SYRACUSE, N.Y. — It didn’t take long for Tyler Betsey to assert himself on offense. The Syracuse Orange basketball forward came into the game off the bench Tuesday night against Florida State and did what he often does. He unleashed a three and buried it.
Betsey went for a career-high 18 points on 6-8 outside shooting as he helped Syracuse to the win over Florida State. He eclipsed his previous high of 16 points against Houston and St. Joe’s. Betsey is 9-12 from outside in his last two games, suggesting
the extra time he’s put in shooting the ball is paying dividends.
“The work that I put in just came to fruition tonight,” Betsey said. “I come to shootarounds an hour early. I shoot after every practice with me, [Coach] Griff and [Aaron] Womack. I just put in work and tonight it paid off.”
On his very first possession of the game, Betsey, the 6-foot-8 forward, collected a laser pass off an inbounds from Naithan George to the opposite corner. He shot with alacrity and made it. His second three came just a minute later from the right wing on a simple catch-and-shoot.
“It was just all different situations. I got one in transition, one off the inbounds play,” Betsey said. “So it was just my teammates finding me and putting me in position. I was able to make shots.”
Betsey’s instant offense led to four first-half threes. Often coming into the game at the same time, he and Kiyan Anthony pack a potent offensive punch off the bench.
“Me and Tyler Betsey, we come in the game try to have an immediate impact every time,” Anthony said. “We just keep feeding him. We know he’s one of the best shooters — if not the best shooter on the team. That’s what he (does). Being 6-8, being able to shoot over these defenders.
“Once he sees one or two threes go in, that’s his specialty,” Anthony continued. “He works. I see him shoot those shots every day in practice going one hundred percent, going game speed. After practice and before practice he’s always getting up shots. For it to translate to the game it’s definitely helpful for the team.”
Florida State has what it calls “hot clickers” on its scouting reports, which indicates shooting threats the Seminoles want to identify. The goal, according to Seminoles head coach Luke Loucks, is to make them dribble the ball and take away their shot. There’s usually one or two players labeled as “hot clickers” on the scout. Betsey was one of them. With that in mind, how did he get so many good looks?
“That’s a great question,” Loucks answered in jest. “I’m asking myself the same thing. Tyler continued to get open after he hit four and five of them.”
Four of Betsey’s threes came in the first half. In the second half, his first three came when Florida State went to a zone press. Syracuse point guard George, who finished with a career-high 13 assists, found Betsey on the backside for an open corner three.
Ultimately, Loucks surmised, the communication and awareness of his team was faulty.
“Once a shooter of that caliber sees the ball go in a few times, it’s like the hoop is an ocean line,” Loucks said. “Every shot he shot tonight I thought was going in.”
Syracuse found Betsey on an out-of-bounds underneath for his sixth three of the night. Florida State was focused on a hot-handed Freeman down low and lost Betsey on the right wing. He caught the ball and promptly nailed his last triple of the night which gave Syracuse the lead for the seventh and final time. The Orange wouldn’t trail the rest of the way.
Freeman acknowledged how Betsey’s threes opened the game up for Syracuse in the win over Florida State. He’s unsurprised, however, having told everyone from the beginning of the season that Betsey could help this team.
“Tyler’s dynamite,” Freeman said. “He came in (like a) spark plug off the bench. He’s that good. I told guys at ACC Media Day — even before anyone had seen him — he’s that good.”
