Peeling Back the Orange: 2012-13

Looking back at Syracuse basketball squads over the last decade.

Jim Boeheim is one of the best college basketball coaches of all time and is the reason Syracuse basketball is where it is today. However, in the past ten seasons, Boeheim and the Orange have averaged 21.3 wins and 12.7 losses per season. This is a decrease from the previous decade, where Boeheim and the Orange averaged 26.7 wins and 8.3 losses per season.

There are many factors to consider when looking at this difference. One is the change in competition. Syracuse switched from the Big East to the ACC in 2013-2014. Another is recruiting success. There are some injuries and scandal along the way as well.

The objective of this series is to look at the past decade of Syracuse basketball and see what happened season by season and to point out trends that explain the where things went right and where they went wrong.

Preseason Expectations and Roster Overview:

The 2012-2013 Syracuse team was part of a golden age for Syracuse hoops. From 2008-2009 to 2013-2014, the Orange averaged 29.5 wins and 7 losses per year.

The expectations were high and rightfully so. The previous season, the Orange finished 34-3 and made it to the Elite Eight before falling to Ohio State. The 34 wins are the most for a Syracuse team in Boeheim’s tenure.

The Orange brought back two full-time starters in Senior guard Brandon Triche and Sophomore center Rakeem Christmas. Although he started 35 out of 37 games, Christmas only averaged 11.5 minutes per game. Junior forward C.J. Fair was back after averaging 8.5 points per game in 2011-2012 coming off the bench.

Syracuse also returned a few rarely used reserves who would have big roles in 2012-2013. Sophomore guard Michael Carter-Williams returned after averaging 10.3 MPG his freshman year. Senior forward James Southerland returned after averaging 16 MPG. Fan-favorite and reserve Junior center Baye Moussa Keita returned after averaging 12.3 MPG.

Boeheim and his coaching staff brought in a small but strong recruiting class headlined by local star DaJuan Coleman. A product of Jamesville-DeWitt High School, Coleman was a five-star recruit who was recruited by Kentucky and Ohio State as well.

Jerami Grant was the second member of the Orange’s recruiting class. Grant was a four-star top 50 recruit who had the makings of a great member of the backline of the 2-3 zone.

Trevor Cooney was also an addition. With all the guard depth Syracuse had in 2011-2012, Cooney redshirted and made his debut in 2012-2013.

Overall, Syracuse had six former top-100 recruits on the roster.

Despite losing its top two scorers in Kris Joseph and Dion Waiters, Syracuse ranked ninth in the pre-season AP Top 25 and second in the Big East Coaches Poll behind Louisville.

Notable Non-Conference Moments:

USS Midway Malay: Syracuse began the season in spectacular fashion. They opened up play on the USS Midway on Veterans Day in San Diego against No. 20 San Diego State. The Orange started Triche, Carter-Williams, Fair, Christmas and Coleman. They jumped out to a 33-19 lead over the Aztecs and won the game 62-49. Both teams struggled to shoot jump shots as it was windy. Fair and Carter-Williams finished with 17 points to lead the Orange. Syracuse only attempted four three-pointers and made one.

Southerland’s Arkansas Annihilation: Syracuse’s first true road game resulted in James Southerland having a career night. The senior came off the bench at Arkansas as Carter-Williams, Triche, Fair, Christmas and Coleman started the game.

Southerland couldn’t miss as he scored 35 points on 12-17 shooting, including 9-13 from deep. He propelled the Orange to a 91-82 victory. Carter Williams almost had a triple double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. The Orange improved to 5-0 and were ranked sixth in the country.

Carter-Williams and Co. March Past Monmouth: Carter-Williams dished out a career-high 16 assists in Syracuse’s biggest blowout of the season. The Orange beat Monmouth 108-56. Carter-Williams' 16 assists were the third most in school history. The Orange improved to 8-0 and were ranked No.4 in the nation.

Boeheim Gets No. 900: The Syracuse coach became the third coach in Division I history to reach 900 wins. The Orange defeated Detroit Mercy 72-68.

A Trip Up vs. Temple: Syracuse took their first loss of the season in Madison Square Garden 83-79 vs. unranked Temple. Fair had a career-high at the time, scoring a team-high 25 points. Carter-Williams struggled shooting, going 3-17 from the field and 7-15 from the free throw line. Khalif Wyatt scored 33 to lead the Owls.

Syracuse finished the non-conference schedule 12-1.

