The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team is gearing up for the upcoming season, and we’re diving into the player profiles for each scholarship player. Today, let’s take a closer look at one of the new faces on the team: William Patterson.
Position: Centre
Class: Freshman
Vitals: 7 feet 2 inches tall, weighing 220 lbs.
Stats (2022-23): Patterson made the move to The Patrick School in New Jersey for his senior year. Before that, he played for New Heights and Bishop Walsh High School, which competed in the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference.
Patterson had his sights set on Syracuse, even though he had interest from two Big 12 Conference teams – Oklahoma State and TCU. He’s been ranked as a three-star prospect by both On3 and Rivals, and is considered the 33rd best in the nation and 10th best in New York State by On3.
Strengths/Weaknesses:
While Patterson may need some work on his offensive game, he’s got the skills to shine as a rim protector and rebounder in the ACC. He’s working on developing new moves and shows potential as a post-scorer due to his size and agility. Right now, he’s got some decent mid-range shooting abilities, but with more moves in his arsenal near the hoop, he could become a real threat. Basically, Syracuse is getting a 7-foot-2 talent who can make a big impact on defense and could become a force to be reckoned with on offense in the future.
Ceiling:
Patterson’s height and length could make him a key player in Coach Autry’s man-to-man defense. For a guy his size, he’s surprisingly agile when it comes to guarding the paint. As a confident centre with loads of potential, Patterson excels at protecting the rim and grabbing rebounds, and he’s working on improving his low post-scoring abilities.
Floor:
It’s clear that Patterson has the potential to be a shot blocker and rebounding machine. With the team’s support, it’s expected that his offensive skills will get better as he grows and progresses in his career.
Let’s get a good look at ya:
Don’t underestimate Will @Titanfamwill pic.twitter.com/fevO9D1Yl2
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) October 24, 2023