Syracuse - Ohio State ACC / Big Ten Challenge Preview
0 Comments Published on 11.28.2018 by Brian Harrison
Syracuse students agree: Syracuse needs a big non-conference win.
Syracuse travels to Columbus to take on THE Ohio State at home in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. In desperate (not really, but yeah) need of a marque non-conference win, Syracuse has a great opportunity in #16 OSU. Syracuse will have Frank Howard at full force on the floor, with a week to prepare for OSU. By now I know that Howard can facilitate, and Brissett and Battle can score. The question after the Colgate game is clearly can the big men hold up their end? Chukwu suffered a groin strain and sat most of Colgate, and Sidibe isn't still isn't 100%. If Syracuse is able to protect the low post, and rebound, they should win this one. If they aren't, well SU is going to get smoked on the boards and head home with a fat L. I think Chukwu should be ready and will do just enough, and while they didn't look great in MSG, Syracuse now has their actual starting point guard and should be ready to be the floor general Syracuse was desperately needing. OSU is a 4.5 point favorite which seems low, but I'll take a flyer and say the Orange come out like they should have against UConn, light it up, and get a lot of points off turnovers because the 2-3 is working it. I'll take Syracuse by 8. This game is available on ESPN 2 / WatchESPN at 7:15pm. We'll see you out there. GO ORANGE!
Labels: Basketball, Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Preview
Maryland - Syracuse ACC/Big Ten Challenge Preview
0 Comments Published on 11.27.2017 by Brian Harrison
Syracuse students agree: Beating Maryland is satisfying.
Syracuse takes on Maryland in the ACC / Big Ten Challenge again. The last time these teams played each other was 2014 as ACC Conference opponents. Then Maryland bolted for the Big Ten. Syracuse won that hard fought game by 2 points. Now Maryland heads to the Carrier Dome. The good news is Tyus Battle appears to be ready to play. He was on fire from mid-range against Toledo before falling hard and tweaking his back, when he did not return. Both Maryland and Syracuse are good rebounding teams, but Syracuse should have the slight edge. However, the last game found both SU big men in big time foul trouble. That didn't end up being a problem against Toledo, who still ran into tough shooting against the 2-3 Zone. Maryland could find a little more success. Guard Anthony Cowan, who is hitting 49% from the floor, while Preseason All-Big Ten selection Forward Justin Jackson can also do some damage. I think both offenses are pretty good and fairly equal. The difference in this game will be which team can rebound and which defense plays better. If Syracuse is able to get blocks without fouling, and get some transition buckets, Syracuse should enjoy a fairly easy cruise to another win against the Big Ten. If Syracuse allows easy buckets, they are in trouble. Because Syracuse is at home, playing well lately, and it appears Tyus Battle is going to play, I'm giving the edge to Syracuse. And I'm also thinking that some of the tick tack fouls that were called on Syracuse in the last game won't be called with a (I'm assuming) mostly veteran ref crew (unlike the last game). I'm taking the Orange by 14. This game is available on ESPN 2 / WatchESPN at 7:00pm. John will be in the Dome. I'm in the home office. The Big Ten sucks and LET'S GO ORANGE!
Labels: Basketball, Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Preview
Syracuse - Wisconsin Postgame Reactions OR Not Curdy
0 Comments Published on 12.02.2016 by John Brennan
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| Obviously Lydon can dance; but can he ball? |
If you're looking for the worse puns in blog headlines, you've come to the right place! But seriously, the best cheese curds I've had were in Madison, which is a nice college town. Home of the Kohl Center, it played host to Syracuse at Wisconsin Tuesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.. A rematch of last year's Challenge matchup, which the Badgers won in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse looked to get back in the win column after a neutral-site loss (at Barclay's) to South Carolina. Unfortunately, from the get-go, it seemed like the Orange were outmatched, on both offense and defense. Building a 14-point lead by the 10:00 minute mark in the first half, Wisconsin looked like it was destined to blow out Syracuse. However, some stronger defense and a better offensive effort lead the Orange to erase much of that deficit, trailing 43-39 at halftime. Unfortunately, that momentum couldn't carry over to the second half, and Syracuse basically sleepwalked through the rest of the game, losing 77-60. A win for B1G.
- For what it's worth, Andrew White III was the leading scorer for Syracuse: 14 points on 5-15 shooting (4-9 from three), five rebounds, and a team high 38 minutes. He had a stretch where he was shooting great, but he could neither keep it going, nor make it contagious to other teammates.
- DaJuan Coleman was the 2nd leading scorer for the Orange with a dozen points. This may have been one of the best offensive efforts in his career. He was active and strong down low, and really asserted himself for position. Coach Boeheim rewarded that effort with 30 minutes for Coleman. If there's one positive we can take from this game, it's Coleman's performance, which Syracuse will need if it's going to compete in the ACC. The Orange has depth at center like it hasn't in a while, but it needs Coleman to lead the way, continue to assert position around the basket so that even if he's substituted out, Chukwu or Lydon can reap the benefit of the opposing defense's adjustments.
- Another bright spot was the free throw shooting: 92.3% for the game; a perfect 10 for 10 in the first half, but only 2 of 3 in the second half. Wisconsin just wasn't fouling. But, given the history we're all too much familiar with, it was promising to see the shots fall.
- No one doubts the amount of talent up an down this Syracuse roster -- obviously at various levels of experience -- but the one disadvantage is that the team has only had a couple months together. They're still feeling each other out, and more specifically, the new players are still learning the 2-3 zone. Tuesday's game showed us why all that matters: lots of missed rotations and assignments on defense. The Badgers exploited it, at times perfecting the inside cuts, while at others kicking the ball out for open threes.
- Speaking of threes, Wisconsin shot 11-23 (47.8%) from three. A team shooting at that clip is gonna be hard to beat, even if your own offense is playing well. And here, Syracuse wasn't. Thus, the end result.
- As if that wasn't bad enough, the Badgers shot 49.2% overall.
- I don't want to say any more about this game.
There was some crazy stat floating around twitter the other night about the last time Syracuse beat a ranked non-conference foe on the road. I don't remember what it was, but it was a long time ago. And it'll have to wait longer. But that's OK. Because up next is a Saturday tilt against the University of North Florida (honestly, I didn't know that was a thing) in the friendly confines of the Carrier Dome on Saturday afternoon. Just what the doctor ordered. And then UConn on Monday down in Carrier Dome South, more commonly known as Madison Square Garden. Obviously we're all looking ahead to that, and reminiscing about 6OT (which some assholes at the NCAA home office want us to believe never happened), but it's not like this game against the Ospreys in a trap game... RIGHT?!?
Labels: Basketball, Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Recap
Syracuse students agree: Winning a big game after a loss would be gratifying.
Syracuse is coming off a somewhat surprising loss to South Carolina. Not the fact that they lost. Chances are that was going to happen at some point this year. But the way they lost. Syracuse only managed to score 50 points. For the first time in my life, maybe ever, the football team outscored the basketball team. Ridiculous. But it's a new game and a big game. Syracuse plays away from the Carrier Dome and New York State, as they travel to Madison to take on Wisconsin. There's only one thing that really scares me about Wisconsin and that is they are a very good rebounding team. One thing the Zone does not do is put people in good rebounding positions. If Wisconsin is hitting shots or if they are getting easy offensive boards and put backs, Syracuse will be in trouble. However, if the Zone is active and forcing Wisconsin turnovers, Syracuse should win. After all, Syracuse is 6th in the country in 3 point shooing. And Wisconsin is not a good defender of the 3 point line. Look for Tyler Lydon to get hot early, and obviously Frank Howard has found quite the stroke as of late. And that isn't even talking about leading scorer Andrew White. If Syracuse can force turnovers and prevent easy Wisconsin buckets, the scoring should take care of the rest. Wisconsin likes to play slow as well, so if the press can speed up Wisconsin into some bad shots, all the better. Frankly, people are talking about this being a tough game for the Orange. And Wisconsin is favored by Vegas in this game, but I actually just think this matchup favors the Orange. I'll take Syracuse by 11. This game is available nationwide on ESPN / WatchESPN at 7:30pm. My god. A game on actual television. What a concept. Both John and I will be in the home office. Despite our love of cheese curds, we'll be rooting for Syracuse. Go Orange!
