Syracuse Basketball vs. Virginia Tech: Game Preview

The Syracuse basketball team takes on the Virginia Tech Hokies tonight at 8 pm in the Carrier Dome with a chance to get a winning record in the ACC for the first time this season.

Syracuse basketball has been playing very well lately. They are 5-1 in their last six games, including three blowouts. They’ve been limiting opponents to just 58.8 points per game in that stretch while scoring 69.2 themselves. That’s better than a 10-point margin of victory, which is impressive in the middle of conference play.

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This game against Virginia Tech is a big opportunity for Syracuse basketball, but also another trap game. Syracuse

beat Virginia Tech based on both team’s records and RPI. Should and will are two very different things however, and this Hokie team led by Buzz Williams will be no picnic. If

last year’s game is any indication

, this could go right down to the wire.

Virginia Tech have had five of their 10 losses decided by five points or less. They also have a win over then-no. 4 Virginia. Since late December they have played against six ranked teams and have fought hard in every single game. They will absolutely not go down without a fight, so if you were expecting another blowout, you may be in for a surprise. This team is battle-tested and will be ready for anything Syracuse throws at them.

The Hokies are led by a quartet of very solid players, the leader of which is Zach LeDay. LeDay is averaging 16 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 43% from 3-point range. He is a versatile inside-out threat that can both stretch the defense on the perimeter as well as score in the paint and underneath the basket. He doesn’t shoot a high volume of 3’s, but the ones he takes he tends to make with high frequency.

Junior guard Seth Allen is the number two option on the team, scoring 14.7 points per game and getting the free throw line an impressive 6.5 times per game. He is a shifty 6-1 slasher who thrives on getting into the paint and attacking the rim. He is very adept at finding creases in the defense and takes over 11 shots per game. On the plus side for Syracuse, he is not a good shooter and hits just 28% of his 3s, while taking nearly five a game.

Justin Bibbs and Chris Clarke round out the main scoring threats for Virginia Tech. Bibbs is averaging 12 points a game in his sophomore season and shooting an eye-popping 50.5% from 3. He is a sharpshooter who is second in the ACC in 3-point percentage and will need to be constantly hounded on the perimeter. Clarke is a freshman guard/forward who has played surprisingly well, averaging over 10 points and seven rebounds per contest.

Next: Syracuse Basketball: The Evolution of a Team

One advantage for Syracuse is that Virginia Tech doesn’t have a ton of a size. Their only real big man is Kerry Blackshear, a 6’10” freshman who is averaging just 6.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest. He could see extended minutes tonight just to give the Hokies an interior presence, but he’s not a dominant player yet.

So what does Syracuse basketball need to do to pull out the win? Find out later on today when I break down the four keys to the game for Syracuse. And as always, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter as I will be live tweeting the game. Also look for a post-game recap from Ethan Kimmel tonight once the final buzzer sounds.