Syracuse Basketball could become a complete team this season. The Orange have their one, two, and five spots solidified with some question marks still elsewhere. Judah Mintz is a baller at the one, JG3 locks up the two with his shooting prowess, and Jesse Edwards has emerged as a real force in the paint.
If you just simply watch Edwards you see he really filled out his frame over the offseason and has developed his body to meet the rigor of ACC competition. The senior flashed his abilities with touch in the paint, physicality protecting the rim, and speed with transition buckets.
Edwards secured a double-double in the opener against Lehigh with 18 points and 11 boards. The center only accomplished that four times last season and only tallied 18 points on four different occasions across the whole season. The 7-footer also added a pair of steals and 4 blocks around the basket. Edwards has the ability to do it all!
This is what Coach Boeheim envisioned he would do and who he would become when he recruited him out of IMG Academy four years ago.
Now, that performance came against an inferior foe with athletes that don’t meet the ACC standards. The same can be said about Syracuse’s next opponent, Colgate. However, Edwards was not much of a factor in this contest last year. The Dutchman somehow only threw up four shots in 26 minutes and scored 8 points with 8 rebounds and a trio of blocks.
Can Edwards continue the stellar start he showcased against Lehigh? If he does he could compete with the elite bigs in the ACC and really make some headlines this season.