We know the rivalry. We know the history.
But when Georgetown welcomes the Syracuse Orange for their 95th meeting all-time this Saturday, both teams find themselves in more than just a rivalry renewed. The old foes square off in perhaps the most pivotal non-conference game of the 2019-2020 campaign.
For the Hoyas, last week’s victories on the road against undefeated Oklahoma State and SMU squads silenced much of the noise surrounding the departures of James Akinjo and Josh Leblanc. Georgetown proved they can win without those two, with Mac McClung shouldering the scoring load that was lost, and doing so brilliantly. The sophomore guard looked clinical, posting 52 points across the two contests and earning himself Big East Player of the Week.
Yet the Orange also find themselves on the rise coming into DC this weekend. After three straight losses by a combined 49 points to Oklahoma State, Penn State and Iowa, ‘Cuse lit up Georgia Tech for 97 points and their largest margin of victory in ACC play last Saturday.
One week later, they enter Capital One Arena for the second time as a non-conference opponent against Georgetown. But even though they left the Big East, Boeheim’s side will again prove familiar against Ewing’s remodeled roster—starting with the 2-3 zone.
We all know to expect Syracuse’s patented 2-3 zone this Saturday. It has perplexed offenses for decades and has even propelled Cuse to some surprising tournament runs.
But the zone is by no means invulnerable. It does not defend the three ball well and leaves defenders susceptible to offensive boards. But its key kryptonite? A capable big man with a soft touch to work the high post.
Enter Omer Yurtseven.
At 7-feet, 260 pounds, Yurtseven will prove a formidable force against an Orange defense that lacks a true center. Junior forwards Bourama Sidibe and Marek Dolezaj have played the middle of the zone so far for Syracuse, but have struggled to slow down offensive minded big men like Yurtseven. University of Iowa’s Luke Garza comes to mind, who posted 23 points and 9 rebounds in a win against the Orange en route to earning Big Ten Player of the Week.
Expect the zone to collapse on Omer any time he touches the ball down low, which should create plenty of outside shots for the Hoyas. Coming off a 21-point performance against SMU on 7-11 shooting from distance, junior guard Jahvon Blair should get plenty of chances to keep his hot hand alive off the bench for Georgetown.
Three-point shooting will prove critical for the Orange as well. In their four losses this season, Cuse has only shot 27 percent from three; In the 5 games they’ve won, they’ve shot 41 percent. Junior forward Elijah Hughes and sophomore guard Buddy Boeheim will get their shots up from deep, but when three ball doesn’t fall, Syracuse has looked incompetent on the offensive end. In the first game of the season against Virginia, the Orange put up a mere 34 points—its worst scoring performance since 1945.
Hughes has been the focal point of the offense this season averaging 19.6 points per game but has lacked a reliable secondary option to lean on for scoring. Boeheim has shot well on occasion, including a career-high 26 points against Georgia Tech, but struggles to create his own shot.
Look for the Orange to rely more on freshman guard Joe Girard III for scoring this Saturday. Syracuse’s third leading scorer at 9.7 points per game, the Orange may not expect JG3 to put up points like he did in high school—where he became New York State’s all-time leading scorer at Glens Falls—but at 36 percent shooting from the field for Syracuse, he will have to become more efficient at finding the bottom of the net for the Orange to develop some sort of offensive consistency as a team.
As for the Hoyas, the offense will be run primarily through Yurtseven in the high post. Syracuse will lure Georgetown into passing the ball around the perimeter, but only until the ball is passed inside will shot opportunities open up outside against the zone. Running in transition—something Ewing has preached since his arrival as Georgetown’s head coach—will also create scoring opportunities for the Hoyas before the zone gets set.
While the lore of the Syracuse-Georgetown rivalry may have faded since the Orange left the Big East, the quality of play between the two sides certainly has not. The last four games have been decided by seven points or less and Saturday’s contest should prove no different. Expect a tight game that could come down to the final possession for the second straight year.
Mitch’s Prediction (0-0 on the year): Syracuse 76, Georgetown 73
Will’s Prediction (6-3 on the year): Georgetown 78, Syracuse 69