Labels: Basketball, Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Preview
Wisconsin - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Free Throws Matter
0 Comments Published on 12.04.2015 by John Brennan
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| You see that court, Dajuan? You're not gonna be on it. |
Just a quick recap of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup of Wisconsin at Syracuse before I hit the road for Washington. We knew this team would live & die by the three, and if it wasn't falling, they'd have to find other ways to score. But they didn't; sufficiently, at least. All in all, Syracuse shot well enough from three and well enough from two to win. This game really was lost at the foul line. And the glass. Wisconsin forced overtime and beat Syracuse there, 66-58.
- Syracuse shot just 35.7% from the field and only 29.2% from three. Bad, but not the sole source of a loss, particularly when your opponent's numbers were 41.7% and 27.8%, respectively.
- The difference at the line? Well, interestingly enough, Wisconsin didn't even get to the line in the first half. But they were 4-5 in the second half and 7-7 in overtime. Comparatively, Syracuse shot 4-5 in the first, 5-11 in the second, and 2-4 in overtime. That's a real solid 55%. Of the 9-16 shots in regulation, just think if whether that number was 10-16 instead. This would be a different recap.
- The other huge factor contributing to the Syracuse loss was the rebounding disparity. Wisconsin had 51 boards, compared to 25 for Syracuse. Ouch. That also gave Wisconsin 18 second chance points.
- Michael Gbinije had another decent game, with 19 points, 5 assists, and 5 steals. Malachi Richardson & Trevor Cooney also had decent games as well. However, Tyler Lydon came back to Earth and played like a freshman. Put that all together, it was the perfect storm.
- Even given that perfect storm, Syracuse only trailed 27-24 at the half, and had a 2nd half lead until Wisconsin forced overtime. In other words, though a loss is a loss, this could have been a lot worse.
- Dajuan Coleman played only five minutes in the first half, none for the remainder of the game, and just wasn't the presence inside he needed to be. Boeheim instead simply stuck with Tyler Lydon, and Wisconsin figured out how to exploit him in the zone. Through his size and positioning, Syracuse lost a lot of rebounding opportunities.
It sucks to lose, but I'd rather lose this game than against Georgetown. The Orange::44 team will be in attendance, so look for us there or on the tweets.
Labels: Basketball, Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Recap
Wisconsin - Syracuse ACC/Big Ten Challenge Preview
0 Comments Published on 12.02.2015 by Brian Harrison
Syracuse students agree: Gotta beat 'Sconsin.
The Orange have jumped into the polls after a great Thanksgiving run in Atlantis. Not Syracuse invites Wisconsin into the Dome. However Wisconsin has been struggling this season so far, after making it to the Final 4 the last couple years. But this team isn't the team of last year. This team can't shoot. They're only hitting 30% from long range. And in their last game they only shot 23% total. TOTAL. Good gawd. Nigel Hayes is the glue guy for this team. He can get in the lane and score. If the Syracuse Zone holds him off, Syracuse should have a fairly easy go of it. Wisconsin doesn't have a dominant low post presence. They can't score at will against the baseline of the Zone. Their only hope is to get our players in foul trouble by driving. They may accomplish that, but probably not before Syracuse is up enough for foul trouble to not matter. I think Syracuse will get several transition buckets off of Wisconsin misses. I like the Orange in this one at home over Wisconsin by 16. This game will be available nationally on ESPN 2/ WatchESPN at the odd start time of 7:15pm.
Labels: Basketball, Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Preview
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| #CooneyFace |
I think the common notion going into this game was that Syracuse just wouldn't have what it would take to win against Michigan. Syracuse's youth, inexperience (especially in an environment like Crisler Center), offensive woes, and Michigan's ability would seem to be too much. But, of course, you still have to play the game. And though neither team played exceptionally well in the first half, Syracuse took a 31-29 lead into halftime and you wondered maybe, just maybe, Syracuse would be able to do what we didn't think it could do. After halftime, Michigan started to find its outside shot again and eventually took a ten-point lead with 7:08 left in the game. "There it is," we all thought. Then, somehow, Syracuse fought back. Trevor Cooney hit a couple clutch threes, Michael Gbinije stepped up, and Chris McCullough played with more swagger than a freshman, and by the 56-second mark, the game was tied. But then, some big freshman mistakes and untimely turnovers tipped the momentum back to the Wolverines and, as we all know by now, Michigan held on for a 68-65 win.
