On Saturday, Syracuse basketball will take on the NC State Wolfpack as they fight to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive.
After the past two games, it’s fair to say that the Orange should not even be favored to win by much, despite the fact NC State is 14-13 and 4-10 in the ACC. Is Syracuse basketball capable of winning this game? Absolutely. But after two straight losses to Louisville and Pitt, confidence in an assured victory is a luxury SU fans can’t afford.
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It may sound cliché, but this is the biggest game of the season for Syracuse basketball, strictly because a loss likely eliminates them from NCAA Tournament contention. This game is also a must win because a win next week at UNC is incredible unlikely.
In terms of impact players for Saturday, look no further than Tyler Lydon. The freshman is coming off of his best offensive game of the season in which he led the Orange with 21 points on 8-12 shooting, including 4-8 from behind the arc. He didn’t make an impact on the glass, but yet again, nobody on the team did. Lydon is an added boost to the team that can really facilitate the offense.
While Lydon will play a major role on Saturday, I’m not too sure if the other Tyler will. Roberson is coming off of a poor performance and brutal criticism from Boeheim, ““If I had anybody else he wouldn’t play a minute. Not a minute. Watch the game. I’m not going to describe what he did out there today.”
Clearly Roberson is in the dog house right now, but a productive game can certainly change that. If Roberson gets quality minutes, I hope he is able to turn it around.
In big games such as these, veterans Trevor Cooney and Michael Gbinije are always the go-to guys. That’s exactly who they need to be again on Saturday. Cooney is coming off of an abysmal game in which he scored 3 points on 1-9 shooting. Gbinije is also coming off of a poor game for his standards, as he finished with 10 points on 4-10 shooting and just 3 assists. Both guards need to step up and end their final game in the Carrier Dome on a high note.
At best, NC State has been average this year. However, they do have weapons that can attack the Syracuse basketball zone defense. The Wolfpack’s star is junior Anthony Barber. Barber is versatile guard who is averaging 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. He also has an incredible ability to take over games.
Although he is coming off of a poor game against Clemson, where he finished with 8 points on 1-12 shooting; from January 19th to February 13th, he consecutively scored: 31, 19, 36, 30, 31, 26, and 38. As you can see, he is a dominant player who could easily take over on Saturday. He has the ability to shoot the three, but doesn’t thrive on it.
Next: SU Basketball: Does Tyler Roberson Deserve More Respect?
NC State’s three-point weapons are Maverick Rowan and Caleb Martin, who lead with team with 63 threes each.
It’s do or die for Syracuse basketball, as they are hanging onto their NCAA tournament hopes by a thread. A win is a necessity for their resumé and will fuel momentum for next week’s game at UNC. Stay tuned to Inside the Loud House for more in-depth analysis of the game.