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Syracuse suffered its first loss of the season Thursday, falling 70-66 against Texas. Despite the loss, the Orange nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback. They trailed by 16 points in the second half, but clawed their way back to take the lead with four minutes remaining.

SU held Texas to 10-of-30 shooting in the second half, while Eddie Lampkin Jr.’s 14 points gave the Orange a boost. Though once Syracuse took the lead, it only hit two field goals down the stretch as Texas did just enough to escape with a win.

SU now takes on Texas Tech, who fell 78-77 to Saint Joseph’s. The Red Raiders are an experienced team led by JT Toppin — the younger brother of Obi and Jacob Toppin — who’s averaging 20.8 points per game on the season. The Red Raiders also have an effective offense, sitting 17th nationally in adjusted efficiency (117) and fourth in effective field goal percentage (62.8%), per KenPom.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (3-1, Atlantic Coast Conference) will fare in its final game at the Legends Classic against Texas Tech (4-1, Big 12):

Zak Wolf (4-0)
Close but no cigar
Syracuse 65, Texas Tech 72

Syracuse showed me a lot of things in its first loss to Texas. Both good and bad. Let’s start with the bad. It takes the Orange until the second half every game to wake up. They’ve started slow and lethargic in every game this year and for the first time, it cost them against UT. The good for SU comes on the defensive end, where it’s starting to figure things out. The Longhorns scored just 29 points in the second half.

Does this mean it’ll carry over into its game against Texas Tech? That remains to be seen. For now, I lean no because I haven’t seen enough consistency from Syracuse. Games are won across 40 minutes, not 8-10 minute spurts. If the Orange can harness their momentum across a full game, then I’ll say otherwise. Until then, I can’t pick them in a game they’re not favored in.

I do see Syracuse keeping it close, but Texas Tech will have too much firepower, with five players averaging at least 10 points per game. The Red Raiders are also relentless on the offensive glass, with a 40.9% offensive rebounding rate, which is top 10 in the country, according to KenPom. All of those factors combined will lead to SU’s first losing streak of the season.

Aiden Stepansky (4-0)
Just short
Syracuse 75, Texas Tech 80

The Orange put up a valiant effort Thursday night in Brooklyn, almost storming back from down 16 to capture an early signature win. While there are many qualms around this team through four games, one thing we can’t deny is SU’s ability to fight back when it finds itself down. Against the Red Raiders, I see Syracuse again falling behind early and again fighting back. But similar to the Texas matchup, the Orange will fall on the doorstep.

SU’s defense was phenomenal in the second half versus the Longhorns on Thursday, but I question its ability to perform that strongly in the second of a back-to-back, where players might be fatigued. I’m especially fearful for Lampkin. His durability inside could be tested tonight with two games in 24 hours, and I’m unsure if he’ll be able to put up his same physicality and minutes.

If this was a standalone game, maybe at the JMA Wireless Dome, and not on a back-to-back, I’d probably be inclined to pick the Orange. While I see Syracuse keeping it close until the final buzzer, I think Toppin’s offensive presence for the Red Raiders will be a little too much to handle. Syracuse will again scratch and claw, but in the end, the better team will win. And that team is undoubtedly Texas Tech at this point in the season.

Justin Girshon (4-0)
Still learning
Syracuse 73, Texas Tech 84

As Adrian Autry and several players echoed postgame, last night was a step in the right direction for Syracuse. While the Orange ultimately fell short, they played their best half of basketball in the second half and nearly overcame a 16-point deficit. But as Aiden alluded to above, SU has a quick turnaround facing Texas Tech tonight.

One thing Syracuse thrived in yesterday was containing Texas phenom freshman Tre Johnson. The guard is far and away the Longhorns’ No. 1 option, and SU held him to 4-of-18 shooting from the field. Tonight, the Orange face a much different offense featuring a 1A in Toppin and a 1B in Darrion Williams — both forwards. Meanwhile, opposed to Texas’s three main scoring threats, the Red Raiders boast three additional double-digit scorers behind Toppin and Williams.

With a plethora of scoring options, I see Texas Tech pulling away down the stretch to secure a double-digit win. J.J. Starling answered the test of stepping up defensively last night. If the Orange have a chance of pulling off an upset tonight, they’ll need a collection of Chris Bell, Donnie Freeman, Lucas Taylor and Jyáre Davis to provide key stops down the stretch.

Autry has repeatedly said Syracuse’s squad is still learning how to win. Tonight will give it more homework on how to find the answer.

Published on November 22, 2024 at 1:22 pm