This Saturday, Syracuse travels to Georgetown to take on the Hoyas in the 95th meeting between the two old Big East rivals. The Orange lead the all-time series with a 51-43 record, including a 72-71 win inside the Dome last season and an overtime win at Georgetown two seasons ago. Although these are not the Big East days of old, this rivalry still means a lot for those involved, including head coaches Jim Boeheim and Patrick Ewing.
Ewing was a major part of the rivalry while with the Hoyas, leading Georgetown to an 8-3 record against the Orange and a 1984 national championship win. The same hate between the two schools may not be there due to being in different conferences, but every year the two have met in the nonconference slate it has been entertaining. This year, new faces all around should make for an interesting Saturday afternoon in Washington D.C.
Scouting the Hoyas
After a first-round NIT exit to Harvard last year, Georgetown is off to a 6-3 start this season with really no bad losses. They have fallen to Penn State and Duke, two very good teams, and UNC Greensboro, a sneaky good team out of the Southern Conference. The Hoyas have two common opponents with the Orange, aforementioned Penn State and Oklahoma State. The Orange struggled mightily with the Cowboys, but Georgetown came away with an 81-74 road victory. They had another impressive win over then-No. 22 Texas, 82-66. Ewing looks to bring the Hoyas to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014-15.
Georgetown has a very formidable offense but struggles on the defensive end, ranking 290th in points allowed per game (74.4). Syracuse pushed the pace against Georgia Tech last Saturday and it worked perfectly. There could be a similar attack this Saturday. On offense, the Hoyas are led by 7-foot Turkish center Omer Yurtseven, who averages 16.3 PPG and 9.4 RPG, as well as just under two blocks a contest. He will be countered by Syracuse’s center Bourama Sidibe, who sits just under 7 feet, checking in at 6 foot 10.
Yurtseven is complimented nicely by high flying guard Mac McClung, who shoots 43.1% from the floor and 42.9% from deep. McClung struggled a bit shooting until his last two games, where he is averaging 26 points. He had 18 points in the meeting between the two rivals last season. It really is a collective effort for the Hoyas, with seven players averaging over five points per game. That depth could be something that gives the Orange problems.
An update on the Orange
After not showing up for three straight games, Syracuse trounced Georgia Tech 97-63 on the road for their first ACC win of the season. This team has been head-scratching for many. My philosophy has always been the same: they’re pretty darn young. Let them grow this season. It really should not be all about the wins and losses, but it’s nice to see the improvement. Senior Elijah Hughes exploded for 33 points on 10-15 shooting from the floor, with Buddy Boeheim pouring in 26 points in the rout. As a team, the Orange shot 50.9% from the floor and 42.4% from three.
The recipe for winning and losing has become pretty clear. When the Orange shoot well from deep, they will win. When they don’t they have virtually no other scoring options. The lack of defensive rebounding is also a concern. However, against a team with large defensive lapses in Georgetown, the Orange may be okay. Syracuse fans won’t like to hear it, but this season is all about patience.
Predictions
I really don’t see Syracuse as a tournament team this season whatsoever. But the same can be said about Georgetown. The Hoyas seem like the perfect opponent for the Orange to exploit. Good offense, but bad defense. Syracuse’s defense has been solid for the most part outside of rebounding. Look for them to force enough turnovers to win yet another close contest. I like the Orange to win their third straight in this series.