2/11/2020 basketball Edit

Scouting Syracuse

Jacey Zembal • TheWolfpackCentral

Writer

Syracuse has seemingly made a habit out of getting on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble during the non-conference slate, only to rally back in ACC play.

The Orange suffered key losses to Oklahoma State, Penn State, Iowa and Georgetown in the non-conference schedule. However, Syracuse has won six out of its last eight games to check in at 14-9 overall and 7-5 in the league.

NC State (15-8 overall, 6-6 ACC) plays at Syracuse at 7 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN2.

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Season Overview

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, who is talking to junior power forward Marek Dolezaj, and the Orange host NC State at 7 p.m. Tuesday. (USA Today Sports)

East Carolina transfer Elijah Hughes has been a revelation on the wing this season in trying to help fill the void of Tyus Battle entering the NBA Draft a year early.

Hughes and sophomore wing Buddy Boeheim, who is the son of SU head coach Jim Boeheim, have combined to average 36.0 points per game. Syracuse features four players in double figures and did play nine players in the 75-73 win over Wake Forest last Saturday.

Rankings

In the newly established NET rankings done by the NCAA, Syracuse is ranked No. 65 in the country this season.

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has Syracuse ranked No. 49, and KenPom.com has the Orange at No. 56.

Syracuse is ranked No. 92 in the old RPI formula used by the NCAA — according to RealTimeRPI.com.

Shooting

Syracuse is averaging 74.0 points per game, just behind NC State (74.3), and the Orange are shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 34.6 percent on three-pointers. All three categories are sixth in the ACC.

It’s pretty simple with Syracuse, three players are allowed to shoot three-pointers, and the rest will have to prove it to Coach Boeheim. Buddy Boeheim leads the way at 40.6 percent, Hughes is at 35.7 percent and freshman Joseph Girard III is at 33.1 percent. The latter is also 92.1 percent at the foul line and Hughes is right behind at 81 percent if the game is close.

Rebounding

The Orange rank eighth in the ACC with 35.8 rebounds per game and ninth in both rebounding margin (minus-0.7) and offensive rebounds per game (10.3).

Four different players are averaging at least five rebounds a game, with 6-10, 185-pound junior Marek Dolezaj leading the way at 7.0 boards per contest. That is a jump from 3.5 last year, and he’s one of the more improved players in the ACC. Junior center Bourama Sidibe is right behind him at 6.9 rebounds per contest.

Defense

The 2-3 zone defense has been helpful in limiting opponents to 30.4 percent on three-pointers, which is tied for fourth in the ACC, and 39.9 percent on field-goal percentage, which ranks third. The Orange rank ninth in the league in allowing 67.9 points per game.

Three different players are averaging at least a block per game, with Sidibe having a team-high 27 blocks. Five different players have at least 20 steals out of the zone defense, with Girard coming through with a team-high 28.

Depth

The one constant on the bench has been freshman forward Quincy Guerrier of Canada, who is averaging 6.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He had 13 points and 15 minutes in the win over Wake Forest, and cracked double digits for the eighth time this season.

Freshman center Jesse Edwards of the Netherlands, freshman wing Brycen Goodine and junior point guard Howard Washington round out the bench. Goodine got the game-winner against Wake Forest. The depth took a hit when sophomore guard Jalen Carey underwent thumb surgery in November.

Star Watch

Syracuse redshirt junior wing Elijah Hughes, middle, leads the way at 19.4 points per game. (USA Today Sports)

Elijah Hughes’ homecoming has turned out much better than ever expected.

The Beacon, N.Y., native transferred back home after playing his freshman year at East Carolina. Hughes is averaging 19.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, and shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 35.7 percent on three-pointers. Hughes is fresh off of 20 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in the win over Wake Forest. He’s scored 63 points over his last three games, and he’s reached 20-plus points in 10 contests with a season-high 33 points in a 97-63 win at Georgia Tech on Dec. 7.

Hughes does enter the NC State game in a mini-shooting slump, even though he’s getting to the free-throw line often to make up for it (27 of 30 last three games). Hughes is 4 of 25 on 3-pointers the last four games. Hughes has made at least four three-pointers in six games this season, and he isn’t shy in letting it fly (7.4 attempts per game).

The 6-6, 215-pounder has been more active on the boards and dishing out assists. He has grabbed at least six rebounds in 10 games and has at least six assists in four contests.

Likely Starters

NC State

PG — 11 Markell Johnson (6-1, 175, Sr., 13.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 6.6 apg, 1.9 spg)

SG — 13 C.J. Bryce (6-5, 210, 5th-Sr., 13.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.5 spg)

G — 24 Devon Daniels (6-5, 205, R-Jr., 11.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.7 spg)

F — 4 Jericole Hellems (6-7, 205, Soph., 9.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.8 apg) or 31 Pat Andree (6-8, 220, Sr., 5.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.2 apg)

C — 0 D.J. Funderburk (6-10, 225, R-Jr., 12.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.3 apg)

Syracuse

PG — 11 Joseph Girard III (6-1, 181, Fr., 11.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.7 spg)

SG — 35 Buddy Boeheim (6-6, 195, Soph., 16.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.3 apg)

SF — 33 Elijah Hughes (6-6, 215, R-Jr., 19.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.0 bpg)

PF — 21 Marek Dolezaj (6-10, 185, Jr., 10.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.0 bpg)

C — 34 Bourama Sidibe (6-10, 210, Jr., 5.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 0.2 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.2 bpg)

Stats To Watch

2: Rivals.com four-star prospects that are healthy for Syracuse — freshman forward Quincy Guerrier and freshman wing Brycen Goodine. Sophomore guard Jalen Carey is injured.

5: Three-pointers made out of 33 attempts for NC State senior forward Pat Andree since Dec. 22. He’ll be needed to crack the Orange zone if NCSU sophomore forward Jericole Hellems isn’t 100 percent.

4,763: Career points at Glens Falls (N.Y.) High for Syracuse freshman guard Joe Girard, which ranks 10th all-time.

Game Within The Game: SU’s Buddy Boeheim vs. NC State’s C.J. Bryce

Syracuse sophomore wing Buddy Boeheim is second on the team at 16.6 points per game, and he is shooting 40.6 percent on three-pointers. (USA Today Sports)

Syracuse sophomore forward Buddy Boeheim got lumped in as a glorified walk-on addition due to his famous father — Orange coach Jim Boeheim.

Buddy has proven that isn’t the case and he’s out-played his Rivals.com three-star ranking. The lanky 6-6, 195-pounder has gone from 6.8 points per game to 16.6 this season, and he’s shooting 40.6 percent on three-pointers this season.

The long-range sharpshooter has been a model of consistency this season, scoring in double figures in all but three games. He is playing some of his best ball of late, scoring at least 21 points in five of his last seven games. Boeheim has scored 26 points against both Virginia Tech on the road Jan. 18, and at Georgia Tech on Dec. 7.

Boeheim has drained at least four three-pointers in 12 different games, he has twice made seven from beyond the arc — vs. Notre Dame on Jan. 4 and at Georgetown on Dec. 14. He’s an OK passer but not a major factor on the boards. His job is to drain open jumpers.

Bryce went through his mini-slump, but bounced back to score a combined 37 points and grab 15 rebounds in back-to-back games vs. Louisville and at Miami. He leads the Wolfpack with 13.7 points per game and is shooting 36.0 percent on three-pointers.