BUFFALO, N.Y. – Syracuse finished up an unremarkable three-game exhibition slate with a 71-58 win over Niagara in Buffalo on Saturday. The Orange nearly gave up a 17-point lead, as Niagara cut it all the way down to four in the second half, but Syracuse had too much in the final minutes.
SU still played without Aiden Tobiason, the Temple transfer who will be one of the most important pieces on the roster. He injured his hamstring in the first exhibition against UConn.
Here are a few takeaways from
the game.
Why didn’t Sadiq play?
Coming off of the UConn exhibition, it looked as though Sadiq White had taken a major jump from year one to year two. Two games later, that seems more in doubt. White picked up two early fouls against the Purple Eagles and sat much of the first half. When he returned at the beginning of the second half, it took him just 12 seconds to commit his third foul. Gerry McNamara didn’t put him back in the game.
White played just eight minutes, scoring four points on 2-for-5 from the field.
“It was game flow,” McNamara said of why he didn’t go back in the game. “He hasn’t had any rhythm, and I’m going to put him in a couple possession game? It was just one of those things where he didn’t find the rhythm.”
There’s also one other big dangling matzo ball with White’s exhibition performances.
White said that grabbing only one rebound in 25 minutes against UConn was unacceptable. In 25 more minutes, against Siena and Niagara, he grabbed just one more rebound. He had seven personal fouls between those two games as well. While Syracuse outrebounded Niagara by 19, White can’t be a bystander on the glass.
“He’s gotta rebound,” McNamara said. “We’re talking 50 minutes now, and he’s got two rebounds.”
Kiyan Anthony’s disappointing exhibitions
Kiyan Anthony didn’t score in 13 minutes of action against Niagara. Through 51 minutes in three exhibitions, he has six points and is shooting 2-for-16 from the field. He hasn’t made a three in three games.
Anthony doesn’t look like an improved player from his freshman season. On a Syracuse team that lacks players that can create their own shot consistently, there certainly is a niche for a volume scorer type, but Anthony doesn’t look like he can fulfill that role at the moment. McNamara says that he needs to draw up better looks for the sophomore.
“I’ve gotta get Kiy going,” he said. “I’ve got to do a better job trying to get him in some actions and get him open looks.”
There certainly hasn’t been much in terms of good looks created for Anthony, but there haven’t been a ton of good looks created for any of Syracuse’s supposed top scoring threats. This isn’t a team that will play pretty offense. In order for Anthony to stay on the floor, he needs to put the ball in the basket, regardless of how it comes.
The great point guard conundrum continues
Once again, Ryan Moesch played more minutes than Garwey Dual. Moesch was strong in his 22 minutes of action, scoring nine points and dishing out six assists. He also snatched four steals. He’s a confident player who loves to push the ball up the floor, and he’s opportunistic as a passer. He threw a few lobs, including one to Abdramane Siby in the first half.
“Every game that we played,” McNamara said. “He’s come in and changed the game.”
But what about Dual? McNamara has given him a tighter leash than Moesch thus far despite his seniority and the impact that he has on the defensive end. Dual drilled a three-pointer early in the game, something that Syracuse will need him to do when he’s open. He finished with six points, two blocks, two rebounds, a steal, and a turnover. Notably, he didn’t have an assist in 20 minutes.
McNamara thought he should’ve had one late in the first half when he drove to the basket and tried a fancy layup instead of leaving the ball for Luke Wilson. Dual was pulled from the game.
“I’m very demanding of that position because it is so important, and I’m hard on him, especially, because I know I need to help him get there,” McNamara said of Dual. “He’s a good player that should be really good. I want him to control the tempo. I want him to do the same thing he does on defense. I want him to get in the paint, make the right read; I want him to be able to make the open three.”
I’m curious to see if McNamara gives Dual a longer leash in the regular season in order to keep his defense on the floor. Moesch outperformed Dual in the exhibitions, but if Syracuse is going to have a good year, Dual needs to be a big part of it.
Goodrick at the four
When White picked up his second foul, McNamara turned to Tasman Goodrick to replace him. With Luke Wilson already on the floor, this meant playing Goodrick at the power forward spot. Goodrick essentially only played the five for Siena in the nine games that he played last year, and then got the start at the five in the first exhibition against UConn.
However, all 15 of his minutes against Niagara came at the four spot. It was a shock to the system to see him camping in the corner and attempting a catch-and-shoot three in the first half. He attempted just one three last season, and five two years ago at Gannon.
But his minutes at the four weren’t bad. Syracuse was plus-10 in his minutes; he scored six points and grabbed five rebounds. I wonder how much of a factor this will be throughout the year.
You have to force more turnovers
Syracuse built its roster around its length and athleticism on the defensive side of the ball, yet it only forced nine turnovers against Niagara on Saturday. The Orange haven’t been as disruptive on defense as McNamara would’ve hoped thus far.
“We’ve got to be able to turn people over,” McNamara said. “The problem right now is we haven’t impacted ball screens, which we’ll work on this week.”
Syracuse has switched ball screens one-through-four, but has played a lot of drop coverage – which doesn’t force many turnovers in general – when the five man gets involved. McNamara wants the Orange to be more disruptive on off-ball actions, while staying disciplined guarding ball screens.
