Syracuse Basketball: Virginia Game Preview
By Josh Peelman
Last Year’s Matchup- NCAA Tournament
Syracuse fans like me who are still dreaming of a tournament bid this year are hoping for a repeat of last years Elite 8 match up. In that game the Orange pressed late in the game for about a solid five minutes which led to an impressive comeback victory for the Orange, 68-62, which put us in the Final Four.
Now some would just say that game was a fluke, and Malachi Richardson was just suddenly a miracle worker, which could possibly be true, but what if its wasn’t a fluke? What if this team had the same weapons this year if not better? We have most of the same players who can press if needed. We have a better sharpshooter in Andrew White replacing Malachi, and a better true point guard in John Gillon than Trevor Cooney.
In the oppositions defense though, our defense is not nearly as solid this year as in years past. That can happen though when you have two starters who were grad transfers and are still learning the 2-3 zone’s intricacies.