Before a near week off, No. 5 Syracuse (12-0) will take on Drexel (8-1) inside the Carrier Dome on Wednesday. Drexel has won six straight, including a matchup with Big East opponent Louisville.

The Dragons are perhaps the Orange’s toughest mid-major nonconference opponent, something head coach Jim Boeheim alluded to in his postgame press conference following the team’s win over Morgan State on Monday.

‘Wednesday is going to be really difficult,’ Boeheim said. ‘Drexel is a really good, really physical team. We get one day off and get ready to get here on Wednesday.’

With a win over Drexel, SU would be perfect through nonconference play for the second consecutive season before it starts its Big East slate on Dec. 28 against Providence. Here’s a look at how Syracuse matches up with the Dragons:

POINT GUARD

Scoop Jardine

6-2, 190, JR.

12.7 PPG, 6.0 APG

Frantz Massenat

6-4, 180, FR.

5.3 PPG, 3.3 APG

Jardine is tied for third in the Big East with six assists per game and is fourth with two steals per game.

SHOOTING GUARD

Brandon Triche

6-4, 205, SO.

8.9 PPG, 3.8 APG

Gerald Colds

6-1, 180, SR.

10.8 PPG, 2.3 APG

Colds is Drexel’s workhorse, playing more than 34 minutes a game thus far. He will likely shift to the point when Chris Fouch enters the game.

SMALL FORWARD

Kris Joseph

6-7, 210, JR.

13.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG

Derrick Thomas

6-4, 190, SO.

6.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG

Joseph will have a, well, sizeable size advantage here all game. Drexel’s lineup is guard-heavy, and Joseph needs to exploit that here.

POWER FORWARD

Rick Jackson

6-9, 240, SR.

13.8 PPG, 11.8 RPG

Sammie Givens

6-5, 220, JR.

11.8 PPG, 11.8 RPG

Jackson has an obvious size advantage here, but faces a player who has been similarly dominant on the boards and scoring around the basket. Givens has been Drexel’s most steady player, collecting double-double’s in eight of nine games so far.

CENTER

Fab Melo

7-0, 244, FR.

2.7 PPG, 2.1 RPG

Daryl McCoy

6-9, 270, SO.

5.6 PPG, 8.7 RPG

McCoy is a bit undersized in terms of height, but is physical and has dominated inside at times this season. Regardless of who is playing inside for the Orange, McCoy will have to be accounted for.

COACH

Jim Boeheim

841-293, 34 seasons

Bruiser Flint

243-197, 15 seasons

Flint is still flying under the radar a bit despite his success at Drexel over the years. Boeheim has the advantage in experience, but Flint is one coach who could devise a game plan to knock off the Orange.

 

FREE THROWS

• Drexel beat Louisville 52-46 on Dec. 14, handing the Cardinals their first-ever loss in the KFC Yum! Center.

• Chris Fouch, Drexel’s leading scorer, does not start, but plays an average of 30.8 minutes per game.

 

STAT TO KNOW

Syracuse had a season-high 34 assists on 39 field goals in Monday’s 97-55 win over Morgan State.

 

BIG NUMBER: 14.2

Drexel’s rebounding margin advantage, per game. By comparison, SU out-rebounds its opponents by 5.9 per game thus far.

 

FORTUNE COOKIE: Can SU catch the dragon?

 

BEAT WRITER PREDICTIONS

Andrew L. John

Syracuse 78, Drexel 63

This could be an upset alert, as Drexel is playing well this season. Ultimately, SU survives again.

Brett LoGiurato

Syracuse 72, Drexel 67

This one will come down to the wire. In the end, I think Joseph and Jackson carry the Orange to victory.

Tony Olivero

Syracuse 77, Drexel 67

Perfect, again

Published on December 21, 2010 at 12:00 pm