Heel Tough Blog: Syracuse Preview

@UNCMBBStats

After Tuesday’s blowout loss at NC State, the Tar Heels will look to respond on the road later today, at Syracuse, in the second matchup of the season with the Orange. As of right now, Henri Veesaar’s status for the game is unknown, as he was listed as questionable on the availability report. Like Caleb Wilson, Veesaar hasn’t played since the loss to Miami nearly 11 days ago, having missed the Pittsburgh win and the State loss. Prior to the previous two games, Carolina Basketball had only played one game in the ACC era without their top scorers and rebounders, and that was back in 1978. They’ll look to avoid playing a third straight game without their top two scorers and rebounders today in the JMA Wireless Dome. 

With the new ACC scheduling model, there are only two teams that UNC will play twice every year in ACC play, and while those two schools should be Duke and NC State, this year it’s Duke and Syracuse. The two met earlier in the season, a 87-77 win for Carolina, in a game that they led by 32 points, before a ferocious rally from the Orange, making it a two-possession game with less than two minutes left to play. Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar combined for 39 points and 20 rebounds in that game, and there’s a chance that Carolina could be without both players in this game. That means they’ll need contributions from both Jonathan Powell and Luka Bogavac today, both of whom scored in double figures in the first win over Syracuse. 

The Orange are coming off an embarrassing loss to Duke on Monday night in Durham, where they lost 101-64, as Duke did to Syracuse, what Carolina failed to do in the first matchup. After the loss to Duke, Syracuse fell to 15-12 on the season, 6-8 in ACC play, and is just 1-7 in Quad 1 games. At this point in the season, you have to wonder how invested Syracuse is, knowing that they aren’t going to the NCAA Tournament, and that more than likely their head coach will be fired when the season comes to an end. Donnie Freeman is Syracuse’s leading scorer, averaging over 17 points per game, as he’s one of four Orange players to average double figures in scoring. The best thing Syracuse does is protect the rim, leading the ACC in blocks at over 6 per contest. 

In the loss to NC State Tuesday, Carolina’s guard had a miserable night, as Derek Dixon and Seth Trimble combined to shoot 3-21 from the field, and 1-12 from behind the arc. There’s no denying that both need to be better, with or without Wilson or Veesaar on the floor in Carolina Blue. To this team’s credit, outside of the West Coast road trip, they have responded every time they’ve had to battle some sort of adversity. Let’s see how they respond today. 

1. Compete: The most disappointing aspect of the loss to the Wolfpack was the lack of competitiveness we saw from the team, which had Hubert Davis visibly frustrated when he met with the media after the game. There’s no telling how invested Syracuse is going to be in this game, but Carolina still needs to be the most desperate team on the court later today. They need to be the team diving on the floor for loose balls; they need to be the team doing all the little things necessary to win games on the road in the ACC. 

2. Pound the Glass: In the win back earlier this season, Carolina won the battle on the boards 41-31, with Wilson and Veesaar combining to grab 20 rebounds. While it’s uncertain if Veesaar will be available, you should trust Jarin Stevenson and Zayden High to do their job. In the loss to State, the two combined for 26 points and 19 rebounds, and had Carolina gotten adequate guard play, they would’ve been much more competitive on the scoreboard. But it just can’t be on the backs of those two, as Carolina needs Seth Trimble, Jonathan Powell, and others to get to the glass, to help UNC win the battle of the boards. 

3. Defend the Paint: Without Wilson and Veesaar, teams are attacking the rim with an endless amount of pressure, finding it easier to score on the inside. That means Carolina needs to do a better job containing the dribble drive and not letting the opponent get to the front of the rim so easily. As Hubert Davis confessed, with the lack of depth in the front court right now, they can’t afford to have either Stevenson or High in foul trouble, so they can only contest so many shots as it is. That means they need to limit how many drives Syracuse has to get into the lane. 

Series History: 

• Carolina is 19-7 against Syracuse, and 15-4 since they joined the ACC. UNC is 6-3 against the Orange in the JMA Wireless Dome. 

KenPom: 

• North Carolina - 33rd overall. Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 121.8 (30) Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 101.3 (46th) 

• Syracuse - 73rd overall. Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 115.8 (78th) Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 104.5 (81st) 

NET:

• North Carolina - 28th. 

• Syracuse - 72nd. 

TV Info: 

• Today’s game will tip at 1 PM on ABC. 

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