After blowing out a pair of the league's worst teams over the last week, the Cavaliers have a much stiffer pair of tests ahead as they look to close out the regular season. That quest begins tonight as No. 2 UVa faces Syracuse at 7 p.m. on a game that ESPN will televise nationally.
The Wahoos (26-2, 14-2 ACC) are hoping to get an important win tonight in the Carrier Dome. Not only would it make its six of seven over the Orange since they joined the ACC but it would also position Virginia one step closer to the top seed in the upcoming conference tomorrow.
As UVa looks for its 27th win of the season—it would make five years in the last six with at least that many if the Hoos beat Syracuse—the Orange come in followed a win over Wake that broke a two-game losing streak that included defeats against Duke and Carolina.
Syracuse Orange (19-10, 10-6 ACC)
Head coach: Jim Boeheim, 43rd year (945-377 overall)
Series: UVa leads the all-time series 6-5.
Last Meeting: The Cavaliers beat the Orange 59-44 in Syracuse last season.
Three Things We Know
1. Virginia is fighting for an ACC regular season title and Syracuse is battling for better postseason positioning.
Both Virginia and Syracuse have a lot to play for in tonight’s game at. For the Cavaliers, the stakes are easily identifiable: UVa is two wins away from at least a share of the regular season title and the No. 1 seed in next week’s ACC Tournament. A win would also further cement their status as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and could help them avoid getting placed in a far-away region. For the Orange, meanwhile, it’s more about strengthening their overall NCAA Tournament profile and securing their already pretty safe spot in the 68-team field. They come into tonight's game following a weekend win at Wake Forest and are most likely going to end up the No. 6 seed in Charlotte regardless of what happens tonight. But a win would give Syracuse victories over a pair of projected No. 1s having beaten Duke at Cameron Indoor in January.
2. Syracuse’s 2-3 zone has been effective again this season.
It doesn’t need to be said....but the Orange are going to come out in a 2-3 zone in tonight’s game. And as always, they have again showed their mastery of the scheme and turned a defense that players have played against since their youth into a riddle that’s hard to solve. Syracuse is allowing 64.8 points per game this season and ranks 19th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. Teams struggle to get good looks against the zone, and Cuse ranks 26th nationally in effective field goal percentage defense. Opponents are shooting just 31.1 percent from three against the Orange on the season, and ACC teams are just about the same, at 31.8 percent. Syracuse leads the conference in turnovers forced per possession, taking the ball away on 22.6 percent of possessions in their 16 ACC games. Syracuse is also first in the conference and second best nationally in blocked shots per possession, with 7-foot-2 center Paschal Chukwu protecting the rim and averaging 1.6 blocks per game.
3. The Orange are led by an imposing and talented backcourt.
Syracuse hasn’t been as consistent on the offensive end of the floor as the Orange are defensively but they do have one of the most talented starting lineups in the conference. Almost all of their offensive production comes from guards and wings, led by junior Tyus Battle. The 6-foot-6 guard is one of the top scorers in the ACC, and leads the Orange with 17.7 points per game. He has scored in double figures in 14 of his team's 16 league games and has seven ACC games with 20 points as well as a pair of 30-point efforts. Battle doesn’t have to do the scoring alone, however. Wings Elijah Hughes and Oshae Brissett are capable scorers too, averaging 13.9 and 12.8 points per game respectively. Hughes, a transfer from ECU, is the team’s best outside shooting threat, making 35.6 percent of his attempts from deep. Brissett was a breakout performer last year as a freshman but has been a bit more up-and-down this years when it comes to scoring. He scored at least 15 points in each of Syracuse’s four NCAA Tournament games last season, including a 23-point effort against Arizona State in the First Four. The Orange also get contributions from guard Frank Howard and wing Buddy Boeheim, both of whom are capable scorers despite receiving fewer attempts than Battle and Hughes.
