Can the Orange avoid an 0-3 ACC start?
The Syracuse Orange (6-7, 0-2) hit the road tomorrow to face the Florida State Seminoles (9-4, 0-2). The game tips off at 6:00 ET on the ACC Network/WatchESPN and here’s what we’re watching for in this one:
Kevin: Protect the basketball
Syracuse can’t combine poor defense with poor offense and expect to win games. The problem against Wake was that the Orange kept throwing the ball away and let themselves get buried early. Florida State is averaging 9 steals per game and uses those turnovers to ignite their offense. Can Syracuse value the ball and avoid the careless play that has hampered them this season?
Sam: Florida State’s press
This is nothing new. FSU has been pressing on made baskets for as long as I can remember. But for Syracuse, a team that scored on just 5 of 25 possessions pressed against Maryland, this can be a big test. There are some differences in the way these teams press, but the basic gist is to get the ball out of the hands of the person you want initiating offense. This drains the shot clock in both the backcourt and in the frontcourt as it takes longer to get into offense. That has been one of Syracuse’s major problems this year, and FSU’s length and ability to disrupt could prove pivotal.
Mike: Here’s… Donnie?
Tuesday’s loss to Wake Forest was arguably Donnie Freeman’s worst performance of the season – just seven points while shooting 2/7 from the field, along with four rebounds and three fouls. Based on Adrian Autry’s CuseSportsTalk interview Thursday, it sounds like J.J. Starling will still be out for this game, meaning somebody has to step up and ignite the offense. If Donnie can get an early shot or two to fall from the top of the key, it could open up space for him to get to the basket. If SU is kept to mid-range chances, it’ll likely be another frustrating night.
Dom: Who will stop Watkins?
Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis (23 points on 7/18 shooting, 2/4 from three and 7/8 from the line) didn’t have his best game, but he got open just enough and stayed involved offensively to rattle the Orange’s defense in a loss. Now, Syracuse must hold up against Florida State’s Jamir Watkins, who’s averaging a career-best 19.5 PPG and ranks easily as the the highest volume scorer for the Seminoles. He also dropped 27 points last year against Syracuse (kudos to Mike for digging up this memory from last season). It’s a similar story as the Wake Forest game: can Syracuse slow down its opponents top scorer and still make up the offense with Starling still not on the court.
Szuba: Starters and bench rotation
We’re 14 games into the season now and Syracuse’s rotation is still unclear. Do we see Autry roll the same starters out despite playing Lucas Taylor and Kyle Cuffe the entire second half against Wake Forest? Florida State goes tall, so maybe we see less of Petar Majstorovic and some of Naheem McLeod to get some run against his former team. Whether or not Syracuse is able to play with depth against FSU might determine whether this team can throw on the press or has stick with halfcourt man-to-man.
Max: Flee from three
We’ve really hammered home how poorly the Orange execute from behind the three-point line, and it won’t get any better against an FSU defense that allows its opponents to shoot less than 29% from the arc (25th best rate in country). The Seminoles aren’t as good at defending the two or rebounding, so look for the Syracuse offense to operate near the basket while attempting to establish a presence in the paint.
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What will you be watching for in this one?