Syracuse Basketball: Oklahoma State crystal ball predictions
Chris Queripel, contributor (5-0)
On Wednesday night, Barclay’s Center will play host to NIT season tip-off tournament when Syracuse basketball squares off against Oklahoma State. As the calendar turns to basketball season and the Orange’s football hopes have come to a close, it’s time to focus solely on the basketball squad.
To start the season, Syracuse took a brutal defeat at the hands of Virginia. Since then, ‘Cuse has run the table with four straight victories all at home. The competition has not been up to par with the future schedule, but it was a building block for the team’s success this season. However, let’s take a look at the last four games and see who’s had success so far this year.
Next, I will explain the x-factors against Oklahoma State and how the ‘Cuse stacks up.
As expected, Elijah Hughes has been the number one scoring threat for the Orange. The forward is averaging 17.2 points per contest. What may not have been as anticipated is Hughes’ production elsewhere on the court.
With Jalen Carey’s injury, Joe Girard has taken over as point guard. But when Girard is not in the game, much of the time, Hughes is in control. So far, Elijah is averaging five assists and almost five rebounds a game.
On top of his efforts, Buddy Boeheim is thriving in his role as well. Against Bucknell, Boeheim dropped 22 points and needs to continue his stroke behind the arc against tough competition. Coach Boeheim is rolling with an eight-man rotation with Guerrier, Goodine, and Edwards off the bench.
On the other side, the Cowboys have not missed a step this season and are 5-0. Lindy Waters III and Yor Anei are two names to look out for in this matchup. Waters is a good perimeter scorer who can counter the Orange’s 2-3 zone. And Anei is a 6-10 forward who is averaging over seven boards a game.
This combination could prove too much for Syracuse in a difficult non-conference battle. In the end, my x-factor is the Syracuse defense shutting down the perimeter scoring threat. No one has tested the zone from deep this season, but this will be a good test. In the end, I think OK state will provide good competition, but Syracuse will prevail by a score of 62-56.