Syracuse Sports: The All-Time Syracuse Basketball Starting 5 draft

On the latest episode of Syracuse Sports, Brent Axe, Eric Devendorf and Syracuse Sports Insider Frankie Saraceno pick their all-time Syracuse basketball starting five (and one bench player) draft style!
Who picked the best team? Listen in and tell us your opinion.
Syracuse Sports Insiders helped shape the conversation of this podcast with their great questions and opinions.
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[@markp7262]

Dion Waiters, never started, only played two years at Syracuse, and yet was drafted 4th. Crazy! Here's my picks (tell me what's significant about them): Gene Waldron Greg Monroe Stephen Thompson CJ Fair Derrick Coleman --- Josh Pace Three others who I considered that just didn't make the cut were Rick Jackson, Marty Byrnes, and Todd Burgan.

[@syracuse1433]

The fact that Dave Bing wasn’t selected until like the 20th pick made is absolutely insane he’s a top 75 player in the history of the game. He would have been my first pick if I had it. I’m in my 30s and I know that he should’ve been picked first.

[@franksaraceno5884]

Yeah, I should have made him my first pick or at least my second pick. But I still picked him, baby! Thanks for the thoughts!

[@JEFFREYNELSON-so6cd]

Obviously Dave Bing belongs in any all time top 5. However, many of us never saw him play. My list would start around '74 when i began watching this team

[@brentaxemedia]

Yeah, that's fair. It would have been really bad if he didn't get picked. Frankie saved us!

[@syracuse1433]

@@franksaraceno5884 you still had the best team by far I loved the seikaly and waiters picks along with Melo and Bing that’s quite the team.

[@syracuse1433]

@@JEFFREYNELSON-so6cd Bing would be great even in todays game he would be a top 10 nba player if he was in the league today.

[@48wawa]

I saw dave bing in the Manley Field House back in the 1960,s. Best player I ever saw

[@LorenLeonard]

I can't choose a winner but it is either Devo or Frankie. So many good players, we are so fortunate.

[@colinsalisbury6167]

PG: Pearl SG: GMAC SF: MELO PF: Derrick Coleman C: Seikaly Part of 8 man rotation: Bing Waiters Fair

[@SullyCuse]

3 great teams you guys, assembled. Great add with Frankie. He is walking encyclopedia of Cuse basketball. But I have to go with Devo's team. DC, "Poetry in" Moten and Wes Johnson are 3 of my all time favorites. And then throw in Wallace & Jonny Flynn? Come on!

[@GlennBeaston-wx3xg]

I never seen Dave Bing play at Syracuse but I did see Dave Bing play in the NBA all star game in the early 70s and he was the NBA all star mvp. Enough said as to who was best

[@WOLFENCT]

Sherman Douglas, Derrick Coleman, Carmello Anthony, Billy Owens & Pearl Washington

[@brentaxemedia]

That's an ideal squad right there. Hard to get in a draft format though

[@hartsickdisciple]

1st Team- Coleman Anthony Owens Bing Pearl 2nd Team- Seikaly Bouie Wallace Moten Douglas 3rd team- Etan Thomas Warrick Thompson McNamara Flynn

[@brentaxemedia]

I came very close to picking Etan Thomas. But Bouie was on the board. Had to snag him.

[@vinspad3]

Starting 5 of who's left: 5 Etan Thomas 4 Louis Orr 3 Preston Shumpert 2 Andy Rautins 1 Michael Carter-Williams Bench Kris Joseph These aren't necessarily the best of who's left, just the best starting 5+1 i can make. I think James Southerland, Rudy Hackett, Otis Hill, Bill Smith, and Adrian Autry have a case. I ultimately went with a more defensive focused team overall. It was a lot easier since most of the guys taken were high scorers. Carter-Williams, Rautins, and Schumpert averaged 2 steals a game each while Thomas has the most blocks in school history. Rautins gives shooting, MCW can facilitate, and Shumpert can score when we need a bucket. Lou Orr beats out Rudy Hackett at the 4 giving a big who can score (sorry, Etan) and rebound, and Kris Joseph off the bench allows us to go 5 wide if he subs Orr, or can replace Shumpert when he's having an off night (like going 6/18 in the 2nd round to Kansas in 2001 which made the 2003 Finals that much sweeter).

[@TomBurke-mp2mw]

If I was picking, my 6th pick would have to be an old school player I've 2nd guessed more than any SU player in history!! Jim Boeheim!!!!

[@brentaxemedia]

Boeheim over all of these names? Really? Come on.

[@vinspad3]

I mean... if he's 6th man, he can coach them from the bench, right?

[@LorenLeonard]

Love this! Here is my undrafted team: - Fab Melo (5) - Jerami Grant (4) - Demetrius Nichols (3) - Andy Rautins (2) - Scoop Jardine (1) - Dave Johnson (6 man)

[@brentaxemedia]

Great idea to post the undrafted team. Loved Dave Johnson. Such an underrated talent.

[@LorenLeonard]

Michael Carter-Williams was so difficult to leave off this team, but I watched Scoop really grow into a leader over his career at Cuse.

[@michaelvadala3228]

Marty Byrnes, #19 pick in the draft; Louis Orr, Jimmy Lee all ranked better than some of the guys on this list but you guys probably never really saw them play.

[@JEFFREYNELSON-so6cd]

Jimmy Lee was a great shooter, but he wasn't the complete player that GMac was. There have been so many great forwards, Byrnes wasn't as good as DC or Melo. Rudy Hackett also deserved a mention. This was an impossible task

[@franksaraceno5884]

All great suggestions. My knowledge starts with Louie and Bouie. My first vivid memories are of the 1978-1979 season. I thought about taking Rosie instead of Rony. Marty Byrnes never entered my mind but Jimmy Lee and Rudy Hackett did. I want to give some love to that era. It's tough. I even toiled with Vic Hansen. Lots of fun

[@brianoleary3718]

Dave Bing lasting that long? lol

[@hazelmoore4754]

Devo's team is a little out of position with Coleman at the center and Moten at the two guard.