Syracuse Basketball: Keys to victory, analytics deep dive vs Notre Dame
Syracuse basketball opens up conference play in earnest vs Notre Dame. Here are the top keys to victory + an analytics deep dive ahead of the matchup.
After flirting with ACC hoops earlier in the season, it’s time for the Syracuse basketball squad to dive into the deep end of the pool.
The Orange has 18 straight conference games in front of them starting with a home tilt vs the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday.
ESPN BPI Analytics gives the edge to Syracuse as a 64.1 percent favorite, but there are a lot of similarities between the two conference foes.
In all the major statistical categories the Irish and the Orange mirror each other: points per game (only a two-point difference), points allowed (two-point difference), assists (.7 difference), and blocks (identical).
The one glaring statistical difference is in rebounding. The Irish average over five more boards per contest than Syracuse.
Senior John Mooney leads the NCAA in rebounds per game (13.5). Additionally, John also can score the basketball averaging nearly 15 points per contest. He’s one of four double-digit scorers for the Irish this season.
That’s the same story for the Orange who also possesses four double-digit scorers led by Elijah Hughes who averages nearly a 20 burger per game. Speaking of Hughes through 13 games he’s the only Syracuse player who has reached double figures in every contest.
Keys to the game…
Not to oversimplify things, but ultimately this game may simply boil down to which team can convert their long-range attempts.
As Mike Waters outlined for Syracuse.com, out of all of Syracuse’s field goal attempts nearly 48 percent of them come from long range (which is the highest percentage of any major conference team).
Right behind the Orange is the Fighting Irish who chucks up 46.3 percent of their attempts from deep.
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Despite the volume of shots, only one player averages over 40 percent from three-point land for Notre Dame (Dane Goodwin). While for the Orange technically two players average better than 40 percent (Robert Braswell who is banged up and Elijah Hughes).