Syracuse and the NBA have always had an uneasy relationship. For every Carmelo or Etan Thomas, it seems like the NBA gobbles up and spits out five Orange stars within a few years.
The Orange have a bit of a stigma when it comes to the draft, but no do the Orange raise eyebrows than in the "Tweener" category. HoopsWorld's Alex Raskin explains...
Guys like Otis Hill, Darryl Watkins and J.B. Reafsnyder struggled because they weren't quite big enough to defend centers or fast enough for power forwards at the professional level. Sure, Derrick Coleman, Rony Seikaly and Etan Thomas had success in the NBA, but Boeheim's bigs have been more Craig Forth than Louis Orr.
The bad news for Rick Jackson is that, at 6'9", he fits the mold perfectly. The good news, he had no idea what the hell you're talking about:
"The what?"
Jackson thinks he had a good day at the combine on Sunday, showing off his toughness and ability to run the floor. It may or may not be enough for him to rise above the label and get drafted, but you can assume someone is going to give him a chance one way or another. Then it's up to Rick to prove he's no Tweener.