The Syracuse basketball squad looks to get back on a positive track as it welcomes Boston College to the Carrier Dome on Saturday.
From a certain perspective, one could logically argue that Saturday afternoon’s tilt between the SU hoops outfit and Boston College is a must-win for the ‘Cuse.
Sure, the Orange (16-7, 7-3) will have seven games left in the 2018-19 regular season after its duel with the Eagles (11-10, 2-7). And of those remaining contests, a bunch of them are against ranked foes, so the opportunities are aplenty for Syracuse to notch high-quality successes and boost its Big Dance resume.
However, on the flip side, SU has already fallen four times on the Hill in the present term, and I believe that a loss to BC would really put the Orange in a bind. While its stellar 5-1 road mark leaves a lasting impression for an at-large invite to March Madness, having a half-dozen or more setbacks in Central New York is problematic.
Given that future Carrier Dome opponents will include Duke, Louisville and Virginia, it’s realistically conceivable that those three powerhouses could conquer the ‘Cuse. Thus, our boys in Orange absolutely have to defeat the Eagles.
SU snuck past Boston College by six in late January at the Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass., with junior wing Tyus Battle and freshman guard Buddy Boeheim stealing the show, producing 31 points and 13 points, respectively.
Repeating those outputs will do just fine this go-round. Yet a critical facet for Syracuse in this match-up is balanced scoring. Senior point guard Frank Howard, sophomore forward Oshae Brissett and redshirt sophomore forward Elijah Hughes have to perform well. The Orange’s centers have to contribute a few buckets.
Another key is rebounding, and this has proven an ongoing theme for the ‘Cuse, which struggles on the defensive boards. When the Eagles hoist up a shot, SU players have to box out, not merely guard an area in the 2-3 zone. Furthermore, it’s imperative that Syracuse generates second-chance points via crashing the offensive glass.
In the Orange’s 18-point domination at the hands of No. 22 Florida State on Tuesday evening, the ‘Cuse collected a whopping 19 turnovers. That simply won’t do. Syracuse has to take much better care of the ball. Period.
BC junior guard Ky Bowman is a nightmare, as he tallies more than 20 points per game. The Orange isn’t going to stop him altogether, but it also can’t let Bowman beat SU totally by himself. He’s proficient from downtown and excels at driving the lane, so it’s all about containment.
Finally, the ‘Cuse has to avoid complacency versus the Eagles. Since the Orange already landed a victory against Boston College, on the road nonetheless, it might view the Eagles as a push-over and focus on the rough stretch looming ahead.
Bad idea, my friends. In the rugged Atlantic Coast Conference, nothing is a guarantee, and everyone is vulnerable. Just ask the then-No. 1 Blue Devils. You remember what happened to them on Jan. 14, right?