Oh snap! These are big news if they’re true. Neither Edwards nor the program has made an official announcement yet, but signs appear to be pointing in the right direction for Orange fans. The Flying Dutchman averaged 14.5 points and over 10 rebounds per game last season and even had a 20-20 game in the regular season finale. While this is a positive, it still leaves unanswered questions and changes the program’s direction. Here are the three most noteworthy butterfly effects from this.
1. ABANDON HOPE FOR DICKINSON
That’s a moot point now. Dickinson has been the anchor of the Michigan teams that made the second weekend of March Madness in both 2021 and 2022, and even though the Wolverines missed out on the Dance this season, Dickinson averaged 19 and 9. Now that Edwards is reportedly returning, Syracuse is no longer a compatible destination for Dickinson. Perhaps that’s for the best though. As talented and experienced as Dickinson is, Edwards is only getting better and has chemistry with the likes of returners Chris Bell and Benny Williams among others. SU dipped its toes in the transfer portal waters with the JJ Starling addition, but it doesn’t need to go too deep yet now that Edwards is back.
2. THE CENTER ROOM
Edwards (re)joins Peter Carey, Mounir Hima, and William Patterson in Adrian Autry’s group of bigs. Granted, none of those three have shown the capability to compete effectively as a starting center, so that doesn’t affect Edwards a ton. The question is, what happens if the Dutchman goes down again? Hima was more than solid as a backup but he was a backup for a reason. Carey needs to stay healthy and bulk up. Finally, Patterson is just a kid. We saw what happened two years ago when he went down. SU crumbled due to no viable option other than an injured Bourama Sidibe. That’s the big worry here.
3. WHAT HAPPENS WITH JUDAH MINTZ?
That was always the big question of the offseason after Boeheim’s retirement, now that we appear to have clarity with Edwards it’s even more so. If Mintz comes back, this team could be very dangerous. Mintz, Starling, and Edwards is an excellent trio, and if Bell and Williams among others develop in the right direction, there could be a lot of smiles inside the Dome this season. But if Mintz goes to the NBA, it’s as good as back to the drawing board. Syracuse’s ceiling is undeniably higher with Edwards on the roster. If Mintz were to return, it would skyrocket.
That’s one of many questions answered this offseason. There are still plenty more to go. But it will be nice to see Edwards in Orange again come October/November.
