Syracuse Hosts Duke On Wednesday Night In Pivotal ACC Battle

The Syracuse basketball team is heading into “must-win” territory. This would be a great one to get against Duke, can they do it? Neil Adler tells us.

Two head-coaching legends collide on Wednesday night at the Carrier Dome, as the Syracuse basketball squad clashes with No. 10 Duke in a monumental match-up.

The Orange (16-12, 8-7 in conference play), losers of three in a row, is in a precarious spot. A recent five-game winning streak put SU on the right side of the Big Dance bubble. However, tight setbacks to Pittsburgh, then-No. 8 Louisville and Georgia Tech have thrust the ‘Cuse’s NCAA Tournament hopes back on to severe life support.

Currently, Syracuse is tied for seventh place in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, while the Blue Devils (22-5, 10-4) and the Cardinals are just one contest back of No. 8 North Carolina for the premier spot.

Duke comes to Central New York as one of the hottest outfits in the country, having emerged victorious in seven consecutive affairs, including triumphs over now-No. 18 Virginia and then-No. 20 Notre Dame on the road, as well as the Tar Heels at home.

According to the CBS Sports Web site, the Blue Devils possess 13 successes over RPI top 100 teams, including those previously mentioned, as well as against now-No. 13 Florida, Michigan State, Miami and Wake Forest.

Duke’s sole head-scratching defeat came to N.C. State at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Jan. 23, and that represented one of the games in which Jeff Capel served as interim head coach for long-time boss Mike Krzyzewski, while he recovered from back surgery.

To date in the 2016-17 campaign, the Blue Devils are a solid 8-4 in away and neutral-site battles.

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The Orange, meanwhile, is 14-3 at home.

I can’t stress enough the importance of Wednesday evening’s clash, during which the attendance could reach 30,000 fans inside the Carrier Dome for the first instance in two years, Syracuse.com reported on Monday.

The Loud House needs to go absolutely haywire to help boost the confidence of a Syracuse squad that desperately needs to pick up a third victory over a ranked foe, which would significantly aid its somewhat pedestrian resume.

A review of about a half-dozen mock brackets finds that a few experts slot the ‘Cuse as one of the last four entries in the field of 68, while several others label SU as one of the first four out.

At this juncture, there really is no margin for error. This is pretty much a must-win situation, considering that Syracuse’s final two regular-season contests are on the road versus Louisville, and at home against Georgia Tech. Then there’s the ACC Tournament.

I continue to believe that the Orange needs, at a minimum, a total of 19-20 triumphs to have a realistic shot at a Big Dance invite. Conquering Duke would prove a terrific starting point.

The Blue Devils hold a 5-4 edge over SU in their “rivalry,” according to OrangeHoops.org. Last time out, on Jan. 18, 2016, the ‘Cuse upset No. 20 Duke on the road, 64-62. Then-junior Tyler Roberson had a monstrous 20 rebounds. That victory amounted to a key resume-builder in getting Syracuse in to the NCAA Tournament, where the Orange went on a miraculous run to the Final Four.

According to an article posted on ESPN.com earlier this week, Wednesday night’s tilt will signify the first occasion when two head coaches with 1,000 career wins face off. I don’t care what the NCAA says; Jim Boeheim has reached that milestone.

Krzyzewski, whom I consider the greatest college-basketball head coach in the history of the game, took over the Blue Devils helm in 1980. All he’s done since then is capture five national championships and advance to 12 Final Fours. To put this into context, Boeheim, who in his own right is one of the best ever, has made it to as many Final Fours as Krzyzewski has claimed national titles.

That’s ridiculous.

Duke, after a mini slump that saw Krzyzewski out and several players injured, is clicking at precisely the right moment. The Blue Devils are an offensive juggernaut, averaging 82 points while allowing 69. They shoot 49 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point land and 76 percent from the free-throw line.

SU, on the other hand, gets 76 points but gives up 70. The Orange connects on 46 percent from the field, 38 percent from downtown and 72 percent from the charity stripe.

Other statistical categories, such as boards, assists, blocks, steals and turnovers committed, are fairly even among the two programs.

Four Duke guys score in double-figures, with sophomore Luke Kennard pacing the way at roughly 20 points per contest. He also hits on 46 percent from 3-point range.

We should also note here that Krzyzewski’s crew defends from downtown quite well, which could spell trouble for a ‘Cuse group that has recently performed horrendous from beyond the arc.

Dethroning the Blue Devils is no easy task, especially given how they have fared of late. Duke has a bunch of stifling shooters who can light up the 2-3 zone. The Blue Devils aren’t as formidable inside, so it would behoove our bigs to try and capitalize on that.

Boeheim and Krzyzewski are close friends and know each other’s school extremely well. It’s an understatement to say that unless Syracuse brings its A-game, this may get ugly in a hurry.

Roberson has to step up on the glass. Graduate transfers Andrew White III and John Gillon, as well as sophomore Tyler Lydon, have to emerge from their recent offensive slumps. We need a healthy Tyus Battle and for Taurean Thompson to stay out of foul trouble. Those two freshmen are vital in this match-up.

Next: Syracuse Football Recruiting Sitdown: Nykeim Johnson

My gut tells me that if the ‘Cuse can collect its composure and keep the game close until the final few minutes, a boisterous home crowd might just assist the Orange in carving out a humongous, season-saving victory.

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