How to you follow up a game like that!?
The Syracuse Orange (9-1) completed a miraculous comeback on Saturday as they took down the rival Georgetown Hoyas (8-1), in a classic matchup between the two storied programs.
With the confidence-boosting win under the belts though, the Orange will need to move on from the excitement and focus their attention on beating the Buffalo Bulls in the Carrier Dome. The Bulls aren't looked at as a powerhouse team, but a loss of focus on Tuesday could lead to a devastating defeat for Syracuse.
Will the half court offense improve?
If it weren't for big time second half offensive performances from Frank Howard, Tyus Battle, and Oshae Brissett, the main storyline following the Georgetown game would have been the inefficient half court offense the Orange showcased. The first half was full of contested shots due to the offense being stagnant; the lack of motion on offense led to tough shots being taken late in the shot clock, leading to a four point deficit for the Orange at the half.
Syracuse was able to rely on their gifted scorers in the second half to cap off the comeback, but you can’t simply bank on that each game this season (especially against tougher opponents). Syracuse has the talent to succeed, but they need to figure out a way to get themselves easier shots—starting now.
Has the real Oshae Brissett arrived?
The Orange knew they were getting a special player in Oshae Brissett, but his performance against Georgetown showed a whole other side to the gifted freshman — a side the nation should be very worried about. Coach Jim Boeheim has been saying all year long that Brissett is a gifted shooter, but has just not found his touch yet.
Well, that touch was found in the Capital One Arena on Saturday.
Brissett hit four of his seven three point attempts on Saturday, as he was the engine that started the dominant Syracuse comeback. The other teams in the nation should be very scared when they see the Syracuse Orange on their schedule if Brissett is able to make these shooting nights a common occasion.
Containing the dynamic Buffalo offense
This will be an interesting test for the Syracuse defense, as the Bulls are lucky enough to have six, yes, six players who average double figures in scoring. Having that many capable scorers is lethal for any team as they are able to rely on multiple players to come through on any given night. The zone will need to be active from the start, as containing CJ Massinburg, Buffalo's leading scorer, may be a good place to start when it comes to slowing down this dynamic offense.
Matthew Moyer's baseline cutting
Matthew Moyer may not have gotten off to a great start this year, but he has shown a great cutting instinct in his most recent performances. Moyer has struggled to find his place in this Syracuse offense, but his ability to aggressively cut from the baseline has led to a few powerful slams for the redshirt freshman. The Orange will take as many easy buckets as they can get, and open dunks for Moyer are something they will not turn down.
The production from the centers
The Syracuse Orange aren't going to win many games with two points and four rebounds combined from their two centers. Yes Bourama Sidibe isn't 100-percent, but Paschal Chukwu needs to do a better job stepping up for his hurt teammate in big games. Both players have shown a lot of promise so far this year, but they are going to need more from their athletic big men if they want to continue their recent success.
