Syracuse vs. Oregon: TNIAAM predictions & poll

After a very disappointing Thursday night loss to UConn, the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team is right back at it on Friday at Madison Square Garden. They’ll face a similarly bummed-out Oregon Ducks squad, which lost to Iowa after our game.

Both teams are going to be pretty desperate to avoid starting this year 2-2, so it should be a nerve-wracking evening for us against another team that at least theoretically has top-25 talent. Do we think the Orange grab the win? The TNIAAM staff makes its picks:

Matt McClusky

Oregon 74, Syracuse 68

Connecticut’s style of defense “rattled” the Orange last night, according to Dan Hurley. I agree with the coach that SU looked unsettled all night long. Will that change today when the Orange faces a supposedly more talented team than the Huskies? Bol Bol seems to be a force and the Ducks can hit shots outside, too. Whatever is ailing Syracuse won’t be fixed in just under 24 hours. Hell, who knows if SU’s offense will kick into gear when Frank Howard returns? At this point, it’s a legitimate worry.

Kevin Wall

Syracuse 75, Oregon 71

One thing we learned about the Orange last year was that the team doesn’t quit. They were out-worked for a good portion of last night’s game and I think tonight they will respond. I think we’ll see much more intensity on the defensive end and a better approach offensively. Write this team off at your own risk but I think Battle and Brissett rebound and lead Syracuse to a win over the Ducks.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

James Szuba

Syracuse 66, Oregon 64

I’ll give Syracuse a narrow edge here given the fact that Jalen Carey settled into his own in the second half against UConn, but someone else is going to need to step up on offense for SU to get the win here. The zone should do a decent enough job to mitigate Bol Bol so long as the guards don’t allow dribble penetration and lobs over the top. But if the centers play anything close to how they played defensively against UConn, it’s going to be tough sledding for Syracuse. Give me SU by one possession in a toss up game.

John Cassillo

Oregon 75, Syracuse 70

This #disloyalidiot remains optimistic around Syracuse’s season... once Frank Howard returns. Without him, I’m pretty skeptical the Orange will be able to defend the Ducks well enough to grab this win. They have size, though it didn’t do them much good against Iowa — something that should sound very familiar to SU fans. Even if they can shut down guys like Ehab Amin and Payton Pritchard, the Orange still need an answer for Bol Bol in the middle. Just hope Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett put in better offensive efforts, at least.

Now it’s your turn...