped her team make it to two national title games and recorded more points in the NCAA Tournament than any other player in program history. Plus, she won the Big East in 2013. Murray currently ranks fifth in career points with 252 and fourth in career goals with 226. Her name is littered in the SU record book, and rightfully so. Murray is one of the most potent and unstoppable offensive threats SU Women’s Lacrosse has ever had on their roster.
#96: Kevin Rice
Why was Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse so good from 2012-2015, you ask? Well, it’s because they had Kevin Rice. He was filthy to say the least. He was a two-time All-America, two-time Tewaaraton Award Finalist, ACC Offensive Player of the Year, and so much more. Rice is in rarefied air with 222 career points. Only 12 other players in program history have more points than him. Rice helped the Orange win three conference titles and make the Final Four in 2013. He was a man amongst boys when he played and an easy candidate to make our top-100.
Check out the full list here as it gets updated over the next couple weeks.
