Syracuse Basketball: How the Orange can defeat Duke on Saturday

Syracuse basketball has a tall task lurking in the near future, and the Orange should focus on a few key facets if it hopes to conquer Duke on the Hill.

Syracuse basketball will entertain a top-10 Duke team on Saturday night from the Carrier Dome in an Atlantic Coast Conference heavyweight bout. The Orange (13-8, 6-4) may have witnessed its five-affair success streak come to a halt earlier this week when it fell at Clemson by one point, but the ‘Cuse is still trending in a positive direction if you ask me.

Currently tied with Virginia for fourth place in the league standings, Syracuse has put forth better balance on offense of late, scoring with relative frequency on the perimeter and in the paint. The Orange also has seen its 2-3 zone improve, although the ‘Cuse certainly does have work to do on the defensive side, if Syracuse seeks to gain a post-season tournament berth.

The No. 9 Blue Devils (17-3, 7-2), paired with Florida State in second place behind Louisville in the conference race, present an incredible challenge for the Orange. Duke, whose roster features a handful of veterans along with a terrific freshmen class, is in the top 10 at kenpom.com in both adjusted-offensive efficiency and adjusted defensive efficiency.

What that means is that the Blue Devils are stellar on each end of the court, and that doesn’t bode well for the ‘Cuse. However, Duke isn’t perfect, as the Blue Devils have lost a trio of encounters to Stephen F. Austin, Clemson, and the aforementioned Cardinals.

In reviewing those three setbacks, there are several trends that stick out. Exploiting these areas, in my estimation, provides Syracuse with the best opportunity to upset Duke in Central New York on Saturday evening.

First and foremost, the Orange has to force a ton of turnovers against the Blue Devils, a unit that averages more than 13 miscues every 40 minutes. In its three defeats, by extension, Duke had 15, 16 and 22 mistakes.

The Blue Devils are a high-octane offense, generating 82.7 points a game. Yet if and when the ‘Cuse creates turnovers, those are empty possessions for Duke, and that’s important.

Secondly, should Syracuse produce a credible amount of deflections and steals, that could allow the Orange to secure some easy buckets in transition. This is vital, since the Blue Devils possess a stellar defense, and it will also prove nearly impossible for the ‘Cuse to straight-up out-score Duke.

Conversely, Syracuse players must take care of the ball with precision and not enable the Blue Devils to grab freebies as it pertains to scoring.

As usual, the Orange has to hang in there on the glass. Duke has the edge in rebounds per meeting, and if the ‘Cuse gives up an abundance of second-chance points following missed shots by the Blue Devils, Duke is going to prevail. When the Blue Devils get beat, their opponents either out-rebound Duke, or at a minimum stay close on the boards.

Syracuse entices its foes to hoist up a lot of difficult looks from beyond the arc. So far in the 2019-20 campaign, the Blue Devils are connecting on 36.4 percent from deep. However, in two of their three losses, Duke hit on just 33.3 percent and 24.0 percent. Obviously, the Orange will have to contain the Blue Devils from 3-point land.

The ‘Cuse runs into problems when its guys, particularly the centers, arrive in foul trouble. While Syracuse will have to remain active, yet cautious, in its vaunted zone, a silver lining here is that Duke comprises one of the worst free-throw shooting squads in the ACC, at 67.2 percent.

Finally, the Orange has to use its home crowd to its advantage. Attendance of 31,000 or more is anticipated for this enticing duel, and the Dome can prove intimidating to ‘Cuse adversaries, especially considering that the Blue Devils’ line-up encompasses multiple freshmen.

Duke, at No. 6 in the NCAA NET system, is a juicy occasion for Syracuse to notch an impressive quadrant-one win and bolster its potential March Madness resume. Get loud on Saturday, Orange Nation!