OrangeHoops Hall of Fame 2024

In 2007, OrangeHoops inducted its charter class into the OrangeHoops Hall of Fame: Dave Bing, Derrick Coleman, Sherman Douglas, Vic Hanson, and Pearl Washington. The next several years saw the addition of Billy Owens (2008), Billy Gabor (2009), Lawrence Moten (2010), Louis Orr (2011), Roosevelt Bouie (2011)  John Wallace (2012),  Rony Seikaly (2013), Vinnie Cohen (2014), Etan Thomas (2015), Joe Schwarzer (2016), Lew Andreas (2017), Carmelo Anthony (2018), Stephen Thompson (2019), Hakim Warrick (2020), Gerry McNamara (2021), and Rudy Hackett (2022).  So the list now stands at 22. Another year has passed, and now it is time for the 2024 inductee.

I established my rules for the OrangeHoops Hall of Fame back in 2007 and you can catch up on them here. 2024 does have eight new eligible candidates (using the fifteen year rule):  Eric Devendorf, Kevin Drew, Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris, Kristof Ongenaet, Jake Presutti, Justin Thomas, and Sean  Williams.

Eric Devendorf was a fiery trash talking guard who could aggressively take the ball to the hoop or pull up for a three pointer. Devo was a four year starter who ended up with 1,680 career points.

Kevin Drew was a walk on guard his freshman year; he never played in a game.  He was a star lacrosse player for four seasons earning Big East First Team honors his senior year.

Jonny Flynn was a speedy point guard who led the Orange offense for two seasons.  Flynn was a McDonalds High School All-American.  He would play in the NBA for three seasons.

 

Paul Harris was an explosive muscular forward who was terrific on the offensive boards.  He would play for the Orange for three seasons.

Kris Ongenaet was a defensive minded forward for the Orange for two seasons. He was a solid rebounder known for his hustling play, and was decent passing the ball.

Jake Presutti was a walk-on guard for four seasons.   He would play 30 games and score 11 points.

Justin Thomas was a walk-on guard for three seasons. He would play 23 games and score 12 points.  Thomas memorably played in the last overtime period of the six overtime win against UConn, as Syracuse had no scholarship players remaining due to fouls.

Sean Williams was a lanky 6'11" center who came to Syracuse as a "project". He played in 16 games in two seasons before transferring.

Flynn and Devendorf would both crack my list of top 10 candidates.

I think this year’s viable top 10 candidates come down to the following, listed chronologically: Lew Castle, Dennis DuVal, Jimmy Lee, Danny Schayes, Leo Rautins, Dave Johnson, Jason Hart, Preston Shumpert, Eric Devendorf, and Jonny Flynn.

Castle was a two time All-American at Syracuse, and was captain and leading scorer of Syracuse’s only undefeated team, the 1913-1914 squad that went 12-0.

DuVal was a flashy point guard for Syracuse in the early 70s.  When he graduated from Syracuse he was only second to Dave Bing in career points scored.  He was a three year started and averaged 18.6 ppg.  DuVal was a third team All-American his senior year

Lee was a clutch shooter with terrific perimeter range, and outstanding free throw shooting ability. He was able to use his shooting ability to set himself up as a solid passer. Lee's 18 foot jumper with five seconds remaining led the Orangemen to beat heavily favored North Carolina, as the Orangemen eventually moved on to their first NCAA Final Four. Lee would end up making the All-Tournament team for his outstanding performances.

Schayes was a skilled center with a good shooting touch, and solid overall basketball skills. He unfortunately sat behind the legendary Roosevelt Bouie his first three seasons, but he led the Orange his senior year in scoring and rebounding, earning an All Big East First Team selection.  

Rautins was a terrific ball-handling forward with a nice shooting touch, solid rebounding and scoring skills. He is most well-known for his game winning tip in basket to win the Big East Championship in triple overtime against Villanova in 1981.  Rautins also recorded two triple-doubles in Big East action.

Johnson was a 6'5" swingman during the heights of Syracuse's program.  He was a defensive replacement his freshman and sophomore year, and would development into one of the Orange's primary offensive threats his junior and senior year. Johnson would earn All Big East First Team his senior year.