- Trevor Cooney led all Syracuse scorers with 18 points on 4-11 shooting (4-9 from three) and 4-4 from the line. Though he struggled at times -- particularly in the first half -- that didn't frustrate him or prevent him from continuing to chuck up shots when he got good looks.
- I want to say that a performance like this should do wonders for Cooney's confidence, but I don't think it works that way. I think he's either on or he's not; I don't think confidence is an issue. So Cooney's always gonna be an Orange wildcard this season... which, unfortunately, could make or break a game for this team.
- Rakeem Christmas scored 15 on 7-9 from the floor, and added six rebounds, a couple of blocks, and a steal. What's telling about his performance is that he picked up two early fouls in the game, Boeheim only took him out for a short time, and then he went back out there and essentially played the rest of the game, only picking up one more foul. Yes, his defensive aggressiveness suffered as a result of the potential foul trouble, but luckily the forward play, especially from Chris McCullough, helped cover the areas around the basket.
- Speaking of McCullough, how about this kid with a really nice double-double -- ten points, twelve rebounds, and 39 minutes played. He was responsible for a vital turnover with 15 seconds left, but definitely otherwise a big performance on a big stage for a freshman.
- I thought Kaleb Joseph made a lot of improvement in this game. Playing all 40 minutes, Joseph scored nine points and had seven rebounds, and seemed much more in control of the offense than I have seen him all season. Certainly a confidence booster for him. Well, except for the dribble off his foot with four seconds left, and the airballed three-pointer at the buzzer. But, hey, freshman.
- Gbinije had a solid game off the bench as the sixth man, with a nice ten points and solid defensive play.
- Syracuse was in this game in the first half because of an abysmal shooting effort from Michigan. The Wolverines shot 36.11% from the field in the first half, along with 17.65% from three. For a John Beilein coached team who knows how to exploit the zone and has some great three-point shooters, this was a pleasant surprise from the Orange perspective.
- Here's the stat that controlled the outcome of this game: Syracuse had 19 turnovers to Michigan's seven; Michigan scored 20 points off Syracuse turnovers, while Syracuse only scored seven off Michigan turnovers (all in the first half).
- Michigan is a good team, and a win is a win, but the Wolverines probably don't walk away from this game feeling really good about the win. In the final several sequences in the game, it seemed like Michigan was doing whatever it could to let Syracuse win. But for those freshman mistakes, I think Syracuse probably pulls it out. Michigan got lucky.
Our old friendTed Valentine officiated this game. Hey, it is what it is.
A loss is a loss, and there are no moral victories -- especially when a game we didn't think Syracuse could win turned into a game Syracuse almost won -- but this was an encouraging showing by the Orange. They're a work in progress, but it's nice to see a team improving and wondering where it can go as the season goes on... as opposed to, say, winning 25 straight games and then regressing for the rest of the season. It's still early in the season, and most of the remaining non-conference slate doesn't get easier, but at least as it looks right now there's reason to be optimistic.
And we'll bring that optimism into the Dome on Saturday to play our old friend and former Big East foes St. John's. Your perfect break from watching conference championship football all day.
Labels: Basketball, Big Ten/ACC Challenge
Syracuse - Michigan Big Ten / ACC Challenge Preview
0 Comments Published on 12.02.2014 by Brian Harrison
Syracuse students agree: ACC > Big Ten.
Syracuse enjoyed a couple of games against inferior opponents to get back on track. But can they now go on the road again and topple a pretty good team? My gut says not this team.
Syracuse is still winning against teams they should beat, like Holy Cross and Loyola. Now Syracuse takes on Michigan, a team that just barely lost to Villanova in their early season tournament championship. Michigan, like Cal, is shooting the ball extremely well from the outside arc. 44.5% as a matter of fact. To illustrate how well that is, Syracuse is shooting 20.2%. The worst ever mark for Syracuse in a season is 30.6%. Syracuse traditionally does better in the non-conference against inferior defenses, then trails off a bit in the conference slate. Whoops. Anyway, Syracuse just doesn't have the firepower that Michigan has. And if Christmas gets in foul trouble, the probably of offense occurring on the floor for Syracuse drops dramatically. I think Syracuse will try really hard, and even force a bunch of turnovers because John Beilein still doesn't know what to do against the zone in terms of offense other than shoot the 3. But enough of those 3s will sadly fall. Syracuse unfortunately will not look great, but it is what it is at this point. Michigan by 14.
