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Syracuse Basketball: Florida State Seminoles crystal ball predictions

By Paul A. Esden Jr.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - JANUARY 28: Anthony Polite #2 of the the Florida State Seminoles in the second half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on January 28, 2020 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - JANUARY 28: Anthony Polite #2 of the the Florida State Seminoles in the second half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on January 28, 2020 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /
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Joe Arrigo, contributor (16-8)

I’m not going to lie, I did not see that loss to North Carolina State coming. I pictured Syracuse getting a big win over a solid bubble team, and go into Tallahassee expecting to put on a great performance against the Seminoles from Florida State. But that didn’t happen. In fact, the situation is even worse.

Elijah Hughes, Syracuse’s best player by far, is dealing with a groin injury. We are unsure if he is going to give it a go or not on game day at this moment, but I don’t expect him to play. Groin injuries can easily be aggravated and the only way for them to fully heal is to rest. I know you can’t predict things like injuries, but this injury to Hughes comes at the worst time possible.

If Syracuse had Hughes for that game against N.C. State, I believe they win that game. Therefore, they would still be tied for 4th in the conference, and a loss to the Seminoles wouldn’t be the end of the world. But again, that’s not what happened.

Syracuse has had success against Florida State in recent years. Leonard Hamilton is a great coach, but his teams have struggled against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone in the past few years. However, this may be the best Florida State team Syracuse has faced in a while.

I expect a close game with or without Hughes on the court Saturday, but I have to give the edge to FSU. They have been off since Monday preparing for the zone, and I feel like they will play well against it, despite their struggles in recent years.

If Florida State had only 2 days to prepare, I think I might have picked Syracuse in the upset, but that is not the case. Syracuse is the more desperate team, but I don’t think that leads to a win on the road this weekend.

FINAL SCORE 
FLORIDA STATE 74 Syracuse 61

Mat Mlodzinski, contributor (12-12)

n/a

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