Syracuse routed Colgate on Sunday afternoon 87-51. Here are my grades from the game:
CJ Fair: C
Fair played a mostly quiet 20 minutes, shooting just 2 of 7 from the field for 8 points. A very Ann Veal like performance.
Rakeem Christmas: A
What’s really impressing me about Christmas’ game is his improved mid-range game. He hit a couple of tough shots in the lane, and finished with a career-high 10 points and 9 boards.
DaJuan Coleman: B+
This was the first game that Coleman looked really comfortable in the post. He made a couple of nice moves and was able to finish. Another thing that’s impressed me is Coleman’s fitness level. For such a big guy, he’s never had any problems getting up and down the floor. He must be doing some great workout programs
» Related: What we learned from Syracuse’s win
Brandon Triche: B
Triche took a couple of out of control shots, but what I like is that he only turned the ball over one time (he had come into the game averaging 4.0 a game). He also got to the line 6 times and finished with 15 points. Still, it was clear that the offense ran more smoothly when Michael Carter-Williams was at point guard than when Triche was.
Michael Carter-Williams: A+
Clearly, he was the star of the game. With 13 assists to just one turnover, he really looked to set up his teammates nicely today. This was the second game in a row that he flirted with a triple double (he also had 8 points and 6 rebounds). I wouldn’t be surprised if he did that multiple times this season.
James Southerland: A
Southerland shot 7 of 12 for 18 points, including some beautiful looking 3s and a gorgeous alley-oop from Carter-Williams, which lead to this dandy of a Tweet (apparently not everyone appreciates my humor). The question is, can he do it in Big East play?
» Related: Carter-Williams dishes out 13 assists in win
Baye Keita: B
He showed some of his stone hands, bobbling a couple of nice passes from Carter-Williams. Then again, he played some really nice defense and collected 4 boards in 14 minutes.
Trevor Cooney: D
It’s only a matter of time before the shots fall. Cooney was 0-7 from downtown, but to his credit, he still played tough defense. As Boeheim put it, “He’s a shooter, he’s just got to keep shooting – he’ll make some.”
Jerami Grant: B+
Loved the hustle. Loved his rebounding. Didn’t love the 3-point attempt, even though he hit it. That being said, Grant hit one more 3 than Cooney did.
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