Syracuse guards Tyus Battle (25) and Frank Howard (23) with head coach Jim Boeheim. (Image Credit: Dennis Nett )
When it comes to Syracuse basketball, this year’s team isn’t exactly poetry in motion on the court. But give the Orange credit for not trying to be something they’re not.
The ACC Tournament is set to tip off this week in Brooklyn, if Syracuse is to hear their name called on Selection Sunday they’ll need to make a good impression at Barclays Center.
The uphill battle for the 11th-seeded Orange begins with an opening round matchup against 14th seeded Wake Forest. The two teams split their regular season series, but this time its loser goes home.
No first-round byes, no benefit of a high seed in the tournament to reach the quarterfinals. No shortcuts.
If Syracuse is going to get it done they’ll need to grind it out every step of the way in order to make a deep run. But this is nothing new for them.
To understand the current scenario for Syracuse requires to first understand how they reached this point. Injuries and a short-handed roster left the Orange no other choice but to scratch and claw for their victories this season.
If this team is to dance in March, they must stick with what got them to this moment, their hustle.
Their big three of Tyus Battle, Oshae Brissett, and Frank Howard must be ready to ball out.
Lunch Pail Mentality
The Orange will also need to bring their lunch pail to Barclays, but what does this mean?
For Syracuse, beginning with their opening-round matchup, they’ll need too to win the turnover battle, make their free throws, and rebound.
Head coach Jim Boeheim is the master of the 2-3 zone defense. In this alignment, there’s an emphasis placed on not letting your opponent score inside the painted area or get to the basket.
The downside to zone is the ability for opponents to rise up and shoot over it. Wake Forest, despite all of their struggles this season, can shoot the basketball. The Demon Deacons shot 37.8 percent from the three-point line, this was good enough for fourth in the ACC.
If Boeheim and Syracuse can keep Wake Forest from getting hot outside, they’ll have a strong chance of moving on.
A good showing by Syracuse in Brooklyn this week only helps improve their chances of making the NCAA Tournament. According to the experts, a win over Wake Forest might be enough to get it done.
It likely won’t be pretty, that’s just not their style. But if Syracuse brings their lunch pail with them, they’ll make for a tough out in the ACC tournament and might just find themselves dancing in March.
