Syracuse Basketball Preview

The Syracuse Orange are set to embark on its second year in the ACC, last season the Orange started 25-0, before losing 6 of its last 9 games.

Tyler Ennis, C.J. Fair and Jerami Grant were key members of the Orange's squad last season that have made the leap to the NBA. Leaving head coach Jim Boeheim once again in a tough situation.

In the past three seasons the Orange have had a new starting point guard to start the season. This year will be no different with the early exit of Tyler Ennis, freshman point guard Kaleb Joseph (photo above) looks to be the new floor general and has extremely big shoes to fill. As one of the best freshman point guards in the country, Joseph has the composure necessary to lead a top team while also being aggressive enough to make plays for himself when needed.

The Orange will look to get their biggest contributions from sharpshooter Trevor Cooney, big-man Rakeem Christmas, and wingman Michael Gbinije. Cooney is the only returning player who averaged more than six points per game last season, and will need to double that number for the Orange to be a major threat. Christmas, has proven his defensive ability, but he still needs to show he can be an aggressive scorer. The once Duke player Gbinije, showed glimpses last season of why he was a star studded recruit in his first season with the Orange; and will need to excel even higher this season as the team will look to him as another key leader for the Orange.

The one player that Boeheim looks to unleash this year is sophomore forward Tyler Roberson. Roberson saw very little time during the Orange's regular season (8.1 mpg). He is a versatile forward who can create for himself while scoring inside, and he will be asked to use his slashing ability to create space for the shooters.

The wildcard player that could make or break the Orange's season is center Dajuan Coleman. The hometown product has been a disappointment in his two seasons at Syracuse. He has dealt with weight issues and injuries. This year Coleman looks to give the Orange the inside presence that was once represented by Fab Melo, Rick Jackson, and Arinze Onuaku. If he's able to stand tall next to Rakeem Christmas this duo could be one of the most feared in the ACC.

Prediction: Unlike the past, the Orange have a tougher opening two months than usual. Not only do they start with the 2K Classic at Madison Square Garden, they have tough road games at Michigan and Villanova before Christmas. To counter the tough beginning, its ACC schedule isn't terrible. With only one game against each North Carolina, Virginia and Louisville they should look to get a high seed in the conference tournament while finishing in the top four in the ACC.

Look for the Orange to get seeded between 4-7 in the NCAA Tournament. On paper they will look like a team that could be bounced in the second round, but if Jim Boeheim can get this team on the same page they may become an upset alert.