Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
**This story was referenced on ESPN’s PTI, where Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss it at the 9-minute mark. Click here.**
The way Jim Boeheim sees it, none of the heralded freshmen across the American college basketball landscape are worth tanking for.
“There’s no player that’s out there on the horizon that’s a Tim Duncan or a LeBron James,” the Hall of Fame Syracuse coach told SNY.tv by phone Thursday.
“I’ve seen all these guys play. I think they’re very talented players. They’re not that kind of player. They’re not transcendent players that are gonna make your franchise into a 10-12-15-year winning franchise because you’re there. I don’t see that.”
One NBA executive told SNY.tv he believed as many as six franchises were tanking — and that was before the Toronto Raptors dealt Rudy Gay in a move potentially aimed at bringing Canadian Andrew Wiggins back North of the border.
Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, Joel Embiid and Aaron Gordon are considered the top freshmen in the nation, and Syracuse and Boeheim will get an up-close look at Parker twice this season in ACC play.
Syracuse hosts Duke Feb. 1 at the Carrier Dome and visits Duke Feb. 22.
“I think there’s a lot of good players, talented players, guys who will be really good NBA players,” Boeheim said, “but I’m not sure there’s transcendent players there.”
**For more stories on Andrew Wiggins, click here.
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
**This story was referenced on ESPN’s PTI, where Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss it at the 9-minute mark. Click here.**
The way Jim Boeheim sees it, none of the heralded freshmen across the American college basketball landscape are worth tanking for.
“There’s no player that’s out there on the horizon that’s a Tim Duncan or a LeBron James,” the Hall of Fame Syracuse coach told SNY.tv by phone Thursday.
“I’ve seen all these guys play. I think they’re very talented players. They’re not that kind of player. They’re not transcendent players that are gonna make your franchise into a 10-12-15-year winning franchise because you’re there. I don’t see that.”
One NBA executive told SNY.tv he believed as many as six franchises were tanking — and that was before the Toronto Raptors dealt Rudy Gay in a move potentially aimed at bringing Canadian Andrew Wiggins back North of the border.
Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, Joel Embiid and Aaron Gordon are considered the top freshmen in the nation, and Syracuse and Boeheim will get an up-close look at Parker twice this season in ACC play.
Syracuse hosts Duke Feb. 1 at the Carrier Dome and visits Duke Feb. 22.
“I think there’s a lot of good players, talented players, guys who will be really good NBA players,” Boeheim said, “but I’m not sure there’s transcendent players there.”
**For more stories on Andrew Wiggins, click here.
