Syracuse Men’s Basketball is nine games into its season. Although the Orange had a few games postponed, there have been enough contests to start to look at the analytics of the team. Some stats will change as the season goes on, especially with tougher ACC opponents on the schedule. Some will stay the same, however, as SU has found the majority of its identity. So, there’s no better time to do a deep analytical look at Syracuse as it heads into ACC play, all thanks to KenPom.
Overall Ranking: #39
Syracuse is out performing its preseason projection, but took a pretty big dip in the KenPom overall rankings after last week’s loss to Pittsburgh. The Orange used to hold a spot in the 20’s, but have been relegated down to the low-30’s. These rankings fluctuate so much however, don’t put too much weight into them after just the non-conference schedule.
Adjusted Offensive Rating: 109.6 (#57)
Syracuse’s offensive rating has been bolstered by some high scoring affairs like the Boston College blowout and the Buffalo overtime thriller. Other than those games and a couple other performances, the Orange offense has been spotty and worrisome. SU heavily relies on its shooters, which honestly haven’t been that good this season. Quincy Guerrier’s efficiency on that side of the ball has been a savior for Syracuse’s offensive rating, but the rest of the squad will need to pick up their slack sooner or later.
Adjusted Defensive Rating: 92.7 (#33)
Say what you want about the team as a whole, but the Syracuse defense has been fantastic this year. The Orange have added size to the top of the zone with Kadary Richmond and sometimes Alan Griffin, and found success on the wings with Griffin, Guerrier, Woody Newton, and Rob Braswell. Syracuse currently ranks #33 in the country in KenPom’s defensive ratings. To put that in perspective, SU ranked #116 last year. Syracuse is only as good as its defense, but lucky for the Orange, that defense is really good this year.
Average Possession Length: 15.3 (#22)
Syracuse lovesssss to push the tempo this year. The only high-majors that have a quicker offense are Georgia, Nebraska, Alabama, and Gonzaga. If it works, it works and right now it’s worked out to a 7-2 record, but that fast-paced play will most likely slow down a bit in conference play.
Three-Point Attempts Per Field Goal Attempts: 43% | Points from Threes: 33%
43% of Syracuse shots from the field this season have been from three-point range. Yeah, you read that right- 43%! That means almost half of the shots are from beyond the arc. But here’s the catch, only 33% of Syracuse’s points are coming from threes. So, the Orange are jacking up triples at will, but aren’t connecting. They get the majority, 48% to be specific, of their points off of twos. What’s the lesson there? Stop hucking threes and start looking to the inside.
Guerrier’s Offensive Rating: 132.0 (#46)
As previously mentioned, Quincy has easily been the most efficient and effective offensive player for Syracuse. He has earned a 132.0 offensive rating in KenPom, which is the 46th best mark in the entire country. So, in layman’s terms, Guerrier is a top-50 offensive player in the country. To put it in perspective, Dolezaj is next on the SU team with a 117.0 rating, which ranks 298.
Boeheim’s Percentage of Shots: 30.2% (#92)
When Buddy Boeheim is on the floor, he takes 30% of the shots. That is a top-100 mark among players in the nation. He takes a third of his team’s shots but ranks third on the squad in points per game, fifth in three-point percentage, and eight in field goal percentage. Boeheim is obviously a solid offensive player, but he may be taking too many shots.
Depth Chart Over the Past 5 Games
Most Frequent Lineups Over the Past 5 Games
