Syracuse basketball needed to beat Louisville on Saturday night, even if such a road win wouldn't do much for the Orange's post-season resume.
Facing a sub-par Cardinals squad that has talent but is wildly inconsistent, the 'Cuse raced out to a double-digit lead in the first half, saw that lead shrink a bit in the second half, but managed to hold on for an 82-76 victory, giving Syracuse basketball a 2023-24 regular-season sweep of Louisville.
With this result, first-year head coach Adrian Autry has secured at least 20 wins in his initial stanza leading the program. Given that his 2023-24 roster is filled with sophomores, two guys sustained extensive injuries, one player is redshirting and one player was dismissed from the team, that's pretty remarkable, in my humble opinion. I'm so happy for Coach Autry and his squad.
However, there's a bigger goal in sight. The Orange (20-10, 11-8 in the ACC) is creeping closer to the proverbial bubble.
My key observations as Syracuse basketball triumphs over Louisville on the road.
•Beating Louisville (8-21, 3-15 in the ACC) did nothing for the Orange's NCAA NET ranking, a rating that is way too low from my perspective (Jim Boeheim would agree). However, a loss to the Cardinals would have proven a bad setback for the 'Cuse. Plus, this gives Syracuse basketball another success away from the Hill, and for the moment, the Orange is in fourth place within the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. Awesome stuff.
•Speaking of awesome, that's how sophomore point guard Judah Mintz and sophomore forward Chris Bell played against the Cardinals. Bell had a game-high 23 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Mintz tallied 21 points and five assists.
•Sophomore wing Justin Taylor was once again solid. He had 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals. His confidence is growing, which is huge.
•Sophomore big man Maliq Brown did his usual thing, with 10 points, 10 boards, four assists and three steals. Sophomore guard J.J. Starling produced 10 points as well. Brown, Taylor and Bell all played 40 minutes, while Mintz played 37 minutes.
•Syracuse basketball, as a whole, connected on 58 percent from the field, 63 percent from beyond the arc and 64 percent from the free-throw line (ugh). Louisville made 44 percent from the field, 21 percent from 3-point land and 80 percent from the charity stripe.
•The 'Cuse held its own on the glass, only trailing the Cardinals, 34-31. Louisville had a commanding edge in paint points, 44-32. As such, the Cardinals led 10-5 in second-chance points, while Syracuse basketball led 10-4 in fast-break points. The teams were tied at 13-13 in points off turnovers.
•Simply put, the Orange won this game because it made shots, and that's proven the case in multiple recent affairs. Syracuse basketball has now captured four straight victories and six of eight. It's playing its best basketball of 2023-24, and SU is dangerous when it's hitting shots (I know - thanks, Captain Obvious).
•The 'Cuse has one regular-season game left. This Tuesday, March 5, beginning at 7 pm and airing on ESPN2, Syracuse basketball will travel to Clemson to face the Tigers and former SU guard Joe Girard III. On February 10, at the JMA Wireless Dome, the Orange was tied late with Clemson, but the Tigers ultimately prevailed, 77-68. Girard had a game-high 18 points in that ACC encounter.