Syracuse’s season is coming to a close very soon unless there’s an NIT or CBI invitation. In the wake of this year’s disappointment, it’s important to find a silver lining. Yeah, the Orange have really been up-and-down this season as a team, but individually Judah Mintz has had a historic season.
The freshman ranks 2nd on the Syracuse team with an average of 16 points per game. The point guard also leads this Orange team assists with 123. The average point total tops what Jonny Flynn did back in the 2007-08 season at 15.7 PPG. On top of that, Mintz’s freshman year average is better than the late Pearl Washington at 14.4 PPG.
Flynn and Washington are held in extremely high regard when it comes to the history of Syracuse Basketball. What’s interesting is that this team is on a very similar trajectory to the ’07-’08 Orangemen. That team made it to the NIT Quarterfinals and the true freshman point guard in Flynn had a lot to do with that.
Getting back to the point, Mintz has accomplished something that has not been done since Carmelo Anthony. Ironic considering they both attended Oak Hill Academy, huh. The freshman has tallied 15 or more points in (8) consecutive games after pouring in 23 against Clemson earlier this week. We have not seen such a prolific scoring season in 20 years folks! Anthony completed this stunt in a stretch of 14 games between Georgetown (2/3/03) to Manhattan in the NCAA Tournament (3/21/03). That’s an insane accomplishment for both Mintz and Melo to share!
Mintz has had a massive impact this year for Syracuse, where would this team be without him? In the Orange’s most disappointing losses this year, the frosh has shown up! In the loss to UNC, Mintz scored 17. In the close defeat to UVA, Mintz punched in 20. In the clunker against Duke, the former 4-star added 18. When the team has performed poorly, Mintz has stepped up individually.
Lately, the point guard has also added three-point shooting to his game. The freshman went 100% (4-4) from downtown in the loss to Clemson. Coupled with the Duke loss, Mintz is 6 for his last 6 from beyond the arc. If the point guard can add a consistent deep shot to his arsenal, look out. Mintz could develop into a lottery pick if he comes back next year.
In any case, yeah Syracuse is 16-12 and more than likely won’t be playing in the NCAA Tournament. However, it’s important not to let this incredible and historic freshman season not let lost in the sauce.
