The sophomore guard sits down to talk about his struggles as a freshman, what he learned and how he's attacking his second year at Syracuse.
Everything feels so sped up these days in college basketball. Used to be a freshman struggled and everyone just nodded their heads and expected him to just get better. Now, a freshman struggles and people write him off before February.
Such was the case for Kaleb Joseph last season. Forced to be the Syracuse Orange starting point guard way before he was ready, Joseph's struggles were clear and his mistakes were many. He was the most likely to be the target of Jim Boeheim's fury each and every night and his playing time dwindled as the season went on. While most Syracuse fans were disappointed but understanding, some took to social media to demand that the young guard transfer or that SU cut ties with him.
Like I said, such is college basketball nowadays. In an interview with Donna Ditota, Joseph talks about what he took away from the tumultuous season and how he's improved himself. He also talks about the reaction from coaches and fans and how he's dealing with both. Through it all, Kaleb sounds thoughtful, smart and, most importantly, like he knows exactly what to do to get better.
I thought it was a great year. I learned a lot from it. But I just didn't think I was ready at the time, maturity-wise. Skill-wise, I think I was good. But my mind wasn't all there.
I wouldn't say disappointed because at the end of the day I learned so much. I don't look at things that way. Even if it doesn't necessarily go good in the eyes of everybody else, for me, I learned so much.
Go read the whole thing here. It might change the way you feel about the kid.
