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Syracuse point guard Judah Mintz earned the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Rookie of the Week award Monday. It was the third time Mintz has picked up the honor so far this season.

In SU’s first game in 11 days against Boston College on Saturday, Mintz recorded 18 points, seven assists, three rebounds and two steals. The freshman shot 8-for-15 from the field, his most efficient performance since he made 8-of-13 against Northeastern on Nov. 19. The Orange took down the Eagles, 79-65, with Benny Williams, Joe Girard III and Jesse Edwards also recording double-digit points.

It’s the first time a Syracuse freshman has earned the award at least three times in a season since point guard Tyler Ennis notched it five times in 2013-14. Ennis earned second-team All-ACC honors that season, leading the Orange to a 25-0 start and 28-6 overall record before jumping to the NBA after just one season.

When Syracuse was recruiting Mintz, the point guard watched clips of past SU guards, including Ennis, Jonny Flynn and Frank Howard. Head coach Jim Boeheim said before the season that Mintz is one of the best freshman point guards he’s ever had.

The freshman’s improvement after a difficult three-game stretch against Bryant, Illinois and Notre Dame where he failed to reach double-digit points in any games has helped the Orange win six of their last seven games. Mintz has reached double-digits in every game since, including two 24-point outings against Monmouth and Pitt.

Mintz and SU return to the court Tuesday night for a matchup with Louisville, which sits at 2-12 on the season.

Published on January 2, 2023 at 9:56 pm

Contact Connor: csmith49@syr.edu | @csmith17_