The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball season is fast approaching, and we’re continuing our player profiles for each scholarship player. Let’s hear about a familiar name entering his third year with the Orange: Benny Williams.

Position: Forward

Class: Junior

Vitals: 6’9”, 210 lbs.

Stats (2022-23): Averaged 7.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while receiving more than double the playing time in 2023 (22.3 minutes per game) compared to two years ago (10.8 minutes per game). Shot under 45% from the field and 65% from the foul line, but he did knock down nearly 40% of his threes.

Strengths/Weaknesses: Williams hasn’t shown the ability to create offense for himself, but his combination of athleticism and versatility allow him to fill a valuable role for the Orange. He’s solid on just about everything, something that’s both a strength and a weakness. Williams can make his threes efficiently, but on limited volume. He’s got amazing athleticism, but the defense and rebounding are both inconsistent. Expect coach Adrian Autry to maximize the inherent talent Williams does possess.

Ceiling: Williams is likely the third-best player on this year’s team behind Judah Mintz and J.J. Starling. He keeps his three-point rate high but on an increased volume while also becoming more productive on the defense end. In other words, Williams unlocks his full potential as an athletic, 3-and-D wing.

Floor: Williams remains a necessary starter, but regression in his outside shooting kills the Orange’s spacing and his defense fails to make up for his lack of self creation on offense. At the very worst, he plays similar to last year… which honestly, would still be a plus for Autry.

Let’s get a good look at ya: