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.
Head coach Dino Babers has also repeatedly banged the drum to tone down the pressure on his first squad at Syracuse, reminding the fans that it will take time and the offense generally kicks in around the midpoint of the second season.
Other players with kickoff return experience from last season include Jordan Fredericks and Dontae Strickland, who each averaged in the neighborhood of 20 yards a return.
Dino Babers’ full throttle offense will go into effect at the Carrier Dome and, even at less than its best, it should be a significant upgrade over what Syracuse has done for the last decade.
Boeheim’s Army returns to action on Sunday when they will face the seventh-seeded North Broad Street Bullies, a team comprised of Temple basketball alumni, in the second round at approximately 4:15pm.
Babers has cautioned the fan base by informing them that his offense tends to pick up midway through the second season, as it takes a while for the players to get comfortable with it. And the stats back him up.
With Malachi Richardson officially staying in the NBA draft, the 2016-2017 Syracuse men’s basketball team lists eight players officially on scholarship.