The Syracuse Orange have great balance, and Jim Boeheim will tell you that he has seven legitimate starters, while some top 25 teams don't really have five.
Syracuse is so balanced, in fact, that it does not have a player ranked in the top 20 of the Big East in scoring. But what is really impressive to me is the balance and production given limited minutes. Boeheim gives senior forward Kris Joseph the most minutes, logging him 30 minutes per game in Big East play (and Big East games are the real measure). Dion Waiters, Syracuse's best player and one of the truly elite players in the country, is playing only 24 minutes per game and is averaging 14 points and three steals per game over those limited minutes.
To read Bilas' full take on Syracuse, plus a look at Anthony Davis and puzzling cases in the ACC and Conference USA, you must be an ESPN Insider.
Jay Bilas
College Basketball analyst- College basketball analyst for ESPN and ESPN Insider
- Played and coached at Duke
- Practicing attorney
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Jay Bilas
Jay Bilas provides expert color commentary from courtside on college basketball games and serves as a studio analyst and as the co-host of ESPN's popular studio shows "College GameDay" and "College Gamenight." He also writes for ESPN.com and contributes numerous reports for "SportsCenter." Since 2003, Bilas has provided in-depth player scouting and analysis for ESPN's coverage of the NBA draft.
