Syracuse 2010 Preview & Predictions

Syracuse Orange Basketball 2010-2011 Preview, Predictions, Picks & Odds

With the College Basketball 2010-2011 Season just around the corner, we are providing season previews & predictions for all NCAA basketball teams to give you the betting edge this year. Follow the best College Basketball Handicappers as they analyze their teams in this 2010-2011 basketball season preview. Be sure to bookmark SportsbookBuzz.com your source for Sportsbook Reviews. Use our comprehensive and insider info to bet successfully on the College Basketball in our recommend online sportsbooks.View the rest of our 2010-2011 NCAA Basketball Season Previews here.

Syracuse Preview Picks, & Odds.

Syracuse 2009-2010 Record: 30-5 overall; 15-3 Big East (1st)

Syracuse Coach: Jim Boeheim – At Syracuse and overall: 829-293,33 years

Syracuse Players to Watch: Now that Arinze Onuaku has ended his run with the Orange, Rick Jackson will be the featured interior player and has the pote.ntial to become a double-double machine.

Syracuse Key Losses: Wesley Johnson, F, 6-7, 205 (16.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg): Andy Rautins, G, 6-4, 195 (12.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg); Arinze Onuaku, F, 6-9, 261 (10.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg)

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2010-2011 Syracuse Season Preview

You never know when Jim Boeheim’s going to pull it off. Heading into last season, the Orange had questions at point guard and worries about post scoring. And just who was this Wesley Johnson character? Thirty wins later, those worries were long gone and we again learned that doubting Boeheim isn’t smart. Don’t look now, but some of that uncertainty is back. The losses of Johnson, long-range marksman Andy Rautins and big man Arinze Onuaku have Syracuse in a familiar place: hard to predict. For instance, can senior big man Rick Jackson become the kind of interior force the Orange needs? Can Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche improve offensively enough to offset the losses of Johnson and Rautins? Is junior Kris Joseph ready to become a major scoring threat?

Syracuse Backcourt

Jardine and Triche coexisted nicely last year, splitting the point almost in half and helping Syracuse lead the nation in assists. Granted, each turned it over a bit much, but it was hard to complain about their work. They proved proficient shooting the ball, too. This year, they’ll need to make a few more, and Triche will have to work to match Jardine’s defensive proficiency. The loss of Johnson and Rautins puts pressure on Joseph to become more reliable, and that means he has to shoot better from mid-range and 3-point locales. But it won’t be all on him. Dion Waiters, a 6-4 freshman, arrives ready to pillage the basket with his strong moves and excellent handle. The scorer isn’t much from long range, but he’ll get to the line a lot and be a handful for opposing guards who can’t match the strength of his 21o-pound frame.

Syracuse Frontcourt

Last year, Jackson played his usual game, scoring well close to the hoop and rebounding effectively. But with Onuaku gone, he has to do more. When he was recruited, Jackson was considered a big-time scorer, so he has it in him, at least on the prep level. He can expect some help from 7-0, 26s-pound freshman Fabricio “Fab” Melo, who has great low-post moves, clogs the lane defensively and can rebound. But the Brazilian five-star prospect needs better strength and stamina to be a Big East force. Another big man, Baye Moussa Keita, is a skinny (210 pounds) 6-11 prospect who might well redshirt, given Boeheim’s penchant for tight rotations. Another freshman, C.J. Fair, is an athletic 6-7 small forward who will fit well into the Syracuse defensive system. He’ll use his long arms to make opposing entry passes more difficult and to block shots. If someone else is to crack Boeheim’s tight rotation, it could be sophomore forward Mookie Jones, who displayed an ability to hit the three last year.

2010-2011 Syracuse Predictions

Syracuse has all the pieces to be good even great. But it all must come together. Jackson must step up. The point guards have to produce more. Waiters must prove he can score against the Big East’s best, and Joseph has to become a viable first option offensively. It’s easy to say the Orange need another season to come together, but that’s what some people said last year. Syracuse will again be a factor in the Big East, and its trademark zone defense will serve it well against better opposition. In other words, look for another big season.

Syracuse Finish in the Big East: 4th

Syracuse Betting Odds

Syracuse Odds to Win 2010-2011 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament: +2500
Syracuse Odds to Win the Big East: +500

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Syracuse Basketball Handicapping Picks

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