Syracuse Basketball: San Diego State an exceptionally tough match-up

Syracuse basketball players and coaches are just happy to have made the upcoming March Madness after a difficult 2020-21 season amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

But the Orange’s round of 64 opponent, San Diego State, is a really rough initial foe for the ‘Cuse in the Big Dance, according to head coach Jim Boeheim and multiple college basketball analysts.

The No. 11 seed Orange and No. 6 seed Aztecs will go toe to toe in the Midwest Region, with this battle slated for a 9:40 pm tip-off on Friday, March 19, inside Hinkle Fieldhouse on the campus of Butler University.

Boeheim, in a Zoom call with media members on Sunday night after word came across that the ‘Cuse had made the field of 68, said that San Diego State is about as tough of a draw for the Orange as Syracuse basketball could have received.

He noted that the Aztecs are strong, physical and boast size. Boeheim said San Diego State players are athletic and shoot quite well from beyond the arc. He added that the Aztecs defend at a high level and are a good rebounding team.

All in all, this is an extremely tall task for the ‘Cuse in the round of 64. “It will be a real tough challenge for us, but we’re happy to have the challenge ahead of us,” Boeheim said.

Syracuse basketball will have its hands completely full with San Diego State.

Speaking on an ESPN bracketology show on Sunday evening, college basketball analysts Jay Bilas, LaPhonso Ellis and Seth Greenberg all agreed that San Diego State is a tough match-up for the Orange, because the Aztecs rebound with precision and shoot accurately from 3-point land. Those two areas are potentially devastating to a zone defense like the one that the ‘Cuse employs.

That being said, the ESPN analysts also did note that San Diego State doesn’t typically face the kind of suffocating 2-3 zone that Syracuse basketball will throw at the Aztecs. Greenberg, a former head coach at Virginia Tech, says that he thinks the Orange will upset San Diego State.

In 2020-21, the Aztecs (23-4) captured both the Mountain West Conference regular-season title as well as that league’s post-season tournament championship.

San Diego State will enter its encounter with Syracuse basketball (16-9) on a 14-game success streak as well as ranked No. 16 nationally in the most recent Associated Press top-25 poll.

All-time in their short series together, the ‘Cuse is 2-0 against the Aztecs. For Syracuse basketball to remain perfect versus San Diego State, the Orange will have to compete at an elite level.