Fresh off a second-half collapse against Old Dominion, Syracuse (7-3) will look to bounce back with an upset of its own, against No. 14 Buffalo (10-0) on Tuesday night inside the Carrier Dome. The Orange has lost three nonconference games, making the game a must-win. The Bulls, meanwhile, bring in a very experienced team that has won 10 straight.

Here’s what to know about the Bulls ahead of Tuesday’s matchup:

All-time series: Syracuse leads, 28-5

Last time they played: The Orange used a hot start in the first half to down the Bulls inside the Carrier Dome last year, 81-74. Despite the seven-point margin, SU shot 50 percent from the field while holding the Bulls to a 37.7-percent clip.

Oshae Brissett led all players with 25 points, including a perfect 16 for 16 at the free-throw line. Frank Howard added 18 points, while Matthew Moyer finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Buffalo report: The Bulls return most of their key contributors from last season outside of Wes Clark.

CJ Massinburg is the leader of this Bulls squad. The senior leads the team with 17.1 points on 48.6 percent shooting from the field and 42.9 percent from 3. Along with Massinburg, Nick Perkins also returned and has been a big part of the Buffalo offense. He averages 13.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

The undefeated Bulls rank No. 25 in adjusted offensive efficiency and ninth in the country in turnover percentage, per Kenpom.com. They do not turn the ball over and take smart shots, making 56.4 percent of its 2-point field goals.

Defensively, the Bulls have been most efficient when guarding the deep ball, holding opponents to 27.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc, 20th in the country per Kenpom.com. Buffalo is also 43rd in the country in turnover percentage, per Kenpom, as their seniors take advantage of younger backcourts.

How Syracuse beats Buffalo: Simply put, Syracuse needs to move the ball on offense and create more open looks. It didn’t happen in the second-half collapse against Old Dominion, and now the Orange will host a stronger team in Buffalo.

A big factor will be how well SU shoots the 3 ball. The Orange average 23 attempts from behind the arc a game, converting just less than 30 percent. There have been times — like at Ohio State — where Syracuse has shot the ball extremely well. There’s a lot less room for error Tuesday night than in previous games.  

The zone’s strength will also be tested. Buffalo is best when they attack the inside, struggling to shoot the 3 ball — 33.5 percent, No. 200 in NCAA, per Kenpom — at a strong rate. Forcing the Bulls to shoot from beyond the arc and not attack the paint will be key.

Stat to know: 85.2 — The amount of points Buffalo puts up per game, ranking No. 16 in the country  

Kenpom odds: Syracuse has a 65 percent chance to upset Buffalo, by a score of 75-70.

Player to watch: CJ Massinburg, G, Senior

The leading scorer and best player on Buffalo, Massinburg will be the player to watch out for Tuesday night. He is the Bulls’ best scorer (17.1 ppg), second on the team in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and is extremely efficient on offense. If Buffalo can’t break down SU’s zone, Massinburg will be relied on heavily down the stretch, especially from 3. There, the 6-foot-3 guard shoots at a 42.9-percent clip, significantly better than any Syracuse starter.

Published on December 17, 2018 at 2:42 pm

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