Syracuse men’s basketball: Chris Bell returns for sophomore season

Mar 30, 2023 - 10:25 PM

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The Syracuse Orange roster continues to take shape as the program heads towards its first year under Adrian Autry’s leadership. Forward Chris Bell announced on his social media pages that he’ll return to the Orange for his sophomore season.

Bell won a position as one of two freshmen in the starting lineup alongside Judah Mintz at the beginning of the season. Mainly profiled as a shooter coming out of high school, Bell proved that throughout the season with a respectable 34.5% three point shot. However, he struggled on defense and on rebounds as a member of the frontcourt. He only grabbed four or more boards in three games and was often pulled early in games by Jim Boehiem for defensive lapses.

Because of his shooting prowess, Bell is one of many candidates to make a switch to the guard room full time. Because of his natural 6-foot-7 height, it may make sense to keep Bell in the frontcourt, but positions in general are up in the air until Autry reveals his offensive and defensive strategies for the first time in November.

If Bell shows improvement defensively and on the glass, he stands at a great chance to retain his starting lineup position next season. Nonetheless, he remains an important and stable part of the upcoming Syracuse basketball team that is going through a big change in program history.