At the end of the day, a win is a win. It may not have looked pretty, but the Orange got it done and move to 3-0. While the end may have been electric, Syracuse trailed at one point by 24 points which is unacceptable against Colgate.
Chris Bell: B+
Chris Bell single-handedly kept the Orange in this game with his three-point shooting but when he wasn’t knocking down threes, the sophomore was an empty void on the floor. He also missed a few relatively open threes towards the end of the game that had to be made. Bell struggled all game defensively and wasn’t able to add anything on the boards. That’s just the type of player Bell has been so far for the Orange. Today was a perfect example of how on a great team, Bell would be a 6th man who provides a spark off the bench but shouldn’t be on the floor for 30 minutes.
Judah Mintz: B-
Judah Mintz played well when it mattered tonight which says something. He scored 20 points for the third straight game but wasn’t efficient his whole time on the floor. The sophomore went through spurts where he looked like a freshman playing in his first big game. Multiple times, he tried to lean into defenders to get a foul call. Other times, he drove to the hoop and forced a shot when there wasn’t anything there. Also, the flagrant frustration foul just isn’t something you can do. However, at the end he was able to settle down and lead the team to victory.
Naheem McCloud: D–
It’s baffling how a 7’4 center can get outrebounded. McCloud had a few solid moments on his blocks but outside of that, the FSU transfer was exposed. The Orange were rebounded by an absurd margin tonight and that should never be the case against a non-power-five team, especially when you have a 7’4 center.
Benny Williams: F
Benny Williams might as well have not played tonight. The same issues that the longest-tenured player on the team had last year and the year before still persist. On offense, Williams stands on the perimeter and adds nothing. We didn’t see any physicality that fans have been praying for, for years. A lackluster start to the season for the junior to say the least.
