Men's Basketball

5 keys for No. 2 Syracuse against Boston College

Boston College has underachieved all season. The Eagles were expected to make some noise in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but instead have done just the opposite. BC has the worst overall record in the entire conference at 5-11.

The Orange should roll by Boston College no sweat, right? Well, that’ll probably happen, as long as these five things do:

1) Syracuse gets off to a hot start
At least not a cold one. The only way BC pulls off the upset is if it gets hot from the get-go. If the Orange jumps out to a quick advantage, the Eagles don’t have the talent or moxie to get back into it. If SU holds a 10-point lead by the under-12 timeout, BC can say goodbye to a possible upset.

2) Ennis doesn’t turn the ball over

Tyler Ennis had an uncharacteristically lackadaisical game against North Carolina, turning the ball over four times. That game was a blip on an otherwise-spotless season thus far. He still managed to score 10 points and dish out seven assists. Expect a bounce-back performance. When Ennis shines, so does Syracuse.

3) Cooney finds his stroke

Again, same sort of deal here. So Trevor Cooney missed a few shots. OK, 13 shots against UNC, but it’s still nothing to worry about. This is the perfect game for the usually accurate shooter to regain his consistency. When he’s draining jumpers it makes SU that much more potent.

4) SU contains Olivier Hanlan
Easier said than done. The Boston College guard comes into the game averaging 19.5 points per game while shooting 83 percent from the line. The 6-foot-4 Canadian, who may guard another Canadian in Ennis, can hurt you both inside and out. He’s got a silky jumper and is very skilled at finishing around the rim. He’ll get his, but Syracuse can’t let him go off.

5) The Orange continues to dominate inside

Syracuse outrebounded North Carolina 41-35, including 17-10 on the offensive glass. BC is 319th in the NCAA with 31.6 rebounds per game, so outrebounding the Eagles shouldn’t be a problem. Syracuse needs to make sure to control the glass, though, and continue to work the ball inside to C.J. Fair, Jerami Grant and Rakeem Christmas.







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