Syracuse Basketball: Top 4 questions facing the Orange in 2020

Syracuse basketball is over halfway through the 2019-20 season. Here are the top four questions facing the team the rest of the way.

Syracuse basketball has had an up and down season this year. Syracuse lost four of their starting five after last season and had to replace an unreal amount of production.

Syracuse has a really young roster and they have no seniors on their roster which could be a good thing going into the future. Syracuse went into their game against the Virginia Cavaliers with an 8-7 overall record and a 1-3 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Orange had a rough start to ACC play with losing two straight home games against Notre Dame and Virginia Tech in which they blew a second-half lead in both games. Syracuse needed a win that could catapult their season in the right direction.

Going on the road against the No. 18 ranked and defending champion Virginia Cavaliers who beat them in their first game of the season. The game was back and forth with Syracuse playing great defense throughout the game.

Syracuse struggled on offense at times which makes sense against one of the best defenses in college basketball. Syracuse got hot in overtime hitting five of their six three-pointers and scoring 20 points which were more than they scored in the entire second half.

Can Syracuse keep winning close games?

Syracuse hasn’t been in many close games this season but their first two ACC games against Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. Those games showed the youth of this Syracuse team.

Syracuse went back and forth with Notre Dame and just didn’t have enough on the defensive end or on the glass to close it out down the stretch. Their game against Virginia Tech was a game where Syracuse got a double-digit lead early in the second half and their offense went ice cold and they ended up blowing their double-digit lead and losing in regulation.

The more close games that Syracuse is in this season the better they will become closing out games and executing properly. The Orange is a very young team especially in the backcourt with Joe Girard and Buddy Boeheim starting.

Syracuse seems to be getting better and better in each game which is exciting for the future and if they can keep playing together then this team has the talent to be a good team moving forward especially in a year where the ACC isn’t as strong as previous years.

Can Buddy Boeheim be a consistent player?

Buddy has had a great second season so far for the Orange after coming on late in the second half of his freshman season.

Buddy is averaging 35 minutes a game this season while scoring 15.3 points per game which is 10th in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Buddy has been up and down all season even with the impressive numbers he is putting up he is only shooting 39.5% from the field.

If Buddy can become more consistent all-around he can be the sidekick that Elijah Hughes needs for this team to be more successful.

Over his last eight games, Buddy has been averaging 17.9 points per game and that includes two games where he struggled a little and scored a combined 24 points. Buddy is on pace this season to set the record at Syracuse for most three-pointers made in a single season (minimum 31 games).

If Buddy can be aggressive on the offensive end and hit the open threes when Girard and Hughes drive the ball and kick it out they’ll be in great shape.

Buddy is trending upwards over the past eight games and seems to be finding his groove which is very good news for Syracuse moving forward. Buddy has also improved mightily on the offensive side of the floor with his ability to put the ball on the floor and drive to the rim which is something he wasn’t comfortable doing last season and it has made a massive difference for the Orange this season.

Can the 2-3 zone get back to being a staple for the Orange?

The Syracuse defense has been awful this season especially early in the season against the power five teams that they played. The one thing about this Syracuse zone this season is that the Orange doesn’t have the length at the top of the zone that they are accustomed to in previous years with Joe Girard and Buddy Boeheim.

Syracuse also isn’t big on the backend of the zone either with Bourama Sidibe and Marek Dolezaj. With the new pieces and limited depth on the roster, these guys had to learn each other’s habits on the defensive side of the floor.

Syracuse lost their starting point guard early in the season in Jalen Carey who was a big piece at the top of the zone with his quickness and ability to steal the ball and rebound from the guard position.

As the season has gone on the defense has gotten better and better which is a good sign as well moving forward. This team and the defense are so much better when Marek Dolezaj and Bourama Sidibe are engaged on both ends of the floor for the full game especially on the defensive end closing down the paint and fighting on the glass. Their massive win against Virginia was a huge improvement on the defensive end of the floor especially on the glass where Syracuse fought hard and executed their game plan perfectly.

Is their still a chance for Syracuse to make the big dance?

Syracuse had a rough start to the season this year but getting to the tournament isn’t over yet. Syracuse will have to make some noise in the ACC and possibly the ACC tournament.

The Orange are off to their worst start since the 1969-70 season which is remarkable for this team. Syracuse had a massive win and a much-needed win against the Virginia Cavaliers on the road. Syracuse will have to win some road games against weaker ACC opponents. The Orange will only play four more quadrant one games unless something in the standings change and those games are against Duke, Louisville, Florida State, and Virginia Tech with only one of those games at home against Duke.

Their upcoming game at Virginia Tech will be huge if they could pull it off moving forward and for their hopes of making the tournament. If the Orange can finish ACC play with 9 or 10 wins and get 2 more big wins then they will always have the conference tournament to make some noise and get a couple more wins to prove to the committee that they are tournament worthy.

With the way, the Orange has played lately especially growing on defense and with the shooters that Syracuse has they will have a chance in every game as long as they stay together and play team basketball.