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Teams: Syracuse Orange (12-0) vs. Eastern Michigan Eagles (7-4)
Rankings: Syracuse (2/2), EMU (UNR)
Day & Time: Tuesday, December 31, 3:00 p.m. EST
Arena: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Line: -19 Syracuse
TV: ESPNU/ESPN3
Announcers: Jason Benetti, Tim Welsh
Radio: Syracuse IMG Network
EMU News: Hustle Belt
Streak: 2, Syracuse
First Meeting: In the Carrier Classic (the old version, not the water-based version), Syracuse lost their own damn tournament to EMU, 68-65.
Last Meeting: For the second-straight year, the Orange defeated the Eagles 84-48 last December. Can they pull the trifecta?
School Connections: Well, you know the Rob Murphy one. Here's a random one…assistant coach Benny White served as an executive assistant to former SU great Dave Bing, the mayor of Detroit.
Head Coaches: SU: Jim Boeheim (38th Year, 932-314); EMU: Rob Murphy (3rd Year, 30-36)
Last Year: The Eagles finished Rob Murphy's 2nd season with a 16-18 record, good for 4th in the MAC's Eastern Division.
Last Game: The Eagles are in the midst of a tough two-game trip. They kicked it off with an 82-59 loss to Duke. So, we better beat them by as much.
Head Coach Bio: After a stint at Kent State as an assistant, Murphy took over a spot on Boeheim's bench when Troy Weaver left in 2004. In 2011, he took over at EMU and is in the midst of turning them into a viable post-season contender.
"Fear Me, I've Killed Hundreds Of Timelords": Redshirt-junior point guard Mike Talley has proven to be more than just a table-setter on the floor for EMU. Although he is leading the Green and White in assists per game at 3.9, the 6-foot guard has scored 20-or-more points in two straight road games.
If Syracuse Wins…: They'll have completed the non-conference schedule undefeated and in prime position to become No. 1 soon.
If Syracuse Loses…: It will be a shocking loss on the heels of such an impressive win over Villanova.
Fun Fact: Hanson, of Mmm Bop fame, will be signing the national anthem.