NC State snapped its three-game losing streak with a key win at Pittsburgh on Saturday, and welcome another chance to try and solidify its postseason chances with Syracuse visiting at 8 p.m. tonight. The Wolfpack are 17-7 overall and 5-6 in the ACC.
The Orange bring a 17-7 overall record and 8-3 ACC mark into PNC Arena, and have won three of their last four games.
Season Overview
Syracuse entered the season in the majority of top 25 preseason polls, including No. 16 in The Associated Press. Non-conference losses against UConn, Oregon, Old Dominion and Buffalo dimmed their outlook however.
The Orange have turned it around in the ACC, going 8-3, with wins over then No. 1-ranked Duke and vs. Clemson highlighting the postseason resume that could still use some boosting.
Rankings
In the newly established NET rankings done by the NCAA, through games of Feb. 12, the Orange are ranked No. 47 in the country. ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has Syracuse at No. 36, and KenPom.com has the Orange at No. 41.
The Orange are ranked No. 38 in the old RPI formula used by the NCAA — according to RealTimeRPI.com.
For comparison, NC State is 22nd in BPI, 37th in NET, 40th in Kenpom.com and 118th in RPI.
Shooting
Syracuse has five players with at least 23 made three-pointers, with East Carolina transfer Elijah Hughes being the biggest surprise on the roster. He shot 34.9 percent from the field and 27.3 percent on three-pointers at ECU in 2016-17, but has improved to 42.2 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from beyond the arc this season. His emergence has allowed the Orange to have four players capable of stretching the defense.
Syracuse historically is on the low end of shooting well on field goals, due in part to working the shot clock and having players create shots going one-on-one. The Orange are 12th in the ACC in scoring (70.5) and field-goal percentage (42.8), and 10th in three-point field-goal percentage (32.7).
Rebounding
Rebounding out of the zone defense is a little trickier but helped when 7-2 Paschal Chukwu is on the court. The Orange are 12th in the ACC rebounding margin (minus-0.6), 10th in rebounding overall (35.6) and 11th in defensive rebounding (25.0).
Sophomore star forward Oshae Brissett leads the way at 8.0 rebounds a contest, and Chukwu is right behind at 5.7.
Defense
Syracuse is tied for third in the ACC in allowing 64.0 points per game, and that number has risen to 66.9 in conference-only games for the Orange. Opposing ACC teams have shot 40.4 percent from the field, good for fifth in the league, and 33.0 percent on three-pointers, which ranks sixth.
The Orange want teams to become stagnant and launch three-pointers, but if the Wolfpack get hot from deep, then SU is susceptible to getting shot out of the gym.
Depth
Syracuse typically has a short bench, but Boeheim trusts four reserves this season. Freshman wing Buddy Boeheim, Boeheim's son, has emerged as a three-point marksman in ACC action. Boeheim is shooting 21 of 44 on three-pointers in league games for 47.7 percent. The 6-5, 188-pounder has come off the bench to hit three or more three-pointers in six contest this season, and he had 16 points and went 4 of 5 on three-pointers in the 67-56 win over Boston College last Saturday.
Sophomore center Bourama Sidibe, sophomore power forward Marek Dolezaj, a former starter, and freshman wing Jalen Carey round out the key reservers. Carey has only played three minutes though over the last four games. The 6-10, 180-pound Dolezaj is averaging 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 20.3 minutes a contest.
Star Watch
Junior wing Tyus Battle has played well in three of the last four games, with the Orange winning three of those contests. He had 31 points and six assists, and shot 4 of 8 on three-pointers in a 77-71 win at Boston College on Jan. 30. He followed up with 23 points in the 80-62 loss at FSU on Feb. 5, and then had 21 points in the rematch against the Eagles on Feb. 9.
