When Jimmy Boeheim announced his intentions to transfer from Cornell to Syracuse in the spring there were some mixed emotions amongst the SU faithful. Most experienced an injection of excitement, but some others questioned whether having two Boeheim’s on the floor would actually work. Through the majority of non-conference play, the grad student has actually been Syracuse’s most consistent player.
Jimmy has tallied double figure points in nine of SU’s ten games with the Auburn contest being the lone outlier. It’s difficult to put much stock in that contest though because it was ‘Cuse’s third game in three days at the Battle for Atlantis. Cooked into those double digit performances is a pair of 20-point outings against Indiana and Villanova. The Fayetteville native ranks third on the squad averaging 14.4 points per game. Only Joe Girard and Buddy Boeheim are higher.
Honestly though, Jimmy might be this team’s top scoring option. Hot take? Perhaps. How much can you trust Buddy to score right now though? The pre-season first team All-ACC player has struggled as of late, especially from beyond the arc. The shooter is averaging under 28% from the perimeter which is about a ten percent decrease from last season.
Buddy’s brother, on the other hand, is stroking the chords shooting 46% from the floor and 43% from deep (albeit on 28 attempts). Jimmy is also producing in the rebounding department as well. The forward ranks third on the team snagging 5.5 boards per contest. Can you imagine where this team would be without his contributions on the glass?
Syracuse comes off of its COVID pause for a non-conference battle with Brown on December 27th. Who knows what to expect from the Orange in that contest. One thing you can take to the bank though, is that Jimmy Boeheim will produce on both ends of the floor and play a critical role in this team’s success. Not too shabby for an Ivy League transfer.