This game is available nationally on ESPN / WatchESPN (allegedly) at 7:30pm. I may or may not be watching live. Try to enjoy it.
Labels: Basketball, Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Preview
Can Scott beat Randy again?
Syracuse went down to Maryland last season in an ACC Conference game and basically embarrassed them 20-3. Now Maryland makes a trip to the Dome but this time they are in their new conference, the Big Ten. A little more than conference pride is on the line this time.
Syracuse looked excellent against MAC foe Central Michigan last week. A stark contract from how they looked against Villanova, who probably should have won the game. But in NCAA Football, you take any wins you can get. Either way, Syracuse looked a lot sharper after a bye week and a game that had starting quarterback Terrel Hunt in for all 60 minutes. Maryland comes in the Dome looking to be a spoiler for Syracuse's so far perfect season, as well as rebound from an big loss to West Virginia in which they gave up 694 offensive yards to the Mountaineers. The Terps are a decent team who have a pretty good QB in CJ Brown. He's a mobile QB like Hunt is and like Villanova possessed, when their leading rusher was the QB in the opening weekend. That could prove fits for Syracuse's defense again, who will also have to probably key in on excellent rusher Wes Brown, who missed last week as a coaches' decision. The Syracuse secondary provided plenty of bulletin board material for QB Brown, who possibly could shred Syracuse for a ton of yards in the air. Both of these teams look pretty even, except Syracuse rushes by committee. Syracuse's tailbacks have had two different 100 yard rushers the past two games, and it's possible that happens in this one. With four legitimate rushers for Syracuse, anything is possible as there are power backs and speed/finesse backs that provide a nice change of speed. Really, this game will come down to turnovers and rushing. Syracuse will probably control the time of possession (who cares, it's really a meaningless stat), but what should give Maryland fits is the different running looks, combined with the fact that Hunt can run himself. More importantly, West Virginia succeeded by running an up tempo, no huddle offense. Hmmm..... I think Syracuse does that as well. Interesting. Syracuse should also dominate in number of offensive plays run in the game, which is a better stat to lead on, and more indicative of success on offense than time of possession. Whoever limits turnovers is always at an advantage. Maryland had 6 turnovers against USF and 1 against West Virginia. Syracuse has had zero so far this year. Syracuse is also one of four teams in the NCAA that hasn't allowed a sack. They probably will in this game, but not many. Syracuse will look to pound the ball, and I think that Syracuse's offense will do a little better than Maryland's. This game will be pretty close, but I like Syracuse in the Dome. Sorry Randy. The Orange over Maryland 27 to 17.
This game is at 12:30pm eastern on the ACC Network with regional coverage being provided. You can check if your local station is covering the game here. For everyone else, you can watch the game on WatchESPN. Blackout map applies. You can also watch the game on the ACC Website (and the official ACC phone app, FYI) by clicking here. John will be in the Dome. I'll be working some football games myself so I won't be watching the game with you. But be sure to have a few cold ones for us. Go Orange!
Labels: Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Football, Preview
Indiana - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Stop Trying, Tom Crean!
0 Comments Published on 12.05.2013 by John Brennan
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| This is what a mid-air flagrant 2 looks like |
In the Spring of 2008, Indiana hired Tom Crean to be its new head coach, after Crean had shown great success building the Marquette program. At the time, I thought very highly of Crean, and thought that would be a great hire for the Hoosiers. And I still think that. But even Crean has his kryptonite: the 2-3 zone defense. Only eight and one half months ago, Syracuse embarrassed Indiana in the Sweet 16. Nothing could get going against that 2-3 zone. So you'd think that when it was announced that Indiana would travel to Syracuse to play in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Tom Crean would, oh, maybe devote a little more time to trying to figure out what to do against the zone. Several months is better prep time than five or six days, after all. But once again, the Syracuse zone was locked in, and Indiana's offense struggled as a result. Spurred by a crazy run in the second half, Syracuse rolled against the Hoosiers and won one for the ACC, 69-52.
- Trevor Cooney came to play. Again. My wishes from the first game have, for the most part, come true. Cooney played well in Maui, and that continued back here on the mainland: 21 points on 6-12 from the floor, 5-9 from three, 4-5 from the line. He was also active on defense, grabbing four steals.
