Syracuse Basketball needs to spring a win at Duke

The Syracuse basketball squad is teetering on the bubble for a NCAA Tournament bid, and next up is a huge road tilt with Duke.

A mere three games remain in the 2017-18 regular season, and our beloved Orange enters crunch time with a lot on the line.

The bevy of Big Dance prognosticators, at this juncture, have SU as either the last hoops program projected in the field of 68, or one of the first teams out.

A devastating, four-point defeat at the hands of No. 10 North Carolina on Wednesday night from the Carrier Dome surely stings, but the ‘Cuse can’t dwell on this result.

That’s because Syracuse (18-10, 7-8) now travels to No. 5 Duke for an Atlantic Coast Conference battle this Saturday evening before a nationally televised audience.

I have no doubt that Cameron Indoor Stadium will prove electric for this duel. The Blue Devils (23-5, 11-4) have secured four straight successes, most notably at highly rated Clemson, and also on their own court against Louisville.

In the current stanza, Duke has lost just once at home, to Virginia, which is presently No. 1 in the country. The Blue Devils’ other four setbacks are away from their turf, to the likes of Boston College, N.C. State, St. John’s (say what?), and the Tar Heels.

Duke, possessing a RPI of 4 at the moment, features an extremely strong resume, having beaten, among others, the previously mentioned Tigers, along with Florida, Florida State, Indiana, Louisville, Miami, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Texas and Virginia Tech.

Not too shabby (insert sarcasm here). The Blue Devils aren’t going to capture the ACC regular-season championship, but they undeniably can make a deep run during March Madness.

The Orange, meanwhile, has a RPI of 46, which is not good enough to land an at-large berth, in my humble opinion. Should SU knock off Duke, the ‘Cuse would definitely stay in the NCAA Tournament conversation, with its two final encounters at the aforementioned Eagles and versus Clemson in Central New York.

Syracuse must, I believe, tally 20 regular-season victories, then one more in the ACC Tournament, to think it has a decent chance at its name getting called on Selection Sunday.

Besting the Blue Devils on the road won’t prove easy, by any stretch of the

imagination.

Duke is an offensive juggernaut, averaging 87 points a contest, while allowing 71. The Orange gets about 69 points per game and gives up 64. So, we have a slight edge on defense, and that’s about it.

The Blue Devils shoot way better from both the field and downtown, although SU is more proficient from the charity stripe. Duke holds advantages in boards and assists. Blocks, steals and turnovers committed are virtually identical.

Overall, the Blue Devils and the ‘Cuse are tied 5-5, with our boys snagging the most recent pair, including a year ago inside the Carrier Dome, when graduate transfer John Gillon banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to seal the deal.

Duke has an abundance of talent and multiple weapons on offense that will undoubtedly keep Syracuse’s solid 2-3 zone on its heels. One thing to watch for is the status of Marvin Bagley III, a sensational freshman forward for the Blue Devils.

Bagley, who is the top scorer and rebounder in the ACC, has missed the past four clashes due to a mild knee sprain. It’s not clear whether he will suit up on Saturday.

Regardless, Duke is overwhelmingly the favorite in this event, which pits great friends, Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski, against one another. The legendary head coaches each have amassed more than 1,000 conquests, no matter what the ridiculous NCAA says about JB’s official record.

The Orange is a tad desperate to finally get a signature win in 2017-18, and slaying the Blue Devils would amount to that. Furthermore, from a recruiting perspective, let’s mention class of 2019 stud Joseph Girard III, a 6-1 combo guard, here.

The three-star Girard, who attends Glens Falls High School in Glens Falls, N.Y., took to Twitter on Wednesday to reveal that Duke has offered him a scholarship. SU did as well a few weeks ago.

Only a junior, he recently set the high-school record in New York state for career points scored. Girard is averaging about 50 points a contest in this term, which is other-worldly.

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I’m sure Krzyzewski & Co. would love to nab this promising prospect. I say we upset the Blue Devils at their home this Saturday in such a decisive manner that Girard instantaneously pledges his allegiance to the ‘Cuse.

Sound okay to you?

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