Well Orange fans, we’ve made it to basketball season. Tonight we get to watch some Syracuse hoops as the women’s basketball squad takes on the UConn Huskies in Mohegan Sun Arena.
Can you believe that they are sending Felisha Legette-Jack’steam to Connecticut again? Tip-off is at 6:30 tonight and the game will be available on NBC Boston and streaming on Cuse.com. Here’s what we’re watching for tonight:
Kevin: Lineups
With so many new players, I’m curious to see how FLJ decides to deploy the newcomers.
Will the Orange try and get Uche Izoje more favorable matchups by going big and letting her come away from the basket, or will they try and go a bit smaller and play out of the post? How will Skinner, Rodriguez, Velez and Schmitt be used in the backcourt? There are so many new faces this season and this will be the first chance to see how they respond in a challenging environment.
Dom: Who’s at forward
The backcourt will be a big focus with the loss of Laila Phelia and Dominique Darius, but there are at least many options on the table, depending on the matchup. At forward, I think there’s much more of a question mark. Journey Thompson provided a strong rebounding and interior presence next to Izoje.Sophie Burrows was a reliable contributor at three during FLJ’s tenure so far. Can Scott or Hawkins take a leap in their junior years? Will newcomer Destiny Robinson be able to make an immediate impact?
Sam: Is there any punch?
Felisha Legette-Jack discussed the importance of “punching first” at Syracuse WBB media day. It’s obviously going to be hard to compete with UConn, but do the Orange have any punch in them? Can they be competitive for longer than they were last year and sustain the effort throughout the game, even if it still means losing by 30+ points?
Audrey: Who’s putting the ball in the basket?
Uche Izoje is the obvious answer for the Orange, but based on Syracuse WBB media day it seems like FLJ and company are very high on the likes of Tyi Skinner in the backcourt and the Sarah Rambus/Jaleesa Molina duo on the block. I am also curious to see if UConn’s defense will double Izoje as so many teams did last season, or if FLJ’s plan to add other viable offensive threats into the mix yields results on game one.
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What will you be watching for in this one?
