Syracuse men’s basketball: Joe Girard reaches 1,000 career points

On Saturday, February 12, Syracuse Orange guard Joe Girard eclipsed 1,000 career points in a 71-59 loss in Blacksburg, VA against the Virginia Tech Hokies. Girard needed just 3 points going into the game but ended the game with 16 points and 3 assists to give him 1,013 points in his career. Up next on the Syracuse scoring list are Leo Rautins (1,031) and Rakeem Christmas (1,046).

Known as a score-first guard, the Glens Falls native broke Lance Stephenson’s New York State record of 2,946 as just a high school junior back in 2018. Girard ended his high school career with 4,763 points. During his high school career he drew comparisons to fellow Glens Falls native and former NBA player Jimmer Fredette. Both are smaller combo guards who are best at scoring the ball from deep range.

In his first two seasons at Syracuse, Girard struggled with his transition from high school to the college ranks. His main struggles were with efficiency and shot selection as he also adjusted to playing the point guard position.

As a freshman, he averaged 12.4 points per game on 38 percent shooting from the field and just 32 percent from behind the arc along with 3.5 assists. During his sophomore year, his scoring dipped to 9.8 points per game on almost the same shooting percentages and assists per game.

As a junior, Girard is having a career year. He currently averages 13.7 points per game on 41 percent shooting from the field and 43 percent from behind the arc, which is 2nd in the ACC, to go along with a career-best 4.3 assists per game, which is 4th in the ACC.

Although Girard has shown statistical improvements across the board, he’s only scratching the surface. With both Boeheim brothers likely joining the professional ranks, Girard will likely have the ultimate green light to shoot and perhaps break more records, assuming he stays for his senior year. If that’s the case, look for him to have a breakout season in 2022-23.