Hart was a speedy defensive point guard, and a four year starter.  He was a decent ball handler, and finished his career as the number two assist man all time at Syracuse. He was much better on the defensive end, and would finish as SU's all-time leader in steals.  Hart would have a 9 year career in the NBA, mostly as a backup guard.

Shumpert was one of the best three point shooters in Syracuse history, with terrific range.  He was a streaky shooter and carried the Orangemen to many victories, seven times in his career scoring 30+ points in a game.  He would be named to the Big East First Team both his junior and senior seasons, averaging 20.7 points per game his senior year.  He was not a strong defensive player, and there were questions about his temperament, particularly related to issues with DeShaun Williams.  Shumpert is currently the 8^th all time leading scorer at SU.

All are worthy players, and tough selections to make.  I designed my selection rules to make it tough; the Hall of Fame should be the 'best of the best', and I would rather have a line of worthy players outside the Hall of Fame, than cheapen it by having lessor players included.

Ten very good candidates, and a couple of those players are among my all-time personal favorites.  The 2024 inductee is Jonny Flynn.

Flynn was a speedy guard with a great ability to drive to the basket as well as pull up for a three pointer.  He was a terrific passer and came to Syracuse heralded as a McDonald's All American.

Flynn would win the Big East Rookie of the Year his freshman season, and earned Big East 2nd Team honors his sophomore year.

He would score a career high 35 points in a loss to Providence.  Flynn was pivotal in the memorable six overtime win against UConn with a game high 34 points.  He played 67 of the game's 70 minutes, shot 16-16 from the free throw line, had 11 assists and 6 steals.

Flynn would finish his Syracuse career with 1,211 points on 16.6 ppg, along with 439 assists at 6.0 apg.  

Flynn was the #6 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves.  He averaged 13.5 ppg his rookie season before injuries sidelined him. He would play 3 seasons in the NBA before playing internationally in Australia and Italy.

OrangeHoops Hall of Fame 2023

In 2007, OrangeHoops inducted its charter class into the OrangeHoops Hall of Fame: Dave Bing, Derrick Coleman, Sherman Douglas, Vic Hanson, and Pearl Washington. The next several years saw the addition of Billy Owens (2008), Billy Gabor (2009), Lawrence Moten (2010), Louis Orr (2011), Roosevelt Bouie (2011)  John Wallace (2012),  Rony Seikaly (2013), Vinnie Cohen (2014), Etan Thomas (2015), Joe Schwarzer (2016), Lew Andreas (2017), Carmelo Anthony (2018), Stephen Thompson (2019), Hakim Warrick (2020), Gerry McNamara (2021), and Rudy Hackett (2022).  So the list now stands at 21. Another year has passed, and now it is time for the 2023 inductee.

I established my rules for the OrangeHoops Hall of Fame back in 2007 and you can catch up on them here. 2021 does have five new eligible candidates (using the fifteen year rule): Devin Brennan-McBride, Ryan Cahak, Donte' Greene, Mike Williams, and Josh Wright.

Devin Brennan-McBride was a reserve center for the Orange for two seasons. A recurring injury from high school hampered him further in college, and he would play only six games his freshman year scoring 5 points. He would play no games his sophomore season before leaving school.

Ryan Cahak was a three year walk-on guard for the Orange. He did not play any games his first two season, and played four his third year. He did not score any points.

Donte' Greene was a highly touted freshman forward. He led the team in scoring his only season at Syracuse scoring 17.7 ppg.  He was a good perimeter shooting power forward, but his tendency to play on the perimeter hurt the Orange's inside game.  He was named to the  All Big East 2nd Team and All Rookie Team.  He was drafted in the 1st round of the NBA draft after his freshman year by the Memphis Grizzlies, with the 28th overall pick.  They would trade him to Houston, who would trade him to Sacramento.  Greene would play four seasons in the NBA scoring 1,541 points for an average of 6.1 ppg.

