Syracuse men’s basketball: predictions and poll for Miami

A quick turnaround has the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team (12-6, 5-2) heading down south to take on the #16 Miami Hurricanes (14-3, 5-2) on the road Monday night. The Orange are looking for an upset win on the road in pursuit of its first victory over a ranked opponent all season. With earlier losses to Illinois and Virginia, Syracuse hopes the third time is indeed the charm.

Tip-off between the Orange and the Hurricanes is scheduled for 7 pm EST.

Here are our predictions:

Dom

Miami 83, Syracuse 73

There is some possibility for the Orange to pull off a road upset, especially with Syracuse catching Miami losing two of its last three games to Georgia Tech and NC State. With that said, both teams are coming off short rest, so expect a turnover-filled contest between both teams. If Miami can’t make the Orange pay from three, Syracuse can keep this game close. On the other hand, if ‘Cuse gets off to a slow start, it will be difficult to come back against a Hurricanes team with multiple offensive creators that isn’t afraid to make mid-game adjustments.

Kevin

Miami 81, Syracuse 75

This is going to be an offensive game so Syracuse should really try to keep pushing the pace. Jesse Edwards dominated in the first meeting last year and I think Syracuse can find success driving the ball to the basket against Norchad Omier. On defense, the Orange need to rebound and keep Miami from getting the defense out of sync where they can attack the lane. The game could come down to which center can stay out of foul trouble the longest.

Mike

Miami 81, Syracuse 71

The quick turnaround from both squads playing on Saturday, combined with their ability to force turnovers (Miami is 2nd and SU is 3rd in steals in the ACC), means there ought to be lots of shifting possessions and hectic breakouts. The ‘Canes won the paint battle when facing the Orange last time, but that matchup looks more even with Jesse back. This seems like a case where ‘Cuse can play well across the board, yet fall short without an extra burst from perimeter shooting.

Christian

Miami 78, Syracuse 69

The problem that Syracuse faces is that Miami have athletes. Much like last season, the Hurricanes can use that to their advantage to bully the Orange off the ball and in the paint. The lack of Jesse Edwards hurt the Orange massively in the late season contest between the two teams and he still needs support to keep Miami out of the paint. However, Syracuse doesn’t do well when pressured on the ball, and the Orange don’t have the athletes to match Miami’s physicality.

Szuba

Syracuse 76, Miami 74

Syracuse is catching Miami at just the right the time as the Hurricanes have dropped two of its last three, but I think this is a matchup the Orange seniors can exploit. The Hurricanes don’t shoot it that well from three and they aren’t imposing down low so Edwards should command some added attention. Plus, Joe Girard tends to play very well against Miami and Boeheim is getting better production from the forward spot, too. Maybe I’m drinking the kool aid and the Miami offense will be too hot to handle, but I’ll take Syracuse in this one.

Who do you think wins this game?