Judah Mintz Returns To Syracuse For Year 2

By Liam Griffin | @RealLiamGriffin

Relentless. Aggressive. Exciting. Unpredictable. Flashy.

Last season, Judah Mintz averaged over 16 points per game for Syracuse and led the ACC in steals. That performance led to the Maryland native exploring the possibility of entering the NBA Draft.

“Just trying to make it, I was trying to make it to the NBA,” Mintz said. “That was the only thing on my mind. I was talking to Red (Autry) and Coach GMac (Gerry McNamara), but like I said I was really just focused on making it.”

But on May 31, what Orange fans hoped for became true. Mintz was returning for a second year. SU’s projected starting point guard as well as his coaches and teammates are excited that he’s back.

“Yeah I mean, we don’t want to just make the tournament, we want to make a run,” Mintz remarked. “Live up to the Syracuse standard, that’s what I came back to do, that’s what everyone here is trying to accomplish.”

“I think the one thing that everyone will see is, in the way we play right now, is how disruptive he can be on the defensive side of the ball,” Head Coach Adrian Autry shared. “He’s improved overall.”

“Our relationship is great,” Notre Dame transfer guard JJ Starling said. “We’ve been competitors for a long time, now we’re finally teammates, and we’re going to push each other because we know what we can offer for this team. He’s a dog, he’s a go-getter, he gets after you on the defensive end and at the same time he can do it all on the offensive end.”

While Mintz’s long-term goal may be the NBA, his focus is simple. Get Syracuse back to the NCAA Tournament and back on the path to being one of the best teams in the country.