By BILLY HEYEN
Syracuse (5-4, 1-1 Atlantic Coast) travels to play former Big East rival Georgetown (6-3) on Saturday afternoon in Washington, D.C at Capital One Arena. Both teams will have had a week off and are coming off victories. The Orange snagged their first conference win on the road at Georgia Tech, while the Hoyas have won two straight.
Here’s a preview of Syracuse and Georgetown, which have played five-straight games against each other within single digits.
How to watch Syracuse vs. Georgetown
Syracuse and Georgetown tip off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14; the game can be watched on FOX.
All-time record
Syracuse leads the all-time series with its former Big East rival, 51-43. That includes two SU wins during Jim Boeheim’s playing career with the Orange.
Last time they played
On Dec. 8, 2018, Syracuse hosted Georgetown in the Carrier Dome. The Hoyas jumped out early and took a 35-22 lead into the halftime break. But then Tyus Battle took over for SU. He scored 21 points in the second half. That included a pull-up jumper from the right elbow with less than five seconds left to win the game for the Orange.
How Syracuse beats Georgetown
Georgetown has played two games since point guard James Akinjo and backup forward Josh LeBlanc were dismissed from the team, and the Hoyas have won both (including against Oklahoma State, who blew Syracuse out at Barclays Center). The wins have come on the back of sophomore guard Mac McClung, who scored 33 points in a win over OSU and followed it up with 19 in a win over SMU. With no Akinjo, McClung has been forced to take a larger load onto his shoulders and will be the key to the Hoyas’ attack against SU’s zone.
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A year ago, McClung was not shy about shooting against the 2-3 zone, normally from the right wing, but he finished 3-of-11 from beyond the arc. If Syracuse can take away his looks in the halfcourt and keep his immense athleticism out of transition, it’ll go a long way to stopping the Hoyas’ offense. Beyond McClung, the biggest worry is former NC State center Omer Yurtseven, who provides an inside-outside game that could stretch the zone in unusual ways.
Syracuse’s 3-point heavy offense matches up well with Georgetown, since the Hoyas allow opponents to make 36.4 percent of their 3-pointers, a defense more than three percentage points worse than the national average, per KenPom. SU’s best plan of attack will be to exploit that perimeter weakness, because Yurtseven and Jamorko Pickett defend the rim effectively.
Syracuse X-Factor
Joe Girard III: Girard will be important at both ends of the floor. Offensively, the Orange need him to heat up after making three of his last 20 attempts from beyond the arc, because SU needs to exploit the perimeter defense weaknesses of the Hoyas. And Girard himself will need to be extra cognizant of where McClung is at all times when Syracuse settles into its zone and not allow the guard too much room to shot.
Georgetown X-factor
Terrell Allen: Allen’s a grad transfer from UCF who’s been pressed into starting point guard duty since Akinjo’s dismissal. He showed he can score with 15 points against Oklahoma State before dishing out 10 assists against SMU. He’ll be a key fulcrum in Georgetown’s offense against the zone and be the player tasked with getting good looks for McClung and Yurtseven.
Prediction: Syracuse vs. Georgetown
Georgetown 77, Syracuse 71
McClung and Yurtseven are a great leading combo for the Hoyas as two players that have dealt with Syracuse’s 2-3 zone before and can play both inside and out. That’ll be enough for them both to have solid days, and SU will be kept out of the lane enough to prevent much offense beyond the 3-point shot. In the end, Georgetown will protect its home court.
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