Can the Orange make it three in a row?
The Syracuse Orange (18-10, 9-8) look to get their third win in a row when the Virginia Tech Hokies (15-12, 7-9) visit the Dome for a critical game between two teams with post-season hopes.
Tip-off is at 7:00 on ESPNU and here’s what we’re watching for:
Kevin: Defending the perimeter
Sean Pedulla, Hunter Cattoor and Tyler Nickel are all capable shooters and after seeing what Notre Dame did in the second half, you expect to see a lot of plays run to get them the ball off screens. The Syracuse defenders have to do a better job communicating and recognizing the shooters. It would be ideal if the Orange force the Hokies to put the ball on the floor (where Pedulla is prone to turnovers) instead of letting them bomb away.
Max: Keep the Hokies off the line
Virginia Tech is a team that can kill you from the free-throw line, shooting at a 79.7% clip (fifth best in the nation). All five of the Hokies’ starters convert either 79% or higher from the stripe. Surprisingly, VT doesn’t use these numbers to its advantage, only attempting 18.8 shots from the line per game (200th in DI). Foul trouble really hasn’t been a problem for Syracuse this year, but if Autry’s defensive scheme falters, the Hokies will make the Orange pay at the stripe.
Finn: Limit Cattoor and Pedulla
I can’t lie, I do love watching these VTech guards hoop. The Hokies rely heavily on the dynamic duo of Cattoor and Pedulla, so the Orange’s best bet is to limit the Hokie’s stars as best as possible. The Orange have struggled frequently at limiting lead guards and long-distance shooters this season. The Syracuse defense will have to be aggressive and proactive to limit Pedulla from creating for his team. Similarly, Cuse will have to be on their toes to track Cattoor around the court as he hunts for his sweet spots.
Dom: Playing to strengths
Virginia Tech’s hot shooting from the perimeter is going to be a problem for the Orange, especially if the Hokies can manage few successful scoring runs. When it’s working, Syracuse’s offense can be efficient, disciplined and productive. On the other hand, there’s been times where the scoring is hard to come by which has costed the Orange multiple games this year. The Orange will need to get a fair share of looks in transition and avoid as many costly turnovers as possible.
Szuba: Full 40
But why hear it from me when you can hear it straight from the horse’s mouth? Said Adrian Autry of the Virginia Tech matchup:
“They spread you out. They run good stuff. They’re aggressive offensively. They run with pace. We’ve have to be ready to play for 40 minutes. We just have to be ready because they’re explosive. They can go on a 15-0 run in a minute or two. They don’t need a lot, they can shoot the ball extremely well. They know how to get shots. They execute the offense to get shots. It’s going to be a full 40 minutes for us, locked in and no let downs.”
If you think by providing a large block quote from the head coach was my way of mailing it in on this week’s what to watch, you’d be entirely correct. Thank you for your time.
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Now it’s your turn. What are you watching for tonight?