Syracuse Basketball: Top keys to Orange vs Georgetown clash

Syracuse basketball suits up on Saturday afternoon with its storied rival Georgetown, and a huge facet to success will arrive in the turnover department.

Syracuse basketball will collide with former Big East Conference foe Georgetown for the 95th occasion this Saturday afternoon in our nation’s capital, and this edition of the lengthy series is extremely critical for both programs.

The Orange (5-4) and the Hoyas (6-3) are each starting to wind down their respective non-conference slates, and the victor of this match-up will get to add a solid achievement to its possible post-season resume.

For the ‘Cuse, following its duel with Georgetown, Syracuse will face off against Niagara, North Florida, and Oakland before Atlantic Coast Conference competition resumes in early 2020. No disrespect to those adversaries, but the Hoyas represent a huge opportunity for the Orange to notch its signature triumph in the out-of-conference calendar.

The ‘Cuse managed to halt its three-affair losing streak on Dec. 7 when it destroyed Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and Syracuse’s stellar shooting performance in that battle must get replicated if the Orange wants to knock off Georgetown in Washington, D.C.

The Hoyas recently digested the news that two key contributors, sophomore guard James Akinjo and sophomore forward Josh LeBlanc, are no longer on the Georgetown roster, however, the Hoyas have absolutely played with precision since that development got unveiled. Georgetown has rattled off two road wins in a row, versus Oklahoma State – which beat the ‘Cuse on Nov. 27 in New York City – and SMU.

To date in the 2019-20 campaign, the Hoyas’ trio of setbacks are to then-No. 1 Duke, UNC Greensboro, and a Penn State outfit that also smoked Syracuse in the Big Apple in late November. Another impressive result for Georgetown is a besting of then-No. 22 Texas.

In examining various statistical categories, it’s evident that the Orange will have to take advantage of the Hoyas’ careless miscues, as Georgetown coughs up 16.7 turnovers per game. Since the Hoyas are a fierce offensive unit, averaging 79.4 points every 40 minutes, it’s pivotal for the ‘Cuse to convert Georgetown’s mistakes into easy buckets out in transition, particularly if Syracuse’s deep threats are struggling.

Despite the magnificent display that the Orange enacted against the Yellow Jackets, the Hoyas still hold higher shooting percentages from the field, the charity stripe, and 3-point land. Georgetown also commands an edge on the glass and in blocks, while the ‘Cuse is better with assists, steals and points allowed – by a wide margin of more than 11 points in this last area.

Syracuse has to hone in on the Hoyas’ senior center, Omer Yurtseven, who tallies 16.3 points and 9.4 boards per contest, as well as sophomore guard Mac McClung. Yurtseven actually proved an Orange recruiting target several years ago.

McClung, meanwhile, received the Big East Player of the Week award this past Monday, after he collected an average of 26.0 points in Georgetown’s defeats of Oklahoma State and SMU. As a whole in 2019-20, McClung is connecting on a whopping 93.5 percent from the free-throw line and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.

The Hoyas, clearly, have gone through a lot of late. For the ‘Cuse to dethrone Georgetown and reach 52-43 all-time in their rivalry, Syracuse needs to execute at an elite level, and that’s a tough task in a hostile environment. Let’s see if the Orange can build upon its domination of Georgia Tech and continue to advance in a positive direction.