Quincy Guerrier’s extended NCAA approval process common for Quebec athletes

While most of us were hooked on the bevy of Syracuse Orange football recruiting news on Wednesday, a note did come in around four-star SU basketball forward Quincy Guerrier.

Guerrier, from Quebec, speaks English as a second language and as a result has to jump through a few additional hoops with the NCAA to assure eligibility. Speaking with Syracuse.com’s Donnta Ditota, he described the process as stressful. That said, everyone around him seems confident he’ll be approved and also accepted into Syracuse University. The plan is to enroll for January assuming all goes well.

The Orange could certainly use him for next year’s team, too. PrepCircuit shows some impressive scoring numbers from earlier this year when Guerrier was a member of Brookwood Elite. Given Syracuse’s offensive struggles this season and the likely loss of at least Tyus Battle and Frank Howard for next year, someone else will need to take on that responsibility.

Plenty more in Donna’s story below, plus more of your daily Syracuse news:

Quincy Guerrier awaits word from NCAA about early entry to Syracuse basketball (Syracuse.com)

Early entry into college would enable Guerrier to test himself against physical basketball peers instead of easily manipulating players his own age in Quebec. By last summer, Guerrier was third in the Adidas Gauntlet AAU series in scoring (24.2 ppg) and had been anointed the best high school basketball player in Canada.

Syracuse teetering again as conference play looms (AP)

“It’s concerning. It’s something we didn’t deal with at all last year,” Howard, a senior, said in the aftermath of the Orange’s 12-point loss in the Carrier Dome to No. 14 Buffalo on Tuesday night . “It’s going to hurt. We just got punched in the mouth. ”It’s the second (straight) time we’ve been in this situation — a gritty game — and we came out on the losing end. Nobody’s happy in this locker room.” Not difficult to understand that sentiment.

Newcomer bolsters inside game of Syracuse women’s basketball (Syracuse.com)

“She’s fun to coach. She really wants to get better,’’ Hillsman said. “And whenever you have a player that wants to get better, you feel good about it. At the end of the day, how many players really want to hear from their coach when the game’s over what they need to do better?’’ Djaldi-Tabdi does.

College basketball stock report, featuring rising WCC and falling Pac-12 (SB Nation)

It’s pretty easy to see right through Jim Boeheim here. His most successful tournament runs in recent years have come from teams that have been controversial selections to the field of 68. If you want to duplicate that success, you have to lay the foundation early. Syracuse will go 10-8 in the ACC with at least one signature win.

Is it time for Syracuse basketball to hit the panic button? (Syracuse.com)

I think the start of ACC play will be a key for this year’s team. Syracuse opens with a road game at Notre Dame and then plays four of its next five games at the Carrier Dome. Can Syracuse get off to a 5-1 start in ACC play? If the Orange can do that, it will put itself back in the conversation for an NCAA bid.

Kingsley Freeman will get free trip to watch Cooper Dawson, Syracuse football next season (Syracuse.com)

New Signee: WVU Has Their Offensive Coordinator (EerSports)

Syracuse basketball recruit Joe Girard III sets another New York state scoring mark (Syracuse.com)

Holgorsen: WR Jennings won’t play in Camping World Bowl (WVIllustrated)

Meet Drake, the 3-year-old who belted the national anthem at basketball game, video shows (Miami Herald)

10 worst brain farts of 2018 (SI.com)