#40 Erich Santifer
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6'4" 180 lbs Guard/Forward
HS: Huron Ann Arbor, MI
Born: 11/2/1961 Ann Arbor, MI
Season Stats
Season Cl Pos G GS Min FG FGA % FT FTA % Asst Reb Fls DQ TO ST BS Pts PPG APG RPG
1979-80 Fr F 30 16 - 137 266 51.5% 46 69 66.7% 45 98 64 0 - 32 - 320 10.7 1.5 3.3
1980-81 So G/F 34 25 973 192 362 53.0% 94 128 73.4% 45 152 84 1 71 62 10 478 14.0 1.3 4.5
1981-82 Jr G 29 29 979 203 364 55.8% 87 117 74.4% 55 161 68 1 93 41 7 493 17.0 1.9 5.6
1982-83 Sr G 31 31 975 210 370 56.7% 134 168 79.8% 103 154 74 3 80 46 6 554 17.8 3.3 5.0
Career    
124
101
+2927 
742
1362
54.5%
361
482
74.9%
248
565
290
5
+244
181
+23
1845
14.9
2.0
4.6

Erich Santifer was a starter for most of his four years at Syracuse, usually in the backcourt as the shooting guard. Santifer's forte however was his tremendous ability to score along the baseline. It was a familiar sight to see forward Leo Rautins at the top of the key sending a bullet pass to Santifer as he maneuvered along the baseline. Santifer ran well on the fast break, and consistently had a high shooting percentage. He was a solid Erich Santifer Syracuse Orangemenfree shooter, improving to nearly 80% by his last season.

As a freshman, he had the opportunity to start at forward alongside the Bouie & Louie Show. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, he had his breakout game, going 13-15 from the floor and leading the team with 29 points in a victory over Villanova.

By time he was a junior, Santifer was playing guard almost exclusively and was a tri-captain with Rautins and Red Bruin. While not as flashy as Bruin, nor multitalented as Rautins, he was the Orangemen's leading scoring his junior and senior seasons, and finished his career as the #2 all-time scorer at Syracuse, second to Dave Bing (several players have passed Santifer since). Santifer was named to the Big East Conference first team his senior season, and the Big East second team his junior year.

Santifer was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1983 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons with the 55th overall pick He would, however, never play in the NBA.

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