Syracuse Basketball: Boeheim’s Army defense tall task vs. TBT champs

After having to grind out two victories in The Basketball Tournament (“TBT”), the Boeheim’s Army roster of former Syracuse basketball players and other stars had a bit more of a comfortable margin to work with in the tourney’s Sweet 16 on Wednesday night from Peoria, Ill.

Squaring off with No. 7 seed Always A Brave, a Bradley alumni squad, the No. 3 seed Boeheim’s Army continued its run of strong defensive performances in picking up a 69-54 conquest.

That result puts Boeheim’s Army in the TBT’s Elite Eight, and the team is one step closer to the $1 million, winner-take-all prize in this entertaining summer event.

But the Boeheim’s Army opponent in the quarterfinals is a daunting one. This Saturday at 2 pm, Boeheim’s Army will clash with the Golden Eagles, a No. 1 seed and a Marquette alumni group. ESPN will televise this enticing match-up in Dayton, Ohio.

Boeheim’s Army, with its Syracuse basketball stars and others, has a brutal Elite Eight foe.

In recent TBTs, the Golden Eagles have fared quite well. They went on a deep run in this tournament in 2019. Then, last summer, the Golden Eagles defeated Sideline Cancer to claim the TBT crown.

Heading into the quarterfinals of the 2021 TBT, the Golden Eagles should be considered one of the favorites to win it all, if not the outright favorite on their own.

Through the first three rounds of this summer’s TBT, the Golden Eagles and Boeheim’s Army have prevailed in their respective games in contrasting ways.

The Golden Eagles have put up a sizable number of points, scoring 94, 71 and 88. Conversely, Boeheim’s Army has yet to crack even 70 points, although the team is pretty stifling on defense.

Boeheim’s Army allowed just 54 points to Always A Brave, and in its prior two encounters, Boeheim’s Army gave up 62 points to No. 11 seed Heartfire and 53 points to No. 14 seed Forces of Seoul.

It seems as though something will have to give when Boeheim’s Army and the Golden Eagles do battle on Saturday afternoon.

Since its opening-round win, when the team struggled to shoot from the field, Boeheim’s Army has seen its shooting somewhat improve, and that trend has to continue.

Boeheim’s Army also must crash the boards, limit its turnovers and maintain an advantage in several other statistical categories, including bench points, points in the paint, second-chance points and points created off of turnovers. No easy task, but I believe Boeheim’s Army can get the job done.