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This is the first of a four-part series we’ll be launching each Tuesday for the next four weeks. We’ve broken down Syracuse basketball position/player previews into walk-ons, guards, forwards and centers.
We’re in the middle of an exciting football season, but basketball is also right around the corner. The Syracuse Orange men’s team is coming off of a Sweet 16 run, but the expectations have increased with the return of their impact players and the arrival of some new explosive perimeter players.
It’s going to be an exciting season for the Syracuse faithful, and the TNIAAM team is here to keep you updated throughout this, hopefully, successful season. What better way to start the player previews than with the walk-ons, the players who embody what it means to be a Syracuse Orange.
Ky Feldman
Position: Guard
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 155 lbs
Year: Senior
Hometown: Agoura Hills, Ca.
High School: Agoura High School
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Feldman didn’t appear in a game last season, but you can certainly say you saw him on the sidelines making his voice heard with his enthusiasm. The Orange’s backcourt is its strong-point this year, so it’ll be hard for Feldman to find the court much, but look for his enthusiasm and leadership to show once again when it matters most.
Ray Featherston
Position: Guard
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 150 lbs
Year: Junior
Hometown: Westport, Conn.
High School: Fairfield Prep/Choate Rosemary Hall
Featherston made some history last season in his sophomore campaign with his first career assist, which goes along well with his first career points he had in his freshman season.
Shaun Belbey
Position: Guard
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 165 lbs
Year: Senior
Hometown: Brick, N.J.
High School: Christian Brothers Academy
This’ll be Belbey’s last season in orange, and he’s entering it as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Belbey appeared in three games last season, and got on the scoreboard with a bucket in the first game of the season against the Cornell Big Red. Belbey spent the summer working on his game with trainer Drew Hanlen, one of the premier trainers who works out NBA stars such as Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid — hopefully the skills he learned with some of the world’s best players translates to more team success this year.
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Brendan Paul
Position: Guard
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 177 lbs
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Shaker Heights, Ohio
High School: Hawken/Brewster Academy (N,H.)
Brendan Paul is a freshman this year, as he made the roster as a preferred walk-on. Paul played at Brewster Academy last year, the same school where his teammate Buddy Boeheim attended. Just like Boeheim, Paul is a perimeter threat who can shoot it from deep. It’ll be hard for him to make it into the rotation with the depth the Orange have in the backcourt this year, but if a few players goes down, look for Paul to perhaps be given a chance to prove what he can do.
Adrian Autry
Position: Guard
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 185 lbs
Year: Senior
Hometown: Jamesville, N.Y.
High School: Jamesville-DeWitt
This is the final year Autry will be playing under his father Adrian Autry, and it’s looking like it is going to be a memorable one. Autry made an appearance in three games last year, but he failed to put up any stats. The Orange have plenty of help in the backcourt this year, but there’s one thing sure about Autry: he’ll be ready to shoot his shot if his name is called upon.
See a feature the ACC launched on Autry and his dad, below.