I went to Syracuse University in the late 1990s, so I’ll always historically align Syracuse basketball with the Big East Conference.
That being said, since my beloved Orange bolted the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference starting with the 2013-14 campaign, the ‘Cuse has suited up in some highly entertaining match-ups versus the ACC’s premier team, Duke.
Much like Syracuse basketball and head coach Jim Boeheim are synonymous with one another, the same is true for the Blue Devils and their legendary head coach, Mike Krzyzewski.
In the history of Division I men’s basketball, Krzyzewski has the most career head-coaching victories. Boeheim is second on this list. But Krzyzewski has also gone to 12 Final Fours and captured five national titles.
This Saturday night, before hopefully a massive Carrier Dome crowd, close friends Boeheim and Krzyzewski will go toe to toe on the Hill for a final occasion, as Coach K is retiring after the 2021-22 stanza. It should prove an electric atmosphere.
Last month, Syracuse basketball lost by 20 points at Duke.
All-time, the Orange is 6-12 against the Blue Devils. Since the ‘Cuse became an ACC member, Syracuse basketball is just 4-10 versus Duke, although that does include a couple of thrilling triumphs.
In late January, the Blue Devils crushed the Orange, 79-59, from Cameron Indoor Stadium. Krzyzewski and Duke, in fact, have beaten Boeheim and the ‘Cuse five instances in a row.
So it’s payback time, right? Well, I’m sure that Syracuse basketball players will feed off of the home crowd, but the No. 7 Blue Devils (24-4, 14-3) are surging, having won five-straight contests, including earlier this week at Virginia.
At present, Duke is atop the ACC standings. The Blue Devils are eyeing a possible No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the upcoming Big Dance. When I penned this column, Duke checked in at No. 12 in the NET ratings, with KenPom putting the Blue Devils at No. 9 across the country.
Duke has a pretty excellent resume shaping up. The Blue Devils, in the non-conference slate, knocked off top-10 Kentucky and No. 1 Gonzaga at neutral sites. What’s more, Duke’s quartet of losses is by a combined nine points to Ohio State, Florida State, Miami and UVA.
Looking at the numbers, the Blue Devils score more than Syracuse basketball (15-13, 9-8) and allow way fewer points per game on defense. Duke holds other edges in field-goal shooting percentage, free-throw shooting percentage, total rebounds, assists, blocks and turnovers committed.
The Orange, conversely, possesses slight advantages in 3-point shooting percentage and steals. When the ‘Cuse fell at Notre Dame earlier this week, 79-69, Syracuse basketball connected on a mere 26 percent from beyond the arc, and the bulk of the roster struggled, save for stellar performances by graduate student forward Jimmy Boeheim and senior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim.
Other Orange players will have to step up, the zone must be locked in, the ‘Cuse has to make a lot of 3-pointers, and Syracuse basketball can ill-afford to get pounded on the glass. Easier said than done, I know.
Win or lose, Saturday’s encounter between Coach B and Coach K should prove fun. These head-coaching titans have known each other a long time, and they won multiple Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball over the years.
Let’s admire, appreciate and honor the tremendous accomplishments of Mike Krzyzewski. At the same time, I hope that the Orange stuns him and the Blue Devils during Krzyzewski’s final trip to Central New York.