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After back-to-back road losses, Syracuse got back to winning ways Tuesday by defeating UAlbany 102-85. The Orange put together their largest offensive output of the year, led by a career-high 24 points from Donnie Freeman and a double-double by Jaquan Carlos.

Following Syracuse’s win over the Great Danes, it welcomes Georgetown to the JMA Wireless Dome for their 100th-ever meeting. The Hoyas are in their second year under head coach Ed Cooley and have started 7-2. Saturday will be Cooley’s second time taking part in this rivalry, with Syracuse beating Georgetown 80-68 last season in Washington, D.C.

Here’s how our beat writers feel Syracuse (5-4, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) will fare against Georgetown (7-2, 0-0 Big East) in the centennial matchup:

Zak Wolf (9-0)
Rivalry dub
Syracuse 75, Georgetown 70

Syracuse finally looked like it knew what it was doing offensively Tuesday. The Orange let Carlos push the pace and he spread the ball around accordingly. Tuesday’s performance was exactly what the Orange needed, especially with J.J. Starling still out with a broken hand. I think Carlos’ confidence will carry over to Saturday, and he’ll continue to set up his teammates and run the offense efficiently.

Carlos can’t do it alone, though. He needs his teammates to hit shots. Freeman hit a career-high four 3s against UAlbany, and though that probably won’t be repeated, the freshman has been playing really well lately. He’s totaled at least 20 points in three of SU’s last four games. He’s started to display a more polished offensive game, and it seems like he’s getting the hang of the physicality of college basketball.

Georgetown does have some size with freshman Thomas Sorber, but Freeman’s mobility can provide the Hoyas with problems. Georgetown has seven wins this year, but none are against notable teams. A 21-point home loss to Notre Dame and a 13-point defeat to West Virginia are better indicators of this team’s skill level than its blowout victories over mid-major teams. That doesn’t mean Syracuse will blow Georgetown out of the water, but I do feel the Orange will win a close one down the stretch.

Aiden Stepansky (9-0)
Hoya Saxa
Syracuse 71, Georgetown 74

The 100th-ever meeting between these two former Big East rivals could come down to the wire. The two squads have seen similar starts to the season — falling to Power Four opponents and taking care of lesser competition. Saturday, I see Cooley capturing his first win of the rivalry.

The Orange won by 12 last season in Washington, D.C., led by 46 combined points between guards Judah Mintz and Starling. SU is without both Saturday, and while Freeman has noticeably increased production as of late, I don’t see him getting enough help to push past the Hoyas.

As my fellow scribe Zak stated, Sorber poses a threat inside. The freshman’s inside presence, mixed with the 3-point shooting of Jayden Epps, Micah Peavy and Malik Mack, could cause the Orange issues. Yes, Syracuse just posted 102 points Tuesday, but it looked dreadful down the stretch as its lead diminished. Carlos posted 12 assists, but it’s hard for me to believe that will be a continuous trend, especially with continued poor shooting outside of Freeman and Kyle Cuffe Jr.

In a game the Orange most definitely need ahead of a Maryland matchup and ensuing ACC schedule, they’ll fall just short.

Justin Girshon (9-0)
Hoya Losa
Syracuse 83, Georgetown 80

Syracuse and Georgetown’s rivalry surely isn’t what it used to be when the programs were Big East foes. However, you wouldn’t be able to tell that if you only talked to Freeman. After SU’s win over UAlbany Tuesday, he said he’s had this game circled on his calendar since last year.

The DMV native grew up in Georgetown country. So, even before getting on campus, he was looking forward to the rivalry’s 100th game. And the contest couldn’t come at a better time for Freeman, who scored a career-high 24 points in SU’s win over the Great Danes while nailing four 3s.

Alongside Freeman, I see fellow freshman Elijah Moore having a big game and extending the Orange’s win streak to two. The Hoyas are a quality team, but with the freshmen duo starring and an animated crowd to back it, I see Syracuse defeating its foe.

Published on December 12, 2024 at 12:17 am