Jim Boeheim points out flaws that NIL, transfer portal can bring

Syracuse achieved their eighth conference victory of the season Wednesday night with a 76-67 road win over Florida State. Orange head coach Jim Boeheim has a young roster that stepped up to the occasion yet again on Wednesday. Syracuse has been making it work all season with their youthful roster, but Boheim pointed out that it won’t always be the case for teams, especially with the rise of the transfer portal.

“The only point I’ve ever tried to make, and I don’t do it well, is the NIL is a great thing, the portal’s a great thing,” Boeheim said. “But if you don’t go in it and you go with younger players, I think you’re gonna be struggling, there’s gonna be some struggling.”

The transfer portal has already had an impact across all collegiate sports, but each sport has slight differences in nuances to the effect it can have. And for basketball, using the transfer portal can give a team valuable, veteran experience very fast, which can have a huge impact given the roster size and nature of the game.

“Because veteran guys are just, they’re your guys only they’re four years older, three or four years older,” Boeheim explained. “They’re just gonna be better all-around players at that stage.”

Center Mounir Hima was the team’s only incoming transfer in 2022 and has averaged eight minutes and 1.1 points per game this season. The Orange starting five consists of rookies and vets, with three freshmen and two senior leaders. And their combination of youth with a touch of experience has served them well this season despite their lack of offseason transfer portal activity.

“But these guys have worked hard, they’re trying to get better, and hopefully we can continue to get a little bit better,” Boeheim concluded.

Syracuse’s senior leaders Joseph Girard and Jesse Edwards have led the charge for the Orange and brought along their freshman players. Girard’s 17 points per game lead the team and rank fourth in the ACC, which is also where he ranks in the conference in three-point makes per game with 2.9. Edwards’ 2.8 blocks per game rank first in the conference, and his 10.2 rebounds per game rank second in the ACC.

Freshman starters Maliq Brown, Chris Bell, and especially Judah Mintz have been playing their part as well. Mintz had 16 points versus the Seminoles and has scored in double figures in all but four games this season. He ranks second in the ACC amongst freshman points per game, and the play of him and his counterparts have definitely provided a promising look at the future for Syracuse.