Mike Williams was a star wide receiver for the Syracuse football team, and would play as a reserve on the basketball team his sophomore year.  He played in 4 games and scored 7 points.  Williams faced off the field disciplinary issues that resulted in him being suspended his junior year from the football team. He would leave the football team midseason his senior year.   For his Orange career he had 133 receptions in 29 games with 20 touchdowns.  He was drafted 4th in the 2010 NFL draft, and was a starter his rookie year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Williams would play in the NFL for five seasons, with 223 receptions and 26 touchdowns in 63 games.

Josh Wright was a point guard for the Orange for four seasons. Wright did not play much his first two years, but became the starting point guard his junior year. He struggled as the Orange point guard, and was replaced by Eric Devendorf by the end of the season. Wright would play only four games his senior year before leaving for personal reasons.  He scored 392 points and had 217 assists in his Syracuse career.

None of those players would crack my list of top 10 candidates.

I think this year’s viable top 10 candidates come down to the following, listed chronologically: Lew Castle, Jon Cincebox, Dennis DuVal, Jimmy Lee, Rudy Hackett, Danny Schayes, Leo Rautins, Rafael Addison, Dave Johnson, Jason Hart, and Preston Shumpert.

Castle was a two time All-American at Syracuse, and was captain and leading scorer of Syracuse’s only undefeated team, the 1913-1914 squad that went 12-0.

Cincebox was one of the best rebounders in Syracuse history (in an era when rebounding numbers were admittedly high).  He helped Syracuse to the NCAA Elite Eight in 1956-1957, as the dominant big man for the Orangemen.

DuVal was a flashy point guard for Syracuse in the early 70s.  When he graduated from Syracuse he was only second to Dave Bing in career points scored.  He was a three year started and averaged 18.6 ppg.  DuVal was a third team All-American his senior year

Lee was a clutch shooter with terrific perimeter range, and outstanding free throw shooting ability. He was able to use his shooting ability to set himself up as a solid passer. Lee's 18 foot jumper with five seconds remaining led the Orangemen to beat heavily favored North Carolina, as the Orangemen eventually moved on to their first NCAA Final Four. Lee would end up making the All-Tournament team for his outstanding performances.

Schayes was a skilled center with a good shooting touch, and solid overall basketball skills. He unfortunately sat behind the legendary Roosevelt Bouie his first three seasons, but he led the Orange his senior year in scoring and rebounding, earning an All Big East First Team selection.  

Rautins was a terrific ball-handling forward with a nice shooting touch, solid rebounding and scoring skills. He is most well-known for his game winning tip in basket to win the Big East Championship in triple overtime against Villanova in 1981.  Rautins also recorded two triple-doubles in Big East action.

Addison was a gangly small forward who earned a reputation for being one of the most underrated players in the country.  He possessed an excellent mid range jump shot, was decent passing the ball, and was a solid free throw shooter. He led the team in scoring his sophomore and junior seasons.  He moved to shooting guard his senior year, and his 6’7” height helped with the mismatches. Unfortunately a leg injury impacted his effectiveness the second half of the season.

Johnson was a 6'5" swingman during the heights of Syracuse's program.  He was a defensive replacement his freshman and sophomore year, and would development into one of the Orange's primary offensive threats his junior and senior year. Johnson would earn All Big East First Team his senior year.

Hart was a speedy defensive point guard, and a four year starter.  He was a decent ball handler, and finished his career as the number two assist man all time at Syracuse. He was much better on the defensive end, and would finish as SU's all-time leader in steals.  Hart would have a 9 year career in the NBA, mostly as a backup guard.

Shumpert was one of the best three point shooters in Syracuse history, with terrific range.  He was a streaky shooter and carried the Orangemen to many victories, seven times in his career scoring 30+ points in a game.  He would be named to the Big East First Team both his junior and senior seasons, averaging 20.7 points per game his senior year.  He was not a strong defensive player, and there were questions about his temperament, particularly related to issues with DeShaun Williams.  Shumpert is currently the 8^th all time leading scorer at SU.

All are worthy players, and tough selections to make.  I designed my selection rules to make it tough; the Hall of Fame should be the 'best of the best', and I would rather have a line of worthy players outside the Hall of Fame, than cheapen it by having lessor players included.

