Syracuse basketball has to pounce on porous Northeastern defense

Syracuse basketball will host Northeastern in a rare mid-week afternoon battle.

After Syracuse basketball absolutely crushed fellow Atlantic Coast Conference foe Boston College on the road this past Saturday afternoon, head coach Jim Boeheim said in his post-game virtual press conference that the Orange hoped to add another non-conference duel this week.

Well, here it is. The ‘Cuse (4-1) will welcome Colonial Athletic Association (“CAA”) participant Northeastern to the Carrier Dome on Wednesday, Dec. 16. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 pm, with television coverage on the ACC Network.

This encounter between the Orange and the Huskies (1-1) gives the ‘Cuse a full 27-contest schedule for the 2020-21 term, which is the maximum amount allowed by the NCAA amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

A stanza ago, Northeastern wrapped things up at 17-16 overall, including a 9-9 mark in league competition. As the No. 6 seed in the CAA post-season tournament, the Huskies advanced all the way to the title match-up, where they fell to No. 1 seed Hofstra.

Per an announcement from cuse.com, these two squads have squared off on seven occasions, and Syracuse basketball has yet to lose in this series. Most recently, in December of 2018, the Orange blasted Northeastern, 72-49, on the Hill.

In the CAA’s pre-season poll, as voted on by coaches, public-relations directors and media members, the Huskies were picked to finish at No. 7 in the conference.

Syracuse basketball will have to put the clamp down on Northeastern in its 2-3 zone.

To date in the young 2020-21 season, the Huskies have split a home-and-home series with Massachusetts. On Dec. 13, suiting up at home inside the Cabot Center in Boston, Northeastern edged the Minutemen, 78-75.

With that result, Northeastern head coach Bill Coen is eight victories away from equaling the all-time program record, which is currently held by Jim Calhoun.

Calhoun, as you may recall, also coached another set of Huskies, former Big East Conference rival Connecticut, where he captured three national championships.

The Orange, averaging 83.4 points per contest, checked in at No. 4 in the ACC in team scoring, prior to league bouts on Monday night. Five different ‘Cuse players are averaging double-figures in points per encounter, while another two notch more than eight points a game.

Northeastern, meanwhile, can also score in droves, collecting 78.5 points per meeting but allowing a whopping 84.5 points. Syracuse basketball, hopefully, will feast on the Huskies’ defense.

The ‘Cuse holds an advantage in numerous statistical categories, although through its pair of games, Northeastern has shown that it can proficiently shoot from the field, the charity stripe and beyond the arc. Both groups turn the ball over at an alarming rate, we should note.

In the zone, the Orange will have to hone in on Huskies sophomore point guard Tyson Walker. The native of Westbury, N.Y., is tallying 24.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per affair, while hitting on 64.7 percent from the field, 86.2 percent from the free-throw line and 40.0 percent from downtown.