At Syracuse’s media day on Oct. 20, head coach Quentin Hillsman said that he wants his team to start playing “positionless basketball.”

“Players that can shoot the ball, run the floor, be athletic in transition,” Hillsman said. “And also on the defensive end, be able to guard and pick up both positions.”

If there is one player for SU who fits that mold better than anyone else, it’s Miranda Drummond.

The redshirt junior transfer has been a major reason behind Syracuse’s (8-0) perfect start to the season, showcasing her shooting, inside scoring ability, defense and rebounding, particularly on the offensive end. She leads the Orange in points per game (19.3) and is second in field-goal percentage (49.5 percent), rebounds (59) and 3-point field goal percentage (35.6 percent). She also mirrors Syracuse’s adaptation of a league-wide trend in the NBA to play long, athletic players without positions. The league’s juggernaut franchise, the Golden State Warriors, popularized the approach.

“I’m trying to do whatever I can to help the team,” Drummond said.

In every game this season, Drummond has reached double-digit points, but recently has taken over as SU’s main scoring threat. On Nov. 24 against Vanderbilt, she poured in 25 points, on 10-of-17 shooting. In Syracuse’s two most recent games, Drummond has racked up 29 and 23 points, respectively.

The way Drummond reaches these points totals varies. Against Northwestern on Nov. 30, she exposed the NU defense routinely with backdoor cuts. Point guard Tiana Mangakahia would take the ball and drive to the hoop while Drummond simultaneously ran from the corner toward the basket. A quick pass and a layup led to two points nearly every time.

When she isn’t cutting to the hoop, Drummond has also demonstrated her ability to light it up from deep. She’s made 21 of her 59 attempted 3s this season, good for 35.6 percent, trailing only Abby Grant. Grant shoots 40 percent, but has only taken five 3s.

“If Miranda hits a big shot,” Mangakahia said, “I’ll look for (her).”

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Besides scoring, Drummond has been a particularly efficient rebounder for SU. The only player with more rebounds is big Digna Strautmane, who plays predominantly around the basket.

Usually when a shot goes up, Drummond will be stationed on the wing, so she crashes the glass. But when the forward makes her way down low, she’ll find a little pocket of open space before timing her jump to give her the best shot at the rebound.

Against Northwestern, Drummond came gunning in from the right wing. The ball clanked off the nearside of the rim and as it began to descend, Drummond jumped and rose up to meet it. A landing, pump fake and layup later, SU had two more points.

This ability to find that hole and snatch the ball over taller players has resulted in 59 rebounds for Drummond, with 23 coming on the offensive end. That’s seven more than the next closest player.

Defensively, Syracuse loves to pressure the ball and often deploys a full-court press. Other than Mangakahia, no one has found more success than Drummond, who is second on the team with 13 steals.

“It’s just helping (on defense),” Drummond said.

When SU sets up its press, Mangakahia and another guard will stretch out the furthest, with Drummond serving as the second line of defense. What often ends up happening is an opposing point guard drives alongside Mangakahia before Drummond hops in to double team and trap the ball.

In a season where Syracuse entered having to replace four starters, Drummond has shown she can do a little bit of everything.

Published on December 4, 2017 at 9:32 pm

Contact Andrew: aegraham@syr.edu | @A_E_Graham