Syracuse basketball is going to look a lot different in 2021-2022. For the sake of this projected rotation, we will only work with the players on the roster.
Point Guards
- Joe Girard
- Symir Torrence
Syracuse fans are probably already shaking in their boots at the prospect of not having such a dynamic six-man like Kadary Richmond backing up Joe Girard. To be honest, they should be. If the shots aren’t falling then Girard has a tough time contributing. Symir Torrence is going to have to have a big year.
Shooting Guards
1. Buddy Boeheim 2. Jimmy Boeheim 3. Symir Torrence
There he is again. Symir Torrence can play both guard spots, and he’ll have to at times. The bottom line is that, like last year, Jim Boeheim is going to have a tough time pulling his son. Buddy played 36.2 minutes per game in 2019-2020. His hook might be a little quicker though now that Buddy’s older brother Jimmy is on the Hill. In four games against power-five teams while at Cornell, Jimmy averaged 12 points per game.
Small Forwards
- Benny Williams
- Jimmy Boeheim
- Chaz Owens
This is where it starts to get really interesting. Everyone knows that Benny Williams is the most talented player in this unit, and maybe even on the team. The five-star won’t have too much competition for the starting small forward rank, but it’s possible that Jimmy Boeheim steals the starting-three spot to start the year. Boeheim knows the Zone, and the Hall of Fame Coach tends to be hesitant to start freshmen right away (i.e. Kadary Richmond).
Power Forwards
- Cole Swider
- Benny Williams
- Chaz Owens
Assuming Williams is the player everyone expects him to be, the goal will be to keep him on the floor. Depending on the way Swider plays, SU’s best lineup could be Boeheim as the small forward and Williams playing power forward. But to start, Cole Swider will get the nod. The Villanova transfer shot 42.6% from range last season. The Orange haven’t had deep production from that position since Tyler Lydon in 2016-2017, who spent most of his time in the middle anyway.
Centers
- Bourama Sidibe
- Jesse Edwards
- Frank Anselem
This is an extremely fluid unit, mostly because of the inconsistency and the injury history of Bourama Sidibe. A lot of Syracuse fans think if the senior is fully healthy, then he will be a plus-par ACC center. But there is very little evidence to back that up. Nobody knows what Sidibe will give SU. Edwards and Anselem both seem to have high ceilings, but will Edwards take a step up and build off of his tournament success? Will Anselem contribute after basically redshirting last season? If the answer to either one of these questions is yes, then the center rotation will look very different.
