3 Keys for UNC to Defeat Syracuse

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North Carolina has won six of its seven ACC road games this season, and looks to nab another Tuesday night when the Tar Heels visit Syracuse for a 7 PM tip off at JMA Wireless Dome.

The Tar Heels won at Miami over the weekend, and also won their first five ACC road games before falling at Georgia Tech. Overall, UNC has split its last four games and is 19-5, including 11-2 in league play.

Syracuse is coming off a home loss to Clemson and has dropped four of its last six games. The Orange are 5-2 at home in ACC play. The Cuse is 15-9 overall, and 6-7 in the ACC.

North Carolina won the first meeting between the teams last month in Chapel Hill by a 103-67 score.

Here are 3 Keys for UNC to win at Syracuse, as well as some noteworthy Orange stats:

-Syracuse is No. 91 in the NET

-Syracuse is No. 94 in KenPom

-Syracuse is No. 121 averaging 75.5 points per game

-Syracuse is No. 307 in FG% at 38.7

-Syracuse is No. 160 in three% at 34.5

-Syracuse is No. 32 averaging 10 made threes per game

-Syracuse is No. 185 at 71.4 FT%

-Syracuse is No. 70 averaging 17.5 made FTs per game

-Syracuse is No. 113 averaging 10.5 fast break points per game

-Syracuse is No. 91 with 14.5 assists per game

-Syracuse is No. 328 in bench scoring at 6.5 points per game

-The Orange are No. 139 with 11 turnovers per game

-The Orange are No. 148 in adjusted offensive efficiency

-The Orange are No. 225 in effective FG% at 49.6

-The Orange are No. 191 in FG% inside the arc at 50.2

-The Orange are No. 233 allowing 76.0 points per game

-The Orange are No. 91 in FG% D at 41.0

-The Orange are No. 137 in 3-Point D at 31.5%

-The Orange are No. 173 averaging 3.0 blocks per game

-The Orange are No. 170 averaging 6.0 steals per game

-The Orange are No. 271 forcing 9.0 turnovers per game

-The Orange are No. 53 in adjusted defensive efficiency

-Syracuse is No. 266 in effective FG% D at 52.1

-The Orange are No. 284 in D FG% inside the arc at 53.0

-Syracuse is No. 101 in rebound margin at plus-3.0

-The Orange are No. 305 in offensive rebounding at 25.0%

-Syracuse is No. 279 in defensive rebounding at 31.6%

Syracuse’s leaders:

-Judah Mintz (6-foot-4): 18.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.6 apg, 2.1 spg, 42.8 FG%, 32.8 three% (21-for-64), 74.9 FT% (155-for-207).

-J.J. Starling (6-foot-4): 13.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 45.6FG%, 31.4three% (32-for-104), 73.3 FT% (34-for-47).

-Chris Bell (6-foot-7): 11.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 40.7 FG%, 39.6 three% (59-for-149), 78.3 FT% (18-for-23).

-Maliq Brown (6-foot-8): 9.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.3 apg, 2.3 spg, 69.3 FG%, 28.6 three% (4-for-14), 72.2 FT% (26-for-36).

-Quadir Copeland (6-foot-6): 8.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.4 spg, 46.4 FG%, 24.1 three% (7-for-29), 68.1 FT% (64-for-94).

Judah Mintz’s game is about driving to the basket, scoring near the rim, with floaters, and getting to the free throw line. He is going to have some success, Mintz is that good, but if UNC can limit the drives and force him to play more on the perimeter, it will remove his greatest attribute, and also clog some of the Orange’s perimeter game, that is more suited for J.J. starling and Chris Bell.

This might end up being RJ Davis’ task, or if Seth Trimble is healthy enough to play, he may get quite a bit of time on Mintz, as he has the length and athletic ability to hang with the prolific sophomore guard.

Elliot Cadeau’s career-high 19 points Saturday in Coral Gables came at a really good time for the Tar Heels, as they needed it to get a win. If he had an average game, UNC may well have lost. Tuesday at Syracuse might present a similar scenario, but perhaps someone else will step up and join RJ Davis in the scoring brigade.

Will Cormac Ryan break out? He’s due. Is it time for Harrison Ingram to approach 20 points again, something he’s done once since December 6? Might Armando Bacot dominate inside scoring on post moves, put backs, and running the floor?

Someone will have a big scoring game above their average, and it’s probably a must for the Heels to get a victory.

Carolina’s total rebounding margin over its opponents in the last four games is 14. Before this stretch, the Heels averaged outrebounding ACC teams by plus-13 from the Pitt game up to Wake Forest. UNC must get back to where it was on the glass before heading to FSU, and if Carolina is plus-10 or more, it will win this game.

Clemson out-boarded the Orange 41-24 on Saturday, and over Syracuse’s three games before that, Louisville owned a 40-21 edge on the glass, Wake dominated 36-23, and Boston College had a 37-27 advantage. That means in Syracuse’s last four games, it has been outrebounded by an average of 14.8 per contest. If dialed in, UNC should match that Tuesday.