And so it’s happened. Eric Devendorf, Paul Harris, and Jonny Flynn have all declared for the NBA Draft and have all hired their respective agents. That means that the three players that could best represent the face of Syracuse basketball over the past few years are all gone. This is officially the beginning of a new era in Syracuse basketball. The mass departure of these three players leaves Syracuse fans with a lot of questions unanswered.  I am going to try to answer some of these questions as well as give my well thought out opinion of the same topics.

Why did Jonny Flynn leave?

Jonny was clearly the biggest departure for Orange fans, but his decision to go to the NBA comes as no surprise to Syracuse fans. Rather than defend his choice to leave Syracuse, I’ll let him explain himself. This is an interview by Syracuse senior Ryan Miller for the Orange Segment, Syracuse.com.

I am not at all upset at his decision to go pro, and I will always cheer for Jonny Flynn, no matter what he chooses to do.

Why did Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf leave?

While Jonny Flynn’s declaration for the NBA Draft may have been the most upsetting amongst Syracuse fans, the decision of Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf to go pro is probably the most shocking. The idea of losing Jonny was a concept that Syracuse fans had been holding back since his first game, nobody thought that Eric or Paul would be leaving after this year. As the season progressed, two things about the duo were apparent; 1) Neither has great NBA talent nor are they NBA ready, but more importantly, 2) Both of the players have fallen out of favor with a part of Syracuse basketball. Coach Boeheim and Paul Harris’s relationship has been a mostly love-hate relationship as portrayed through the media (See: 6 OT Interview)  But it was clear through the actions during the game and through reports from press members who were around the team that something was wrong. Devendorf’s problems were much more documented. After his domestic violence case was blown out of proportion and he instantly became the most hated player in college basketball, the onus was put on him, and only him, to lift himself out of the hole that he put himself in. While most Syracuse fans hated both his attitude and his game play (myself excluded), he did everything possible on the court to earn back their respect and his big play down the stretch proved that he had the play to back up all his talk. But still it was evident that things had gone beyond repair.

Is Paul not the greatest character ever?

Is Paul not the greatest character ever?

So when did talk of Harris and Devendorf leaving first come about?

It first became a realistic possibility that they might leave in early March, as the Senior Night game vs. Rutgers was coming upon us. By that time, most Syracuse fans had noticed our predominantly underclass roster and realized that next year could hold some serious potential. However, the end of the regular season also means the beginning of draft possibilities, and that is when this article came out:  The Orange Segment-With Ryan Wilson.

(Here he also explains several other reasons for the two to go pro that I would rather let you read than to just regurgitate it for you)

So then what’s next?

The Scoop Jardine era of Syracuse Basketball has officially begun. What’s in store? Nobody knows. But what I do know is that this team will not simply roll over and die. Iowa State transfer Wes Johnson will be an absolute star in the Big East, and don’t be surprised if, come the end of the season, he is on the First Team Big East roster. Jim Boeheim has already said the Wes will be the best player next year, and we are still returning the core of a Sweet 16 team. We still return Arinze Onuaku (cringe), Rick Jackson, Kris Joseph, and Andy Rautins, all of whom have gotten significant minutes. Also returning will be former NYS high school superstar, Mookie Jones who had to redshirt due to injury last year. Syracuse is also bringing in an ESPN Top 100 recruit in DaShonte Riley, a 6’11 center, and two players who were recently dropped out of the ESPN Top 100 in Brandon Triche (G, Jamesville Dewitt) and James Sutherland (F, Notre Dame Prep). The future of Syracuse basketball is still very bright, and although I would have loved to have seen the Jonny and Wes connection I am optimistic to see what this team can do next year.

A Bid Farewell…

A lot of people are angry at Jonny, Paul, and Eric for their decision to leave and if you look at their facebook walls, you can see how angry some people can get. None of this doesn’t make any sense to me. These guys have given everything they had to the Syracuse basketball program for the past 4,3, and 2 years and it seems absolutely ridiculous to me that you can’t thank them for what they’ve done. They could have gone to any school in the country, but they chose Syracuse, and as is the case for any player, the school got more out of the players than the players got out of the school. This is the first time that I have really gotten to really think of this situation and I have realized that as long as any player has devoted any time to the program I will be forever grateful for their time. I am just happy to have been able to see their last game in a Syracuse uniform.

Some links you may or may not want to see…

Brent Axe: What could have been

Rush The Court: Pre-Draft 2009-10 rankings- Really Fox and CBS, really?

YouTube: Paul Harris Rap Video

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