GT vs. Syracuse - Saturday, 6pm ET ESPN2

[CuseJacket]

Suppose I have something of an obligation to get this thread going, or at least contribute more to pregame banter.

I don't expect great things to happen for us tomorrow, but they certainly can happen.

Pregame notes:

• Kenpom
  • Overall: Syracuse 31, Georgia Tech 78
  • Defense: Syracuse 12, Georgia Tech 18
  • Offense: Syracuse 76, Georgia Tech 219
• Even if you haven't caught a Syracuse game this year, off the bat you'll see something familiar and something peculiar.
  • Once again, we have two really good defensive teams. If you didn't know any better, you would walk into this game preparing for a classic struggle at the rim between these two squads.
  • Difference this year is Syracuse can score at times, whereas we've shown little propensity to do so against teams with a pulse.
• Syracuse is about 8 points better offensively this year. Strictly an opinion and not an analysis. It should be enough to safely get them to 9-10 wins in the ACC this year.

 

[CuseJacket]

Difference between this year's Cuse team vs. last year's when we played them... Marek Dolezaj and Elijah Hughes.

• Dolezaj started to come on in the NCAAT and has not been slowed down by anyone other than Jim Boeheim. Oddly Dolezaj saw limited minutes to start the year, but the offense has blossomed since he's taken over as an undersized PF playing C.
• Hughes is the transfer from ECU who sat out last year. He is a SG playing SF. He can get buckets and stretch the floor. He is sneaky athletic and can play some D on the back line of the zone and also get boards.
• Last year Syracuse had no offense beyond 2.5 guys. This year the entire starting 5 can score, and all can score from the 3.

 

[slugboy]

Here's an outside preview from the Syracuse SBNation blog: https://www.nunesmagician.com/2019/...ngs-to-watch-orange-basketball-yellow-hackets

According to the blog, Syracuse has trouble with 3 point shooting. I'll trust 'Cuse on this one instead, and that's a worry for us. Seeing that they're so good on defense also makes me think this might be similar to the VT game we just had. I'd like to have Haywood back for this game, but I'd be surprised if he's really over strep at this point.

 

[CuseJacket]

Syracuse weaknesses:

1. Their starting 5 consists of 3 SG, 1 SF and a PF. Off the bat, we have the advantage at PG and C by default. And in any case, Banks is better than their 2 C's on the bench.
2. They are still susceptible to scoring droughts. This year, like last year, it's live by the 3 and die by the 3, for the most part. There is no interior scoring. The 2 centers have been relegated to bench roles.
3. Battle and Brissett have not only not improved, you could make the argument that they've regressed. Call it NBA pressure or whatever, but Battle has played his way out of 2nd round projection (last year) to likely undrafted. Brissett is a mystery. I think something is going on upstairs. Both can still score, but they did not make the leap many expected.
4. I've always like Boeheim's brashness in minutes management. The best players play. That said, this year it's been somewhat of a liability. I think Boeheim is playing more for what the team will become, rather than what the team is now. Specifically:

• Frank Howard was injured right before the season and hasn't returned 100%. He is already a SG playing the PG, and he has yet to make a meaningful impact on a game in a positive way.
• Jalen Carey is getting fewer minutes than desired. Like Devoe he was a top 50 recruit. He is the best penetrater by far on the team and possibly the only one who can consistently get to the rim. Yet, he's not a veteran...
• Buddy Boeheim... ooph. This is classic high school where your friend brings his 8 year old brother, and therefore you end up playing 4 on 5. Buddy will be the worst athlete on the court, without question. Awful by P6 standards. He did not deserve a scholarship, let alone his token 5 minutes a game. He is a hindrance on both offense and defense.

Main takeaway should be... while Syracuse has more options this year, we can still frustrate them with our defense. They are long and athletic, but also a bit stiff in trying to get in the lane and to the basket. Gotta hope our closeouts and rotations continue to be sound, and hope a little that they aren't knocking down shots.

Offensively we're going to have to hit 3's. We can talk all we want about who runs high post and low post. We're not going to win this game by flawless execution and getting 2's. We have to knock down shots, and we should get some open looks against the zone. Let's hope it's the right people who are getting the looks at the arc.

 

[MiracleWhips]

Haven't caught a cuse game this year but I will say I'm very nervous at the fact that ken pom has them ranked at 16 in terms of TO% and we have shown that we can be careless with the ball. Not only that but they seem to be like a pretty good team on the offensive glass.

 

[CuseJacket]

Here's an outside preview from the Syracuse SBNation blog: https://www.nunesmagician.com/2019/...ngs-to-watch-orange-basketball-yellow-hackets

According to the blog, Syracuse has trouble with 3 point shooting. I'll trust 'Cuse on this one instead, and that's a worry for us. Seeing that they're so good on defense also makes me think this might be similar to the VT game we just had. I'd like to have Haywood back for this game, but I'd be surprised if he's really over strep at this point.

They shot it worse than they are capable of early in the season. Percentages are up of late (trusting Boeheim's comments on this and my own view in watching).

Howard was supposedly the best shooter coming off the summer, then he got hurt. I believe this is why Boeheim has stuck with him even though he's at 25% on the year.

Quality of 3 attempts has improved based on having more offensive fire power to stretch the floor. There aren't as many forced 3's late in the shot clock this year.

 

[CuseJacket]

To be clear, I'm not saying Syracuse is a good 3 point shooting team at this time. Simply that they are capable and improving, which was not the case last year.

Their 3's and scoring generally comes in bunches. This is where I think we can be most disruptive. Our D should still give them fits more than most other teams due to higher likelihood of keeping them from getting a rhythm.

Problem is they're at home and still more athletic across the board. Smallest player on the court to start the game for them is 6'5".

