Syracuse Basketball: Stock Watch for Orange's Top Players

After a tough loss at Pittsburgh, the Syracuse basketball team rebounded with a 70-56 win at Boston College. Michael Gbinije led the way with 21 points for the Orange, who overcame Rakeem Christmas' poor night and pulled away for the win.

Perhaps playing well can get the Orange into a groove. It would be the perfect time, as home games against Duke, Louisville and Pittsburgh await the Orange over the next week-and-a-half.

With the season entering the home stretch, let's take a look at the stock watch for each Orange starter. We'll explore how each player has been performing of late and see how they can help the team going forward.

Kaleb Joseph

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This has been a familiar sight during Orange games this season: Kaleb Joseph is spending a lot of time with coach Jim Boeheim on the sidelines.

Joseph failed to break 30 minutes in each of the four games before Wednesday's win at Boston College. Every time Joseph made a frustrating play, Boeheim gave the freshman the hook immediately. Whether it was failing to close out on a shooter on defense or going one-on-three on a fast break on offense, Joseph is on a short leash with his head coach.

However, Joseph had one of his best games of the season at Conte Forum against BC—he had 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting. He even had a few athletic dunks off the dribble. Sure, it was against one of the ACC's worst teams (BC is 1-10 in league play), but seeing what he needs to do to be successful can be helpful for the young point guard.

Against stiffer competition, Joseph's performance could suffer again. But he's only a freshman, so developing good habits now can only help him heading into next season.

Stock: Trending Down

Trevor Cooney

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Trevor Cooney has become more than just a shooter for the Orange this year. Sure, Cooney is still the team's most frequent shooter, but he has been able to score from all over the floor.

Cooney has reached double figures in points in eight of the last 10 games for the Orange. He's taking the most shots for the Orange, but he's been one of the team's only options for most of the season. He's attacking off the dribble, pulling up in the lane and sometimes even getting free behind the defense for layups.

Cooney could still stand to be a bit more selective with his shots, but even when he misses, he is forcing defenses to guard him.

Cooney is also consistently one of the team's best defenders. He's fourth in the ACC in steals, and he does it all with very few breaks from action. He's gone the full 40 minutes in five of the last six games. And that's going to continue, as there isn't really anyone on the Orange bench to spell him.

Stock: Up

Michael Gbinije

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Michael Gbinije has been on a tear as of late. Just check out his stat lines over the last three games:

vs. Virginia Tech	18 pts	2 reb	7 ast	4 stl
at Pitt	23 pts	4 reb	3 ast	4 stl
at Boston College	21 pts	7 reb	4 ast	4 stl

Gbinije has been efficient on offense. He's shooting 63 percent from the floor during that three-game stretch. Gbinije has been aggressive off the dribble and is getting to the rim at will. He's also made seven of the past 14 threes he has attempted.

In addition, he's played the roll of the hero. Gbinije had the last six points against Virginia Tech, including the game-winner with 0.1 seconds left. Simply put, Gbinije is emerging as a reliable go-to player for the Orange. If he continues this momentum, he will be primed to take over the team next season.

Stock: Soaring

Tyler Roberson

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After having three straight games scoring in double figures, Tyler Roberson has gone three in a row scoring seven or fewer points. Roberson capped it off with a one-point performance in 11 minutes against Boston College.

But B.J. Johnson hit four threes at Conte Forum, so he took Roberson's minutes. Roberson still looks tentative on offense, hesitating to take mid-range jumpers and clanking them when he does pull the trigger.

Roberson is still likely to get most of the minutes going forward, so he needs to stay aggressive on offense. If he fills the lanes on fast breaks and crashes the offensive glass, he can make his presence felt for the Orange.

Stock: Falling

Rakeem Christmas

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Rakeem Christmas has been Mr. Everything for the Orange this season. He leads the team in scoring, rebounding and shot-blocking, and his 18.5 points per game are tops in the ACC.

Christmas has also been locked in on defense and is avoiding foul trouble. He's played 40 minutes in five straight games and played the entire game in seven of his last eight contests. It's unfathomable that he couldn't crack the Wooden Award Top 20.

Christmas did have his worst game of the season against Boston College, scoring only seven points on 3-of-8 shooting. But he still commanded double- and triple-teams, which helped create space for his teammates.

Christmas will continue to be the No. 1 option for the Orange for the rest of the season. He has a serious chance to be the ACC's Player of the Year, and it's unfortunate he won't be able to get one last run in the NCAA tournament.