Notable Big East Moments:

Boeheim Moves Past Knight: Syracuse’s first Big East win had a little more meaning when the Orange beat Rutgers for Boeheim’s 903rd career win. Triche led the way with 25 points in a 78-53 blowout over Rutgers. Boeheim moved past former Indiana Coach Bobby Knight into second place all-time behind Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Syracuse Takes Down No. 1 Louisville: The Orange went into Louisville and beat the Cardinals 70-68. Triche led the way with 23 points on 9-13 shooting. Syracuse was shorthanded for the second straight game as Southerland was ruled ineligible. Freshman Grant came off the bench in an extended role to score 10 points and grab five rebounds. Syracuse improved to 17-1 and 5-0 in Big East play.

Late Season Struggles Plague the Orange:

After starting 22-4, Syracuse lost four of its final five games to finish the regular season 23-8. All four losses were to ranked teams, including a loss to Georgetown which snapped the Orange’s 38 game home winning streak. By this time, Southerland had returned but Coleman was out of the starting lineup due to a knee injury. Grant took Coleman’s place.

Syracuse rebounded in the Big East tournament, making a run to the tournament title game. They defeated Georgetown in overtime in the semifinals to set up a matchup with Louisville.

The Orange stormed out to an early lead and were up 45-29 with under 16 minutes to play. Then, the script flipped. Louisville started pressing and they then went on a 27-3 run against Syracuse. The Orange turned the ball over 20 times and lost 78-61. Fair led the team with 21 points and seven rebounds. Montrezl Harrell had 20 points and seven rebounds for Louisville.

NCAA Tournament:

The Orange entered the NCAA Tournament with a four-seed. They breezed past Montana in the first round 81-34.

They then beat Cal in an ugly affair 66-60. Fair led the team with 18 points and six rebounds. This set up a match up with the number one seed Indiana.

Syracuse’s defense shined again as the Orange took down the Hoosiers 61-50. Carter-Williams had an impressive game, scoring 24 points in a highlighted matchup against Indiana star guard Victor Oladipo. Indiana had 19 turnovers and shot 33 % from the field. The Orange also had ten blocks.

Marquette was Syracuse’s next opponent in the Elite Eight. The Orange had lost to the Golden Eagles in their one regular season game. This time was different, as the Orange dominated defensively in a 55-39 win. Southerland, now a starter, led the Orange with 16 points.

Syracuse only managed to shoot 38% from the field, but it was better than Marquette’s 23% from the field and 13% from behind the arc.

The Orange moved on to the final four 10 years after their last trip in 2003.

In the Final Four, they met Michigan, led by star guard Trey Burke.

Michigan got off to an early lead and was up 11 at halftime. Syracuse battled back and was within one after a Southerland three with less than a minute left. Then down two, Triche . drove to the basket and was called for a charge. The Orange couldn't score again and fell to the Wolverines 61-56.

Fair led the Orange with 22 points and six rebounds. Carter-Williams struggled in his last game for Syracuse, scoring two points along with five turnovers compared to two assists.

Tim Hardaway Jr. led Michigan with 13 points.

The Orange finished the year 30-10. In the NCAA Tournament, Syracuse allowed 49 points per game. It was Boeheim’s fourth trip to the Final Four and it was his sixth 30-win team in Syracuse’s final year in the Big East. Boeheim hasn’t had a 30-win season since.

Most Valuable Player: Michael Carter-Williams

Carter-Williams was spoon that stirred the drink. On offense, he was one of Syracuse’s best facilitators of this century. He finished the year averaging 11.9 PPG and 7.3 APG. Carter-Williams' 7.3 assists were the most by an Orange player since Lazarus Sims in 1995-1996. No player has averaged more assists than Carter-Williams since.

On the defensive side, Carter-Williams' length was a huge factor in Syracuse’s success. His 2.8 steals per game helped lead the Orange to the sixth best defense in the country that year on kenpom.com. That’s Syracuse’s second best defense in the Kenpom era.

Recipe for the Result: Guard Play and Defense

Syracuse had such steady and strong guard play. Triche was great all-around senior who could slash and shoot in from deep. He was also great on the defensive end with his strong frame. Triche was a winner, winning 121 games in his four years. Carter-Williams clutch and made the offense go as well.

Besides the top of the zone, this team had so much length on the wings and in the middle. Fair, Christmas and Southerland all had great length and instincts to deflect passes and block shots. Keita and Grant were long and athletic as well coming off the bench.

Conclusion: Overall, this Syracuse team was a success as it closed out the Big East era with a successful regular season and an exciting run to the Final Four. The zone was as good as it has ever been and the Orange were fun to watch on both sides of the court with their athleticism and skill. This team will be remembered for its incredible defense and length. 

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