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Syracuse Basketball: Takeaways from emphatic win over Seattle

By Rudi Richards

SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 23: General view of the seat reserved for head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange prior to the game against the Duke Blue Devils at the Carrier Dome on February 23, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 23: General view of the seat reserved for head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange prior to the game against the Duke Blue Devils at the Carrier Dome on February 23, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images) /
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SYRACUSE, NY – NOVEMBER 06: Elijah Hughes #33 of the Syracuse Orange shoots the ball as Casey Morsell #13 of the Virginia Cavaliers defends during the second half at the Carrier Dome on November 6, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. Virginia defeated Syracuse 48-34. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY – NOVEMBER 06: Elijah Hughes #33 of the Syracuse Orange shoots the ball as Casey Morsell #13 of the Virginia Cavaliers defends during the second half at the Carrier Dome on November 6, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. Virginia defeated Syracuse 48-34. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images) /

2. Syracuse has plenty of good scorers

For a program that has struggled over the last couple of seasons with turning possession into points, this year’s team can be the group of players to change that narrative. Whilst the opening game was against the reigning champs and, well the first game of the year, you can just forget about it. That game was never going to set the tone for the entire year. It was pivotal that the Orange bounce back though and they did just that. It’s going to be important for the Orange to rack up wins against the lesser teams, and the last two games are great examples of how they’re going to do this – especially the Seattle game.

Syracuse’s ability to get hot last night won them the game. The defense remained great for the most part, but the offense made it out for Seattle to never really have a look-in. Shooting 59.6% as a team is pretty unheard of for the Orange, and it was great to see this happen. Five Orange players, including four of their starters, hit double figures in scoring for the night. It just goes to show that there is plenty of scoring on this roster, it’s just about keeping it consistent down the line. If they can do that then they’re going to be a side nobody wants to face, as they have been in years past.

Marek Dolezaj, Buddy Boeheim, Hughes and Girard III were accompanied by freshman forward Quincy Guerrier, who came off the bench to score 14 points for the Orange. Eight of Guerrier’s points came from the line, as he channeled his inner Paul George as he gave himself 14 opportunities from the charity strike on the night. Syracuse shot 9-23 from beyond the arc. It’s still a while from being perfect but it’s not too bad in terms of efficiency. Against Virginia, the Orange didn’t know when to stop attempting a shot that was never going to fall, but in their last two games, they’ve been much more patient with their shot.

Free throw shooting is clearly a basic part of the game that needs to improve, as the Orange shot  66.7% from the line. But, from the field, there was such an improvement that you can’t be too mad at the team. Working the ball inside, being solid from mid-range and being clever with ball movement was what allowed Syracuse to total 89-points on the night and get in the win column once more.

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