Rivals.com rules the college/high school fan space for a reason. The network is stocked with experts in related subject matter. Basically, it's writers/contributors know their stuff.
Nobody represents this expertise more than Jim Stechschulte, The Juice Online's Associate Editor/Columnist and renown expert on all things 'Cuse sports, Stechschulte knows his stuff, communicates it well, and stays on his grind.
Well, Stechschulte gratefully consented to receiving and responding to a set of questions, germane to today's Georgetown at Syracuse. His complete submission follows.
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Want to take in questions/responses relative to Georgetown? Stechschulte published those, here!
1) What's your take on this Lampkins guy? He's a wildcard imo, who can help you win or lose, equally.
Eddie Lampkin is an offense-first center who gets by more on guile than athleticism. He’s an earth-bound player, whose strengths on offense rest in his playmaking ability, but he also uses his size to rebound on both ends of the floor. Lampkin works hard on the defensive end, but he knows he is not a shot blocking threat. Instead, he tries to use his size to get position and fend off opponents, as well as getting advantageous position for grabbing rebounds. His game has been hindered this season by a sometimes balky back, but he does his best to push through it and play.
2) Since HC Red Autry has largely moved away from the 2 3 matchup defense, how do the Orange stop people, and are the fans grumpy that unique scheme is not front and center?
To answer the second part first, the fan base is happy that the 2-3 zone has been essentially scrapped. While the team will occasionally play zone for short spans, the Orange rely mostly on man-to-man defense. However, with significant roster turnover once more (only four members of the team are returnees from last season and there were four incoming transfers), the defense is a work in progress as the players are still developing chemistry as a unit. That development has proven slow in coming, as the team has struggled on defense in both seasons under Autry, including this year’s version being currently ranked #302 in the country in field goal percentage allowed. As such, the team is reliant on outscoring their opponents in an effort to win games
3) Do the Orange have a true lead guard?
While J.J. Starling is out with a hand injury, the team has shifted a little toward putting the ball in the hands of point guard Jaquan Carlos more. Carlos has played at least 35 minutes in each of the three games Starling has missed and, after a team-wide forgettable game at top-ranked Tennessee, has responded well.In the last two games against Notre Dame and Albany, Carlos has 20 points and 19 assists against five turnovers. Those numbers stand out in sharp comparison to his totals of 22 assists and seven miscues in the first seven outings of the season. While the situation is not ideal, Carlos has responded to a familiar role, as he was a two-year starter at the point for Hofstra prior to transferring to SU this past offseason
4) Prediction?
Today’s game should be a tight one, as it matches a pair of programs in the midst of an overhaul who are trying to build momentum. Both squads have struggled against major conference competition while going winless against low-major teams, even sharing some common opponents. Syracuse is coming off their best offensive game of the season, having hung 102 points on Albany, the same team the Hoyas scored 100 on a couple weeks ago. The confidence coming off that performance as the team gets used to being without Starling, combined with the homecourt advantage, will give the Orange just enough to get over the finish line with a win win a high-scoring affair. Syracuse 84, Georgetown 82.
5) How is Aurtry received by the fan base?
I think most of the fanbase is still affording Autry some patience as he restructures the program. Many people understand the program was not in great shape when Jim Boeheim retired and allowing Autry to make the changes he wants to the program, such as moving on from the long-established 2-3 zone, allow him some leeway.That said, there are some pockets of fans who are already dissatisfied that he has not been able to turn things around immediately, including complaints about player evaluation regarding transfers, his player rotation, a lack of structure in the offense, or the leaky defense. While it certainly has been a bumpy start to this season, Autry’s first year was the first 20-win campaign in five seasons and was the first to finish above .500 in ACC play since the 2013-2014 season, so he deserves a little more room to finish overhauling the program.