Ten very good candidates, and a couple of those players are among my all-time personal favorites.  The 2023 inductee is Rafael Addison.

Addison was an unheralded freshman when he came to Syracuse but made an impact as a reserve his freshman year, working as the sixth man, and averaging 8.4 ppg.  He earned recognition on the All Big East Rookie team.

He would lead the team in scoring and rebounding his sophomore year with 17.7 ppg and 6.0 rpg. He scored 31 points in a first round Big East Tournament win over UConn.  

Addison was gaining a reputation as being one of the most underrated players in the country his junior season, again leading the Orange in scoring with 18.4 ppg.  He would earn All Big East First Team recognition his junior year.

Addison had a good chance of breaking Dave Bing's school career scoring record his senior year. However, he injured his leg early in the winter, and it hampered his play for the rest of the season, sharply decreasing his effectiveness. He would end his career seven point short of Bing's record.

Addison was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1986 NBA draft. He would play one season in Phoenix, before playing in Italy for five years, where he shined. He came back to the NBA in 1991 and played five more seasons.

OrangeHoops Hall of Fame 2022

In 2007, OrangeHoops inducted its charter class into the OrangeHoops Hall of Fame: Dave Bing, Derrick Coleman, Sherman Douglas, Vic Hanson, and Pearl Washington. The next ten years saw the addition of Billy Owens (2008), Billy Gabor (2009), Lawrence Moten (2010), Louis Orr (2011), Roosevelt Bouie (2011)  John Wallace (2012),  Rony Seikaly (2013), Vinnie Cohen (2014), Etan Thomas (2015), Joe Schwarzer (2016), Lew Andreas (2017), Carmelo Anthony (2018), Stephen Thompson (2019), Hakim Warrick (2020), and Gerry McNamara (2021).  So the list now stands at 20. Another year has passed, and now it is time for the 2022 inductee.

I established my rules for the OrangeHoops Hall of Fame back in 2007 and you can catch up on them here. 2021 does have seven new eligible candidates (using the fifteen year rule): Todd Burach, Ross DiLiegro, Matt Gorman, Mike Jones, Demetris Nichols, Terrence Roberts, Darryl Watkins

Todd Burach was a three year walk-on for the Orange. He played guard and scored 9 points in three seasons.

Ross DILiegro was a four year walk-on for the Orange. He played forward for four seasons and scored 2 points in eleven games.

Matt Gorman was a reserve forward for four seasons.  He did play in most of the games as a junior and senior, and started five games his senior year. He hit 46% of this three point shots his senior year on a limited 26 shots.

Mike Jones was a forward on the Orange for one season. He transferred after his first semester having scored 21 points in 11 games.

Demetris Nichols was a smooth shooting forward who became quite prolific at three point shooting.  Nichols was an occasional starter/key reserve his first two seasons.  He moved permanently into the starting lineup his junior year and was one of the top shooters in the Big East. Nichols would have a terrific senior year hitting 100 of 240 three point shots (41.7%), on his way to 18.9 ppg. He would earn a berth on the All Big East First Team, and have two games with 30+ points, including a career high 37 against St. John's.  He finished his career with 1,344 points, currently 36th all time.

Terrence Roberts was a solid forward who excelled at rebounding and defense. He never developed into a strong scorer, but he was adept at running the court.  He would average 8.1 rebounds per game his senior year. Like many big men at Syracuse he struggled at the free throw line making only 48% of his shots.  He finished his career with 716 rebounds, currently 24th all time at Syracuse.

Darryl 'Mookie' Watkins was a terrific shot blocking center, though he was prone to foul trouble throughout his career.  Watkins excelled on the defensive end of the court, but never developed a strong offensive game, peaking at 8.1 ppg his senior year. He did finish his career with 263 blocked shots, currently 5th all-time at Syracuse.

None of those players would crack my list of top 10 candidates.

I think this year’s viable top 10 candidates come down to the following, listed chronologically: Lew Castle, Jon Cincebox, Dennis DuVal, Jimmy Lee, Rudy Hackett, Danny Schayes, Leo Rautins, Rafael Addison, Jason Hart, and Preston Shumpert.

