If Jim Boeheim is ever looking to persuade a young player to stay with the program, all he should have to do is point to the transfers out of Syracuse as a reason not to leave. The list of players to transfer out and find success is short, if existent at all. At the same time, Orange fans would preferred for a few players to stay, namely Kadary Richmond and Quincy Guerrier.
There are seven former ‘Cuse players still featuring in college basketball lineups. Let’s check in on how the exports have fared since exiting the program.
Frank Anselem
Not much has changed for Frank Anselem. His situation has not really improved, nor has it gotten worse. The former SU big man landed at Georgia and has filled a very similar role to the one he did in Central New York. His numbers look very much the same across the board. He is playing just one more minute per game and his scoring is up from 2.7 points per game to 3.1 per contest. The biggest difference might be his impact on the defensive end of the court with him averaging 0.9 blocks per game, up from 0.5 per game at ‘Cuse. That being said, he turns the ball over about twice as much, so there is some tradeoff.
Mounir Hima essentially fills the same role for the Orange now and he is much more effective with more blocks and fewer turnovers per game in just about the same amount of playing time. Give Anselem credit for acclimating to a new team, but his absence has not been felt so far in CNY.
Robert Braswell
Through one year, it looked like Robert Braswell made the right decision to leave Syracuse for more playing time at Charlotte. He nearly eight more minutes of action per night in 2021-22 with the 49ers, shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from behind the arc. Braswell made himself an indispensable part of the rotation. He had never really shown that ability at Syracuse. His third and final year with the Orange was when he finally saw consistent game action, but he only managed 12 minutes per game.
Unfortunately, this season has not been as strong for Braswell. He has seen his playing time dip and his shooting touch has been way off. He is shooting just 38 percent from the field and a paltry 19 percent from 3-point range. It still probably made sense for him to leave the Orange, but he definitely would have hoped for a better finish to his college career.
Brycen Goodine
No one should regret leaving the Orange more than Brycen Goodine. The former four-star and top 100 recruit spent just one season working under Jim Boeheim before bolting to the Big East. He spent two seasons with Providence, getting roughly the same or less playing time with the Friars. Then he ended up transferring again heading into this season, this time to Fairfield. He finally started to see some more significant playing time, up to about 15 minutes per game, but Goodine has only featured in four games this season due to injury. It seems like he was a bit too quick to bolt from Syracuse. Boeheim has a good track record for developing players throughout their careers. Rakeem Christmas and Trevor Cooney come to mind. Injuries aside, Goodine’s development has been underwhelming.
Quincy Guerrier
There is no doubt in my mind that Quincy Guerrier should have stayed in Central New York. However, he certainly could have picked a worse destination to land than Oregon. He is still a starter for a Power 5 program, but he has yet to replicate his sophomore season with the Orange. He finished that 2020-21 season with 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on 49.3 percent shooting from the floor. Each of the past two seasons with Oregon, he has played similar minutes. Yet, he averaged just over 10 points, 5 rebounds and 0.3 blocks per game on 42 percent shooting.
The move would be a bit more palatable if the Ducks were competing for Pac-12 title, but they missed the NCAA Tournament just like the Orange did in 2022. With Oregon off to a 9-7 start with losses to UC Irvine and Utah Valley, it is hard to imagine he is really in a better position to be successful then if he had stay at ‘Cuse.
Woody Newton
Perhaps life in Stillwater is more pleasant than Syracuse. It is certainly warmer, but that’s about the only thing Woody Newton seems to have gained from his move to Oklahoma State. The junior is an intriguing player, listed as a guard despite standing 6’9”. However, he has seen his minutes stay stagnant and his percentages have dropped despite similar volume. His scoring has actually ticked down slightly as well. Maybe he never would have developed into a starter at Syracuse, but it is hard to view this as a successful move away from the Orange.
Kadary Richmond
If there is one transfer that has to make fans wonder “what if,” it has to be Kadary Richmond exiting for Seton Hall. Boeheim refused to start him as a freshman, with Richmond starting just three games the whole season. Many viewed him as a potential long-term answer at point guard. Given how much we have seen Joe Girard III with consistency, there is no doubt that Richmond would have been valuable.
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Now in his junior season with Seton Hall, Richmond has consistently played around 25 minutes per game. He has also improved his efficiency from a year ago. His shooting percentage is now up to 47.1 percent and he is hitting 36.4 percent of his 3s. His defensive presence cannot be overlooked either. He racked up just shy of two steals per game each of the past two years. He is far from lighting the world on fire, but he would still be a solid contributor for the Orange had he stayed.
Jalen Carey
Before Richmond, there was Jalen Carey. He was another promising point guard who never could seem to find his way out of Jim Boeheim’s doghouse. Unlike Richmond though, Carey has yet to show he was ever capable of being a Power 5 contributor. He landed at Rhode Island and now in third year seems to be finding his footing. He is averaging a career high 27 minutes per game, shooting 49 percent from the floor and has added 19 3s over the past two seasons. It seems like Carey was never cut out for meaningful minutes at Syracuse.
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