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Men's Basketball

Beat writers predict No. 2 Syracuse to handle Miami in team’s 1st ACC contest

Stephen Bailey: Syracuse 77, Miami 62
Welcome to the show
Syracuse rolls in its Atlantic Coast Conference opener as C.J. Fair catches fire and the Hurricanes’ defense is unable to find an answer. Jerami Grant shines in his second start of the season and delivers the posterizing dunk he’s due for. But the biggest question will be whether or not Rakeem Christmas gets out of Jim Boeheim’s doghouse. If DaJuan Coleman’s left leg contusion continues to hamper him, Christmas will be relied on for stronger defense. And Miami’s Donnavan Kirk isn’t a bad test.

Trevor Hass: Syracuse 83, Miami 60
No storm a comin’
Syracuse doesn’t need to worry about the Hurricanes too much in its first-ever ACC game. Shane Larkin, Kenny Kadji and Durand Scott are all gone, and Miami is younger and less talented this season. The Hurricanes keep it relatively close for a while, but Grant and Trevor Cooney have big games and Miami struggles offensively against the zone. SU puts together a strong performance and bumps its record to 14-0.

David Wilson: Syracuse 83, Miami 50
Welcome to the ACC
I was wrong. The ACC isn’t that good. There are some good teams, but Miami (Fla.) isn’t one of them. The Orange takes care of business in the Carrier Dome and asserts itself as the best team in its new conference.





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