Orange Analysis: What the Non-Conference Slate Taught Us About Syracuse

The Monday night dispatching of Coppin State marked the completion of the Syracuse Orange’s non-conference portion of the schedule.

With the exception of a 60-foot heave at the buzzer, Jim Boeheim’s team emerged with a mark of 12-1 highlighted by wins over ranked foes Florida, Kansas, and Memphis. Not too shabby for a team that supposedly doesn’t like to do the heavy lifting outside of Big East play.

From here on out, only conference games remain. The next time they take to the hardwood will be Dec. 30 when the Seton Hall Pirates pay a visit to the Carrier Dome.

So before the Orange embarks on what is sure to be a two month-long street fight in a loaded Big East, let’s take a look to see who is responsible for getting them to this point and what we’ve learned about this team.

First and foremost, Syracuse’s success begins and ends with Jonny Flynn. The Niagara native might be the smallest player in the lineup but there’s no doubting he has the biggest heart.

Flynn’s play through the first portion of the campaign has vaulted him into the discussion of best point guard in the country right alongside Ty Lawson, Stephen Curry, Darren Collison, and A.J. Price.

He leads the Orange with 17.5 points and five assists per game and is shooting 37 percent from three. But his intangibles just might help his team the most.

What you won’t find in the box score is the tenacious, ball hawking defense Flynn plays whether it is in one of the guard positions in the 2-3 zone or the in your face pressure he applies in man to man.

And make no mistake, Flynn lives for the big moment. His three-pointer forced overtime against Kansas and he hit another crucial three to put SU in a position to tie Cleveland State before the Orange eventually lost.

There’s a reason some people refer to Paul Harris as “Do It All Paul.” The former high school teammate of Flynn helps his team win in so many ways.

Harris, the third leading scorer for SU at 13.6 points per game, is a menace on the back boards. The 6’4” junior hauls down a team leading 8.8 rebounds per game. Combine his tenacity to pursue missed shots along with his Herculean build, and his rebounding prowess should come as no surprise.

Whether posting up or driving to the basket, Harris is extremely difficult to guard due to his tremendous strength.

One aspect of his game that has improved is his mid-range jump shot. While by no means a dead-eye marksman from three, Harris has improved his stroke enough to make defenders pay for slacking off of him.

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