Boeheim’s Army: Game preview vs Men of Mackey
Boeheim’s Army returns to The Basketball Tournament floor on July 7, as they take on Men of Mackey in the round of 16. Here’s how they can come out on top.
Syracuse basketball is ready for action! Well, not quite literally, but Boeheim’s Army, the Syracuse hoops alumni team in The Basketball Tournament is prepared for what could be a deep run in the annual tourney.
On July 7, that will become official, when Boeheim’s Army is pitted against Men of Mackey, a Purdue basketball alumni team, in the round of 16.
While Boeheim’s Army earned a bye past the first round, Men of Mackey has already played one game. They were able to defeat Team Heartfire, 83-79, in a game that featured some of the best basketball of TBT 2020 so far.
Although they traded buckets for most of the first two periods, Team Heartfire built a significant lead in the third quarter. Going into the ‘Elam Ending’, Heartfire still held a six-point lead.
The grit and determination showcased by Men of Mackey were on full display to finish the game. Justin Dentmon, the leading scorer of the game, caught fire late, giving them an 81-79 advantage. Then, off an offensive rebound, Isaac Haas sealed the deal, giving Men of Mackey an 85-79 victory.
The first player Boeheim’s Army will have to key in on is Dentmon. The former Washington Husky who graduated from college ball in 2009 showed that he still has what it takes to score the ball, dropping a game-high 30 points in the win. Former Boilermaker Isaac Haas contributed a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. Steady play from Frank Gaines and Jon Octeus may have gone under the radar, as each of them contributed multiple buckets, with Octeus dishing out five assists.
Boeheim’s Army doesn’t want to go home early. To do that, they must focus primarily on Haas. Dentmon showed his ability to take over a game, but the 11/10 performance down low seems scary, considering it was done against 7-foot-1 Isaiah Austin.
Boeheim’s Army doesn’t exactly have a terrific center, especially with big men Tyler Lydon and Chris McCullough pulling out of the tournament as late scratches. That likely means that Colgate product Will Rayman and Donte Greene will have to try their best to slow down the much bigger Haas.
However, this game won’t be won down low. The Orange alumni team will need to play faster than the Purdue alumni team which relies a lot on their halfcourt offense. Malachi Richardson and Eric Devendorf are two names that come to mind in terms of causing turnovers and providing transition buckets.
PREDICTION
Boeheim’s Army – 74, Men of Mackey – 67
Did you really think I would predict Boeheim’s Army to lose in the first round? Expect big games from Richardson and Devendorf, but watch out for Demetris Nichols. He’s darkhorse to be able to limit Haas down low, but can also stretch the floor and provide quick offense.
Overall, Boeheim’s Army just has too many scoring options for Men of Mackey to contend with. It should be a very intriguing game to watch and should be even more entertaining for ‘Cuse fans.