Men's Basketball

Opponent preview: What to know ahead of Syracuse’s matchup with No. 2 Virginia

Courtesy of Virginia Athletics

Devon Hall scored 13 points when Virginia defeated the Orange back in early January.

One of Syracuse’s best chances — maybe the best, period — to earn a signature win this season comes Saturday afternoon inside the Carrier Dome. An SU (15-7, 4-5 Atlantic Coast) team coming off a 55-51 loss at Georgia Tech will host the No. 2-ranked Virginia Cavaliers (21-1, 10-0) at 4 p.m. For Syracuse, a loss would further bury it in a hole and drop it to 4-6 in ACC play. The Orange is also running out of opportunities to beat a Top 10 team this year, which it has done in every season since 2006-07.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of Saturday afternoon’s matchup.

All-time series: Series tied, 5-5

Last time they played: On Jan. 9 in Charlottesville, Syracuse lost to then-No. 3 Virginia, 68-61. The Orange trailed by just three at the break but eventually dropped to 1-3 in conference play, as Kyle Guy (22 points), De’Andre Hunter (15), Devon Hall (13) and Ty Jerome (nine) led the way for Virginia. For the Orange, Frank Howard scored 18, Oshae Brissett 16 and Tyus Battle 12. Howard had seven turnovers, as the Cavaliers top-ranked defense gave SU fits in the second half, especially. SU out-rebounded UVA by 10 yet lost the game by seven.

The Virginia report: In the six games UVA has played since meeting SU on Jan. 9, the Cavaliers have easily topped North Carolina State, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. Then, they beat Clemson, Duke and Louisville, three upper-tier conference opponents. They enter Saturday on a tear, winners of 13 consecutive games.



Virginia’s start is its best in conference play since the 1980-81 season. Its current winning streak is its longest since it won 19 in a row three years ago. The Cavaliers lead the nation in scoring defense (52.7 points per game) and rank third in field-goal percentage defense (38 percent). Louisville became the first team to make at least half of its shots against UVA, including eight 3-pointers. Nonetheless, the Virginia win over the Cardinals gave it a three-game lead in the conference.  

Virginia is not stacked with likely NBA Draft picks. But it is deep. Take Nigel Johnson, who is serving a three-game suspension. It provided an opportunity for freshman Marco Anthony, who hit a pair of 3-pointers in 18 minutes. It was only his fourth ACC game. Few teams have that kind of depth, which will test Syracuse on Saturday.

How Syracuse beats Virginia: Considering UVA has lost just once this season, even in the brutal ACC, coaches have searched for the answer to topping the Cavaliers all season. They have not quite found one. For the Orange, just about everything will have to go right for a win. Shots will have to fall, more than anything, because shooting well is how Louisville stayed within striking distance earlier this week. Battle and Howard have to be efficient — minimize turnovers, hit shots — while creating offense, and the 2-3 zone has to continue to lock down the opposition. Sticking to Syracuse’s strengths is its best hope at an upset on its home floor.

Stat to know: 40 percent

Virginia’s 3-point field-goal percentage in the second half against SU last month. The Cavaliers hit 6-of-15 attempts from deep in their victory. UVA can shoot a bit, and SU will need to push out its zone to contest perimeter shooters.

Kenpom odds: Kenpom gives Syracuse a 29 percent chance to win the game, second-lowest odds to only the Duke game at the end of the month (12 percent chance). Kenpom predicts the Cavaliers to win a low-scoring affair, 54-48.

Player to watch: Kyle Guy, sophomore guard, No. 5

Guy drilled five of his 11 3-point attempts in the teams’ last meeting, finishing with a game-high 22 points over 40 minutes played. He averages 15.5 points per game and shoots 41.5 percent from deep. He loves to shoot the 3, especially against the 2-3 zone. Guy scored 22 points against Louisville in UVA’s last time out, and he scored 17 points in UVA’s win at Duke last weekend.





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