Who makes up Syracuse men’s basketball’s all-decade team?

It may seem odd, but we’re already nearly two decades into this century. And as is always the case whenever calendars are about to turn in such a dramatic way, we need to look at the “best” of a given timeframe.

So is the case with the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team this week, as they’ve already completed their last full season of this decade (this year’s wraps up in 2020, obviously). Syracuse.com’s Mike Waters took a look at ALL of the decade’s top items, so would highly recommend going there. The NCAA is also running one of their bracket-type Twitter polls... however, the Syracuse all-decade team they opted for isn’t necessarily what we’d all pick.

The NCAA selected Michael Carter-Williams, Tyus Battle, Wes Johnson, Scoop Jardine and Rakeem Christmas. It’s not the worst group and it’s not outwardly “wrong.” However, it does leave off a few names most of us would likely include instead: Brandon Triche and C.J. Fair, most notably.

If I’m making a starting five for the Orange all-decade team, it’s probably:

Guards: Brandon Triche, Dion Waiters

Forwards: Wes Johnson, C.J. Fair

Center: Rakeem Christmas

Honorable mentions are probably MCW, Tyus Battle, Kris Joseph, Tyler Lydon and Rick Jackson.

But what do you think? We may wind up making this a bit of a straw poll and creating a follow-up post tomorrow with the results.

Syracuse basketball: The best teams, games, players and moments of the 2010s (Syracuse.com)

No. 1: 2011-12 — The 2011-12 Syracuse Orange was one of the most dominant teams in school history. The Orange went 34-3 that season and only one of those losses came with the team at full strength. Syracuse’s lineup consisted of Kris Joseph, Scoop Jardine, Brandon Triche, Fab Melo and Rakeem Christmas. Dion Waiters, C.J. Fair and James Southerland were key contributors off the bench.

Tommy DeVito’s time to shine for Syracuse football is right now (CNYCentral)

“We don’t want to have anymore 4-6 seasons or whatever they were in the past. Last year is the standard and that’s the lowest we want to be, and we want to be better than that. So, in order to be better the leaders have to show the younger guys what it takes to be in that position because they know what it’s like. The seniors know what it’s like to lose and they know what it’s like to win. Obviously, winning’s a better feeling so we’re going to hold everybody to that standard.”

Visa issues prevent John Bol Ajak from making Italy trip (Syracuse.com)

Former SU basketball players Paschal Chukwu and Chino Obokoh, both from Nigeria, had visa concerns related to their Nigerian passport, which ranks 98th on the Henley Index. Both were afraid to leave the U.S., worried they would not be allowed back into the country. Ajak’s issue could be twofold: Italy might not admit him with his current passport/visa or the United States might not let him return once he leaves.

The NCAA’s ‘Rich Paul Rule’ is all about protecting its money and power (SB Nation)

When Paul’s second biggest client, Anthony Davis, made a trade demand earlier this year that held both the Pelicans and Lakers hostage, it made him one of the most infamous people in sports. Unlike most agents, Rich Paul is African-American. Unlike most agents, he didn’t go to college. He was too busy building an empire.

Can Joe Girard live up to the hype? (Spectrum News)

“It was always in the back of my mind. (Going to SU) It always had a place in my heart just because it was the hometown school and in-state school. My mom always liked Syracuse and I’ve always been to a lot of football and basketball games,” said Girard. Over his five years playing varsity at Glens Falls, JG3 notched a whopping 4,763 points, good for the all-time record in the state.

Syracuse football camp Day 5: With C Sam Heckel out, offensive line shuffles (Syracuse.com)

YouTube TV lands ACC Network carriage deal (SportsProMedia)

Former Syracuse football WR Steve Ishmael places on IR by Colts (Syracuse.com)

Eric Dungey joins ESPN Radio Syracuse and TK99 (ESPN Syracuse)

NCAA College Basketball Team of the Decade voting: Syracuse vs. Seton Hall (NCAA)