Syracuse (17-9, 6-7 Atlantic Coast) tips off against Miami (18-7, 7-6) on Saturday at noon in the Watsco Center. The Orange lost on Wednesday to North Carolina State after beating Wake Forest and Louisville. The Hurricanes are on a two-game slide, having lost at Boston College and to Virginia on Tuesday.  

For a full UM breakdown, The Daily Orange spoke with the Miami Herald’s Michelle Kaufman, who covers the Hurricanes.

The Daily Orange: Freshman point guard Chris Lykes is listed at 5-foot-7, doesn’t have elite 3-point range and leads this Miami team on the offensive end. How is he successful?

Michelle Kaufman: First of all, he is not 5-7. I’d say he’s closer to 5-5. Maybe with his shoes on he’s 5-7. He is tiny. But he is fearless. He is LIGHTNING QUICK, has a blur of a first step, and that is how he gets by and underneath everyone on the court. He can be electrifying to watch, though he still makes some freshman mistakes.

The D.O.: With a lot of unknowns still to play out, of course, how would you say this game impacts each team’s NCAA Tournament hopes?

M.K.: I think both teams are in a similar situation — middle-of-the-pack teams, in need of some good signature wins to add to their resumes as we head toward March.

The D.O.: Who might surprise Syracuse fans and have a big impact in the game?

M.K.: Two UM players who might fly under the radar are Sam Waardenburg of New Zealand and DJ Vasiljevic of Australia. They can both shoot the 3, and Waardenburg has been counted on for defense and rebounds in the absence of Bruce Brown, who is out six weeks after foot surgery.

The D.O.: Which team do you think wins and why?

M.K.: I predict a close game, with Miami getting the edge because it’s at home, and Miami is desperate for a win after back-to-back losses, and also, the ‘Canes had four days to prepare.

The D.O.: What didn’t we ask that Syracuse fans should be thinking about for the game?

M.K.: One thing to watch for is the play of forward Dewan Huell, who was having a breakout sophomore season in late-January, but has been in a funk the past few weeks.

Published on February 16, 2018 at 4:35 pm

Contact Sam: sjfortie@syr.edu | @Sam4TR