When you’re the star of a team, expectations are of course higher. Judah Mintz is the guy for Syracuse basketball. As Judah shines, Syracuse shines and when Judah struggles, the Orange look like a subpar basketball team. If SU wants to be a contender this year and wants to be a legit force in the ACC, Mintz has to play well every single game. The sophomore scored just five against UVA in the blowout defeat.
There are simply too many questionable players. Chris Bell stepped up a couple of times this season. But the sophomore is inconsistent and unreliable. He can lift SU to the highest of highs when Bell is great. The California native misses too many shots too often to be relied upon. He scored just five points against UVA.
The rest of the Orange have the same issue as Chris Bell does. Justin Taylor has stepped up at times this year. The Virginia native scored in double figures in the first two games of the year. Then, the sophomore went scoreless against Tennessee and Gonzaga then scored only three points against Virginia.
Then you get to JJ Starling. The Notre Dame transfer was supposed to be the guy to take some of the load off of Judah. As a former five star recruit, Starling was expected to be a consistent playmaker and offensive contributor. But he just hasn’t been that so far. The Baldwinsville native was the one player to play well against Virginia, scoring 16 and knocking down two threes. But, all you have to do is go back one game and see how he scored just three points against LSU.
The rest of the players on SU who weren’t mentioned all have the same issues as those above. The inconsistency of the role players on Syracuse means that if Judah Mintz struggles, the Orange won’t have a chance to win games. It is a lot of pressure on the sophomore, but with his eyes on the NBA Mintz has to live up to the expectations.
