Syracuse Basketball: Top 5 keys to victory vs Florida State Seminoles

The Syracuse basketball squad has a prime opportunity to pick up a win over a ranked foe on Tuesday evening when it hosts FSU.

Fasten your seat-belts, my friends. We’re half-way through the rugged Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season schedule, and things are about to get really interesting.

After suffering a lackluster non-conference performance, the SU hoops outfit has settled into a solid groove. The ‘Cuse (16-6, 7-2) just finished up a three-game road swing at 2-1. Granted, its pair of victories against Boston College and Pittsburgh isn’t mind-blowing, but any success away from Central New York is happy stuff.

The Orange has dispatched of nine opponents in its last 11 encounters, putting Syracuse in a three-way tie for fourth place in the ACC race. That is certainly a fine place for SU to reside in, however, a brutal stretch is emerging.

Of its remaining nine conference contests in the 2018-19 campaign, five are at home, and four are beyond the Hill. Okay, I can live with that. By extension, five of these foes are currently in the AP top-25 poll, and the other four are unranked. Yikes.

I’m a tad terrified of what lies ahead. Simultaneously, though, the ‘Cuse has an abundance of chances to secure high-quality successes that will enhance its March Madness resume.

Those occasions commence on Tuesday night inside the Carrier Dome, when Syracuse welcomes No. 22 Florida State (16-5, 4-4) to town. The Seminoles, which have triumphed on three-consecutive instances, don’t have a tremendous amount of stellar conquests, although they have defeated Connecticut, Florida, LSU and Purdue. The Huskies, I might add, bested the Orange at Madison Square Garden in New York City this past November, albeit without starting point guard Frank Howard in the line-up.

FSU’s NCAA NET rating of No. 31 is pretty darn strong, particularly as it compares to SU’s present ranking of No. 42. These are the types of opponents that the ‘Cuse has to beat to significantly move the needle for a potential at-large invite to the Big Dance.

Among the most-important factors for Syracuse in this match-up is rebounding. The Seminoles

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aren’t terrific from downtown, at 33 percent, and the Orange’s 2-3 zone encourages crews to shoot a lot from beyond the arc.

If Florida State is often missing those attempts, it’s likely that long rebounds could result, which can wreak havoc for SU on defense. Making matters worse, the Seminoles are fifth in the ACC in grabbing 12 offensive rebounds a game.

Conversely, FSU is 13th in the league as it relates to defensive rebounds per contest. Sophomore forward Oshae Brissett, along with the other ‘Cuse forwards and centers, must relentlessly crash the glass. This won’t prove easy, as the Seminoles, similar to Syracuse, have a lot of height on their roster.

Ball security is huge, too. Florida State has a ton of depth, with 11 guys scoring at least three points per affair, but the Seminoles also commit about 14 turnovers every 40 minutes. The Orange has to pressure FSU’s guards, create deflections, generate steals, and get out in transition.

The charity stripe is also pivotal. The Seminoles connect on 74.3 percent from the free-throw line, which is much better than Syracuse, at 68.7 percent. However, Florida State puts its rivals on the line more than virtually every other school in the ACC. Brissett, Howard, junior wing Tyus Battle and redshirt sophomore forward Elijah Hughes can’t settle for 3-pointers. They have to drive to the hoop with determination and gusto.

Finally, SU has to defend its own turf with pride. The ‘Cuse is a tremendous 5-1 on the road, yet it has lost three times so far in the Dome. A stanza ago, the Seminoles took it to the Orange, 101-90, in double-overtime in Tallahassee, Fla. It’s imperative that Syracuse returns the favor this go-round in the Loud House.