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MBB : 3 biggest questions for Syracuse entering the offseason

MBB : 3 biggest questions for Syracuse entering the offseason

1. Where will the leadership come from?

It starts with Brandon Triche. Triche has started all 107 games Syracuse has played in the last three seasons and is by far the most experienced player returning to the Orange.

James Southerland is Syracuse’s other senior coming back, but he doesn’t have starting experience and hasn’t shown leadership qualities, either. So it starts, and ends, with Triche stepping up into a role Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph embraced this season.

Triche is a quiet player but was more aggressive on the court this season. He finished third on the Orange in scoring with 9.4 points per game.

He also hit a cold stretch near the end of the season, scoring in single digits in 11 of 12 games. He was overshadowed by the Big East Sixth Man of the Year Dion Waiters, who often took Triche’s minutes late in games near the end of the year.

The biggest question will be whether the soon-to-be senior becomes more outspoken in his larger role. With Waiters’ decision to go pro, the Orange loses three of its top four scorers from this year’s team. Michael Carter-Williams, who played sparingly in important games this year, will likely start as the team’s point guard as a sophomore. Triche’s backcourt mate will go from the veteran Jardine to the raw sophomore Carter-Williams.

Triche could be Syracuse’s leading scorer and its leader next year. But he still has to make that jump.

2. Will Syracuse land No. 1 recruit Nerlens Noel?

The value of a dominant center to own the middle of Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone was on full display in the 2011-12 season. With Fab Melo blocking shots, altering others and drawing charges, Syracuse’s zone was more dynamic than it had been in years. Melo brought a whole new element.

Though he hasn’t made an announcement about his future, it is assumed by most that Melo has played his last game for Syracuse. He is currently projected to be a late first-round draft pick, according to nbadraft.net.

That leaves a void, and SU fans around the country are hoping it will be filled by standout high school senior Nerlens Noel. The 6-foot-10 shot-blocker out of The Tilton School in New Hampshire is the No. 1 recruit in the country, according to ESPN, and he has narrowed his list of schools down to three: Syracuse, Georgetown and Kentucky.

Should SU land Noel, he will team up with Rakeem Christmas and James Southerland to make an incredibly formidable back line of defense. Noel still needs to bulk up, as he’s listed at 215 pounds, but his upside is tremendous.

Christmas and Baye Keita gained valuable experience in this year’s NCAA Tournament while Melo was out, but the addition of the top high school center in the country would only make the Orange better.  

3. Can Rakeem Christmas become more of a force down low?

Whether Nerlens Noel comes to Syracuse or not, the Orange will likely need Rakeem Christmas to make a Melo-esque jump from freshman to sophomore year.

With Noel, Christmas has the potential to give SU one of the most dominant frontcourts in the country. Without Noel, Christmas becomes Syracuse’s primary big man. That said, if he doesn’t improve in the offseason, the Orange could be in trouble.

Fab Melo’s numbers as a freshman are slightly worse than Christmas’ stats this year, but they are very similar.

Both joined SU as McDonald’s All-Americans. As freshmen, both averaged about 10 minutes per game, scored less than three points per game and hauled in less than three rebounds per game. They both started immediately upon arrival but were also consistently relegated to the bench just minutes into games.

But Melo turned his sophomore year into a success by getting into shape. He cut 30 pounds from his frame, and the agility and athleticism he gained helped him win Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors.

For Christmas, the necessary change might be in his attitude.

The freshman could add a little more muscle, but he already has freakish athleticism for a big man. Instead, it may just be a matter of toughening up, as Boeheim said early this year, and allowing his self-contained emotions to show on the court.

If he can make a jump similar to Melo’s, Christmas could be the next Orange sophomore to enjoy a breakout season.

-Compiled by The Daily Orange Sports staff