The Irish look to spoil Jim Boeheim Day
Photo by Lance King/Getty Images
The Syracuse Orange (17-10, 8-8) look to get their third win in the last four games when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-16, 5-10) visit the Dome.
Tip-off is at 12:00 on ESPN and here’s what we’re watching for:
Kevin: Controlling Tempo
Notre Dame is only averaging 62 points per game. They want to play a slow, grinding game and that’s not where this Orange team succeeds. The Irish aren’t good shooters but they don’t turn the ball over and they are 3rd in offensive rebounds in ACC play. It’s going to be important for Syracuse to create a pace that the Irish aren’t comfortable playing. That means solid defensive rebounding, forcing turnovers and running at every opportunity.
Mike: Enforcing Old Habits
The Fighting Irish are easily the worst team in the conference at setting up scores, and if it wasn’t for freshman Markus Burton, they’d be averaging even less than their meager 9.8 assists per game. However, Notre Dame has been in double figures in that category for each of their last three games. For ‘Cuse to snap the mini win-streak, they need to swoop in on the young guard whenever he has the ball, both to prevent quick dishes and to force bad shots.
Finn: No Easy Shots
The Irish have struggled mightily this season from an efficiency standpoint, in ACC play, Notre Dame has the lowest shooting percentage in the conference with an abysmal 39.5%. Their three-point percentage is not much better sitting at 12th in the conference connecting on 32.5%. If the Orange can simply defend competently, spurred on by the home crowd, a win should be on the cards.
Dom: Playing smart defensively
Given Notre Dame’s lack of effective offense, the ball looks like it will be in Syracuse’s court. The Orange shouldn’t have a problem scoring the ball and their transition game should help to boost any concerns with scoring, but given the currently limited depth behind the starters, this is a game where momentum could change if someone like Maliq Brown or Chris Bell got into early foul trouble. Syracuse has to stay disciplined on that end to avoid any possibilities of letting the Fighting Irish take this one.
Max: Slow and not steady
Like Kevin touched on, Notre Dame plays really slow. In fact, the Irish move at the slowest offensive pace of any ACC team. While they work hard to find a shot, it’s not the most successful operation, as ND enters with the lowest effective shooting percentage (46.5%) and highest turnover rate (19.7%) in the conference. Syracuse’s defense isn’t built to last 20+ seconds, but it is great at forcing turnovers with the best steal rate in the ACC. Expect Adrian Autry to speed up Notre Dame’s with quick-minded traps.
Szuba: Can Syracuse turn Notre Dame over?
Notre Dame is one of the worst teams in the country when it comes to taking care of the basketball. The Irish turn it over once every five possessions. Yikes! That plays right into Syracuse’s hands, which relies on turnovers for both stops and easy transition baskets. The Irish don’t do much well, but they’re a strong defensive team in the halfcourt. The best way for Syracuse to score in this game? Transition buckets off of steals.
