Syracuse Basketball vs. North Carolina Game Review

Syracuse basketball welcomed North Carolina to the Carrier Dome for Jim Boeheim’s return with an 84-73 loss.

Tonight, the Syracuse basketball team welcomed their beloved head coach Jim Boeheim back and the team couldn’t have looked much different from the previous nine games. Not to take anything away from the job assistant coach Mike Hopkins did during Boeheim’s absence, it was obvious that the Boeheim effect was strong in this one.

In the first half, Syracuse did a commendable job cleaning the glass, at one point leading 19-13 in rebounding. Tyler Roberson was bringing a level of emotion to the floor that hasn’t been seen all season. He was boxing out, closing defensive gaps quickly, and even contributing on the offensive end in the pick and roll. It was a pleasant surprise from a player the Syracuse basketball team needs more out of to take the next step against some very good ACC competition.

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Tied 33-33 at halftime, the Loud House was pumped up. Although Syracuse wasn’t shooting very well in general, they were getting the offensive rebounds that have eluded them in previous games. Those offensive rebounds helped keep Syracuse in the game as long as they were. Another thing that was helping Syracuse in the first half was the willingness of North Carolina to shoot from outside instead of getting inside and using their superior front court.

In the second half, Syracuse didn’t fade as easily as it had so many times this season. In fact, the team was hustling harder than usual, even while down by multiple possessions under two minutes. One example was the block Tyler Lydon was able to pull off on the break away with 1:40 left.

Unfortunately, Syracuse couldn’t hang in the closing minutes, and this time it wasn’t a direct result of poor free throw shooting. North Carolina just did their job during a clutch time. It also doesn’t help that Syracuse continued its trend of constant foul trouble with three starters with four fouls before the last five minutes even arrived. For a team that only plays eight guys, that puts undue hardship on the team.

Jan 9, 2016; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim (C) enters the arena prior to the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels after missing nine games at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /

As for individual performances, Malachi Richardson and Trevor Cooney led the way from tip-off until buzzer. Richardson continued his hot shooting from recent games and even showed improvement in his penetration game finishing with 16 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while shooting 4-10 from three-point range.

Cooney came to play hitting quite a few clutch shots, including 5-12 from downtown. He finished with 27 points and on many occasions getting the crowd fired up.

On the other end of the spectrum, what is wrong with Michael Gbinije? What started as his coming out party to show NBA teams that he should be a first rounder, shooting well, rebounding well for a guard, handling the ball well, and playing stout defense has since turned into and inability to hit any shot from any distance, no effort on the glass, too many turnovers, and being out of position too often on the defensive end.

Gbinije is quickly playing his way into the second round and maybe out of the draft with such consistent struggles. His torrid start is beginning to look more like a short hot streak than his new normal. Syracuse needs great play from the point to be successful throughout the season, that much has been clear since the 1980’s as the best Syracuse teams had the best point guards (Sherman Douglas, Lazarus Sims, Jason Hart, Johnny Flynn, Michael Carter-Williams, Tyler Ennis; you get the point).

Gbinije looks like he is playing out of position these days. At the beginning of the season, he never picked up his dribble unless he knew where he was going with the ball. Now, he picks it up at the top of the key, one step after the pick, then he is caught searching for anyone to get space. That does not bode well in the near future.

Tonight’s 84-73 loss to #6 North Carolina turned out to be a game Syracuse basketball fans should not be upset about. For a team that was reeling after three straight losses to start conference play, Syracuse showed a tenacity that they will need in order to have a chance moving forward.

If ever there was such a thing as a moral victory, this was it.

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