Syracuse is facing a handful of issues at this point in the season, many of which focused during Virginia's defeat of the Orange this past weekend at Klockner Stadium. Lost in the Orange's troubles, though, is the quiet emergence of Hakeem Lecky, a midfielder that has been touted as having the tools necessary to contribute to Syracuse's midfield but the inability to put everything together. His four-goal effort against the Cavaliers signaled the potential that the athletic freak holds, and may serve as a marker to the growth that the redshirt junior is experiencing.
Through Syracuse's first four efforts of 2014, Lecky has not only assumed more responsibility in the Orange's offensive efforts, but has seen a higher rate of production than in 2013:
| METRIC | LECKY (2013) | TEAM (2013) | LECKY (2014) | TEAM (2014) | |
| Shooting Percentage | 21.62% | 30.96% | 50.00% | 38.36% | |
| Shots on Goal Percentage | 40.54% | 61.91% | 75.00% | 63.01% | |
| Percent of Shots Saved | 18.92% | 30.96% | 25.00% | 24.66% | |
| Opponent Save Percentage on Shots | 46.67% | 50.00% | 33.33% | 39.13% | |
| Percentage of Total Goals Attributable to Lecky | 3.48% | N/A | 10.71% | N/A | |
| Percentage of Total Assists Attributable to Lecky | 0.68% | N/A | 0.00% | N/A | |
| Percentage of Total Points Attributable to Lecky | 2.39% | N/A | 6.74% | N/A | |
| Percentage of Total Shots Attributable to Lecky | 4.98% | N/A | 8.22% | N/A | |
| Percentage of Total Shots on Goal Attributable to Lecky | 3.26% | N/A | 9.78% | N/A | |
| Estimated Percentage of Possessions Ended via Lecky Activity | 2.94% | N/A | 8.22% | N/A | |
| Estimated Percentage of Possessions Ended Positively via Lecky Activity | 1.39% | N/A | 4.11% | N/A | |
| Estimated Percentage of Possessions Ended Negatively via Lecky Activity | 1.55% | N/A | 4.11% | N/A | |
| Estimated Net Benefit via Lecky Activity | -0.15% | N/A | 0.00% | N/A | |
| Estimated Points per Offensive Opportunity | 0.014 | N/A | 0.041 | N/A |
Lecky is carrying a heavier load -- illustrated by the number of possessions that he contributes to -- than a season ago yet is:
- Shooting significantly better. This is important as Lecky is taking a higher volume of shots than he did a season ago. Not all players see this kind of impact when assuming a higher rate of shots. Lecky's increase in his ability to not only find twine but to actually find the cage is important when viewed in the context of the number of shots he's taken in 2014 compared to 2013.
- Not hurting Syracuse any more than he's helping the team. This is still a player that is learning the game, and eight percent of the Orange's offensive activity has run through him with exactly half of that activity benefiting Syracuse is some way. As an option that is subordinated below others -- Randy Staats, Kevin Rice, etc. -- that's a nice asset to have. When asked to contribute, Lecky has been reliable this season.