Syracuse Basketball: Colgate Raiders crystal ball predictions

Mat Mlodzinski, contributor (0-1)

Colgate – 67, Syracuse – 62

For starters, I’m not saying Syracuse can’t win this game.  In fact, they should be the favorites and have the talent to come away with the win. Only problem?  Colgate is also extremely talented.

To put this forth first, I think Colgate is the best mid-major in the country. Last season, they took two seed Tennessee down to the wire in the NCAA Tournament, without their star forward Rapolas Ivanauskas for most of the game.

They bring him back along with their remaining four leading scorers from a year ago. That means that it’s one of the most experienced teams from a year ago. They can shoot, drive, and aren’t afraid of any power conference team.  In fact, they may even feel slighted as the Central New York underdog.

For Syracuse to win, they need to score. I believe the 2-3 zone will stop some of Colgate’s potent offense, but the Orange will still need to keep up with them. 34 points won’t cut it in any game, and the Orange will need to score upper of 65 to have a shot at this one.

I’d like to see Quincy Guerrier and Brycen Goodine have more of a role in this contest.  I believe they were held to restricted minutes in an effort to keep more experienced players out their against that tough Cavalier defense in game one.  Colgate is a game where these guys could shine and have more success, so perhaps it could serve as a confidence builder and a game where a more normal rotation is played out.

Regardless, much like the Orange football team, I don’t see how this team can win, because they haven’t been able to prove that they can score, which is a huge problem.  Colgate wins in a close one at ‘The Dome’.