- One of those steals led to a Cooney fast-break, and as he drove through the lane towards the basket, as if to either slam the ball or lay it in, he was fouled hard from behind by Austin Etherington. Officials immediately called in a flagrant foul, but consulted the replay monitor to ultimately determine it was a flagrant 2: two shots and possession for Syracuse, ejection for Etherington.
- Tyler Ennis continued to play not like a green freshman, but a season veteran: 17 points on 6-8 shooting, seven rebounds, eight assists, and four steals. 38 minutes out of your starting freshman point guard with offensive and defensive contributions like that is phenomenal.
- CJ Fair. Senior. Leader. Leads by example. 15 points on 5-10 shooting, 5-7 from the line, four rebounds. Steady as he goes.
- The rest of the team? Well, offensively, there's a lot to be desired. Baye Moussa Keita is a huge liability on offense -- he can't catch a pass, he can't hit a layup. DaJuan Coleman still doesn't seem comfortable under the basket. Rakeem Christmas has a hard time creating position for himself to score. Michael Gbinije just seems too hesitant and lacking the confidence to step up and make things happen. At one point, both he and Ennis were on the floor, and Silent G just seemed out of sorts as a shooting guard.
- Defensively, though, those same players each had their contributions. You can't argue with the length those players give you in the zone, and when they shift properly, you can see how a zone-inept team like Indiana can get shut down.
- Syracuse shot 51.1% from the floor, compared to Indiana's 36.6%.
- We all remember how well Syracuse shot from the free throw line in Maui. Well, those numbers came back to reality in this game, as Syracuse only hit 15-25 for 60%. While it obviously wasn't a game changer here, you just know there will be a big game coming up where the free throws will bite Syracuse.
There are certainly a lot of aspects of the game that Syracuse can improve, but any Orange fan must really like what they're seeing out of this team, this early in the season. And it's not just against the traditional "cupcakes" but Syracuse is looking impressive against ranked teams. This team will definitely be battled-tested before the gauntlet of the ACC. As for Indiana, they have some big talent losses they need to overcome if they want a chance at making it back to the Sweet 16. That talent loss was evidently too much for one female Hoosier fan to handle in section 317 the other night. But I can assure my fellow 309 fans that under no circumstances will I strip down to my underwear during any Syracuse basketball game.
Syracuse has one more game -- against Binghamton on Saturday night -- before breaking for a week for finals. The Orange needs to maintain its high level of play against the inferior Bearcats, or else face the wrath of Jim Boeheim. And bloggers, probably.
Labels: Basketball, Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Recap
Indiana - Syracuse Big Ten/ACC Challenge Preview
0 Comments Published on 12.03.2013 by Brian Harrison
Syracuse students agree: Beating Indiana twice is nice.
Syracuse is somewhat familiar with UNR/#23 Indiana. Over the years Syracuse has played them to various infamous degrees. But in the recent past, Syracuse managed to beat them in the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. The Orange essentially shut down the Hoosiers by creating turnovers and having a ferocious defense. Syracuse had 12 steals and 10 blocks while Indiana had 18 turnovers in the game. They also managed to shut down star guard Yogi Ferrell, who had zero points in that game. This team is a little different and more guard oriented than when they had Cody Zeller patrolling the middle of the paint last season. Yet, strangely enough, the Hoosiers lead the nation in rebounding. They average 50 a game. That is a staggering number. If they manage to pull that many rebounds down and use them to get second chance points this will be a close battle. But, Syracuse seemed to manage to handle the slightly bigger and athletic post presence of Baylor just fine in Maui. This should be a guard battle. Farrell versus Tyler Ennis. Whichever guard plays better is who's team will probably win the game. A little more hot shooting from Cooney, Grant, and of course CJ would be welcomed as well. But this should be a guard orientated battle. Whichever guard limits turnovers and makes good decisions should lead their team to victory. I see that being Ennis again as I think he will fair a little better against the Indiana defense than Ferrell will against the zone. I'm not convinced that Tom Crean has figured out how to defeat the 2-3 just yet. He was outcoached by Boeheim in the Tournament last year and I think the same will happen this year. I'll take Syracuse by 12. This game is available nationally on ESPN / Watch ESPN at 7:15pm.
Labels: Basketball, Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Preview