Syracuse is going to face a Marquette team it’s very familiar with in the Elite Eight on Saturday. The last time these two teams played, the Golden Eagles edged the Orange 74-71 in Milwaukee, Wis. Looking for revenge, Syracuse is coming off a great defensive performance against Indiana in the Sweet 16, and has momentum going into Saturday’s game. The Orange is just one win away from returning to the Final Four for the first time since 2003. Only Marquette stands in its way.

Here’s how The Daily Orange’s beat writers think the game will go:

Michael Cohen

Syracuse 79, Marquette 63

In my four years at Syracuse, this is not the first team I would have expected to reach the Final Four. It’s not the second either. Wes Johnson and Dion Waiters seemed like locks to cut down the nets, but neither one did. Instead it will be this group, a long and lean collection of athletes that come together to form Jim Boeheim’s best iteration of the 2-3 zone. Syracuse handles Marquette and heads south to Atlanta. Seriously.

Ryne Gery

Syracuse 70, Marquette 65

Marquette has given the Orange fits over the years. The Golden Eagles knocked SU off in the 2011 NCAA Tournament and most recently during the regular season in February. Syracuse is a different team now, and Jim Boeheim’s group marches on to Atlanta.

Chris Iseman

Syracuse 68, Marquette 63

Who ever thought Syracuse would be in this position? The Orange is just one win away from a Final Four appearance. It’s an unlikely scenario given all of the offensive struggles Syracuse has encountered during the course of the season. But the NCAA Tournament is all about getting hot at the right time, and that’s exactly what the Orange did. Syracuse is playing stellar defense and it’s hitting shots. When it does all of that, the Orange is very difficult to beat. Even though Marquette beat Syracuse once, the Golden Eagles won’t be able to repeat it.

Published on March 29, 2013 at 10:22 pm