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The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team has been put on temporary pause as Jim Boeheim and another member of the team have tested positive for coronavirus. In the interim, we’ll be rolling out our preseason player profiles, starting today with the head coach’s son, Buddy Boeheim.
The younger Boeheim is back for his junior year and if you haven’t realized by now, he’s not just a legacy player at SU. Boeheim is the real deal as he finished his sophomore season as the best shooter in the ACC. The younger Boeheim knocked down 97 deep balls last year in a shortened season, more than any other player in the Power Five, and did so at a 37.0% clip.
Boeheim is also Syracuse’s leading returning scorer after Elijah Hughes departed for the NBA. He’ll take on a leadership role with this team and, after getting stronger and practicing at home with former Orange player Eric Devendorf this summer, look to improve from a solid sophomore campaign. Jim Boeheim says his son is, “Much more physical, much more prepared for this year.”
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Position: Guard
Class: Junior
Vitals: 6-foot-6, 195 lbs.
Stats: 2019-20: 15.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.2 assist per game. Boeheim shot 37.0% from three as a sophomore.
Strengths/Weaknesses: As noted above, Boeheim’s best attribute is his jumper and it’s a particularly good one at that. He should shoot for top honors in the league again and could be atop the national leaderboard in 3-point makes. His mid-range and overall game off the bounce improved markedly as a sophomore. Boeheim’s handle and one- to two-dribble max should be better as a junior, too.
He’ll have to improve most on the defensive end this year and he’ll have to help close out defensive possessions by rebounding better from the guard spot.
Ceiling: Boeheim improves on the defensive side of the ball and increases his scoring average a few points per game. He continues to get better putting the ball on the deck, connecting in the mid-range and at time, finishing at the rim. Boeheim increases his shooting percentage from distance to 40.0% and helps out defensive rebounding. This is good for an All-ACC conference selection.
Floor: Boeheim only improves marginally and closes the season averaging similar numbers to last year. His defense fails to improve but overall, still has a solid season shooting and scoring the ball.