By JOSH NEWMAN
Special to ZAGSBLOG
As Syracuse prepares for the move to the ACC and to take on the Dukes and North Carolinas of the world, Wednesday signified that it will do so with a key veteran presence on the floor.
Junior forward C.J. Fair announced on Wednesday afternoon that he will be returning to the Orange for his season season after earning second-team All-Big East honors as a junior for the 30-10 Orange, which advanced to the Final Four for the fourth time overall and third time since 1987 under Hall of Fame head coach Jim Boeheim.
Fair, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound combo forward, is currently projected as the No. 59 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by DraftExpress.
“After talking it over with my family and my coaches, I decided another year at Syracuse was best for me,” Fair said in a statement released by the school. “I’m excited about working hard with my teammates to put together another great season and graduating has also been a goal of mine.”
Boeheim will be losing seniors Brandon Triche and James Southerland to graduation in addition to sophomore point guard Michael Carter-Williams to the NBA Draft, but he will return Fair and 6-foot-8 forward Jerami Grant. Additionally, the Orange are slated to bring in a stacked five-man recruiting class, headlined by St. Benedict’s Prep point guard Tyler Ennis, who figures to take over for Carter-Williams at the point.
The advantage of having Fair back for another season along with Grant is that it will allow Boeheim to bring along 6-foot-7 freshman forwards Tyler Roberson of Roselle Catholic and B.J. Johnson of Ardmore (Pa.) Lower Merion High School along at the pace he wants instead of throwing them right into the fire. Both players figure to crack the rotation in 2013-14.
“This is great news for our basketball program and for C.J.,” Boeheim said. “I believe he’s just going to keep getting better and better as a basketball player and earning his degree is important.”
As a junior, the Baltimore native played and started in all 40 games, averaging a team-high 14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in 34.9 minutes per game. His 13 points and six rebounds in 40 minutes helped steer Syracuse to a 55-39 win over Marquette in the East Regional final at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
**Who’s In and Who’s Out of the NBA Draft? Read more here.
