In The Paint: Houston

SYRACUSE VS HOUSTON MARCH 27, 2021

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UNDER THE RADAR After up-and-down year, Joe Girard III is playing his best basketball in NCAA Tournament

JOE GIRARD III’S March resurgence has quietly helped lead Syracuse to the Sweet 16. The point guard struggled shooting for most of the season, but has shot 10-of-27 from 3 during postseason play. courtesy of brett wilhelm ncaa photos via getty images

By Anthony Dabbundo senior staff writer

J

oe Girard II boarded his 6:30 a.m. flight out of Albany, New York on Southwest Airlines on Friday morning. After a layover in Baltimore, Girard II landed in Indianapolis International Airport just a few hours before Syracuse played San Diego State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

He only booked a one-way flight. Return date to be determined.

Girard II has been at every Syracuse road game but one this season. He went to blowout losses at Pittsburgh, Clemson and Virginia. He missed the Orange’s road win at North Carolina State, and he sat courtside as they rolled NC State and nearly beat Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament to secure their NCAA Tournament spot a few days later.

He has seen first-hand the up-and-down play of Syracuse all season. But as much as the Orange’s resurgent March play is due to Buddy Boeheim’s breakout offensive performances, Joe Girard III — Buddy’s roommate, friend and backcourt partner — is playing his best basketball of the season.

Girard II booked a return flight back to Glens Falls, New York early Monday morning after the Orange’s win against West Virginia. After a full week of work, he’ll make at least one more trip to Indianapolis this weekend, as No. 11 seed Syracuse (18-9, 9-7 ACC) will play No. 2 seed Houston (26-3, 14-3 American Athletic) on Saturday night for a spot in the Elite Eight. While Buddy has gained national notoriety for his red-hot shooting performances, Girard has posted 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds in each NCAA Tournament game. When Buddy picked up his second foul in the opening round, Girard’s 10 straight points on 3s and a free throw propelled the Orange into a double-digit lead against San Diego State. When West Virginia made a late first-half charge on Sunday, Girard’s 3 and subsequent finger over his mouth stopped the run and quieted the Mountaineers’ fans in the crowd.

“This team is very resilient. They never gave up on themselves,” Girard II said.

Most of the Orange’s players don’t show a ton of emotion or swagger on the court. Marek Dolezaj, Alan Griffin, Kadary Richmond, Robert Braswell and Buddy seldom show their emotions. Girard is the opposite.

He plays off the crowd whenever possible. He often talks to opponents ingame. Girard is the first to pump up the crowd and rile them after important baskets or stops.

“If you look at Joe, it’s affected him the most positively,” Girard II said. “His energy is through the roof. They feed off of that.”

Girard and Buddy battled COVID-19 over the Orange’s extended pause at the end of December and in early January. While in isolation, Girard went for daily walks to rebuild his strength and keep his energy levels up. But when Syracuse returned, both he and Buddy struggled to play their best basketball. The Orange lost three of four games, collapsing against the Panthers at home and getting blown out at Pitt. It wasn’t until the 83-57 Miami win on Jan. 19 that Girard said he was feeling nearly 100% after recovering.

“The disease just made me really tired,” Girard said on Jan. 19. “And even following it up until now, there are days where I’m waking up and getting out of bed, and if I sit back down, I feel like I could fall asleep at any time.

He went through a rough patch in shooting most of the year, only shooting 32% from the 3. But since the postseason began, Girard has made 10-of-27 from 3 and improved even more in assisting and rebounding. Even with some struggles, Girard has always maintained his place in the starting lineup. SU head coach Jim Boeheim said he still trusts Girard because of his production as a freshman, and that trust has been rewarded this March.

“He got us to 18 wins last year. Without him, we would have never got there,” Boeheim said. “I have a lot of loyalty to players in our program who have done stuff for us.”

Boeheim said Girard’s tournament performances are “probably underrated.” When the sophomore point guard is making shots, it opens up the entire offense and provides room for others.

All of Girard’s scoring has come in the first halves of the two NCAA Tournament games, when Buddy was either in foul trouble or struggling to make shots against WVU. But Girard’s improved performances in the stretch run haven’t just been scoring. He’s distributing the ball better and helping the Orange get in transition more because he’s getting more rebounds. Syracuse is third in offensive efficiency in the entire country this month in part because Girard has had many of his best games of the year in SU’s six March games.

Girard II said his son is maturing and learning how to better play the point guard position. At Glens Falls High School, Girard was a volume shooter and scorer — he holds the state record for most career points in New York high school history. One year after starting in the ACC as a freshman, Girard has evolved into his role as a passer in his sophomore season.

Girard successfully ran ball screens and helped to create size mismatches for Buddy on the perimeter. Buddy said that he had the best looks he’s had in a month against West Virginia because Girard and Dolezaj sliced through the WVU defense and forced switches, even when WVU head coach Bob Huggins didn’t want his team to switch.

“He’s doing the other stuff he wasn’t doing before if he had a bad day,” Girard II said.

Girard II called his son’s performance “all-world” on Sunday. Boeheim said he was “really good.” It’s much different than just three weeks ago, when Boeheim remarked that Girard had posted multiple bad games in a short stretch after the loss to Georgia Tech.

It wasn’t too late to save the season after the loss to the Yellow Jackets.

And while “Buddy Buckets” is a national phenomenon after his breakout performances this month, “Logo Joe” Girard has assisted on eight of Buddy’s 13 3-point makes in the last two games while pouring in seven 3s of his own.

Though Girard II is almost out of vacation days for the year in March, he’s ready to run it back with another one-way flight to Indianapolis this weekend. amdabbun@syr.edu @AnthonyDabbundo

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ON THE RADAR

BUDDY BOEHEIM said he never thought about the possibility of being an NBA player at the start of this season. His monstrous March performance has raised questions about going pro. courtesy of c. morgan engel ncaa photos via getty images

Buddy Boeheim’s superstar March performance has created NBA buzz. Can he go pro? over NC State and three more in its loss to Virginia. The scout’s not convinced he’s anything but a shooter. uddy Boeheim’s March has put “There are guys in the league who are the NBA community on notice. just shooters, but I think you want to be Even heading into the as multidimensional as possible,” he said.

NCAA Tournament, scouts “That’s always going to be the challenge had Buddy circled as a player to watch, with him. How is he as a ball handler?

Bleacher Report draft expert Jonathan How is he as a defender? How is he athWasserman said. In six games this month, letically? As someone who can create for the Syracuse junior is averaging 26 points himself off the dribble and for others? per game on 48% shooting from 3.

Right now I think the only box he checks The NBA is something Buddy said he’s is as a shooter.” never even dreamed of.

Others are more enthusiastic. ESPN’s “That’s crazy to me, to be honest,” Mike Schmitz wrote that Buddy’s abilBuddy said Wednesday of NBA praise. “I ity to shoot on the move separates him never thought about being an NBA player BUDDY BOEHEIM is averaging 26 points per game in March. from other draft prospects and compared even once.” courtesy of joe robbins ncaa photos via getty images him to Duncan Robinson, JJ Redick, Kyle He said he still has plenty to work on Korver and Joe Harris. and is not yet close to the floor-spacers of the modern NBA. Whether Buddy An Eastern Conference coach said every NBA team needs shooting. decides to put his name in the NBA Draft bucket or return for his senior He said Buddy, who’s on scouts’ radars, fits the mold. The coach pointed to year is a mystery. But the buzz surrounding him remains as No. 11 seed Buddy’s high basketball IQ as a major additional skill to go along with his Syracuse (18-9, 9-7 Atlantic Coast) surges into the Sweet 16. elite shooting.

“I think he’s still got a lot to prove,” one Eastern Conference scout said.

“He’s been around the game his whole life,” the coach said. “He’ll figure “He’s limited. He’s obviously a shooter. We knew he was a shooter. I think out how to get his shot off, create some space. Obviously his shooting transnow is about being able to develop other parts to his game.” lates over to the NBA. But there’s a lot of intangibles that go into making it The scout, who’s not authorized to speak publicly about players, stressed the at the next level. You don’t have to be the quickest guy out there. He’s not the need for Buddy to become more multidimensional offensively. He said another most athletic guy when you go to the next level, but you learn those nuances.” year at Syracuse would benefit him, and age isn’t as big a concern for shooting There will always be questions about his defensive abilities, a classic specialists compared to bigs or slashers. “It’s an obvious decision,” he said. concern for Syracuse prospects because of the zone, but Buddy has good The scout said people tend to overreact to performances in the NCAA size for a shooting guard at 6-foot-6. Buddy’s a known commodity on Tournament, when the spotlight’s brightest — Tyler Lydon and Malachi offense, where Wasserman said he’s a “versatile, advanced shooter.”

Richardson famously rose their draft stock in March. Wasserman gives Buddy will face a decision whenever Syracuse’s season ends on whether Buddy a second round grade. to stay at Syracuse or enter the NBA Draft. He could try to further develop “That’s why I’d say Buddy should come back,” the scout said. “A lot of at SU or ride the momentum of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. guys who benefit from the tournament, it can be a bit of a flash in the pan.

“I think he should go,” Wasserman said. “I don’t know what else he’s And I think you’ve got to look at things from a season perspective … I don’t going to be able to do next year to improve his stock. At this point, he’s got to think you can get too high or too low over a few games.” strike while the iron’s hot. And his stock is hot right now.”

Buddy has flashed improved playmaking and off-the-bounce play@DannyEmerman making this season. He dished five assists in SU’s ACC Tournament win dremerma@syr.edu

By Danny Emerman senior staff writer

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