HOKIES HOOPS CENTRAL: VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES (11-5) AT SYRACUSE (12-4) AT 7PM RSN

HOKIES HOOPS CENTRAL: VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES (11-5) AT SYRACUSE (12-4) AT 7PM RSN

Shots 🆙 in the Dome 🤌 pic.twitter.com/Fu5aWcZAfK— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 11, 2023

Syracuse (10-6, 3-2 ACC)
vs. Virginia Tech (11-5, 1-4 ACC)
January 11, 2023
JMA Wireless Dome
7 p.m. ET
Dreaded RSN
Virginia Tech Sports Network

TV Broadcast
RSN
Play-by-Play: Tom Werme and
Analyst: Terrence Oglesby

Local Radio
Virginia Tech Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Zach Mackey
Analyst: Mike Burnop

Current Spread: Hokies -2.5
Over/Under: -140

Unpacking or Packing it in....
The Hokies are on the road in Syracuse facing a tipping point in their season while going up against the pack line defense. The Hokies are rumored to have Cattoor back from injury and to expect the debut of Rodney Rice, who has been cleared by the medical staff.Syracuse comes off a loss to UVA but are 7-2 in their last nine games. Tech comes in winning three of the last five contests between these schools but still trails overall 11-6.

The Orangemen are coached by Jim Boeheim. He began his college coaching career in the Stone Age at Syracuse as an assistant coach in 1969 and has been there ever since. He took over at Syracuse in 1976 and has a 1008-431 overall (424-266 in ACC) record guiding the Orangemen.

Syracuse really only has one semi quality win over Notre Dame. All of their other victories are against lower tier ACC and bottom 100 overall teams. They have losses to Illinois, UVA, Pitt and St Johns.

This team is led by guards Joseph Girard and Judah Mintz, who combine for 33 points, 5 rebounds and assists. Jesse Edwards will also play a major factor in defending the paint.

Defensively, the Orangemen employ the Packline Defense, which focuses on taking away an opponents shot while not giving up easy driving lanes. There is also a huge focus on preventing the high post pass and disrupting return passes from the high post to the top of the key, leading to turnovers. The most critical person in this defense is the center Jesse Edwards, who has shown he is able to sag low in the lane to prevent penetration on the baseline as well as when to press up to prevent interior passing.

Also look for Boeheim to employ a significant amount of full to three quarter court defense off made baskets. The Hokies have struggled with pressure which may encourage Syracuse to increase its use as the game progresses.

Offensively, Syracuse usually runs the motion offense, but in the last two seasons have had a greater focus on creating fast break points and moving quickly to get a shot. Their average possession time is one of the shortest in the NCAA. Boeheim relies on creating extra possessions and increasing the overall speed of play to wear down opponents.

The most important part is the amount of movement in the offense. You don't see one guy with the ball while the other 4 guys just stand around and watch. When someone passes the ball, they immediately move to a different spot on the court, and another player moves to replace them.

One common play that Boeheim teams run extensively in the half-court is called the 23 Orange. In this set play, the 4 and 5 start on the blocks with the 3 in the corner. The other two players begin at the top on the perimeter forming the "23" set. As a post flashes high, the ball handler passes to that post and moves to the opposite wing. The post can then pass to the second guard on the perimeter and follow for a ball screen. If the second guard passes out, the post flashes high and looks to make the high low pass to the opposite big. If it's not there, the post dives low as primary brings the ball up, forming the "23 again". This is a common set in Boeheim's motion offense.

The Orangemen Backcourt
Joseph Girard (11 SR G 6-1 195) 16.8 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 2.9 Ast
Judah Mintz (3 FR G 6-3 172) 15.9 Pts, 2.3 Reb, 4.1 Ast
Justin Taylor (5 FR G 6-6 205) 4.6 Pts, 2.0 Reb, 0.8 Ast
Symir Torrence (10 SR G 6-3 200) 3.1 Pts, 1.6 Reb, 2.0 Ast

The Orangemen Frontcourt
Jesse Edwards (14 SR C 6-11 215) 13.3 Pts, 10.9 Reb, 1.3 Ast
Benny Williams (13 SO F 6-8 215) 8.0 Pts, 4.7 Reb, 1.3 Ast
Chris Bell (0 FR F 6-7 180) 6.8 Pts, 1.4 Reb, 0.4 Ast
Maliq Brown (1 FR F 6-8 213) 4.3 Pts, 3.8 Reb, 0.6 Ast

What to expect from Syracuse?
Short possessions over and over and over on both sides of the ball. Boeheim aims to get you caught up in the pace so you lose focus on your game plan.

They may be without Benny Williams who missed the last game due to illness. He will be a game time decision. Regardless this team are lighter, athletic players with no big heavy guys inside.

The Orangemen are wildly inconsistent in overall scoring. They range from 95 against Oakland to 44 against #16 Illinois. Average against the better teams is around 65 a game.

Perimeter shooting is a not a major part of the Orangemen strategy. They average only 17 attempts per game but do shoot 36% so the Hokies still must defend the perimeter. That said, most readers here know the history that some no name deep off the bench usually comes in to hit 50% in a career night.

The Hokies
Will they or wont they again? Rice and Cattoor have both been reported that they will play. Having Cattoor's ability to defend and Rice creating points off the dribble add two dynamic aspects to this team. Expect both to be limited initially with Rice' run determined by how he does.

The Hokies will need big games from Kidd and Poteat along the baseline for backside baskets. Breaking the baseline against this defense needs to add 20+ points overall.

Slow, methodical possessions to find open shots. Expect to see Mutts or Basile alternating at accepting passes along the free throw line in an attempt to draw Edwards high in the lane. This is needed to create baseline opportunities. Maddox may get involved coming out of his deep corner three position to expose open layup opportunities. He cannot be hesitant if this is the case.

Nolight of the Clemson game
Lack of cohesion for a 4th ACC game in a row.

We'll get this turned around. Keep believing 🦃 pic.twitter.com/mAoKvEyuWy— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 8, 2023

In Closing
The Hokies have struggled in road game but the return from injuries may temper that a bit. Even IF Syracuse has a big home crowd, the space lends itself to a fairly quiet floor environment. The Hokies have to find a way to motivate each other.

Another team looking to create chaos by pace. The Hokies have been challenged of late to protect the ball in this scenario. Limiting turnovers and lowering Syracuse' overall opportunities is critical to success.

Hokies again are in a close contest but do not allow the streak to reach 5. Cattoor comes back with a hero game on the perimeter to lead the Hokies to a 77-68 win.

This is a three Popcorn Decision. If rumors are true this is a much better overall team and should be able to win but that lingering IF plays big.

Confidence Factor: