2013-14 Syracuse basketball: Who’s back? Who’s new?

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CJ Fair returns for his senior season

Syracuse opens its 2013-14 basketball season against Cornell on Friday at the Carrier Dome. In preparation for the upcoming season, we’re taking a close look at the team’s roster:

WHO’S BACK:

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CJ Fair returns for his senior season
  • C.J. Fair – (senior 6’8“ forward) – Fair led the team in scoring and rebounding last year, collecting eight double-doubles and topping 20 points eight times. The senior recorded his 1,000th career point last season against Georgetown in the Big East Tournament.
  • Baye Moussa Keita – (senior 6‘10” forward-center) – Normally viewed as a defensive specialist, Keita improved his offense in the postseason last year, averaging just shy of six points a game in tournament action, including a pair of double-digit outbursts. He also recorded a blocked shot in 30 of 40 games last season.
  • Rakeem Christmas – (junior 6’9” forward) – Christmas posted double figures in rebounding twice last season and blocked three or more shots in 11 contests. The junior also scored a career-high 15 points against Providence.
  • DaJuan Coleman (sophomore 6’9” forward) – Coleman shook off his knee injury in the NCAA Tournament, piling up 12 points and a half dozen rebounds in the first round against Montana.
  • Trevor Cooney – (redshirt sophomore 6’4” guard) – Cooney saw action in all but one game last season and hit two or more three-pointers ten times last season, including five triples against Monmouth.
  • Michael Gbinije (redshirt sophomore 6’7” guard) – Gbinije, who was a top-35 recruit two years ago coming out of high school, saw action in 19 games at Duke as a true freshman.
  • Jerami Grant (sophomore 6’8” forward) – As a freshman, Grant showed great athleticism and promise. In games that he played at 15 minutes or more, Grant averaged 7.2 points and 4.9 rebounds.

» Related: Syracuse in for a big season, says Tim Welsh

WHO’S NEW:

  • Tyler Ennis (freshman 6’2” guard) – Ennis, who set a school record with 53 points in one game, was the Gatorade Player of the Year in New Jersey as a senior, averaging 14.6 points and 7.1 assists per game while leading St, Benedict’s Prep to a state championship. He has been named to the watch list for the 2014 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award and to the watch list for the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the year Award.
  • B.J. Johnson (freshman 6’7” forward) – A gifted offensive player, Johnson racked up 22 points and 11 rebounds in the Pennsylvania state championship win to cap his high school career. Johnson also paced the Orange in a summer exhibition game over Bishops, scoring 20 points.
  • Tyler Roberson (freshman 6’8” forward) – Ranked as a top-40 national recruit by two services, Roberson was All-State in New Jersey as a senior, averaging 17.5 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per contest.
  • Chinonso Obokoh (freshman 6’10” center) – Obokoh, who has opted to redshirt this season, averaged 11.3 points, 15.6 rebounds, and seven blocks per game as a senior at Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, NY, where he as a captain of a state championship-winning team.
  • Ron Patterson (freshman 6’2” guard) – Formerly a commit to Indiana University, Patterson spent a year in prep school at Brewster Academy and was named the New England Prep School Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

» Related: Previewing Syracuse’s opener against Cornell

LEADING RETURNERS:

  • POINTS:  Fair – 14.5/game
  • ASSISTS:  Fair – 0.7/game
  • REBOUNDS: Fair – 7.0/game, Christmas – 4.6/game
  • THREE-POINTERS: Fair – 30, Cooney – 28
  • FG%:  Christmas – 53.0%, Fair – 47.0%
  • FT%: Fair – 75.5%, Cooney – 73.3%
  • BLOCKED SHOTS: Christmas – 73, Keita – 46
  • STEALS: Fair – 45, Cooney – 28

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About Jim Stechschulte 894 Articles
A 1996 graduate of Syracuse University, Jim has reported on Syracuse sports for the Syracuse University Alumni Club of Southern California on nearly a decade. He has also written a fantasy basketball column published by NBA.com. He currently resides in Syracuse.