It’s the first Q1 opportunity of the season for the Syracuse Orange (4-0) as they take on the #2 Houston Cougars (5-0) in the opening game of the Players Era Festival. The Cougars were the last team Syracuse has
faced in the NCAA Tournament- will they have a better outcome tonight? The game tips at 6:00 on TNT and here’s what we’re watching for:
Kevin: Don’t get bullied
Houston is going to play tough physical defense and in the past few years those teams have given Syracuse big problems. Will this year’s team be able to remain composed and not settle for low-percentage shots out of isolation? I don’t expect the Orange to win this game, but can they stand up to the pressure and show that they’ve got toughness to match their athleticism.
Sam: Pick up the blitz
Kevin took my main thought. I want to see if Syracuse can take the fight to the Cougars, but I also want to see how the Orange deal with Houston’s relentless ball screen blitz. The Orange have only been trapped off of one ball screen so far this season, and that’s Houston’s M.O. Can Nait George not panic, make the first pass, and put Houston’s defense in scramble mode? Will anybody be able to make the fast short roll reads that can pick apart a blitzing defense? We shall see.
Szuba: A defensive rock fight; competing down the stretch
We know Kelvin Sampson’s team is going to defend and suck the life out you. These two teams come into the game as the top two scoring defenses in college basketball. If Syracuse is able to compete hard on both ends, I look to the game’s final minutes as a litmus test for where this team is at. Houston does not quit (Final Four vs. Duke) and it’s like a boa constrictor down the stretch. Nobody is expecting a Syracuse win, but if the Orange can hang with the Cougars I’m interested to see how it handles the game late when Houston turns up the heat.
Dom: Backcourt defense
Syracuse’s guards are going to have their hands full. The focus will notably be how will the Orange match defensively and on the glass versus the Cougars, but Houston also has a pair of bucket getters in Kingston Flemings (17.4 PPG and 5.2 APG) and Emanuel Sharp (16 PPG). The likes of George, J.J. Starling and Kiyan Anthony will have to exert some energy getting the ball into the hoop to not leave it all on Donnie Freeman, but that can’t all just go to offense.
Max: Slow your roll?
Over the past decade, head coach Kelvin Sampson has established the Cougars as a hard-nosed, slow-tempo and defensive juggernaut. This year’s team is no different: Houston has the highest defensive rating in the country per KenPom while operating at one of the slowest tempos (355th). Easier said than done, but I’d like to see the Orange push the ball in transition to speed up the game. If Houston’s defense has time to set, SU will struggle to drive inside and will likely need supreme outside shooting to stay within range.
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What will you be watching for tonight?
