Syracuse, NY – Syracuse star Judah Mintz did not start for the Orange on Wednesday when they hosted Boston College at the JMA Wireless Dome, the first time this season that he was not part of the team's starting lineup.
ACC Network broadcasters Doug Sherman and Malcolm Huckabee said they were told before the game that Mintz would not start but would play for Syracuse. They said they were given no reason to abandon tradition.
Mintz made his first appearance in the game with 10:39 left in the first half. He leads Syracuse with an average of 19.1 points per game and 44.4 percent shooting from the floor. He started the Orange's first 14 games this season.
Mintz showed no obvious signs that anything was wrong, physically or otherwise, during the team's pregame warmup. He showed no clear signs of injury and appeared to be in good spirits. He smiled and clapped for his teammates during game introductions and during the game.
Despite Mintz's absence in the early going, the Orange got off to a fast start. Syracuse scored the first eight points of the game and knocked down its first three shots. Syracuse didn't trail in the first 20 minutes of the game and led 32-22 at halftime.
Mintz's absence from the starting lineup was one of two changes Syracuse coach Adrian Autry made to his regular unit. Center Naheem McLeod was unable to start due to injury, Maliq Brown took his place. McLeod also started the first 14 games for Syracuse.
Autry will certainly be asked about the departure from tradition at his postgame press conference. For more information, visit Syracuse.com.
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