3 Keys To Beating Syracuse

Having ended a seven-game losing streak with a victory over N.C. State on Tuesday night, North Carolina will try stringing together wins when the Tar Heels face Syracuse on Saturday for a 4 pm tip at the Carrier Dome.

Carolina has won consecutive games just twice since before Thanksgiving and stands at 11-17 overall and 4-13 in the ACC while the Orange have won consecutive games, including 72-49 at Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, and are 16-12 and 9-8 in the ACC. Jim Boeheim’s team is tied for fifth in the ACC.

Here are 3 Keys for UNC to defeat Syracuse:

Carolina’s success in recent years versus Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense has largely been because its bigs have played well inside the top of the zone and in operable spots on the baseline. Garrison Brooks has the required tools to handle playing high inside the zone, but does UNC have another big that can tighten the lengthy defense by securing dump downs and scoring ala Brice Johnson to Isiah Hicks in 2016,as an example?

That’s the key to beating the zone, not draining 3-pointers, though that’s a clear byproduct of executing within Cuse's patntented defense. Syracuse is ranked No. 80 in the nation defending shots beyond the arc, allowing opponents to shoot 31.5 percent, but teams are shooting 48.6 percent versus the Orange inside the arc, thus others have excelled ans so can the Tar Heels.

The Cuse hasn’t overwhelmed opponents in the open court, down in the post or even on the perimeter, as it’s shooting 33.7 percent from 3-point range, which is No. 161 nationally. But the Orange are No. 23 in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com, so Syracuse is doing some stuff right.

Limiting turnovers is one, hitting free throws is another, so the Heels must get stops at key times and not let Syracuse go on any runs pleasing the big crowd that will be on hand.

The Heels aren’t going to shut down Syracuse, but getting some key stops preventing a wave is a key.

In the past, the Carrier Dome has served Syracuse as an excellent home court and helped the Orange win many games. It’s as unique as any building in the nation because of its layout, it’s massive and the depth perception with respect to the basket sometimes causes teams problems. But this season, the Orange have lost six times in the friendly confines, including to N.C. State, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame.

So, this may not be as daunting a task for the Tar Heels as it’s been in the past for visiting teams, in part because the Orange have been inconsistent and the huge Syracuse fan base hasn’t gravitated toward this team as has been the norm.

Syracuse always draws a huge crowd when the Tar Heels show up, so if Carolina can get well into the game keeping the fans from being a factor it has a chance at getting a win. Be comfortable and play their game as they have in UNC’s last two visits, and they could leave with a W.