Who are the best rebounders in Syracuse basketball history?

Previous roundtables in this series: Best shooters in Syracuse basketball history

Today we continue along with our Syracuse Orange men’s basketball superlatives by introducing a new category: Best rebounders in program history. As we’ve been doing for this series, we carry on with the roundtable and discussion-based format as opposed to having hard, set top five lists. These categories tend to be subjective by nature.

We’re also limiting players to the Jim Boeheim coaching era (as if that wasn’t a long time). Let’s dive in with our top five.

Kevin Wall

Top five rebounders: Derrick Coleman, Carmelo Anthony, John Wallace, Roosevelt Bouie and Paul Harris.

I think the first two guys are no-brainers. DC is the best rebounder in SU history and Melo’s work on the glass in his year was underrated. Thanks to OrangeRay’s site I was reminded that Wallace was the leading rebounder in all four of his seasons. I didn’t see Bouie play but I’m trusting what others have told me about his work inside. The 6-foot-4 Harris might be one of the best inch for inch rebounders in college basketball history.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Steve Haller

Top five rebounders: Derrick Coleman, Carmelo Anthony, Rony Seikaly, Rudy Hackett and Paul Harris.

Derrick Coleman is the G.O.A.T. when it comes to boards in a Syracuse uniform. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. His front court mate, Seikaly, was also second all time in Orange rebounds, so I’ll give him the nod. Melo did work in his one year on the Hill and is the first of the list that I was able to watch myself. Per Ray’s work over at Orangehoops.org, I realized that Rudy Hackett, who seems to come up a hell of a lot in these superlatives, and doesn’t garner the respect a lot of folks thinks he deserves, while having one of the highest rebound per game rates in program history. Technically he played for Boeheim when Boeheim was an assistant. Paul Harris is a strictly personal pick. One of my favorites to wear Orange and a rebound and hustle maniac. Hat-tip to Oshae Brissett and Wesley Johnson for having real quality RPG numbers as well, much higher than I remembered.

James Szuba

Top five rebounders: Derrick Coleman, Rony Seikaly, John Wallace, Billy Owens, Hakim Warrick

Just missed: Roosevelt Bouie, Carmelo Anthony, Wes Johnson, Etan Thomas, Ryan Blackwell

Tough to leave out Jon Cincebox who, believe it or not, did not play for Jim Boeheim in the late 1950s. Derrick Coleman has to be No. 1 as his 1,537 rebounds by far and away surpass anyone else in program history. Rony Seikaly and John Wallace sit at No. 2 and No. 3 with 1,094 and 1,065 rebounds, respectively. We’re splitting hairs with those two guys, but it’s hard to put anyone else in the two and three spots for me.

It would’ve been interesting to see where Billy Owens finished with another year at Syracuse, but he’s still atop to leaderboard in only three years of play, but we should highlight the 1990-91 season where he grabbed 11.6 rebounds per game in his junior year. Hakim Warrick gets the nod from me in the No. 5 spot as he was consistent on the glass from his sophomore to senior years. He didn’t play as much in his freshman year, which skew his rebounds per game career average (7.59), but he still at No. 4 all-time.

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What about you? Who do you think the top rebounders are in Syracuse basketball history? Weigh in below in the comment section.