The Orange will be back home in front of students tomorrow night
The Syracuse Orange (8-8, 2-3) are back tomorrow night and looking to earn their third-straight victory when they welcome the Louisville Cardinals (12-5, 5-1) to the JMA Dome. The game tips at 7:00 on the ACC Network and here’s what we’re watching for:
Kevin: Defending the perimeter
Louisville leads the ACC in three-point attempts (27.8 per game) and makes (10 per game) with Reyne Smith leading the way at 46% in ACC play. Smith has attempted 10 or more 3’s in four of the Cardinals last five games and Syracuse has to do a good job of not giving up clean looks. To have a chance at the upset, the Orange need to make Louisville take tough shots and then they have to clear the glass.
Dom: Controlling the glass
As Kevin mentioned, Louisville’s perimeter offense already make it tough for the Orange to keep pace, but who wins the rebounding battle will hold a key advantage in this matchup. Louisville grabs the fourth-most boards in the ACC (right behind Syracuse), but a majority of those come on the offensive glass (second-most in ACC). The broader question will be who from Syracuse steps up on offense next to J.J. Starling, but if the Orange give up those extra looks to easily, Louisville feels poised to win.
Mike: Who Maintains Momentum?
Louisville has been on a tear lately, with six straight victories including five in conference play. SU is starting to trend up again with Starling back in the lineup but they’ll need more than just him to stay that way. Eddie Lampkin has had back-to-back double-doubles and Lucas Taylor seems to be finding his groove as well. The Cards have plenty of scoring options and if the Orange can’t spread the ball around, they won’t be able to match them offensively.
Max: New Cardinals faces from old places
Excluding the walk-ons, Louisville has an entirely different roster than last year, with no returning starters or role players. Despite a potential lack of chemistry, this Cardinals team is one of the most experienced in the country (3.16 years, sixth oldest) and has their longest win streak in five years. We’ll see if the Orange reserves can keep up with L’Ville’s depth.
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What will you be watching for tomorrow night?