 

[Deleted member 2897]

Syracuse at home versus Georgia Tech as a road team, and I think you should probably start with an expectation of a Syracuse win of something like 60-48. Once again we can hope that the only thing injured during the game is the rims. I love these guys, but its kind of like we have to prove we can win a road game before we should expect one. Conversely, I think we can beat any time in the country at home if we play well.

 

[YlJacket]

Offensively we're going to have to hit 3's. We can talk all we want about who runs high post and low post. We're not going to win this game by flawless execution and getting 2's. We have to knock down shots, and we should get some open looks against the zone. Let's hope it's the right people who are getting the looks at the arc.

Understand we still have to hit 3's but to get open looks against their zone (any legit zone which theirs is) you have to get the ball in the paint and kick. Really hard to do it by just perimeter passing. Normally you get those looks by getting the ball to the high post with a potential to dump it down to the low block but instead kick it out. So I think we have to execute on the 2's and have the threat to execute on the 2's in order to get a decent 3. Banks didn't do real well in kicking the ball out against VT and he is going to have to be a ton better against SYR.

 

[CuseJacket]

Understand we still have to hit 3's but to get open looks against their zone (any legit zone which theirs is) you have to get the ball in the paint and kick. Really hard to do it by just perimeter passing. Normally you get those looks by getting the ball to the high post with a potential to dump it down to the low block but instead kick it out. So I think we have to execute on the 2's and have the threat to execute on the 2's in order to get a decent 3. Banks didn't do real well in kicking the ball out against VT and he is going to have to be a ton better against SYR.

I guess what I was saying is I'm less concerned about finding the exact right person who can score from the high post. I agree that it's important to get in there by way of passing or driving so that we can kick it out. I don't expect we're going to do anything remarkable scoring inside the arc with the roster we have against what Syracuse will do defensively against it, so we're going to have to drill some shots from deep.

I will say, if we put the wrong person at the elbow, Syracuse may not guard them. They like to beg bad shooters to shoot. You won't see reckless closeouts against guys who can't score at the elbow or on the perimeter. I think that's going to be our dilemma and force our hand in terms of who will play minutes.

 

[THWG]

Syracuse at home versus Georgia Tech as a road team, and I think you should probably start with an expectation of a Syracuse win of something like 60-48. Once again we can hope that the only thing injured during the game is the rims. I love these guys, but its kind of like we have to prove we can win a road game before we should expect one. Conversely, I think we can beat any time in the country at home if we play well.

We beat Arkansas on the road.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

We beat Arkansas on the road.

Every year we win a couple road games. But going something like 2-12 on the road is not good.

 

[YlJacket]

You mean don’t play Moses on the 3 point line?

We actually ran a nice high low with Moses and Banks when I think it was WF who went 2-3

 

[gte447f]

I think it was against cuse last year that we had success feeding the ball to Tadric Jackson on the interior of the 2-3 zone at or just above the free throw line, where he could shoot the mid-range jumper, kick it back out to the perimeter, or feed a post player or a baseline cutter coming from the corner three position. I remember scoring several times off jump shots from the free throw line area, and some especially easy close range shots when he was able to feed someone that got behind their back line along the baseline. We don't have anyone in Tadric's mold this season, so I don't know who could execute like he did on the interior of their zone. Maybe Devoe. He is pretty crafty with the ball in traffic, but he hasn't shown much mid-range game yet.

 

[FightWinDrink]

If they chant air ball or something against us I’ll do my best to restrain myself from calling their athletic department to complain

 

[gte447f]

If they chant air ball or something against us I’ll do my best to restrain myself from calling their athletic department to complain

LOL... I forgot about that, so I had to google it. Found the audio from the CJP call in show where he tells the story. Funny coincidence... it was apparently #4 on cuse that we gave the AIRBALL chant, just like it was #4 on VT this past week. #4 on VT went 0-6 on 3P and 1-13 on FG. Pretty effective.

 

[YlJacket]

I think it was against cuse last year that we had success feeding the ball to Tadric Jackson on the interior of the 2-3 zone at or just above the free throw line, where he could shoot the mid-range jumper, kick it back out to the perimeter, or feed a post player or a baseline cutter coming from the corner three position. I remember scoring several times off jump shots from the free throw line area, and some especially easy close range shots when he was able to feed someone that got behind their back line along the baseline. We don't have anyone in Tadric's mold this season, so I don't know who could execute like he did on the interior of their zone. Maybe Devoe. He is pretty crafty with the ball in traffic, but he hasn't shown much mid-range game yet.

Putting a smaller guy there can work pretty well (I do it with my AAU teams). The issue isn't crafty with the ball but rather the guy has to be a physical player to be able to handle the slapping from the guards digging down and have a least a chance in hadies to be able to drive to the hoop through the trees. Tadric had that skillset/physicality. I don't see it in any of our wing types this year. I expect to see Moses or Cole in that role working with Banks in a triangle or simply go 4 out with Banks alone inside.

 

[ESPNjacket]

The Vegas line opens with Syracuse -9.5

 

[Peacone36]

Putting a smaller guy there can work pretty well (I do it with my AAU teams). The issue isn't crafty with the ball but rather the guy has to be a physical player to be able to handle the slapping from the guards digging down and have a least a chance in hadies to be able to drive to the hoop through the trees. Tadric had that skillset/physicality. I don't see it in any of our wing types this year. I expect to see Moses or Cole in that role working with Banks in a triangle or simply go 4 out with Banks alone inside.

First opportunity here should be Alston. Then Moore.

Moses in that high post position would be dumber than AD guarding the wing on D and shooting triples on offense.

 

[Peacone36]

The Vegas line opens with Syracuse -9.5

Cover all day down to 7.5-8