Castle was a two time All-American at Syracuse, and was captain and leading scorer of Syracuse’s only undefeated team, the 1913-1914 squad that went 12-0.

Cincebox was on the best rebounders in Syracuse history (in an era when rebounding numbers were admittedly high).  He helped Syracuse to the NCAA Elite Eight in 1956-1957, as the dominant big man for the Orangemen.

DuVal was a flashy point guard for Syracuse in the early 70s.  When he graduated from Syracuse he was only second to Dave Bing in career points scored.  He was a three year started and averaged 18.6 ppg.  DuVal was a third team All-American his senior year

Lee was a clutch shooter with terrific perimeter range, and outstanding free throw shooting ability. He was able to use his shooting ability to set himself up as a solid passer. Lee's 18 foot jumper with five seconds remaining led the Orangemen to beat heavily favored North Carolina, as the Orangemen eventually moved on to their first NCAA Final Four. Lee would end up making the All-Tournament team for his outstanding performances.

Hackett was a powerful forward who could run the court well. He was a great rebounder and terrific scorer near the hoop.  He led the Orangemen in scoring his senior year and helped lead Syracuse to its first Final Four in 1975.

Schayes was a skilled center with a good shooting touch, and solid overall basketball skills. He unfortunately sat behind the legendary Roosevelt Bouie his first three seasons, but he led the Orange his senior year in scoring and rebounding, earning an All Big East First Team selection.  

Rautins was a terrific ball-handling forward with a nice shooting touch, solid rebounding and scoring skills. He is most well-known for his game winning tip in basket to win the Big East Championship in triple overtime against Villanova in 1981.  Rautins also recorded two triple-doubles in Big East action.

Addison was a gangly small forward who earned a reputation for being one of the most underrated players in the country.  He possessed an excellent mid range jump shot, was decent passing the ball, and was a solid free throw shooter. He led the team in scoring his sophomore and junior seasons.  He moved to shooting guard his senior year, and his 6’7” height helped with the mismatches. Unfortunately a leg injury impacted his effectiveness the second half of the season.

Hart was a speedy defensive point guard, and a four year starter.  He was a decent ball handler, and finished his career as the number two assist man all time at Syracuse. He was much better on the defensive end, and would finish as SU's all-time leader in steals.  Hart would have a 9 year career in the NBA, mostly as a backup guard.

Shumpert was one of the best three point shooters in Syracuse history, with terrific range.  He was a streaky shooter and carried the Orangemen to many victories, seven times in his career scoring 30+ points in a game.  He would be named to the Big East First Team both his junior and senior seasons, averaging 20.7 points per game his senior year.  He was not a strong defensive player, and there were questions about his temperament, particularly related to issues with DeShaun Williams.  Shumpert is currently the 8^th all time leading scorer at SU.

All are worthy players, and tough selections to make.  I designed my selection rules to make it tough; the Hall of Fame should be the 'best of the best', and I would rather have a line of worthy players outside the Hall of Fame, than cheapen it by having lessor players included.

Ten very good candidates, and a couple of those players are among my all-time personal favorites.  The 2022 inductee is Rudy Hackett.

Hackett averaged 22.2 ppg and 12.7 rebounds per game his senior year to help lead the Orangemen to their first Final Four as a Cinderella underdog.  He and Jimmy Lee were the Orangemen's one-two punch during their improbable run in the NCAA tournament.

Hackett earned 2nd team All American recognition his senior year.  At the time his finished his career he was 2nd all-time in rebounding, having led the team all three seasons he was on the varsity,  and 2nd all-time in scoring. Hackett is currently 7th in rebounding all time at Syracuse, and 25th in scoring.

OrangeHoops Hall of Fame 2021

In 2007, OrangeHoops inducted its charter class into the OrangeHoops Hall of Fame: Dave Bing, Derrick Coleman, Sherman Douglas, Vic Hanson, and Pearl Washington. The next ten years saw the addition of Billy Owens (2008), Billy Gabor (2009), Lawrence Moten (2010), Louis Orr (2011), Roosevelt Bouie (2011)  John Wallace (2012),  Rony Seikaly (2013), Vinnie Cohen (2014), Etan Thomas (2015), Joe Schwarzer (2016), Lew Andreas (2017), Carmelo Anthony (2018), Stephen Thompson (2019), and Hakim Warrick (2020).  So the list now stands at 19. Another year has passed, and now it is time for the 2021 inductee.

