Syracuse Basketball: Miami Hurricanes crystal ball predictions

Chris Queripel, contributor (22-8)

Syracuse has one more game to show their abilities in the regular season. The game against Miami is vital to determine seeding in the ACC tournament.

First, let’s take a look at recent success for Syracuse in their last game. Against Boston College, ‘Cuse won 84-71. Elijah Hughes dazzled adding 28 points while Buddy Boeheim contributed 21. I expect Hughes to close out the season with a stellar performance.

Before the league tourney, Hughes has another chance to impress NBA scouts. It’s time for him to pad his draft stock if he decides to leave, and now is a perfect time for him to shine. This game is also an opportunity for the defense to stand out. The Hurricanes are among the worst passing teams in the NCAA.

On top of that, they struggle to convert three-pointers and have no real presence on the glass. Look for Syracuse to dominate defensively and turn that defense into offense. Miami is at the bottom of the ACC with only six league victories this year.

Coming into this game the Orange needs to focus on a few things.

First is getting all their players on the right track. Specifically, Joe Girard needs to be a viable threat on the scoresheet once again. In the past two games, he hasn’t reached double-digit scoring. After that, Syracuse should run the offense through their bigs. With Bourama Sidibe becoming a legitimate paint presence then that opens up the entire floor.

Overall Syracuse needs to keep doing what they have been lately. In the end, Elijah Hughes is going to have a top-notch performance as well as making his teammates shine. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hughes closes in on 30 points in this game. I see the Orange topping the Hurricanes in this one. Give me ‘Cuse 78-70 over Miami.