College Basketball: Syracuse's Bench Could Be a Top 25 Team

Syracuse currently reigns atop of every major college basketball poll. After an impressive win against No. 20 Marquette, the Orange improved their record to 17-0 for the second time in two years. It is clear that the Orange are the best team in basketball thus far.

What is special about this team is that it is not ruled by one dominant player (i.e. Carmelo Anthony, Wes Johnson, Gerry McNamara), but rather it contains multiple quality players that can show dominance on any given night.. The Orange currently lead the nation in bench scoring with almost 38 points a game.

Yes, the Orange have had a relatively easy schedule so far, so a case can be made that we don't know their true capabilities yet. But look at fellow conference foes UConn and Pitt. Both teams suffered losses to much more inferior opponents like UCF, Wagner and Seton Hall. The Orange have won every game by six points or more.

The normal starting lineup for Syracuse is: Scoop Jardine, Brandon Triche, Rakeem Christmas, Kris Joseph, and Fab Melo. It is no surprise that on some nights, the Orange have over six players scoring in double figures.

To put the value of their bench into perspective, let's analyze how the team would do without the starting lineup.

Dion Waiters is currently second in scoring for Syracuse at 12.5 ppg, and yes, he comes off the bench, making a case for being the best sixth man. Other valuable bench players for the Orange include: CJ Fair who is averaging eight ppg and five rpg, James Southerland (a knock down three point shooter), Baye Moussa Keita, and freshman Michael Carter-Williams, who has some tenacious passing ability.

The starting line up would look like this: Dion Waiters at point guard, Carter-Williams at shooting guard, CJ Fair and James Southerland playing forward, and Keita as the center. Coming off the bench would be the fan favorites Mookie Jones and Brandon Reese.

Now this team would have no bench whatsoever, but if you look at the starting lineup it would be absurd to say they could not compete against teams like Harvard, Virginia, Creighton or San Diego State. In just his sophomore season, Waiters has shown signs of leadership and the ability to ignite a crowd with monstrous, game changing plays. He would have the power to lead this team against inferior opponents. With the Oranges' easy non-confrence schedule to open the year, this team could have possibly made it to this point with only two or three losses.

The fact that a case can be made for the bench of this team to be a premier team is incompetent. The Orange have more than enough depth to make a run this year. Their young players also ensure that the Orange will be a dominant team for the next few years.