Syracuse (12-4, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) tips off against Virginia (14-1, 3-0) on Tuesday at 8 p.m. in John Paul Jones Arena. The Orange is coming off its first back-to-back losses of the season, on the road to Wake Forest and at home to a depleted Notre Dame squad. Meanwhile, UVA has steamrolled through conference play with its top-ranked defense, most recently holding North Carolina, one of the nation’s best offensive teams, to 49 points in the Cavs’ win on Saturday. Now, Syracuse has to find a way to overcome Virginia for the third straight year.

The Daily Orange spoke with the Daily Progress’ Sam Blum, who previously worked at The D.O. and now covers Virginia athletics.

The Daily Orange: When Syracuse’s struggling offense meets Virginia’s top-ranked defense, are there any cracks Syracuse can find in the pack-line? How many points does the Orange muster?

Sam Blum: I think the whole point of the pack-line is that even one crack makes it totally ineffective. Right now, there aren’t many cracks. And it’s interesting how versatile it’s proven to be. Virginia has been going more and more with smaller lineups, featuring De’Andre Hunter (basically a guard) at the power forward position. Against North Carolina, UVA had a host of different players guarding Joel Berry. The point being, players are able to come in somewhat interchangeably, and still be effective. Isaiah Wilkins might be the best defensive player Virginia has ever had – and that’s saying something. The Cavaliers have held seven opponents under 50 points this season, most recently the defending national champions. Luke Maye, Ky Bowman and Ahmed Hill, elite scorers, have all had season-worst games against Virginia. How many points does Syracuse get? With such an non-diverse offense, I’d guess 45 points.

The D.O.: Virginia is 14-1 and undefeated in league play despite being unranked in preseason polls. Why is this team so much better than expected?

S.B.: UVA lost four scholarship players. Three transferred and one graduated. Not a single player who averaged in double figures returned. It makes sense that the predictions weren’t super positive. So, it’s ironic to think that UVA is one of the deepest teams in college basketball. The emergence of Hunter. The speed and scoring ability of Nigel Johnson. Kyle Guy’s growth as a scorer, and Devon Hall playing with elite efficiency for the first time in his career. Everyone’s just a little better than expected. With the defensive foundation the program already had, there’s little reason to think this start is a fluke.

The D.O.: Syracuse has stunned Virginia in their last two meetings — Boeheim’s 1000th* win and the 2016 Elite Eight — by ratcheting up full-court pressure and flustering the Cavs. Is UVA expecting the same if Syracuse trails this year, and is the team any better prepared to handle it?

S.B.: I mentioned Nigel Johnson in that last answer. He’s a graduate transfer, the first-ever in Tony Bennett’s career. And Bennett brought him on because of his speed. Because Virginia could be exposed when the game sped up. But that’s not the case anymore. The Cavaliers can play with tempo. They beat two pressing teams in Virginia Tech and VCU, and played really well against No. 2 West Virginia, the lone loss on the campaign. A big part of that is having Johnson. Syracuse definitely has more length in their press, which makes it tougher to break. That said, UVA seems able to handle pressure defense in the backcourt.

The D.O.: Which player might surprise Syracuse fans and have a big impact in the game?

S.B.: De’Andre Hunter. No doubt about that. He doesn’t have the numbers, but his last few games have been big. He has different athleticism than any other Virginia player. He can shoot. He can defend as well as, if not better, than any of his teammates. Against UNC, he had a wild dunk over Joel Berry and said afterward that when he took off, he hoped Berry would jump too, knowing he could dunk on him. So, he has a little moxie too. People who watch Virginia basketball sometimes say it’s boring. There’s nothing boring about Hunter.

The D.O.: What didn’t we ask that Syracuse fans should be thinking about?

S.B.: One Virginia player who played really well against Syracuse the last few games was London Perrantes. He excelled from the 3-point line. The question is if Ty Jerome will fill that role on Tuesday. He’s a spot-up shooter, more so than catch-and-shoot. So, it would make sense that Jerome could have a big game. It’ll be interesting to see how much the Cavaliers rely on 3-point shooting. It was a crucial part of the big Virginia Tech win, but not a prevalent part of this offense overall.

 

Published on January 8, 2018 at 11:24 pm

Contact Sam: sjfortie@syr.edu | @Sam4TR