SU Center Jesse Edwards Credits Conditioning in Practice for Success on the Court
Before the Orange’s game against the Hurricanes on Tuesday night, Syracuse sophomore Jesse Edwards saw 20 minutes of action in six games. He played for 23 against the ‘Canes.
The 6-foot-11 center from the Netherlands had his most productive game of the 2020-2021 campaign versus Miami as he notched 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and a blocked shot while shooting 2-of-4 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe; a season-high for Edwards in every said category.
After the Orange dropped to 7-4 following its second loss of the season to Pitt, there was a sense of urgency amongst Orange fans pertaining to the center position on the team. With big man Bourama Sidibe out for an indefinite period of time, the Orange have struggled against opponents with size in the paint. Syracuse has been crushed on the glass in every loss this season; 42-26 against Rutgers, 49-33 the first go-'round vs. Pitt, 48-31 to UNC, and 47-36 in their second game against the Panthers.
"Without him, it's been different," Edwards said of Sidibe in a press conference following Syracuse's practice on Thursday. "I have had to play more of his role during the games and practices. It's definitely been a challenge but I feel like we are adopting well."
The need to fill the center spot forces Slovakian forward Marek Dolezaj to play out of position as he becomes the tallest player on the court for the Orange once it trots out its starting lineup of Joe Girard, Buddy Boeheim, Alan Griffin, Quincy Guerrier, and Dolezaj.
Coach Jim Boeheim has addressed the issue in the past, saying there is little to nothing the Orange can do once Dolezaj gets in foul trouble. Freshman center Frank Anselem has been out due to a Covid-19 protocol and redshirt freshman Jon Bol Ajak is “too small,” to bang with the big bodies down low, according to coach Boeheim.
With that said, the only viable option remaining for the Orange is Edwards, who has been working strenuously in practice to prove he belongs on the court.
"Every practice, every game, you have to keep proving yourself," Edwards said. It's about who can help the team best. Any opportunity anybody on the team gets we just try to help each other out and I feel like I did that last game. I hope I can keep doing it."
And boy did he do it against Miami on Tuesday night.
As Dolezaj found himself in early foul trouble against the Hurricanes, Boeheim called Edwards’ number, who had his best outing of the season, as discussed in the second passage of this article. Edwards credits his stellar performance against the 'Canes to his conditioning workouts with Syracuse assistant coach Allen Griffin.
“The main thing we have been working on is running,” he said. “We do a bunch of drills but everything we do is with a quick pace. We do 30-40 minutes (of training) but we go all out so I don’t really get a rest. It’s game-like and it has definitely helped me get ready for the games."
"I've been building my body and getting stronger," the Netherlands native said. "I feel like my skills have been there for a while. The running and conditioning really gave me the opportunity to show that, because once you get tired you don't have the same output," the big man said smiling.
Physical strength and ability is only one part of the equation as most athletes or an avid sports fan may know. Edwards has been working on the mental side of his game; an essential ingredient playing under coach Boeheim.
"There's a difference between you on and off the court and that's something I had to learn," he said. But I feel like I'm getting the hang of it. The moment you step on the court, you have to flip the switch. You have to put on a different personality and play your game. That's how I try to do it myself."
Syracuse's next test is on Saturday against Virginia Tech (11-2, 5-1 ACC). The Hokies have outrebounded their opponents by an average margin of 4.4, a figure the Orange should be able to cover if Edwards duplicates his production on the court.
One thing is for certain, the big man is as confident as ever heading into Saturday's home game after the Orange's win against the Hurricanes.
"It was a great feeling when we started getting a big lead in the game," Edwards proclaimed. "It was a good feeling to be able to prove myself but more so to be able to see that we can help the team together. I'm going to try and build on this."
