FSU Post Game Article
For an Orange team that has struggled to get AP votes all season (they received just three in the most recent AP Poll), this game was a big one. Syracuse welcomed #22 Florida State to the Carrier Dome in the 11th matchup between to the two schools, and it did not go well. This was one of the strangest games the men’s basketball team has played this year. It felt as if the game was divided in three: FSU dominating the first 15 minutes, Syracuse dominating the next 15 minutes, and then FSU, once again, dominating the last ten minutes.
The game had a million narratives which made it tough to write about one or two things. Instead, we’ll look at everything that was good and bad from the FSU loss and what it means for the Orange going forward:
The Good
1. The Orange Battle Back From A Large Deficit (Kind of) — The first three or four minutes of this game felt like a feeling out process. Both teams had a bit of difficulty scoring and it seemed like we were in for a defensive battle. The Orange led 7-6 three minutes into the game. Ten minutes later, they were down 33-12. All of sudden, it looked as if Syracuse was in for a blowout, similar to that of the Virginia Tech game. However, a Buddy Boeheim jumper and a couple Tyus Battle baskets helped the Orange start a huge run. After being down 36-14 with six minutes remaining in the half, the Orange outscored the Seminoles 17-3 and closed out the half down eight. They came out in the second half and looked even better. They quickly went down nine (42-33), and then had another huge run—this time led by Oshae Brissett—that got them to 46-45 FSU. That was as good as it got for the Orange. They would hold on for the next five or so minutes before letting FSU pull away and comfortably win 80-62. On one hand, it was a good sign that the Orange were resilient. They continued to trust themselves even though they were in a deep hole very early and nearly came back. On the other hand, they played about 18 minutes of really competitive basketball and got dominated the rest of the game. It was good to see that the Orange have some fight in them, but it would have been great to see that fight for 40 minutes.
2. Battle Keeps Rolling — The Orange had difficulty scoring early, and if it weren’t for Tyus Battle they would have been blown out in the first five minutes. After Elijah Hughes got the Orange on the board with a three, Tyus would score the next seven points en route to his game-high 23. His highlight of the game was the back to back baskets that cut the Orange deficit to 36-18 and sparked the huge run to end the first half.
3. Brissett Double-Doubles — For the second straight game, Oshae Brissett had double digit points and rebounds. He scored 16 and brought in 12 boards. It is no secret that Oshae’s numbers are down from his freshman year, but he seems to be finding his stride again. Brissett has scored in double digits in three of the last four games, and he is averaging 14.8 points and 9 rebounds per game over that stretch. On top of that, Oshae continues to make an impact on the defensive end and is becoming an elite shot-blocker. One alarming stat from the Florida State game: Brissett only made four of his eight free throw attempts. His free throw percentage is down 10% from last year from 78 to 68.
4. Hughes Provides Scoring — Elijah Hughes is the only player I’ll have in both “The Good” and “The Bad” sections of this article. From a scoring standpoint, Elijah was great again. He scored 17 points and he connected on four of his nine three-point attempts. Hughes continues to provide outside shooting for an Orange team that is lacking shot-makers. Elijah made a couple important threes at the beginning of the second half when Syracuse made a big run at the FSU lead.
5. Boeheim Continues To Be Important — From coaches kid to fan favorite, Buddy Boeheim is all the buzz right now in Syracuse, NY. Who could have imagined at the beginning of the season that people would be standing and applauding Buddy as he walked to the scorer’s table five minutes into the game. Why do the fans love him so much? Because he cares. Regardless of the score, Buddy was a menace to the Seminoles offense. He was the first to loose balls, the first back on defense, and he even hit a nice runner from the baseline. Yes, he was 0-6 from three-point range, but when you’ve shot 61% over the last four games that happens. If the point guards continue to struggle like they did against the Seminoles, we will continue to see Buddy and Tyus in the backcourt.
The Bad
1. Point Guards Continue To Struggle — Coming into the game, it was beginning to look like Frank Howard was back. He had shot nearly 45% from the floor and averaged more than 12 points over his last three games. Unfortunately for Cuse, he didn’t have it last night. Howard played just 14 minutes and struggled to make any impact on the offensive end. He failed to score on his two shot attempts—both of them being threes—and missed all three of his free throws. He finished the game with no points, assists, or rebounds and three turnovers. Howard had been playing his best basketball of the season before this game, so he gets a pass. Everyone knows his numbers are way down from last year (6.5 less points 1.5 less rebounds and assists), but no one mentions that he is playing 12 less minutes per game and is shooting with nearly the same efficiency as last season. Down the stretch the Orange would love to have Howard healthy and playing like the star he was last season. Because this section is about point guards, Jalen Carey needs to be mentioned. The freshman point guard came in with high expectations, but he has had very little time on the court since conference play began. He played one minute last night during the first FSU scoring run (that opened up a 36-14 lead) and never returned to the game. Carey is young and there is a lot of time, but he needs to improve his shooting performance (.406/.222/.647) to earn more playing time.
2. Big Men Out-Bigged — Before this gets critical it is important to point out that Paschal Chukwu was at a size disadvantage. Chukwu was actually smaller than another human being, and it was 7”4 C Christ Koumadje. Chukwu didn’t play played poorly; he was very good to start the game and altered many shots around the key. He couldn’t keep his hands to himself, however, and picked up four fouls in 18 minutes. Not acceptable for arguably the most important defender on this team. In relief of Chukwu was Marek Dolezaj. Dolezaj had four rebounds in 24 minutes and one circus shot from under the rim that nearly went in. Unfortunately for Dolezaj, he needs to provide more offense at the five to keep that spot. It is obvious Dolezaj cannot rim protect or rebound like Chukwu. Going forward he’ll need to score more than his 3.4 PPG. It’ll be very interesting to see if Jim Boeheim goes with a bigger lineup against teams like Duke, and Dolezaj slides back to the four spot that he occupied last season.
3. Hughes Looks Frustrated — Elijah scored 17 so it is difficult to say he played poorly last night, but it didn’t look great. Hughes got hot in short stretches, but didn’t seem to impact the game for most of the night. The worst sign for Hughes was his body language. He just seemed out of it. He’d miss a shot and FSU would go down and score and he looked defeated. For a player who has well exceeded his expectations, he is going through his roughest patch of the season. Hughes was shooting just 25% from floor and averaged seven PPG in the three games leading into the bout with FSU. It was a good sign that he eclipsed the 15 point mark against the Seminoles even if he shot 33% from the floor. After such a hot start to the year, it makes sense that Hughes is having a bit of a rough stretch. He is still one of the most important players on SU’s roster and continues to be their secondary scoring option.
4. Cuse Shoots Poorly From Everywhere — It sounds simple, but for Syracuse to win they need to hit shots. They don’t have a dominant big man on offense and they need to make shots to allow them to set up the zone. Long rebounds and transition drives are the kryptonite of the Syracuse defense. The Orange shot 41% from the floor, an abysmal 25% from 3, and 62.5% from the line, not a winning formula. While they aren’t expected to be a top offensive team in the country, those numbers won’t cut it against competitive teams like FSU. The 2-3 zone can keep you in games, but without decent three-point and free throw shooting the Orange have serious issues.
The Future
Syracuse tips off with Boston College this Saturday as they look to defeat the Eagles for the second time in 10 days. The Orange have a tough schedule coming up—including a stretch where they play Louisville, Duke, and UNC consecutively—so wins over BC and NC State are incredibly important. Their ACC record of 7-3 is impressive but they could end up at .500 if they become complacent. If the Orange are making shots and getting contributions from their complementary players, it’ll be a great ride to the end of the season.