I established my rules for the OrangeHoops Hall of Fame back in 2007 and you can catch up on them here. 2021 does have three new eligible candidates (using the fifteen year rule): J.J. Bedle, Louie McCroskey, and Gerry McNamara.

J.J. Bedle was a wide receiver on the Syracuse football team.  He would play as a walk-on guard for the basketball team his freshman year, playing in only one game and failing to score. Bedle would transfer to Delaware State after his freshman year.  He died tragically young at the age of 21 in 2007.

Louie McCroskey was a three year swingman for the Orange.  He was a starter for part of his sophomore season.  McCroskey was a strong defender, but never flourished offensively for the Orange.  He would transfer to Marist College after his senior season.

Gerry McNamara was one of the most popular players in Syracuse basketball history.  The four year starter was the most prolific three point shooter in Syracuse history.  He made six three point shots in the Syracuse championship win over Kansas during his freshman year.  'GMac' would set the Syracuse career records for most three point baskets and highest free throw percentage.   He finished as the fourth all-time leading scorer in school history, as well as third in assists, and second in steals.  He scored 43 points against Brigham Young in the 2004 NCAA Tournament.  He lifted the Orange to the 2006 Big East Championship, earning the tournament MVP with heroics in each of the four games the Orange played.  

Gerry McNamara would make my top 10 list of eligible candidates.

I think this year’s viable top 10 candidates come down to the following, listed chronologically: Lew Castle, Jon Cincebox, Dennis DuVal, Jimmy Lee, Rudy Hackett, Leo Rautins, Rafael Addison, Jason Hart, Preston Shumpert and Gerry McNamara.

Castle was a two time All-American at Syracuse, and was captain and leading scorer of Syracuse’s only undefeated team, the 1913-1914 squad that went 12-0.

Cincebox was on the best rebounders in Syracuse history (in an era when rebounding numbers were admittedly high).  He helped Syracuse to the NCAA Elite Eight in 1956-1957, as the dominant big man for the Orangemen.

DuVal was a flashy point guard for Syracuse in the early 70s.  When he graduated from Syracuse he was only second to Dave Bing in career points scored.  He was a three year started and averaged 18.6 ppg.  DuVal was a third team All-American his senior year

Lee was a clutch shooter with terrific perimeter range, and outstanding free throw shooting ability. He was able to use his shooting ability to set himself up as a solid passer. Lee's 18 foot jumper with five seconds remaining led the Orangemen to beat heavily favored North Carolina, as the Orangemen eventually moved on to their first NCAA Final Four. Lee would end up making the All-Tournament team for his outstanding performances.

Hackett was a powerful forward who could run the court well. He was a great rebounder and terrific scorer near the hoop.  He led the Orangemen in scoring his senior year and helped lead Syracuse to its first Final Four in 1975.

Rautins was a terrific ball-handling forward with a nice shooting touch, solid rebounding and scoring skills. He is most well-known for his game winning tip in basket to win the Big East Championship in triple overtime against Villanova in 1981.  Rautins also recorded two triple-doubles in Big East action.

Addison was a gangly small forward who earned a reputation for being one of the most underrated players in the country.  He possessed an excellent mid range jump shot, was decent passing the ball, and was a solid free throw shooter. He led the team in scoring his sophomore and junior seasons.  He moved to shooting guard his senior year, and his 6’7” height helped with the mismatches. Unfortunately a leg injury impacted his effectiveness the second half of the season.

Hart was a speedy defensive point guard, and a four year starter.  He was a decent ball handler, and finished his career as the number two assist man all time at Syracuse. He was much better on the defensive end, and would finish as SU's all-time leader in steals.  Hart would have a 9 year career in the NBA, mostly as a backup guard.

