Syracuse Orange Men’s Basketball Losing Two-Thirds of 2021 Offense

Other than the Boeheim's and Joe Girard, you might have a tough time recognizing much of the 2021-22 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team.

Quincy Guerrier and Alan Griffin, both Syracuse starters this past year, each announced on Friday they would not return to the Orange next season. Griffin is entering the NBA Draft after three seasons in the NCAA - two at Illinois and one at Syracuse. Guerrier has said if he doesn't enter the draft, he'll transfer to another school. After Syracuse's Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament, Marek Dolezaj said he wouldn't be returning despite an additional year of eligibility offered to athletes because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That accounts for 60% of Coach Jim Boeheim's starting five last year.

Add to that the transfers of some key bench players - Kadary Richmond and Robert Braswell - while Woody Newton and John Bol Ajak also entered the transfer portal.

All told, the players exiting the Carrier Dome accounted for an average of 50.4 of the team's  74.8 points per game last season. That's 67% of the 2021 offense.

Returning is Coach Boeheim's son Buddy, who averaged 17.8 PPG last year and had several 30-point games in the final two weeks of the season, and point guard Joe Girard III who scored just under 10 PPG, while also leading the team in assists (99).

Add to the fold another Boeheim - Jimmy Boeheim - who spent four years at Cornell but only hooped in three because the Ivy League didn't play this past season because of COVID. Jimmy took the opportunity to join his brother and father at SU, thanks to the additional year of eligibility.

During his 2019-20 campaign with Cornell - the eldest Boeheim son averaged 16.7 PPG. During that season, Jimmy Boeheim outscored Buddy 25 to 16 when the Big Red visited the Carrier Dome. However, 'Cuse won the contest handily, 73-52.