I was thinking about doing a formal preview for this game, but it would be too dispiriting and not something I want to sink time into. Happy to do one though if folks are interested. I will be subjecting myself to the game in-person via media, in case others will be there.
Syracuse is historically bad this year. As in, likely the worst team in Boeheim's tenure. This will be a bad loss if we lose to them. Barring a drastic turnaround, this will be Boeheim's first losing season in his career.
Fran Fraschilla's takes have been spot on. He did one or both games at the preseason NIT last week, can't remember, but he certainly did the Penn State game. Syracuse right now is arguably the worst team in the ACC and is currently playing at Pitt/Wake levels of bad from recent years.
Hughes (SF) is legit. He is the only player that will scare anyone. The remainder of the roster is ACC back-ups at best, partially due to injury, partially due to roster mix (3 upperclassmen, all juniors) and partially due to poor evaluation/poor recruiting/sanctions.
There are at least 5 ways we can beat this Syracuse team. They can't rebound. They lack length at the top of the zone, making it more porous. They lack athleticism at the 1, 2, 4, and 5. Only one person can create a shot (Hughes). There is no backbone/leader to help them respond to runs. They can't press effectively. Etc, etc, etc.
This will be the 3rd time in Boeheim's tenure that his team will average fewer than 70/points a game for the season. The other 2 times were in the last 6 years, and it's one of a few launching points for coaching criticism. Attendance is way down this year. Threads on Syracusefan.com are interesting to look at, even if just for the thread titles, to get a sense of the tenor of the fanbase.
Happy to answer questions if anyone's interested.
