Syracuse Basketball: These are the two keys for Orange to best N.C. State

Syracuse basketball and its Sunday night foe, N.C. State, are both solid scoring teams that also allow a sizable number of points on defense, at about 70 each per game.

So this Atlantic Coast Conference collision has the makings of a potential high-octane scoring battle. However, the Wolfpack (7-5, 3-4) got some really sad and unfortunate news a few days ago, when the team announced that leading scorer Devon Daniels, a senior guard, has a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the 2020-21 campaign.

N.C. State will have to find scoring from other members of its roster, as Daniels has averaged 16.5 points a game to date in the present term. He injured his knee in the team’s victory over Wake Forest last Wednesday.

Because the Wolfpack may find it a bit challenging to maintain its current scoring pace without Daniels, N.C. State will look to manufacture points via other avenues versus the Orange (9-5, 3-4).

As such, Syracuse basketball has to take extremely good care of the ball, and the ‘Cuse absolutely, positively better clamp down on the boards.

Rebounding, turnovers are pivotal for Syracuse basketball against N.C. State.

In the 2020-21 stanza, when the Orange out-rebounds its opponents, the ‘Cuse finds success. But when Syracuse basketball is beat on the glass, it loses. That has often held true for the team in other recent terms.

Per ESPN statistics, in 2020-21, the Orange is averaging 37.5 rebounds per encounter, while N.C. State is getting 32.6 boards a game.

Daniels, by the way, is the Wolfpack’s third-leading rebounder, at 5.0 per meeting. Frankly, there is no excuse for the ‘Cuse not to prevail in the rebounding arena.

The boards are vital for two reasons. Number one, if N.C. State is struggling to score without Daniels in the line-up, Syracuse basketball doesn’t want to give the Wolfpack opportunities for second-chance points.

Secondly, the ‘Cuse has had numerous contests of late where it is woeful shooting from beyond the arc. If the Orange does well on the offensive glass, that can give the team its own second-chance points or even attempts from the charity stripe, where the ‘Cuse excels at 79.3 percent.

N.C. State is excellent at forcing steals, averaging 9.4 per affair. The Orange, though, is stellar in this facet as well, collecting 8.7 steals a game.

Careless miscues are a recipe for easy buckets out in transition, something that both the Wolfpack and Syracuse basketball could probably use in this match-up on the Hill. The Orange better handle the ball with precision on offense if it hopes to come out on top.