No. 25 Syracuse (7-2) relied on a Tyus Battle-led surge to comeback and beat Georgetown last Saturday and win its fifth-straight. Coming to the Carrier Dome on Saturday at noon is another team on a five-game winning streak: Old Dominion (7-3). The Monarchs feature two 7-footers and two dynamic senior guards.

Here’s what to expect when Syracuse tips with Old Dominion on Saturday.

All-time series: Syracuse leads, 2-1

Last time they played: Syracuse beat Old Dominion on Jan. 30, 1981, 71-58, in the Carrier Dome. It was the second meeting in a two-year span. The Orange were led by Danny Schayes, the son of NBA Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes and a graduate of Jamesville-Dewitt (New York) High School, who tallied 17 points on the day.

The Old Dominion report: The Monarchs make their mark on the defensive end of the floor. They have a top-30 defense in the country, per Kenpom.com, and they’ve held opponents to the second lowest 2-point field goal percentage in the country. Much of its defense stems from quality rim protection, which starts with 7-foot sophomore Dajour Dickens, who averages 1.8 blocks per game. The Monarchs also utilize 7-foot-1 senior Elbert Robinson III inside, as he and Dickens have split starts at center this season.

The defensive approach extends to on-ball pressure from ODU’s two star guards: Ahmad Caver and B.J. Stith, who both average more than a steal per game. The Monarchs have only allowed one of their 10 opponents to clear the 70-point mark this season

Caver plays more than 90 percent of the Monarchs’ minutes and leads the team in both scoring and assists with 18.5 points and 5.1 assists per game. Stith is a close second in scoring, at 18 points per game, and the 6-foot-5 swingman leads ODU in rebounding, at 8.8 per game. Both Caver and Stith have knocked down more than 20 threes this season, with Stith shooting the ball above 40 percent from beyond the arc.

How Syracuse beats Old Dominion: Caver has scored double figures in every game this season, and Stith has scored double figures in all but one. The two Monarchs stars will get their opportunities. For Syracuse to beat a quality mid-major opponent, it’ll have to win the battle inside. Between Dickens and Robinson, ODU brings more size to a matchup with Syracuse. SU head coach Jim Boeheim has repeatedly criticized SU’s center play; it’ll have to be better on Saturday.

If the Orange can shore up the inside, it’ll come down to scoring against a quality Old Dominion defense. In the Monarch’s win on Nov. 28 against VCU, Old Dominion played an aggressive, half court man-to-man. The Orange offense remained stagnant, as it has much of the season, in the first half against Georgetown last Saturday, mustering only 22 points in 20 minutes. For SU to take advantage of the pressure that characterizes the ODU defense, the Orange will need to create movement like they did in the second half against the Hoyas.

Stat to know: 38.2 – The percentage that Old Dominion has held its opponents to shooting from inside the arc, per Kenpom.com

KenPom odds: Syracuse is given an 83 percent chance to win, by a projected 67-56 score

Player to watch: Ahmad Caver, guard, No. 4

Old Dominion’s offensive show runs through Caver. He leads the Monarchs in scoring and assists, including 2.2 made 3-pointers per game. The senior guard from Atlanta also heads the perimeter defense for ODU, snatching 1.7 steals per game. The Monarchs play at one of the country’s slowest paces, with a possession length 1.7 seconds longer on average than Syracuse’s. It’ll be all on Caver to create opportunities in late shot clock situations for the Monarchs, either with his shot or via the pass. If he has success as time winds down, Old Dominion can hang around with the Orange.

Published on December 14, 2018 at 12:07 pm

Contact Billy: [email protected] | @Wheyen3