High noon inside the Dean Dome
The Syracuse Orange (11-4, 2-2) hit the road tomorrow to take on the #7 North Carolina Tar Heels (12-3, 4-0) at Noon on ESPN. It’s another opportunity for Adrian Autry’s squad to add a Quad 1 win to their resume. Can the Orange break through in Chapel Hill?
Kevin: North Carolina 74, Syracuse 65
This just doesn’t seem like a good match-up for the Orange. While they’ve been playing better defense, the Tar Heels have been stifling teams. Can the Syracuse backcourt finally get on track here? While Armando Bacot is the name you know, it’s Harrison Ingram who has been a problem on the glass. To come home with a win, Syracuse is going to have play a complete 40-minute game.
Mike: North Carolina 82, Syracuse 70
SU lost Naheem McLeod at the worst time, because if nothing else he would have broken up some second chances and kept Maliq Brown fresh for the important stretches. The Orange rotation is too thin to rely on, meaning the more experienced UNC core can outlast the ‘Cuse on the court. Another ranked opponent means 30 quality minutes of basketball, not the 40 this team needs.
Dom: North Carolina 80, Syracuse 66
It looks like I’ll be the Debbie Downer with this week’s predictions, but North Carolina’s defense has been ridiculous the past three weeks and it is one of the hottest teams in the conference right now. If Syracuse can’t get out on the fastbreak, it’s just hard for me to see the Orange score in the half-court on decent efficiency. The Brown versus Bacot matchup is a fascinating one, and we’ll have to keep an eye on how impactful Syracuse’s wing rotation can be against a deep Tar Heels roster.
Max: North Carolina 77, Syracuse 63
While the Orange have developed a bit of consistency, it’s hard to see them coming out of Chapel Hill on top. North Carolina has been blowing through everyone in its past as of late, and that’s with playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. RJ Davis can knock down shots from just about anywhere on the court, while Armando Bacot’s height advantage will be tough to stop down low. Judah Mintz can only keep SU in this one for so long.
Szuba: North Carolina 81, Syracuse 68
Syracuse has never won in the Dean Dome and I’m not picking the Orange to get one now. UNC does so many things well and it’s hard to think Syracuse will defend for a full 40 and be able to keep pace with the Tar Heels on the glass. Plus, Ingram will have a significant advantage at the four. Mintz will have to get the better of Elliot Cadeau but even if he does Syracuse won’t be able to stop RJ Davis and Bacot for too long. The pace of this game should be fun, but this is an otherwise tough road game for Syracuse inside the Smith Center.
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Now it’s your turn