It’s the 100th meeting... and Georgetown still sucks
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
The Syracuse Orange (5-4) and Georgetown Hoyas (7-2) meet tomorrow for the 100th time. We’ve got a 2:30 tip-off on the ACC Network from the JMA Wireless Dome and here’s what we’re watching for:
Kevin: The battle in the middle
Georgetown freshman Thomas Sorber enters the game leading the game leading the Hoyas in scoring (15.4) and rebounds (8.3) while playing under 30 minutes per game. Can Eddie Lampkin and Jyare Davis use their strength and experience against the young Hoya? Will the Orange be able to keep Sorber out of the middle on both ends? If Syracuse can control the paint, it can help negate the advantage Georgetown has on the perimeter.
Dom: Help from the supporting cast
Outside of its advantage in the inside, Syracuse’s offense against UAlbany shined thanks to a big scoring boost coming from the bench. The final tally (45-26) was partly skewed by Donnie Freeman scoring 24 points but not as a usual starter, but the Orange also received some help from Kyle Cuffe’s 10-point burst in 12 minutes and Petar Majstorovic (6 points, 5 rebounds) also providing some energy around the rim. For Syracuse to succeed in the scoring department, at least two non-starters will need to give the team something on offense.
Mike: Picking up the slack
I said that Tuesday night needed to be a mental reset for the Orange offense and they executed quite well overall. Most importantly, guys are stepping up as they’re needed - Jyare Davis has been scoring inside in place of J.J. Starling, Donnie Freeman is knocking down threes in what was Chris Bell’s expected role, and Jaquan Carlos helped played distributor as Eddie Lampkin battles through a back injury. The ragtag element of this squad is finally disappearing and at the perfect time. These guys need to continue to pick each other up to gain momentum and pull out a rivalry win.
Max: Keep your hands straight up
This Georgetown team has difficulty drawing fouls, getting to the free-throw line just under 16 times per game (318th). The Syracuse D is near the national average for free-throw attempts allowed, so I’m looking for the Orange to use their clean defense to their advantage. We all know that winning the battle at the stripe usually dictates the winner of the game. If SU keeps the Hoyas out of the paint while in a legal guarding position, it should take this one.
Szuba: Three point line
Both Syracuse and Georgetown are similar in that each team has shot the ball poorly from outside to start the year (both rank 300+ in the nation in 3pt%). Too, both teams are just average defending the long ball as Syracuse gives up 32.8% outside shooting while opponents are shooting 34.7% against the Hoyas. This game might come down to other factors, but whoever has the advantage from outside could play a meaningful part in the outcome. Syracuse is coming off a good shooting game with help from Freeman and Cuffe; can Chris Bell also get going from three?
What will you be watching for?
