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.
Syracuse’s Carter-Williams to the Draft, Ennis to the Point
The best kept secret in Syracuse basketball became official Wednesday when sophomore guard Michael Carter-Williams announced he would put his name into the 2013 NBA Draft.
“Michael has informed me of his intention to enter the NBA Draft,” said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. “He’s coming off a tremendous season and we appreciate all he’s done for Syracuse basketball. We wish Michael the best of luck as he pursues a pro career.”
Carter-Williams started all 40 games for the Orange this season and finished fifth in assist average (7.3) and fourth in steals average (2.78) among Division I performers. He also averaged 11.9 points per game and a squad-best 35.2 minutes a game.
Carter-Williams probably helped his stock in the NCAA Tournament, going for 24 points in Syracuse’s win over No. 1 Indiana in the East Region semifinals.
DraftExpress.com projects him as the No. 12 pick in the Draft.
“He has really helped himself in the Tournament,” a veteran NBA scout told SNY.tv. “Great size for position, makes teammates better with his penetration and passing, improving his shooting. Very good using length and anticipation for steals. Great upside.”
Carter-Williams’ family home in Hamilton, Mass., also recently burned down, and going to the NBA will help him aid his family going forward.
Carter-Williams’ decision officially means that St. Benedict’s Prep floor general Tyler Ennis will take over the point guard duties when the Orange move to the ACC.
The 6-2 Ennis led his team to the ESPN NHSI championship game on Saturday, where he hit a huge clutch 3-pointer to put St. Ben’s up by one point with 12 seconds left.
Montverde answered with a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the game and end Ennis’ tremendous career at the Newark school.
“I think he’s going to be pretty good, he’s pretty good,” Boeheim said in the locker room after Syracuse lost to Michigan Saturday in the national semifinals Saturday. “He’s a good player. I think we have a good group coming in. I think we’ll be fine.
“I think we got a really good player sitting out [Michael Gbinije], I think we’ve got some good players coming in, and I think we’ve got some really good players here.
“But next year is next year.”
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.
The best kept secret in Syracuse basketball became official Wednesday when sophomore guard Michael Carter-Williams announced he would put his name into the 2013 NBA Draft.
“Michael has informed me of his intention to enter the NBA Draft,” said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. “He’s coming off a tremendous season and we appreciate all he’s done for Syracuse basketball. We wish Michael the best of luck as he pursues a pro career.”
Carter-Williams started all 40 games for the Orange this season and finished fifth in assist average (7.3) and fourth in steals average (2.78) among Division I performers. He also averaged 11.9 points per game and a squad-best 35.2 minutes a game.
Carter-Williams probably helped his stock in the NCAA Tournament, going for 24 points in Syracuse’s win over No. 1 Indiana in the East Region semifinals.
DraftExpress.com projects him as the No. 12 pick in the Draft.
“He has really helped himself in the Tournament,” a veteran NBA scout told SNY.tv. “Great size for position, makes teammates better with his penetration and passing, improving his shooting. Very good using length and anticipation for steals. Great upside.”
Carter-Williams’ family home in Hamilton, Mass., also recently burned down, and going to the NBA will help him aid his family going forward.
Carter-Williams’ decision officially means that St. Benedict’s Prep floor general Tyler Ennis will take over the point guard duties when the Orange move to the ACC.
The 6-2 Ennis led his team to the ESPN NHSI championship game on Saturday, where he hit a huge clutch 3-pointer to put St. Ben’s up by one point with 12 seconds left.
Montverde answered with a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the game and end Ennis’ tremendous career at the Newark school.
“I think he’s going to be pretty good, he’s pretty good,” Boeheim said in the locker room after Syracuse lost to Michigan Saturday in the national semifinals Saturday. “He’s a good player. I think we have a good group coming in. I think we’ll be fine.
“I think we got a really good player sitting out [Michael Gbinije], I think we’ve got some good players coming in, and I think we’ve got some really good players here.
“But next year is next year.”
