Beat writers predict Syracuse defeats Boston College by double digits
On opposite trajectories, Syracuse has won three straight games, while Boston College has dropped four in a row to start ACC play. Zoe Xixis | Asst. Photo Editor
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Following a 94-86 win over Florida State for its third straight win, Syracuse travels to Chestnut Hill to face Boston College on Saturday, looking to extend its winning streak to four. Per the NET Rankings, the Eagles (No. 184) are the worst remaining team on SU’s schedule.
Under fifth-year head coach Earl Grant, BC is tracking toward its fourth losing season since Grant took the helm. The Orange, meanwhile, have already nearly surpassed their win total (14) from last year, and they’re looking to snap a four-year March Madness drought.
Saturday’s matchup for SU will be a Quad 3 opportunity, meaning a win will keep its NCAA Tournament resume afloat, but a loss would help derail it.
Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (12-5, 3-1 Atlantic Coast) will fare against Boston College (7-10, 0-4 ACC):
Aiden Stepansky (13-4)
Just like the Philly ones
Syracuse 80, Boston College 67
The Philadelphia Eagles were supposed to play this weekend, too. That didn’t work out. Just like the Eagles from Philly fell, the BC ones will. Boston College is yet another ACC foe that has yet to produce a conference win. The Eagles are 0-4 to start ACC play and average just 67.9 points per game this year. That’s a recipe for disaster against SU’s potent defense.
Of course, Syracuse’s recent win over Florida State wasn’t perfect. The Orange allowed an ACC bottom-feeder to take a lead late in the game and score 86 points. But it would be a miracle of massive proportions if the Eagles eclipse the 80-point mark. They’ve done it only once all season, doing so against Tulane way back on Nov. 23.
While BC’s defensive metrics are fairly strong — allowing the seventh fewest points per game in the ACC — its offense is pitiful in no matter what category. The Eagles are the worst 3-point shooting team in the conference. At the charity stripe, only Syracuse is worse. The fewest assists per game in the ACC also belongs to none other than the Eagles.
SU can’t look ahead, as the schedule ramps up after visiting Conte Forum. However, this should be another easy one for the Orange to stack their resume.
Cooper Andrews (14-3)
Eagles with no wings
Syracuse 73, Boston College 62
I keep picking Syracuse to deliver massive blowouts, and clearly that’s not happening yet. Tuesday wasn’t that encouraging, after the Orange barely held on against a lowly Florida State squad, surrendering 86 points in one of their worst defensive performances of the season.
Now, it seems that it’s time for SU’s offense to have a letdown game of sorts after scoring a season-high 94 versus FSU. But that won’t matter. This Eagles offense has no wings, and they won’t have an easy time consistently scoring against a hungry Syracuse defense that’ll surely be looking to prove itself Saturday.
The Orange should escape Conte Forum with a double-digit win. They’ll do it with their defense. Boston College’s offensive numbers are dreadful. A 46.3% effective field-goal percentage. A 29.3% hit rate from 3-point range. Bad free-throw numbers and a high rate of blocked shot attempts — this is easily one of the ACC’s worst offenses.
With big men like Donnie Freeman and William Kyle manning the paint, and tenacious guards like J.J. Starling and Naithan George roaming the perimeter, Syracuse’s defense will get after BC and pressure it into an awful day from the field. If not, then we’ll have some concerns.
Justin Girshon (13-4)
Keeping it rolling
Syracuse 77, Boston College 63
Freeman’s return has been exactly what the Orange have needed. The sophomore forward is averaging 23 points since returning from his nine-game absence, and he’ll, without a doubt, be the most talented offensive player on the court Saturday.
Boston College has just two players averaging over 10 points per game: Donald Hand Jr. (14.4) and Fred Payne (14.1). Despite leading BC in scoring, Hand has been extremely inefficient, shooting 31.5% from the field on over 13 attempts per game. However, it’s notable that Payne, a high-volume 3-point shooter, has scored 20 or more points in four of the Eagles’ last five games.
Outside of Hand and Payne, Boston College — rated KenPom’s No. 280 offense — drastically struggles to score. Though the Eagles can defend, Syracuse’s offense has looked drastically improved with Freeman back in the fold, and that will prove true again on Saturday.
While winning on the road in the ACC isn’t easy, I see the Orange controlling this game from the tip en route to a 14-point victory. A double-digit-point win will be a great way for Syracuse to head into the rest of its ACC schedule, which currently features eight Quad 1 opportunities.