Shumpert was one of the best three point shooters in Syracuse history, with terrific range.  He was a streaky shooter and carried the Orangemen to many victories, seven times in his career scoring 30+ points in a game.  He would be named to the Big East First Team both his junior and senior seasons, averaging 20.7 points per game his senior year.  He was not a strong defensive player, and there were questions about his temperament, particularly related to issues with DeShaun Williams.  Shumpert is currently the 8^th all time leading scorer at SU.

All are worthy players, and tough selections to make.  I designed my selection rules to make it tough; the Hall of Fame should be the 'best of the best', and I would rather have a line of worthy players outside the Hall of Fame, than cheapen it by having lessor players included.

Ten very good candidates, and a couple of those players are among my all-time personal favorites.  The 2021 inductee is easily Gerry McNamara.

McNamara, as mentioned above, was highly accoladed while at Syracuse, and was a crowd favorite.  His resume of game heroics is lengthy over his four season career.  GMac returned to Syracuse as a graduate assistant coach in 2009, and was elevated to an assistant coach in 2011.

OrangeHoops Hall of Fame 2020

In 2007, OrangeHoops inducted its charter class into the OrangeHoops Hall of Fame: Dave Bing, Derrick Coleman, Sherman Douglas, Vic Hanson, and Pearl Washington. The next ten years saw the addition of Billy Owens (2008), Billy Gabor (2009), Lawrence Moten (2010), Louis Orr (2011), Roosevelt Bouie (2011)  John Wallace (2012),  Rony Seikaly (2013), Vinnie Cohen (2014), Etan Thomas (2015), Joe Schwarzer (2016), Lew Andreas (2017), Carmelo Anthony (2018) and Stephen Thompson (2019).  So the list now stands at 18. Another year has passed, and now it is time for the 2020 inductee.

I established my rules for the OrangeHoops Hall of Fame back in 2007 and you can catch up on them here. 2020 does have eight new eligible candidates (using the fifteen year rule): Josh Brooks, Billy Edelin, Craig Forth, Logan Gabriel, Xzavier Gaines, Josh Pace, Hakim Warrick, and Dayshawn Wright.

Josh Brooks was a three year walk-on forward for the Orange, and part of the 2003 National Championship team. He scored 2 points in his career.

Billy Edelin was a talented point guard who had problems with academic and eligibility suspensions in his career.  Edelin missed the first 10 games of his freshman season due to an eligibility suspension, but slowly was integrated into the team and was vital part of the post season run for the 2003 National Championship.  He scored 20 points in the tournament win over Oklahoma State.  Edelin would leave Syracuse after his junior season, never realizing his full potential.

Craig Forth was a four year starting center for the Orange, and part of the 2003 National Championship team.  Forth was never a big scorer, but he held his defensive position well, and provided solid defense in the back of the Syracuse zone.  Against UConn in his junior season, he had 14 points, 13 rebounds against the Huskies' Emeka Okafor, as well as holding Okafor to 2 points in the SU win.

Logan Gabriel was a walk-on guard for one year for the Orange.  He would play five games and fail to score.

Xzavier Gaines was a two-year walk-on guard for the Orange. He was a scholarship quarterback for the Syracuse football team.  Gaines was part of the 2003 National Championship team; he would score 2 points that season, as well as for his SU career.   Gaines would lose out to a couple younger quarterbacks after his junior season, and chose to transfer to Northwest Missouri State, where he would be a solid basketball player.

Josh Pace was a valuable swingman for the Orange for four seasons, and the top sixth man on the 2003 National Championship team.  Pace was one of those guys who did a little bit of everything, with rebounding, assists, and defense and scoring, combined with consistent hustle.  He would be a Big East Honorable Mention his senior year, and finished with 938 career points and 7.3 ppg.  

