Syracuse Basketball: Orange looks to reverse ACC home woes versus Pitt

Syracuse basketball has settled into a fantastic grove, but the Orange unequivocally has to begin performing better on its own turf.

Historically, the Carrier Dome has served as friendly confines for Syracuse basketball. During the 2019-20 campaign, not so much.

The Orange, in the present stanza, is 12-7 overall, with marks of 8-4 on the Hill, 4-1 on the road and 0-2 at neutral-court sites. That, to me, is somewhat weird.

Taking things a step further, in Atlantic Coast Conference competition, the ‘Cuse is a stellar 4-0 outside of Central New York, but a yucky 1-3 when it is the host crew.

I wish that I had a rational explanation for why Syracuse is currently struggling at the Dome in league encounters, but I really don’t. I’m not that smart.

In all fairness, at the conclusion of this term, the Orange’s record could certainly have improved at home and worsened on the road. We’ll have to wait and see.

What I can say is that perhaps the amazing parity in collegiate hoops in 2019-20 is causing the ‘Cuse, and many other groups, to suffer more defeats at their own facilities than we’re used to experiencing.

Maybe Syracuse’s youngish roster is just now starting to blossom. It’s possible that the Orange guys feel less pressure – or have more motivation – in hostile environments.

Who knows for sure.

Regardless of these potential theories, the ‘Cuse absolutely must notch a bunch of victories on the Hill if it hopes to have any realistic shot at landing an at-large berth to the 2020 March Madness.

For one, it’s a bad stain on Syracuse’s resume to lose in droves in Central New York. Secondly, the Orange’s upcoming calendar includes a handful of daunting trips to ACC foes, like Florida State and Louisville.

Before all that, however, the ‘Cuse entertains Pittsburgh (13-6, 4-4) this Saturday afternoon. The Panthers have won two in a row, over Boston College and North Carolina, and Pittsburgh has secured other successes over units such as Florida State, Rutgers, Kansas State, and Northwestern.

With a NCAA NET rating of No. 74, the Panthers have fallen to Nicholls and Wake Forest in head-scratchers, as well as to Louisville twice, West Virginia and Miami.

To put it bluntly, and I mean no disrespect, but Pittsburgh isn’t terrific on offense. The Panthers generate 66.7 points per contest while connecting on 41.7 percent from the field, 71.9 percent from the charity stripe, and 30.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Conversely, Pittsburgh is quite physical and boasts one of the best defenses in the conference, allowing a mere 61.7 points every 40 minutes. The Panthers also excel in a pair of critical areas. They crash the offensive glass with precision, and they force turnovers at an excellent clip. Both of those facets are concerning for Syracuse fanatics.

To prevail, the Orange has to maintain its pattern of faring well in the rebounding department, while minimizing its careless mistakes that could lead to easy buckets out in transition for Pittsburgh.

Additionally, the ‘Cuse 2-3 zone must wreak havoc on the Panthers by provoking Pittsburgh to hoist up challenging attempts from deep. Finally, Syracuse’s recent ability to efficiently balance its scoring attack between long-range and in the paint has to continue.

All-time, the Orange is 71-45 against the Panthers, with five-consecutive games going to the ‘Cuse. Syracuse, should it stay locked in, has a golden opportunity to make it a half-dozen straight if it can erase its home-court blues.