The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team begins action from the Player’s Era Tournament in Las Vegas against the No. 3 ranked Houston Cougars. Tip-off is set for 6pm ET from MGM Grand Garden Arena.
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Orange will be without Donnie Freeman, who was seen in a walking boot boarding the team plane prior to leaving Syracuse. Freeman will miss all three games in the Player’s Era tournament with a “lower body injury” and be reevaluated once back in Syracuse. The severity of the injury is unknown. In a report from Syracuse.com’s Donna Ditota, Freeman’s injury was sustained during the Monmouth game and is unrelated to last season’s foot fracture.
The Orange will get Tyler Betsey back after he sustained an ankle injury in the Drexel game. JJ Starling is back in the fold following a right hamstring injury.
Syracuse and Houston have met just twice all-time, splitting the series. Houston ended Syracuse’s run in the Sweet 16 of 2021 NCAA Tournament. The Orange beat Houston 92-87 in the 1982-83 season as Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajawan led Phi Slama Jama to the NCAA Championship game later that season.
Syracuse opened as a 14.5 point underdog in this one with the over/under set at 141.5.
The game will be broadcast on TNT with Brandon Gaudin on call and Candace Parker on color. Nabil Karim is designated as sideline reporter.
As always, leave your pre-, in- and post-game comments below.
