Heading into this week, Syracuse men’s basketball was riding high. A double overtime win against Indiana last Tuesday, followed by a victory in the ACC opener against Florida State last Saturday, things were moving towards an upward trend for Jim Boeheim and company.
But the Orange riding high did not last long, thanks to Tuesday night. Villanova took down SU, 67-53, despite Syracuse leading by three at the halftime break. Head coach Jim Boeheim says the defense was there, but not so much for the offensive side.
“Offensively, we just struggled. We struggled,” Boeheim said. “They [Villanova] are a very good defensive team. They’re one of the best teams in the country, and we’re not.”
‘Nova certainly is. As mentioned, the Cats are ranked sixth in the nation, and that defense is a strong one. Jay Wright’s defense allows 62 points per game, which is tied for third in the Big East with Seton Hall.
But what’s better than gearing up against an old foe? Gearing up with another one just a few days later.
On Saturday, Syracuse goes to battle with Georgetown - who, unlike Syracuse, has a win this week. Last year in the Dome, the Orange handled the Hoyas, 74-69. Most of those points came in the first half for SU, stifling GU with 43 points.
Getting to the rack could be just as easy for Syracuse in 2021. The Hoyas’ scoring defense is second to last in the Big East, giving up 72 points per game. To make matters worse, Georgetown is just nine-tenths of a point away from being at the bottom of the conference.
A way Syracuse could come out victorious against Georgetown for the second straight season is second chance opportunities, something that Boeheim says “really hurt” his squad.
The Hoyas struggle to grab defensive boards, sitting second to last in the Big East again with 35.7 per game. On the other side, it’s the Orange who are in the middle of the pack of the ACC, snagging about ten offensive rebounds per game.
The poor rebounding defensively for Georgetown, and the average rebounding offensively for Syracuse, can lead to even more opportunities for the Orange to drill it from 3-point range. Patrick Ewing’s group has a 33.9 3-point percentage, which is ninth in the Big East.
A lot of things can go right for the Orange on Saturday. Grabbing rebounds on the offensive end and finishing on second chances has the chance to give SU one of the sweetest wins of the year.
The 95th meeting between Syracuse and Georgetown takes place on Saturday afternoon at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Game time is set for noon. WAER’s coverage begins with GZA Countdown to Tipoff at 11:30.