Things to watch for when Syracuse men’s basketball faces Florida State in the ACC Tournament

The Madness begins this afternoon when the Syracuse Orange (15-16, 9-11) men’s basketball team takes on the Florida State Seminoles (17-13, 10-0) in the ACC Tournament second round. The two teams split the regular season series, each winning on the road. In the first meeting Syracuse used solid rebounding and timely shooting to win 63-60. In the rematch, it was the Seminoles who got hot from beyond the arc to win 76-70.

Here’s what we’ll be looking for when these teams meet again:

Kevin: Fatigue Factor

Signs seem to indicate that Symir Torrence will be available for the Orange which helps the guards, but what about the frontcourt. Without Jesse Edwards and Benny Williams can the Syracuse forwards and centers hold up against a deep and tall Florida State team. Leonard Hamilton is going to use 11 players in his rotation with a goal to wear down the Orange. Can Syracuse hold up better in the closing minutes? If they want to extend their season they are going to have to find a way.

Szuba: Threes aplenty

The first meeting between these two squads was won by Syracuse encouraging Florida State to take and miss shots from the perimeter. In the second meeting, the game was won by Florida State shooting 60% from deep thanks to Caleb Mills’ 5-for-6 effort and Wyatt Wilkes going 3-for-6. Both teams have struggled to defend the three point line this season (sub-200 level in KenPom) so the long ball could be the deciding factor in who gets the honor of advancing to play an angry Duke team.