Hakim Warrick was an athletic forward for Syracuse for four seasons.  Warrick had explosive leaping, and well as a quick drop step dunk move.  He was a valuable reserve his freshman year, and became a starter his sophomore year.  He would be second on the team in scoring and rebounding behind Carmelo Anthony, and was integral in the 2003 National Championship.  Warrick's last second block of Kansas' Michael Lee is perhaps the single greatest highlight is Syracuse basketball history.   Warrick would lead the Orange in scoring and rebounding his junior and senior seasons.  Warrick would twice be named to the All Big East First Team, and was the 2005 Big East Player of the Year, only the second Orangemen to earn the award at that point.  Warrick finished his career with 2,073 points, 1,024 rebounds, and a 15.4 ppg.

Dayshawn Wright was a big forward from local Fowler High School.  He would play ten games his freshman year before being suspended for undisclosed reasons.  He would transfer out of Syracuse, but never regain athletic eligibility anywhere else.

Hakim Warrick would make my top 10 list.

I think this year’s viable top 10 candidates come down to the following, listed chronologically: Lew Castle, Jon Cincebox, Dennis DuVal, Jimmy Lee, Rudy Hackett, Leo Rautins, Rafael Addison, Jason Hart, Preston Shumpert and Hakim Warrick.

Castle was a two time All-American at Syracuse, and was captain and leading scorer of Syracuse’s only undefeated team, the 1913-1914 squad that went 12-0.

Cincebox was on the best rebounders in Syracuse history (in an era when rebounding numbers were admittedly high).  He helped Syracuse to the NCAA Elite Eight in 1956-1957, as the dominant big man for the Orangemen.

DuVal was a flashy point guard for Syracuse in the early 70s.  When he graduated from Syracuse he was only second to Dave Bing in career points scored.  He was a three year started and averaged 18.6 ppg.  DuVal was a third team All-American his senior year

Lee was a clutch shooter with terrific perimeter range, and outstanding free throw shooting ability. He was able to use his shooting ability to set himself up as a solid passer. Lee's 18 foot jumper with five seconds remaining led the Orangemen to beat heavily favored North Carolina, as the Orangemen eventually moved on to their first NCAA Final Four. Lee would end up making the All-Tournament team for his outstanding performances.

Hackett was a powerful forward who could run the court well. He was a great rebounder and terrific scorer near the hoop.  He led the Orangemen in scoring his senior year and helped lead Syracuse to its first Final Four in 1975.

Rautins was a terrific ball-handling forward with a nice shooting touch, solid rebounding and scoring skills. He is most well-known for his game winning tip in basket to win the Big East Championship in triple overtime against Villanova in 1981.  Rautins also recorded two triple-doubles in Big East action.

Addison was a gangly small forward who earned a reputation for being one of the most underrated players in the country.  He possessed an excellent mid range jump shot, was decent passing the ball, and was a solid free throw shooter. He led the team in scoring his sophomore and junior seasons.  He moved to shooting guard his senior year, and his 6’7” height helped with the mismatches. Unfortunately a leg injury impacted his effectiveness the second half of the season.

Hart was a speedy defensive point guard, and a four year starter.  He was a decent ball handler, and finished his career as the number two assist man all time at Syracuse. He was much better on the defensive end, and would finish as SU's all-time leader in steals.  Hart would have a 9 year career in the NBA, mostly as a backup guard.

Shumpert was one of the best three point shooters in Syracuse history, with terrific range.  He was a streaky shooter and carried the Orangemen to many victories, seven times in his career scoring 30+ points in a game.  He would be named to the Big East First Team both his junior and senior seasons, averaging 20.7 points per game his senior year.  He was not a strong defensive player, and there were questions about his temperament, particularly related to issues with DeShaun Williams.  Shumpert is currently the 8^th all time leading scorer at SU.

All are worthy players, and tough selections to make.  I designed my selection rules to make it tough; the Hall of Fame should be the 'best of the best', and I would rather have a line of worthy players outside the Hall of Fame, than cheapen it by having lessor players included.

Ten very good candidates, and a couple of those players are among my all-time personal favorites.  The 2020 inductee is easily Hakim Warrick.

Warrick, as mentioned above, was highly accoladed while at Syracuse.  He would by drafted 19th overall in the 2005 NBA draft and have a solid eight yera NBA career, primarily with Memphis.  He thrilled Syracuse fans with his breathtaking dunks for four seasons, and of course was a vital part of the National Championship.