Virginia Tech vs. Syracuse: College basketball game preview, TV schedule
Syracuse and Virginia Tech will be the last two teams to play an ACC league game this weekend. Who’ll start out conference play on the right note?
TV schedule: Sunday, Dec. 31, 6:00 p.m. ET. ESPNU
Arena: Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York
Right before the new year, each ACC team (with the exception of Louisville) will have played a conference game. That includes these two teams coming up, each looking to end 2017 on a high note.
For Syracuse 11-2 (0-0), they’ve been somewhat limping into league play, with a few underwhelming performances. The latest came earlier this week in a 62-47 win over Eastern Michigan, a game in which the teams were tied at the half with 24 points. The Orange were able to pull away in the second half thanks to Tyus Battle’s 22 points to lead all scores.
He played all 40 minutes in the game along with Oshae Brissett, who had another double-double with 11 points and 12 boards. The key player for Jim Boeheim may have been 7’2 center Paschal Chukwu, who had 15 points,12 rebounds, and five blocks. He also went 9/11 from the free throw line, impressive for a 55% season shooter.
The Virginia Tech Hokies 11-2 (0-0) had an easier time in their game this week, a 76-59 win over North Carolina A&T. While Buzz William’s team has been known as an offensive group in the non-conference, it was holding the Aggies to 20 points in the first half that set the tone for the game.
It was a group effort for the Hokies, with nine players scoring at least five points in the contest. The leading scoring for Virginia Tech Ahmed Hill had 14 points to lead the team in victory.
Next: ACC Power rankings before league play begins
The gameplan for Virginia Tech is simple: stop Battle and Brissett. Those two along with point guard Frank Howard are the only legitimate scorers for Syracuse, and, with a short seven-man rotation, this is a very predictable team. The Hokies are opposite with a plethora of players that can reach double-digits. That will be the difference in this ACC opener.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 78 – Syracuse 67