Syracuse has lost four nonconference games just once in the last 25 years: during the 2014-2015 season, when the Orange ended up self-imposing a postseason ban. Saturday’s defeat against Georgetown was SU’s fourth of this year’s nonconference slate. But players insist panic mode isn’t imminent only 10 games in.

Here is what we learned from Syracuse’s (6-4) 78-71 loss to the Hoyas (7-4) in the Carrier Dome on Pearl Washington Day.

So much for Syracuse’s depth

The Orange’s depth hasn’t been playing to its strength as of late, and that trend continued in Saturday’s loss. Before the season, Syracuse presumably had 10 rotation players, including freshman Matthew Moyer.

Moyer decided to redshirt, and now 7-foot-2 Paschal Chukwu is out for “definitely a long time,” head coach Jim Boeheim said, following surgery to repair the retina in his right eye. Syracuse is down to nine scholarship players, seven or eight of which play, and SU’s scoring output has recently skewed toward one or two players.

Against Georgetown, it was Tyler Lydon’s turn to take over. The sophomore forward’s heroic attempt to rescue SU, Boeheim said, prevented the Orange from losing by 15.

The head coach thought the Orange deserved that deficit and after the game he put the Orange’s struggles bluntly: “We’re not getting play out of enough guys.”

Taurean Thompson is improving as an interior defender

Jim Boeheim has often said that while the freshman is Syracuse’s best offensive player down low, he has a ways to go on the other side of the ball. Saturday, though, showed Thompson may be making strides quicker than the head coach expected.

On top of two mammoth rejections, Thompson played stout defense in the paint. He often stayed straight up while not committing a foul, something Syracuse has struggled with this season.

Thrust into the role of primary center with Dajuan Coleman playing under 15 minutes for the second straight game, Thompson showed in 27 minutes why he may be the best overall option for Syracuse at the 5 if the Orange wants to emerge from its funk.

“He’s OK,” Boeheim said. “He’s no worse than anybody else. He’s a better offensive player than anybody else (down low).”

Syracuse has much room to improve in transition

Syracuse had a bevy of scoring chances in transition but managed only six fast-break points.

John Gillon was the main culprit, as he often got to the rim off the break but couldn’t convert. Georgetown’s big men forced him to adjust his body enough to throw off his shot.

Georgetown turned the ball over 19 times, 10 of which were because of SU steals. But Gillon and the Orange barely did anything with the relatively easy chances at their fingertips to put the ball in the hoop. While Georgetown and Syracuse had the same number of fast break points, the Hoyas had only six steals.

“We’re making turnovers in transition,” Boeheim said. “You get advanced situations, we can’t make a play. We can’t make a layup or we walk. We gotta play better.”

Published on December 17, 2016 at 5:35 pm

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