Battle has scored at least 20 points in 12 games, with a season-high 32 points in a 95-91 overtime win at Duke on Jan. 14. The 6-foot-6, 205-pounder is averaging 17.9 points and 2.5 assists per game, and shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 29.9 percent on three-pointers this season. His points are slightly down from last year (19.2), but he has improved strongly from last year’s 39.9-percent shooting. He has topped 30-plus points four times in his Syracuse career.
Battle had 17 points in last year’s game against NC State, which was a 74-70 Wolfpack victory on Feb. 17, 2018. The former Rivals.com four-star prospect, who was ranked No. 33 in the class of 2016, struggled his freshman year against NCSU, going 2 of 6 for just six points in a 100-93 overtime Orange victory.
Some players are adept at getting to the free-throw line and Battle is one of them. He has shot 10 or more free throws four times this season, and achieved that mark five times a year ago.
Stats To Watch
Syracuse average at line: If the game is close the Orange are below average at the free-throw line in the last five minutes and overtimes of games this season. Syracuse has gone 81 of 120 at the free-throw line down the stretch of games for 67.5 percent. Battle tends to get to the line the most, going 24 of 34 for 70.6 percent, and he has gone 12 of 17 in the final minute of a game. However, senior point guard Franklin Howard has made all eight free throws over the final five minutes.
Oshae Brissett racking up double-doubles: NC State is familiar with the skills of Syracuse sophomore forward Oshae Brissett, who had 25 points and seven boards in the game last year in Raleigh. The 6-8, 210-pound Brissett enters the game with three-consecutive double-doubles for points and rebounds, racking up a combined 46 points and 36 rebounds.
Points in the paint: Syracuse has been outscored in the paint in six games this season, going 2-4 in those contests. The Orange posted wins against Duke and Clemson despite being outscored in the paint. Syracuse also were even in that category against Pittsburgh (win) and Virginia Tech (loss).
Game Within The Game: Franklin Howard vs. Markell Johnson
Franklin Howard was a major NC State recruiting target in the class of 2015, but verbally committed to Syracuse relatively early. His prep career at Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI took a blow when he tore his ACL, and he finished ranked No. 86 overall nationally by Rivals.com.
The 6-5, 205-pounder got off to a slow start at Syracuse, averaging just 1.6 points in 10.5 minutes per game in 2015-2016. He broke out last year as a junior to average 14.4 points and 4.7 assists a contest, but he has slumped this season. Howard is shooting just 34.6 percent from the field en route to 7.8 points and 3.1 assists per game.
Howard has scored just three points on 1 of 11 shooting during the last two games against Boston College (win) and FSU (loss), but he has flashed at times some of his form from last year. He has cracked double figures in points in five ACC games, including 15 points, six rebounds and five assists in the overtime win at Duke.
NC State junior point guard Markell Johnson shoots 40.7 percent from three-point land and will be crucial against the Syracuse zone defense. Johnson had 10 points and eight assists against a Pittsburgh defense that played zone for various points in the game. Johnson is slowly regaining the form he had before missing three games with a hip/back injury suffered Jan. 12. He has shot 14 of 39 from the field in the five games since his return.
Probable Starters
NC State
PG — 11 Markell Johnson (6-1, 175, Jr., 11.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.0 spg)
SG — 13 C.J. Bryce (6-5, 195, R-Jr., 12.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.4 spg)
G — 10 Braxton Beverly (6-0, 180, Soph., 9.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.7 apg)
F — 2 Torin Dorn (6-5, 210, 5th-Sr., 13.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.0 spg)
C — 33 Wyatt Walker (6-9, 240, R-Jr., 5.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.0 bpg)
Syracuse
PG — 23 Franklin Howard (6-5, 205, Sr., 7.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.6 spg)
SG — 25 Tyus Battle (6-6, 205, Jr., 17.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.3 spg)
SF — 33 Elijah Hughes (6-6, 215, R-Jr., 14.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.2 spg)
PF — 11 Oshae Brissett (6-8, 210, Soph., 13.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.8 apg)
C — 13 Paschal Chukwu (7-2, 228, R-Sr., 4.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 0.1 apg, 1.8 bpg)
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