Syracuse Basketball vs. Texas A&M in Battle 4 Atlantis Final

By David Stone | Nov 27, 2015

Syracuse basketball takes on Texas A&M at 3 pm today in the Battle 4 Atlantis Championship. The game will be televised on ESPN.

After a thrilling victory over #18 UConn 79-76 yesterday, Syracuse basketball has no time to cool their heels or savor the victory. They get right back out there today to face the #24 Texas A&M Aggies in the championship game. This could prove to be another very tough, physical game for the Orange. The Aggies beat #10 Gonzaga yesterday on the strength of their size, brute force, and aggressive defense.

Before the UConn game, I was scared about SU’s ability to hang with teams that are big. Now, I’m much more comfortable. A big team is always going to be tough, but if they aren’t quick enough to stop the dribble penetration or close out on shooters, it could be a very long day for them.

Texas A&M are certainly no pushover this year. They come into the game having beaten both Texas and Gonzaga in their first two games of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Texas has been underperforming so far this year, but Gonzaga looks like an excellent team. It was a slugfest between the two schools that went down to the buzzer, much like the Syracuse UConn game.

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So what do we have to watch out for with A&M? Well first and foremost, we have to be able to slow down Danuel House. He is the engine that makes the Aggies go. He’s averaging 16.5 points and 5 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field and 40% from the 3-point line.

He is an aggressive player who can drive hard to the hoop, score in the post, or pull up from behind the arc. He hit six 3-pointers against Southeast Louisiana, so we can’t discount his long range shot.

Speaking of long range shots, A&M has another sharpshooter on their team, Tony Trocha-Morelos, who is shooting an astonishing 78% from 3 on the season. He’s only made 11 on the season, but that’s still incredibly impressive. He’s 5-5 from 3 in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament so far. Hopefully he is due to start missing some of them. If he continues to be as hot as he’s been to start the season, Syracuse could be in for a long day.

One of the big surprises for Texas is the play of freshman center Tyler Davis. Davis is averaging over 13 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in just 22 minutes of action. Those are some incredibly efficient numbers, especially for a freshman. Davis didn’t have a great game against Gonzaga, scoring just 6 points and grabbing 2 rebounds, but don’t be surprised if he follows that up with a much better performance today.

Probably the biggest advantage that Texas A&M has over Syracuse is their depth. They currently play 8 players between 20 and 27 minutes a game. Ten different players are seeing over 12 minutes per game. Compare that Syracuse, where only six players see that many minutes, and five players are logging 30 minutes or more per game.

Fatigue could play a big factor with the back-to-back-to-back schedule of the tournament. For the third straight day Syacuse will probably play five to six guys the vast majority of the minutes and that could take a toll. Hopefully SU can get away with getting guys like Kaleb Joseph and Frank Howard some minutes early so that we can have fresh legs throughout.

I think Syracuse can definitely win this game. A&M are big and athletic, but I think the quickness of Syracuse guards will create lanes all game and we will make them pay with kick outs for open shots and drives that get us more free throws. Look for Roberson to have another monster game on the glass, and don’t be surprised if SU hits another 10 3-pointers. Final score prediction: SU 77-73.

Check back after the game for a recap and rapid reactions to the outcome.

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