Syracuse students agree: Beating Duke is great, no matter the circumstances.
After a major comeback win, being down 20 points to Notre Dame on Saturday, Syracuse turns right around with a TON of momentum to take on Duke down in North Carolina. While Syracuse isn't dead without beating Duke, it would go a long way to get them on the right side of the bubble. So can Syracuse again rise to the occasion and pull the win off down in Durham?
Syracuse obviously had a huge lift with Buddy Boeheim exploding against Notre Dame, after a dismal first half by the team. Obviously, if Buddy Boeheim is clicking and making shots, that not only is good for Syracuse on the scoreboard, but it pulls defenders who have to guard Boeheim closer, to free up other options on offense. And getting Boeheim in the flow will be critical in helping break up the good defense of Duke, especially Jordan Goldwire, who steals the ball a ton off the bench for Syracuse. But really, it comes down to Syracuse defending, just like Saturday. F Matthew Hurt is the man Syracuse will have to stop. He's averaged over 20 points in his last 3 games, and Syracuse needs to make sure he has no easy buckets. It seems like Syracuse can be relied upon in scoring a decent clip. The key is can Syracuse adjust earlier than the half, like they did against Notre Dame, and keep Duke either close or behind to control down the stretch. An fairly empty Cameron should help the cause as well. I'm just a little superstitious at this point in picking Syracuse in a highly contested game. Despite having a ton of momentum and confidence after Saturday, Duke is on their own winning streak. Just because they are at home, I'm taking Duke in a close one. Blue Devils unfortunately by seven.
This game is available on ESPN (obviously) at 7:00pm. Beat Duke and LET'S GO ORANGE!
Labels: ACC, Basketball, Duke, Preview, We Hate Duke
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