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After a loss against Rutgers and a win over Boston College on the road, Syracuse (4-1) returns home to face Northeastern (1-1) on Wednesday. The Huskies split a pair of games played against Massachusetts and will now play their first Power 5 opponent of the season.

The game was announced just days in advance following an opening from both SU and the Huskies. The Orange’s multiple-team event contest against Binghamton fell through Friday when the Bearcats went on pause due to a positive COVID-19 test within the program. The Huskies lost a game from its schedule against Bryant this week.

Here’s what you need to know about Northeastern before they face Syracuse:

All-time series: Syracuse leads, 7-0

Last time they played:

Behind Oshae Brissett’s double-double (21 points, 14 rebounds) and Elijah Hughes’ 17, the Orange cruised past Northeastern 72-49 on Dec. 4, 2018. The victory extended Syracuse’s winning streak in nonconference play to five games, but losses to Old Dominion and Buffalo followed.

SU grabbed 15 offensive rebounds — out-rebounding the Huskies 43-29 — and scored almost half of its points in the paint. Northeastern tied the game at 12 to erase an early 10-2 deficit, but the Orange went on a 14-4 run at the end of the opening half that put the game away — and their lead never reached single-digits again.

KenPom odds: Syracuse has a 94% chance to win, with a projected score of 82-65

The Northeastern report:

The Huskies have manufactured three consecutive winning seasons under head coach Bill Coen and lost by nine points in the Colonial Athletic Association title game last year to Hofstra. That group was led by two seniors and left Tyson Walker as the leading returning scorer with a 10.4 points-per-game average.

This year’s roster is an extremely young and inexperienced one, though. Through Northeastern’s first two games in 2020-21, redshirt junior Jason Strong (13.5) and freshman Jahmyl Telfort (12.0) have averaged double-digits, making up the majority of its offense along with Walker. But defensively, the Huskies rank 313th in the country in block percentage and 201st in steal percentage, contributing to a 176 ranking overall, per KenPom.

How Syracuse beats the Huskies:

If the Orange replicate the offensive performance they had against Boston College on Saturday, they’ll beat a lot of teams this season. But even if that type of output doesn’t happen against Northeastern, Syracuse’s scoring depth should allow it to leave with a win. Marek Dolezaj has a 23.8 assist rate, notching 10 against Bryant and seven against Boston College. His spot at the top of the key in SU’s offense has allowed it to operate with quick ball movement and open spacing through the season’s opening weeks.

He’s been able to pivot and successfully find the open Syracuse guard on the wings and in the corners, and everyone in the Orange’s current lineup has the ability to push the ball up the court in transition. As long as SU controls the pace and is able to score some extra baskets, it’ll beat the Huskies handily.

Stat to know: 37.2%

The sample size is small since Northeastern has only played two games this season, but their defensive 3P% could play right into Syracuse’s strength. It’s a rate that ranks 241st in the country, per KenPom, after the pair of games against Massachusetts — a program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2014-15.

The Orange rank 80th in the country with a 36.6% 3-point percentage through their first five games, and they’ve hit 15 or more shots from beyond the arc twice this season. They take a lot of 3s, and if Alan Griffin, Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard III can continue to hit those shots, with an occasional make from Quincy Guerrier sprinkled in, that’ll give SU plenty of room to work with against Northeastern.

Player to watch: Tyson Walker, No. 2

If there’s one player for Northeastern who has the ability to take over and has the skills needed to crack Syracuse’s 2-3 zone, it’s Tyson Walker. His points-per-game average is more than 10 higher than the next-highest (13.5), and he ranks second in the country in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (10.8).

He doesn’t take a ton of 3-pointers, with only five attempts on the season. But his ability to drive into the paint and earn free-throws could cause trouble for Syracuse’s post players, who are already dealing with a lack of depth due to Bourama Sidibe’s torn meniscus. Look for him to attack around Girard and Buddy at the top of the zone early, perhaps drawing a few fouls on Dolezaj in the process. His ability to do that gives Northeastern its best shot to exit the Carrier Dome with a win.

Published on December 15, 2020 at 9:34 pm

Contact Andrew: [email protected] | @CraneAndrew