Syracuse vs. Virginia Tech: 2018-19 College basketball game preview, TV schedule

With both teams having solid seasons so far, Syracuse and Virginia Tech face off in an ACC battle at the Cassell Coliseum on Saturday.

TV: Saturday, January 26, 8:00pm ET. ESPN.

Arena: Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia.

After productive seasons for Syracuse and Virginia Tech so far, respectively, this all-ACC clash will prove to be a very important fixture for both teams as we hit the midway mark in the college basketball regular season. It’s the Hokies who currently have the better record of the two teams, at 15-3 compared to the Orange’s 14-5, however, Syracuse sit just on top of Virginia Tech in the ACC standings as they’re one game ahead of the conference rival Hokies in ACC play. The number seed Hokies will be favorites for this one according to most, but, Syracuse’s recent form makes for a very interesting match up.

After their phenomenal win against Duke, last week, Cuse were able to beat Pittsburgh at home before thrashing Miami, on Thursday night at the Carrier Dome. Therefore, the Orange go up against one of the better teams in the ACC on the back of some excellent results. It was Elijah Hughes who shone against Miami, scoring 22 points and leading the Orange to their fifteenth win of the year. Going up against a team with likes of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Cuse will need a stable defensive performance from their backcourt.

Point guard Frank Howard will be important on Saturday, as he continues his comeback from injury – still not 100%. He’ll have a vital role to play as Cuse try to shutout an offence lead by Alexander-Walker, which can be dangerously explosive if not clamped down. Syracuse’s zonal defense will have plenty of threats to deal with, but, staying strong on defense will just be the basis for them to go forward in this game. Virginia Tech’s defensive set will prove to be one of Cuse’s biggest obstacles in the season yet.

The Hokies defence is one of the most efficient on their day, currently allowing the second least points in the ACC, the Virginia Tech defence will prove an enormous task for an Orange side that has seen plenty of struggles at times, concerning offensive threats and creating shots. Although, Syracuse have improved as of late on the offensive end, they’ll have to be wary of the talent they’re going up against on Saturday. There’ll be plenty of restrictions while trying to get into scoring position as Tech’s Kerry Blackshear Jr. led defence will make it hard for Syracuse to contest in the paint and leave limited spots to create a good shot.

Syracuse has seen offensive progression led by many different players at different times in the year. With team leaders like Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett the obvious scoring options on this team, Hughes, Howard and Jalen Carey can also be trusted to get points on the board. Three point success will prove to be important in this game, and perimeter scoring opportunities need to be converted to give Syracuse the best chance possible of winning a game like this.

Two excellent defences will provide the foundations for a hard-fought battle, on both ends. Perhaps it won’t be the most attractive of ball games, but it’ll be a classic ACC January game, and an important midseason game for both teams involved, who’ll undoubtedly have aspirations spanning beyond the next couple of months.